Dungeon Master The man was on his last leg, though naked eyes alone wouldn't reveal such a thing, Jack would be well aware of it in investigation mode. When the Admiral swung, her attack would surely strike the man's leg, but much like other, similar techniques, did little to slow him or halt his movements. Even on his last breath, he was struck like a statue as his HP dropped lower once again, as if an unmoving monster that refused to budge. This time however, the damage was a lot more evident, the man's knee twisting to the side almost unnaturally, a leg clearly broken but at what point was difficult to discern through the armor. Despite his damaged leg though he didn't fall, continuing to try and take a step forward even with that shattered limb. The arrow however was much more important as it swung true, sliding through a groove in the man's face plate. As if prying the face mask to one side, it slid through the crack almost delicately before penetrating something within. Though exactly what was hard to say; perhaps a cheek, or even straight into the man's face. Behind that mask though there was only a brief silence for a moment, his steps halting as his HP drained out to 0%. It seemed as if the battle had been won, the hunter had been stopped, his advance halting clearly things seemed to proceed naturally at a glance. Jack however, who was still in investigation mode would notice quickly that wasn't the case. The man's HP hung at 0% but unlike other monsters, he wasn't declared dead, loot wasn't provided nor was any indication of experience gained. It was a clear sign something was wrong. The man who seemed dead on his feet, unmoving would suddenly lurch forward violently. Compared to his previous assaults and swings this one carried with it a power that was no doubt in another league all together. Even a fool would recognize the might of the aura filled blow as something that could rip apart several people with a single swing. His blade came down as the man's blood seemed to boil in his veins, his eyes glowing red as a hazy red vapor billowed off of his body. The sound of sizzling clear as the man's rage seemed to be burning up his body as his berserk aura seemed to become tangible little by little like a flickering flame around him. His hate burning his body away as he swung his axe, Jack would notice the man's status changing from [Unyielding Rage] to [Revenge in Death], the berserk status at this point reaching as high as [Berserk Fury +8]. With Jack casting a barrier, he'd find the pressure from the axe was immense, the blade cleaving into the barrier as if it were thick clay, traveling incredibly slowly through the screen of light. It was a final blow, an effort to bring at least one of his enemies down with him as he swung wildly in an effort to slay someone. Jack 100 HP MAX HP 45 EN MAX EN Conditions - Gwyn 90 HP MAX HP 60 EN MAX EN Conditions - Nature's Protection - X turns remaining Admiral 80 HP MAX HP 90 EN MAX EN Conditions - OOC: The Final Stretch; At this point he is dead, but determined to not go alone. In reaction to this the party can chose one of two options: By accepting and defending against the blow, damage is spread among everyone evenly and can potentially be negated. Additional Modifiers: +2 for every rank of every piece of armor (Heavy armor receives +3) DC to Block: 165 OR By dodging and parrying the blow, damage is completely avoided but failure to dodge risks baring damage alone. Additional Modifiers: +2 for every rank of every piece of armor (Medium armor receives +3) DC to Evade: 65
Unable to believe her eyes, the Admiral watched as the strange man continued to rage, shuffling through the pain on a broken leg as he stumbled towards her. Gwyn earned her laurels with a sudden shot right into the man's visor, filling the air with a metallic PANG from where the arrowhead struck metal. Whether it had been upon entering the visor... or perhaps passing through his entire head... remained to be determined. All the Admiral knew was that a spurt of blood shot out of his face and landed on her chest and trousers. Circle, circle. Dot, dot. Now she had her cutie shot, and wouldn't catch his gross racism germs, or any of the computer viruses he likely had in his programming from all his shady tavern fucks. Or so she assumed. She let her guard down and began to turn away as he shuffled side to side, clearly a dead man... only to realize a moment later that he was still swinging. Awkwardly slowly. Through Jack's barrier shield. More dumbfounded than concerned, she squinted at the axe and watched it shiver and slide through the barrier as it inched its way past Jack's protection. She picked up a handful of rocks and threw them one at a time at the man's face, just to have them bounce off of the barrier and back at her feet. When suddenly the shield no longer provided adequate means of halting the axe and it shot forward, the Admiral reacted suddenly and instinctively. Hoping that her comrades would be able to avoid the attack by not having stood directly in front of it, staring, like a dumbass. She threw her weapons up against it in a vain attempt at blocking the biting edge, knowing that even if she succeeded, it would prove heinously painful. And then she'd have to put up with Jack whining about his energy levels agaaaaaaaaaaaaain. Honestly, it was like the man didn't want to play doctor with her. Thrown die: 61 poor heavy gloves - 3 poor heavy boots - 3 poor heavy legs - 3 common heavy chest - 6 common heavy helmet - 6 61+21 = 82/165
Nope, nope, nope. Jack most definitely didn’t want to play doctor with The Admiral. He wasn’t getting paid enough to work both in game and out of game. That said, there wasn’t much choice here but to commit to her decision to block the strike. Clearly not something she’d manage alone, the support sighed as he’d have to pitch in as well. Stepping out from his safe point, he’d charge forth to block the strike… because the game somehow didn’t recognize the fact that his barrier had assisted in slowing the blow already, or that the support didn’t have to really share the damage himself to help mitigate it because uhh… magic? Perhaps it was a bug or simply some poor coding but whatever. The NPC was sort of a cheat anyway considering the nature of its skills. It was all mostly in vain however since he was gonna eat it at the end of the day regardless of how much time it took to kill the damn thing. Anyhow, now standing next to The Admiral in an attempt to please the sufficiently lacking systems of the game, he’d raise his casting focus in an attempt to block since he was somehow fated to share the damage. A rather unamused look could be seen on the man’s face. Clearly Jack was not pleased with the damage about to be had. Thrown die: 60 Result Modifier: +12 154/165
The sickening squelch of an arrow sliding home was audible even from her distance, mounted atop the forest guardian. She watched with narrowed eyes and her lips thinned from the tense smile on her face. There was nothing like the taste of victory over a foe and as the blood flew to pattern The Admiral's armor like the rosette spots of a leopard, she was contented. It simply wasn't to be, however, when he suddenly lurched back to life. In a second's span he was was suddenly pulling himself back together in what should have been the silence after his dying breath. Jack's barrier went up with an inhuman speed, but the weapon slammed down upon it was cleaving through it. Gwyn pieced together the stances of her companions and she knew The Admiral would take it like the bulwark she was. As soon as their healer moved forward, Gwyn settled on their course of action. If a fucking support class character was going to go getting in the thick of things then she wasn't going to go skittering away on the delicate, but powerful hooves of her borrowed mount. Instead, she motioned the beast forward and two possibilities lined up before her. Either the skull-faced stag would go charging in at her behest to throw its antlers forward to help block the dying blow of the slaver... or she'd get as close as it was willing to go and leap off to bar his strike with the body of her longbow. Either way, her party would not stand alone on the precipice of their victory. Thrown die: 41 195 / 165
Dungeon Master The armored man persisted in struggling, but it was clear the light was draining faster and faster as the axe continued trying to make it through the barrier. The slowed blow slowing further as it reached Admiral's axes, the pressure mounting as it pressed downward little by little still, slowing to a crawl. The moss covered stag creature shook itself though, with Gwyn's urgings and the monstrous man's spirit fading it seemed to regain itself as the gentle glow of it's eye sockets shined with a bit more intelligence them before. Bringing Gwyn closer to aid in the blocking effort, the man's axe would finally slow to a stop as he lost strength. Falling first to his knees, then forward like a machine that simply ran out of fuel the battle had finally ended. With a huff, the agile deer creature tried poking around the man idly to make sure he was truly gone, but despite it's efforts there wasn't a reaction. Anyone with Investigation mode up would be able to finally recognize the man's name changed faintly to indicate that it was merely a corpse at this point. It was only when everything was certainly quiet that the forest guardian, the deer creature stepped back from the armored man, turning it's head up, it shook it's body as if trying to signal Gwyn that their time together was up. Naturally the shadowed figure cloaked in illusion would cautiously step forward. It was a woman with a delicate and refined demeanor, though her approach was cautious, it was a little unpracticed indicating her lack of combat experience. As the first to recognize her previously, Gwyn would be able to make out her appearance first no doubt as she left the shelter of the edge of the trees, followed by Jack who would have felt a nearby spectator from the start. The Admiral on the other hand would only recognize her as the illusion began to recede, being cast off like burning flakes as the noble woman reached out towards the Forest Guardian, a worried, even saddened gaze turned down at the armored man briefly. "I-I thank you, All of you for protecting my friend." She stammered a little, clearly a little shy no doubt from a sheltered upbringing. "Erm... I'm... not sure how someone receives humans though-- The etiquette that is." She stammered, clearly nervous, cautious of those who resembled her captors but she was putting in an honest effort to bridge the gap after everything the group had gone through to fight the man who had been hunting her. "I'm afraid I don't have the proper resources to reward you, but I will not forget this kindness." OOC: This post marks the end of the Quest! Please feel free to either continue posting or make an exit if you like at this point.
The stag seemed to finally get its wild nature back at the feared status came to an end with the life of the slaver. She sighed in relief as the three- the four managed to hold off his final attack and bring their task to an end. "Not bad cardio, I'd say," she smirked at The Admiral who still looked a little roughed up from the ordeal. She wondered idly for a moment if she could convince the woman to try free climbing with her. Or bouldering in general. As her temporary mount backed away and shook itself, she nodded with an expression somewhere between somber and proud. It had been a good fight with even more so intentions and she was pleased to have had her chance to fight astride such an interesting creature. With her right hand between its shoulders she partially deadlifted herself off its back and swung the rest of the way. She patted it lightly with the hand before pulling herself away entirely. "It was an honor," the huntress smiled and bowed her head a little to the forest guardian. She had no idea if the animal could speak or understand, but that didn't make it any less worthy of thanks. Gwyn turned to look at the approaching figure of the elven slave that had been their target before the horrific monster that now lay dead at their feet. "The only etiquette here is for you to get home safe. Is there anything else we can do? Or can you two move faster on your own?" The woman swung her longbow back over her shoulder before dropping her hands to rest them more comfortably on her hips. It hadn't been that taxing of a fight for her, especially not with the healer's aid, but they had traveled a ways into the woods. They'd have to travel a ways to get anywhere else. Gwyn scuffed a boot in thought as the woman spoke of rewards and she couldn't help but snort to herself. Who asked for a reward for this? Wasn't this its own reward? "How about your name, if you feel comfortable giving it? Or his. I'm curious to know what manner of beast I can boast fighting beside and atop. Mine is Gwyn, Gwyn ap Herne. A pleasure to meet you." she laughed good-naturedly around her words. There was no pressure after all, but she could certainly admit to being curious about it. Less so the Yladian, but it was only polite. "Wish we could have met on better terms, though, ma'am."
Dungeon Master The Elven woman seemed to hesitate a while longer until it became more clear that Gwyn didn't seem to have ulterior motives. Though her guard was still up, it was clear she was a bit more relaxed, stammering less then before. "I see... That's a relief, I was worried perhaps that my words might be offensive in some ways. It's hard associating with foreigners." She spoke with a crystalline giggle, her laughter was sweet and tender not having a better word then 'foreigners' to describe Humans as. Though when the topic served back towards the matter at hand she blinked briefly before her lips curved up into a smile. "Ah-- That's right, my name; Theresa Blackbane from house Blackbane, though, I suppose that wouldn't weigh very heavily with humans would it." She spoke with uncertainty even a she extended a soft pale arm to shake with. Her introduction came with the name of a noble house, but even so she seemed to think that Gwyn wouldn't understand the intricacies of her identity and tried not to go too deep into the politics of who she was. "As for his name... I can't say-- I'm not even certain he had one. These types are truly tortured spirits." She began explaining with a sad gaze looking at the tattered remains of the hunter. "They skulk around in the dark, made monsters we hear stories about in the sea of trees; they used to be human but were 'changed' over time by 'others'." She spoke with a deep pity and sympathy for the man despite what had happened to her. Whether it was because she was simply too forgiving or because the man's plight had truly been too much she didn't hold much of a grudge. Trying to push aside that sadness though, she forced a brighter expression until it could set in naturally as she continued with a more optimistic and light hearted topic. "This is Abby... Bean and Crystal are also around here. They've been my good friends for a long time. They're forest guardians, humble creatures that are both plant and animal. They're timid but are very strong when they need to be." She explained patting the creature with a gentle hand, though it snorted in reaction to her touch. Aside from it, there was another pair farther off, one that matched 'abby' while the other was more colorful dressed with a variety of flowers and other colored foliage. "I will certainly return home soon though, I'm afraid it would be unwise of me to move before my guardian's had a chance to rest though. I've been pursued for so long, I'm afraid if I get dragged into another conflict she would be stressed." The elven woman admitted with a somewhat bitter expression. Whether or not it had donned on Gwyn, the Forest guardians weren't strong enough to pry open the cage or rip their way into an estate despite their appearance. There's no doubt there were still more creatures around this woman who were watching over her then just those that revealed themselves.
Gwyn's own smile widened at the elf's laugh, pleased to see the woman at least slightly more relaxed. She had been through more than Gwyn cared to imagine, she was sure, and wasn't keen to pressure or trap her into a conversation yet the woman seemed happy enough to converse. "I'm hard to offend. Living outside of cities and such takes the importance out of etiquette and manners and the like. Animals and cliffs don't care, do they?" She asked, though obviously expecting no answer. Nature didn't care for how one greeted, bowed, introduced, or the like. Any people she'd met in the waking world out on the trails hadn't either. "Afraid I don't deal with royal types and politics too much so no. It's a honor to meet you anyway Miss Blackbane." She shook her hand firmly when offered. The Yladian continued to speak about the berserker, Gwyn's face twisting slightly into a darker set before confusion bled through. "Changed by others? There more to that or are those the limits of the rumors' details?" The information about the forest guardians, however, was a much more welcome subject. She snorted at the names good-naturedly and nodded to each as introduced. Whether they were intelligent or not, they were owed just as much kindness as she'd give to people. Timid didn't seem to fit the bill for what attacked the compound and while antlers were strong, they didn't fuck up metal like that. She'd let the woman keep her secrets though. If she trusted them to share them, she would have. Maybe one day. "I hope all of your companions aren't injured, however tired, after this mess. And I have to thank Abby for the help and all three for not running my through at the beginning there. I can't take too much of a beating," she said with a gesture toward her bow and armor. Ranged and medium armor didn't do much in terms of protection. "I'll have my own companions in time for that. I have one in mind I'll be tracking down after this. It's been causing a bit of trouble and I'd appreciate it helping me cause trouble instead." The rumors of the massive snake, an uncommon type for the area apparently, troubling people in Adecus had found its way to her. "If I can help in any manner while your companions recover, I'd be happy to. If not, we'd best take our leave. Our employer probably won't be too pleased with us after all and I'd hate to run into an 'coworkers' sent after us all." Her grin had a darker edge when she spoke of the noble. Hopefully that steward of his would be able to whip the man into respectable shape. Or he'd choke on a grape one of his slaves fed him one of these days and do them a favor. She didn't care much either way, save that she wanted to go back and save the rest of them.
An exhausted huff escaped the Admiral as she sat down on the ground, thoroughly spent from the fight. Or so she felt at least. The status indicators on her HUD told a different sort of story; her health and energy were high, her rest and food and drink were nominal. She was good to go, for all intents and purposes, but the mental exhaustion of their situation had taken its toll on her. She waved dismissively at Gwyn as the woman joked about the fight being "good cardio," and lay back in the dirt and the grass to catch her breath. Gwyn seemed perfectly at ease speaking with their elven counterparts about all manner of things, which provided a good bit of insight into their way of life. There were also nuggets of knowledge given out in regards to the forest guardians, which she still felt were totally useless, and 'others' who had somehow tainted the professional that had come with them. She scowled at that knowledge, considering everything that had been said thus-far. According to the nobleman, the professional had been "the" local slave hunter. Not "a" local slave hunter. That meant there would be no others like him in the area, which meant anything else they encountered should be... hopefully normal in strength and skill. "I'm going to go and see our employer about a few things," she said as she sat up suddenly and glanced at Gwyn, a dark look in her eyes. This whole thing had stunk from the start, and she wasn't about to log off or walk away without seeing it through to the end one way or the other. Standing, she walked over to the professional and removed a dagger that she had acquired in the Stokbon Sewers, and used it to very messily carve off the man's head. A fitting thing, using a dagger found among shit to mutilate a piece of shit. With the head cut off, she tied the man's long hair to her belt as though it were a trophy on display, and calmly walked back towards the nobleman's mansion. Just to have a few words with him.
