Gifted (Episode 3)

Radu catches Tajuri's gaze and huffs a breath of air. "Whatever form the challenge takes, I am ready. Let us be on with it."

No, Lucian felt that Keltos had asked a good question there. Although Lucian assumed the answer was either yes or that they would be summoning what was to kill them. Which was still technically a yes, just an indirect one. "Well, nothing like imminent death to wake you up fully I suppose."

"I prefer to think I fly like a butterfly and sssting like a bee... but I'm certainly motivated to sssucceed now," Natrix said with a chuckle. "Eight on three, then. It ssshall be an orgy of violence."

Taj extends one hand and her black demon naginata appears in its grasp, as they wait for the details of their upcoming fight to shake out.

Radu's proximity to the three council members accidentally reveals a glowing dome of dark violet surrounding them, as the tip of his blade touches the arcane force before the eight champions. A dark orb of the same energy immediately appears above Lady Naustia's head and she reaches up to touch it. Immediately, all three of the council members transform into a swirling violet mist and disperse into nothingness.

At various points around them, shimmering forms of various sizes begin rising through the solid mosaic floor.

Tajuri plants the butt of her polearm to the floor and tugging a small vial from the pouch at her hip, quaffs down its contents.

Radu's feet change positions as he glances around them. "Prepare yourselves!" he shouts, pulling his sword in one hand and, taking a cue from Tajuri, a vial of liquid from his belt pouch and drinking it in one quick quaff.

"And ssso it beginsss!" Natrix pronounced just before she vanished!

Once as scarce as she could make herself, Natrix pondered the orbs and mists into which their adversaries vanished, as well as the rising forms.

"Blue, best you stay in the air until you have a safe opportunity to attack," Kris says, allowing her companion to lift off into the air. She draws her scimitar and allows her magic to flow through it.

"Remember, the objective here is to stay alive, Don’t engage unless you need to or can do so without risk"

Keltos Draws his sword, runs a bit, disappears into a shadow before reappearing some distance only continue his move.

Ends in B1 Dodging

Lucian lets out a low whistle as he grips his staff and a hound of shadow appears with a howl, between the Lucian and the chosen target. Luci then taps his own arm which creates a light, shadowy barrier around his body.

"By the Flames of Chaos!" Killian roars and immediately and aura of courage and protection spreads out from him to encompass all those within the range of his influence. He holds his mighty two-handed axe ready to do battle against the foes around them.

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Leh'veia pulls forth her lyre and begins to sing.

Round 1 of 8

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The shimmering forms at the points of the mosaic solidify into eight medium-sized horrors, with bloody features, skull-like visages, and sharp spiky protrusions from their exposed thick bloody hides. Each wields a dark metal sword and has a crossbow strapped across their backs.

To the northern side of the chamber appears a large centaurian form, that looks to be an odd combination of giant scorpion and massive humanoid warrior. It dons a dull grey armor bearing the scars of many battles and wields a large heavy scimitar in each hand.

To the southern side of the chamber appears a large bipedal form covered in bronze-colored armor plates. Its right arm ends in a huge weapon of curious shape and it has a shield strapped across its back.

Almost immediately everyone, except Keltos and Natrix seem to have gone deaf. They can neither hear nor speak or create sound of any kind.

"This should be fun," Kris says with a grin - she darts out to the north-west, her body twisting and spinning with her scimitar drawn. She reaches the creature there and lets forth a flurry of attacks before twisting and dancing back away from the enemy.

As Kris closes to her chosen target, suddenly all the sound of the chamber rushes back in on her.

"RRRawwll Uuuurr!"

The skull-faced fiend howls in pain and anger as Kris' demon blade cleaves into its thorny flesh. Black ichor oozes from the slashes and smears on the scimitar's blade.

A faint violet tendril of mist appears hovering in the air to the south, before fading out again.

With a look of confusion and desperation, Leh'veia clutches her throat as no sound emerges. She drops her lyre and begins tearing off all her clothes and equipment and tossing them on the floor around her.

Keltos drops a smoke grenade obscuring A3, A4, B3,B4. He Then moves crouches low and maintains his position in A4