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The Skinsaw man leaps forward again. The fake face of Sasha snarls and the mouth distends, revealing sharp fangs and that too-long ghoulish tongue. He makes to bite Sasha, who reels back, but it is only a feint, as his left hand darts out to catch her arm, claws digging painfully into her flesh. Then in the same fluid motion he pulls her forward and slashes out with his war razor. Its the same move that he used to decapitate Seoni, but Sasha, ever nimble manages to keep the blade from her throat. Instead the thin blade slices through her leather armor and cuts her deeply from clavicle to sternum.
Sasha's eyes roll back in pain as she watches her blood spray across her own face worn by her foe. But her anger dulls the pain and she smashes the hilt of her rapier into that mock-face. His nose and cheekbone crack under the impact and he lets go in surprise, free hand cradling the wound. Sasha backs away towards Li Kao and the room's exit.
Malvick reaches for two of his "special" arrows and lets loose at the Skinsaw man's unprotected back. The first strikes true, burying into the creature's ribs, but he ducks away from the second with infernal quickness. Malvick is not used to missing, and can only marvel at the inhuman reflexes that undeath has granted this man.
And then Xer is there. Nimbly threading her way through her companions and interposing herself between the skinsaw man and her bleeding friend. She strikes out, trying to land another blow to the ruined left side of his face, but he easily bats aside the attack and tries again to get at Sasha.
With a dismissive shove he shoulders through Xer and attacks Sasha again and again. This time feinting with the wicked war razor, he sinks his fangs into her forearm as she parries, then strikes her down with a vicious claw to the side of her head. Sasha collapses, unconscious and bleeding badly.
"Sasha!" Xer screams. She launches into a flurry of punches and kicks. Laughing, the Skinsaw man turns aside all of her attacks, and offers mockingly, "Shall you be next then?"
From across the room Malvick watches yet another friend fall. From where he is standing he cannot tell whether Sasha is alive or dead. Stoically he continues to fire arrow after arrow at the undead murderer. they thunk deep into his undead flesh but fail to pierce anything vital, for the fiend continues to taunt Xer as if Malvick's attacks were but bee stings.
With a roar Yola practically leaps over Li Kao and launches herself at the Skinsaw man, but her foots is spoiled by so much of Sasha's blood that she misses him. Li Kao however, takes advantage of the distraction to drag Sasha out of harm's way and cast a healing prayer on her, saving her from death's door. Li Kao notes that while his magic has saved her life, her body is rigidly paralyzed from the the Skinsaw man's poisonous and corrupting touch.
As Li Kao works to help Sasha, there is a yelp and then snarling from behind him. The surviving ghoul goblin has snuck back into the tunnel and attacked Ariva! Despite watching its companions butchered by Yola and Xer, the little undead could not fight against its compunction to serve its master. Its natural fear and hatred of all things Dog has now sent it into a maddened rage.
Aldern assesses his situation and sees that he is pinned between two very angry women. As yet another of Malvick's arrows strikes him, he decides to shift tactics. Turning again to Xer he says, "Wait a here moment. I promise I won't be late for our date." With that he somersaults back into the room towards Malvick. Yola and Xer both try to land blows on him as he rolls away, but he is just too fast. Too fast for Malvick as well. He springs up beside the ranger, cutting him across the leg as he rises. The Skinsaw man glowers at him still through Sasha's visage and mocks, "Admit it, you always liked me just a little," then looms forward, fangs dripping...
5 comments:
((assuming I used a Rebuke Death on Sasha stabilizing her. I will then proceed to cast Sanctuary on her so she can't be further hurt. Following round Li Kao will take advantage of the close formation of his allies by channeling energy for a party wide heal. Gonna have to hope Ariva can handle herself for now.))
Li Kao waves a burning incense over Sasha. The smoke takes on it's own life and makes a continuous route around her body creating a mystical protection from aggressors. He then closes his eyes and begins a deep sonorous "Ohm" that seems to radiate off the walls filling his allies with healing energies.
At one point during battle before she collapses Sasha will have yelled at Alderan.
"You're a prisoner fiend. You're going to die on your knees. It might not be me who kills but you'll never forget what is done to you here today. Run put know we will hunt you down to the ends of the Pits themselves."
OOC: When Sasha collapses under the weight of his attacks.
***
Opening her eyes Sasha is awake in her bed back at her Father's home. She can hear her brother's fighting downstairs. Getting up she rubs her eyes and reaches for the whip at her side.
The grey world has now turned to colour. Racing down stairs she can hear plates and cups being banged and and cleaned.
"Good morning sweetie!" Her mother is smiling at her with honey and sweetness in her voice. She turns to her brothers who are arguing over the last biscuit.
"Morning," she replies. "How long have I been sleeping?"
Shoving a plate of food in front of Sasha and mug of ale on the table her mother turns to her.
"A long while. You went out with Jackobsianl last night. I say he is a handsome fellow and if your father didn't like him you'd be in a lot of trouble."
Dropping the mug of ale she stands and points to the whipe neatly mounted on the wall.
"Why is THAT on the wall?"
He mother looks at the wall and turns around baffled. We mounted there the night your father returned home from that terrible wreck don't you remember. He swore of doing that terrible merchant work. It was the night before he signed up with the guard.
Before she can respond the door swing wide open and a burly man with a thick beard strides through with large sack.
"Aw my love. You'r captain has returned." Dumping the sack on the table apples and meats fall out.
He grabs Sasha's mother by the waist and gives her a playful kiss as she mock-fends him off.
"Father?" Sasha trembles her lower lip wavers and she grips her rapier hilt for comfort to find it's missing. Actually, everything is: rapier, scoundrel clothes, extra daggers. She's somehow in civilian if somewhat provocative garb.
"There's my girl. Now I know you want to know what happened but let's just say after being bested in sailing Jackobsianl is a fine man and despite being a little rough around the edges I think you'd make him a fine wife and you have my blessing."
It dawns on Sasha how much she loves her suitor. Her family is united and happy.
As she cleans up her ale her mother looks down at her and cocks her head to one side.
"Is everything alright sweetie you seem different today ..."
"Yes, I mean, sort of, I mean ... I had this strange dream. I was playing cards on this ship and we headed to Sandpoint for a gaming tournament. There was the halfing bard Poot, a knight Gerund, a strange sorceress with a heart of gold Seoni and women Barbarian, Yola .... we were fighting goblins and ..."
"Yes, dear, its sounds fascinating these dreams of yours but if don't hurry you'll be late for work at the Tavern."
Sasha's eyes go wide as she realizes how she's been saving money to by her wedding cloth for the last years and tonight's shift will complete the full amount.
"Smiling wickedly she takes a mouthful of her father's ale grabs her jacket and runs out of the house to the sounds of laughter and her families merriment.
OOC:Yola is moving to the right of Xer and attacking Alderan, using my rage.
You bastard, you bastard, YOU BASTARD - Yola yells running full tilt into Alderan to slice his hide.
Mich
Trying to remember which dot is which. The behind the scenes look was cool.
Worried look on her face when Sasha collapses watching her get dragged away angry fire enteres her eyes.
"You evil putrid son of a piebald whore, I will rip you apart with my bare hands for that and use your skull as a chamber pot."
Xerlena attempts to flank Aldern and use flurry of blows to attack from behind while he is focused on trying to kill the Ranger. "You won’t escape my wrath that easy you spineless worm!”
Xerlena is almost foaming at the mouth in rage and will continue to utter insults during her attacks. If there is an opening she will grapple Aldern so that others can get a clear attack in.
remember that the Initiative order sidebar lists which coloured odt is which..
Greg
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