Magic Kingdom For Sale* (*Some Assembly Required)

[Xael]

*Rezomael figures that the place is too crowded for him to start tossing Fireballs, so he instead moves closer to the remaining tree creatures and attacks them with his Nagaika.*

OOC: Attack +12/+7 (1d6+5/x3/S, +1 Nagaika) before any modifiers from bardic music or other sources. And oops. Managed somehow to miss this again.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

*The razor-sharp leaves continue their cutting, and the ground is growing damp with the blood of over a hundred people. Some people have begun to flee to find shelter, others have died where they stood, their throats slit and blood pouring out. Phaeder moves over to target a wider area of the swarming leaves, one where he will not harm his friends with his spell-casting.*

*With a great scream, many of the leaves disintegrate into dust by the force of the sound. Allyra focuses on the tree creature about to engage the party, and sends a sickly gray ray out to strike it. With a low moan like a branch bending in the wind, the creature seems to stagger under its own weight.*

*Trekt slashes with his greataxe and bashes mightily with his shield at the tree, watching chunks of it fly hither and yon all over the clearing. Shal prepares himself for battle, calling upon his faith to arm him. Rezomael steps up to the wounded tree Trekt is fighting, and lashes at it with his glass-studded whip. With a thundering crack, the tree slips asunder, and collapses into chunks of rotton wood at Rezomael's feet.*

*Grik fires an arrow at the next tree, and watches it lodge deeply into the trunk. Ishkabar is finally freed of his nausea, and charges forward with his heavy flail swinging. It knocks another good chunk out of the battered tree, and it gives a low moan. Around the camp, the last of the little tree critters are dispatched, several of them set on fire from torches. Everyone now is only seeking cover from the terrible sharp leaves.*

*Drakkon takes a mighty swing with his sword, cutting into the trunk of the tree in front of him. He can begin to see torchlight through the gaps in the tree's trunk, and he knows it is close to death. However, the tree will not go quietly, and delivers a terrific blow to Drakkon's mighty chest, leaving him bruised and gasping for air. The one that Allyra weakened moves in on Trekt almost timidly, and makes too weak blows at him. The other two, moving slowly, manage to get near the circle of fighting, dragging their root-like feet as if mired in mud.*

OOC -

Initiative:
Razor Leaf Swarm - 22
Phaeder - 19
Allyra - 18
Trekt - 17 (higher Dex)
Shal - 17
Rezomael - 15
Grik - 14
Ishkabar - 13
The Rest of Camp - 10
Little Tree Critters - 9 (all dead)
Drakkon - 5
Tree Creatures - 4

Everyone takes 8 points of damage from the swarm. Swarm takes 16 points of damage from Phaeder. Allyra makes a ranged touch attack of 18, and the second tree creature takes 8 points of Strength damage. Trekt hits with a 30, misses with a 20, and hits with his shield with a 27. Does a total of 34 points of damage. Shal casts divine power. Rezomael moves up and hits with a 36, dealing 13 points of damage and felling the next tree creature. Grik hits with a 28, dealing 9 points of damage to tree critter 3. Ishkabar moves up and hits with a 34 (unconfirmed crit), and does 14 points of damage. The rest of camp hides. Drakkon his with a 32 and misses with a 21, dealing 20 points of damage to tree creature 3. Tree creature 3 hits Drakkon with a 26, and misses with its second attack, dealing 18 points of damage to him. 4 moves in and misses Trekt twice. The other two move in, and that's all they do this round.

 

[Thanee]

Allyra

Allyra calls out to the higher planes and casts a spell to summon help while staying comfortably out of reach.


OOC: Casting Summon Monster VI to summon 1d4+1 Lantern Archons, sending them to attack the tree creatures from above (I assume, that they (and Allyra) do not get damaged by the leaves up there).

 

[Xael]

*Rezomael takes a step back from close combat and casts an Electric Fireball, trying to hit the leaf swarm with it.*

OOC: If Rezomael can't cast Electrically substituted Fireball at the swarm, he'll try to target the rest of their enemies with it (in both cases without hitting catching his friends in the explosion). If the place is too crowded, he'll continue to attack landbound creatures with his Nagaika.

 

[Sephiroth no Miko]

"Damn it, what wouldn't I give for a wand of fiery death right now," mutters Phaeder in frustration as he watches the leaves slice their followers into ribbons. As much as he wanted to check the ones lying bleeding on the ground, he knew that finishing off the horrid swarm was more critical. Summoning the breath, he hits the note again, blasting the area. That better do it, he thinks grimly, Otherwise, it's in the rest of the Hex's hands since I'm out of options.

[OOC: Casting shout again. Move as need to catch swarm in area of effect. 30 ft. cone, 5d6 sonic damage plus deafening, Fort save DC 21 for half. If he did not move before the casting, he will afterwards, towards closest fallen follower (who doesn't look obviously dead). By the way, are we losing hitpoints from bleeding? You mentioned "freely-bleeding cuts" a round or two ago and I wasn't sure if that meant we were bleeding or if it was just flavor text.]

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

*The swarm continues to swirl around, unabated in their fury, continuing to cut into you all and leaving freely bleeding wounds. However, Phaeder puts a stop to that with a shout of sonic fury. The sound pummels the remaining leaves to dust, leaving you free of their tormenting. Allyra concentrates, calling forth to the heavens for help, and three brightly-glowing lantern archons answer her call.*

*Trekt steps inward and chops at the closest wounded tree with his axe, finally cleaving the creature in twain. It falls to the ground with a splintering thud that shakes the ground. Shal wades in with his mace, landing a solid hit on the next lumbering tree. Rezomael watches the two at the back, and carefully places his ball of contained lightning to hit only those two. Both are blown back a few feet, their trunks badly charred, yet both still move, and moan in dire chorus.*

*Grik's arrow goes wide, while Ishkabar slames his flail into Trekt's tree. The others in camp attempt to staunch their bleeding wounds, while others start to round up acid flasks to pelt the trees with. Drakkon wades into the wounded tree with Dartbane, delivering the fatal blow to their next vegetal foe. The two remaining scortched tree creatures crash into the line, their lumbering gate slowed to a horrifying crawl by Allyra's spell. Both seem fixated on Shal's holy medal, and both raise their arms and smash them into the cleric, knocking him to the ground with a sickening snap, his neck at a terrible angle.*

OOC -

Initiative:
Razor Leaf Swarm - 22
Phaeder - 19
Allyra - 18
Trekt - 17 (higher Dex)
Shal - 17
Rezomael - 15
Grik - 14
Ishkabar - 13
The Rest of Camp - 10
Little Tree Critters - 9 (all dead)
Drakkon - 5
Tree Creatures - 4

Everyone takes 8 points of damage from the swarm. Swarm takes 13 points of damage from Phaeder, which kills it. Allyra summons three lantern archons. Trekt hits twice with his axe for 34 points of damage, and misses with his shield, felling the next tree creature. Shal moves up and takes an AoO from creature 4 for 20 points of damage. Hits once with his mace for 21 points of damage to the next tree creature. Rezomael detonates an electric fireball at the two tree creatures in the back, both suck up their Ref saves and take 45 points of damage. Grik misses badly. Ishkabar hits twice for 31 points of damage to tree creature 4. The rest of camp stays hidden and licks their wounds. Drakkon hits twice for 37 points of damage to tree creature 4, felling it. Tree creatures 5 and 6 go to town on Shal, pounding him into mush.

 

[Thanee]

Allyra

Allyra looks down onto the battlefield, doing nothing for now, but watching how the fighting continues.


OOC: The Lantern Archons can attack immediately upon their appearance (last round).

 

[Sephiroth no Miko]

*Phaeder watches in a sort of slow-motion horror as Shal moves up to face the remaining tree-beasts, only to be mangled by their mighty branches. He hadn't always gotten along with the Pelorite and he sometimes got the impression Shal disapproved of his ghostly bond but the young man had been a good companion... a true and loyal friend in their adventures. Phaeder shakes his head, trying to brush off the rising tide of grief.* This isn't the time to have a breakdown. There's still a few of those tree-creatures to worry about and half the camp is down. Keep moving.

*Suiting deed to thought, Phaeder moves to the nearest of the badly wounded and offers a healing hand and a comforting smile, before moving on to the next.*

In his head, he can hear Anshul's outraged cries. "Well, aren't you going to help put down those monstrous trees that killed your friend? Avenge his death!" the ghost demands angrily.

"How, Anshul?" *answers Phaeder, softly, tonelessly, as he tends to the fallen.* "I am not the warrior that Drakkon or Trekt is. Nor do I possess the magical might like Allyra or Rez to blast those creatures to splinters. I only have my song, my bow, and my hands. The first I've lent, the second is of little use in a melee, so I'm left with the third. I cannot do anything for Shal, but others could use my succor. What better way to honor his memory than observe one of the main precepts of his god?"

"But-- but--!! You're furious! I can feel the rage burning in your heart like a white-hot flame! Don't you wish to slake your bloodthirst instead of pandering about with these... these arcane fritterings!?" sputters the ghost in frustration.

*Phaeder stiffens imperceptibly. For a second, Anshul was sure his host would clam up and wall him out, as he so often did when the ghost was being particularly vexing or tactless, but Phaeder surprises him into honest silence with a plaintive plea.* Anshul, please... just let me do this in peace. Berate me all you want later, but I can't face this right now. We'll talk... sometime. I promise.

"Alright, whelp, have it your way," mutters Anshul gruffly and retreats, somewhat nonplussed, leaving Phaeder alone. The messy jumble of emotions his host was radiating was giving him a headache-- or the memory of one-- anyway.

[OOC: Move and cast cure moderate wounds on someone who needs it. Rinse and repeat on subsequent rounds. This should be the fourth round of inspire courage (+5 to hit and damage, +6 vs. charm and fear); six rounds are left.]

 

[Xael]

Rezomael moves to attack the closest tree creature near him.

 

[Ferrix]

Trekt, deep in melee, keeps on swinging, advancing upon the next tree creature, bellowing "Get 'em boys, nice big bonfire tonight!"