Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

[Hafnium]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 70, PP = 60, EP = 38/50, Status = Fine, Puts the U in Honor

Rolls

Spoiler

Sword attack: 134 vs 107. Hit.
Damage: 42 + 4 - 4 (fire resistance) - 22 = 20 damage.
Shield attack: 118 vs 107. Hit.
Damage: 42 again - 22 = 20 damage.

Return swing: 76 vs 97. Miss.

Lyra: 2
Demon: 0

The demon's eyes were sharp. She predicted that Lyra's cut was going to be aimed at her feet and shifted backward as the faerie began to swing. Under normal circumstances, her maneuver would've taken her just barely out of range of the Spring knight's slash and allowed her to counterattack. But the fey woman had a magical ace up her sleeve. A simple burst of wind was all it took to change the speed of her attack and her effective range and land a nasty cut which left a bloody gash across her opponent's shin. The knight was able to follow up while the demon was still reeling from from surprise and bash the rim of her shield into her opponent's leading arm, in the process ruining the beginning of a desperate swing intended to force the faerie back to a safer distance.

The demon knight's mobility was hobbled, but she managed to step a few feet to the side and away from Lyra, apparently worried about keeping her distance from the edge of the circle neutral more than increasing her distance from Lyra. "Magnificent..." she repeated with excitement bubbling in her voice. "You combine that glass blade and wind magic so effectively. But I'm not giving up until the last point is won," she punctuated her by shifting to a middle guard as she prepared for the next exchange.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

"Of course not." Lyra responded with a grin now visible on her face. She had seized the early advantage, but she knew better than to think she had already won. This wasn't an opponent she could afford to take lightly, but she couldn't deny that it felt good to fight like this. Enough that she'd all but forgotten about the wager riding on this fight, she simply needed to win to prove her own skill, nothing more. "I would expect nothing less!"

And with that shout she lunged in again, keeping herself close to her opponent and circling around to her side, where it would be more difficult to make full use of both arms with her two-handed weapon. She struck with with her shield again, wind magic once more enhancing the force behind it, only for her to abruptly abort her attack, the wind kicked up simply washing harmlessly over her opponent as she used the visual cover and distraction provided by her shield to make another low strike with her sword, hoping that the combination of her feint and the near-invisible blade of her sword would let it slip past any sort of defence the demon might fall back on after her first two strikes.

Spoiler

Feinting with her shield, forcing an opposed attack roll between her 12d10+39 shield bash attack and whatever roll the demon would be using this turn after modifiers, and if successful applying a -24 penalty to Dodge against the next attack and Attack for the turn, and a -10 penalty to Reflexes checks and Parry DCs for the turn.

Then hitting with her sword (13d10+20 Attack, 2d6 + 1d8 fire + 10 force + 30 Damage. Forgot to note that the +10 bonus damage was force last time, and also resisted by the demon as a result.)


Defensive Stats:
Dodge = 15d10+29
Grapple = 10d10+0
Reflexes = 25
Focus = 18
Willpower = 11

Tumble Mod = 5
Bull Rush Mod = 5
Overrun Mod = 5
Fire Resistance = 10
Cold Resistance = 5
Electricity Resistance = 5

+12 to Resistance checks against being moved, Stunned, knocked Prone, Bull Rushed, Overrun, Dominated, Charmed, given the Horny status, or any other attempts to control her actions.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 30/70, PP = 60, EP = 34/50, Status = Fine, Also Puts the Bleeding in Honor

Rolls

Spoiler

You were there. Lyra successfully feinted. Then she successfully got parried. Then she got bonked for 32 damage (+8 because I'm a dumb who forgot ironbane). Then she failed a reflex check and got stunned. Then somehow the demon missed her while she was stunned. Now it's round 4.

Lyra: 2
Demon: 1

Lyra lunged again, but this time she found the demon more prepared. The other warrior called her bluff, delicately twisting around the feinted bash toward the side of the fey woman's sword arm. She caught sight of the glass blade before it lashed out at her and placed the point of her own weapon in the dirt, the blade directly in the path of Abla's work. The Spring knight's sword accelerated directly into its darksteel opposite, causing it to ring as sparks of metal and illusory fire melted away small pinpoints of the snow beneath their feet. Before Lyra could retract into a more defensive position or maneuver her sword for a strike, the demon reversed her grip on her greatsword and thrust the handle pommel-first into the faerie's forehead, leaving her dazed.

She could feel the demon shift away, and hear the other woman's footwork crunching the fresh white blanket they fought upon as she moved for a follow-up attack, but couldn't get the stars out of her eyes in time to see what she was doing. "Watch out!" Kelda called out rather unhelpfully, leaving Lyra with no more than a guess as to the method and angle of her opponent's swing. Any guess was better than none, though, and between her honed senses and the sounds she'd processed the attack seemed to be coming in low from her sword arm side. Shifting and moving her shield to protect her right leg, she was rewarded with the sensation of the demon's sword clattering uselessly against her shield. Her vision would clear just in time to see that her opponent had tried to repay the Spring knight's earlier cut against her shin.

The demon knight backed away a few steps and fell back into her stance. This time, her sword was high and the blade of her weapon rested against her right shoulder. She wore a wide grin aimed at the faerie, but said nothing as she began to circle Lyra with her keen eyes not leaving the fey warrior for even a second.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Lyra stumbled slightly from the force of the blow she had only barely managed to block, still blinking and trying to clear her vision, her head throbbing from the strike to her forehead. She was fortunate she'd managed to avoid the second strike, because she wasn't sure she could take another like that, even if they were going to three strikes. Correcting her stance, Lyra locked eyes with the demon again, her mind rapidly running through possible strategies. Her opponent's defences were strong, and she had switched to a more defensive stance after Lyra's first two strikes made it through. She couldn't be reckless in her attacks.

The demon knight had backed off for the moment, seemed to be expecting her to attack again... so Lyra took a step back herself, putting more distance between the two of them. She rotated again so that her shield was presented to the demon, following her as she circled. She had lost the initiative, and her opponent looked ready to capitalize on that... so she would be ready for that. She could only hope she wasn't playing into the demon's hands once again.

Spoiler

WELL THIS IS LOTS OF BAD THINGS.

Lyra is using Defensive Stance, giving her 17d10+34 Dodge and letting her make a free attack with both sword and shield against any attack against her that misses. (12d10+20 Attack and 2d6 + 1d8 fire + 10 Force + 30 Damage with her sword, 12d10+17 Attack and 3d4 + 10 Force + 23 Damage with her shield)


Defensive Stats:
Dodge = 17d10+34
Grapple = 10d10+0
Reflexes = 25
Focus = 18
Willpower = 11

Tumble Mod = 5
Bull Rush Mod = 5
Overrun Mod = 5
Fire Resistance = 10
Cold Resistance = 5
Electricity Resistance = 5

+12 to Resistance checks against being moved, Stunned, knocked Prone, Bull Rushed, Overrun, Dominated, Charmed, given the Horny status, or any other attempts to control her actions.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 30/70, PP = 60, EP = 32/50, Status = Wounded, Victorious

Rolls

Spoiler

You were there for this too. Succeeded entirely for a single use of break guard. Lyra wins!

8 xp gained.

Lyra's assumption was correct. But determining what her opponent was going to do and defending against it would be two different things. For several long, tense seconds the demon circled her like a wolf around a wounded sheep. And then, when she spotted whatever chip in the faerie's defense she was looking for, the enemy knight struck like a bolt of lightning. The faerie knight received a firsthand view of just how quick her opponent's blade really was. In a fraction of a second, the demon had closed the distance between the two of them and her greatsword cut through the air, aimed at cracking Lyra right across the top of the head. This would be the moment of truth. If she couldn't physically react to it in time, a swing like that wasn't going to leave her conscious to defend herself against whatever the demon might do next.

It was the fey woman's magic that made the difference. Her instincts and a small gust of wind put her shield above her head, taking the full force of the darksteel greatsword crashing against it. It was a strike powerful enough to make the knight's left arm numb even through the protective barrier, but she had been able to block it all the same and now she had an opening. With a second gust of wind, she slammed the flat of her own blade into the demon's side before she could retreat from the failed attack or maneuver her sword to block it. The demon retained consciousness, but Lyra's strike was hard enough to send the woman down to her knees. The faerie knight had succeeded. She'd obtained the three strikes she needed in order to claim victory. And yet, the demon didn't look defeated. She grinned all the wider at the victorious faerie standing before her. And then she burst into heartfelt laughter.

"I admit defeat," she announced after her laughter died down. The words prompted a small cheer from the twin sisters watching the duel. "There is no more debt, and I will return to my home without accosting my dear summoner or her sister. To think, I went undefeated through dozens of summons only to be unable to score more than a single hit on you. You're really something," she congratulated the faerie. The knight would pause just long enough to use her greatsword in order to prop herself back up to her feet. She made no further move to threaten the faerie, or the humans, once she was back upright and left her greatsword planted in the ground as she continued speaking. "You'd better be careful though, because I think I might just be smitten."

(Original version, a flat bonus was forgotten which changed the results.)

Spoiler

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 70, PP = 60, EP = 32/50, Status = Weakened, Not Finished Yet

Rolls

Spoiler

You were there for this too! It was pretty brutal. Got feinted and then smacked by 17d10+27 attack, for 32 damage.

BUT THEN. SOMETHING GOOD HAPPENED.

Lyra: 2
Demon: 2

Lyra's assumption was correct. Unfortunately, her ability to follow through on her assumption wasn't up to par. For several long, tense seconds the demon circled her like a wolf around a wounded sheep. And then, when she spotted whatever chip in the faerie's defense she was looking for, the enemy knight struck like a bolt of lightning. The faerie knight received a firsthand view of just how fast the knight's blade really was. In a fraction of a second, the demon had closed the distance between the two of them and her greatsword swung overhead through the air. Before Lyra could even bring her shield up to bear, she took the flat of her opponent's sword directly to the top of her skull.

She was both fortunate and not. If the demon had actually intended to kill her, she would almost certainly have been split nearly in half by the force of the blow. As it was though, her consciousness was falling away. She lost her grip on both her weapon and shield, the sound of them falling into the snow seeming distant to her darkening senses. She followed them soon after, falling backward onto the ground as everything went black. The last thing she saw as s was the demonic woman resting her sword across her shoulders and walking away.

...

Lyra came to an indeterminate amount of time later with Erika kneeling over her and frowning as she cast healing magic. Her aches and pains were gone, but her supernatural body was still suffering for the knockout she'd experienced. To the side, still out of her armor and yet to be healed, was the demon who had defeated her. She had planted the tip of her greatsword in the ground and leaned on it as she watched Lyra and Erika with unmasked interest. "I've healed her as much as I can, given your rushing," Erika would look toward the demonic knight and announce as she pulled away from the faerie. "Haven't you put her through enough?"
"Your opinion is duly noted, but we still have unfinished business. Now remove yourself from the ring," the demon ordered. Erika hesitated for a few moments, but would eventually stand up. She wouldn't leave the circle until Lyra was back on her feet though, and offered the knight a hand when she did move to get up. A quick look around would reveal that Kelda wasn't in immediate sight, though it was difficult to tell where she'd gone.

"The terms of this duel were three strikes. As I count it, we're at two apiece. Prepare yourself and pick up your arms when you're ready, and then we'll decide this match properly." Despite her apparent rushing of Erika, the demon knight waited patiently for Lyra to be fully ready. She would wait, leaning on her sword in the meantime.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

"Hah..." Lyra breathed a sigh of relief, letting her numb shield arm drop to her side. That had been a close call, very close. If she had been even a moment slower she doubted she could have taken the hit and remained conscious. "I suppose someone's streak had to end." Lyra shook her head, her previous animosity towards the demon knight seemingly forgotten. Her breathing was still uneven, and her head was still throbbing from the strike she had taken. "That was the toughest fight I've had to face on any summoning of my own. I have to admit, you have quite the arm on you. Had we been aiming to kill, you might very well have only needed one strike."

Returning her sword to its scabbard, Lyra ran a hand over her forehead, wincing a little at the pain where she'd been struck. She gave the demon knight an odd look at her comment about being smitten, but passed it off as another of her flirtatious remarks. "Well, after a fight like that, I feel it would be a disservice not to introduce myself properly. I go by the name of Lyra, Knight of the Spring Court." Lyra bowed, having enough faith in the demon knight's sense of honour to no longer be particularly worried about sneak attacks. "If you are willing, would you tell me yours?"

Lyra was genuinely curious. Despite the way in which this duel had been started, it had been a good fight. The demon woman had been a strong opponent, and she was not even certain how a true fight between the two would end—It truly could have gone either way. The sparring with her fellow knights back home, while certainly challenging, did not hold the same sense of danger this fight had. There was no looming threat should she fail, nor could she imagine that her opponent truly wished to kill her. It was refreshing in that way.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 70, PP = 60, EP = 32/50, Status = Fine

"I am Sitri, a knight of Acheron," rather than bow, the demonic knight offered her hand for the faerie to shake. "I'll remember your name, Lyra. Some day I'll meet you again, and I'll expect a rematch when I do. I hope I have an excuse to battle you for the same prize then, too~"

After Lyra had made her response, the demonic woman would move to begin re-donning her armor, plucking her greatsword out of the ground and taking it with her. With the fight was obviously over and it being clear they could get a word in without interrupting the conversation between the two knights, Erika and Kelda were finally willing to step in the ring. Erika immediately moved to heal Lyra, quickly relieving the aching of her forehead, while Kelda spoke up. "I can't thank you enough for this. You risked yourself and saved something very important to me," she admitted, her voice halfway between guilt and relief.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Lyra took the demon's hand without a second thought, giving it a firm shake. "Of course. A pleasure to meet you, Sitri. If our paths cross again you will have your rematch, I can promise you that much." She certainly hoped that if they did meet again, the stakes would not be the same, but she was more than amenable to the idea of a rematch.

One Sitri had begun donning her armour once again, Lyra turned back to the two human girls who had been watching. Erika's healing relieved the pain in her head, which was more than welcome, and she gave her summoner a smile and a quick nod before turning to her sister. "There is no need to thank me, I am simply glad I had the opportunity. An agreement between summoner and a summoned knight isn't something I could easily interfere with, until she made the offer herself." What Lyra did not say was that the reason for that was simply her sense of honour. It was an incredibly important thing to her, but it felt like a flimsy justification to give to the one who would have suffered had she not interfered. "And besides, it was an enjoyable fight. I was not lying when I said it was once of the greatest challenges I have faced in a summoning like this."

Lyra stopped for a moment, shaking her head and giving a short sigh. "Perhaps I was a little hasty in my choice to accept, but I do not regret doing so. Do not worry yourself over me." She turned back to her summoner a moment later, after saying her piece to Kelda. "And that brings us to the matter of concluding our agreement. Will you two be able to make it safely to town, or do you require an escort? And I believe I also promised to tell you everything I heard from the man in there, if you wish to record it."

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 70, PP = 60, EP = 32/50, Status = Fine

"We'll be fine," Kelda answered regarding their trip home.
"It looks like an intimidating walk, but it's safe," the knight's summoner confirmed. "I would like to be filled in on what he was saying before you go though."

Lyra would be free to go through what the half-giant said at her own pace. Unfortunately there weren't exactly any convenient methods with which to write it all down available, so Erika would require Lyra to repeat a few details several times to make sure that she had committed them to memory as best she could. It would take a few minutes, but eventually the spirit wielder had a firm enough grasp of it. Between that and the bone, she seemed confident that she could make a strong case for further exploring the labyrinth with a larger number of people and achieve her ends.

"Thank you for all your help! Even beyond what you did for my sister, there's no way I would've made it through all that without you," she would say after Lyra's translation work was completed. "I hope I'll see you again some day," Kelda shot her a look at that, prompting her to continue "but I also hope I never end up in a position that warrants summoning a knight again."
"I'm... feeling the same way about the second part," Kelda admitted.
"Well then, I'd say our contract is formally at an end. Safe travels, dame Lyra." Kelda nodded her agreement with that sentiment. Once Lyra bid her own farewell, Erika and Kelda would turn and begin to leave on their trek down the mountain.

Once the two humans had departed, the fully armored Sitri would return to Lyra's side for long enough to bid her farewell. "I've a trip home of my own to make. If you're ever in Acheron, be sure to look me up~" The knight's departure would prove to be more spectacular than that of the humans. After Lyra had said whatever she wanted to say in farewell to Sitri, the woman cast a spell that allowed her to separate into a murder of crows and take to the sky, flying south for the demonic city in Badaria. Lyra would find herself on her own and now free to do as she pleased.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

"Yes, of course. I'm not familiar with most of what he spoke of, but perhaps you can learn something from it." Lyra did her best to recall everything the giant man had spoken of, especially the names that seemed to have some importance. Once she was satisfied she had told the two everything she could, Lyra moved to see the two off.

"If you are ever in grave danger, I would be happy to assist you again." She gave a smile at Erika's mention that she hoped not to have need of her again, if with some prompting from her sister. "But this is a good lesson to keep in mind. It is rare to fine one who is willing to provide aid without cost, even among my kind. Ensure you are willing to pay such a price before you consider summoning them. But I don't believe I need to make that point any further. Safe travels to the both of you."

Once the two had begun their long trek home, Lyra turned back to the approaching Sitri, now fully armoured once again. "I'll keep that in mind, but I doubt your city is the sort of place for me." Lyra shook her head, though she couldn't keep a small smile from her face. "Safe travels to you as well. And the next time we meet, I'll be sure to bring my own armour." Her eyes swept over the demon's fully armoured form, only to give a brief start as the woman turned into a flock of black birds in front of her.

That left only one matter left for Lyra to address, and she could only hope it wouldn't be to trying on her patience. She had promised to speak with the slime woman again once she had finished with her business, and she did feel the need to at least apologize for her earlier aggression. The slime was certainly odd, but didn't seem malicious in her actions, so she deserved that much at least. She made sure to collect all of her things once again, and set off back down into the labyrinth, to where she had last seen the slime and her "shop".

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 70, PP = 60, EP = 32/50, Status = Fine, No Sword Hurts as Much as a Bad Impression

The trip back inside was uneventful enough, at least right up until she came back upon the slime. The goo woman's feminine form had shrunken to half its previous height and was talking to herself. As Lyra drew closer, the reasons became apparent. The rest of the slime person's not inconsiderable mass was shifted into a crude imitation of Lyra with a placid stare and gigantic breasts, which the slime person was currently having a conversation with while mimicking Lyra's voice in a badly done high-pitched falsetto.

"Oh, mighty slime, I am so stupid and made of meat. How can I ever apologize for being such a dumb, idiot, stupid house exploder?"
"Don't worry about it! I am magnani... graysh... kind and smart! I can forgive even the dumbest of stupid, sexy meat people!"
"Oh, amazing slime, you're so amazing. And so is your beard." The puppet indicated the half-giant's beard currently suspended in the slime woman's body, floating at her chin. "Please give me the honor of filling all of my meat holes with your amazing slime and using my body as you see fit!"
"Anything for my fans-" the slime would cut off immediately as she spotted Lyra watching her strange show. The puppet Lyra would collapse into a puddle and her oozing main form would bring itself up to full height as she greeted the faerie knight, trying to pretend that nothing happened. "Hi! Welcome to Slime Mart! We're having a sale on bones! You'd better act quickly because they're just walking out the door! Well, not literally. They don't move without meat around them, for some reason!"

 

[Astarte]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Lyra could only stare in confusion at the scene she stumbled upon when she returned, wondering for a moment if it would have been better to simply leave when she had the chance. The slime was... mimicking her, in order to have a conversation with herself. Quite poorly at that. She wasn't sure whether she should be angry, embarrassed, or something else entirely, but the whole scene was just too ridiculous to take seriously.

"Ah, no, she only needed the one bone." Lyra finally responded to the slime's sales pitch after a few moments of simply staring incredulously at the sudden shift in behaviour. Now that it came time to actually speak, the apology she had been planning to give suddenly felt a lot more awkward—due in a large part to the "apology" she had just witnessed. She would most certainly never say something like that! "I did wish to... apologize, however, for the trouble we caused you."

Lyra could only hope this wasn't going to devolve into something even more confusing, and she could be on her way home before much longer...

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 70, PP = 60, EP = 32/50, Status = Fine, Should have Probably Known Better

The slime eyed her skeptically, or at least it seemed skeptical given the natural limitations of a slime trying to eye anyone in any manner. Finally, she crossed her arms beneath the suspended beard. "Is that so? If you really want to apologize, then you know what you have to do, right...?" An awkward silence hung in the air, likely made all the more awkward by what Lyra had witnessed.

"Where's my apology drink?" She suddenly demanded. "I've seen what the meat people do around here when they're angry at each other. They take each other to drink things and then laugh and sometimes punch each other and then drink some more and laugh some more. So where's my apology drink if you're really sorry?" A few more moments of the bearded slime woman staring at Lyra later and she would add in a knowing voice; "Of course, if you don't have an apology drink, I could think of a few substitutes.... You could contribute to my new house fund by buying one of my amazing products, for example!"

 

[Astarte]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

"Apology... drink?" Lyra cast the slime another confused look before shaking her head, deciding that it wasn't worth trying to understand. Some tradition of the men who lived here, evidently, though it sounded like a strange one to her. "I'm afraid that is not a tradition I am familiar with, and I have no drinks on me besides water."

Of course, Lyra could guess where the slime was going next, even if the initial response had confused her. The slime seemed convinced to continue with this shop business, even though the only sale had been by pure chance on her part, and there were unlikely to be any more customers once she left. Lyra had the feeling that trying to explain this would get her nowhere, however, so she could only sigh as she was proven right.

"Fine, fine. I don't suppose you have anything else? Anything of more... practical use?" She asked, already regretting that she was going along with this, but still feeling guilty enough over the whole incident to at least hear the slime out. There might even be something useful hidden among all of the slime's accumulated junk. Regardless of feeling guilty over how she had handled the matter though, Lyra still did not believe herself to be entirely in the wrong—The slime had made the first hostile action, and had freely admitted what her intentions had been after all, even if she also didn't seem to see anything wrong with them—so there was a limit to what she was willing to put up with in turn.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 70, PP = 60, EP = 32/50, Status = Fine, Dumpster Diving

Rolls

Spoiler

Perception: 2 successes.

"Why, everything in my shop is of practical use, my dear customer!" The bearded slime made her remark moments before sifting through the pile of junk in front of her to show off absolutely nothing of practical use. Through the time Lyra spent allowing the 'shopkeeper' to organize her inventory, she would see about half a skeleton's worth of bones, a concerning amount of broken glass, a small collection of teeth from a wide variety of different species, several empty bottles, a dead rat, a ball of lint large enough to fit in Lyra's palm, a few jars full of a questionable liquid, and something that appeared to have recently been a functional organ. All of this combined to form only the tip of the iceberg of the slime's trash pile.

Buried beneath a rib cage and some glass, however, the knight caught a glimpse of something with some magical energy about it. Lyra could barely make it out beyond being able to tell that it was flat and wooden. The slime didn't seem to be planning to dig it out during the tour of her store though, so it was up to faerie to approach the subject if she was interested. She could also attempt to grab it herself, if she was willing to put her hands through the risk of digging through the pile and all its dangers and diseases.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

"To... someone, perhaps." Lyra grudgingly replied, not wanting to try to teach the slime on the matter. Something told her that would simply be an exercise in futility. Instead she let her eyes scan over what the slime had gathered, hoping to find something actually worth paying for. Unfortunately, everything just seemed to be in one giant pile—how she had gathered this all on such short notice, or where she had been keeping it before now, Lyra had no idea—making even identifying what half of it was difficult. "Unfortunately, as a knight I don't have much use for such things. Maybe..."

Lyra trailed off as something caught her eye. The faint signs of magic, though what the object was she couldn't tell. She considered pointing it out to the slime, but she wouldn't have been surprised if the 'shopkeeper' just collapsed the entire pile trying to grab it. A quick incantation to cast a protective barrier around herself, not entirely confident in even her supernatural resistance to physical ailments to risk touching some of the things in that pile without it, Lyra approached the wooden object she had noticed.

"What is this?" She asked, somewhat rhetorically, as she reached out to test the object, see if she could pull it free without bringing everything above it crashing down. She would likely need to be very careful, if she didn't wish to lose it or end up buried under the pile of junk herself. She was interested now though, and wanted to see what sort of magical thing the slime could have found down here that.

Spoiler

Just for safety, casting Aspect of the Wind on herself (1 die into dedicated concentration to avoid failing on a 1) for +15 Reflexes, bringing her up to 40 base. Has a few rounds left before becoming weakened, and she'll most likely cut it off before that point.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 67/70, PP = 60, EP = 28/50, Status = Weakened, Aspect of the Wind, Playing Tug of War with a Pile of Garbage

Rolls

Spoiler

Grapple: 52. Failed.
Takes 3 damage.
Reflexes check: 40+1. Fail. Stack of Weakened.

"Oh, that? That is actually junk! I was just going to use it as a decorative tray for my good stock, that's why I didn't feel like digging it out," the slime admitted. "If you want to buy the things on top of it, you can take it too! I'll say seventy-five coins for the lot!" The lot still including a rib cage and some broken glass.

When Lyra took hold of what little she could see of the item though, it became ever more obvious that it wasn't junk. There was a purposeful enchantment weaved on the item hidden beneath the pile of garbage. Unfortunately, it would be impossible to identify the item or its enchantment until it was free of its trash prison, and that was going to prove a feat.

Pulling at the object was a more herculean feat than attempting to grapple the half-giant had been. The knight struggled and strained to maintain a grip which hadn't been firm to begin with while also trying to lever the wooden thing out from under the weight on it. Unfortunately, her hand ended up slipping over some glass, giving her a minor cut and an instant sense of wooziness which hinted that even the supernatural fae woman was going to need some healing when she returned to the oasis. It was up to her if she wanted to try again, change tact, or pay the slime's fee to dig the item out.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Lyra hissed in pain as she pulled her hand back, a few drops of blood dripping from the cut on her hand. That pile of junk was some kind of deathtrap, and she was surprised that the entire thing hadn't come crashing down already. Not only that, but much of what she could see in the pile was rather unpleasant. She was beginning to wonder if this was really worth the trouble after all. She had only come back because she had still felt a little guilty about their first encounter, and has though she'd buy something from the slime if anything here was actually worth paying for. She frowned as she looked at her hand, however. She wasn't certain what it was, likely something to do with the unsanitary nature of this whole pile of junk, but it felt worse than just a cut. It would likely pass with some rest, but she'd have to ask someone back home to look at it regardless.

"I'd like to take a look at it, actually." Lyra turned back to the slime, "Unfortunately, this pile you have here is a little dangerous for us "meat people" to stick our meat hands into." She showed the woman the cut on her hand. "Any chance you could help me pull this thing out?"

If not, she had another idea, but her use of magic over the course of her time here had already pushed her near to the point of exhaustion. She would rather avoid pushing herself any further without a chance to rest, if she could.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 70, PP = 60, EP = 27/50, Status = Fine, Aspect of the Wind, 3/11 Willpower, Fought the Garbage and the Garbage Won

Rolls

Spoiler

The slime grabs Lyra's hand, healing her of her wounds and magical hepatitis but in the process deals 8 Willpower damage to her.

"It kinda is, isn't it?" The slime took note of Lyra's bloodied hand, placing her hand on her chin in contemplation. "That means it's great at deterring thieves! I'm glad I thought of it! I'm so smart! It would be pretty bad for business if my second customer died though, so let me fix you up!" The dark slime suddenly grabbed Lyra's injured hand, enveloping the limb with her goo. The blood would slowly flow away into the creature's body, and the knight's wooziness seemed to ago along with it, leaving the cut fully healed and the faerie at full strength before the slime pulled away. The downside was that Lyra's brief contact with the ooze left the skin flushed and her body beginning to tingle. "If you get anymore injuries from my amazing slime tech security system, I can heal those up too!"

"But I guessss I could just help you pull it out," she would continue on the subject of the buried item. "But I don't see what's in it for me to help you to pull out a piece of junk when all the good stuff is on top of it anyway. Maybe I could be persuaded for the right price though..." the bearded goo girl left the suggestion hanging in the air.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

"Ah, well, thank you." Lyra rubbed her recently-healed hand absently with her other, trying to work out the odd tingly sensation left behind. She wasn't certain whether it was a result of whatever the slime had done to heal her or just some property of her body in general, but it felt... odd. She couldn't help but smile a little as the slime proceeded to claim it was a security system, though it had turned out to be rather effective—if only the slime didn't believe that all of the things making it dangerous to touch were actually the valuable merchandise.

"Well, I was thinking of buying it," Lyra replied with a shrug. She could try to explain the reason she wanted it, but from what she had seen so far that would either lead to a lot of time spent trying to explain things, or a grossly inflated price once they actually got it out. Maybe she could just appeal to the slime's 'business sense', however much of one she actually had. "But I need to actually get a proper look at it first. I can't just go paying for things without even seeing them first, you know."