"Alexandra Alistar, youngest daughter to Lord Aureus, Knight-Errant of the Summer Court." It was almost an automatic response, Aebard's formal introduction answered by Alex's own. She may never have been that impressed by proper etiquette, but some lessons were never forgotten. Following that Alex didn't have much to say, not when Ria brought Aes's imprisonment and not when the mage shot the oni down. A frown graced her, she couldn't keep her dislike contained knowing that her Mate was still being held, but there was something else. Aebard was no longer implying Aescila's guilt. He was speaking in terms of proving her innocence, and it sounded like he was actively working toward that goal. Despite all that had happened at least something was going right, and that caused the hint of a smile to show. "'Alex' will be fine. No need for formality."
A few moments later the mage began his search for Angelle, and another moment later he said that he'd already found her. "That's... That's rather odd, isn't it? The one involved in Arclan's death was careful enough to disenchant my sword at the last possible moment, drag Arclan's soul into that circle while making it appear as if Aescila had absorbed him, and they had the strength and skill to capture not only my daughter but a faerie lord." For a couple seconds Alex simply sat and pondered. The sudden oversight by her adversary could mean that they were being pressured enough to become sloppy, that they passed Angelle on to some other party, or that they wanted Alex to find Angelle so quickly. That last option seemed like the most likely, and it practically reeked of a setup. But just as before Alex had no choice. She needed to follow her daughter's trail, and if that led to an ambush then so be it. She would just need to be careful and turn that trap to her own advantage.
To start that off Alex focused her spirit and started calling out to Summer once more. Her target was found soon enough, and no incantation was needed to complete her summon. All that was needed was a single word. A name. "Haedrin... Haedrin... Haedrin!" She took her time to gather his attention, the summon itself paced to give him time to prepare, and once he finally appeared she simply gave him a short welcome before turning deadly serious. "I'll try to sum this up as quickly as I can. Winter's Knight was killed when he and I fought in the arena, but he would still be alive if someone hadn't interfered with the protective magic placed on my sword. Whoever did this made it look like Aescila was the culprit, and she's currently imprisoned. I called Lady Albatross to help investigate, and we found evidence that faerie magic was used. I am unsure who is responsible, but it's not Winter. Albatross was prepared to tell me more, but she was kidnapped alongside my daughter. Magus Aebard here was able to locate Angelle, and we're preparing to go after her and whoever took her. I'm hoping we find Albatross there as well. Are you prepared to support us?"
If and when he agreed it would be time to move, and Alex finished her preparations on the way out. Her pride was still burning strong, but with each step she took she slowly built up the fires within her until they started warping her body as they had done before. Her humanity was slowly swallowed until she held the same form she used to combat Sir Gregor and Ria. It left her in a combat state that she could maintain indefinitely, and by the time they left the city she was prepared to face whatever challenge would step out to face her. And the moment they reached a gate a thought came to her. "Aebard, in a few moments I will no longer be within the city limits. I won't be a threat to any of Therion's citizens. Would you return my sword?"
It doesn't show in the stat line, but Alex has Dragon's Pride running at X = 6, Upkeep = 0, and she'll add Draconic Transformation at X = 5, upkeep = 0. And of course she summoned a Faerie Knight for assistance, so that's another 9 EP for a total expenditure of 20 for everything. (Unless Haedrin has different stats and costs.)
Alexandra Alistar: HP = 75, PP = 60, EP = 65/85, Status = Fine, Dragon's Pride X = 6, Draconic Transformation X = 5
NPC Stats
Dingroria: HP = 115, PP = 55, EP = 60, Status = Fine
Archmage Aebard Narderwil: HP = 75, PP = 90, EP = 97/105, Status = Fine, Find, Eldritch Lantern
Haedrin: HP = 125, PP = 65, EP = 160, Status = Fine
Sir Magnus: HP = 70, PP = 50, EP = 90, Status = Fine
Sir Ankieseth: HP = 70, PP = 50, EP = 90, Status = Fine
Enemies
Roughly 10 satyrs
One satyr warleader
1 armored troll
1 grey troll
3 knights
1 mage
1 faerie lord
"Indeed," Aebard said quietly, nodding as if he thought the same. "So.... Trap?" Dingroria suggested calmly, a frown creasing the oni's face. The archmage nodded again, "That seems most likely... That, or they've given their captives to someone of inferior competency. I'm sure we'll find out either way."
When called, Haedrin appeared before Alex promptly in a flurry of golden leaves, clad in the loose fitting blue robes she remembered the faerie knight wearing when he'd been teaching her hand to hand combat. It had been fairly memorable, considering how many times she'd ended up in the dirt at his feet over those few months. "Alexandra," he said in greeting, offering her a nod as he placed his hands behind his back, "What warrants the call? I was just going to sit down for dinner." Of course, her demeanor told the knight enough that his friendly smile turned into a soft scowl, and that expression didn't budge as she delivered her hasty approximation of events.
"Just a second," he said softly, and then closed his eyes and lowered his arms to his sides. The knight's golden armor slowly melted over his skin, spreading from the two gold leaves on his shoulders that formed the clasps of his robes, a process taking mere seconds. When he opened his eyes once more, Haedrin was clad once more in the armor she'd seen him in during the battle for the Hidden Village, including the deadly claws that she'd seem him digging into the head of one of the floating alien lords. "So..... Trap?" he said, and despite the lightness of his tone the knight looked ready to repeat his performance in that battle. "Most likely," Aebard supplied simply, before nodding to the armored faerie knight and saying; "Archamge Aebard Narderwil, of Therion. I didn't know that faerie knights could conjure your armor like that." Haedrin, smiling beneath his full helm, replied; "I am called Haedrin.... And they can't."
That quirked on eyebrow from the magus, but then Haedrin turned to Dingroria, who was visibly holding back giggles, and said; "Something amusing, demon orc?" She seemed surprised, though it might be difficult to determine why, and she lost her grin quickly as she replied; "No.... Nothing. I've just, ahhh... You know what, nevermind. I'm Dingroria, Ria for short." She held out her hand, and he took it promptly. It looked like both were trying to break the other's hand, but Ria was the first to blink, and when their hands parted Haedrin said; "A pleasure, I'm sure." Looking back to Alex, he said; "If a Lady of my Court and the child of a friend are in danger, it is my duty and my pleasure to offer whatever aid that I can."
Frowning at Alex after she'd assumed her combat form, the scales covering her body clearly slightly disconcerting to the magus, he adopted a surprised look but then nodded. "Ahhh yes, of course. I'll have it released to you immediately. Just come this way." A short trip into the arena later and Celestial Nail was placed into her hand once more, the mages and guards holding it not even giving argument to Aebard, though the guard captain was scowling furiously as the weapon was handed back to her. The sword flashed twice once returned to her grip, the familiar steel responding to its true owners grasp even though it remained within its sheath, and Alex got the sense that the sword was glad to be back in her hand.
After that, the magus followed his magic while the rest of them followed him, and soon enough they were crossing the city gates. Aebard stopped there briefly, entering a guard house and quickly coming out with two men dressed in plate armor and armed similarly to Alex, one wearing a plain blue sash and the other a blue sash with stars. "Lady Alexandra, Dingroria, Sir Haedrin, this is Sir Ankieseth," he gestured towards the one with the starry sash, "And Sir Magnus," he gestured towards the one with the plain sash. "They'll be accompanying us in the rescue of your daughter, and are associates of Sir Andrast. I trust them fully, and both are able warriors." The two knights bowed at the waist following Aebard's introduction, and Sir Ankieseth said; "Tis a pleasure to make your acquaintances! I look forward to bringing those responsible for Sir Andrast's injuries to justice. The news is all over the city." The other knight, Sir Magnus, nodded and added; "With your permission of course, milady. We would gladly put our swords at your disposal." The two men were of almost identical height, and through the eye-slits of their helmets it was evident that their eyes were the same color. The exact same color. Their voices were even similar, though Sir Ankieseth's had a timber and tone suggesting that he was a good bit older than Sir Magnus.
Whether Alex had problems with the two knights coming along or not, they were off through the gates of Therion in short order. Aebard's guidance brought them off of the main road quickly, and soon enough they were traveling along a dirt path that ran through the woods bordering the great city. Though none of the others seemed to notice it, Alex was quick to realize that they were not alone. Figures, humanoid in shape but possessed with plainly visible ram-like horns, were glimpsed flitting through the trees alongside the path that they walked, always watching but never drawing close enough for Alex to get a good look at any of them. Satyrs, the scouts and messengers of all of the fey courts, known for their stealth while traveling through the woodlands in which they lived, for their valiance in battle in defending the courts and the mortals under their protection, and for their primal lusts for women. Whether friend or foe, they made no effort to speak to Alex and her company, nor did they respond to any attempt on her part to establish contact. Whether she signaled their presence to her companions or not, and how she did so, was Alex's business.
Aebard's spell took them far from Therion, the journey taking over two hours at a fairly strenuous pace. Though Alex was hardly a weak woman, her training having instilled a great deal of endurance and her draconic blood granting her stamina beyond that of any human, she had been fighting and walking almost all day, and the use of her energies to enhance her strength in those battles was starting to take its toll. It wouldn't slow her down any just yet, but she was starting to get close to her limits and she knew it. If she was forced to draw herself to her limit again, it would take a decent rest to get back to full fighting condition. Ria had been fighting as long as she, and though unlike Alex the oni had only been using the strength of her muscles for most of it, she was starting to show hints of weariness as their journey dragged on. The two human knights, if Alex hadn't rebuked their offer of help, offered no complaint about their journey, and it was plain that they'd done such marches before. Aebard, on the other hand, was a scholar, not a warrior, and though he was the one guiding them it was clear that he had some trouble moving as quickly as they could over the rough terrain. Haedrin, though a knight of summer walking through lands held in the early grip of winter, was having no apparent trouble keeping up, and Alex would recall the man's boundless stamina during their training together and during the battle they'd fought for her home.
The sun, burning a bloody red, was half concealed by the mountains to the West by the time they reached their destination, a large empty glade with a light dusting of snow covering the grass and a small pond surrounded by dead trees on the right-hand side. The group of satyrs that had been silently shadowing them stilled suddenly, and out from the woods ahead and to their left emerged one of their number. The goatman was clad in a dark blue sash that hung over his magnificently crafted armor, its decorations numerous and marking him as a being of importance. He was also clad in the colors of winter, and before Alex or her companions could remark upon his appearance he calmly and, perhaps curiously, mournfully announced; "You should not have come here, Alexandra Alistar. I wish deeply that you had not."
Directly ahead of them appeared, out of thin air, a large gathering of faeriekind in the same wintery colors, an icy crackle and a puff of snow announcing their presence. Three knights, dressed similarly to Arclan Clay but without the Winter Knight's enchanted gear, formed a triangle that covered both a pair of fantastically beautiful women, and a pair of ice sculptures that Alex immediately recognized. Lady Albatross was still locked in the same pose that Alex had last seen her in, and her daughter was in a similarly distraught position. Behind the two women and most directly in front of the statue was a being that Alex would recognize as a troll, but unlike the other trolls she'd seen this one was wearing armor, full plate mail that made the already massive golden-skinned humanoid all the more intimidating. The pair of gleaming double-sided axes that were each as large as Alex's shield hanging from its hips didn't help diminish the massive faerie's presence either. Now that they weren't moving, Alex managed to get a rough headcount on the satyrs hiding in the bushes by way of counting the places they'd disappeared to, counting ten of them not including the one that had stepped forth.
That was not the extent of their foes, however. Out in the corner of her gaze, Alex could sense something odd. Though it likely would have been all but impossible for a normal person to have sensed it, Alex was no normal person. The blood flowing through her veins was the blood of a dragon, and she shared at least a portion of their extraordinary senses. Right now, those senses were telling her that something was there, lying in wait among the dead trees. The outline of a great beast laid down on its belly but ready to spring, the smell of something unnatural and deadly, and the barely audible sound of a massive heart beating with excitement. Something was there, and given the circumstances it seemed unlikely that it would be joining the battle on her side.
The two women, clearly sidhe, were dressed in the garb of the Winter Court, one in fine blue robes with fur trim and the other in an elegant black gown with what could have been snowflakes or stars dotting the fabric. Both were powerful, that much was obvious enough, but the one in gown easily dwarfed the other, and when she stepped forward Alex realized that she was facing a faerie lady of at least equal power to Lady Albatross. "And so the dragon and her entourage arrive, just as I knew they would~" she said, and Alex was quick to pick up on the differences between the sidhe of the woman before her and the sidhe she was familiar with, those of summer. The greater fae were all possessed of supernatural beauty, but where Lady Albatross and her summer kin were warm and soft, their very countenance benevolent and welcoming and speaking of the kindness that she had seen them display time and time again, albeit reluctantly or indirectly from time to time. The faerie lord before her was as different from that as could be imagined, her features sharp and regal but possessed of features bespeaking of cruelty and a lustful, predatory nature. It wasn't altogether different from the sort of look she remembered Aescila possessing, back when she had been a pure demon, though even then the succubus had lacked the cruel aspect of it. The difference between this sidhe and those of summer was as evident in their voices as in their countenance. Where Lady Albatross had generally spoken in a rich, melodious, and even whimsical tones, the woman before her spoke with a voice telling of deadly mischief and enjoyment of it, and a reveling in the pain that her acts caused. Where Lady Albatross might be irritating sometimes with her singsong voice and occasionally silly mannerisms, if she spoke in a melody, the sidhe across from Alex spoke in a dirge.
"I hope you didn't have trouble finding the place! Your daughter and mentor certainly didn't," the woman continued gleefully, her eyes shining with excitement. "Before you start with the threats, I would offer you a tiny bit of advice, dragonborn. You cannot achieve victory here. You are overmatched, and even if, by some miracle you conquer my associates, you will forfeit the lives of those you have come to save in the process. Your presence is an inconvenience in the grand scheme of things, and this battle is only necessary if you would make it so. Discard your weapons and kneel, and you will be shown a measure of kindness, and those that you love will not be harmed." A cruel smile spread across the faerie's face, one tinged with hunger bordering upon madness, and she added; "Though... In truth I hope that you will not surrender... For I do so love breaking those that think themselves possessed of a strong will, and milady has promised me the opportunity to do so if you resist us, as well as any aiding you that are possessed of insufficient luck to be killed in the struggle. Though..."
She glanced over Alex's companions before centering her gaze upon Ria, licking her lips and adding; "I understand that some of you are possessed of a more... Mercenary... Mindset. What if I-" The grinning faerie was interrupted by the oni that she seemed to be addressing, who calmly and flatly spat; "Go fuck yourself." The faerie looked affronted, and that quickly spread to outrage when Ria calmly continued; "You were going to offer me something to betray Alex, right? If so, I'm really just saving you some time. I mean, I'll kill a man in a fight, particularly if someone's paying me to do so... Or if there's someone to share a bed with, but kidnapping kids and back alley underhanded murder? Nahh, that's definitely not me. You can go suck a bag o' dicks lady."
It was then that Aebard chose to enter into the conversation, quickly drawing the faerie's attention as he said; "This need not end in violence. You are acting within the lands of Therion, and are interfering in the investigation of the murder of one her citizens. Whoever you serve may be the one responsible, and if you don't stand down you'll be treated as accomplices to such, regardless of your race or other affiliations you might have. Your acts of kidnapping and attempted blackmail do not help your case. That said, as you are not citizens of Therion, the consequences will be light if you cooperate with us. Return Lady Alexandra's daughter and the other faerie, tell us who you're working for, and we can depart here without further problems." For his efforts, spoken though they were in a diplomatic manner, Aebard received an incredulous look from the faerie lady that had so antagonized them, and she promptly replied; "You are a fool, human! You think that your tiny city of rock and mortar is of any significance!? That we would care even a whit for what your thoughts are!? The adults are speaking here, hold your tongue from here on out, or I will see it plucked from your mouth!" Turning back to Alex and fuming, the faerie noble finally said; "My ultimatum is given. Stand down and have your comrades do so, or my servants here will lay thee low in short order, and those that survive will wish that they had not."
It was then that Haedrin stepped up beside Alex, his body tense and ready for the violence that he seemed to believe was imminent. He glanced at her with a questioning look, his eyes flitting once to the faerie lady before looking back to her. His clawed hand drummed softly against his armored thigh, and Alex recognized the same code she'd used in the tunnels to signal to Aebard and the guard captain; [N.O.T.W.I.N.T.E.R.]
You can interrupt at any point. If Alex really tries to gun for the satyrs, doesn't want the knights, or wants to go and get someone else, she can do pretty much whatever she likes. It will most likely have some effect on the above stuff though.
Haedrin's arrival passed as expected, but when Aebard made his observation concerning a faerie knight's armor the answer that followed made Alex raise a single brow. During the past two years she'd never really paid much attention to the other knights that frequented the Village, but as she gave it some thought she slowly realized that she'd never seen any of the others simply will their armor into place. Haedrin was the only person she'd ever seen do such. That meant that he was something different... She would need to ask him about that some other time.
What followed was a test of strength when Haedrin and Ria acknowledged the other, and all Alex did was simply roll her eyes at the obvious play for dominance. There was a part of her that worried if that slight bit of animosity they revealed would cause a problem later on, but Haedrin was a professional. He shouldn't let his own personal feelings get in the way. Hopefully.
When it came time to actually move Alex's question regarding her sword was promptly answered despite the mage's obvious discomfort, but when she actually felt her blade returned to her hands the pair of flashes was nothing compared to the sense of familiarity of having her weapon once more where it belonged. The guard captain scowled furiously, and that was no surprise, so Alex simply ignored him and unsheathed her blade enough to look at the blessed steel. It looked as pristine as it always did, and as Celestial Nail was finally returned to its harness on her back she let out a breath of relief. An honest "Thank you." was given to the archmage and arena attendants, and as they started off her hand went up to lightly touch Nail's pommel. Welcome home.
Once again the group sallied forth, and as the approached a gate that would leave out of the city Aebard stepped inside and soon emerged with a pair of knights in tow. Alex returned each man's bow and gave no objection to their assistance, and though what little she saw of them hinted at some familial bond she decided not to pursue it. They would have enough on their mind once they left the city. No need to further complicate things with needless questions. Those could be answered once they returned.
With that done they finally set off to find Angelle, and in very short order they soon had someone tailing them. As Alex shifted her eyes to try and catch a full glimpse of the satyrs flitting through the woods she soon realized she was the only one to notice them. And that wouldn't do. [S.A.T.Y.R.S] That simply word was tapped against her armor as gently as she could, and following that she simply kept her eyes open for any trouble they would have caused as they continued their march.
And for two hours that march continued, the events of the day starting to catch up with Alex. She felt her spirit being taxed enough as it was. She could still manage a great deal more, but once whatever was coming had passed she was going to need to simply stop so she could fully rest and recover. Otherwise she was going to burn herself out. But that wouldn't come until later. That much was certain, especially when the alpha satyr stepped forth and delivered his mournful proclamation. A moment later a veil simply fell, and behind it an entire party of faeries revealed themselves in all their Wintry glory. And in their midst was a pair of sculptures that obviously held both Angelle and Lady Albatross.
As Alex was assessing her opponents and wondering what the hell the massive beast hiding just out of sight could be the noble within that group stepped forward to address her. The woman was obviously powerful. That much could be felt even if one ignored how Albatross had simply been taken, and as that woman continued Alex kept quiet and simply scowled. The faerie went on and on about how Alex was outmatched and outclassed, how the dragon knight held no chance for victory and so on and so on, but when it came to her attempt at recruiting Ria Alex couldn't help but smirk. While Alex would hold her tongue out of courtesy Ria held no such compulsions, and watching the fury slowly spread across the unnamed Lady's face was simply too priceless.
Before the Lady could start spouting vitriol Magus Aebard stepped in and offered a more diplomatic solution. Alex didn't quite agree with it, these bastards did harm her daughter after all, but if they agreed to such then so would Alex. There really was no need to spill so much blood if Angelle's safety could be ensured. It may have been the only chance the Lady and her followers would have left intact. But the faerie's derisive dismissal meant that a number of souls would grow to regret trying to steal Alex's Mate from her.
With the situation looking grim Alex was readying herself to launch directly into the fray, but a moment later she paused. Haedrin's approach and the message that followed was nearly the exact same as Albatross's, and a moment later Alex folded her arms over her armor and tapped out a very short reply that was easily hidden beneath a look of utter contempt and discomfort. [W.H.O] But she didn't wait for an answer. The sudden interruption had her planning how to free her companions while engaging the threats around them, and she needed to stall for a bit. "You promise me my daughter's safety if I stand down. And yet all I have seen is deceit. The capture of Arclan's soul, the effort made to frame my Mate, the ambush laid at the ritual circle, the kidnapping of my allies and my blood, the beast hiding over there, not to mention the almost obvious lie right before my eyes..." She was making a veiled accusation, her statement saying she knew these faeries were not Winter, but even as she kept her eye on the lot of them her attention was more focused on the prisons that held their captives. "So what assurance do I have they will be safely released? If it's simply your word then I believe no one standing here could ever accept it." Since those sculptures still contained Albatross they were obviously a powerful thing, but as strong as ice could be made it could also be so fragile. Especially when fire was involved. But simply pouring her breath over the area could simply fry Angelle and Albatross. She needed something with more finesse, and as she stalled the false Lady of Winter she wondered if now would be a proper time to call on a little more help.
Question: Can I use Black Dragon to attack the ice shells and not the people trapped within? Would the damage caused by Dragon's Breath be absorbed by the shell before it was applied to the women?
Alexandra Alistar: HP = 75, PP = 60, EP = 65/85, Status = Fine, Dragon's Pride X = 6, Draconic Transformation X = 5
NPC Stats
Dingroria: HP = 115, PP = 55, EP = 60, Status = Fine
Archmage Aebard Narderwil: HP = 75, PP = 90, EP = 97/105, Status = Fine, Find, Eldritch Lantern
Haedrin: HP = 125, PP = 65, EP = 160, Status = Fine
Sir Magnus: HP = 70, PP = 50, EP = 90, Status = Fine
Sir Ankieseth: HP = 70, PP = 50, EP = 90, Status = Fine
Enemies
Roughly 10 satyrs
One satyr warleader
1 armored troll
1 grey troll
3 knights
1 mage
1 faerie lord
[I.D.O.N.T.K.N.O.W.] Haedrin slowly replied, their light tapping only barely audible beneath the interchange of voices. "Ahhh, but you mistake me entirely my dear dragon~" the faerie lord replied, a grin once more playing across her face. "When acting against the interests of powerful parties, it behooves one to enact some misdirection, yes? Our interests here are fulfilled! To start up violence is hardly within them - it would be such a waste of good lives! And good bodies~" She paused and gave a lascivious lick of her lips, "While I would... LOVE.... To have a bunch of specimens like you at my absolute mercy, at this point I merely need you out of my way for a little while, and our plans will be complete. Whether you opt to make that easy or hard is entirely on you.... Would you really care to have your daughter be left fully orphaned after this? I'm sure I could arrange for her after your burial and your lover's disappearance, but it would be so terribly inconvenient for me.... And inconveniences have a habit of making me ever so cruel~"
To answer your question more thoroughly than I did over VM: any damage from Dragon's Breath that exceeds the HP of the ice would boil through to those trapped inside of it. Any damage dealt by Black Dragon would, by necessity, be going right to the person within after going through the ice. Either could be used to free the person, but both could cause harm to those within.
No further reply came to Haedrin's tapping, Alex's attention now focused on the Lady of Not Winter. And as the dragon listened she made no apparent reaction. No show of emotion. Not even a slight scowl of anger or disapproval. In fact she appeared oddly calm as she stood there in silence, a couple of seconds simply passing as she stared at the faerie and nothing else. Anyone that knew her would find it slightly disconcerting.
But eventually that silence was broken. "I hear your warning. Allow me to make my own." Even now she was frighteningly calm. "A couple years back my Mate and my unborn child were threatened by an angel. She'd gone mad, and my Mate was attacked and nearly killed. I had to fight this angel on the plane of her own soul, and during that fight she threatened to 'rip the unholy spawn' from my belly. After that I didn't hold back. I wouldn't. I burned her. I turned her into spiritual ash. I ended that threat in an instant.
"So, here's how things will happen. I will send someone over to retrieve my daughter and my benefactor. If you raise your hands from your weapons and take a few steps back I will consider this an acceptance of the amnesty the human has offered. Consider it my offer as well. Once those two are returned and restored then we can discuss how you will make amends for threatening my kin.
"BUT." A bit of an edge started to creep into the warrior's voice, and though her face never changed her stare became almost glaring as it focused on each individual faerie there. The Lady, the sorceress, the knights, the trolls, even the satyrs that had slithered back into the shadows of the forest. "I will NOT tolerate any interference. And I will not tolerate any threat. If you don't move away I will consider you a threat. If you summon any powers I will consider you a threat. If you so much as move toward my allies I think you get the picture, because if I think you are a threat you will BURN." That last word was punctuated by the small roar of flame that could be seen rumbling in the very back of her mouth. It even spilled a bit as she spoke, and after a couple more moments of keeping her fire ready she finally addressed her party. "Sir Haedrin, Sir Ankieseth, Sir Magnus, would you be so kind?" Three men, three knights, the most protected of this group were asked to step into the enemy's ranks to retrieve the hostages, and should the faeries decide to attack Alex was certain they could protect themselves.
But there was something else, something that wasn't seen by anyone else present, something that only those intimately familiar with dragons may even understand, something subtle that Alex didn't even truly understand herself. It was a whisper in the back of her mind, a suggestion that flowed from the beast deep within her, and though her humanity was somewhat frightened the sudden knowledge that flowed thought her that fear was consumed by a sense of calm yet overwhelming fury. Ancestor... She spoke her native language. Rulerbeyondtheveil... She spoke an ancient language, one born when dragons were quite literally fire formed into flesh, when the kings of the world spoke with the very flames of their being, when their words would incinerate the weak and only those of equal strength could ever hope to understand... Enemiesstandbeforeme,thosewhodefyyourbloodline,thosewhohavespilledyourdescendents'blood. It was a language that existed within the flame itself, one that was neither whispered nor bellowed and was heard by only those who were worthy. Isacrificemyowntogiveyouflesh,togiveyoustrength,topiercetheveilandreturntothisworldandwringvengeanceonthosefoolishenoughtospillyourblood! And she used it to call, to summon one of the creatures that have returned to the living flame. The Black Dragon. Somehow Alex knew someone would test her. Test her patience. Test her resolve. She would answer them. She would release her flame, the gout of orange fire exploding into a darkness so black that it would absorb the light. And from that darkness a form would appear, a void returned to this world to wreak vengeance upon whatever faerie was foolish enough to stand against it. Some may survive. Some may withstand the awesome power that was brought against them. But some would not, and gods help those poor, misguided souls...
That's right, Alex is pulling out Black Dragon at X = 10, and including as many targets as are listed below. Initial cost will be 14 EP and 12 HP, and the end cost will vary depending on how many viable targets remain.
Black Dragon 10
150 Damage (Heat?)
+70 Attack (should auto-hit unless target has Spell Resistance)
Targeting the first creature that either moves against Alex's group and/or those that don't essentially surrender.
Order of importance:
- Faerie Lady
- Mage
- 3 Knights
- Armored Troll
- Grey Troll
If a satyr jumps in first then burn it, but ignore all the others in favor of the other targets. At most we'll do 5 additional targets past the first (six total).
Costs based on targets:
1 = 14 EP + 12 HP
2 = 16 EP + 12 HP
3 = 19 EP + 13 HP
4 = 23 EP + 15 HP
5 = 27 EP + 17 HP
6 = 31 EP + 19 HP
I think that covers just about everything. Altered stat block.
Dodge: 92 (+18 Round Heavy Shield) (+2 Aescila's Gift) (+10 Unarmed) (+10 vs Magic/Powers/Succubus) (1/8 Damage taken from Magic/Powers if dodged)
Armor: 19 (+16 Breastplate)
Resistance: 55 (+3 Lucky) (+6 Breastplate) (+10 vs Magic/Powers/Succubus/PP.Damage)
Perception: 53 (+3 Lucky) (+2 Aescila's Gift)
Grapple: 70 (+3 Lucky)
Unarmed: (d20 + 75) [1d8 + 49] {Blunt}
Celestial Nail (Longsword): (d20 + 84) [2d6 + 53] {Slash/Pierce}, +2d10 Cold, Ignore AV
[3] Throwing Axes: (d20 + 75) [3d10 + 23 if thrown] [3d10 + 33 in melee] {Slash}, 30 ft
Round Heavy Shield: (d20 + 85) [3d6 + 45] {Blunt}, DB = 18, EV = 0
Alexandra Alistar: HP = 27/75, PP = 60, EP = 34/85, Status = Injured, Dragon's Pride X = 6, Draconic Transformation X = 5
NPC Stats
Dingroria: HP = 142/115, PP = 55, EP = 46/60, Status = Fine, Transformation X = 10 (taken a total of 13 damage)
Archmage Aebard Narderwil: HP = 33/75, PP = 90, EP = 83/105, Status = Injured, Eldritch Lantern, Wind Armor, +55 Resistance (Fireheart)
Haedrin: HP = 124/125, PP = 65, EP = 150/160, Status = Fine, Fell Might X = 10
Sir Magnus: HP = 70, PP = 50, EP = 79/90, Status = Fine, Battle Aura X = 11
Sir Ankieseth: HP = 70, PP = 50, EP = 79/90, Status = Fine, Battle Aura X = 11
Enemies
Roughly 10 satyrs
One satyr warleader
1 armored troll, taken 150 damage
1 grey troll, fine
Rolls
The satyrs promptly open fire, 2 vs Haedrin, 2 vs Alex, 2 vs Ankieseth, 2 vs Magnus, and 2 vs Aebard. The mage casts Greater Dispel Magic, with Heighten Spell for a total of +20 Resistance. The knights Activate Battle Aura X = 12.
Casting: Success.
Resistance: Alex wins and retains her buffs.
Attacks: 98 and 104 vs Haedrin, 87 and 92 vs Aebard, 102 and 103 vs Ankieseth, 106 and 100 vs Alex, 93 and 89 vs Magnus. Haedrin is unharmed. Aebard is hit twice. Ankieseth is hit twice. Magnus is hit twice. Alex is unharmed.
Damage: 2 + 3 + 29 = 34, with bonuses ranging from 2 to 4 depending on range. Ankieseth takes 22 damage, Magnus takes 19 damage, Aebard takes 42 damage.
Ye other satyr Hurls a shortspear at Ria.
Attack: Hit.
Damage: 14 + 22 + 12 - 39 = 9 damage.
Alex uses murder. The mostest murder. Also known as Black Dragon X = 10 with some additional targets.
Attack: 79, she hits the knights, hits the mage, hits the lord, and hits the troll. Ouchies. The troll's regeneration has been suppressed.
Resistance: ??
Damage: 150, to the face. The knights, the mage, and the lord are dead.
Dingroria activates Transformation X = 10 for a total of 14 EP and 4 HP. She gets + 40 Body and +10 AV.
Haedrin Activates Fell Might X = 10 for 10 EP and 1 HP.
Magnus and Ankieseth activate Battle Aura X = 11 for 11 HP.
Aebard uses Quicken Spell (4 EP and -10 casting) and casts Fireheart for +Resistance and Wind Armor. His total cost for the round is 4 + 4 + 6 = 14 EP.
Casting: Success.
Buff: 11 * 5 = +55 Resistance.
The surviving troll picks up his assorted bodyparts, draws his axes, activates Rage, and charges at Alex.
Attacks: Rolls of 89 and 43, the troll hits once.
Damage: 9 + 45 + 10 - 35 = 29 damage.
Ye big grey troll picks up a tree and lugs it over at Haedrin.
Attack: Miss.
Alex's response following the period of dramatic silence, including both her story and her demands for the faerie, would be met by her opposite with nothing more than a raised eyebrow initially. Haedrin, Ankiesth, and Magnus all stepped forward at her command, Ria carefully positioning herself between the now more vulnerable Aebard and the forest where the satyrs were known to be lurking. "An interesting tale.... But I would point out, half-blood, that I am no angel, and that this is not the spirit world where you fought one," the faerie remarked casually, making little effort to hide her disdain. Even the sight of Alex's fire pouring through the edges of her mouth seemingly did little to intimidate the faerie, and after a moment she sighed and folded her hands behind her back, saying; "Well, that all sounds perfectly sound and reasonable! Captain, if you would be so kind as to deliver our response!"
The satyr that had stepped into the open sighed softly and gave a nod, at which point the "answer" was probably exactly what Alex had expected from the hostile faeries. A storm of arrows came forth from the woods, but Alex had warned her allies of their presence and the faerie spokeswoman had more or less given away her intent. Even so, they weren't prepared for the deadly accuracy of the satyr archers and the volley they unleashed. Alex barely brought her shield up to block two shots that would have landed in her neck and her knee respectively, the two shafts just far enough apart to be past the edges of her shield if she hadn't moved it and arriving at almost the exact same time, meaning that she could only block one fully and caught the other with the edge of her shield. The broken shaft did nothing against her armor though, and likely would have done little more than scratch her if it had hit her bare skin. Haedrin simply caught both shafts and snapped them, though she had seen him move enough by that point to know that it had been much harder than he'd made it look... And that that fact surprised him. Sir Magnus and Sir Ankieseth weren't quick enough to block the arrows, but that they'd even known that the attack was coming was enough to have them moving, ensuring that the arrows didn't find the gaps in their armor that they'd been aimed at. The projectiles were still possessed of sufficient force to pierce, but the wounds were shallow and wouldn't do much more than inconvenience the two knights. Aebard was by far the hardest hit by the archers. Two bolts struck him in the chest, one piercing each lung, and he gasped in a breath and dropped to his knees. That would have spelled the end for many a spellcaster, but apparently Aebard was made up of stronger stuff, as Alex felt the air currents suddenly shifting, coiling around the wounded magus like a protective bubble, and his body began to glow red as a magic that Alex would recognize as the sort that she herself was practiced in thanks to Creshnibon's teachings, a spell that would strengthen the caster's will.
The other warriors recovered quickly as well, and as Aebard forced himself up to his feet the three knights on her side and the three knights that were fanned out in front of the faerie lord and her mage assistant all enacted their powers at once. The three opposing armored faeries each erupted in a vibrant green glow that was flecked in orange and gold, and Magnus and Ankieseth responded by enacting a similar power that was instead colored in gold, while Haedrin's burst int his characteristic crimson glow. Alex had already enacted her own enhancements before even leaving the city, and so was given free reign to reach out to the being she intended to bring to the battlefield. Ria too enhanced herself, though not before the satyr leader hurled the spear he carried in her direction, the larger wooden shaft sticking into the oni's side with a soft thump. The massive oni did little more than grunt, her magics already at work as she began to expand, her armor shifting and unfolding just as it had in the arena, until she stood again at her twelve foot height, matching the armored troll in size and ferocity and beating him handily in grace as she drew the finely worked club from her back. She reached down to remove the offending javelin, but it vanished before her fingers close around it only to reform in the satyr's hand.
Her ancestor was eager to answer her call. It answered not in words nor even in images, but in concept as she felt its will come to bear upon her and the tiny scrap of ground that it occupied. The being that she called upon was of a power above and beyond that of any terrestrial being, born of flames that no living thing could withstand in full force. To bring such a creature fully to the mortal plane took a great deal more power than she possessed, but such beings were possessed of great power all their own, and if she opened the gate and showed them a tasty looking morsel they could do the rest.... Albeit at great cost to the user, both in terms of energy and in terms of the pain that such a summoning inspired, as the origin of the power always emanated from the caster. The test placed by the dragon of black fire was simple. As she unleashed her burst of orange fire into the void, sending forth the spiritual energy needed to bring an aspect of it to her own reality, her physical self unleashed a burst of the same that turned pitch black as it left her throat. Her body burned from within, the flames no longer her own, and thus the test was presented in all of its grand simplicity; if she wanted to wield the black dragon's power, she had to survive its embrace. To fail to do so would be to join its prey in being consumed, her soul dragged into the same fiery oblivion as theirs, but Alex was no stranger to pain. The fire burned her from within, an agony unlike any she'd had since childbirth, but the pain of bearing Angelle had not been enough to slay her, and neither was this.
The black fire bursting from Alex's maw coiled, taking on the form of the creature that had inspired it, and her own roar of unleashed fire was outdone by the wrenching cry that the dragon of black fire unleashed its voice. Not a soul on the battlefield was left unaffected by that sound, a primordial screeching roar that could leave a man deaf and told of a being beyond negotiation and beyond resistance. The fey knights took a hesitant step back as the orb of burning darkness bubbled and warped, and the faerie lady and her mage associate both looked surprised. Alex could feel magic coming at her in response, and recognized its source as the mage. She'd already been casting while Alex had been calling upon the black dragon, and now as those disruptive magics worked their way into her spirit she realized their purpose. The faerie had meant to weaken her, to disable the energies she'd used to strengthen herself and reduce her back to her more fully human guise. She'd put a great deal of effort into doing so as well, and for a few brief seconds Alex was forced to fight two battles of will, one against the faerie trying to unravel her spiritual strength and another against the black dragon that would consume her completely if she allowed it.
Alexandra Alistar won both handily. The faerie magi's desperate magics were rebuffed, and the dragon she'd called was grudgingly pushed to do as she willed. The orb exploded outward, the one powerful scream becoming six as the fiery dragon became a hydra of branching black flames, each head going for its own target. The faerie knights were the first to be struck as the split off, each rushing at a superhuman rate to flee from the coming onslaught. Not a one was quick enough to evade their coming doom, however, and with a thunderous crash the glow of the knights vanished beneath the inky black fire of the dark dragon, their deaths bringing a dark ashy stain to the fresh snow far enough away to avoid melting under the intense heat, and a long gouge in the earth beneath starting from where the knights were struck and ending some thirty feet past. The mage, nowhere near as well protected magically as they'd been, suffered a similar fate, and the last expression on the faerie spokesman's face was one of surprise before she too vanished under the embrace of a fiery black dragon. The troll took the head aimed his way right to the chest, the black flames licking at his golden skin and smashing him down onto his back, carrying him as it had the remains of the knights and charring his flesh. Such creatures were incredibly resilient, however, and even though his armor and natural toughness did nothing for it and his body's natural regeneration was made useless by the fiery nature of the power used, Alex could feel that the troll had survived the hit even before the dragon head was sent flying back into the air, already dissipating. What rose from the rut that had been carved into the ground was barely recognizable as a living thing, its armor blackened and seared to its charred flesh, but it was clear that the great fey beast was still going to be a problem.
The flames cleared, leaving Alex weakened and battered... But she'd also cleared most of the opposition in one fell swoop, leaving only the already barely standing troll, the creature that was off to the side, and the satyrs left to deal with. The major threats, the fey knights and the mage and their leader, were all gone, and her own group was left stronger by the activation of their powers. Even so, the fey weren't out of the fight yet.
The cooked troll, unleashing a roar undiminished by his severe burns, rushed forth, his footsteps causing the ground to shake lightly as he advanced on Alex, axes raised to the sky. "I'm gonna split you in half!" it roared as it charged into attack distance, and then it brought both axes down in an X that threatened to leave her in four pieces. The angle of the twin strikes made it impossible for her to simply block both, but that didn't mean she couldn't simply get out of the way of the other. Unfortunately, such was not to be. She managed to deflect one axe off of her shield, but trying to sidestep the other merely caused the troll to redirect it, and Alex felt the blade chop through her armor and dig painfully into the muscle of her shoulder until it was grinding against bone. Fresh pain shot through her, but her armor and scales had absorbed enough of the impact that it couldn't go any deeper and the blade hadn't hit any nerves, ensuring that she could still use the arm. Of course, the amount of blood that started pouring out of her after the great faerie withdrew the bloodied weapon suggested that it had severed something vital, but she would have at least a few moments before she was bleeding enough to be at risk of death from the wound, and the fight was far from over. The grey mass, unmolested from its bed of trees, opted to join the battle just then as well, rising to reveal that it was also a troll.... A troll that was nearly twice the size of the one that just nearly killed Alex. It casually lifted an entire felled tree in one hand and hurled it like a spear at Haedrin, who sensibly chose to dodge that one rather than try to catch it, dropping into a rolling crouch that took him well out of the projectile's path before hopping back to his feet. It started forward, and both Ria and Haedrin looked ready to meet it, and even though Alex had her own problems she could go for the massive grey troll rather than the armored golden one that was a more immediate threat to her if she so wished.
The answer was more than enough. The muscles in Alex's shield arm tightened slightly, and only moments following that incredibly soft sigh she heard the slight zip of arrows let loose. She herself remained protected, her shield managing to deflect one arrow while castrating another, as did Haedrin and his awesome display, but the humans did not fare so well. Though the knights only managed to intercept one of the pair raining onto them the other that struck proved to be nothing more than an inconvenience. Unfortunately Aebard was not as protected or as prepared as everyone else, and the sight of him nearly dropping as a shaft tore into his lungs brought up a sense of worry for the mage. But he somehow persevered, and now that he had a chance to react the sudden rush of wind surrounding the man put Alex a little more at ease.
It also let her focus her attention on her enemies. The satyrs had attacked, at a mere word from the noble. The mage was gathering energy to enact some spell, the knights were bolstering themselves as she'd seen all knights do, and the armored troll simply stood ready and menacing. They were all fools, the entire damned lot of them! Despite all the threats, despite all they'd already DONE Alex had given them a chance, a path that would let them right their wrongs and let them walk away unharmed, and not a single of them had taken it. They all showed they would fight, that they were all a threat to both the Alex and her kin.
It gave her a plethora of targets to choose, and as the final preparations for her summoning were complete she had only a scant few seconds to decide where to direct her ancestor. But the moment he answered that thought went tumbling through her mind. While she knew how to call on the Black Dragon's strength she'd never done so before. She was unprepared for the sudden clawing she felt as her soul became the anchor through which a living flame would be reborn. And as he emerged she felt pieces of herself suddenly exploding into ash, small bits of her very flesh were being shredded and consumed by the dark flame that was now reaching out through her. And that was nothing compared to the power that was bursting into life. It was massive, a monstrosity, a primal force that was far more bestial than she would have ever guessed, and as it took shape she could see it passing its void of an eye across the battlefield looking for something to sate the all-consuming hunger that only a fire could know.
For a moment Alex was simply stunned. She had no clue just how much of a beast she was calling to this plane, and in that moment her will was suddenly attacked. Some unfamiliar power had settled over her, and as it did it systematically tried to tear her natural power from her body and turn it into wasted potential. And the Dragon himself turned his attention to his descendant, that hungry eye taking a sudden interest in the creature of flesh and blood that eased its return to this world. A pair of forces were working against her, one born from sheer animalistic desire, the other born from desperation and fear of the beast roaring its triumphant return to the land of the living. These were powers that would dwarf a soul, render it useless and insignificant as they ran rampant and destroyed everything in their path...
And Alex couldn't stand it. Her own inner beast roared in defiance, that cry a mere shadow compared to the black flame that lay coiled and ready to strike, but it would not be ignored. It rose from Alex's spirit, manifested into a brilliant orange flame that was almost immediately smothered by its cousin, but a faint line remained, enough that it burst through the faerie magic frantically trying to contain it before splitting into the form of a simply claw that reached out and grasped the negative orb that was the Black Dragon's form. It quite literally stole the beast's attention, and as it did it roared in its own silent, almost unintelligible voice. Youdarebetrayyourownblood?! The beast within Alex forced the monstrosity to turn its gaze, the orb itself being lowered and nearly thrust directly at the six faeries that stood sentinel over their hostages. Ifyouwishtofeedthenhereisyourprize!NowFEAST!
Whatever power contained the Dragon was released the next moment, and amid an almost painful screech of horror and terror that rose in the next few moments Alex finally had a chance to relax. Even as she witnessed the utter destruction that nearly wiped the field clean of the fools that threatened her daughter she took in a deep, almost raspy gasp before letting out an almost labored breath. This summoning was nowhere near what she expected... The power she called was immense, more than anything she thought she'd ever see, but it was dangerous. Frightening. If it weren't properly controlled it would lead to the destruction of everyone involved...
And even if it didn't the cost was something else. Even if most of her was still intact bits of her body and spirit had still been fed to that thing in order to summon him to this world. It left her body and spirit aching, a combined pain that felt like nothing... No. It may be unique, but it was no more severe than the moment of agony she experienced when she gave birth to Angelle. There she was literally being torn open to welcome another life into this world. The parallels were strikingly similar. And beyond that the both of those were nothing compared that ultimate pain she'd felt oh so long ago. If neither of those had killed her then neither would this. She would call on him again, that much she knew. But it wouldn't be a common thing. No, this power would need to be conserved...
"I'm gonna split you in half!" The bellowing rage that found its way to the dragon knight forced her to acknowledge the blackened troll that refused to lay down and die, and as it lifted both of its weapons into the air she couldn't help but admire his persistence in the face of all this destruction. But she wasn't about to allow herself to be quartered on his behalf. Her shield rose and stopped the one axe in its arc, and her body twisted to dance her way from the-
"AAAHHH!" That yell was accompanied by an explosion of pain, and though Alex tensed her arm she still felt the golden faerie's blade slicing through her flesh to grind against the bone of her shoulder. It was a painful thing, in some ways worse than being roasted from within, but this too was something familiar, and she was already preparing to work her way free. But she need not have bothered. The troll pulled his own weapon back, and Alex felt herself lift a little as her own flesh and bone was reluctant to release its hold on the offending blade, but once they did she landed and seethed silently while her sword arm simply hung limp.
But that wouldn't last. "You have three seconds to surrender." Her voice carried steel, enough that if it were given form the troll himself would recoil in horror at the iron thrust into his face. "One!" Her injured arm clenched and tightened, her sword nearly ringing as her voice called out. "Two!" And then she exploded. She leapt into the faerie's face, her shield lagging just enough to wind up before it thrust out to crash against his neck and forced him to gag. Even if he couldn't speak there was still a chance to signal his defeat, but if he didn't... "THREE!" Her sword would swing wide and hard, the arc itself giving it extra strength before the blade would bear down on the exact spot where Alex herself had been hit. And just as the troll had screamed earlier there was every intention to cleave through his massive body until the Celestial Nail was free once again. And in its wake the two halves of that massive body would peel away from each other, one more threat dealt with.
Normal Attack on the Armored Troll with Defensive Fighting at 20 Hit for 20 Dodge.
-20 Attack
+20 Dodge
Updated stats are...
Dodge: 112 (+18 Round Heavy Shield) (+2 Aescila's Gift) (+10 Unarmed) (+10 vs Magic/Powers/Succubus) (1/8 Damage taken from Magic/Powers if dodged)
Armor: 19 (+16 Breastplate)
Resistance: 55 (+3 Lucky) (+6 Breastplate) (+10 vs Magic/Powers/Succubus/PP.Damage)
Perception: 53 (+3 Lucky) (+2 Aescila's Gift)
Grapple: 70 (+3 Lucky)
Unarmed: (d20 + 55) [1d8 + 49] {Blunt}
Celestial Nail (Longsword): (d20 + 64) [2d6 + 53] {Slash/Pierce}, +2d10 Cold, Ignore AV
[3] Throwing Axes: (d20 + 55) [3d10 + 23 if thrown] [3d10 + 33 in melee] {Slash}, 30 ft
Round Heavy Shield: (d20 + 65) [3d6 + 45] {Blunt}, DB = 18, EV = 0
Alexandra Alistar: HP = 75, PP = 60, EP = 34/85, Status = Fine, Dragon's Pride X = 6, Draconic Transformation X = 5, Armor at 47/62 TP
NPC Stats
Dingroria: HP = 112/115, PP = 55, EP = 40/60, Status = Injured, Transformation X = 10 (taken a total of 43 damage), Armor at 0/50 TP
Archmage Aebard Narderwil: HP = 33/75, PP = 90, EP = 62/105, Status = Injured, Eldritch Lantern, Wind Armor, +55 Resistance (Fireheart)
Haedrin: HP = 118/125, PP = 65, EP = 145/160, Status = Fine, Binding X = 20 on him
Sir Magnus: HP = 8/70, PP = 50, EP = 70/90, Status = Gravely Injured, Battle Aura X = 11
Sir Ankieseth: HP = 0/70, PP = 50, EP = 70/90, Status = Dying
Enemies
Roughly 6 satyrs
1 armored troll, taken 187 damage, spent 33 EP
1 grey troll, fine
20 snake monsters
Rolls
Upkeeps: Alex = 0, Aebard = 3, Magnus = 9, Ankieseth = 0, Ria = 6, Haedrin = 5 EP and 6 HP.
Alex activates murder.
Attacks: Autohit.
Damage (Shield) : 1 + 3 + 2 + 45 - 45 + 8 = 14 damage.
Damage (Sword) : 1 + 4 + (8 + 1) + 53 - (5) + 8 = 70 damage. Bloodbath triggers at a DC of... 14
Resistance: The troll wins. Its HP is set to 0 and half of its EP is transferred to HP.
The troll responds with wild murderosity.
Attacks: 136 (roll of 95) hits, 120 (roll of 79) does not.
Damage: 10 + 45 + 10 - 35 = 30 damage. Alex goes down. Fawk. Her armor also takes 13 damage, putting it at 47/62 TP.
Haedrin serves the other troll and extra helping of murder. With a side of murder. And maybe some Flurry of Blows for 5 attacks, all of them shattering blows, with 20 points of defensive fighting to boot.
Attacks: Hit all.
Damage: 3 + 12 + 48 - 20 - 10 + 40 = 73 * 2 = 146 - 40 = 106 damage per hit. Propagated across 5 attacks, that's 530 damage. Dooown it goes.
Ria turns to ye satyr and prepares to squash him with full supreme might while he activates Defensive Stance with full defensive fighting and moves a bit.
Attack: Hit.
Damage: More than 100. The satyr is a stain on the ground.
The satyrs open fire on ye oni with full deadly aim, firing 2 shots each.
Attacks: Automatic hits.
Damage (within range of 3) : 6 + 8 + 39 + 3 - 59 = 0 damage. Her armor takes 9 damage per hit, for a total of 18, leaving it at 32/50 TP.
Damage (within range of 4) : 5 + 1 + 39 + 4 - 59 = 0 damage. Her armor takes 8 damage per hit, for another 16, bringing it down to 16/50 TP.
Damage (within range of 5) : 6 + 4 + 39 + 5 - 59 = 0 damage. Her armor takes 9 damage per hit, for a total of 36 damage, putting it at 0/50 TP. Two of the shots ignore her worn armor (20) and instead deal 15 damage each, for a total of 30 damage.
2 of ye middle satyrs that are within range of 5 allies fire at Magnus and Ankieseth instead using deadly aim, and rapid shot for 2 additional attacks.
Attacks: 1 hit from Satyr one. 1 hit from Satyr two. So, one hit on each of them I guess.
Damage: 3 + 8 + 39 + 5 - 27 = 28 damage per knight.
A swarm of ye snakes comes out and try to eat ye knights as they move in to go after the damn satyrs.
Attacks: 3 hits on Ankieseth, 1 on Magnus.
Damage: 9 + 9 + 43 - 27 = 34 damage per hit. Ankieseth goes down.
Magnus uses Teamwork, activating Full Defense and trying to protect Ankieseth for next round.
Aebard casts Explosion on the woods to hopefully thin ye satyrs. He also uses Quicken Spell to get Alex back up via Way of Nature.
Casting: Success.
Healing: 3 + 1 + 10 + 1 = 15 * 5 = 75 HP restored. Alex gets raised to full health!
Attack: Hit.
Damage: 3 + 1 + 8 + 2 + 3 = 17 * 6 = 102 damage.
Total EP Cost with his upkeep: 3 + 4 + 6 + 8 = 21, exactly equal to his ceiling.
Ye hidden faerie lady uses Binding X = 20 on Haedrin.
Attack: Automatic Hit.
Resistance: Failure.
The troll, in response to Alex's demand for a quick surrender, simply bellowed wordlessly in her face, the sharpness of her demands ignored by the raging faerie. The iron of her shield soon clanged sharply against its neck, the force of her strike sending a vibration all throughout the hardened metal that mostly drowned out the sizzling hiss that emanated forth when the metal touched the faerie's flesh. Her weapons were made of steel, and there were few substances more toxic to the fey than the touch of iron, even impure iron, and thus they would burn the creature's skin in addition to the sheer power behind the strike. Its roar was silenced and reduced to a choke, but still it stood, necessitating the attack that she delivered next. Her sword arm had lost little strength for the axe hit she'd taken, and she returned the troll in kind for the painful attack. The enchantments on her blade took it through the faerie's hide and armor like so much butter, exposing its raw flesh to her steel blade.
It was obvious that the creature was wracked with raw agony by the sight of its face, and it seemed as if she might very well succeed in her intent to cut it clean in half. She never got that far though, as the creature yanked itself back quickly, recoiling away from the pain. The magical sharpness of her sword worked against her then, as it slipped easily free of the troll's flesh as it backed away. Letting out its choked furious roar, the troll lifted both axes and swung them around and at the battered dragoness. The axes arrived from the side, coming mere inches apart, and the first tore Alex's shield out of the path of the first, allowing the second to hit her in the chest just below her breast. Alex was lifted by the power of the strike even as the sharpened faerie weapon dug through her armor. She felt the blade cutting into her and her lower ribs breaking before she was released from the axe only to be flung off of the blade and sent flying a dozen or so feet away. Landing in a heap, Alex tumbled several more feet before coming to a stop on her stomach. Agony left her paralyzed, her body refusing to move despite any desires she might have otherwise, her nervous system thrown for a loop and left to experience little more than pain.
She could see her blade lying a few feet away, just barely out of her immobile arm's reach, so close that it was almost touching the tips of her fingers. She could feel her shield trapped under her, still clutched in her stiffened arm. The troll was coming for her, axes raised in the air over its head and its footfalls producing thumps that sounded like thunder to her frazzled mind. She could see the red streak of Haedrin surging toward the massive grey mass that had emerged from the pile of dead trees. It moved to meet the knight, but few beings that Alex had seen were a match for the faerie knight's speed. Arclan Clay was the first that came to mind, when they'd fought in the arena only a few short hours ago. The gigantic brown-grey troll was definitely not in the same league, however, and by no means had it been prepared for the sheer ferocity displayed by the blood-drenched knight. Just as she'd seen in the battle for the Hidden Village, Alex watched Haedrin take the troll apart, opening with a blow to the gut so powerful that Alex herself fight it emphatically even through her own agonies. As it doubled over, Haedrin promptly jumped onto its back, and what followed was a gory display ending in the prompt removal of the troll's brain from its head in paste form, and the earth-quaking slam of the dead troll's body against the ground.
Haedrin casually stepped off of the fallen beast, orienting itself towards the troll approaching her own downed form, and for a moment it seemed as if Alex might very well be fine. If he could deal with the larger one so easily, it was doubtful that the already grievously wounded armored troll would put up much more resistance, and then all they'd have to deal with would be the satyrs in the woods. Such might have been true if, just as he took his first step toward the axe-wielding faerie, chains formed of pure white light didn't appear suddenly around him. The chains wrapped around his body before he could even try get out of their way, not only drowning out his bloody glow with their pale white light but utterly neutralizing it. "You know, I was already getting rewarded quite substantially for this..." a voice, horribly familiar and filled with cruelty announced smugly. The faerie lady that had been the speaker for the hostile group casually stepped out of the nearby woods, a sadistic smile upon her face as she strolled casually onto the battlefield towards the bound knight. "But when I present you, freshly turned to our cause and bent to my will, to the Court?" she continued just as she reached him, even going so far as to run a delicate finger across his chin as she smiled sweetly (but poisonously so) at him, "I'll never know the end of the prestige! Summer's favored champion... Mine~"
A thunderous explosion sounded, and it was then that Alex realized that there had been shouting coming from the direction opposite the still approaching troll. It arrived just as she had a moment to turn, and see Dingroria stumbling, her chest and side a veritable pincushion of arrows with two of them sticking in deep enough to suggest that they'd found holes in her magical armor. She could see Sir Magnus standing protectively over Sir Ankieseth, the latter's glow vanished as he lay there, an arrow sticking from his body and his face a mask of blood akin to how she'd seen Sir Andrast only a short time ago. the both of them surrounded and in danger of simply being buried beneath a swarm of the foul eyeless black serpents she'd fought in the tunnels. The moon was visible above the embattled duo, full and dark enough that it was very nearly red, as if mocking the manner in which the last aging knight she'd seen badly injured received his debilitating wounds while trying to help her. The trees beyond were burning, adding a haze of smoke that just barely kissed at the edge of the moon, but the cause of such a fire was mysterious....
Or at least, it was mysterious until Alex's pain vanished. Not even gradually, the wounds of her body simply knitted back together within the span of a few heartbeats as some magic worked upon her. "Get.... Up...." someone gasped from only a few yards away, barely audible over the din of battle and the footsteps of the approaching troll. Aebard. The mage had, rather than remove the arrows from his lungs, opted to spend his magics to heal Alex. He'd done an excellent job of it too, practically returning her to full strength in a single spell. He had undoubtedly sent a fireball into the trees, hoping to scatter the archers before they could inflict any more damage. The lead goatman was gone, though whether that meant he was dead, fled, or simply out of her field of vision was unclear. She had seen the icy statues of Angelle and Lady Albatross in the periphery of her vision during her turn, both unharmed but still containing their prisoners.
The troll appeared above her, both axes lifted high. "Shoulda dropped your sword when you had the chance!" it spat angrily, and then those deadly blades began to descend toward her....
She heard his flesh burn. She heard his cry of agony that ripped through his berserker rage and left him open to the sweep of her blade, but she miscalculated. He wasn't quite finished, and as he recoiled in his pain the troll managed to save himself from the fury that was Alex's attack. And in the next few moments that fury was returned. Alex was left to try and recover from her massive strike, and though she managed to catch one axe with her shield her guard was crushed in that single blow. It simply left her open, the second axe given free rein to strike her wherever it pleased, and before she knew it she was sent hurtling through the air. Once she landed the agony of having her gut opened hit her in full, and it was only made worse as she tumbled in an almost lifeless heap before finally rolling to a stop.
Lying as she was Alex should have been able to rise to her feet. She should have been able to reach out, to reclaim the Celestial Nail that lay just past her fingertips. But the pain at having her body opened so viciously was holding her down. She couldn't move. She couldn't even breathe properly. All she could manage was to look out and see the approach of the troll, the plight of the two knights, and most importantly the return of the bitch. She must have been hiding, well enough that Alex failed to notice, and as she bound Haedrin within her own spiritual chains Alex could hear her promise to convert him and turn the man into her own personal pawn.
And Alex could do nothing. She tried. She gathered her strength and demanded that her body curl up so she could at least rise to her feet, but no matter how much she struggled the pain settled throughout her like a dead weight. It was frustrating, even more so as she felt the giant axe-murderer approaching simply by the small tremors his bulk shot through the ground. She knew what would happen if she were still down. He would stand over her, take a moment to gloat over his victory, and without that his blades would fall and carve her into a gutted mess that had no hope of recovering. She knew it would happen, and she knew she needed to move if she were going to survive let alone save her daughter, but no matter what she would not budge...
But she hadn't expected the sudden burst of power that struck her prone form. She heard someone call out, the order to "Get... Up..." signalling the end of her agony. She tried once more to reach out, and her body finally responded. Her hand wrapped around her sword's hilt, the familiar weight settling into her palm once more, and she carefully unwound herself from the ground and started pulling herself to her feet. And that's when she realized the pain was gone. Her body was restored, completely healed despite the almost fatal cuts she received and the bits that had seemingly been lost to her summon.
As she rose she realized just what had happened, and as she spared a glance over toward Aebard she witnessed the forest itself burning and no sign of the goat-men, but the mage himself looked just as haggard as he had earlier. "Shoulda dropped your sword when you had the chance!" But despite how much she wanted to return the favor there were far more pressing matters to worry about, and one was looming over her preparing to deliver its coup de grace.
She was not going to let that happen. Alex jumped back, her mind racing as it took stock of all the points of conflict all around her, and just before she landed she realized what she would need to do. The moment her feet kissed the ground she took in a deep breath, and before the troll could recover from her sudden evasion she let that breath out in a plume of fire that crashed against the same exact point her ancestor had struck. And even then she kept pressing, her flame either rushing over or through him before it started reaching out and burning a path through the battlefield. It simply kept rushing in an almost perfect line, and as it ran it passed over as many of those mutant snakes as it could reach before it vanished into the woods.
She knew not whether the troll would fold or not. He seemed like a rather persistent bastard, and if he somehow crawled out of those flames as well Alex would stand her ground and make sure he was finally put down. But if he did fall then she would start walking forward. Despite his injuries Aebard appeared to have his area of the battle under complete control. And if he didn't Ria would help him with that. That left the knights and Haedrin to deal with. Or more specifically the noble and her snakes. She wasn't quite sure how she would deal with both, but as she started walking the sight of the still untouched sculptures caught her eye. Taking down the Lady would be a pain for everyone. Perhaps it was time to fight fire with fire...
Using Dragon's Breath at X = 12, Line form, aiming to strike the troll and as many of the snakes as she possibly can. Include Defensive Fighting at 20 Hit for 20 Dodge.
+20 Dodge (Defensive Fighting)
Dodge: 112 (+18 Round Heavy Shield) (+2 Aescila's Gift) (+10 Unarmed) (+10 vs Magic/Powers/Succubus) (1/8 Damage taken from Magic/Powers if dodged)
Following that have her more toward whichever point of battle looks brings her closest to the ice prisons if the troll is dead.
Spoiler Box contains Alex's adjusted stat block based solely on her active powers.
Dodge: 92 (+18 Round Heavy Shield) (+2 Aescila's Gift) (+10 Unarmed) (+10 vs Magic/Powers/Succubus) (1/8 Damage taken from Magic/Powers if dodged)
Armor: 19 (+16 Breastplate)
Resistance: 55 (+3 Lucky) (+6 Breastplate) (+10 vs Magic/Powers/Succubus/PP.Damage)
Perception: 53 (+3 Lucky) (+2 Aescila's Gift)
Grapple: 70 (+3 Lucky)
Unarmed: (d20 + 75) [1d8 + 49] {Blunt}
Celestial Nail (Longsword): (d20 + 84) [2d6 + 53] {Slash/Pierce}, +2d10 Cold, Ignore AV
[3] Throwing Axes: (d20 + 75) [3d10 + 23 if thrown] [3d10 + 33 in melee] {Slash}, 30 ft
Round Heavy Shield: (d20 + 85) [3d6 + 45] {Blunt}, DB = 18, EV = 0
Alexandra Alistar: HP = 75, PP = 60, EP = 23/85, Status = Fine, Dragon's Pride X = 6, Draconic Transformation X = 5, Armor at 47/62 TP
NPC Stats
Dingroria: HP = 112/115, PP = 55, EP = 34/60, Status = Injured, Transformation X = 10 (taken a total of 43 damage), Armor at 0/50 TP
Archmage Aebard Narderwil: HP = 0/75, PP = 90, EP = 62/105, Status = Dead or Dying?
Haedrin: HP = 118/125, PP = 65, EP = 145/160, Status = Fine, Binding X = 20 on him
Sir Magnus: HP = 8/70, PP = 50, EP = 61/90, Status = Gravely Injured, Battle Aura X = 11
Sir Ankieseth: HP = 0/70, PP = 50, EP = 70/90, Status = Dying
Enemies
1 Lord, binding Haedrin
Roughly 6 satyrs
Rolls
Upkeeps: Alex = 0, Aebard = 3, Magnus = 9, Ankieseth = 0, Ria = 6, Haedrin = 0
Alex uses Dragon's Breath X = 12, aiming for the troll and as many of the snakes as possible. And maybe a satyr.
Attacks: 66, enough to hit the snakes. Ye troll is autohit. Also one of the satyrs.
Damage: 1 + 1 = 2 * 12 = 24 damage. Never before have I seen such a flaccid display! ;-;
That lightly injures the snakes, and doesn't do anything against the troll or the satyrs.
The troll responds with yet more wild murderosity.
Attacks: 99 (roll of 58) and 106 (roll of 65) both miss.
Aebard tries to salvage the situation by taking out the snakes, using Spell Control to not hit Magnus and Ankieseth, attacking ye bunch of snakes with Greater Fireball.
Casting: Success.
Attack: Hit.
Damage: 5 + 1 + 8 + 2 + 3 = 19 * 4 = 76 damage. Snakes down!
Ye lord uses Quicken Spell, casts Haste on herself and chucks a fireball at Aebard.
Casting: Both succeed.
Attack: Hit.
Damage: 3 + 1 + 9 + 2 = 15 * 4 = 60 damage. Aebard is down.
Ria comes up and uses Supreme Might and Slay on the troll.
Attack: He's going to regret that automatic hit.
Damage: 1 + 7 + (elec 6 + 7 + 2) + 72 + 20 + 10 + 20 = 145 * 2 = 290 - 5 - 45 = 240 damage.
Magnus uses the same as last round, the satyrs use full deadly aim and open up on him, aiming for Ankieseth to reduce his dodge a bit.
Attacks: 92, 104, 95, 107, 96, 108. His Dodge of 114 for this round holds them back... For the moment.
Resistance: Haedrin fails.
Down the axes came, but Alex rolled out of the way just in time, causing both to sink into the hard snow-coated earth beneath her, the blood coating them mixing with that she had leaked onto the snow while lying there. It wrenched them free with a roar, but by that point the dragoness was already moving, ducking under one swing and deflecting a second off of her shield as she rushed into the position that she needed to enact her plan. She had been between the troll and the serpent-swamped knights, meaning that she had had to duck under his swing and turn to deflect the other, but another leaping step and Alex was able to spin and suck in the breath needed to call upon her inner fire. The troll had evidently thought she was fleeing, as he spun toward her new location and took a thundering step toward her just as Alexandra unleashed the air she'd gathered in the form of a column of pure draconic fire!
The already flame-scarred faerie recoiled from Alex's breath, the line of flame washing over his armored chest and burning him even more. The blossom of fire created by his barrier was only a brief sight though, as he quickly stumbled out of the way and let her breath pass over the serpents instead. The ones in line with her attack scattered, but Alex saw some of them get singed by the breath before it careened off into the woods, where she saw it strike a humanoid figure before it could get out of the way. Something was wrong though... Her fire burned, yes, but it wasn't as hot as it should have been, didn't sear flesh to bone as she might have remembered.
Before the source of the weakness in her fire could be discerned, however, Alex would need to win this battle. The troll was still on top of her, and Magnus looked like he was about to be buried at any moment... Until Aebard and Ria struck. The magus, again ignoring his grievous injuries in favor of trying to help the two knights he had brought along, sending an orb of fire over the down warrior and the man guarding him. It exploded, washing over the serpents as they re-converged after Alex's blast scattered them, and this time the flames did their job. The smell of sizzling flesh filled the air, and when the smoke cleared the serpents had been left as little more than a charred mess while Sir Magnus and Sir Ankieseth were no worse off than they had been. Their distraction removed, Magnus was able to bring up his shield, and through his magically enhanced reflexes and sheer tenacity managed to avoid the storm of well-placed arrows that came pouring forth from the woods, striking the shafts out of the air with his sword or catching them upon his shield.
Dingroria, in the meantime, came to Alex' aid. The troll had been more startled by her flame than harmed, and after stumbling aside he came back toward her with his enraged expression flaring once again, axes held at the ready. Over his growling and the thumps of his footsteps, however, Alex heard the thunderous falls of Ria's feet as she charged toward them. The troll, his attention focused on Alex, never even saw it coming as the oni stepped into position and transferred the lion's share of her momentum from her body into her club. Her own awesome physical might went into the swing as well, the momentum of it building as she swung from her should in an arc that took it past her hip and then up again. The swing landed right in the trolls gut and continued upwards, carrying the troll with it and taking him off of his feet... For a second. The strike landed with such force that the snow in a ten foot radius billowed outwards, a thunderous crash drowning out the crunch of bone and metal, and though the troll seemed about to simply be sent flying, such was not his fate. Before the power of the blow had fully played out, his body simply gave way to Ria's strength, and what was to become a flight turned into a bisection as Ria's club tore through his body and came out the other side, sending broken bits of armor and shredded gore flying far as the troll fell to the ground with a pair of thumps, his two halves now connected by nothing more than a tiny shred of charred flesh. Needless to say, he wasn't getting up after that.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the end. A burst of flame appeared at the periphery of her vision, coming from where Aebard had stood. When Alex turned to look, he stood there no longer, the explosion having left his robes and his skin scorched even as it threw him through the air, his magical winds protection against some of the flames perhaps but not against the heat. He had fallen face down, and now Alex could see the points of the arrows sticking out of his back, pressed deeper inside when he'd landed. The man wasn't moving, and the magics he'd called upon were gone.
The originator of the orb of flame that had broken the mage was clear in announcing it, a rich giggle purring its way up from her throat as she stepped closer, and though she had clearly never been a fan of the man Ria rounded on the faerie lady with a look of pure, unbridled fury. The faerie returned it with a flat stare and a smirk, before pointing a hand over at the two statues containing her daughter and the Lady Albatross and saying; "I must say, you lot have put on a much more impressive show than I had expected! You have my earnest congratulations! I'm running out of time though, so how about we make this simple? You two could come up and murder me, right here, right now.... And probably succeed too! But there's no way that either of you could stop me from killing one of them before you reached me." As if to accentuate that point, a glowing orb of violet light appeared in her hand, radiating vile energies that made Alex feel sick just by being in their proximity, and she paused only for a second before continuing; "So... Since you've been such good sports about all this, I'll give you a choice! If both of you drop your weapons, release your magics, take off your armor... And all of your clothes.... And give me your word of obedience that you will surrender fully, I won't disintegrate your daughter OR your Summer Court liaison! I'll even see to it that the humans live past today, all three of them, and let the both of you live too!" In the background, Alex could see Haedrin struggling fruitlessly against the mystical chains binding him, their strength spiritual rather than physical and thus unphased by the knight's immense physical power. Ria looked about ready to charge beside her, and so Alex would need to decide on a course of action quickly, either hoping that she could strike before the faerie could release her blast or surrendering, or perhaps thinking of some third solution with which to surprise the metaphorically cornered faerie.
Despite the mystery of her impotent flame, despite Ria's sudden appearance and the rather gruesome end she gave to that raging troll, despite Aebard's desire to save his comrades and his reward of flaming death, despite all of that Alex had been prepared to set her body and charge directly into the faerie noble and smash the bitch into submission using the vastly more dependable strength that thrummed through her veins, but the sudden sight of that violet orb forced the draconic knight to a stop. She could feel the energies gathered there, her training in the magical arts giving her the sense to feel the chaos gathering and twisting, that dark light similar and yet nothing like the awesome power she herself had found in her ancestor. Where his was wild and untamed fury and hunger this thing was simply...wrong...and yet she felt it would do the same thing. Consume and destroy whatever soul was foolish enough to stand against it.
And that power threatened her daughter. Alex stared at that unholy light, her mind going through multiple scenarios that all left her falling short as she raced to her target. The spell would be released, shards of chaos would strike the winged sculpture that held Angelle, and the girl's body and soul would be torn to shreds. Running, sprinting, even having Ria somehow throw her before the Lady could act all ended in Alex having to pay a price that was simply too high.
But there had to be something I can do...
I could drop my sword. That would at least save Angelle...
But she would remain captured. And Aes would still be sacrificed.
But I can't sacrifice my daughter, instead!
But surrendering to that bitch would most certainly be worse...
Dammit, if only I hadn't been fooled!
Her inner struggle continued for a moment, and then it all just faded. The argument, the turmoil, it all simply drained out of her face and left her looked hurt and defeated. And that's when it fell. Her shield, the very instrument that defined her as a warrior and was the focus of all her training simply clattered on the ground before coming to a ringing stop. Her fire, her ancestor, and even Ria's attack had left the ground somewhat barren with the snow no longer guarding it, and once it finally settled it was the most revealing sign of Alex's surrender.
"Ria..." She turned toward the monstrous oni, and upon seeing the pure rage and fury that still sat on the demon's brow Alex gathered herself and yanked on the giant until the bloody mountain beast was forced to look into the dragon's eyes. "RIA! STAND DOWN!" She kept hold of the woman until that rage started to fade. "Please... She needs to be protected..." And Ria would see the pain in Alex's eyes, the shame and agony at simply lying down struggling to force the warrior to act and ultimately powerless in the face of a mother's fear.
Once her ally's compliance was received Alex turned back toward the faerie and unlatched the sheath from her armor. It came free easily enough, and and it was in her hand she made a show of sheathing her sword and silencing whatever protests it would have made. Her weapon was then lain against her shield, and after that she started unfastening the ties that held her armor in place. This would take longer, and Alex was actually putting some effort into doing so without showing any hint of a threat on her body. Her motions were slow and guarded, her eyes were downcast, and as she started to lift her steel from her body it seemed rather poignant that her entire head was left hidden within its own pit of darkness.
But in an instant that armor fell back into place. And even as it settled the darkness that it contained shot out in a long serpentine shape that immediately opened a mouth and rocketed straight for the haughty bitch. The form itself was compressed, so much so that it looked like the very darkness of nothingness itself was given form and flesh. But the flames of the void would not be mistaken, not when they'd been seen once in that battle, and the dragon that had been called once more was rushing to complete the massacre it had started only a few minutes earlier. And through that all Alex prayed. She prayed that the power she had been gathering had been masked by her active magics and the sheer volume that lay within the armor itself. She prayed that the sheer desperation she fed into that flame was enough to urge her ancestor to act as quickly as possible. And if that weren't enough to stop the faerie she prayed that Ria had listened. She gave the oni one subtle, whispered, almost silent plea, one that she hoped was heard by the demon and the demon alone before she had turned and made a spectacle of herself. "Please protect my daughter!"
Alex disarms herself (now Unarmed in the same turn thanks to Quick Draw) and tries to fire off a sneaky Black Dragon, X = 16, to surprise yonder faerie bitch. And consume the remaining 20 EP from the rings so she doesn't immediately pass out. And hope that Miss Oni manages to protect Angelle in case this all goes wrong.
Black Dragon 16
Initial EP Cost: 16 + 4 = 20 (Ceiling broken by 3, costs additional 3 EP + 3 HP)
Initial HP Cost: 16 + 2 = 18
Total Cost: 23 EP, 21 HP
Attack: Auto-hit (+50 + 3 + 20 = +73 if target has Spell Resistance)
Damage: 15(16) = 240 Heat
Spoiler Box contains Alex's adjusted stat block based solely on her active powers.
Dodge: 92 (+18 Round Heavy Shield) (+2 Aescila's Gift) (+10 Unarmed) (+10 vs Magic/Powers/Succubus) (1/8 Damage taken from Magic/Powers if dodged)
Armor: 19 (+16 Breastplate)
Resistance: 55 (+3 Lucky) (+6 Breastplate) (+10 vs Magic/Powers/Succubus/PP.Damage)
Perception: 53 (+3 Lucky) (+2 Aescila's Gift)
Grapple: 70 (+3 Lucky)
Unarmed: (d20 + 75) [1d8 + 49] {Blunt}
Celestial Nail (Longsword): (d20 + 84) [2d6 + 53] {Slash/Pierce}, +2d10 Cold, Ignore AV
[3] Throwing Axes: (d20 + 75) [3d10 + 23 if thrown] [3d10 + 33 in melee] {Slash}, 30 ft
Round Heavy Shield: (d20 + 85) [3d6 + 45] {Blunt}, DB = 18, EV = 0
Alexandra Alistar: HP = 0/75, PP = 60, EP = 0/85, Status = Helpless, Armor at 26/62 TP
NPC Stats
Dingroria: HP = 112/115, PP = 55, EP = 34/60, Status = ???, Armor at 0/50 TP
Archmage Aebard Narderwil: HP = 0/75, PP = 90, EP = 62/105, Status = Dead or Dying?
Haedrin: HP = 118/125, PP = 65, EP = 145/160, Status = ???
Sir Magnus: HP = 8/70, PP = 50, EP = 61/90, Status = Dying
Sir Ankieseth: HP = 0/70, PP = 50, EP = 70/90, Status = Dying
Rolls
Alrighty then, time for the big finish! Will Alex be raped, or will she set ye faerie on fire?
Ye archers shoot down Magnus, leaving Alex and Ria as the only ones up.
Alex tries to hide the oncoming Black Dragon. This necessitates a stealth check!
Stealth: 37, roll of 3 with a circumstantial +5 bonus, vs 36, roll of 10. Alex very narrowly succeeds, getting a +4 bonus to the upcoming initiative check.
Initiative to see what order things resolve in. Alex rolls a 9, gets a 13. Ria gets 20. Ye faerie gets a 13. The faerie's spell and Alex's Black Dragon resolve simultaneously.
Ria lowers her Transformation, drops her club, and when the times comes moves to block Angelle first, diving in the way of ye spell.
Alex's Black Dragon goes off, hits the faerie, and kills her. That costs her 23 EP and 21 HP. Her spells, however, go off first.
Casting: Success! Chaos Shard goes for Angelle but hits Ria instead. The Empowered Greater Missile Storm goes for Alex.
Attacks: Both automatic hit.
Damage (Chaos Shard) : 2 + 4 + 12 + 2 + 2 = 22 * 6 = 132 - 19 = 113 damage. Ria goes down.
Resistance (Chaos Shard) : ???
Damage (Missile Storm) : 3 + 1 + 9 + 2 = 15 * 7 = 105 - 35 = 70 damage. Alex goes down. Her armor takes 21 damage, putting it at 26 TP.
And then.....
The look of defeat that Alex adopted as her inner toil faded and she reached her decision caused the faerie across from her to smile as she never had before. The woman's expressions had been rife with sadism and lust before of course, but the smug look of victory that she wore as Alex's shield clanged to the ground was something else entirely. The sound caused Ria to turn back toward Alex with a look of utter confusion, and the oni said; "What are you doing!? Are you insane!? You can't trust her to keep her word! All she'll do is..." She paused and turned back to the faerie in order to finish; "Kill us instead, or worse!"
The woman's fury was returning, but Alex was able to spin the transformed oni nonetheless, and her fury gradually subsided to be replaced by a look of despair akin to that on Alex's face right then. The great half-demon looked into Alex's eyes with helpless rage for a moment, but then turned back to the faerie as her size began to drop down to its normal nine plus feet. Shuddering with anger still, Ria slowly lowered her club, and then allowed it to tumble from her fingers, after which she began to slowly remove her battered armor, wincing as she disturbed the arrows embedded in her flesh, no longer so immune to their bite now that her rage had passed. "This is ill advised! We should strike, not-" her sword protested only for Alex to simultaneously sheath it and shut its voice from her mind.
"I knew that you would see reason eventually! Now, off with your armor and away with your magics~ My queen will be quite pleased to meet you, I'm sure! We have heard ever so much about the summer dragon~" the smug faerie said as Alex discarded her weapon as well. By that point Ria was down to her underarmor, thick leathers and furs meant to ward away the cold and cushion her flesh from the blows absorbed by her armor, and had begun to yank the arrows fired into her by the satyrs free of her flesh. As Alex pulled up her own armor, momentarily blacking out, she could feel the armor's displeasure, but then it seemed to realize what she was doing. "That's it, down to the skin with ye! I'd like to examine my prizes~" the faerie said gleefully, but then the woman got the surprise that the desperate half-dragon had been preparing for her.
The second call to the dragon of black flame was met with a curious retort, the otherworldly creature making no haste despite her urgency and her terror at the still looming prospect of losing her daughter. Indeed, it seemed to relish taking its time with answering her second summons. Behind her, she heard an arrow thunk home, a desperate gasp in Magnus's voice followed by a metallic thunk suggesting that the young knight had finally fallen to the bombardment of the satyrs, an idea reinforced by the broadening of the faerie lady's grin. Whatever Alex might have felt about that, she found the power that she needed rising in her breast, the pain brought on by the blackened flames returning steadily, and a moment later her armor fell back into place upon her body, and she opened her mouth to unleash a tremendous roar and a wave of black fire, neither of which were truly her own.
For less than a heartbeat Alex saw the faerie's hand rising again, the power gathering before it as her face twisted into a look of fury..... And of fear. Then her vision was blocked by the flames bursting from her mouth, and much of her attentions were taken up by the agony racing through her every nerve, the black dragon taking its toll on her body and soul just as it had before. A bolt of violet light shot out from where her target stood just before she felt the dragon hit its mark, shooting almost faster than her eyes could track right for her daughter, but Dingroria had heard Alex and acted on the dragon's plea. The oni had started moving as soon as Alex dropped her armor back down, and rather than striking the immobile ice statue at which it had been aimed, the bolt of deadly violet light slammed into the oni's chest right between her breasts. Despite her still massive size, Ria was torn off of her feet and thrown past the two frozen statues, spinning twice before landing and skidding a bit more, landing some twenty feet past Angelle and Albatross where she stopped unmoving.
Alex was blind to the fate of her target, but thankfully the black dragon allowed her to feel the faerie's end in a much more tactile sense. It had known that the sidhe was an illusion when it had first struck, but through the pain she had been unable to discern the message. This time she knew that it hit flesh, and what was more it hit flesh hard. There was a moment of resistance, the faerie lady's not inconsiderable resilience making the dragon's task harder than it had been for some of the others.... But only for a second. The flame of the void dragon burned as hot as the light of a star, and spread until it consumed all that it touched, bound only by the limits of the energy that Alex could put forth to fuel it. The moment of resistance past, and in its place Alex felt the black dragonfire burn the faerie lady's body into dust, felt it do the same to her very soul, leaving not a single trace of her remaining as punishment for her transgressions against dragonkind.
Unfortunately, the bolt of violet light had not been the malicious faerie's only parting gift. Around her flame Alex saw a weave of crisscrossing lights, and as they drew closer she saw that each shaped like a butterfly and a different color from the next. Dozens of them curled around the tunnel of her flame, a beautiful array of colors that Alex would have been able to compare to the lightshows and fireworks that Lady Albatross had conjured for their enjoyment at Angelle's second birthday.... If they didn't come to rest on her armored form, held still by necessity due to the jet of black flame tearing from her mouth. The storm of butterflies flashed brilliantly around her and exploded while Alex stood helpless, each one stinging on their own and agony when taken together. Her skin popped and her armor shredded off in dangerous metal fletchets with each explosion, leaving her flesh torn apart beneath and her body suffused with agony from both inside and out. Her spirit drained and her body broken, her magics began to fade, causing Alex to revert back to her fully human form once more, but even so the battle with the mysterious faerie lady was ended in her favor.
Its target destroyed, Alex felt the dragon turn its attentions back upon her just as she sunk to her knees, her legs unable to support her weight. The stream of black fire ended at last, but even though its physical manifestation quickly vanished, leaving little more than ashy bones in the place where the faerie had once stood, Alex could still feel the great beast's presence. It examined her like a wolf would eye a lamed hare, an easy meal that would go down without a fight, and one that was ripe for the taking. But... Though her spirit was held open and vulnerable by its will, the black dragon did not consume her. Not then. It watched her for a moment, claws tantalizingly close, but it never pulled her through the gate that she had opened and into the void of oblivion, and after a moment the beast itself retreated through that gate and allowed it to close.
That left Alex barely able to stand, and she heard the clomping of hoofed feet as the satyr archers came forth from the trees, to which she quickly realized she could do nothing. Her body was shredded, her spirit emptied to the point that she was almost blacking out, fully at their mercy. Ria was down, still unmoving after the faerie's spell, either dead already or too badly injured to rise. Aebard was down, burned badly and either dead or dying from the two arrows piercing his lungs. Magnus and Ankieseth were down, covered in bite marks and arrow wounds and likely not long for this world either. Angelle and Albatross, though their captor was burned to dust, were still standing encased in their icy prisons. And Haedrin was.... Haedrin was standing over her, his booted feet standing solidly as he called out to the approaching satyrs; "You know who I am. You know what I have done. You saw my handiwork against the mountain troll. Flee." There was a pause, but apparently the goatmen knew better than to face the Summer Knight after what they'd seen him do, and Alex heard them turn and flee as one. He watched them go before kneeling down in front of her and pulling off his helm, revealing the worry on his face as he lifted her chin to look at him and saying; "Alexandra! Are you alright?"
What happened next was.... Unique. Alex had been around beings of power before. Lady Albatross was at least as strong as her most recently vanquished opponent had been, and her lover Aescila was of a level even above that, though the demon-turned-angel sometimes had trouble controlling the power that she had inherited from the broken angel Dina. Even Alex herself was starting to register in that manner upon simply entering a room, her personal power enough to warrant respect from those sensitive to such things and of a lesser tier than she. The sense of power that she suddenly found herself immersed in dwarfed Aescila, the difference like that of a newborn house kitten compared to a wild tiger. The only presence that had Alex had felt that compared had been the Archangel Michael, but he had been carefully controlling his aura at the time so as not to seem overbearing. The presence that appeared around her now did no such thing, and to Alex's battered and exhausted frame it was like being immersed in icy water.
Haedrin sensed the newcomer too, and he shot to his feet and turned to face them, their direction of approach obvious by their mere presence. Alex saw his expression shift from one of grim preparation to a startled look, however, and he managed to get out a single word; "You!" Before green light wrapped around his body. The knight was largely obscured, but Alex could still see the slight look of fright that had crossed the man's features before he had been frozen in place, locked as if frozen in time rather than simply in space. "Hello again dear~" a soft, musical, feminine voice called, as if replying to Haedrin's one word exclamation. The voice too was unlike anything Alex had heard before, possessed of the natural beauty of a sidhe but simply.... Different, as if it were off by a single note, but all the more beautiful for the single passion-born flaw. Battered as she was, Alex was compelled to turn her head and look at the newcomer, her body protesting but relenting, her injuries not as bad as those she had suffered from the troll.
A part of her immediately wished that she hadn't, but unfortunately for Alex that part was banished to the furthest recesses of her mind as she beheld the woman approaching her. She started from the ground courtesy of her position, and so she first saw the soft doeskin boots adorning the stranger's feet, and then trailed up the perfectly formed legs that were clad in tight but soft leather, up the simplistic but flawlessly crafted leather vest over an equally beautiful linen shirt. The clothes were all in earthy colors, the vest and shirt both red with the vest a shade or so closer to brown, while the pants and boots were a light brown color, and all were so finely crafted despite their simplicity that they had to have been tailored to fit the person while still on her body. They left their wearer's curves displayed just enough to be tasteful and alluring all at once, but that was second note by far once Alex's scanning gaze reached up to her face. The woman that was approaching Alex was so beautiful that she was literally breathtaking. Merely seeing her visage, too gorgeous to be insulted by comparison to even the finest marble sculpture of this god or that, was enough to send the dragon's heart fluttering before she could do anything to stop it. Her skin was a rich pale creamy color, like the union of sunlight and moonlight made flesh, and her fiery auburn hair draped around her lovely face in loose curls, the majority of it held to the top of her head in a tight bun containing a pair of simplistic bronze pins.
Ria, Aebard, Angelle, Albatross, Aescila... All such concerns were wiped from her momentarily fragile mind, and what affection she had thought she had felt for the angel were suddenly so pathetic in comparison to the adoration filling her heart for the ravishing beauty before her. Even the pain of her injuries seemed dulled by the sight of her, and the closer she got in her steady prowling strut the more potent that balm became. "Ahhh! But such a distraught little beauty I have here~" the singsong voice of her new love said, inspiring butterflies where none should have been. The protests made by the dragon's will were tinged with warning bells about this person, but she couldn't find the spare will to heed them even if she'd wanted to. The woman reached Alex and put a hand onto her head, and then slowly drew it down her cheek in a gentle caress that was in itself more pleasurable than even the most passionate embrace of any lover that she could recall in that moment.
"Are you lost, Alexandra Alistar?" the woman asked innocently, a soft smile playing over her lovely features as her rich golden eyes, like looking into the reflection of the sun on a warm summer day, bored into Alex's own emerald ones. Hearing her name spoken by the woman sent shivers through Alex, ones that she would recognize as the simple act of an extraordinarily powerful being acknowledging her existence in an uncomfortably familiar way, but in her adoration for the stranger there was nothing that she could do for it. "Would you like your queen to allay you of your woes and whisk you away to safety?" she asked, and the part of Alex's soul that had fallen to the great faerie's enchantment was forced to sing out "yes" like a puppet on a string.
However, as the faerie stood over her and caressed Alexandra's face, those strings were snapped. Why that happened became clear only a heartbeat later as a familiar scene played itself out, and a presence that dwarfed that of the faerie that had so suddenly appeared to a far greater degree that the metaphor of the tiger to the kitten made itself known as well. The difference between the new arrival and the woman standing over her was startling, but at the same time not as great as it might have been. Most clear of all was the obvious difference; the cold. The air dropped to the point that Alex's breath was visible before her, and the molten snow crystallized around them in the span of a few short seconds. The cold grew numbing, and it grew painful, but what really made Alex's body begin to shiver was the presence of the new arrival. It was nearly suffocating, like a ton and a half standing on her chest, and that combined with the frigid air made it nearly impossible for the battered dragoness to breath.
Acrasia, like Haedrin, had felt the new arrival just as Alex had, and the irony of watching the unknown woman whom she had momentarily been forced to love frozen before her very eyes, just as Albatross had been when she and Angelle had been taken. The faerie barely even managed to raise a hand to gaze at it in horror before the icy sheen covered her entire body, closing last over one of her brilliant golden eyes, and then.... A voice that filled Alex with a sort of primal terror unlike anything she had felt since the day that her siblings had abused her so terribly rose unbidden in her spine said; "Foolish little girl.... You think your meddling went unseen when you stood in my domain? When you could not hide it from me on neutral ground?"
That voice too was feminine, but it was like the domain that surrounded its owner, in that it lacked any sort of living warmth or emotion. The owner of that cold voice should have been a corpse, but if Alex expected a dessicated lich to step into her view when the approaching figure, tracked by the sound of snow crunching beneath delicate footfalls, and whether she waited for them to step into her field of vision or turned to look, she would find the originator of the voice to be a very much living beauty. Indeed, the woman was just as radiant as the one that had enthralled Alex with a look, albeit in a slightly different manner. Where the other sidhe had been beautiful, her deadly nature hid by deception, this one's deadly nature lay unhidden in her finely sculpted, angular features. She was thin but not flat, with skin paler than moonlight but displaying neither vein nor blemish, and clad in a simple but refined gown that was so blue that it was almost black. Her pitch black hair hung loosely down her back, lifted slightly in the chill wind that surrounded this deadly goddess, and a winged black mask covered the top half of her face save for her eyes, which were the palest blue-grey that Alex had ever seen. Those eyes were also the most primitively terrifying thing that the half-blood had ever seen too, awakening the instincts of a beast within her and telling her that she was looking at a predator that she could never hope to defeat, much less harm, and could never hope to flee from, much less escape. Only remaining unnoticed would assure her survival.
That said, the woman seemed all too happy to ignore Alex as she strode around the prone dragoness, ending up standing beside the newest ice sculpture. Haedrin, in the meantime, was freed of whatever spell had bound him just as the woman approached, and blinked away confusion only for his eyes to widen in abject terror. He dropped to his knees immediately, as Alex had never seen him do before, and said; "Kkk.... Queen Mab.... Milady... What might I-" She silenced him with a single glance, one that he didn't even need to meet to feel, before turning back to the ice sculpture of the other faerie and saying; "Sometimes, I wonder if it is worth it to permit your continued existence! Your annoyances are growing too bold, Acrasia!" With one hand Mab reached forth, placing her long, delicate fingers over Acrasia's icy lips, and Alex would see a small wisp pulled forth from the other faerie's body, one that she would recognize instantly as a soul. Not just any soul, however, but that of Arclan Clay, the familiar essence detectable through the competing auras for only a moment before Mab claimed it for herself. "Were it not that I have far more pressing matters than this stupidity of yours to attend, I would take this insult personally and seek far more severe justice from thee."
With a heavy thump Alex finally fell to her knees, and by some miracle the woman somehow managed to keep herself upright. But that was all she could do. She'd seen Ria fly as the demon intercepted the attack that surely would have killed Angelle. She saw the dragon strike, felt it dig its fire into the faerie's flesh before she simply burst into nothingness, and even now Alex could feel it turning its attention back toward her. Its presence sat on the edge of the void, the gate it used a part of her very being, and without the spiritual strength to even cower she had no hope of closing it. That's where he sat, a beast of immeasurable hunger studying the broken body and soul that now lay so totally exposed. Alex could even swear that she heard the beast's claws digging through the ether as it reached out for her, and she would have laughed the insane laughter of the condemned seeing their end coming had she possessed the strength. But that presence pulled away. Why, she would never know. But at that point she was beyond questioning it. She was beyond caring whether her ancestor wanted her or not. She was simply glad that her daughter did not fall into that bitch's hands.
It took her a few seconds to register the appearance of the remaining satyrs. She could barely even turn her head let alone stand now that the most grievous threat had passed, and though they sounded as if they were stomping their way through a deep tunnel Alex eventually recognized the sound of their hooves clomping out into the open. That was when she realized there was nothing she could do. Her body refused to move, the explosions that had nearly consumed her tore her body into pieces that struggled to simply remain still and prevent her from collapsing. Her spirit was entirely drained, so much so that she felt the very core of her being simply standing alone and unguarded and waiting for some creature to come along and simply pluck it from the air. She knew there was still some reserve, some measure of strength she could tap and use to mend herself so she could move once more, but no matter how hard she reached for the energy within her rings her spirit just couldn't reach. For the first time since she had been a child Alex realized that she was completely and utterly helpless.
But a moment later she soon found a beacon of warmth standing over her. Her eyes shifted, rushing in and out of focus before they finally settled on the armored form that loomed over her, and there she recognized Haedrin standing in her defense. His presence itself was tall, strong, defiant... And once the satyrs had fled at his challenge that same strength bent down toward her and showered her with a gentle concern that would have had the dragon blushing had she not been so thoroughly beaten. And though a stray thought passed through her and fled an instant later there was no way Alex could deny the iron truth that she felt in that moment. If he asked me to warm his bed I could never say no...
Though she should have been confused and anxious over that last bit all Alex felt was separation. She simply didn't feel fully connected to her body any longer, not when her soul couldn't even create the thinnest of shells that would have kept her identity protected.
That was why she shivered. It wasn't a physical thing, gods knew her body just wasn't going to cooperate with her for even that, but when she felt the sudden weight of a new presence dwarfing everyone she knew save for the Angel of Angels Michael her own couldn't keep from fluttering. It felt like she was being drowned in this being's wake. This woman's wake. That much she could tell from the voice itself, and when she realized she could hear and understand this newcomer in almost crystal clarity it simply made her shiver even more. This...whatever this woman was, her voice stretched beyond the limits of mere physical sound. It echoed through the astral, those waves overlapping everything they touched and flirting with the very essence of nature itself before they turned and started pulling back. And with it they carried Alex's attention. She tried to pull herself away, tried to block out the spectral whispers that winked and begged for the dragon to behold the beauty which bore them, and in spite of whatever meager struggle she managed she simply found her head turning-
Alex froze.
She had no idea why. She had no idea what she was doing here. She had no idea what the hell was going on all around her. All she knew were the pains and aches of her body and soul. And then she knew her... She found herself captivated by the beauty that graced Alex with a small and sultry smile that spoke of delights the likes Alex had never even dreamed. And when that delicate hand graced her cheek Alex found herself melting into a love that went far beyond adoration. She nearly came right then, just from that one touch, a touch that sent pleasure racing across her body and soul.
"Are you lost, Alexandra Alistar?" The moment her name was mentioned Alex found herself reeling, her very identity nearly knocked off its feet when it was addressed by a woman of such colossal strength, but despite the momentary sense of fear and the near screaming from her draconic side it all simply melted into a pool of pure affection for the woman who had touched her so deeply. And the caresses that followed had Alex sinking even further into that woman's gorgeous eyes. In some way she felt herself changing little by little, each loving touch on her cheek going deeper until Alex's soul itself was being teased and comforted, the shape of her identity twisting little by little and leaving the dragon feeling as if she had found her true calling. She would serve her queen anyway she desired, even as nothing more than a foot stool if that was her wish, and all she needed was to say one little word. All she needed was to reach within herself, to settle her spirit within her body so she could speak, and then her life would be com-
Alex froze.
Literally. A chill wind picked up all around her, and in an instant she witnessed the queen of captivation trapped within her own sculpture just as Albatross and Angelle still were. And that wind kept coming. It bit into her body, one that had so far been immune to winter's nature, but it kept pressing farther until she felt like her very heart was filling with an icy slush that threatened to snuff out the flame of her life. And it kept getting colder. It was a wonder the woman herself didn't freeze, but in an instant her ears flicked, the first sign that some part of her body was starting to recover, and as they did she felt someone else-
Oh gods...!
That little plea for divine guidance never meant much to Alex. It didn't really mean that much to the rank and file of people in this day and age. Most of the gods had been slain by the Godslayer, and at this time it was mostly meant as a term to vent yourself. Frustration, anxiety, rage, that call covered them all. But this one time Alex truthfully meant it. The titan that had made itself known felt like it was crushing her by just being near. She felt herself trembling down into the deepest recesses of her psyche. From both the icy wind that heralded this being's arrival and the abject terror she felt in its wake. This was too much, something that Alex could never hope to stand against, and her soul cried for divine intervention without even realizing that such a prayer would most likely be heard by the same being that was carelessly crushing her existence.
The voice that followed only increased that terror, and Alex's spirit was shrinking in on itself, settling within that broken body in some unconscious hope that flesh and bone would somehow protect it. But beneath that there was some part that realized what she was hearing. That voice was feminine. Strong, absolute, merciless, and beautiful all the same. Alex couldn't bring herself to turn herself to look upon the god that was approaching, but the woman payed the injured knight no mind and revealed herself in all her glory. And glory wasn't enough. This goddess was a study in contrast, the delicately white skin balanced by her dark hair and the midnight blue gown she wore, the thin frame balanced by the womanly features that Alex somehow felt cared little whether they were studied or not, the sense of refinement and grace balanced against a pure lethality that somehow reminded the dragon of the snow leopards said to live in the mountains in her father's land. In a sense this god had no match, not even from the faerie queen she addressed simply because there were no illusions that surrounded this woman. She advertised her nature to the world, something that the other would never do, and beneath this need to simply hide until this woman was gone Alex found herself appreciating this dangerous beauty far more than the deception that had been played.
It was only when Haedrin sank to his knees and called her name that Alex finally realized who she now faced. It left a part of her suddenly falling flat and sullen as she took in Mab's lethal grace. If the Queen of Winter so demanded it there would have been nothing any mortal could do to stand against her. If Mab had suddenly appeared and demanded Aes in compensation for Arclan's death she would have had the angel. It made her realize she was powerless to stop anything on this magnitude, and part of her simply wallowed in the despair at having to try and convince HER that Aes was ultimately innocent.
But as she was allowed to listen Alex realized that wouldn't be such a chore. Mab chastised Acrasia for her foolishness in acting openly and within Mab's domain. She even stepped closer and stole Arclan's soul from Acrasia's lips. That single act gave her hope that Aescila would be cleared, and that everyone would finally be free to return to their lives if Mab allowed Alex to act.
But before that could happen Alex needed to reconnect with herself. This nearly out-of-body experience left her far too sluggish to respond to anything let alone the Queen of Winter Coldest. Mab may very well simply ignore the errant-knight, but if Winter addressed her then Alex wanted to be ready to respond. And to do that she would need some strength. Her reserves were empty, that much was obvious, but there was still some power left within the rings she still wore. She was unable to reach it earlier, but that was when her body and spirit had just been pushed beyond their limits. Some parts of her had recovered, enough that she could move slowly, and that had to leave her some way to access the power she had stored. And even if that didn't she wouldn't let it end there. If need be she would force her core through her body until she could finally reach her prize. There was no telling how exposed that would leave her, but sitting here doing nothing was simply murdering her drive. She simply needed to do something, dammit!
If that power was reclaimed Alex would put it to immediate use, and before it had even settled she concentrated on the world around her until she was able to muster enough energy to enact a simple healing spell. And it would hurt. She had no doubt she wasn't fully connected to her body, but once she was the sheer agony she felt when the noble had struck her would return in an instant. She needed some form of strength, both physical and spiritual if she was going to remain conscious. And if that happened she would collapse. Every piece of her existence had gone through so much this day, and wearing it down to such a state would take its toll. But she would persevere. She would pick herself back up and return to her kneel, and there she would gingerly bow in full supplication to Queen Mab. "Milady..." Alex kept herself lowered, her entire body prostrate before her better and waiting for acknowledgement before she continued, because if she was going to act then she would need the Queen's permission. "May I see to my allies?"
Alex is freaking out for a bit, and following that she's going to try her damndest to get that last reserve of 20 EP before casting Warmth on herself. Then she asks to help her friends. If Mab okays this then she'll stumble over toward Albatross and use an Empowered Warmth on her to break her free, which would allow Albatross to free Angelle, which would allow them all to see to the others. And Alex will check on Ria (another Warmth) to see if she sacrificed someone else for Angelle's safety, cuz drama.
Alexandra Alistar: HP = 26/75, PP = 60, EP = 14/85, Status = Not Fine, Armor at 26/62 TP
NPC Stats
Dingroria: HP = 26/115, PP = 55, EP = 34/60, Status = Alive, Armor at 0/50 TP
Archmage Aebard Narderwil: HP = 0/75, PP = 90, EP = 62/105, Status = Alive... Sort of
Haedrin: HP = 118/125, PP = 65, EP = 145/160, Status = Fine
Sir Magnus: HP = 8/70, PP = 50, EP = 61/90, Status = Ouchies
Sir Ankieseth: HP = 0/70, PP = 50, EP = 70/90, Status = Ouchies
(Alex's healing rolled a 2 and a 4, so that's 26 HP restored for 2 EP. Also, the actual spell is called Heat, though I could have sworn there was also a spell called Warmth at one point or another. >_< )
The journey of her core toward the edges of her shattered spirit was a painful one. The roots of her soul within her body could stretch, but to do was was to weaken them, at least in a temporary sense, and if care was not taken they might snap entirely and leave Alex truly adrift. Her will in that moment, despite all of her exhaustion and pain, was not inconsiderable given the danger in which her companions were, and so she made the journey toward her rings slowly but steadily while Mab idly studied the statue. The faerie queen turned away from both Alex and Acrasia as the dragoness was about to reach the tiny bits of metal containing gifted portions of her own soul. The exhausting journey was almost at an end, but then.... Alex felt a single spiritual tendril wrap around her core, its uproach completely undetected, causing it to freeze in place reflexively as the hungry thing coiled around her. It tugged, straining the bonds of her soul to her body, but they held firm against it.
Then a second joined it, and the second tug was stronger, straining the already stressed bonds of her spirit all the more. She realized their direction then via the way in which she was being tugged, the hungry tendrils of energy coming from the faerie queen who was frozen in ice, a binding that had apparently proved insufficient to hold her entirely. Why she might be trying to consume Alex was perhaps a mystery, be it spite or madness or simple hunger, but by all appearances Mab didn't notice their efforts to claim the half-dragon's soul any more than Alex had noticed their approach, and Haedrin was no better. Regardless, when the tugs of the second tendril proved insufficient to dislodge her spirit, Alex felt a third wrap around her core, and after only one tug realized that a fourth would not be needed. Their first effort strained the roots of her soul to their limit, threatening to break them, but still they held. A second nearly succeeded where the first had failed, and then the third finally succeeded.
She could feel her roots breaking, the thin weave of energies coming undone, but just as she was about to be stripped from her body and consumed, Alex felt the tendrils shiver and go limp before quickly dissolving into nothingness. Her perceptions beyond her body had already been shot by her experiences, leaving her well and truly blind to the spiritual world when trying to look through the haze created by Mab's frigid aura, but the only possible explanation was that they had been noticed and severed. The Queen of Winter turned and offered Acrasia a deeper scowl than she had previously, and returned to address the faerie queen while Alex was able to retrieve the energies from her rings; "Your impertinence knows no bounds, it seems.... You have lost, Acrasia. Accept it with what little dignity remains to you, as befits a woman of your station."
Alex had not been wrong to think that her drained state was numbing the pain of her numerous injuries. The initial burst of agony threatened to knock her unconscious, and failing that the malicious pain threatened to make her vomit instead, but Alex pushed through it enough to bring up her magics to heal herself. For a second that only made the pain worse, the magical healing bringing life back to dead nerve endings, but the healing was enough to give Alex the ability to speak again. Mab rounded on her slowly and calmly, her motions not unlike those of a creature moving carefully to keep from hurting itself by its own strength but somehow not without the inherent nearly-alien grace possessed by the sidhe. The faerie queen's attentions settled on Alex, and if being the center of Acrasia's attention had been frightening, being in the center of Mab's was like being hit full-force by a hurricane. Meeting those cold, icy blue eyes was a terrifying notion in and of itself, but when Alex actually did so, compelled to by the powerful faerie's gaze, she found that it was not so frightening as it might have been.
Mab was cold and ruthless as the harshest of winters ought to be, her icy heart frozen by her very nature, but that nature was.... Natural. The winter queen was as much a part of the world as anything else, perhaps even more so given her station. She was bound in what she could do by that nature, and though she was merciless and calculating and impossibly powerful, Alex would understand in the span of a second that she was in little actual danger from the faerie queen. "You may do as you wish, Ser Alistar. You were a pawn in this, albeit one that acted beyond their expected capacities. Your part in this business is done. Go and see to those that aided you in it if you so wish," Mab replied coolly, acknowledging Alex by her title and treating her with a fair degree of respect despite the vast difference in power between them.
With that, and unless Alex opted to ask something else of the winter queen, Mab would turn back to the direction she had been when Acrasia had first tried to claim Alexandra's soul in her moment of vulnerability, and Alex would realize that she hadn't been addressing Haedrin as she might have guessed. Mab strolled around the prostrated knight, who hadn't even lifted his head since he had been silenced by her, and moved over to the statues of Albatross and Angelle. Without so much as an effort on her part, Mab dispelled the icy prisons, causing Angelle to drop to the ground in a heap and Albatross to swoon down to her knees. If Alex went to check on her daughter she would find that Angelle was only unconscious, though she was also extremely cold. Her assorted racial heritages would offer some protection from that, but warming her would likely at least make her recovery from her imprisonment quicker and more comfortable.
As she did so, Alex would hear the exchange between Albatross and Mab, the former shifting into a more formal kneeling position and offering the faerie queen proper deference. "Queen Mab.... I owe you a great debt for your intervention this day," she offered, but Mab shook her head and replied; "You need not debase yourself so before me. You forget that I am Mab. Stand, Albatross." Albatross frowned but did as commanded, rising to her feet somewhat shakily and meeting the faerie queen's gaze just as Alex had. "Better," Mab began, "But not as good as you could be." Albatross smiled faintly in response, but then shook her head lightly and replied; "It isn't like that any longer. You know this, and my reasons for it. I don't see that there is much more to say on the matter." Mab scowled slightly, but it was still in a measured even tone that she responded; "Indeed. Still, if you are in my debt you will humor me in repeating my protests. As much as you have explained yourself, I cannot understand your choice." As she spoke, Mab would glance briefly at the prone form of Angelle for an instant before looking back to the faerie of summer, and again Albatross shook her head, a slight smile appearing on her face, and then replied; "When have you ever, o mighty Queen of Winter?" At that Mab simply scowled for a moment before nodding softly, and then said; "My business here is finished. Aid your favored in healing her allies. I will tend to Acrasia."
With that the winter queen would turn about and return to the ice statue of Acrasia, the Queen of Autumn, and after placing a hand upon the ice both faerie queens would simply vanish, taking their auras with them. The sudden lack of Mab's presence was a boon in and of itself, the temperature rising back to bearable levels and the oppressive aura of her power gone allowing Alex to breath easily once again. Haedrin rose slowly a moment later, and offered Lady Albatross a brief bow before moving to assist Alex in what limited capacity he could in seeing to Angelle. "I have been of far too little use to you today, and you are weary to the bone dear. Please, allow me to do the healing," Lady Albatross said insistently, and unless Alex offered an impressive degree of resistance to the idea they would proceed to go about doing just that, Haedrin offering to take care of Angelle in the meantime.
Sir Magnus was still alive, and once the arrows were pulled out and the faerie magics had healed his wounds he awakened, albeit somewhat groggily at first. Sir Ankieseth had died of his wounds, a fact that Lady Albatross announced with perhaps too much amusement and that woke up Sir Magnus fairly quickly. He was halfway through some babbled pleading to the gods when Albatross patched the man up and, with a quick zap to his chest, caused the dead man to open his eyes, gasp in a quick breath, and then promptly turn onto his side and vomit into his helmet. Magnus was fairly relieved at that, and tearfully offered the faerie lady whatever price she might desire of him in recompense. Albatross smiled knowingly and promised to take him up on that later, after they were all back in Therion and had had time to recuperate.
Aebard was, somehow, still alive when they reached him, albeit barely. He was still unconscious after the arrows were pulled from his lungs and his wounds were healed as much as they could be. He was still drooling blood and badly scarred by the burns however, and Albatross was unsure if the trauma he had suffered would permit him to survive for long, magical healing or no. She did what she could for the magus, and said that she would take him back to Therion ahead of the others to get more focused treatment from the healers there.
That left Ria, whom Alex went to first while Albatross saw to the others. The oni had taken the spell meant for Angelle directly to her chest, one that had meant to destroy Alex's daughter in body and soul all at once. She had not moved since then, and had been covered in a light dusting of snow and ice by the time Alex came to her courtesy of Mab's aura and the minute snowfall that had started some time after her arrival, unnoticed until then due to the assorted dramas that had unfolded since. The faerie's spell had been deadly and powerful, leaving a hole in Ria's underarmor and a section of flesh warped and blackened beneath, and when Alex felt for her pulse.... Nothing.
At first. But then, a moment later, a faint beat. And then another. The soft thumps of the oni's beating heart, pumping blood through her body still. Ria was still alive. Alex's healing magics weren't quite as potent as those of Lady Albatross, but while the faerie was concerned with the humans she could ease the oni's pain. A quick burst of magical warmth caused the wound on Ria's chest to close, and if Alex opted to pull the arrows out of her she sides those wounds would seal up as well. That would seemingly be all that the oni needed, as she then let out a low groan and, a few seconds later, opened her eyes and said; "That was... Unpleasant." Slowly sitting up and rubbing the spot between her breasts where she'd been hit, the oni then looked at Alex and grumbled; "Tell me that that bitch is dust. I don't care if you're lying, just tell me anyway. Then give me a minute to be happy before you actually tell me the truth, whatever it is."
Alex stretched her spirit. And it hurt. Not only was she wearing weakening whatever anchor kept her bound to her body, but as she moved she was treated to the seemingly scarred and scorched remnants of her astral form. To have come in contact with the Black Dragon not once but twice, and to sacrifice the very last of one's strength to ensure your enemy's demise... But there was progress. She could feel the small well of her own power sitting so close, and that was encouragement enough to push a little farther, to strain just that little bit more and reach-
Something touched her. Something wrapped around her oblong soul, and in an instant Alex was suddenly overwhelmed with a hunger that was definitely not her own. It forced her still, and a moment later she felt a small tug that tried to pull her away from her body. No... Somehow she managed to keep herself still, and after that initial tug she started reaching for her energy once more. If she could just take it then she was certain she could bat that thread away-
A second appeared. Alex had no way of seeing just what it was that was wrapping its hunger around her core, but it was there all the same and tugging like its brother. And Alex felt herself slide. Whatever foothold her soul had made was starting to give, and though her anchors still held the fact that someone... no, Acrasia herself was trying to consume Alex had the dragon struggling a little harder to pull herself together. But no matter what she tried that grip held her still. No...! Her efforts to reach that emergency store were quickly abandoned, and Alex tried to anchor her position once more, but when a third tendril started coiling around her identity she was instantly filled with dread. The tug that followed tested her already strained connection, and when some part of her felt like it snapped she panicked. Her spirit flailed in an attempt to reclaim her own thread that was pulled from her grip, but it was nothing more than a futile gesture. She could feel other pieces of herself straining to the point of breaking, and with each snap she felt a little more of herself lost.
Little by little Alex felt herself unraveling, and whether it was reality or fear she would swear that every moment made Acrasia's presence stand out until Alex herself was staring into the most sadistically gleeful smile she had ever seen. But just as her final hold on reality had torn the pressure simply stopped. Acrasia's tendrils simply melted into nothingness, and Alex was left clinging to a single frail thread that was the only thing ensuring her existence.
While some distant part of her somehow heard and understood Mab chastising her prisoner even further the half-dragon was simply too focused on clinging to life to care. But the scare coming so close to oblivion had her moving once more, and in an instant the choked gasp of the dying led to a deep breath as Alex collapsed and worked feverishly to pull herself back into working order. Once she had her question had been asked, and while she still felt far too vulnerable for comfort Mab settled her attention on the dragonkin. A compulsion soon followed, one that had Alex lifting her eyes without any hope of denying it, and when she finally looked into the icy mask of the deepest chill one could ever know she found...
She never expected it. Of all the aspects one would associate with such a frigid soul one would have expected disdain. Contempt. Wrath. Any number of emotions one would expect when an impertinent child dared to speak to the beast that could so easily have its head. Maybe even indifference. Such a voice was far beneath her. But respect? It caught Alex completely off guard, enough that she was simply stunned silent as Mab gave her assent. She couldn't even manage to gather the thought to bring herself to her feet. All she could do was watch as Winter's Queen strode around the prostrate knight and approach the twin statues that contained Angelle and Albatross, and in an instant those prisons merely vanished without a trace.
Seeing her daughter fall into a heap managed to get Alex to act, and despite the myriad pains of both body and soul she was quickly cradling the girl. A bit of a fright had gone though her when she noticed Angelle had yet to move, but the moment the two came into contact Alex soon realized that her baby was simply unconscious. And cold. Her hybrid nature would help her recover, but that didn't mean Alex was just going to let her daughter shiver and suffer. Another burst of energy was pulled from the air, and a moment later a small stream of magical warmth was gently pressed into Angelle's chest so it could naturally dissolve and warm her from the inside out.
During all this Queen Mab had taken a rather keen interest in Lady Albatross, and though it was none of her business Alex couldn't ignore the words that were spoken practically right next to her. The fact that they knew each other peaked the dragon's interest, but that came to a screeching halt the moment Mab spared her glance toward Angelle. Even with her head turned and most of her attention placed on her girl there was no denying the sudden chill that crawled down Alex's spine. Whatever history the two shared somehow involved her daughter, and a sudden pit opened at the very center of her heart. It sucked the gratitude she felt for the Queen of Winter into its depths, and in its place welled a spring of concern and fear. She had no clue what Winter would want with her pup, and a sudden urge to pick the girl up and flee very nearly caused her to do just that.
But as soon as it came her father's voice roared across her mind and struck that fear to its knees. When it had the woman's intention it reminded her of what Mab truly was. If she simply wanted Angelle then all she needed to do was simply reach out and take her. No power on earth could stop her. And she had more than enough chance to simply do so. Angelle's prison had no need to shatter. Mab simply could have kept her imprisoned and disappeared with her prize at any damned moment. There was no need for Alex to start acting like some damned fool just because she simply thought her child was in danger! Besides, Mab didn't just help Angelle. She saved Alex. Twice. Without that Acrasia would have her prize, and there was no denying she would have taken Angelle as well. The Winter Goddess deserved the whelp's gratitude and respect, more than Alex probably even realized, and that last thought practically slapped her across the mouth just as Mab was preparing to take her leave.
"Milady...!" Alex forced whatever doubts and fears she still felt into that same pit that still lay open. Her Dignity was flaring once more, and it demanded she speak. That led to Alex gently laying her daughter on the ground, and a moment later Alex herself fell to her hands and knees in the deepest show of respect she could manage before she turned her eyes to her savior once more. "You have my deepest gratitude. Thank you." And thought that was all she said there was more to it than just that. A dragon's Gratitude is something that ran deep, as deep as their Dignity. Mab would know this, and she would know that if she ever asked anything of Alex that the dragonkin would do her best to answer.
Once Mab had vanished Alex found her breath coming much more easily, and soon enough Lady Albatross was apologizing. "Nonsense," she offered at the faerie's insistence that she had been of little help, "but I'll gladly accept your offer." With Haedrin near to see to Angelle's comfort for the time being Alex passed her daughter along, and after a few moments that were spent gathering her strength she slowly lifted herself and started making her way toward Dingroria. Albatross was much faster, and she already had Sir Magnus on his feet. The revelation that Sir Ankieseth had died of his wounds forced Alex to a stop, and she turned to regard that scene for a moment before she witnessed the noble bring the man back to life with what looked like a mere flick of the wrist. Alex hadn't expected the small miracle, but when Ankieseth then turned simply to vomit within his helmet Alex couldn't keep in the rather absurd chuckle that surfaced. She was instantly reminded of something similar that happened the first time she ever put on a helmet so many years ago. She'd never worn one since.
When Alex finally reached her demonic ally she looked the crimson demon over and bent down to inspect the wound. From the looks of things Ria was already dead. Whether from the wound itself or from the spell shredding her soul was impossible to tell, but either way Alex started to feel some bit of depression settling in. She asked the oni to save her daughter, and Ria had done so without a second thought. Despite her demonic heritage and the obvious criminal record she held the woman was willing to sacrifice herself in probably one of the most noble acts Alex had ever seen. And Alex hated herself for it. It filled her with an impotent rage that wanted to vaporize that damned faerie bitch all over again. But that wouldn't happen. All Alex could do was simply say her farewells, and her hand fell to that wound to-
The faint pulse that echoed from her touch had Alex nearly gasping in surprise. The second had her gathering her healing energies once more, and by the third the rather grievous finally came to a close. The oni was going to live, and as Alex started pulling the arrows from the giant's body a groan signaled the woman's return to consciousness. Alex let out a grimace at Ria's first words, but it was tempered by the relief she felt in knowing that her ally had not been fed to Autumn's scheme. When Ria made her strange request Alex gave the woman a smile. "See for yourself." At that Alex pointed to a familiar spot, one that had been blasted only minutes earlier and contained a small pile of scorched bone and ash that was quickly being dusted by the snow that fell over them all. "No need to worry, anymore."
The truth of that phrase suddenly hit her then, and Alex was soon washed with a sense of relief. That was quickly ended when Albatross gave her diagnosis of Aebard's condition. Apparently she'd been spending far longer on him, and even then his safety wasn't confirmed. He needed proper treatment, and when she said she would take him back to Therion ahead of everyone else Alex could only say one thing. "Don't let us hold you back." With that Albatross and her charge vanished, and Alex let herself relax once more. "Hey Ria. You saved my daughter." Alex turned to look at the oni, but her gaze didn't quite make it the entire way. "I'm a little ashamed to say I didn't know if you would or not, but you did and kept her from being destroyed completely. Thank you." Her eyes finally reached the demon on that last word, and the combination of shame and gratitude left her looking like she was struggling to keep her emotions in check. "If you ever need anything just let me know."
Once Ria was given the chance to respond Alex pulled herself together and excused herself to return to her daughter. If she had yet to awaken by then Alex would calmly take the girl in her arms and start pumping more of that healing heat into Angelle's body. "So, you're Summer's Champion." That remark was made toward Haedrin out of seemingly nowhere, and Alex gave him a rather analytical look. "I probably should have guessed that some time ago..." Seeing his true strength after feeling Arclan's was proof enough, but the simply fact that he utterly destroyed one of the Elder Lords two years ago was should have been more than enough. "Makes me wonder how you get away with living in the Village, though. You'd think Summer would want its Champion ready in case of emergency." Though she wasn't completely serious she was curious, and this was her way of showing that curiosity without accusing him of lying. And in a way she was trying to ignore that one thought that passed through her mind back when Haedrin had defended her from the satyrs. Too bad it wasn't working...
Alexandra Alistar: HP = 26/75, PP = 60, EP = 12/85, Status = Not Fine, Armor at 26/62 TP
Mab paused when Alex called out to her, half-turning to glance at the dragoness just as she'd been reaching for Acrasia, and the unsettling feeling of the faerie queen's attention settled onto her again. Her face was utterly impassive as Alex bowed, but in that expression of gratitude she would learn something also about the impossibly powerful aura cast by the faerie queen. The sheer presence of the woman ensured that nothing could be hidden from her, at least not in her direct vicinity. The very air around them was filled with her, the effect similar in many respects to the energies given off by a leyline, though they couldn't be tapped into in such a manner, and those latent energies permeated everything, even Alexandra herself. Not even her deepest emotions or most hidden thoughts could be hidden from Mab. But..... That was something of a two way street, and Alex would realize then that Mab would be nigh impossible to deceive, but would also be no more able to lie than winter itself.
As such, her reaction of understanding to the promise inherent in the dragon's gratitude was plain for Alex to perceive, and a moment later Mab would nod unnecessarily as Alex regained her feet. She offered one last parting word before she turned and departed with the imprisoned queen of Autumn; "Indeed.... It is a relief to know that some of the younger generation understand respect. Know this, Alexandra Alistar: A time may come when you wish that I had not done what I have done. I did not do what I did this day for your benefit, and it may come to pass that you curse me for it. Goodbye." And with that, she was gone, vanished with Acrasia without offering Alex even enough time to voice a single question.
Later, after Albatross had left to hopefully save the life of Aebard and Alex had moved to Dingroria to find her alive, the freshly revived oni glanced in the direction where indicated and smiled. It was a smile born of cruelty and hate, but in that moment Alex might very well have been able to appreciate how glad Ria was that the faerie that had nearly been the end of her was dead and gone. "Heh... Well one thing certainly went our way today!" she said grimly after Aebard was taken, and then slowly rose to a sitting position with a low groan, "Gonna need to get to a healer when we get back to Therion though.... Definitely don't want something this close to my heart taking an infection."
The oni then smiled a good bit less grimly as Alex turned back to her with her thanks, which she would see as she half-turned toward her, but then quirked an eyebrow as the dragoness seemed unable to actually look directly at her. Her smile soured considerably as Alex admitted to her lack of confidence in the half-demon, but after Alex finally managed to look at her, the oni she shook her head and replied; "I s'pose I can't hold you at fault for not fully trusting me, me bein' what I am and all. I'm not gonna lie and try 'n tell you that I'm the big exception to the reputation of my race. But.... You see a friend's kid in danger, you do whatever you've gotta do to get them out of it." She paused to fix Alex with a very meaningful stare, and then calmly added; "No matter what. Who your own parents were don't matter in a time like the one we just had. I might not be person of the year, but even I have standards."
She held her gaze on Alex for a few moments, allowing the dragoness to make whatever response she might like to her statement, before breaking the tension with a smile and allowing the eye contact to end. "As for payin' me back.... Well, I've got some ideas where that's concerned, but I figure you've got some other concerns to take care of before you can go about makin' good on that offer. Laid is probably a good start, but after today.... Well, I figure you've got a pretty little angel that you want to be with and a daughter to tend to, so it can wait a spell. Sides," she paused and climbed up to her feet, her motions far clumsier than they had been at any other point, and she winced and rubbed the spot on her chest where she'd been hit for a moment before continuing; "I'd like to be able to walk properly myself afore I make it so that you can't the next day~" A broad grin appeared on the oni's face after her suggestive remark, but afterward she had one last thing to say before she released Alex to go and speak to Haedrin; "If I do ever ask a favor of yah besides keeping my bunk warm, I'll make sure it's nothing that wouldn't be to your tastes. Not everything that I do for coin is illegal!" That last bit had seemed somewhat unnecessarily defensive.
The faerie knight had covered Angelle in his ceremonial cloak, a part of his armor that he normally kept furled up, and one that Alex could plainly see was fairly heavily enchanted. She was sleeping soundly, and Haedrin looked up at Alex as she approached, giving her a nod of greeting as she knelt down to begin administering more healing magics into the girl. "She ought to be fine," he said quietly as his gaze shifted back to Angelle, but then turned back up to Alex as she offered her inquisitive remark. "Yes," he said simply as she fixed her analytical look onto him, "But it's not exactly something that I advertise. My Queen Titannia has many champions, but I am at her disposal when I am needed just like any other member of the Court."
He offered the dragoness a soft smile, and chuckled for a moment as she evasively sought an answer to her curiosity. Haedrin was an innately private man, that much she knew well enough. He rarely spoke of himself or of his habits, and had never been one to gossip. She had learned of his marriage through the grapevine and through his rare mentions of his wife. Marriage was a rare enough thing among the immortal sidhe, and it had caused much of a stir in the court given that his bride had been a human woman, something that had allegedly been unheard of before then. Some less charitable voices had spoken of removing the knight from court entirely, but such had not yet happened. Alex had never had a chance to meet Haedrin's wife, but he had always remained faithful to her for as long as she'd known him, and it had taken some time for the rest of their circle, Kimi in particular, to realize that his flat response to flirtation was born of fidelity rather than coldness.
"I am always ready, Alexandra Alistar...." he said, the suggestiveness of it most likely unintentional but the delivery and the source of it possibly giving Alex a few butterflies anyway. "Besides, it's not like it's difficult for me to get around or gear up. I was home in my casual clothes when you called for me, remember. My Queen gave me the chance to settle there because I asked it of her, as she knows that my services are hers for the asking. I certainly don't regret my choice of location, as I've been able to meet many extraordinary people in my time there, yourself among them!" His words were spoken plainly and earnestly, but the last part caused him to smile a bit more seriously, and after a brief pause he continued; "I owe you a great debt for your actions today, Alexandra. I know as well as you that to have surrendered when your daughter was in danger would have exposed both of you to great suffering, but if you had surrendered and the Autumn Court and Acrasia had taken me, it would have been worse by far for me. Had you surrendered rather than destroy her, I suspect that I would have been the reward to the woman that you destroyed, and might have been gone before Queen Mab was able to intervene. Along with all your other accomplishments today, your courage and valor ensured that I could go home today. I won't forget that." Just as Alex's gratitude was earnest and unending, so too was Haedrin's. While he wasn't nearly the presence that Acrasia or Mab had been, the Summer Knight was powerful, and the presence of his aura told Alex that much.
"If you need my aid again, in any capacity at all, you need but to call for me." he finished, and then offered Alex his hand. If she took it, the knight would bring it up to his lips and kiss her knuckles lightly, before clasping it in both of his now gauntlet-free hands and holding it tightly for a few moments, his bright blue eyes gazing into her own emerald ones.
"That's all very sweet," Ria said dryly from a safe distance away, the carcass of the troll that the knight holding Alex's hand had torn apart (with his own hands no less) to be precise, "But I'm just about collecting trophies. Just got to get to the goats over in the woods, and then we'll be good to be on our way back to the city. I suspect that your faerie friend will be busy making sure Mr. Magus doesn't bite it, so I'm guessing that we'll be walking back. I for one would like to have that done before it gets too dark." The walk to get there had taken them a few hours, and it was already entering into the twilight period between day and night. Haedrin shot the oni a sour look even as she butchered his kill, but could come up with no argument against the oni's logic.
The Queen's final words... Though Alex heard them she just couldn't accept them. And that was for one simple reason. She would never curse this moment. It didn't matter what motivation Mab held, what intention she may hold, or what sorrow she may sow when next they meet. In this moment Mab's presence was instrumental in ensuring Angelle's safety. Alex would never be able to curse that. But before she could voice that sentiment Mab simply vanished. Alex was left raising a hand and opening her mouth, and she just hung like that for a moment before slowly shook her head. What she said wasn't truly that important, even more so for a living force of nature, but Alex simply felt she needed to make herself understood. It was a bit of a shame...
Then again maybe it wasn't. Mab's influence was... well, it was more than she could hope to understand. Her presence was so massive that her very aura permeated everything surrounding her, and when she truly looked at a soul she saw everything there was to see. No lies, no deception, just the basic truth that defined a person. It was one of the few things Alex could understand, mostly because Mab herself was unable to hide her own nature. She understood the unspoken promise that a dragon had made. If Alex saw that then maybe Mab saw Alex's reaction to those parting words. Or maybe she didn't. Her departure was sudden and final. There was no telling what her perception would have caught. And Mab probably wouldn't be returning for the foreseeable future. When they did reunite the matter would most likely be forgotten. Most likely Alex would never know if her meaning was caught or not. She just had to hope that it was. And hope that Winter never sought to put it to the test.
~~~~~~~
Alex still looked slightly ashamed as Ria responded to the dragon's admission, but when the oni mentioned the reputation of her race that shame was instantly replaced with confusion. It was as Ria kept speaking that Alex came to realize just what the half-demon meant, and when Ria finally came to her pause Alex simply smirked. That smirk grew to an incredulous smile, and a moment later she just couldn't contain herself anymore. "HA!" Her voice rose to its proper levels as she bellowed out her bark of laughter, but considering all she'd been through the wince of pain that followed should have been expected. But that didn't stop her. "Ria, I've got a brother who's a sadist, a sister who's worse and actually gets off on it, a cousin back home that's a total sexpot, a mate who's a fallen angel that still holds her Insight and is probably one of the kinder souls one would ever meet, and a daughter whose very nature leads her to argue with herself in the most literal sense. So believe me when I say your race had absolutely nothing to do with my doubts. To me you're just a criminal. And I wouldn't have you any other way."
With that slightly absurd scene finished Alex was actually feeling a little better, and when Ria spoke about her payment Alex simply kept on smiling. Somehow Ria's wish to get laid seemed absolutely right. But in a way it was wrong, so so wrong, and Alex smirked as she considered it. "You know that cousin I told you about? She taught me a few things. I may just have to put you to shame, mountain beast." And with that Alex simply strutted her way over toward Angelle and Haedrin. Her body still hurt, and her slowly dwindling reserves were causing her soul to simply ache all over again, but dammit she just had to strut. There's just something to be said for style!
On her way over she passed by her equipment and bent down to retrieve both sword and shield, but as she pulled herself back up those aches and pains refused to be ignored. Oh well, that cocky little walk had to end sometime... And Haedrin's presence only hurried that along. Even as she settled down with Angelle and tried to disregard sudden attraction she was feeling toward him the image of him standing strong and gallant then leaning forward with concern and comfort would simply not be ignored. It didn't help that he had donated his cloak to the all important cause of making Angelle comfortable. His rather coy refusal to acknowledge his title did help clear her mind a little, enough to get a "You know what I mean!" out of her without distraction, but the suggestive comment that followed had her mind scrambling to suppress the image of him hovering over her and whispering those same words right into her ear. Thankfully his explanation of what might have happened and his earnest gratitude tempered the sudden heat that was threatening to overcome her... Until he went and kissed her fingers... And clasped her hand so tightly... And, good gods, those eyes...
Ria's sudden intervention nearly had Alex jumping out of her skin, and once again she had to work to keep herself from revealing a stray blush or gasp that would have shown just what she was feeling in that moment. And though Alex was grateful for the interruption there was still a small part of her that was grumbling at the oni. That part was captured and restrained with extreme prejudice, and that left Alex free to consider the demon's words and agree. Getting out of here sounded like a good idea, getting back to civilization and a bed even better. "Lady's got a point. Ankieseth, Magnus, feeling okay to start walking?" Hopefully the knight had finally managed to get his helmet off and wiped his face. Otherwise Alex may feel a little sick herself if he was still covered in... ugh... Hopefully those two would be ready. Ria definitely was, and Haedrin looked perfectly fine. That only left... "Angelle..." Alex gave her daughter a gentle shake. "Angelle, time to wake up, little one." Hopefully that would be enough to get her to come around. "Angeeeeelllleee~" And if it wasn't then it was time to pull out the big guns. "Diiizzyyy~" Angelle was never really a big fan of her nickname, and that should have at least gotten a reaction of out of her. But it that didn't work there was one more thing to try, and Alex took a moment to calm herself and gather what strength she had remaining. "Angelle Alistar, wake up. Now." Hopefully authority would finally do it.
Alexandra Alistar: HP = 26/75, PP = 60, EP = 12/85, Status = Not Fine, Armor at 26/62 TP
Ria quirked an eyebrow as Alex started laughing at her, having been looking away as she tried to display her understanding of the half-dragon's distrust. That eyebrow remained raised as Alex went over her assorted family members, though she momentarily looked confused over the description given to Aescila. "You ain't even heard how I got pinched yet!" she said in protest, but the oni was smiling broadly and didn't seem to be in any genuine distress over her past being the issue that had warranted Alexandra's concern. "I 'spose that's as good a reason as any. I'm just used to the race thing bein' a bigger issue, I guess!"
It was the oni's turn to laugh when Alex mentioned what she'd learned from Kimi, and Ria wore an eager smile as Alex turned to leave. She quickly moved to her own task, which entailed doing fairly unseemly things to the bodies of their fallen enemies, but before she got to that she offered one last parting quip while staring unabashedly at the retreating dragon's backside; "Hah, we'll see about that! Even if you do, it'll certainly be a lot more fun than the last couple 'o times a dragon's put me on my back!" That wasn't to be her last reaction, however, as she heard a quick whistle from the oni when she bent to retrieve her enchanted gear.
Whatever reactions the oni's words and antics might cause from Alex, it was time to go see to Haedrin and her daughter. Though he'd avoided acknowledging his title once already, Alex's protest caused him to smile faintly for a moment, and he said; "I am... But in truth, titles mean little to me. I hold the same oaths to me Queen as any other knight, and would make the same sacrifices as any of them would. In my eyes, that makes me their equal, not their better." Of course, only a short while later, as the two were gazing deeply into each other's eyes, the oni offered her interruption. Haedrin looked back from the sour look that he shot Ria's way to smile slightly at Alex once more, and then came the task of waking her daughter.
Angelle, predictably, was not particularly cooperative. She didn't even stir from Alex's softer attempts to rouse her, not even at the mention of her nickname. She just flopped lazily in her mother's shaking until Alex got a good deal more firm with her, and her authoritative bark caused her daughter to jump and open her eyes wide. "Gah! Wh... What.... Mommy!" she cried, and immediately flung her arms around Alex in a tight hug. Her wings soon joined her arms, leaving Alex quite thoroughly wrapped up and requiring Haedrin to take a step back to avoid being dragged into the hug as well. "I knew it! I knew you'd save me!" she said, and this time there were no tears rolling down her cheeks. "That lady said horrible things! About you, and about me and.... And I just knew! I knew you were going to save me from her!" Okay, there were a few tears.... But the last thing that Angelle seemed at that point was distressed.
After a while she managed to untangle Angelle, and then Haedrin offered her a hand up to her feet. He pulled her in with perhaps a bit more force than was necessary, and for just a moment he and Alex were pressed up against one another, with only their respective sets of armor between them, one hand clutching one of hers and the other settled onto Alex's waist to settle her. He looked into her eyes once again, a glint of surprise showing due to the sudden proximity, and for just a moment their lips were no more than a few inches apart. The moment passed unfulfilled however, unless Alex opted to take matters into her own hands and remove that last bit of space herself. If she didn't, Haedrin would smile lightly and release her, taking a step away to restore normal personal space. Angelle would watch the exchange with more than a little curiosity, and if Alex looked away she would find Ria staring at her with a knowing smirk.
And then, it was time to be off. Angelle was awake, Ria had put her battered armor back on and collected her trophies, Haedrin had retrieved his helmet and gauntlets, Alex had retrieved her sword and shield while moving from Ria to Angelle and Haedrin, and Ankieseth managed to get his helmet off and had wiped away most of the vomit. The older knight was unable to walk easily under his own power, and while Magnus and Alabtross were arguing over the idea of the younger man helping him along Ria quickly solved the issue by scooping the older man up. "Don't have time for this, I've got a blacksmith to talk to and a hot meal to see to!" she said brightly as she lifted the armored man as if he weighed nothing at all, and Alex would then notice the leather sack hanging from her back, the scent of blood on it suggesting that it contained the spoils garnered by the battle, but whether or not she wanted to raise an issue over it was up to her.
They were off shortly, with Magnus hanging on Ria's shoulder to check on his fellow knight and Angelle clinging to Alex as if she expected her to float away on the wind, leaving Haedrin to lead the way. He had left his cloak around Angelle, giving Alex ample opportunity to study the interplay of the sidhe knight's muscles as he walked, but at one point or another, when Magnus and Angelle were occupied enough for her to get away with it, Ria would lean in and whisper into Alex's ear; "By the gods lass, were you hoping he was going to take you right there in the snow? I've seen a lot of different sides to you today, but I definitely never expected to see you blushing like a teenage girl dancing with her first love!" She would lean back with a broad grin, giving Alex no time to whisper anything back.
The journey back to Therion took a bit longer due to their wounds and overall weariness, but it was uneventful besides Ankieseth awakening once again to vomit the remaining contents of his stomach onto Ria's chest. The oni was somewhat unhappy about that, but patiently cleaned it off with some snow before continuing on after he'd passed out again. Magnus and Ankieseth were taken out of their hands when they reached the gates, but not before the younger knight approached Alex and bowed. "It was a pleasure to be at your service, milady. If you have need of our aid again, after Sir Ankieseth has recovered, you may count upon us. I am sure that he will say the same when he awakens properly," he said, and after responding to whatever Alex might wish to say in greeting went off to the healers with his compatriot. After that, Haedrin came forth and offered Alex his hand, and this time if she took it he would simply shake it. "Now that you are back in the safety.... Relative safety... Of the city, I must return home," he said quietly, "Melisandre will be worried about me. Just remember, if you ever have need of me again, you need but to ask." And again, once their goodbyes were exchanged Haedrin would be off, though Summer's Champion did so in a bit more style, as stepped back only to vanish into a gentle whirlwind of cherry blossom petals, a warmth reminiscent of the summer sun passing over Alex and offering her a brief moment of piece and comfort.
"Guy's uptight, but gods be damned if he doesn't have style! Got a great ass too~" Ria grunted, drawing Alex's attention to the oni as she hovered a few feet away, blocking up the traffic passing through the gates of the city even in the twilight hours just before dusk, which was setting even as they spoke. The oni had spoke with a wry grin, but when Alex turned to her she became more serious and held up the sack of goodies she'd gotten from their battle. "Half of this is rightfully yours, at minimum. I know a place that's open all night where I can trade it for coin, and a place where I can get my Stony Hide patched back together. I can see to that while you get around to your business, but you'd have to trust me with your cut of it for a bit. You've got my word that I ain't gonna stiff yah on any of it, but if my, ahhhhh, background makes you jumpy on that, we can work something out now. Otherwise, I know you're gonna be staying at that bar for the night, and can find you there tomorrow afternoon!" she said plainly, and then let Alex decide how she wanted things to go.
Last of all, Alex would see two familiar figures, Lady Albatross and Lieutenant Calkis, waiting for her on the corner of the street, though both would let the others finish their business before approaching Alex. The latter was a shade or two paler than he'd been when Alex had last seen him, and looked to have thinned a bit as well. He was also no longer dressed in the uniform of a guardsman of Therion. When they drew near, he would open by saying; "Sir Gregor's going to make it." He frowned, his expression one of cold shame, and added; "Look... I'm real sorry about... What I did, back in the sewers."
Lady Albatross gave Alex a moment to respond to that before saying; "Arbard lives." She left it at that, leaving Alex to question the faerie and the werewolf however she would like.
Alex can have a handy 8 exp for that last fight with ye faeries. Did she get any for the earlier fights, or was I waiting for the conclusion to award it all at once?
I received experience for the arena fights, nothing for underground.
The flurry of feathers and limbs that engulfed her once more had Alex nearly falling onto her back with the sudden jolt her nerves were forced to suffer, but she managed to only let out a grunt and sit strong as a slightly distraught and greatly relieved Angelle embraced her for the third time this day. This was getting to be an unsettling pattern for Therion. Hopefully there would be no more need for it.
Though she was in pain the moment Alex brought her arms up to return her daughter's hug some of that pain simply started to fade as her own sense of relief came over her. "You're damned right I came for you. Nothing would stop me." In that way the pair simply held each other, one confirming the other's presence and wallowing in that familiar sense of warmth that can only be shared between members of a close family, but after a while Alex pulled back to look in her daughter's eyes. "So what did that woman say?" It would probably upset the girl once more, but Alex wanted to hear. The Lady of Autumn may have revealed something important, or she may have lied just to be cruel, but either way Alex needed to know so she could address those words properly.
When it came time to start moving Alex was offered a hand by the Summer Knight, and to her surprise she soon found herself practically falling into Haedrin's arms. Instead there was the telltale clang of armor striking armor, but more importantly she was quite literally a breath away from him. Seeing her there, gazing into his eyes while their lips were but a few inches from each other, it had Alex's heart starting to flutter in her chest. And in that moment she was glad they still had her armor on. If this press had been body against body, enough that she could feel her flesh yielding against his, then she probably wouldn't have been able to control herself. Even now her heart was thudding in excitement, and he surely would have felt it had her steel not been in the way. But with her protection still in place she kept herself from doing something entirely too foolish, and despite the odd looks she received from both Angelle and Ria the group was finally off.
Now that they were underway Haedrin led the group forward, he being the only member not burdened with another person or the pain of the battle that had been fought. But this was no protection from Ria's whispered jibes, and though Alex couldn't answer the sudden blush that rose over her face was enough. She didn't want to admit it, not with Angelle clinging to her arm and definitely not to herself, but she wanted the knight. Badly. She just couldn't help it. He was a magnificent man, one possessing a strength of body that was easily matched by his strength of character. That alone was enough to get her motor running, and the way he had touched her earlier didn't help in the slightest. The way their bodies had been pressed together, the way he delivered that innocent but suggestive little flirt of a remark, it almost felt like he was encouraging her! Damned flirt was going to get her in trouble...
Thankfully nothing else appeared to bother them, either from Autumn's forces, the natural wildlife, or from cheeky little onis that somewhat deserved that small little bath they received, and with the city gates appearing before them relief was finally in sight. Ankieseth was immediately accepted by the town guards and sent off for medical treatment, and Magnus remained to offer his thanks and his loyalty. Alex accepted both with a kind nod, but before the man left she had a request. "This probably sounds strange, but I'd like to see you without your helmet." She had been curious earlier in the day concerning the similarities between the two Therion knights, and she'd already seen Ankieseth's face. A glimpse of Magnus would confirm her suspicions, and if she were right she would give him another smile before thanking them for their service.
Once the human knights had departed Haedrin prepared to do the same. By some miracle he was able to control his flirtations, and Alex didn't have to strain to contain herself as they shook hands. "Of course. And you have my thanks as well. I'm not sure what the satyrs would have done if you had not been there, but I doubt it would have been pleasant. Thank you." With that he simply vanished, and in his wake a small flurry of cherry blossoms accompanied the familiar sense of warmth that Alex felt from all of Summer's allies.
But that moment of peace didn't last. Ria spoke up. "R-Ria!" And it had Alex blushing all over again as the giant couldn't help but mention that 'great ass'. It should be noted that Alex wasn't disagreeing with her, but it wasn't something she would have simply blurted out like that. But as she looked at the oni some seriousness came over the large demon, and she made her offer concerning the spoils of the struggle. After a couple moments of consideration Alex finally responded. "I trusted you with my daughter's life. What would it say about me if I couldn't trust you with some coin after that? You can do what you wish with it, there's nothing I'd really want to do with any of the materials. But let me know about that smith. I need to get my own Hide repaired." There wasn't much more to discuss after that save for an accurate time they could meet for whatever, and following that Ria was free to leave.
With all of that taken care of turned toward the street and was finally approached by the two figures that had been waiting for her. While she did expect Albatross to be waiting nearby there was no way to know that she would find Lieutenant Calkis there as well, though Lieutenant may not be the appropriate title anymore. He looked pale and thin, a feat considering it had only been a few hours, and his lack of a uniform didn't exactly speak well for his future. "Lieutenant, it's good to see you up and about." She left it at that for the moment, the title giving him the chance to correct her, but when he mentioned Gregor's condition Alex let out a breath of relief. "That's great! Is he still hospitalized, or has he been cleared to return home?" Following his answer Calkis looked even more shamed than earlier, and he soon gave out his apology for the mess found in the sewers. Alex stared at him for a bit. "Have you said as much to Sir Gregor? Have you offered to make amends?" An appropriate pause was given for an answer to each question. "Do you think you could have stopped what happened?" The attacks from those snakes were too sudden to prevent. That was the absolute truth, and he should know it. "The only reason you have to apologize to me is for not revealing your nature while we were down there. You said the sewers could be dangerous, and knowing about your condition before hand would have helped. But I can understand why you wouldn't want to mention it, so apology accepted. Besides, I daresay you would be dead otherwise, and that would be a shame."
After giving the man a chance to respond Albatross finally stepped forward and offered her small update. "That's great! Any news on Aescila?" It was probably a little odd to see the dragon knight looking so hopeful, but at that moment her concern was focused on her Mate's current fate. Mab knew the truth, so there was no real threat in losing Aes, and Aebard as well as Magnus and Ankieseth were witness to the events in the forest, Magnus most of all. All three of them could truthfully state that Aes was not responsible for Arclan's passing. Albatross could add even more with her knowledge of faerie magic and possibly her witness of the events with Acrasia and Mab, but there was no telling how the court would accept her testimony.
But in the end there should have been enough to free Aes, and if that was possible then Alex would waste no more time in seeing her Mate freed.
Alexandra Alistar: HP = 26/75, PP = 60, EP = 12/85, Status = Sort of Alright, Armor at 26/62 TP
(Alex acquires 170 dosh come the morning, might as well mark it down now. Also, gain 6 exp for the underground snake fight, and then 8 more for the fight on with the faeries (already awarded), and then 4 more just because RPing stuff for a total of 18.)
"She said... She said she would take you when you came, and eat you! And that daddy would be buried! And that she would make me eat her cat! It was really creepy!" Angelle said when Alex prompted her to repeat what the faerie lady had said, looking more confused than distressed by having to repeat it. Indeed, at this point most of her distress was born of confusion rather than any further fear.
Later, Magnus seemed slightly taken aback by Alex's request to see him without his helmet on, but turned back to her and took it off without asking why. His facial structure was incredibly similar to Ankieseth's, to the point that it was as clear as day that the two were in some way related. He was obviously less experienced, his face far less weathered, but he was possessed by the same warrior's handsomeness that Alex had seen on many men prior, just as Ankieseth was. There was one fairly distinct difference, as his hair was a bit darker than that of the older knight, but that could easily be attributed to his youth, and he remained silent and allowed her to study him to her heart's content, merely looking quizzically at Alex until dismissed.
A few moments later, Ria smiled in relief and nodded as she put the sack back over her shoulder. "I can take yer armor now if ye want it fixed up, and just pull it out of your cut!" the oni said simply, "Otherwise, his name's Benan, and he's down on the corner of 14th and Sunrise over in the tradesman's quarter. His shop's open at all hours, but if you opt to go during the day you'll probably get one of his apprentices. If you wanna keep your armor for the night, you've got my recommendation for 'im, he's real good on stuff with a bit of magic in it, but there are plenty of smiths in Therion for you to choose from." With that Ria would fall silent, and unless Alex opted to trust the oni with her armor the demon would be off shortly. If she did, Ria would wait long enough to take Alex's armor before saying her goodbyes, but wouldn't extend them for long.
Finally left to Calkis and Albatross, the werewolf pursed his lips into a narrow frown after Alex's question about whether he'd spoken to his victim yet. "He hasn't woken up yet," Calkis replied quietly, and then seemed unable to meet her gaze any longer as he became increasingly shamed by her words. He looked up sharply when she asked if he could have prevented what happened, his expression briefly shifting into one of anger as he seemingly mistook her question for an accusation, but then he relaxed in understanding of her intention as she accepted his apology. "Some might not agree with you on that," he began once she'd finished, "It's not something that I like to spread around. Anyway, I just figured that I owed you something in person much after what happened down there, and when I saw your friend here in the infirmary I figured it was my best chance to talk to you face to face. I've got to get home before night falls, so I've got to go now." He moved as if to turn and start away, but then paused and hesitated for a second before looking back and meeting Alex's gaze one last time, and saying; "Thank you.... For stopping me from hurting anyone else."
And with that, the Lieutenant waited only a few seconds for Alex to speak before turning and heading off at a brisk pace, allowing Lady Albatross to deliver her news about Aebard. The faerie's expression became a tiny bit strained at her question about Aescila, and she sighed heavily before saying; "We certainly have enough evidence on our side to see her freed, but mortal courts work more slowly than either of us might like. Her trial is in three days, and I was told that she's been denied visitors, but I suspect Aebard may be able to do something when he awakens to change one or both of those. For now we can do nothing for Aescila, but I suspect that she isn't being treated too poorly, if that means anything."
