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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3407552" data-attributes="member: 35788">The party left Charis’ homeland behind them as the sun was rising above the treetops.  They had decided to rest in one of the abandoned cabins around the sacrificing stone and had thus been able to block the windows to seal out the light.  Once the light was able to be blocked, they were able to convince their bodies that it was nighttime and had gotten an early start on sleep.  With several hours of sleep under their belt before the sun actually went down, they were able to rise in the morning quite refreshed and with several hours of darkness to cover their travel.Under the cover of darkness, the party made good time in reaching the edge of the land that was once controlled by the red wyrm.  Ischarus wanted to travel next to the mountains as they moved through the next domain to the east.  He had wanted to travel next to the mountains the last time they were through this land, but the light-gray figure that they had met had other plans for them.  This time, he would keep the mountains to one side.  The mountains would help minimize the potential for ambush.The party made good time and passed through the land unchallenged.  By nightfall they arrived at the entrance to the mountains that they had used the last time entering Quehalost.  According to the directions given by the ghostly figure, this meant that they were transitioning into the druid’s land.  There would be no telling what they could expect from here on until their mission was complete.The party camped and set watches for the night.  They decided to pull double duty and post a double watch.  They had an extra person available for the watches, and it was unlikely that Ophee was in a position to not be trusted.  If she were to do anything to the party, she would be stranded in Quehalost.  If she were stranded without the party, she’d likely wind up dead before another sunset.Morning came quickly for the party.  The prior day’s journey had tired them and they had slept well.  As they headed into the sunrise and to the east, it didn’t take long to realize that they were being watched.  It started with an eerie feeling, not unlike the feeling that they had before they discovered the ghostly figure.  They continued to travel toward the east as if they were unaware of the fact that they were being watched.  After traveling for another twenty minutes, they intentionally passed into an area where the vegetation was not quite as thick.  They had long been suspicious that the being that was keeping tabs on them was hiding high above them in the trees.  When the vegetation thinned, it became easier to discover the presence behind their suspicion.The creature following them was at least smart enough to realize what the party was doing.  However, rather than keep itself hidden, the creature decided to challenge the party.  A large ape swung out of a nearby tree and let out a shrill cry for battle.  Spittle flew out of its mouth as it yelled, and the creature exposed his sharp fangs.  Its canine teeth looked quite capable of sinking deep within the flesh of its opponents.The ape beat its breast and called out once more.  This cry was not nearly projected as much as the one before.  At the conclusion of the cry, a glimmer appeared for an instant before the ape.  The beast snarled and peered directly into Rhema’s eyes.Rhema returned the glare as her mind identified the effect.  “This ape’s advanced!  We’ve got the right land, that’s for sure.  My guess is that the first call was for help.  The second call must have been a trained response to bring up some kind of barrier.  Expect it to fight with a shield in ways that you don’t expect!”Ischarus drew his sword.  Rhema’s challenge was an outlet for tension that had been building for over a day now.  Charis joined him by drawing her trusty pick.  They exchanged smiles and knew the plan.Before Ischarus and Charis could charge, Rhema decided to make one desperate challenge.  If it worked, it would alleviate the need for combat altogether.  She locked her eyes with those of the beast.  The ape seemed willing to focus on her.  “You do not need to challenge us, creature of the forest.  We have not come to harm you; we have only come for a root specimen.  It is a plant we seek, not your destruction.”Ophee snickered as Rhema spoke.  When Rhema was finished, Ophee asked a question.  “Do you actually think that it understood you?”Rhema smiled as she continued to hold the creature’s stare.  “Words are often not the most important part of communication.  The ape can understand me.”She couldn’t have timed her words to any greater perfection.  The ape shrieked and howled and beat its breasts once more.  It slowly leaned forward and screamed a war cry in the direction of the party.Ischarus allowed a grin to pass from ear to ear.  “Apparently it can, Rhema!”  His legs leapt into motion and he quickly closed the distance between himself and the ape.  The beast took a swing towards Ischarus, but Ischarus ducked upon the swing and brought his own sword up hard against the creature.  A small patch of static crackled along the edge of his blade as his sword pierced the magical barrier protecting the ape.  In spite of the protective barrier, Ischarus managed to land a solid blow against the ape.Semeion smiled as Ischarus’ attack landed.  “Ayal nuan.”  A gray cloud formed over both of Semeion’s shoulders.  With a smile he gestured toward the ape.  “Stick the fury beast.”As if the gaseous cloud were responding to Semeion’s command, a blade shot forward out of the cloud as if shot from a bow.  The head of the blade spun as it streaked towards the ape and landed.  The blade caught the beast solidly in the chest and punctured deep.  Red blood began to pour out of the creature’s chest.Charis was quick to follow Ischarus’ assault.  Semeion’s magical attack flashed over her shoulder as Charis moved to attack the ape from the opposite side as Ischarus had attacked.  Her pick sliced through the air and caught the ape from behind.  The ape howled in pain as Charis penetrated the creature’s hide and then withdrew the point in preparation for another attack.In pain, the beast spun around and unleashed a vicious attack against Charis.  It attacked with a serious assault from its claws.  Both claws flashed across Charis face and cut deep gashes along both cheeks.  The creature’s claws were so nasty that after finishing slashing up Charis’ face they moved on to her shoulders.  Charis cried out in pain as her skin tore.  She dropped to her knees in an attempt to catch her breath and regain her focus.  Her chest labored as her mind attempted to block out the pain.Rhema knew that another attack from the creature would tear Charis completely in half.  As it were, she was still able to heal her own wounds through magic.  Rhema allowed anger to rise up from her gut and fill her mind with its rage.  She thrust the anger towards the ape and allowed the creature to feel the effect.  In spite of its enhanced mental ability, the creature was no match for Rhema’s mental assault.  The beast howled as its oversized palms wrapped around its head.  It fell to its knees and slipped onto its side.  It lay nearly motionless.  The only detectable movement was that of a shallow breathing.Semeion charged to Charis’ side in order to check if she was alright.  “Charis?  Are you okay?”  His hand struck out to meet those of his wife.  He didn’t notice that her hands were wet with her own blood.Charis cried in pain, but forced the healing magic to surge upward through her arms and into her hands.  As painful as it was, she forced herself to embrace her wounds.  The pain from the touch was brutal until the warmth of her magic sealed the wounds.  Enough magic poured through her hands to ensure that her flesh sealed without leaving a scar.  The pain would no doubt remain for hours, if not days.  However, she would eventually show no scar.Rhema approached the beast as its enormous body lay upon the ground.  “It will live if we leave it here.  It isn’t dying, simply unconscious.  But this is only the beginning of what we can expect.  I would imagine that most of the creatures we face will be able to shield themselves.  That is one of the most basic of mental projections.  I’ve heard of beings who can teach animals to accomplish it, but this is the first time I’ve seen actual proof.”Ophee breathed in deeply.  In this battle, she had frozen.  Fortunately, they hadn’t needed her.  But there could be no doubt.  Quehalost would take her life without regret if she let her guard down.  She’d frozen once.  If she froze again it might mean the end of her.[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]The party left Charis’ homeland behind them as the sun was rising above the treetops. They had decided to rest in one of the abandoned cabins around the sacrificing stone and had thus been able to block the windows to seal out the light. Once the light was able to be blocked, they were able to convince their bodies that it was nighttime and had gotten an early start on sleep. With several hours of sleep under their belt before the sun actually went down, they were able to rise in the morning quite refreshed and with several hours of darkness to cover their travel.Under the cover of darkness, the party made good time in reaching the edge of the land that was once controlled by the red wyrm. Ischarus wanted to travel next to the mountains as they moved through the next domain to the east. He had wanted to travel next to the mountains the last time they were through this land, but the light-gray figure that they had met had other plans for them. This time, he would keep the mountains to one side. The mountains would help minimize the potential for ambush.The party made good time and passed through the land unchallenged. By nightfall they arrived at the entrance to the mountains that they had used the last time entering Quehalost. According to the directions given by the ghostly figure, this meant that they were transitioning into the druid’s land. There would be no telling what they could expect from here on until their mission was complete.The party camped and set watches for the night. They decided to pull double duty and post a double watch. They had an extra person available for the watches, and it was unlikely that Ophee was in a position to not be trusted. If she were to do anything to the party, she would be stranded in Quehalost. If she were stranded without the party, she’d likely wind up dead before another sunset.Morning came quickly for the party. The prior day’s journey had tired them and they had slept well. As they headed into the sunrise and to the east, it didn’t take long to realize that they were being watched. It started with an eerie feeling, not unlike the feeling that they had before they discovered the ghostly figure. They continued to travel toward the east as if they were unaware of the fact that they were being watched. After traveling for another twenty minutes, they intentionally passed into an area where the vegetation was not quite as thick. They had long been suspicious that the being that was keeping tabs on them was hiding high above them in the trees. When the vegetation thinned, it became easier to discover the presence behind their suspicion.The creature following them was at least smart enough to realize what the party was doing. However, rather than keep itself hidden, the creature decided to challenge the party. A large ape swung out of a nearby tree and let out a shrill cry for battle. Spittle flew out of its mouth as it yelled, and the creature exposed his sharp fangs. Its canine teeth looked quite capable of sinking deep within the flesh of its opponents.The ape beat its breast and called out once more. This cry was not nearly projected as much as the one before. At the conclusion of the cry, a glimmer appeared for an instant before the ape. The beast snarled and peered directly into Rhema’s eyes.Rhema returned the glare as her mind identified the effect. “This ape’s advanced! We’ve got the right land, that’s for sure. My guess is that the first call was for help. The second call must have been a trained response to bring up some kind of barrier. Expect it to fight with a shield in ways that you don’t expect!”Ischarus drew his sword. Rhema’s challenge was an outlet for tension that had been building for over a day now. Charis joined him by drawing her trusty pick. They exchanged smiles and knew the plan.Before Ischarus and Charis could charge, Rhema decided to make one desperate challenge. If it worked, it would alleviate the need for combat altogether. She locked her eyes with those of the beast. The ape seemed willing to focus on her. “You do not need to challenge us, creature of the forest. We have not come to harm you; we have only come for a root specimen. It is a plant we seek, not your destruction.”Ophee snickered as Rhema spoke. When Rhema was finished, Ophee asked a question. “Do you actually think that it understood you?”Rhema smiled as she continued to hold the creature’s stare. “Words are often not the most important part of communication. The ape can understand me.”She couldn’t have timed her words to any greater perfection. The ape shrieked and howled and beat its breasts once more. It slowly leaned forward and screamed a war cry in the direction of the party.Ischarus allowed a grin to pass from ear to ear. “Apparently it can, Rhema!” His legs leapt into motion and he quickly closed the distance between himself and the ape. The beast took a swing towards Ischarus, but Ischarus ducked upon the swing and brought his own sword up hard against the creature. A small patch of static crackled along the edge of his blade as his sword pierced the magical barrier protecting the ape. In spite of the protective barrier, Ischarus managed to land a solid blow against the ape.Semeion smiled as Ischarus’ attack landed. “Ayal nuan.” A gray cloud formed over both of Semeion’s shoulders. With a smile he gestured toward the ape. “Stick the fury beast.”As if the gaseous cloud were responding to Semeion’s command, a blade shot forward out of the cloud as if shot from a bow. The head of the blade spun as it streaked towards the ape and landed. The blade caught the beast solidly in the chest and punctured deep. Red blood began to pour out of the creature’s chest.Charis was quick to follow Ischarus’ assault. Semeion’s magical attack flashed over her shoulder as Charis moved to attack the ape from the opposite side as Ischarus had attacked. Her pick sliced through the air and caught the ape from behind. The ape howled in pain as Charis penetrated the creature’s hide and then withdrew the point in preparation for another attack.In pain, the beast spun around and unleashed a vicious attack against Charis. It attacked with a serious assault from its claws. Both claws flashed across Charis face and cut deep gashes along both cheeks. The creature’s claws were so nasty that after finishing slashing up Charis’ face they moved on to her shoulders. Charis cried out in pain as her skin tore. She dropped to her knees in an attempt to catch her breath and regain her focus. Her chest labored as her mind attempted to block out the pain.Rhema knew that another attack from the creature would tear Charis completely in half. As it were, she was still able to heal her own wounds through magic. Rhema allowed anger to rise up from her gut and fill her mind with its rage. She thrust the anger towards the ape and allowed the creature to feel the effect. In spite of its enhanced mental ability, the creature was no match for Rhema’s mental assault. The beast howled as its oversized palms wrapped around its head. It fell to its knees and slipped onto its side. It lay nearly motionless. The only detectable movement was that of a shallow breathing.Semeion charged to Charis’ side in order to check if she was alright. “Charis? Are you okay?” His hand struck out to meet those of his wife. He didn’t notice that her hands were wet with her own blood.Charis cried in pain, but forced the healing magic to surge upward through her arms and into her hands. As painful as it was, she forced herself to embrace her wounds. The pain from the touch was brutal until the warmth of her magic sealed the wounds. Enough magic poured through her hands to ensure that her flesh sealed without leaving a scar. The pain would no doubt remain for hours, if not days. However, she would eventually show no scar.Rhema approached the beast as its enormous body lay upon the ground. “It will live if we leave it here. It isn’t dying, simply unconscious. But this is only the beginning of what we can expect. I would imagine that most of the creatures we face will be able to shield themselves. That is one of the most basic of mental projections. I’ve heard of beings who can teach animals to accomplish it, but this is the first time I’ve seen actual proof.”Ophee breathed in deeply. In this battle, she had frozen. Fortunately, they hadn’t needed her. But there could be no doubt. Quehalost would take her life without regret if she let her guard down. She’d frozen once. If she froze again it might mean the end of her. [/Sblock]</blockquote>

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