From a position just a couple of steps behind the Samurai Ulthok watched Kenji try his best to hurl the iron javelins, but clearly he was a sword master, not a spear chucker. From his invisible safety he chuckled slightly. Suddenly the warrior turned swinging the spear he carried to face behind him. The small mage ducked, shifting in time to be missed by the iron tip. As Ulthok turned he saw that one of the bugs had flanked then and the Samurai had sensed it in time to thrust the spear into the attacking bug. Before Ulthok could raise his bow the now bleeding menace had retreat away from the stair.

The proud worrier let out a shout of success. Then from down the stairs came Cor’s voice, "Aye lad the normal weapons work! Forward everyone and remember to kill one creature before trying to get to another."
As the party started to surge up the stair Ulthok realized he’d better appear or risk getting stepped on. Releasing the rings power the Halfling appeared and turned to follow Kenji. Cresting the stair once again Cor’s voice chimed out as he and Conall followed into the room, "Kenji, Conall, Ulthok with me! Move up a bit and form a circle back to back."
Placing himself between Conall and Kenji the Mage raised his bow ready to use its speed to send iron into any of the creatures that dared to move on them. Shoulder to hip the Mage stood ready, he knew when the arrows were gone he had the iron blade to teach those bugs that mean things can come in small packages.

The sudden turn-around in fortunes happened so fast that the tears were still fresh in Sirène’s eyes when Cor revealed that Maggot was not completely lost, and Kenji’s quick thinking had discovered the one weakness of their insect-like foes.

“Bless you Ai’atar,” she remarked to the dwarf, after chasing away her tears. “And you Kenji.”

The others, warriors all, rushed to arm themselves, desperate to chase away the shame and humiliation of their earlier defeat. The still-wounded elven enchantress, however, tarried a little longer, hoping to give them all more of a fighting chance.

“Asca Melloneamin; Tinechor,” Sirène murmured, summoning first an explosion of shimmering, green dust that settled upon each of her allies, and then a more tangible green barrier that enclosed her own person.

With the short flurry of spellcasting complete, the elven enchantress made her way to the top of the stairs to join those of her companions who were already in combat. Except that Sirène did not pick up any of the mundane weapons the others had armed themselves with, and nor did she draw her own scimitar. She had another way to fight.

As she emerged into the dimly lit chamber, her skin was already sprouting white fur, her bones already cracking and reshaping themselves larger than before, and her mouth already reshaping itself into a large muzzle. Until the slender, elven form of Sirène was replaced by a fourteen foot tall polar bear, bellowing in challenge to its nightmarish enemies.


OOC. Sirène will cast Haste (which should effect everyone) and then Shield on herself, before shifting into a polar bear. Rawr!

‘Ai’atar’ translates as ‘Little Father’.

"Kenji, Connal, Ulthok with me! Move up a bit and form a circle back to back" The rest of you head around to the lone one and kill the beastie. Then turn to those attacking us so they will be attacked from front and back."
Kenji had drawn his two swords, long in right and short in left, and was about to pursue the lone wounded beast that had tried to attach him when he heard Cor yell out his orders. The Samurai instinctively drew up and watched as the creature withdrew further away; yes it made sense that the stronger of the warriors hold off the remaining ones while the other finished off the wounded and then they proceeded with the rest.

“Hai!” He responded as he turned and fell into line with the others to form a cordon to hold off the 9 remaining creatures. He would wait till they were within range and then try to coordinate his attacks with the others so they would try and take them down one at a time.

Non-magical weapons and no magic, that was the answer to the question as to what would work against these creatures. However that left Rayne with few options and even fewer useful options. Her rapid assessment of her weapons brought only four to mind,her eating knife, a sap, her whip, and her slib and bullets. Two she dismissed and not about to do enough damage. That left her with two opinion, her whip and her sling and bullets. She removes the sling form her belt and slipped out to sling bullets and loaded them.

Once the first target was identified she would use her sling against the creature. Perhaps it would so damage perhaps not but what she hoped is that it would also keep it distracted as to its targeting anyone of them. THe whip was a last resort as at best it would trip or entangle.

Rayne wasted no time on regrets or what ifs. Loading her sling she took aim on the declared target and let fly with the first and then the second bullet when the attack was made.

For Kith Jora, soverign, for us all, we will line free or die striving for freedom."

The small mage took his stance next to his companions. He realized there comes a time when one must go against your natural instincts and do what is right. It was no longer time to hit and run; it was time to stand tall. If iron is what is needed to defeat these foes then iron is what he would be. It is time to “float like a butterfly and sting like bee”. With iron in his bow, iron on his hip and iron up his sleeves he would give every last once of that iron to protect his friends. As Ulthok steeled his courage he whispered under his breath. “For My Lady,..…for Maggot....for my Friends..”.

The party armed, ready, and Hasted went up the stairs single file to give fight to the mutated roach/scorpions once more. However this time they numbered only 10, their 11th member Maggot, dead and eaten by these same bugs but this time knowledge of the creature’s weakness was power.

Kenji having been close to the top of the stairs was the first to act, as he started to follow the now wounded creature he paused as he heard Cor shouting orders.

“Kenji, Conall, Ulthok with me! Move up a bit and form a circle back to back. The rest of you head around to the lone one and kill the beastie. Then turn to those attacking us so they will be attacked from front and back."
As quickly as that the four named ‘fighters’ formed a protective screen before the stairwell’s entrance, a semi circular wall with Kenji on the left flank, Ulthok and Cor in the middle, and with Conall up last positioned on the right flank. With the entrance well covered for the moment the rest of the party one by one gained the floor.

As first of the six remaining party members to gain the floor Alasdair quickly disregarded Cor’s orders to attack the creature behind them to stand on the left side beside Conall extending the length of the ’wall’ even more and in the process providing yet more cover for the other five coming up behind him. He was just in time as the first of the other nine mutants reached the ’walls' left flank.

On that left flank Kenji stood ready as the mutants headed towards him and the first to do so was creature #1! Kenji though armed with weapons not fully familiar with was yet quite proficient in the art of dealing damage and delivered just that against the roach/scorp before him. His three attacks this round all but one a success, he watched happily as he was rewarded with a spurt of blackish red & yellow ’blood’ on both hits.

Yet hard on its heels was creature number #2 and it was headed straight for Ulthok! The thief/mage, having dropped his invisibility was easily seen and looked to the roach/scorp as an easy meal. However this meal had teeth and though Cor had said to concentrate fire on one creature at a time Ulthok was not about to be eaten as Maggot had been. His rate of fire doubled, in spite of his magical bow acting as a normal one, thanks to Sirene’s spell of Haste, the halfling fired four arrows in the blink of an eye and watched as they all hit, pausing the creature in its tracks. The pause lasted only a moment then it once more surged forward hitting Ulthok with only one attack this round due to the arrow in its eye, yet that one attack was a bad one, its bite no less, causing the small party member to cry out in pain as he felt its poison injected inside him.

Cor stood as a leader should in the center of the ‘wall‘, two party members to his left two to his right, unafraid of defeat, a steel curtain if you would, iron weapon in hand. Then the third of the creatures (#7) was upon him and the song of battle was once again felt in his veins. The non-magical axe swinging the dwarf easily scored on both his attacks but the creature’s return attacks were again mostly hits, the dwarf’s armor good for nothing but dead weight. As Cor was pushed back to almost the edge of the stairway, out of the corner of his eye he saw Althena then Cynil move onto the floor then turn and head towards creature #10 and hoped his plan of attack was working.

Althena in the lead with Cynil close behind did as Cor had ordered and moved towards creature #10 already wounded by Kenji. Althena armed with a normal longsword instead of her Vorpal one struck first, but was dismayed when her attack failed to hit the dodging mutated creature. However Cynil right behind her timed her attack perfectly and scored a serious hit on the roach/scorps flank, wounding it even more yet not killing it. Though wounded the creature was still able to attack back and did so all of them aimed at Althena!!

With her AC not near as good without its magical edge the Fighter/Psionicist was lucky to be only struck once by the creature’s attacks, the wounds it had so far received clearly having an effect on its ability to attack. A quick look over her shoulder showed Althena that all members of the party were engaged and for the moment she and Cynil faced #10 alone.

The first of the reminder of the nine creatures to attack the right side (#3) went straight for Conall and Alasdair followed by a second creature (#4), the two roach/scorps splitting their attacks between the Paladins. In the flurried exchange of iron blades to teeth and claws this time both human fighters gave back better then they received. Following Cor’s earlier orders to concentrate on one creature at time, they did so with the first and were the first of the party to be rewarded with a creature’s death. (#3)

However the creatures return attacks were not without success as Alasdair was hit twice by a claw and leg and managed to dodge at the right time to just be grazed by its mandibles.

Conall on the other hand having concentrated with Alasdair on #3 was unable to really defend against #4 and took the majority of its attacks, hits by both claws, a leg, and its bite the posion from it entering his body right away. The hits, mostly coming into his right side, caused him to drop for a brief moment to one knee thus allowing a large gap between him and Cor, the Knight Cleric having already been pushed back by creature #7. It was at this point that creature #6 chose that moment to jump over both he and Cor, breaching the dwarf’s steel curtain, in a powerful leap to land on the entrance to the stairs themselves just as Haila was stepping onto the floor.

Having no time to react or even defend herself, in the blink of an eye Haila was hit by the creatures two claw attacks, it’s two leg attacks, its bite once again, and as had happened with Maggot was cut literally in half by the creatures mandibles. Her falling dead body parts, in yet another stroke of bad luck, caught the Ranger/Cleric Rayne as she followed the human Mage, sending her along with Haila’s body parts, tumbling back to the floor below to lay upon a now blood soaked floor momentarily dazed.

However this cleared the way for Sirene who quickly reached the second floor, changed into a polar bear, and without pause caught #6 with her new claws and massive bite and scored the second kill of this fight, ripping the roach/scorp as it had with Haila, in two.

The last three of the roach/scorps #5, #8, #9 not having closed to melee range and once again sensing Althena’s presence on the second floor, turned their charge somewhat towards the East and right flank of Cor’s ’wall’ and increased their speed. Though now too far to engage in combat this round they would easily flank Alasdair and be able to attack Althena and Cynil in the next.

Though the party had killed two of the creatures, where before they had been unable to kill or even hurt one, they again had lost a party member reducing the number of living ones to nine. The battle before them easier, the cost clearly still high, the fight continued..........

(DM OOC: Ok sorry for the one day delay but due to the slowness of Mom/My old computer it has taken me two days to write, proof read and spell check this post. My comp is in the shop so hopefully before Sunday I’ll have it back and if my psyche eval goes ok tomorrow and they don’t lock me up in a loony bin my next post will be this coming Sunday.
Ok good posting everyone and Flirt once you read this please get in touch with me on Haila’s status thanks.)


http://www.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK//video/wab/vi1912448537/

Time slowed to a crawl. Sirène had been bounding up the steps, and was still several steps short of the top when the light spilling from the chamber above was suddenly eclipsed.

“Haila…!” Sirène screamed, surging forward to try and pull the mage back from stepping out into the chamber above. But she was too late; she was too slow. The darkness moved. It chittered ominously. And it hungered.

Within moments Haila’s blood ran as rivulets down Sirène’s cheeks, pooling in the hollow of her neck and mingling with her own tears. The whole world was given a scarlet hue. Rayne had tumbled back down to the floor below panically battling with the lumps of flesh that had once been Haila. The monster responsible, a terrifying amalgam of teeth, claws and chitinous skin, clicked in glee at another fresh kill. Sirène knew that faced with such horror no one would blame her for running, for clawing at her skin and eyes so that she could purge the memory of all that she had seen. But at that moment all that she felt was rage, animalistic anger and a desire for vengeance.

Sirène’s damascene skin sprouted fine white hair. Her limbs cracked and reshaped themselves into powerful legs with equally strong paws and claws. And the enchantress’ delicate elven features shifted into a snarling, frothing maw. Sirène barrelled into the creature that had killed Haila as the perfect expression of the rage that burnt within: a massive snowy-white bear.

Sirène tore into the monstrous creature as it had torn into Haila. Broken mandibles and unnatural legs skittled through the air, as sharp claws and gleaming teeth ripped the insect-like creature apart.

The massive bear reared onto its back legs and bellowed in triumph, its muzzle and paws covered with the foul yellow of the dead creature’s blood. But it was still not over. The mingled, metallic scent of freshly spilt human, halfling and dwarven blood assailed her senses, and further fed her rage.

Thundering over the now tiny form of Ulthok, Sirène attempted to tear apart another of the monstrous insects.


OOC: That’s Bug No.2, in case there’s any doubt.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh………..” Ulthok cried out as the bug he’d thought he’d halted lashed into him with its bite. He could feel a burning sensation and knew that bite carried more than ripping teeth, venom was now coursing in his veins.

He now felt the foolishness of the ego in his actions; he was not the trained warrior. Standing toe to toe with these creatures did nothing for his friends or himself but slow down one of the hideous bugs and get him injured. Stealth and guile were his best tools and his friends deserved his best.

The pain heightened his awareness of the actions around him. The blur of iron blades of the samurai inflicting their biting damage to the advancing creature. The sheer massive fury of a giant white bear as its great strength, huge paws and claws ripped apart the bug that leaped over them devastating Haila.

Ulthok’s mind leap at the thought of combining the size, strength and fury of the Great Bear with skill and flashing iron of the samurai.
Falling from the grip of the giant roaches bite Ulthok willed his ring to hide him from another attack and he vanished. Scrambling behind Tomiki and away from the bug the mage reached into his element pouch, finding a pinch of powdered iron. He thought how appropriate this was for their situation; plain iron would continue to be their salvation.

Shouting as he rolled behind the fighter, “Tomiki, do not be frightened, I am going to make you as big as that bear, you will be a giant warrior.” With that he willed the pinch of iron to carry its power onto the samurai and utters “Enlarge”!

As the iron dissolved, its power flowed into the brave warrior. Through eyes that want to wince from the pain the mage saw in the time of a breath the robed fighter grew to over twelve feet tall, his weapons growing with him. Kenji could now deal the fury of the bear with the bite of his iron blades.

Staying out of harm’s way Ulthok smiled through the pain hoping this would make up for his foolish pride. Now what could he do next?

(OOC, ok now Tomiki is 12’ 10” tall and 374 pounds. Sic’um!)

Cor felt the pain. It had been along time since he faced an opponent that bypassed his armor. 'Maybe I should have looked for an iron shield.' he thought. Then there was no more time to dwell on what could have been. One more of the party lay dead, Ulthok disappeared and Kenji grew in size. The others held their own and at least one of the vile creatures lay unmoving on the floor. If more shared its fate he could not tell as there was no time to be looking around. The creature before him still stood and others waited to take its place. Once more Cor's axes soought purchase in the flesh of his enemy. If he was lucky, he would kill it vefore it got a chance to poison him or worse yet cut him in two. "Can't very well afford to get any shorter, especially with Kenji dam near a giant."

Kenji actually grinned when he saw and felt the blades cut into the bug before him; he was glad to have an opponent that he could now kill. He dodged the spurts of blood that came from the bug’s wounds and was ready to jump in again to finish this creature before him when he saw Ulthok out of the corner of his vision tumble away from the creature that was attacking him and he heard the Halfling speak to him from behind him.

“Tomiki, do not be frightened, I am make you as big as that bear, you will be a giant warrior.”
Kenji gave a barely perceptible nod and a grunt of affirmation; he withheld his attack awaiting Ulthok’s actions. He thought of what his little companion had said, he would make him big as a bear? That might come in handy.

(Assuming it works)

He waited till the magic took hold of him and as he grew his eyes grew wider at the strange magic made him grow to double his normal size. He didn’t take time to marvel at this fantastic fest; instead he took a tight grip on the now larger weapons and with a battle cry he threw himself at the beast in front of him slashing at it with renewed strength and great ferocity. He hoped to used his new size to drive back the beast if possible and kill it quickly. He knew it was already greatly wounded and if it fell he would then turn to his right and attack towards the flank of the nearest beast there to hopefully assist another of his companions. He didn’t know how long the magic of greater speed and now size would last and he would use it to their advantage to down as many of these creatures as possible until either they or himself lay dead upon the ground.

How can you see into my eyes like open doors, without a soul my spirit sleeping somewhere cold

Round one of the renewed battle to gain the sword had in a way gone better then the last time around as this time the members of the party had the means to hurt the mutated creatures before them, killing two. However in another sense it had gone perhaps just as bad as Haila had joined Maggot in death making the score two in favor of the bugs and two in favor of the party. However this round, the surviving party members would see, would be different.

The first to act this round was Alasdair, having for the most part ignored Cor’s orders for reasons unknown yet soon to be revealed, he saw the three untouched Roach/Scorps attempting to flank the ‘wall’ and could not allow this to happen as he needed Althena alive. Moving quickly he placed himself before #5 and attacked the Roach/Scorpion creature head on and delivered a pair of solid hits momentarily pausing it in it’s charge.
Pushed forward by the two behind it #5 came on attacking the Paladin/Psionist in it’s way, however due to perhaps the damage it had taken or the pushing from behind none of it’s attacks hit, a first since the party had engaged these creatures in combat. With #5 stopped by Alasdair and unable to squeeze between it and #4 the two remaining untouched creatures #8, #9 were forced to once more try to flank to Alasdair’s right side taking them out of the combat again this round.

With Alasdair acting as a blocker, Althena and Cynil continued to work together and were able to once again gang up on #10. With the creatures attention for the moment on Cynil, Althena was able to gain a pair of solid hits with her borrowed iron longsword, cutting deeply through it’s chitinness like hide. The creature turning to retaliate was then quickly struck another two times by Cynil easily, and without fanfare, killing it.

Back at the wall it was Ulthok’s turn to act. Realizing that he was no fighter and in all honesty should not have been part of Cor’s wall, he quickly activated his Ring of Invisibility and vanished from sight. Moving away he paused by Kenji’s side and re-laid to him his intentions.

“Tomiki, do not be frightened, I am going to make you as big as that bear, you will be a giant warrior.” With that he willed the pinch of iron to carry its power onto the samurai and uttered

“Enlarge”!
In the time of a breath the Samurai fighter grew to over twelve feet tall, his weapons growing with him. Kenji could now deal the fury of the bear with the bite of his iron blades. However as Ulthok watched Kenji grow he was suddenly on his knee’s the poison from creature #2 starting to be felt, the cramping pain quite intense.

Sirene yet in the form of a large polar bear, covered in the sticky mud like liquid composing the mutated Roach/Scorp’s blood she had just killed, was in no way done. Moving forward from the stairs she met #2 head on. The creature’s attacks having a bigger target easily hit the Mage/Druid in a claw, leg, leg combo, however her return combo of attacks of claw/claw/bite easily hit the mutated creature in return, the creature gaining the worst of the exchange. The creature though having been hurt by Ulthoks earlier arrow strikes was nowhere near death, however the rage over Haila’s death and the non-magical nature of Sirene’s natural polar bear claws allowed her to score once again a critical hit with one claw and a deep hit with her bite ripping the creature deeply and throwing it backwards away from the wall and right into the path of Kenji as his giant form moved forward.

To Kenji #2 was but a brief annoyance as he moved on #1. With an almost casual swing of the smaller of his two swords he ended it’s life as it tried to sluggishly return to the fight. Dead it quietly collapsed in place, no longer a threat to the party. Then the giant sized Samurai was upon number #1 and the fight here was again short as ripping into the Roach/scorpions body the two iron/steel swords sank deep and like #2 it too died quickly and quietly.

For Cor, his plan to attempt to overwhelm each creature singly, due to the ever-changing nature of battle had changed. With Ulthok going invisible, Kenji moving towards #2, Alasdair moved to engage #5 and Conall engaged with #4 he found himself attacking alone as he engaged creature #7.

'Can't very well afford to get any shorter, especially with Kenji damn near a giant'. He thought to himself, surging forward from the edge of the stairway his borrowed iron axe sought purchase in the flesh of his enemy. If he was lucky, he would kill it before it got a chance to poison him or worse yet cut him in two. Once again the axe sunk deep, carving a large hole in it‘s belly as the creature reared up, and the dwarf found himself covered in the mutated creatures blood as it died gaining only a single hit upon the dwarf.

Standing in the wound just created, the body of the Roach/Scorpion surrounding him, Cor found his luck had indeed granted him it’s favor. However climbing his way out of the center of the giant creatures body would be tasking due to his a for mentioned height.

As with Cor, Conall found himself one on one vs. Roach/Scorpion #4, who had so far taken no damage but had dealt the Human Paladin a good bit of pain. Coming up from one knee in a combanation of speed and rage, Conall was able to score two clean hits with his borrowed sword and pushed the mutated creature backwards. However those two hits were not enough to kill it and it returned his hits with three of it’s own. In a claw, claw, leg combo it caused Conall more pain however this time the Paladin was left standing and not on one knee.

The last of the party to act this round was the Ranger/Cleric Rayne. Recovering from the fall back down the stairs she quickly retraced her steps and gained the second floor. However in her hurry to rejoin the fight she did not notice a soft glow of light increasing in size by Cor’s equipment. Seeing all of the surviving creatures to the right of the party she finished her move standing to the left of Cynil and a bit forward of the Elf Druid. Having expanded her actions this round with a full move and with sling in hand, a bullet loaded, she was ready for round three.

Round two over, four more creatures dead and no loses by the party, the score now six to two in the parties favor..................


*SOMEWHERE ASGARD
Maggot awoke from the blinding pain of being ripped in two and eatento finding himself facing a large throne of white stone placed against thenorthern wall of a large dinning area. Upon this throne sat a very beautifulwoman. The woman was almost elfish in appearance, with long straight blondhair. A sword of frost lay upon her lap; a falcon sat on her shoulder, and themost beautiful of necklaces around her neck. This gave truth to her identity… Freya Goddess of Love and Fertility, leader of the Valkyrie,

“So Eyesov HovSuS, your not supposed to be here yet. What am I to do with you?”
Maggot stood tall replied in a respectful tone, yet with a hint of arrogance, “You are Freya, The Lady,“ Maggot looks around the room and notices four of the Valkyrie close at hand, “and order giver to the Valkyrie. If you can’t answer your own question, how do you expect a humble servant such as I to do so?”
With a laugh as beautiful as a child’s the Chooser of the Slain stood and approached the Half-Elf Ranger/Bard, “Brave words in the presence of YOUR Goddess”
“Would you expect anything less from one who is now YOUR servant,” Maggot replied leaning heavily on his staff.

Freya eyeing Maggot’s deception took the staff from him, “I am tired of your deceptive ways, your supposed weakness of age. I have decided to send you back as you once was. Before you came to carry HER sword. You will no longer need the sword to prolong your life. For as we speak another lays claim to what was for so long your burden. Your life shall move as it did before. No longer shall you escape the bonds of time.” Freya pauses for a moment looking for a reaction from the Ranger/Bard and receives none. “However! Your insanity does amuse me so it shall remain a part of you as long as your love for HER too remains.”
Maggot thought he heard a note of jealousy as the Goddess spoke of his love. Freya took up a chalice of pale wine from a nearby steward’s tray. She sipped from the chalice. Once more she laughed; this time it was light as that of a young maiden upon seeing her true love for the first time. She stopped and playfully bit her bottom lip as she softly ran her fingers through his now browning hair. She then caressed his cheek,
“One last thing, before I return you to a younger body. There is a matter of some urgency I must speak of,” She leaned in close, her body touching his. Her lips ever so close to him as she spoke in a heavenly whisper that only he could hear. After a few moments and alight kiss upon his ear she stood once more before him. Her hand now rested upon his chest.

Boldly taking the chalice from Freya after hearing her whisperings, he held it high in a toast. Maggot spoke to all in the room; Gods, Goddess, many a Valkyre, and a host of servants. “I shall seek revenge for the forthcoming deaths of my companions. LONG LIVE ODIN THE ALL-FATHER!” He then drank from the chalice.

She took from him her chalice and with a last laugh Freya waved back her hair and Maggot was gone..........

*(Posted in cooperation with Kyle)

(DM OOC: OK good posting by those of you that did. Ok for those of you that did not post please contact me before attempting to post thanks. Ok next post will be next Sunday February the 5th but will be a late post as next Sunday is the Super Bowl. Ok have fun be safe and continue the good posting.)

The creature hurt Cor last round and even managed to knock him to a knee, not an easy feat. Cor ceased checking his rage. In one movement the knight-cleric stood and struck back. ""twil take a bigger beastie than ye ta stop me" he muttered as his axe found purchase in the creatures flesh. In what can only be deemed a lucky or unlucky depending on the viwer, turn of events a dead creature engulfed Cor. "Well now, this will nae do" he said to himslef and then after taking stock of his condition he cast a cure serious wounds on himself. With his spell complete, he grabbed the edges of the gaping wound in the creature and sought to either lift it off or more likely hoist himself up and out the top of the opening.

The iron disappeared and the Samurai grew. Ulthok watched as a bug, flung by massive paws of the Great White Bear came flying over to the twelve foot warrior. Kenji sought revenge on the giant menace for the hurt they had done to his companions. Giant blades flashed and shredded the vile thing. With that one dispatched Tomiki continue the attack on the roach in front of him.

A small feeling of redemption touched his heart as Ulthok knew he’d made the right choice. But the joy was short lived though as the venom struck. Pain coursed through his gut, his muscles cramped and his knees buckled. The agony broke his concentration and let his will slip back from the ring releasing the magic that had kept him hidden.

Reappearing he dropped to all fours. The pain set his head ringing and Ulthok strained to keep from losing the content of his stomach.

Trying to steady himself and through blurring eyes Ulthok saw the dying bug fall and cover Cor; trapping their leader inside its gaping wound. Drawing the iron sword he had carried on his side he turned. Trembling in pain the diminutive mage started crawling toward the carcass that now entombed his friend, “It’s a good thing you’re as small as me, I’ll free yo……..auggg……” . The mage collapsed, but still thrust the blade forward as if he could reach the bug and cut his friend free. Gritting his teeth barely whispering Ulthok uttered, “Cor, I’m coming…..”

Kenji’s blood was up; his battle lust was in full swing. The death of these beasts at his hands was exhilarating to him; he felt the rush as the black blood of these creatures flowed upon the ground. He turned and saw that the ones nearest him were down but the right side of the line was being flanked by a couple of the beasts.

With a battle cry that echoed through the chamber, the giant samurai leaped over the dead carcasses at his feet and using his hasted speed he rushed at the back of the formation of bugs. He was going to go after the trailing bug but he saw that Conall was being set upon and looked like he might be in trouble. Remembering Cor's orders to try and concentrate their attacks on one creature at a time he turned in that direction.

He screamed his battle cry again and threw himself at the back of the bug before Conall (#4) hacking madly at the back of the bug. His first swing he aimed low towards the things back legs; the next (and any subsequent swings) he aimed at its back, determined to end the life of this bug as quickly as possible.

(Q: How many attacks does he get while hasted?)

(Sorry this post is kind of lame; been a busy work week and haven’t had much time but managed to come up with this small post. Will attempt a better post next time. )

It was exhilarating. The whole world was replaced by layers of intoxicating scents. Her heart pounded in her chest like an excited drum, an orchestral accompaniment as she scythed through her foes. Such strength was entwined in every sinew of her now massive frame that Sirène felt she could fight endlessly without breath or rest. And with each sweep of her paws and bite from her impossible large maw, tearing through the carapaces of the chitinous creatures as if it were paper, she felt her excitement build. She would hunt. She would kill. She would feed. And she would …

Thwack! “Tula hin!”*

Her hand stung with the blow of the cane, an angry red welt appearing upon the tiny hand it had struck. Her small lips pursed in silent shock and tears pooled at her eyes. But she let no sound escape or tear fall. She knew better than to lose control.

“ You must think like a beast to borrow its form, but one must never allow the beast’s primal desires rule what you are. If you do, you will forever be that beast…”
...

Sirène shook her large snowy mane, sending a shower of blood and insect innards to either side. She blinked slowly as if looking for the first time on the carnage of the battlefield in which she stood.

‘The sword,’ she remembered. ‘Her friends.’
They were still alive. Still fighting. Although she could taste the coppery odour of the blood that they has shed upon the air. Many of their foes had been slain, but she could smell two of the monstrous creatures embraced in battle with Connall and Alasdair, and two more waiting to pounce.

“Look out!” Sirène tried to bark in warning as she galloped to lend her aid. All that emerged from her mouth was a loud, bellowing roar. But, she was still an elf. Still Sirène.


* “Focus child!”

OOC: Sirène will try to attack Bug 4. If that’s dead or she can’t reach it by the time she acts, she’ll go for Bug 5.