[D&D 3.5] Dark Storms Gather

[Rogue 9]

Gror's hammer missed as he charged, but he brought it back to the creature on the backswing, the weapon glowing white with holy power. He struck it a solid blow on the torso, but rather than shoot into the creature, the light fizzled. "Take tha', ye bastard!"

[rhoenix]

Making a reverberating moaning noise of pain, the creature Grer had struck immediately attempted to attack him back with one of its strong legs, tipped with wicked-looking serrated claws - but the attack simply bounced off of the Dwarven Paladin's armor harmlessly. It hooted its displeasure.

[Academia Nut]

Concentrating on keeping the swarm cohesive, Doran shouted out, "They are attempting to herd us to the northwest. Break northeast in a cohesive group. Someone rally the goblins, we need to stand strong on this! Also, these creatures see via sound, so any noise cancelling magics anyone might have would be quite useful right now. Also, stay out of the swarm, they will attack anything within their confines and will not stop attacking something they have bloodied until I dismiss them."

While he said this Doran took his own advice and began to move towards the northeast, away from the swarm and the direction they were being herded.

[Haizu]

Once more taking aim, Eddie exhaled and slowly squeezed the trigger. The bolt leapt from his crossbow and streaked towards the creature that had just struck Grer. His aim true, the entire side of the abominations head exploded outward in a shower of gore as the bolt blasted straight through and buried itself in a tree. With grim determination, Eddie loaded another bolt and took aim once more.

[Jason_Firewalker]

Striking out with both his weapons Sylvandor missed with his beautiful Thinblade but his ornate Lightblade found home and entered where the beast's eye would be had it any. Drawing the blade out he yelled to the goblins "If we work together we can all survive!"

[rhoenix]

Two of the strange creatures, though they were trying to help the others in encircling the travelers and the goblins both, ended up retching horribly instead, unable to do anything else due to the intense nausea caused by the bats, having arrived out of nowhere to harass.

The goblins, rallied by Sylvandor's cry, formed a rudimentary defensive line, one of the goblins, though obviously a little nervous, lashing out at one of the creatures still running around all of them. The goblins themselves appeared to be trying to goad the creatures into widening their circle as well, though feints and well-timed slashes.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Volans looked around the field of battle, quickly surveying it for an opportunity he knew had to exist. Then he spotted it and opened his set of secondary ribs that supported his wings and propelled himself into the air with several powerful downward beats, moving himself quickly above his companions and coming down on the outside of the circle.

He lined up two of the creatures against which he had a clear line of fire, one of them was vomiting, the other was busy encircling the rest of the group.

One finger pointed along his body axis toward the creatures, the other pointed toward the sky. He dove into his mind and brought up the pattern for his Scintilating shere spell, but he only partially taped into its power. He drew out a tiny portion he could replenish on a whim and channeled that tiny portion into his raised hand, then through the rest of his body into his pointed hand. His arms crackled with arcane power and with a modest thunderclap, a stroke of lightning arced from his hand toward the two creatures

(Targeting Dreteschen 2 and 6, DC 18 reflex for half, 12 damage)

[rhoenix]

The goblins during this worrying time were not idle. Two of them prepared to lash out viciously at the strange creatures that were still trying to herd them to the northwest, the first missing outright, the second's short sword simply bouncing off of the creature's tough hide.

However, the creature both goblins were attacking was certainly not idle, either. It and one of its kin had been hit hard with a blast of lightning, the ozone in the air still strong, and was obviously furious about it. Utterly ignoring the attempts of the goblins to strike it while it momentarily stood still, it retaliated where the blast had come with an echoing, reverberating roar - directly at Volans, still in mid-air. The sonic blast hit the Draconan mage hard, and threatened to bring the winged mage back to the ground below with a heavy impact.

[Cynical Cat]

There were certain rules to life. One was when an enemy was down, kick his ribs in. Saiden was much of a rule follower, but this one had a certain visceral appeal and functionality in the rough and tumble world of professional adventuring.

Scarlet flames ignited around his gauntleted hand and flashed through the air at one of the nauseated beasts. The impact blasted open a huge smoking wound in the creature's side and sprayed the nearby bushes with cooked flesh and smoking blood. The creature gave a mournful cry and fell over.

[rhoenix]

Almost at the same time as Saidin's brutal strike, one of the goblins took the opportunity to swipe viciously at one of the other creatures, but missed.

One of the creatures looked as if it were about to launch an attack, but fell over coughing helplessly. Its companion was less afflicted, and promptly loosed a roar at Saidin borne of pure rage, but it went wide, striking a cloud of the bats Doran had summoned instead.

However, the remaining creatures were regrouping, and their tactics were changing.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Volans looked over at the creature roaring at him and tensed up, prepared for the worst as he came down to land and give his taxed wing muscles a few seconds respite. The blast of sound hit him, and his defenses went into effect.

An energy field that appeared to be comprised of the same material as a dragonfly's wing materialized around him and absorbed the entirety of the creature's attack before cracking and shattering into a million gossamer fragments and evaporating into tiny motes of light. The wizard was completely unharmed.

[Rogue 9]

Gror hefted his hammer over his shoulder and charged again, picking the nearest creature and bringing it down in an overhand strike as he got within range. The creature tried to dodge, but too late. The hammer came down at the base of its neck, smashing the collarbone and pulping what lay beneath. The strange monster shuddered and fell dead.

[Haizu]

Still crouched down in the bushes undetected, Eddie grimaced at the carnage his new companions were inflicting on these hellish creatures. Regaining his composure, Eddie took the first opening he saw for his next attack. Steadying his aim, Eddie fired at one of the creatures. The bolt flew through the air and hit one of the creatures that was busy spilling it's intestines onto the ground....now literally. The missile took it in the side, ripping through it's kidneys and pulling the intestines along with it as it stuck quivering in the ground. Standing there with what only could be assumed as surprise, the creature slowly dropped to it's knees and then slumped over onto it's own pile of innards.

[Academia Nut]

Taking a deep breath, Doran released the magic holding the swarm together before he cried out a long, incoherent noise as he charged the remaining creature not engulfed in his swarm and struck out with his spear, only to miss landing a telling blow.

[Jason_Firewalker]

Slicing out with his twin blades Sylvandor just missed finding his mark on the creature infront of him.

[rhoenix]

Just after Sylvandor lashed out with his blades at one of the strange creatures, and narrowly missed, one of the goblins let out a shrieking yell to give himself courage, and charged right at one of the retching creatures.

It was pure dumb luck that saved the creature's life. Just as the brave goblin swung overly hard with his short sword at the creature, a racking, retching noise caused it to shudder wildly, which turned what seemed like a sure hit into a near miss, bouncing off the creature's tough hide. The goblin seemed to shrink slightly, knowing he was near to the ones remaining who were still mobile, and very cranky.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Volans maneuvered himself to line himself up with two of the mobile destrachen (2 and 7)

He let out a deep breath and replenished the tiny piece of his latent magical power that he had used but a few seconds before, and tapped in again. The pattern for his scintilating sphere spell once again danced in his mind, but he only selected the tiny portions of it that he needed to form his miniature stroke of lightning. This was the most efficient and expedient use of his power at this time. Combat was too close to use his proper Scintillating Sphere, and these creatures went down easily enough that it would have been overkill in any case.

He lined up his body axis, and stretched out his right clawed hand toward his targets, lighting arced off his upward pointed left claw to his right through his shoulders and lanced out at his targets.

(10 damage)

[rhoenix]

The smell of ozone still lingered in the air from the previous burning electrical bolts that had rent the air and left nothing but pain in their wake. Though the still-moving of the creatures evidently could sense the change of pressure in the air, and the uprising ozone, it was obvious they knew it was about to happen again.

Both of the creatures tried frantically to dive out of the way, despite their nausea - however, only one of them was still moving when the ozone in the air began to lull once again, the bolt having already rent the air it had passed through. The other lay very still, large scorch marks marring its once-lithe form.

[Cynical Cat]

Violet bolts flashed from Saidin's fingers, striking one of the beasts in the flank and blasting holes in another's throat and chest. With a warbling gurgle, the second fell.

[Haizu]

Yet another bolt streaked from the halflings crossbow and took one of the remaining two Drestchan high in the chest. It fell with a wheezing gasp as it's last breath escaped from it's lungs.

[Academia Nut]

Lining up on the last surviving beast, Doran sets his spear and rushes the creature, only for it to twist out of the way at the last instant, denying him any sort of hit at all.

Growling, Doran noted grimly to the aberration as he reset his footing, "You're still outnumbered."

[rhoenix]

Darting like a graceful wind, Sylvandor raced toward the last of the strange creatures still alive, which happened to be rather near him. Striking like a hungry snake, he lashed out at it with both blades. One seemed to wound it grievously, but the other missed by an inch.

Emboldened by the elf's example, one of the goblins yelled something to give himself courage, and raced toward the same creature, though managed to miss as it swung. The look of disappointment plain on the goblin's face, he ran back to its previous position, and held position with the others.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Volans watched the near dead creature sway back and forth with blood loss and Nausia. It could not possibly stay alive for long, and he could end this with a stroke of lighting. The problem with that was that there were others in the line of effect and if he were to try to go over he could not be certain enough of his accuracy.

He made a quick decision and opened up his mind. He tapped into well of power he daily wrested from the universe in his preparation and recalled the pattern for a spell.

He held his hand out, palm facing him, elbow at a right angle and brought his middle finger to his thumb

"Einleitung!" he called out to initiate the spell. Energy seemed to flicker over his skin as un-shaped magical power coursed through every synapse between every nerve in his body.

He swiftly changed hand-position now to that his hanf was straight out before him, palm facing to the ground. The energy was starting to coalesce on his hand now.

"Hexen!" he rotated his wrist so that his palm was facing up and his elbow touched his stomach. Everything was now at his hand which glowed with a blue-green radiance.

"Raketan!" and he thrust his hand out, causing three luminous bolts to streak unerringly toward the last remaining creature, ripping savagely into its flesh.

[rhoenix]

As the last of the strange creatures fell, the goblin holding the donkey's head surveyed the carnage around them, putting away his weapon as he did. The other goblins followed their leader's example, and stood around, quietly, and patiently. Soon enough (though it was a long pause to a goblin), the leader turned to address the travelers. He spoke in a rough Common dialect.

"Thank yous, yous saved us's lifes. All de runnerz are dead, only de beeg one lef' now," he said, pointing to the Northwest. "Thass whar she be. Beeg momma, an' she cranky after yous kill her kids," he added, shaking his head. "She get to thinkin' after a while, an' come looking."

Suddenly, he grinned savagely, and faced the travelers once more, his eyes wide open with glee. "But yous an' us still alive! An' not a scratch on us, wha's more! Even Blenky, an' he always gets poked."

One of the other goblins, presumably Blenky, grumbled something in Goblin.

Paying him no attention whatsoever, the evident leader continued, in tones of respect. "I be Slek, and us'ns're foragin' afore them and yous came along. I's and us's owe yous our lives - we owe yous a life favor," he said, smiling. The gasp from the other goblins, and the following reverent silence were unmistakable.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Volans grinned. Having a group of goblins as your friends, especially behind you, was a good thing in a place like this

"Well you wont be rid of your problem until we kill off their mother. I fail to see any redeeming quality in these wailing creatures. I propose we destroy the mother, if for no other reason than because these things are obviously intelligent and she might feel a certain degree of... spite. And we dont want one of these stalking us at night"