Episode 2

Maeriks
R3

Maeriks' body is now half-man and half-bull. Perhaps Maeriks has never fully understood that he has mysterious powers granted to him for unexplained reasons from his heritage in the Danneinkiff. If that was ever in doubt before, no longer now. Some sort of super natural event is happening, whether Maeriks is controlling it or not.

Though disoriented, Maeriks assaults the attacking myrmidon with ferocity, using the emerging horns and hooves to gore and shove.

Gore attack Hit
MZ comparison STR Athletics. Myrmidon wins comparison, avoids Grapple and forced Movement.

Round 3
Notional Freeze-Frame Battle Map Update

Kray
R3

Kray fights with fury, wielding the wicked Serpent's Judgment with deadly precision but also holding high one of the only light sources in the great chamber. The torch whiffs and puffs, flares and wanes, as Kray has to concentrate primarily on keeping the enemies at bay with the weapon in his favored hand.

The light of the fire shines from Kray outward, basking his enemies in a disturbing glare. Shadows roll out from him in all directions. Darkness lurks in on the perimeter beyond him. He fights on a fragile wavering island of light, where the battle is the fiercest, with scraping, moaning, hacking fiends surrounding him on all sides.

The Jeresian centurion's series of violent swings takes its toll on the maniacal wretch that besets him. The gaunt slave's fury is without bounds. It ignores pain and strives obsessively to continue is onslaught, but Kray cuts into the ghoulish waif's torso repeatedly and then finally splits its skull with a heaving backhanded slash.

Kray shoves in on the bloodied wretch, toppling it over as it finally goes limp and crashes to the floor like a bag of meat. Overtaking the space and pressing forward, Kray turns his ferocity onto the next opponent, bringing the Otessite blade to bear against the rugged armored hoplite who fights like a desperate madman.

All Attacks Hit (after re-roll). Last Attack diverted to Myrmidon Y.
Movement implemented.

Bryn
R3

The myrmidon diverts his attention when he is attacked by Kray. Bryn tries to capitalize on the distraction and stab the rugged soldier in the torso. The damaged but still-viable armor cuirass worn by the myrmidon deflects the blow however.

Attack 1 Miss

Bryn draws another weapon and keeps up the assault, slashing at his opponent yet again.

Attack 2 Hit

Bryn sees the myrmidon's stern face beneath the shadows of his helmet. The man's jaw is clinched in determination, yet he fights in absolute silence - his eyes cold. Empty.

Previously, on Trece Solo...Trece comes to a hallway that turns a hard-right corner. On this close side, there are two lanterns hanging on sconces. Around the corner to the right, Trece hears voices. Close by. One of the voices is Uburatu, barking orders.

Trece peaks around the corner. The hallway continues down another 30 feet and then opens into a large open room beyond. There is no other light in the hallway past the corner, but a distant glow of light can be seen at the opposite end of the great room.

At the end of the short hallway, right at the opening threshold of the great room, stands Nabua with his back turned.



Just beyond Nabua is Uburatu, also facing forward into the room. A grouping of his brute myrmidons stand beside him on both sides. Uburatu and most of his soldiers appear to be armored. Surely, they are all armed. Some are holding shields. Nabua has his bow with an arrow notched.

They are all looking across the room, towards the light on the other side. From there at the distant light on the far side of the room come the sounds of shouting, clangs of metal, jeers, cries of pain, hisses, and growls -- the sounds of battle. There is a battle going on beyond the Fiend Faction soldiers, a battle that they are watching.

"Get ready, you dog," Uburatu grumbles at Nabua. "Send arrows down range every time you get a shot. Put one in Elam’s heart the moment you see him. If you fail to put him down, I will string you up and flay the meat from your back before morning. Do you understand!?"

Nabua only gives a quiet, "Yes," as his answer.

More shouts from Uburatu, ordering his squad. "Ready another volley! We throw twice more at clear targets when they emerge, and then we approach. When javelins are spent, draw weapons and engage. Pick off the weak quickly. They will emerge separated and confused. If Elam breaks forth, all blades on him. Cut him down! Release the dead to charge once we see targets."

There are some chains rattling. Trece can see the silhouette of the chains now, linked to collars on some of the mens’ necks. Apparently some of Uburatu’s troops are slaves?

Trece waits. Watches. Listens. Trying to get every piece of the situation, but it is not completely clear what is going on. He knows he is coming up behind a battle line of a Fiend Faction squad led by Uburatu. He knows that the enemies of Uburatu’s group is in the great room beyond, in some sort of battle.

It is difficult to see what is going on in the low lighting.

But Nabua is still standing there with his back turned, only a few long strides away. The goat man fires an arrow.

"There he is!" Uburatu shouts. "He has broken free. Advance! Release the dead. Throw and advance! Get to him!"

Trece can’t exactly see what is happening, but there are chains rattling. Now the armored myrmidons are moving forward, further into the room.

Nabua stays though. He fires another arrow. He is alone now. The others have stepped away.

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Trece eyes Nabua, like a hungry lion stalking from the bushes. He recounts his promised words, silently in his mind You are a sworn enemy of Palla Ba; in turn, a sworn enemy of mine. As long as you are within these walls, death will come for you...

He begins his approach, the white cast iron spoon sliding seamlessly into his grip, as he strides towards his prey.

(Stealth Check (Adv): 21 (14+7)/Nat1)

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Opponent Perception Comparison, at Disadvantage. Result 4. Stealth Movement attempt successful.

Trece creeps right up behind Nabua, within striking range. The goat man is completely distracted, his focus and attention on the developing battle ahead.

Optional Action, Trece: can take Action in Surprise circumstance for this Round

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Trece adjust his grip on the spoon to make an effective strike, aiming towards Nabua's torso.

WCI Attack 1: 25 (2/16+9); Damage: 9 (1+8)

Keeping the spoon inside, he uses it as a handle to draw the goatman in closer, whispering in his ear "I've arrived." Following up with two swift punches directed at his head

Unarmed Attack 2: 21 (13/14+7); Damage: 9 (5+4)
Unarmed Bonus: 17 (10/6+7); Damage: 6 (2+4)

Using the momentum of withdrawing the spoon, he pushes Nabua away to ready himself for the counter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nabua is taken completely by surprise by the attacks. The goat man reels and falters, dropping arrows from his hand as he clutches reflexively at the painful wound in his back. His eyes are wide with fear and shock when he twists around to see Trece.

He falters and puts a hand down to he floor to keep from falling, then turns to run.

All 3 Attacks Hit
Required Action, Trece: Roll for Retro Initiative (1d10+Mod) for next round.
Mechanics Blue: Nabua Initiative 7.

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Initiative: 11 (7+4).

Trece looms over the goat man, the spoon paced in a defensive position dripping with the scared fawn's blood. Seeing Nabua's intent to run, he shakes his head and calls out in a whisper "You've escaped me once, it will not happen again."

As quickly as the sentence ends, Trece's arm lashes out like viper striking it's target.
WCI1: 24 (15+9); 11 (3+8)
U2: 11 (4+7); 7 (3+4)
UB: 9 (2+7); 8 (4+4)

(I'll spend a Ki point on my spoon attack to attempt a stun. DC 15 Con I believe.)

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Wounded. Staggering. Nabua struggles but is barely able to keep his balance to avoid the last pair of dangerous attacks. The goat man stays low to the ground and stumbles away to put some distance between him and Trece.

Action: Disengage.

"Alarm!" he shouts in Otessite. "Here! Eumash's killer. The Seetan!"

The goat man moves away further in the room, but angling off to the left. He makes it to a hulking muscular man, or half-man of some sort. He has red horns, scaled skin with some spikes growing from his elbows.



The devilish man is throwing a javelin forward into the room when Nabua approaches him from behind. When Nabua calls out, the big devil turns to look back. He sees Nabua first, and then Trece. He turns, staring and processing the confusing sight.

He pulls a chain as he turns around, and a wretched slobbering slave lopes back around and faces Trece as well. The waste of a man looks horrid -- skin pale, hair thinned down to only a few strands. But the slave is savage; it screams in rage. On its hands are mailed gloves with sharp metal ends that serve as claws. The snarling gaunt is hunched over, using its hands along with its feet as it moves across the floor. It is more like a beast than a man. It is coughing filth from its mouth.

Off to the center of the room, Trece sees Uburatu, the armored myrmidon captain. He turns around as well to see Trece. --------------------------------------------------------------------

Once intently staring at Nabua, Trece casts his gaze off him as if he no longer existed. His view shifts to Uburatu, standing his ground, he calls out no longer whispering "Uburatu! It would seem a mob makes brave men of cowards; proven twice now by your pet goat." Trece extends his arms to his side; a clentched fist on one side and a blood covered spoon in the other. "Prove me wrong, King Coward."

Action: Dodge. Effective AC: 18

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Upon seeing Trece, Uburatu quietly states the name by which he knows him,

"The boxer."

...more to himself perhaps as he realizes who he is dealing with.

Hearing Trece's challenge, Uburatu glares at him in contempt and anger. The hulking captain turns his eyes to his lieutenant, the muscular devil man.

"Deal with this. Do not let him approach." Uburatu commands forcefully as he points at Trece with contempt.

The horned man with the chained slave meets eyes with his commander, revealing almost no expression even as he returns his watch on Trece.

"And watch Elam! HE is the target," Uburatu shouts again before turning his back and marching forward in the room, towards the raging battle ahead. He looks to the side and yells out at the cowering Nabua, "Rise up and fight, you worm! March forward, or I'll spill your guts on this floor before anyone else bleeds a drop!"

Nabua swoons as he tries to stand. His face full of nothing but terror.

As Uburatu and Nabua advance deeper into the great room, the muscled devil stares at Trece, smiles, and then releases the chain on the slave’s collar.

Round 3 Update

Actions In: Maeriks, Kray, Bryn, Elam, Namtur, Adar-Malic, Akkeen

Actions Remaining: Ahri, Thorn, Iasu, Trece, Spider-Men, Rabisu, Myrmidons, Gel

Ahri
R3

Ahri is struggles to get his bearings. The sticky translucent gel is tossing and swirling him around, shifting him towards its center. Ahri can feel the bodies of the spider monsters rolling through the sludge with him. His eyes burn when he opens them, and he can barely see even when he does - only colors of the dim torchlight. He is becoming more and more disoriented.

DC to escape Engulf increases each Round victim is trapped within.
Ahri attempt escape, STR Athletics Check DC 13.
Fail Save.

Ahri pulls with his arms and kicks with his legs but makes little headway. He is obstructed by the dead bodies floating all around him. The gel pushes in against him on all sides, adjusting to keep him stuck in the middle mass.

Round 3 Map UpdateActions Remaining: Thorn, Iasu, Trece, Spider-Men, Rabisu, Myrmidons, Gel