Fantasy World of Gea: The Greatest Adventure [IC] [CLOSED]

[FloweryMuffin]

At some point, when Korzhev was lost in his chattering, their caravan had been surrounded by people, armed with forks and axes and whatnot. Then, suddenly his chattering came to an abrupt halt. He tried to study their faces, but compared to his fellow travelers, the bandits were one and the same. Doubles of the same person and each person had an ugly sneer plastered on their face and their eyes were filled with rage. Did it even matter why when they were brandishing axes towards them?

The little comment they’d made was not lost on him either. Now, Korzhev knew that he couldn’t possibly outdo even a single bandit in terms of physical strength, but stun them he could, and stun them he will.

Korzhev started to croak harshly, then softer and harsh again, following a rhythm known only to him. He taps his staff against the earth in sync, an incantation to pull stones out of the earth and hurl them at the bandits in an attempt to disturb their footing, to trip them, maybe even knock an axe from their hands.

 

[Dmaster]

"Yes indeed, I look forward to working with another scholar, that much is for certain." Gawain replied quite amicably, starting to look toward the road that was moving away from them as he contentedly and quietly reserved himself for the remainder of the journey. As ever his mind was racing with the possibilities, trying to place the regions of interest that aligned with his goals in his head to better know when they were making their approach to them. Though this would of course be rather slow-going.

The monotony of travel was broken up by their caravan being surrounded by what was a rather annoying rabble, the wizard hopping out of the back as he dusted his robes and approached the men. This was just in time for them to insult him, calling him a "disgusting skeleton" which prompted Gawain to open up his jaw slightly and shake his head. "I'll have you know that only my head is skeletal, you buffoons." he said, raising a bare hand and waving its fingers about sarcastically.

There was not much time for conversing as the bandits began to haphazardly charge at the company, prompting a sigh from the wizard as he stepped back and spread his stance. Arcs of electricity started to form from the fingertips he was showing off earlier, traveling up his arms as he pulled his other hand's fingers across his palm to carry the charge. In a flashing flourish he extended his finger tips, shooting a crackling bolt of lightning that pierced through the crowd!

 

[Roda the Red]

Syll proceeded to get on the front carriage as he was commanded to by Alberto and spent a bit of the journey simply gazing at the vastness of the plains, though eventually he would get off and stretch the ol' legs. After a few hours, it was brought to his attention that a large amount of rough and untidy fellows showed up from the tall pastures, and to no one's surprise they wanted to come up with an imaginary toll on the road, one Syll knew no one was going to pay here. Their insults were quite amusing as well, a lot of hollow obsenities and the usual racist remarks, again nothing surprising coming from people that actively avoided society in order to avoid taxes.
Things took a bit of a dark turn as one of the bandits attempted to attack the famous knight, who responded with effortless defense and a lethal sword thrust to the chest. And seconds later the whole band prepared it's full-on attack.
Syllannan took off the straps from his large axe on his back and rushed to the enemy band but stopped on his stracks shortly after, close combat right now could be dangerous with such numbers, so instead he decided to take out a few of them from a distance first. He held both of his hands together while tightly gripping on the shaft of his weapons, four balls of white light quickly emerged from thin air in front of him, and with a sudden push of his hands, the balls of energy turned into missiles of magic and were launched at the bandits.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Petrocoles hefted his stone-breaking hammer as he looked around at the growing bandit band. Made for breaking rock and marble, and hammering down metals, it was as much a tool as a weapon, capable of breaking flesh and bone with startling ease. And with the strength of a Minotavur behind every swing, a hammer became a veritable force of nature. It was also the only weapon he knew how to use, as when he ran away from home it was all he could take with him. He owned no weapons - apart from a dagger and carving knife - and had no formal training with using it in battle. His hands tightened around the handle, knuckles creaking. He didn't have much experience with battle, either. They had never let him join the guards, and during every raid, he was among the townsfolk protecting them far in the back, or helping carry water to put out fires or bring supplies to the guardians. Aside from a few crazed beasts in the wild, he'd never killed anyone.

But he was an honorable, venerable warrior at heart, that much he knew, and so he couldn't hesitate. With the bandits closing in, he was torn between charging ahead to trample the bastard who had a fellow Minotavur's horn, or help protect some of the more vulnerable people in their group. He was shaking a little - not rage, certainly not fear - but it was enough to break through his clouded thoughts as he focused on what was immediately important - the vulnerable group members.

Roaring, he charged back towards the likes of Kastalli and Callop and the others. With so many bandits moving in, he simply scythed his hammer back and forth at any who got too close, trying to think of them as nothing more than rocks. "B-bastards!"

 

[Fauxs]

Like usual adventures Callop saw on storybooks, a lot of traveling happened, also noting the various sceneries and faces all around. Although he also felt that something was missing. Soon after, they crossed paths with a not-so-friendly group of people demanding gold, insulting each member, and of course, attempting to attack them. As the bandits made their move, Callop along with Grunde was ordered to escape however, their flee attempt failed as they got pushed back to the center of the fight.

As magic flowed and weapons clashed on the battlefield, Callop and Fauxs stood beside Grunde, not knowing what to do yet. Eventually, Kastalli stood in front of the three which resulted in her blocking the reach of enemies toward them. Callop would not let such efforts go in vain thus, the boy materialized a barrier similar to the properties of a sturdy shell enough to minimize an attack and cast it upon Kastalli. During this, Fauxs circled around Callop, making sure that his spell was not interrupted.

Callop & Fauxs casts: Gift from the Forest​

 

[Infab]

Most of the time Devereaux spent while the main group traveled ahead was spent conversing with Paulin. Casual conversation, with a little flirting mixed in. A rather cute lad, really. Certainly attractive. But then he was forced to refocus his attention to the bandits that stood in their path. Regular highwaymen. And quite a few of them! Devy set his lute aside, carefully standing up with his bow and quiver of arrows fastened around his waist.

"Well now! Its been a while since I've had to plant arrows in bandits!" said Devereaux, with a hint of laughter in his voice. "Now, let us see which of you dies the best! I want master level performances now!" And with a snap, an arrow was drawn and released.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

As the battle began, Sera jumped off the cart to cast some Druidic magic in an attempt to stop the enemies that were approaching the party. (1d10+2 = 8 | 8 temporal damage.) Through careful manipulation of the nature around her and using the powers of the Druidic spirits and Gods, Sera was able to temporarily control the roots of a nearby tree. They burst through the path ground beneath the bandits, holding their feet and legs in place. This was an stressing process for both the Ddraig girl and the tree she was controlling, but she would be able to hold these bandits in place for a bit. (1 turn)

With the combat officially starting, Zen took the opportunity to use a very specific type of throwing weapon used by agents, or Ninjas, in Shige. (1d20 = 5 | No damage.) He threw his shurikens at the bandits, one of them making a small cut on one of the bandits face, the other hitting a wooden shield held by a better armed bandit. While his attacks connected and it surprised the bandits, it did not harm them. "Ya oversized chicken, we'll cook ya good tonight!" shouted the bandit, with blood flowing down his cheek.

As these bandits approached Zen, a small group of them began closing on Sentry who had summoned her stone armor. This did little to scare the bandits. "Ya adventurers and yer fancy crap! I'll break through 'em rocks!" spat a bandit as he charged towards Sentry. (1d20 = 19 | CRITICAL HIT +4 bonus | 6 damage.) Sentry was not going to have any of that, and with one quick swing of her massive blade she cut off both arms of the bandit charging at her. The man shouted in fear and pain before collapsing dead on the ground. Another bandit, armed with a pitchfork, charged towards Sentry's back but the warrioress quickly turned around and blocked the attack. She then kicked the bandit in the chest and then attacked the bandit with her blade. The attack made a large cut through the bandits chest. "F-Fucking hell!" shouted a bandit with a sword, intimidated by the warrior woman. "She's just a whore with a big sword, killed plenty of 'em already! CHARGE HER!" shouted a bandit with a mace, who did manage to swing it violently at Sentry. But she avoided each hit before attacking the man, decapitating him with a single swing. Just as she recovers her momentum, she feels something hit her shoulder, and was surprised to see a bandit with an Iron sword had managed to hit her. But his attack did nothing to her summoned armor. In response, she grabbed the man by the neck and threw him against a tree with tremendous force, seemingly killing him in impact. Two bandits standing in front of her looked at each before running away from the combat.

While these two scoundrels ran past Kastalli, Grunde, Callop and Fauxs, a few bandits began closing on them. (1d10+2 = 12 | Enemies will ignore Kastalli, Grunde and Callop for a 1 turn.) Using her beautiful and soothing voice, she managed to get the bandits to lose their focus for a moment, which was a perfect opportunity for Callop and Grunde to think on their next course of action as Kastalli took a defensive stance to protect the younger members of the company. Grunde was scared and intimidated by this situation. They didn't want to harm anyone but saw no other choice. The slime used its magical powers to then manipulate the earth and create spikes made out of it. (1d20+1 = 14 | 5 damage.) His spell was successful, and the summoned spikes made out of dirt impaled two bandits, killing them instantly. Three others witnessed this and just shouted in fear, running away from the macabre scene.

As the bandits fell or ran away from them, Dakarai took the opportunity to charge at the enemy alongside his beast, in attempt to ram these miscreants. (1d20 = 8 | No damage.) Shouting zealously, Dakarai charged against the bandits with Saadah. "By Exedums balls!" shouted a bandit before jumping out of the way, one of the bandits didn't get out of the way quickly enough and was hit by Saadah, landing hard on the ground but otherwise unharmed. "K-kill those lizard things!" they shouted as they attempted to attack Dakarai.

With the bandits approaching them, Korzhev decided to use his shamanistic magic to use various pebbles and stones against the bandits. (1d20 = 2 | No effect.) However, most of the stones and gravel on this old road were either too big to gather all at once or too small to cause any damage. It did, however, annoy the bandits to no end. "H-hey! Stop that you little green freak!" shouted a bandit as various small stones hit him in the legs.

As the battle continued, Gawain looked at these miscreants with contempt. They were ready to surround him and attack him. "You filthy ghoul!" shouted a bandit as he charged the undead sorcerer, only to be attacked by a large electric bolt. (1d20 = 17 | 5 damage.) Gawain began casting his thunder spell against the other bandits surrounding him. Four bandits were electrocuted until their hearts stopped, and they collapsed onto the ground. Smoke seeping out of their holes. A fifth bandit who avoided being attacked by the bolts of electricity just looked at Gawain with utter fear. "N-no! By the Goddess, please no!" he shouted before throwing his weapon away and running back into the cornfield.

On the other side of the cart, Syll was about to be attacked by another group of bandits. While he could fight them with his axe, he decided to use his spells against the bandits, firing several magic missiles against them. (1d20 = 11 | 4 damage.) His basic magic spells managed to hit four bandits, wounding three of them and killing the last as the magic missile hit them in the face. Leaving several burnt marks on their face.

Back on the other side, the young and inexperienced Petrocoles was about to be attacked by the remaining bandits. He noticed that Kastalli and the two youngest members of the company were also surrounded by a few bandits. He took a deep breath before charging through the enemies in an attempt to reach them and help them. (1d20 = 13 | 2 damage.) As he flails his mace, the attack manages to hit one of the bandits, sending them flying into the cornfield. Another bandit attempted to attack Petro, but the minotavur evaded the attack and then hit the bandit right in the chest with his mace, seemingly killing them.

Near Petro, brave little Callop attempted to use his simple but functional knowledge in druidic magics to cast armor upon Kastalli. (1d10 = 1 | no effect.) But sadly, the fact that the young man was in the middle of such large fight started to take a toll on his nerves. While he was able to summon the spell, it didn't last long enough to provide any sort of defense for Kastalli. He needed to calm down, otherwise he wouldn't be able to help her! Near the young boy was Fauxs, the Cú-Síth surprisingly calm. Looking at the bandits around them, almost as if it was waiting for one of them to attack him or Callop.

On the other side of the cart was Devereaux, looking at the bandits around him before firing his first arrow. (1d20 = 16 | 4 damage.) As expected from a master archer, the arrows struck true and killed one of the bandits - Devy quickly loaded another arrow and fired at a bandit that was about to sneak upon Syll. He then loads another arrow and shoots down a bandit archer that was about to shoot at him, and his final arrow was a trickier shot. Firing at a bandit that was standing near Sentry. As expected, his arrow took down the bandit.

Ser Alberto was fighting the bandits as well, exchanging blows with them and masterfully parrying their attacks. However, he didn't want to leave the side of his companions, specially knowing that Callop and Grunde were in possible danger. "Surrender! Most of your men are dead!" he shouted towards at the bandits, and the one with the Minotavur horn responded. "Tsk... 'em fools were looters we took in recently. Used to kill helpless villagers on their way to the city, not true adventurer killers like ourselves." The remaining bandits nodded in agreement as they readied their weapons. Seeing that they were not backing down, Ser Alberto backed away, and then noticed inexperienced Petro. "Don't worry bull lad... I have your back!" (1d20+2 = 12 | Protects Petrocoles) Alberto would take one hit for Petrocoles.

As the party was ready to defend themselves from the surviving bandits, they heard someone coming from the southern flank. It was the ten bandits that had left early chasing after the others. "Oi, Maxim!" shouted one of the bandits before noticing the carnage. "Fuckin' Hel, they got 'em looters real good... tsk, Maxin, the others got away. They got a huge army marching miles away toward us. Better if we kill 'em and take what we can before the others get here!" shouted the bandit as he loaded an arrow on his bow. The bandit with the minotaur horn grinned while spinning his francisca on one hand. "Aye... these bastards about to learn why we pride ourselves for killing adventurers."

• ERANOIRAN BANDIT BAND •
2nd Phase!
Boost to Melee Attack and Ranged Attack. Attacks 5 times against 5 different targets
HP: 20/26 (6 temporarily incapacitated) - MATK: 3 - RATK: 3
​

The bandits started their retribution, and attacked the party in brutal fashion. The leading bandit, the one with the Minotavur horn hanging by his side, walked towards Petrocoles with malicious intent in his face. "Heh... I need a new pair of drinking horn. Come here, freak!" he shouted before charging towards the Minotavur with his francisca. Petro managed to block one of the attacks of the bandit, but the second one would have hit him if it wasn't for Ser Alberto, who jumped in to defend Petro by kicking the bandit away from him. "Tsk... you stupid old man!" he spat before swinging his axe at the old knight. (1d20 = 16 | 3 damage.) The strike hit and the axe dented the chest plate of Ser Alberto. Alberto gritted his teeth in pain. Even if it hadn't penetrated his armor, the blow was strong enough to hurt him. "G-grr... heh..." The old knight eyed the Minotavur. "Got your back... lad."

As Alberto regained his combat stance, Sentry watched as one bandit approached her with a rather cocky smile on his face. He carried a strange weapon, a club with a metallic spike on top. Sentry didn't know that weapon, but Alberto did. It was a Goedendag, a combination of a spear and a club used by the Fryskolandi in the South East. An efficient and reliable weapon. "Heh... Know what goedendag means, bitch? Good day!" he said before rushing Sentry. She quickly retaliated, but the man was surprisingly nimble on his feet as he avoided Sentry's attack and hit her legs with the club. (1d20 = 20 | CRITICAL HIT +3 | 6 damage | Rock Hard: -2 damage) Not only nimble but also strong, as his strikes hit her legs so hard it actually shattered some of the stone on her legs. Sentry quickly tried to hit the man, but as she turns around, the bandit used the opportunity to use the pointy end of his weapon - the tip pierced through the stone armor of Sentry, causing heavy damage. She could feel the point of the weapon piercing right in her lower side, right under the ribs. The man then pulled out the weapon, and Sentry let out a tired huff as her blood fell on the dusty ground beneath her. "We kill folk like you on the regular. You think your little summoned armor scares us? I'll bleed you out, wench!" he taunted, as the warrioress gets ready to strike back. She was not going to fall to scum like him.

Meanwhile, one of the bandit archers took the opportunity to fire at one of the members of the company. For a moment they thought about shooting Kastalli, but decided not to, as she didn't look like a menace. Instead, he fired towards Zen. (1d20 = 4 | No damage.) The tengu saw the attack coming and quickly avoided it, firing another pair of shurikens at the attacking bandit. But the bandit also avoided the attack. "Fuckin' bird..." he murmured as he loaded another arrow.

Near Zen, a pair of bandits attempted to strike Gawain, but the undead sorcerer kept them at bay rather well. Suddenly, an arrow hitting a spot on the cart right next to Gawain distracted the wizard enough for one of the bandits to attack. Gawain watched as a francisca axe struck him right on the left shoulder. (1d20 = 4 | No damage.) - However, being undead brought countless benefits for him. One of them was that he couldn't feel physical pain, mostly magical and emotional, and another benefit was that certain spots of his body were completely useless and didn't harm his ability to perform spells. So he simply looked at the Eranoiran axe stuck next to his head, eyeing his dark blood oozing down the axe before glaring at his attacker, who quickly pulled the axe away. "T-tsk... you damn Ghoul. I'll put you down on the ground where you belong!" he shouted. All while Gawain prepared another spell.

On the front, Syll was dealing with a barrage of strikes from three of the bandits. He was surprisingly doing well at evading their attacks, and blocking the few he couldn't avoid, but there were just too many ganging up on him. He was ready to cast another spell against them, but right as he raised his hand to cast it, he feels a cut right on his thigh. One of the bandits had a dagger and slashed the young adventurers leg with it. Then the bandit with the sword attempted to behead Syll, but he blocked the attack in time. But the dagger-weilding bandit attacked again, stabbing him in his spell arm. Syll gritted his teeth as he kicked both bandits away with his hurt leg, but right as he was about to strike them, the third bandit charged in with a two-handed heavy wooden mallet. (1d20 = 20 | CRITICAL HIT! +3 | 6 damage.) Syll felt the powerful strike right in his chest, which sent him up in the air for a second. He hit the ground hard afterwards, struggling to breathe.

• Player Health •
Ser Alberto HP: 9/12
Sentry: 11/15
Syllannan: 4/10

​

"G-gah! Syll! Syllannan!" shouted Alberto, fearing that the bandits might have killed him. But that was not enough to put down this Hobálfar. The young man slowly ragained his breath and footing, getting back up and ready to fight. But he was still heavily wounded, and would need help from the party healers. "That's it, boy! Keep at it! All of you, get ready to strike again! I'll help you!" (1d20+2 = 20 | CRITICAL SUCCESS! | Protects Syllannan.) Ser Alberto will protect Syllannan for two turns. "END THEM RIGHTLY!" shouted the old knight, while pointing his spear at the bandits.

 

[joshuadim]

Gsera was satisfied with her success as she managed to temporarily hold some of the bandits in place. Hopefully they would realize the futility of their fight soon enough, but her attention shifted quickly elsewhere when she saw how Syll was knocked to the ground brutally by a hard strike from a mallet. She gasped but quickly moved over to where Syll was, with Alberto moving in to quickly protect him. She looked him over quickly to try to figure out what to do exactly and nodded to him. "I-I'll try to help you!" she stated as she focused as best as she could in helping rejuvenate Syllannan's body and mend his wounds as she moved her hands over to where he had been wounded the most: his arm and his chest.

 

[Ace Cream]

Zen

"Tch," Zen scoffed as he dodged the bandit's attack. Looking around, he noticed that the numbers of the bandit had greatly dwindled even with their new reinforcement. Nice. Now the chance of him getting barraged by arrows had decreased, Zen spread his wings and soared to the sky. As he flew high enough to reach the altitude where the people below could hardly be seen, he pulled down his goggles and took a sharp U-turn below. Diving at high velocity toward's the bandit's backliners with his short sword extended in front of him.

 

[Fauxs]

It appears that the company was one step ahead of their battle tactics as Callop's spell didn't prove to be useful at that moment. He payed no mind to it as of now and remained focused despite being under the pressure of an ongoing battle. On the side, Callop and Fauxs noticed one of their wounded allies, Syll, being protected by Ser Alberto who was also slightly damaged. Callop decided to cast the same shielding spell on Ser Alberto.

Callop & Fauxs casts: Gift from the Forest on Ser Alberto​

 

[Infab]

Devereaux grinned wide beneath is mask, as he noticed that each of those he had hit with an arrow had fallen. The rest needed to join the dead, and quickly. "Step it up, gents! We're mid-performance! The pace of your demise must be lively!" he sounded off.

And then he noticed Syll go down rather hard. Sentry had also taken a pretty serious blow too, as well their old knightly leader. His grin faded to a frown. This simply wouldn't do. "My, such poor sportsmanship from the lot of you. I'd expect nothing less from foul highwaymen like yourselves." he said, before drawing back another arrow on his bow. "And you deserve nothing less than a merciless death!" he spat, before releasing the arrow. Aimed squarely at the enemy archer.

 

[Breadman]

Sentry took the blows and gritted her teeth as her opponent struck where she was vulnerable. He was of course, like the rest of them, ready to dish out more insults.

"You talk to much." She stepped forward and brought her sword down on him.

 

[Auda]

Grunde felt the earth respond to its plead, followed by the screams of the bandits who were fortunate enough to flee away unscathed. Hesitating, the slime opened its eyes to examine the mess it caused and regretted it immediately. The two who had fallen victim to Grunde's spell laid suspended as spikes pierced through them at different angles. Gore decorated the end of each protrusion and one of the body was slowly sliding down with the help of gravity. Grunde hurriedly cancelled its spell and the spikes returned to the ground accompanied by a 'thud' as the bodies fell on a pool of blood.

The slime raised its arm towards the bandits who were still standing their ground, its entire body still shaking as the slime called on forceful winds to keep the rest away.

 

[Roda the Red]

The spell landed succesfully, too much actually, as Syll did not expect to outright kill one of them with just a magic missile, he couldn't help but feel some guilt from it since he could have aimed them better. There was no time to mourn though, as several more bandits rushed at the elf, strikes raining down from several angles. Syllannan managed to block them easily for the most part, but as he got confident on his rythm, he could feel the sharp pain of a blade slicing his left thigh, followed by a stab on his arm which interrupted his next casting. The powerful strike that came after was the worst part though, Syll started to feel tremendous pain on his chest and his mouth recognized the taste of blood as he was pushed back.
With a lot of effort he managed to get on his knees, his vision was slightly blurred and his ears felt a certain ringing, but noticed that two figures rushed to his aid, the noble old knight and Gsera, the latter who started to cast healing magic on him, he was certainly grateful for it but his lack of air made it hard to put it into words.
Things were not looking good for the elf...yet he couldn't help getting really excited about it. The great sense of danger and pain sharpened his senses, and decided to extend his wounded arm forward.

"Y-you may want to step aside...Alberto" said Syll as he cast a strong pulse wave towards the bandits.

 

[Beann]

Kastalli stood defensively with the intention to protect Callop and Grunde but for a moment it didn't seem like they needed protection as she watched the ground rumble and spikes jut out from the earth, impaling two bandits. The magic signature that coursed through the earth was familiar, one that she could associate with Grunde. However, she knew better than to turn her back on the enemies, so rather than confirm that it was Grunde, she maintained a strong stance. Another hint of magic was sensed, this time around herself before it suddenly dispersed. This caused her to look back in confusion, her eyes resting on Callop. "It is okay, Callop. Take a deep breath and try again." She turned back to face the bandits that were starting to surround them once more. Just as a few were killed and some ran away, more continued to replace them it would seem. Her hands wrapped around her spear tightly, preparing herself to strike outwards until Petrocoles came charging in to their aid. The Minotavur managed to take care of two bandits in his flurry of attacks.

Just as she was about to fight alongside Petrocoles, her head immediately turned as Ser Alberto shouted Syllannan's name. Her eyes widened in panic as she saw her friend on the ground. As much as she wanted to rush to his aid, she simply couldn't leave her comrades nearby. Kastalli relaxed slightly as she saw both the old knight and Sera rush over to help him. While she had some knowledge with herbs to create healing salves, there simply wasn't enough time for that. It would seem Sera possessed some sort of healing magic that would be ten times more useful so she trusted that she would help Syllannan.

Turning back to face the bandits that were circling in, she stood slightly behind Petrocoles to offer additional support should he decide to charge in again. With Syllannan injured because of these bandits, she gained a new sense of confidence to take down those who threatened her friends. Rather than use her spear though, she reached for her bell that was tied to her waist. Breathing deeply, she allowed her own mana to flow into her instrument as her eyes remained glued on the bandits in front of her. Raising the bell, she produced a sharp tune that rang prominently in the ears of her intended targets.

 

[Dmaster]

Gawain allowed the bolt to rip through the men before withdrawing his hands, straightening up as he made efforts to side step attacks that came his way. The fact that one of the men retreated at his display of magic was rather amusing to him, but as ever he maintained his focus on the task at hand. That was until an arrow whizzed by him and he grew distracted, allowing for an axe to plunge right into his shoulder for what appeared to be a wicked slice. Fortunately he couldn't feel it at all, and he was curiously looking at the black blood that was oozing from the wound. This was the first time he had been cut open, so it was intriguing to him indeed. "You would be wise to stop talking." the wizard said as the bandit pulled his axe from his shoulder. "My favorite undead thralls always end up being the ones that talked the most nonsense before their end."

His hands started to glow a bright white as he spread his fingers, the air around them cooling rapidly to the point that moisture was becoming a white fog that obscured much of his hands. Raising them slightly upwards he threw them back downward, holding his wrists together as the bright light and freezing winds poured out of his palms! The temperature dropped immediately as shards of ice buffeted those standing before him with a relative arc.

 

[Develius]

By all accounts, it wasn't hard for anyone to notice a cleric and his massive steed thundering towards you. Saadah was fast, but the bandits were just a smidge quicker. The hulking beast missed them as she skidded across the mud, forcing Dakarai to make a sharp u-turn on the dime to face the bandits. Yet as he quickly surveyed the battlefield, he noticed Syllannan being beaten badly before the old knight came in to protect him; followed by Gsera's and Fauxs' attempt to heal the downed comrade while Callop erected a shield spell to protect Ser Alberto after he himself took an axe to his chest-plate. Had the Sobekan been near the two's position, he would immediately conjure a healing spell to tend to their wounds. But alas, Dakarai was currently just out of range. And in his path to them were a flowing river of angry bandits.

But despite being unable to help the fallen Syllannan, he notes the other combatants in his rough immediate area. Sentry, despite having sustained some damage, was more than capable of still raising hell against her attackers. Kastalli was also near him as she utilized her flute to rupture the rabble's ears. And undead Gawain was managing rather well while conjuring an ice-based spell, ignoring the shoulder wound that had just been caused by an incoming axe.

Dakarai's nearby allies lack the necessity of healing for the moment; but rather the cleric believed they needed added strength to quickly make work of these menials. So as the portion of bandits, who narrowly escaped becoming flattened, called to attack the priest and his terrible mount, Dakarai would then lead Saadah closer to his desired location. While the war cleric did so, he took a brief moment to issue a prayer aloud for his nearby allies to hear:

"Bless Our Grace, in the heart of battle. Give us the mettle, to cleanse this prattle!"

With that, the Sobekan recited and an "Attack Buff", which would apply to him, as well as Sentry, Kastalli, and Gawain respectfully. He hoped that his message to Sobek'nia - Praise be Her Grace - would get to her and allow her blessed strength to enhance their own.

 

[FloweryMuffin]

Korzhev scowled. He should have cursed those idiots from the very beginning, but instead he wasted valuable time on a failed spell, that only angered them more. Well, there was little else to do, besides to cast away until one lucky spell or curse succeeded.

“A freak, yes? Why, I shall now give you a reason to believe that! Korzhev yelled. He promptly stuck his staff into the ground, his grip tightening around it. He produced a string of swamp gems from one of his pouches, which he raised towards the sky, towards the gods. His stare was fixed on the bandits as he made his request,

“By the will of our god patron, let those bandits look upon those gems and see nothing else thereafter! Turn their eyes to glass, their sight into a bottomless void.”

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Petro had never thought much about how busy a fight was when you were in the center of it, and not on the outskirts as he had always been. Everywhere he looked someone was getting hurt or killed, and he couldn't make up his mind on what to do except swing, club, and beat down the approaching bandits. Their taunting leader was a bastard that he wanted to end himself, an honorable warrior against a blackguard villain. Alberto had honorably taken a hit for him and the old human seemed to know a thing or two about real chivalry - Petro couldn't waste that, he realized, if he acted reckless.

Syll went down, freezing his heart, but the fellow was being helped back up alive. He had no idea how this scum managed to come together to fight without turning on themselves in the first place. The northern raiders always seemed so scary... but if they were at all like these desperate, dirty brigands, it was no wonder they never easily breached the walls.

Dragging his hoof against the ground in anticipation, he nodded at Kastalli before charging with a bellowing roar into the nearest remaining bandits. Perhaps he could cut his way to the leader. If he could, he'd gore the bastard with his own horns.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

As the combat continued, Gsera rushed through the field, evading the strikes of bandits to get to Syll. As she neared the wounded adventurer, she noticed that some of the bandits that she had trapped had set themselves free by slashing and cutting the roots holding them in place, but that was an issue to deal with later. Using her knowledge in ancient Tuatha healing magics, she tries to concentrate her mana and make a silent prayer to the Druidic spirits and Gods. (1d20+2 = 8 | Sera fails to heal Syll.) However, While Mana is a powerful force, is also very unstable, especially when the vessel - in this case Gsera's body - was under pressure. Alberto noticed this. "D-don't worry, Ms. Sera, this happens often in battle. Don't let your guard down!" he said, before an arrow hit the ground between the three of them.

Meanwhile, Zen noticed the bandits that were once stuck in place had just freed themselves. Not wanting these thugs to harm his companions, or him, he lifted his sleeves as high as possible. Revealing hundreds of raven black feathers. He then used his wings to fly above the bandits, who were surprised that the bird man was actually capable of flight. With ninjato in hand, Zen sky dived into the bandits. (1d20+2 = 17 | 5 damage.) The bandits were quick to react, with some of their archers firing arrows at the birdman, but he masterfully dodged them. And soon, Zen was on top of a bandit, clawing his talons into the bandits shoulders before throwing two shurikens at two bandits in front of him. Cutting both of the bandits throats. He then jumped down off the bandit he was standing on, and with his ninjato, stabbed the man right in the spine Killing him instantly. Two bandits then rushed Zen, and one managed to swing his francisca at the birdman, but he dodged the attack. Using his short size, Zen ran between the bandits legs before stabbing one in the ribs. The remaining bandit attacked him with his sword, but Zen quickly dispatched him with a slash across the belly.

"By Gaia's tits!" shouted one of the bandit,s as he witnessed the Tengu ninja's rampage. "Our lads are way over their heads! They ain't just some dungeon crawlers, Maxim!" he said, as the remaining bandits continued fighting. The bandit with the minotaur horn was also surprised, and angry. "Tsk... Shut your gobs, and think before you swing a blade you daft bastards!" As he barked his orders, Callop noticed that in the battle Ser Alberto got hit pretty badly by one of the bandits. He tried to calm down as best he could, taking deep and decisive breaths before attempting to cast his spell once more. (1d20 = 3 |Callop fails at casting his spell.) However, as he was about to cast it, an arrow hit right next to him which broke his concentration. Alberto managed to notice the magical essence floating around him, and Callop trying to cast something. The old knight gave the boy a smile. "...Keep at it, my boy! Keep at it!" he shouted, as another pair of arrows hit the shield on his back.

Despite the fact that Zen had killed some of the bandit archers, there were still a few remaining and they were raining hell down on the party. In fact, several arrows had hit Sentry as she fought against the bandit that had wounded her. Alberto sheathed his sword, and quickly got his shield up while his spear kept a few bandits at bay. "G-gah... D-Devereaux! The archers!" he shouted, as Devy played his theatrics on the bandits. As he was about to fire an arrow, he unnaturally avoided an arrow that was going straight for his face, surprising some of the bandits and Alberto. With glee, the jester returned the favor. (1d20 = 15 | 4 damage.) The bandit that had fired on him was the first to fall, as Devy's arrow hit him straight in the head, falling to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"What in the actual fuck!?" shouted a bandit, near the one that been shot down by Devy. The archer then grabbed his francisca and threw it at Devy - Francisca's were also know to be decent throwing axes - but the Jester simply evaded the upcoming axe, jumping gracefully from his position and firing an arrow mid-air. It hit the bandit squarely in the chest, killing him instantly. As Devy landed on the ground, he was suddenly attacked by two other archers, who started to fire at him with rather scary speed. But the Jester was able to take cover behind the cart, and fire his arrows back at the bandits with his expert precision. Killing both of them with ease.

As the Jester theatrically bowed to his audience, Sentry was still receiving blows from the bandit with the Fryskalandi weapon. But these hits, while she could feel them, were not strong enough to physically harm her or break her armor. Tired of dealing with this bastard, the warrioress regained her posture and made a wide swing. (1d20 = 17 | 2 damage.) The bandit tried to evade the warrior's swing, but he was simply not quick enough. Sentry watched as the bandit touched his throat for a moment before a burst of blood from the severed veins hit her armor. The bandit and his foreign weapon hit the ground loudly. She was glad that she had killed the bastard, but that relief was quickly taken away as a bandit with a pitchfork tried to stab her in the back while shouting like a madman. The pitchfork wasn't sharp enough to piece her stone armor, however. She slowly turned around to look at the bandit. To the bandit, all he saw was a towering woman covered in a stone armor that had killed seven of his mates, and her visible eyes glaring right into his soul. Realizing he was about to die, the bandit simply threw the pitchfork away and ran away as fast as he could back into the cornfield.

While the bandit ran past Grunde, the remorseful slime tried to cast an spell to further distance the bandits from them and their friends. (1d20+1 = 9 Grunde fails casting his spell.) The spell technically worked, and wind flew through the bandits that were nearing him or Syll, but they were not strong enough - That's when Grunde noticed that most of the "Mana Essence" in the air was dwindling quick. They quickly realized why, as they watched Syll powering through his wounds, raising his wounded arm towards the bandits. (1d20+1 = 20 | CRITICAL SUCCESS | 6 damage.) "Boy! You need to lay d-" shouted Alberto before he noticed the air around Syll became thicker. Suddenly, a blast of magical air sent the bandits that were nearing them away. Three were knocked out by the blast, and two survived the blast of air but realized that it was hopeless to fight the company and quickly ran back to the cornfield. The last one went flying and hit a tree extremely hard, and the loud crack sent shivers down the Hobálfars spine. Another unnecessary casualty, something Syll will have to think about later.

Having witnessed her friend be brutalized like that, Kastalli realized that she had to act. With her spear ready for combat and her bell ready to canalize the wild energies of this combat, she rang her bell and it caught the attention of everyone in the battle. (1d20+2 = 8 | Kastalli fails playing her tune.) But as unnerving as her bell was, the energies of the battle were dying down as more bandits fell to the party. Kastalli was ready to cast her bell again, but suddenly a bandit swung his Francisca at her. The feline hybrid evades the attack rather gracefully. "I'll gut you! you w-" But as the bandit insulted her, she watched as the man's beard became covered in frost. The chilling wind that had engulfed the battle reminded Kastalli of her days in Skaeg.

She then realized where that chilling arc of magic was coming from, as she turned to look at Gawain. (1d20 = 16 | Gawain successfully casts his spell.) Gawain watched, pleased, as his wide arc of elemental magic affected the bandits in front of him. Four of them fell on the ground, shaking helplessly as hypothermia started affecting their bodies. The fifth one had some fight in him, and while he shivered like crazy, the man was able to stab Gawain through the ribs. Causing no damage to the undead sorcerer, before falling down the ground as frost covered his clothing. As these bandits fell, Dakarai was ready to use his clerical knowledge and zeal to aid his companions. They could use the help of Sobek'nia with the remaining bandits. (1d20 = 7 | Dakarai pray goes unanswered for now.) But once again, the fickle nature of her Goddess did not help him this time again. This had happened a few times before, so the gatorman did not think much of this, but it was still frustrating regardless.

Sadly for Dakarai, he was not the only one whose spells seem to be unnatural hindered today as the old Korzhev cast a nasty hex on the remaining four bandits. (1d20+2 = 7 | Korzhevs hex fails.) And it actually works, for a moment, as "glassy eyes" fell over the bandits. "Agh?! What the hell?! I can't see shit!" shouted a bandit, but they quickly regained vision. "Tsk... We're roasting you first, frog!" shouted the leader of the bandits, throwing his extra axe at Korzhev, who luckily avoided being hit by the Francisca.

Alberto noticed that most of the bandits were either dead, wounded, or deserted their remaining companions. "Quickly! Surround them!" he shouted as the remaining four bandits fought back like wild dogs. Evading Sentry's attacks and even taking Devy's arrows without showing too much pain. The adrenaline and will to survive was driving them onwards. "We ain't going down, you FREAKS!" shouted the bandit leader until he realized a huge beast charging towards him. (1d20 = 18 | CRITICAL HIT | 4 damage.) Having had enough of these men, Petro charged in like a mad bull towards the leader. The others were quick to move away from the rampaging Minotavur, and watched as his horns gored through two bandits. When he reached the leader, he was about to grab the man by the neck, but the other remaining bandit tried to attack him. Only to get punched so hard in the face that the man spun in place before collapsing.

"Y...you... bloody freaks! This... this... ain't my end, DIE!" shouted the man as he swung his axe like a savage. One swing managed to make a slight cut on Petro's arm, but the Minotavur didn't even feel it. With mace in hand, Petro awaited the perfect opportunity to strike back, and one the bandit leader made a wide swing with his axe, Petro's mace hit the bandit's head so hard that he heard the loud crack of his skull shattering. The bandit look shocked for a moment, before collapsing on the ground - Dead.

The Eranoiran Bandits are defeated!




And with the death of the bandit leader, silence befell the battlefield. The slight moans of the wounded and the northern winds were the only things making sound. Alberto looked about at the dead bandits, taking a deep breath before giving everyone a smile. "...You did it. You all did it!" he said with a sense of accomplishment. "I had my doubts about you all, but you worked as best you could. I must say I am proud... but it ain't time for celebration." he said, while looking at the dead and wounded bandits. "Hmph... alright everyone! Grab any of these wounded knaves, and tie them together. We are taking them to Waterham. I am sure the Sheriff there will appreciate that... Hm... If they are in a complicated situation, then we will wait until the healers in the company stabilize them..."

As the others began looking around the battlefield, Alberto approached the severely wounded Syll and gently tapped his shoulder. "Hey, Syll... You did great kid... and don't feel bad about them. Some bandits are just too far gone." He patted him on the back a few times before looking at Sentry and Dakarai "...Once we organize ourselves, I think we earned a few spoils of battle! Eh?" Just as he finished speaking, the sound of moving metal and running startled the party back into a defensive possition, but they were relieved to see it was Cécilia and Paulin, accompanied by several fighters. Among them Ser Justinian and Angelina.

Cécilia looked shocked, seeing so many dead bodies and noticed that there were no casualties in the main team. "Dear... Gaia, you guys..." she said while looking dumbfounded. "Fuckin' hel... Ya gave 'em hel, didn't ya!" shouted one of the warriors, as he stared at the bandits that were killed by Zen. "Might the Gods grant them a new chance in life." murmured Paulin, while he and Cécilia approached Alberto. The old knight then instructed the other fighters to begin looking for the wounded and to tie them up. "...And if you can, Angelica - go back to the main company and get the empty cart that was travelling in the back here to we can load the prisoners... Also, bring a few more lads and some shovels. Wicked bastards still deserve a proper Gaian burial." The mercenary nodded and walked off as the other fighters began looking around the field for the wounded ones.

"W...what happened?" asked Cécilia while looking around some more. "...'tis a good team, ma'am... A few didn't have the chance to shine yet, but they certainly know what they are doing." he said, while looking at Petro and Syll. "Those two surprised me the most. They've got some mettle!" he said, while taking off his helmet. His long white hair was wet now, covered in sweat. "I suggest that we camp nearby before we go to Waterham, ma'am." Cécilia nodded in agreement. "Absolutely, Ser Knight... Well, this certainly was... shocking, wasn't it?"

As if by chance, the party heard a little yelp coming from behind and saw something unexpected. One of the wounded bandits that Syll didn't kill was aiming an arrow at Callop and Kastalli. "Y...you... sons of bitches... Sons of whores, the lot of you! I am... I am taking at least one of you with me!" he shouted before aiming the bow at Callop. But suddenly, a bark rings through the entire area. Birds fly from their perches on the trees and wildlife scatters in utter fear. A thunderous bark that filled everyone who heard it with dread. Even the rotted ears of Gawain couldn't stand that cursed bark that came out of Fauxs, the Cú-Síth companion of Callop. The canine faerie simply sat there, but its eyes were glowing bright green as it glared at the bandit.

Then, Fauxs barked a second time and his bark was as cursed as the one before, everyone with the exception of Callop and Grunde covered their ears and gritted their teeth in pain. The only other exception was the scared bandit, who looked at the creature straight in the eyes, slowly lowering his bow. But at the third bark, the bandit dropped both his bow and arrow, before collapsing dead on the ground. Killed by a massive heart attack. Everyone in the party stared at Fauxs, who remained seated on the dirt until it decided to approach Callop and rub its nose on the boy's chest.

Cécilia looked at everyone in the party before taking a deep breath. It was her time to be a leader now. "Well... this is something I'll have to write about then... but I digress. Everyone! Keep doing what Alberto said, and check every single bandit so that doesn't happen again, please!" As she looks about, she sees Syll still holding tight to his wounds. "...And to our healers, please tend to Syll until some chirurgeons in the company can help with the physical problems magic cannot heal." With that done, she heads directly to Grunde. "My sweet friend... are you alright?" she asked, with genuine concern for Grunde.

 

[Dmaster]

Gawain could only inwardly cackle as the bandits were shredded and left shivering after he magically sapped all of the heat in the immediate area, yet soon his jaw slightly unhinged once he was suddenly stabbed. The sword remained in him as the bandit fell to the ground, prompting him to shake his head as he removed the weapon. "Such a terrible waste. Rather, it would be. Luckily for you lot I keep my word." he says with a clack of his teeth, his hands starting to give off a blue glow as he started to weave his fingers about in odd motions. Curiously though nothing all that stellar was happening as he cast the spell, but the truly observant would see that he was both cleaning and stitching up his intricate robes to reverse the damage and stains they suffered in combat. "There we are. Now, on to the next task."

His concentration was temporarily broken by the clearly magical barks that resonated through the air, getting even him to feel slightly uncomfortable with the affair. Fortunately the wizard didn't seem to drop dead yet again, so he merely gave a shrug and got down on one knee. "Ah yes, you and... you." he said, recognizing the face of the man who taunted him as well as the last bandit to stab him. The undead wizard spread his fingers and pressed their tips together, starting to spread them out and tense them up into a claw-like curl as he started to make quiet mutterings to himself. A purple flame with a deep black center started to ignite in the air between his palms, pulsating with a sickening aura as it radiated deeply unnerving colors. Saying the final words of the incantation, he pressed both of his palms to the bandit's chest, the magic spreading from his hands and entering their bodies before the energies dissipated unceremoniously.

From there Gawain stood up and dusted himself off, only to raise a hand above his head and snap his fingers. As he did so, the cold corpses of the men began to twist with unnatural bouts of reverse rigor mortis, awful cracks and crunches resounding through the air as they shot themselves back up into standing positions like puppets on strings. Another snap of his fingers, and their flesh began to boil before forcibly detonating with such force that their gore and clothing exploded into a red mist around them. Their flesh was completely stripped away, all that remained of the bandits were a pair of shambling, slightly red-tinted skeletons that looked at Gawain with blank stares.

"Don't just stare at me. Pick up your weapons and join the other soldiers in the company." the wizard said, lowering his hand to give his new minions a dismissive wave. They did exactly as he asked, starting to grab the instruments they once used in life before shambling off to where the other members of the company were.

"Do not kill the skeletons!" Gawain gives a warning shout to all that could hear him. "They are under my control and shall assist with the company's mission!"

 

[Ace Cream]

Zen

Zen looked at the blood smeared across his body. The red stain, the rusty smell... It had been a long time sine he last did something like this. He was afraid that he had lost his skill after three years of delivering messages but it seems he was still more than capable for it. Cleaning his blade, Zen then perched on nearby tree to calm himself while overlooking the party.

The party was surprisingly unscathed, considering they just ambushed by more than four dozens men. There's some injured like Syll, but he should survive. Zen spotted Gawain performing his magic and raised some of the bandits as skeleton and he frowned at this.

"You should let them go." Zen decided to confront the mage about this. "They might be assholes, but they deserve their due rest. Everyone does." He only whispered the last part as if it was directed more to himself than to Gawain.

Dmaster

 

[Dmaster]

The skeletal mage shook his head at that idea, unable to frown or convey emotion well enough to show his nonverbal distaste for that idea proper. "Good news is that they are resting! I have no use for their souls. I simply used my magic to animate their corpses. Well... most of their corpses. Never was much one to use zombies. I'm saving us all from the stench of decaying flesh." he reasoned with an affirmative nod. "So no need to worry yourself on the morality of the situation. I've simply turned corpses no one was using anymore into valuable tools."

Gawain said this rather simply, not a hint of remorse in his tone. It was indeed horribly unnatural and a bit unnerving to witness, but it was true that his magic did not detain souls in their bodies. The spell merely imbued their remains with mana to give a facsimile of life.

 

[Ace Cream]

Zen

"Is it?" Zen still had the frown on his face even after hearing Gawain's reasoning. As a follower of a god that celebrates honorable death and overseeing the rites of burial, the idea of using someone's else dead body didn't sit well with him. Who knows whether their soul was already gone or still trapped inside? The incident of necromancy subjects still holding some sentiece wasn't unheard of. Then there's also one of his former colleague in Kuroyasha, a follower of death goddess Enma who did questionable deeds just because she can.

"You are right about one thing though. It's not my job to oversee the expedition's morality, but don't let those bones near me." With that said, Zen glided towards where the battle had been and helped in looting and burying the bodies.

Dmaster

 

[Develius]

To his dismay, Dakarai's prayer to Sobek'nia - Praise be Her Grace - had been unsuccessful. He felt no rush of power envelop through his body, nor did he notice any change with his allies' strengths. While this was far from the first time his goddess had refused his prayer, it was still infrequent enough that he often had some questions concerns regarding her absence. Had he done something wrong to warrant Her Grace's disfavor? Or perhaps Her Grace simply wasn't available at the moment? The Sobekan would consider the latter mostly, as he would surely recognize when he would be the cause of error, yet he knew this wasn't a good look for him in front of his newfound party mates. He hissed in dissatisfaction, still continuing to keep his distance from the bandits. However, the party would still triumph over their enemies, forcing the surviving crooks to scatter like flies.

Indeed, the caravan had won the battle; with not suffering any casualties themselves outside of a wounded Syll. Luckily it would seem like he would recover. Alberto approached both Dakarai and Sentry, suggesting they organize themselves before they could loot the bandits' corpses off of any valuables. The Sobekan nodded, however he would refuse in the pillaging of his opponent's pockets. It was frowned upon in the Order; and even then he didn't want to risk displeasing Her Grace further, if whatever he had done prior was indeed the case. A talk with Her Grace was in order. Still the best he could do now was help in burying their enemies' corpses to rest their wearied souls and have them repent for their sinful misdeeds.

Whilst he did so, he noted Gawain conjuring the skeletal remains of their enemies to serve his biddings. Someone would announce their misgivings regarding the necromancer's doings, yet he assured everyone that they would be of service for the company's great mission. The Sobekan frowned at the thought of disturbing the dead, despite Gawain claiming that only their bony vessels were reanimated separate of their souls which would remain undisturbed. Similarly to his beliefs in looting their fallen corpses, it was an even stronger sin to disturb the physical remains of buried individuals regardless of their allegiance as friend or foe. However as far as Dakarai knew, this was more on the basis of discouraging and punishing gravediggers in looting holy burials of their valuables. He knew little about the inner workings and practices of necromancy to fully understand whether or not Gawain's actions were truly sound. For now, he'd simply give him the benefit of the doubt.

Once he finished burying a corpse, Dakarai would note Cecilia's plead for all and any healers to tend to Syll's wounds until the chirurgeons could assist in repairing the damage. Quickly, he kneeled to comfort his wounded comrade's side, gently prompting him up in a sitting position with his large scaly arms.

"Hold still." Dakarai told him lowly, while lowering his head in prayer, "Pray that Her Grace provide you comfort amidst these fleeting moments."

The Sobekan quietly prayed to Sobek'nia - Praise be Her Grace - in a "Soothing Prayer" asking for Her Grace's help in sealing the man's pain for just enough time till proper help could arrive. Tears would slowly ripple down his snout and drip onto Syll's body; some making contact with the man's wounds. Yet Dakarai was not crying out of mourning or grief, rather they served a purpose as healing tears... so long as they were blessed by Her Grace's good will.