Duncan knows that his role here is to keep the others safe while they do the exploring; rather than leaping into the light, he takes advantage of his momentum and follows up with another swing at the chrono-beast. Kill it, his inner-computer informs him, and the others are that much closer to being safe.
Duncan's mind flashed back to the last battle of the arena, how he'd fought off the beasts while the less-powerful slaves made good their escape. This was no different: living beings were under threat from the monsters of this world, creatures like himself that had been built to be more lethal than they.
[sblock=ooc]
Speed Defense against their next attack [roll0]
Follow-up attack against the same Chrono-beast [roll1]
Can I spend some intellect points on the attack, to lower the difficulty? It would represent his recent bout of depression and existential crisis vs his current flashback, helping him remember his purpose so he can fight off monsters attacking his companions. [/sblock]
Duncan slides out of the way of the chronal feeder's attack easily, and retaliates against the one they've been targeting, his sword slashes down hard to sever the chronal feeder's head from its body. (
Heads rolling across the sands as the arena floor danced and shifted and changed and tried to suck him down too, never!)
[sblock=OOC]Ehhh.... all right, I'll let you spend Int points for Effort on your attack this time.[/sblock]
Seregal blinks at the situation, but eventually shakes out his fugue. He quickly holds up his shortbow with trembling fingers and fires an arrow at one of the feeders.
[SBLOCK] I fire an arrow at the feeder! Will spend a level of Speed effort.
1d20=14
[/SBLOCK]
The shortbow's arrow quickly finds its way to one of the unwounded feeder's segments, making it shriek. It snaps at Seregal in retaliation, hoping to sink its mandibles into his tender flesh, but Seregal is nothing if not good at self-preservation, and evades with a swirl of robes.
[sblock=OOC]Do 4 points of damage, and I rolled Speed Defense for you, and you made it.[/sblock]
The last feeder makes a shrieking sound as it lunges... and vanishes from view, winking out as if the air had just swallowed it up.
Antor bends his bow to fire at the remaining chronal feeder with Seregal, his bow bending back easily and slamming another shaft that seems to accelerate right through one of its legs.
[sblock=OOC]Rolled attack for you, got a 16.[/sblock]
Xaion waits, wary that the third feeder may return, and stands ready to attack if it should.
Echo suffers a moment of insecurity when her attack fails...but her attention is distracted by the slowly descending ribbon of light. Was it dangerous? Or maybe helpful?
She squints at it, and feels information flooding her mind as tiny instruments working in concert fix themselves upon the phenomenon and pry into its secrets.
(OOC - Using Scan on the energy ribbon.)
Scanning the energy ribbon, the feedback comes back loud and clear - chronally-shifted mental power.
Wisco also delays his action, and the tree whispers into his mind.
[sblock=What Does the Tree Say?]You remember, the skydock was over there, a short run over that way, waiting in the earth, ready to spring into the sky again when triggered...[/sblock]
[sblock=Everyone Read]Remember, the GM doesn't roll in Numenera, so when you guys roll your attacks, roll your Speed Defense at the same time so I know if a monster hits you or not.[/sblock]