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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 4414410" data-attributes="member: 143">Chapter 87MAD BEASTThe Ravager, beset by madness, was taking out its frustrations upon the empty town of Highbluff.  But as it wrought destruction through a swath of ruined buildings, torn up streets, and cluttered rubble, it wound its way back toward the square facing the citadel, where it had first entered High Bluff. Those flying above were doing their best to abet this course, but it was the Ravager itself that set it, for even through the haze that Licinius Varo had laid over its senses, the creature still craved the life energies of those defenders who had taken shelter there.  Allera’s presence it could still taste like a predator scenting a hint of roasted meat on the wind, and now the presence of Varo offered something more, another lure to drag it on.And something else as well, something not quite distinct, something... familiar. Lightning and fire engulfed the Ravager, driving it into a rage, but it could not counter the attacks from below.  Normally canny enough to adjust its tactics to meet such challenges, in its current state the creature could neither seek another transformation nor create and hurl missiles at those above as it had against Lyllalya earlier.  Instead it lunged at its foes, leaping high enough so that it seemed it must catch even those flying high above, before gravity inevitably dragged it back down, usually destroying another building or two as it landed.  Those above were able to inflict damage, but it seemed that nothing could hurt it enough to overcome its incredible stamina and regenerative powers.  Dra Mak Mor flew over it on his little carpet after one failed leap had left it lying on its back in the wreckage of an inn.  He drew out a small object from within his robes and dropped it, muttering a word of command as it trailed away from him.  As it fell it grew, the shrink item spell unraveling to reveal the item as a bulging barrel, gaining speed as it fell, finally exploding as it struck the Ravager squarely upon the chest.  Its contents were revealed as a cascade of fine material sprang up in a plume.  It glittered in the predawn light, hanging in the air for a moment, but fell back to earth too quickly to be mere dust.  It covered the Ravager’s body and much of the rubble around it in a fine layer of sparkling material. “Look away,” Letellia warned Sultheros and his coterie, flying next to her.  The half-dragon war mage Koros flew past and hit the Ravager with a fireball from his wand.  The spell itself lacked the power to harm the Ravager through its considerable resistances, and in fact the tongues of flame died out even as they touched its flesh.  But the heat of the spell was more than sufficient to ignite the metallic powder that the alienist had dropped.  Night became day as a blazing plume of brilliant white flame obscured the Ravager, the inn, and everything around them.  For long seconds none of them could see anything, and they had to avert their eyes from the intensity of the display.  They could hear the creature’s noises of pain, but when they could look again, they saw its form, outlined in the white fire that still enveloped it, rising up once more.  “Stubborn bastard,” Letellia observed, hitting it with another chain lightning that vanished into the glow.  She knew better than to try to disintegrate it; the thing’s fortitude was insane, and she may as well have tried to vaporize the Great Cathedral in Camar.  Beside her, Sultheros hit it with a spell of his own.  His bolt failed, sizzling into nothing against its resistances.  The elf bit off a curse, but like Letellia knew that its protection against magic was sporadic and almost random; they just had to keep hitting it. The burning white flare faded as the Ravager stormed forward, still trailing bits of flame.  The inn remained a pyre, and several of the buildings nearby had already started to catch.  One way or another, it looked like Highbluff was not going to survive its encounter with the Ravager.  But with much more at stake, those fighting here held nothing back.  Dar flew low over the Ravager, careful not to come close enough to risk a grapple.  He knew better than to attempt an attack now, especially with his allies firing off area spells left and right.  He felt the thrum of power from Justice, and knew that he could hurt it, if infinitesimally.   But likewise it could hurt him, and it was pretty obvious who would win in that exchange.  Still, as the creature approached the square once more, his hand tightened on the hilt of his weapon.  Varo had set up a whirling blade barrier across the entrance to the square.  But as the Ravager entered the intersection that joined that street, another figure stepped out of the shadows between two of the buildings that fronted it.  As she lifted her mace, divine light shone from it.  “Face the judgment of Soleus, beast!” Maricela cried, invoking a righteous might spell.  As she grew in size the Ravager turned to face her. “Maricela, no!” Dar yelled, but the cleric paid him no heed, stepping forward to face the creature that had killed her beloved.</blockquote>

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