Rhiannon sees the Black Dragon opening its mouth to breathe out acid, and once again casts Create Water in the back of its throat. as the Dragon vomits water everywhere, she leaps forward with her moonblade, the cold blue light vaporizing scales as she strikes out with her hand. She "dances" with the maddened Dragon, her hand striking almost unerringly through wings, chest scales and forelimbs before she realizes that the time of her blade is ending. Darting to the Dragon's rear, she mutters a sanctuary spell and disappears from the Dragon's sight. "Take the opportunity I have given you," the others hear as the Dragon searches for where the human has disappeared to...
The Alekeep steps outside and seems to make time slow to a crawl for everyone as she makes her appearance finally.
With a shout she cries, "Damnit Mystra protect them!"
Fanning out from her quickly, a spell of protection from evil envelopes the defenders of the Alehouse.
The glint of her seemingly ostentatious Elven Chain attracts the Dragon's attention, arcane symbols of Mystra and the weave dance around the surface.
"Aye beast, you want to dance, you want to hurt someone, lets go. Arise defenders of the alehouse, this is NOT your time to die. Take heart, this beast is weakened, and soon he will be food."
The sword in her hand begins to radiate golden light around the eye of helm while the stars of mystra on her shield give off a faint blue aura.
"For Mystra, For Helm, For Cormyr, and for this Alehouse you WILL not live to terrorize or harm another soul, not while I still draw breath."
And with that she charges into the melee, leading with her shield.
Ebnar begins circle attack running around and through the Dragons legs, smashing his mace into shin and stomach, flashes of ice and snow gusted up from beneath the beast, each strike causing him a roar of pain, Ebnar narrowly dogdes the beast swinging at him with his claws, the ragged Dwarf skids down by his tail with a gruff groan, he notices despite the groups best the attempt the beast was still gaining the advantage. His eyes shift up the Dragons spine and a smirk creeps onto the Dwarfs face, throwing his shield to one side he begins running up the creatures back, dodging spike and claw as he does so, he reaches to base of the creatures skull and begins hammering into its skull with his mace, gripping his free hand into an open crevis in the Dragons scale, a magestic dance of ice and snow lifts up with every swing of the mace to the beast.
"Hah hah! I done always wanted a Dragon Mount!!" the Dwarf maniacly laughed, his body jittering up and down by the beasts surperior mass.
The Dragon rears its head up, either from pain its suffering the skull attacks or due to one of the groups attacks at the base, regardless the sudden jerk knocks the Dwarf off balance and he flips over the front of the Dragon's snout, his back and legs dangling in front of the gaping maw, the Dragon jerks again and the Dwarf falls landing in the cluster of teeth, the Dragon bites down hard which the Dwarf stops by using his arms and legs and body mass to stop the mouth from closing completly, despite the Dwarfs size it was clear his round shape was just as much muscle as flab and trying to crush him with jaw strength alone proved no easy feat, even for a Dragon's superior strength, Ebnar grunts and curses as the breath of the beast rises up into his nostrils and one of tooth digs into his arm, desperatly trying to hold the beasts mouth agape Ebnar roars and curses, his voice echoing out from the creatures gaping maw.
'well least i done removed his mouth from the battle!', he thinks to himself, his attention is drawn down as he sees a bubbling green foul smelling mass of liquid form in the base of beasts throat, vapours singe the Dwarfs beard as he relises the Dragon was going for an acid attack. He shifts his gaze back out and sees the Alekeep charging up her powers and aiming it for the Dragon, the Dwarf sighs loudy.
"Ah hells this is gonna hurt...!"
Despite his best effort he is too pinned in by the beasts jaw to escape, either he let go and becomes the Dragons lunch or he stays and melts to the bone. The fight was harder having the Dragons tounge constantly wrestle and attack the Dwarf in his weakened state, Ebnar bit down hard on the tounge with several growls, if the beasts could of roared in pain, he would have.
Suddenly from the distance he heard and all too familar voice. "Master Ebnar...!" it cried, as he sees his young ward charge headlong into the fray shouting a very heartfelt battlecry.
"Get back ye fool of a boy...!"
Ignoring his mentors order, young Vincent lunged forth with his sword digging it into Dragons hide and neck, the sword the Elf Stalker gave him earlier proved a keen edge and easily sliced into the Dragon's thick scale, the Half-Elf retracted and stabbed his sword over and over again, causing the Dragon to wheel around in pain and strike him with his tail, the young Half-Elf boy was struck and went hurdling through the air crashing into the Alehouse wall with a sickening crack and slowerly slid to the ground, his sword lifeless on the ground. Ebnar watched in horror as his ward was thrown back and a terrible rage took him, his neck veins popped out and his skin turned lobster red, he roared loudly inside the Dragons gaping maw.
"YE OVERSIZED LIZARD! NOBODY HARMS ME WARD!! NOBODY!!"
With a new found strength and the help of his Bersekerer rage the Dwarf lifts the Dragons mouth open, still with considerable strain but at last the tide was turned, he began punching at the beasts razor sharp teeth, cracking some and knocking a few out, some dug into his fist leaving open wounds on the Dwarf's hand but the Dwarf was unphased, finally the Dragon reared back in pain and shook the Dwarf free of his mouth, Ebnar went hurdling into the ground, face full of muck and grime, he dousnt stop to catch his breath and pushes himself to his feet, his face even redder and angered.
Using the distraction provided by the others haggard launches himself onto the beasts head and stabs down forcefully a blade. Which he then uses to stay atop the dragon as it whips it's head around.
"Damn I did not think this through"
The dragon is tossing its head the, Haggard grasping his stuck blade and hacking at the beasts head with the other is now along for the ride. With a violent whip of it's neck Haggard's blade is unlodged and he is thrown free, Yumi desperately tries to carry her master through the air but he lands with a splat in some mud near the dwarf.
"Ugh, I fear that some of this mud isn't mud" he groans to himself
Getting to his feet he flicks the filth off of his blades.
"Definitely not mud"
Surveying the battle he sees the barkeep attacking, and the barbarian and dwarf readying themselves for another charge. The female bard is no where to be seen yet and the dwarf's ward is lying in a crumpled heap on the ground.
"Where the hells are goddamn mages and clerics when you need them!" He yells
Hearing the call, the Elven Stalker picks up her bow and eyes the situation. Finding some protection behind some trees, she begins training arrows at the beasts eyes, while also providing cover fire for the fallen.
Ebnar snarls and unsheaths his axe still attached at his belt, he roars "Attack!" and the keen axe lept from his grasp, flashes of silver and gold bounces off the beaming weapon as it met its mark and lodged deep in the Dragons chest, a splutter of blood seaped from the wound. Without resting the Dwarf swung his mace around in his grip and began whispering Dwarven speech into the haft of the ice coated weapon, a gradual growing of ice appeared on the ground before him and from the glittering sheen of glass a figure rose up absorbing the crystal like substance to form a body, same size as the Dwarf with much of the same features but coated completly in a shielding blue and white armor, a sparkle of frost etched across its body. It stood there motionless for several moments before turning and looking at the onslaughting Dragon and unsheathed what could only be described as pure ice covered axe. It charged headlong into the beast, no words were muttred from its ice coated form, followed in step by Ebnar who was more than happy to release a blood curdling war cry.
The two worked in unison, striked and rolling out of the Dragons path, both striking at opposite ends of the beast confusing the great wyrm to which one it should strike first. Its descion made, it decided to go for Ebnar and blurted a sickening green and yellow ooze from its maw which shot out at the speed of a crossbow bolt, Ebnar braced himself for an inevitable collision of acid but the ice dwarf stood in front of him and accepted the strike. The acid melted away from the strange dwarf clones ice body and dropped to the dirt, sizzling and devouring anything it touched, both continued the assault without pause. Rearing up the Dragon went for a straightforward bite towards the ragged Dwarf, in unison both he and the ice clone catch the Dragon by the skull and neck, pinning it to the ground, both struggled viciously to hold the beast in place, its nashing teeth clipping and shredding peices of shin and flesh from both Ebnar and the ice clone but still both held it tightly to the ground while it thrashed to be free, a horrific alien roar and growl bowling up from its depths.
"Whatever ever ye planning lass i be doing it now!" Ebnar growled at the Alekeep, his teeth still gritted from trying to keep the great beasts mighty head to the dirt, he began beating the beasts serpent type neck with his mace, ice sharps lodged into the mighty Wyrms scales causing its roar of rage to sound louder.
Rushing in to help the dwarf, Haggard plunge a blade into a wing of the dragon pinning it to the ground and begins to hack away with the other. Yumi flys up to the dragons ruined face and begins nipping it in the eye. The Dragon's struggling intensifies, and it begins to let out a desperate rather than a fearsome roar.
"I agree with the short one" Yells the bloodied and filth covered blade, "My enchantments are almost spent and my strength is waning, I don't know if I can come back from another blow!" he pants, while keeping the wing pinned and dodging the strikes from the dragon's tail and rear legs.
Knoland recovers from his being knocked to the ground with the aid of the others.. Knoland grips his mighty axe and begins to swing it over and over at the dragons side. He hears Ebnar still yelling at the dragon and taps into his own inner rage... (Knoland enters into Berserker Rage!) With each swing Knoland's axe starts to look like a burr of metal and blood. By the Gods of the North! DIE!!!!
Latronis, the mage who initiated the fight; now safely out of the dragon's physical reach, was enjoying the show. The fiendish monkey at his feet equally spellbound. It wasn't everyday one received such a show afterall.
Something was wrong though, there was enough open space for the dragon to take to the wing yet he had refrained from doing so as long as patrons' attacks were little more than annoyance, now they had started to actual wound the beast it seemed even more imminent, and yet the wyrm stayed firmly on solid ground.
Not as fast as a dragon flies the lizardfolk had been slowly gathering at the treeline since the fight began in earnest, and though the mage could see none of the black scaled descendants of the dragon amongst them it was very unlike lizardfolk to hang back from a fight. No there was something going to happen that hadn't been accounted for. Almost as if the thought itself was a taunt suddenly a javelin came flying towards the lone mage. The bone point shattered and the wooden shaft splintered beyond repair as it fell harmlessly to the ground, deflected harmlessly by the blade of forcing dancing around his torso. Snapping his head towards his assailant he barked out the infernal word for pain and the lizard dropped to the ground with a croak writhing in agony. Temporarily disabled the others still seemed unwilling to join the fray.
The mage cast his hand out and half a dozen sparks flew to the ground landing at equal points around his familiar. Looking up the monkey's face drooped with disappointment; "don't look at me like that" he scolded the little guy, "This is going to hurt me asmuch as you" Rummaging through the pack the monkey soon pulled at a large dark gem glowing with its own internal flame and placed it on the ground as lines of fire sprang up connecting each point to each other.
The loose surface soil was already starting to writhe as earthworms and other ground-dwelling insects tried to escape the heat inside the diagram as the gem began to shake and brighten before exploding, dark oily smoke snaking towards every living thing trapped by the spellform.
Not wasting time the fiendish primate scooped the small handful of creepy crawlies, now tainted by the essence of a pit fiend and popped them into his mouth with a grimace.
Gagging but not bringing anything back up and the little monkey doubled over squeeling, its muscles normally hidden by his soft black and pink fur began to bulge visible as the mage growled in pain before beginning a chant. Twisting onto his back Behemon, began to grow, bulging muscles doublign and doubling again as the sounds of his bones expanding caused joints to pop audibly. Mouth wide open in silent scream his canines enlarged as his jaw elongated and extra horns sprouting from his twisted skull as the fiend within tried to force its new form into a more natural shape.
The mages chanting increased in volume, face straining through the pain as the familiar's fur began to lengthen fighting to retain his own shape. Soon the longest hair began to ignite, flames running down the beasts forelimbs its size kept increasing. Several minutes of agony and growth passed before Behemon stood the transformation complete. Once a tiny monkey off odd colouring and with small horns on top of his head the familiar was now barely recognizeable as a primate, easily 12' of horned fury and flame, though still dwarved by the dragon.
"We can't afford to let that possession take root Behe", the mage whispered leaning hard against his staff. "So don't go picking any fights until the wyrm is about to take flight"
A tingling at the back of his skull, and then another and another was warning of impending magical transportation. The mage's gaze flicked from tree to tree, as he counted a half-score of beings about to arrive.
"The trees, the slimy Geckos are coming by the trees.."
The ward would only delay their arrival a few moments. Just long enough too...
Casting out his left arm one of the force blades flew away from its brothers into the mages grip; Six blades bacame five and though they adjusted themselves to continuing their protection they now made a barrier not quite so thick. Lightning leapt along the outstretched limb and dove into the blade just as the nearest tree his arm was pointing towards began to bulge near its roots. The blade continued to take its electrical charge as the bark seemed to melt away revealing the black scaled face of the first lizardfolk shaman. Long sleek body soon followed and Lat released his grip on the blade, flying unerringly towards its targetted still tethered to the mage's palm by a line of lightning.
The druid probably didn't even know what hit it; just as it's tail cleared the tree and the trunk solidified behind it the charged blade of force connected with the chest of the lizardfolk and slammed it back against the tree it has just used as a portal, pinning it there and providing a channel for the lightning following it to travel. The druid's insides began to boil, and its scales started to peel as the heat and electricity travelled through its body into the tree behind it. It was over in an instant. Once the lightning bolt had passed the blade winked from existence and the once shiny black lizardfolk no longer pinned slumped to the ground at the base of its charred tree, smoke rising from its mouth and nostrils.
"One down, nine to go"
The moment it took to dispatch the shaman was all the others needed to arrive in the battle clearing, Nine black scaled shamans clear of the trees used to transport themselves and almost three times as many lizardfolk warriors behind them.
The blade look upon the scene before him, Ebnar and his icy doppelganger are entangled at the front of the dragon, forcing it's head down while the dragon writhes in rage and pain, knoland the berserker is readying his attack while the blade himself is desperately attempting to pin one of the beasts wings. The weary blade glances around, after the initial attack both Celest and the Alekeep seem to be tending to the wounded while the battle rages on (OCC: unless they so wish to not do so)
Noting with disgust the emergence of the mage and his subsequent empowerment of the familiar he mutters, "stupid monkey", he then yells to his own familiar, the one true and trusted companion he has had for his long life, "Yumi! Don't let that monkey show you up! show those arriving lizard folk your real power!"
Snarling in pleasure yumi grows to over 3meters tall and launches herself at the arriving forces. (OOC: was wanting to do that for awhile, figured since latronis did, i might as well power up my familiar as well.)
Returning his attention to the fight, he realizes that the group must defeat the beast soon, lest they be overwhelmed by its underlings.
(OOC: already disabled fight, kind of taking the lead since the thread seems dead? however both latronis and Dreyy are better at this and either one of them are better suited to finishing the dragon off, then we can fight the draconians)
(OOC: Feel free to take it if you'd like. I wanted to keep it going but instead the only thing that's going at the moment seems to be work and sleeping when I get a day off =( ).
OOC: Sorry i've been mega busy at work i keep forgotting to do another one to this.
IC: Ebnar thumps down ontop the Dragons head, trying to desperatly keep the beast from razing its mighty neck up and unleashing a breath of acid fire. The Dwarf's rear end rolled over the Dragons eyes and nose only enraging the mighty beast further, it jerks and swings its neck and body, the Dwarf being violently jerked along with the motions but still holding firm and not losing his grip, he snarls in the direction of his Ice Clone.
"Go an be helping em kill the lizards! I got this beastie!"
The ice clone takes a few moments to process the order and quickly and without protest moves away from the great wyrm and begins marching towards the onslaughting lizards pouring out of the trees and foliage. Several arrows and bolts strike into the clones chest and head but bounce off leaving the ice covered golem uninjured, it begins swinging its weapon strikeing back lizard after lizard with each swing, but for every one killed two more emerge to take its place, slowerly the clone begins to form chips in its ice armor but continues the attack unphased.
Growling Ebnar outstretches his hand and calls his axe to return to his grip, it still being lodged into the Dragon's Hide, at first the axe refuses the order but after several insults from the Dwarf it finally begins to hum and comes swinging back to the grizzled Dwarfs grip. A crazed smile returns to his face and he begins mercilessly hacking and slashing down ontop the dragon's skull, one strike with the axe, another with the mace, flurrys off ice and blood scatter out from the onsluaght but still the Dragon continued to fight and resist.
"Will ye hurry and die already! I be needing a new pair of dragon skinned boots!"
He said with a manic laugh, the beast gets a new lease of life and begins struggling harder to be free, several talons and spikes along its spine and head dig small gashes into the Dwarf's leg and thigh, Ebnar has no choice but to grip a tighter hold of the Dragon's head to stop himself from being thrown free.
"WIll someone cut the damned beasts head off and be done with it!!" he roars, not aiming it at anyone in partilcular. he glares around and sees an open wound in the Dragon's neck, the hide and scales having been cut and beaten away, "There! someone grab and damnable axe and hack at it!!" the Dragon jerks again catching the Dwarf unaware but still managing to keep his grip on the beast, the Dwarf was growing red with anger, "I can nay be doing everything myself!!"
Haggard plunges his blades into the exposed skin of the dragon, in it's final death throws the beast whips and lashes around, finally, at long last it settles downl.
Haggard surveys the rest of the survivors, the dwarf stands tall, panting but proud, his squire is slumped against the wall of the tavern, the female bard is hiding in the shadows recovering from facing the beast and the magic users are slumped in a corner exhausted from their efforts.
Haggard turns his attention to the lizrd folk, now screaming in rage at the loss of their god, but held back by the two familiars and the ice clone.
"Well guys, its either run like fun or stand your ground,and I,for one, intend to improvise, messily, violently, and all over the place"
OOC: Well I've been busy but i've had this draft sitting here for ages so now I'll have to change it.
Things were about to get out of hand, Strong reinforcements the icy doppleganger and drake might be, but the lizardfolk would only have to scatter and surround them and they would be overcome.
Worse yet the shaman's shared chant was just beginning to make sense, prayers in the dragon's tongue, apparantly aimed at the beast itself. The returning strength wasn't just desperation it was drawing power from it's followers and soon the dwarf would no longer be able to hold on. Too many miscalculations on my part.
"Be; Go" And the flaming primate juggernaut exploded into movement leaping onto the recovering wyrms back.
"DWARF, DROP AND YOU'LL GET A CHANCE TO TAKE DOWN A GOD"
Now to the other problem, Throwing out his hands a shaman exploded, without its outsides to keep its insides inside, the mass of entrails went everywhere, expanded from the mage's power and tangling the army of lizardfolk between the trees. It did however grab the attention of another shaman who retaliated in kind the vegetation around the mages feet curling to life and grasping at the mages arms and legs before reaching up to try and grab the drake and ice clone.
The drake flew up out of range of the reaching vines and those that entangled the ice clone froze and shattered barely slowing it down but the mage was not so quick and blades of force, one, two, three sent at the interfering caster leaving merely two lonely blades to protect the mage. Thunk, Thunk, Thunk the blades hit their target but the damage was already done, a vine had attached itself to the mage's wrist; yanking his arm up he managed to pull it into the path of a blade, severing the vine but using up that blade in the process and the last one sent at a patch squirming towards at his feet in a futile effort to get free.
The once tiny monkey by now had a good grip on the dragons back, a leg digging what must've been painfully into a wing joint as he reached and grasped onto the deformed side of the beast's face. The Dragon bucked and tried to throw the familiar off but a tonne of possessed monkey was not an easy weight to shift and when the dwarf rolled free looking for his axe behemon planted the beasts face into the corner of the alehouse, the loud cracking either the dragon's skull or the timber of the alehouse noone yet knew. With the beast preoccupied the dwarven axe came down on at the exposed flesh but instinctively the head easily as large as the dwarf crashed into the wielder, knocking Ebnar off course but apparantly the dwarf was harder then the walls of the alehouse and the dragon was momentarily stunned. And it was haggard who took the opening and finally put the beast into its final rest.
With the dragon neutralized the massive ape that was once the mage's familiar began gagging and soon began to bring back up the infected grubs he had consumed and the thick, dark oily smoke that infected them.
Each hack shrunk the familiar back down to size and the smoke began to snake its way to a new target, the mage knew the risks when he performed the ritual and a free pit fiend with a serious grudge was no small matter, but with his arms and legs currently confined by the grasping weeds there was little he could but watch as the smoke snake curled its way around and into the one of the lizardfolk shaman.
With the dragon slain, the beast's magic powering the spells of his priests began to fade, and soon Lat pulled his way free of the vines (with a helpful arrow from the bouncer coming considerably closer to his fleash then it had too) in time to see the corrupted shaman vanish, a problem for another day.
A hooded figure, with all but his mouth and chin covered, sits and relaxes in the trees from a distance. Angered as to how the wildlife surrounding hte inn had been scared off, but happy to see that the trouble that had caused it is now dead. The hooded figure scratches his chin and hops down from his nook in the trees, now interested in the inn in the distance. He straps his long bow around his wiry framed body, and walks leisurely towards the inn.
OOC: Perhaps the Alehouse doesn't have to be dead after all.
ARISE! ARISE MY ALEHOUSE. TIS THE SEASON TO EAT (DRAGON), DRINK (ALE), AND BE MERRY.
So come one, come all. Come eat, drink and be merry at the Alehouse. We have our usual Spicy Red Dragon steaks (don't ask about the seasoning) and plenty of booze (Dwarves pay extra).
*Grabs her Greatsword and gives it a mighty spin about the room. The built up cobwebs fall away...........and somehow the stupid bar tabs do too. The hearth warms to life and the rhythmic beat of chopping and preparing starts up in kitchens.*
Come on, come all, Come on back to the Alehouse.
*Launches a celebratory fireball through the chimney, as it explodes in a flair for all to see.*
We have fresh Spicy Red Dragon steaks to celebrate the season (don't ask about the spices). Furthermore, we have a new drink, you can now get @Lady_Rhian 's specialty Aged Red Wine.
Also added to the menu is @Quartz 's Shorty Special. You don't get to know what's in it, you will wonder why you're no longer on your feet after you drink it though.
Please note that any attempts to harm, attempt to bring harm, or causing any sort of harm around @booinyoureyes will be met with swift reprisal.
Comments
With a shout she cries, "Damnit Mystra protect them!"
Fanning out from her quickly, a spell of protection from evil envelopes the defenders of the Alehouse.
The glint of her seemingly ostentatious Elven Chain attracts the Dragon's attention, arcane symbols of Mystra and the weave dance around the surface.
"Aye beast, you want to dance, you want to hurt someone, lets go. Arise defenders of the alehouse, this is NOT your time to die. Take heart, this beast is weakened, and soon he will be food."
The sword in her hand begins to radiate golden light around the eye of helm while the stars of mystra on her shield give off a faint blue aura.
"For Mystra, For Helm, For Cormyr, and for this Alehouse you WILL not live to terrorize or harm another soul, not while I still draw breath."
And with that she charges into the melee, leading with her shield.
"Hah hah! I done always wanted a Dragon Mount!!" the Dwarf maniacly laughed, his body jittering up and down by the beasts surperior mass.
The Dragon rears its head up, either from pain its suffering the skull attacks or due to one of the groups attacks at the base, regardless the sudden jerk knocks the Dwarf off balance and he flips over the front of the Dragon's snout, his back and legs dangling in front of the gaping maw, the Dragon jerks again and the Dwarf falls landing in the cluster of teeth, the Dragon bites down hard which the Dwarf stops by using his arms and legs and body mass to stop the mouth from closing completly, despite the Dwarfs size it was clear his round shape was just as much muscle as flab and trying to crush him with jaw strength alone proved no easy feat, even for a Dragon's superior strength, Ebnar grunts and curses as the breath of the beast rises up into his nostrils and one of tooth digs into his arm, desperatly trying to hold the beasts mouth agape Ebnar roars and curses, his voice echoing out from the creatures gaping maw.
'well least i done removed his mouth from the battle!', he thinks to himself, his attention is drawn down as he sees a bubbling green foul smelling mass of liquid form in the base of beasts throat, vapours singe the Dwarfs beard as he relises the Dragon was going for an acid attack. He shifts his gaze back out and sees the Alekeep charging up her powers and aiming it for the Dragon, the Dwarf sighs loudy.
"Ah hells this is gonna hurt...!"
Despite his best effort he is too pinned in by the beasts jaw to escape, either he let go and becomes the Dragons lunch or he stays and melts to the bone. The fight was harder having the Dragons tounge constantly wrestle and attack the Dwarf in his weakened state, Ebnar bit down hard on the tounge with several growls, if the beasts could of roared in pain, he would have.
Suddenly from the distance he heard and all too familar voice. "Master Ebnar...!" it cried, as he sees his young ward charge headlong into the fray shouting a very heartfelt battlecry.
"Get back ye fool of a boy...!"
Ignoring his mentors order, young Vincent lunged forth with his sword digging it into Dragons hide and neck, the sword the Elf Stalker gave him earlier proved a keen edge and easily sliced into the Dragon's thick scale, the Half-Elf retracted and stabbed his sword over and over again, causing the Dragon to wheel around in pain and strike him with his tail, the young Half-Elf boy was struck and went hurdling through the air crashing into the Alehouse wall with a sickening crack and slowerly slid to the ground, his sword lifeless on the ground. Ebnar watched in horror as his ward was thrown back and a terrible rage took him, his neck veins popped out and his skin turned lobster red, he roared loudly inside the Dragons gaping maw.
"YE OVERSIZED LIZARD! NOBODY HARMS ME WARD!! NOBODY!!"
With a new found strength and the help of his Bersekerer rage the Dwarf lifts the Dragons mouth open, still with considerable strain but at last the tide was turned, he began punching at the beasts razor sharp teeth, cracking some and knocking a few out, some dug into his fist leaving open wounds on the Dwarf's hand but the Dwarf was unphased, finally the Dragon reared back in pain and shook the Dwarf free of his mouth, Ebnar went hurdling into the ground, face full of muck and grime, he dousnt stop to catch his breath and pushes himself to his feet, his face even redder and angered.
"Damn I did not think this through"
The dragon is tossing its head the, Haggard grasping his stuck blade and hacking at the beasts head with the other is now along for the ride. With a violent whip of it's neck Haggard's blade is unlodged and he is thrown free, Yumi desperately tries to carry her master through the air but he lands with a splat in some mud near the dwarf.
"Ugh, I fear that some of this mud isn't mud" he groans to himself
Getting to his feet he flicks the filth off of his blades.
"Definitely not mud"
Surveying the battle he sees the barkeep attacking, and the barbarian and dwarf readying themselves for another charge. The female bard is no where to be seen yet and the dwarf's ward is lying in a crumpled heap on the ground.
"Where the hells are goddamn mages and clerics when you need them!" He yells
"Celesta any time now would be great"
Pulling back, she pulls up short and throws her shield to the side, and launching a blindness spell at the dragon.
The two worked in unison, striked and rolling out of the Dragons path, both striking at opposite ends of the beast confusing the great wyrm to which one it should strike first. Its descion made, it decided to go for Ebnar and blurted a sickening green and yellow ooze from its maw which shot out at the speed of a crossbow bolt, Ebnar braced himself for an inevitable collision of acid but the ice dwarf stood in front of him and accepted the strike. The acid melted away from the strange dwarf clones ice body and dropped to the dirt, sizzling and devouring anything it touched, both continued the assault without pause. Rearing up the Dragon went for a straightforward bite towards the ragged Dwarf, in unison both he and the ice clone catch the Dragon by the skull and neck, pinning it to the ground, both struggled viciously to hold the beast in place, its nashing teeth clipping and shredding peices of shin and flesh from both Ebnar and the ice clone but still both held it tightly to the ground while it thrashed to be free, a horrific alien roar and growl bowling up from its depths.
"Whatever ever ye planning lass i be doing it now!" Ebnar growled at the Alekeep, his teeth still gritted from trying to keep the great beasts mighty head to the dirt, he began beating the beasts serpent type neck with his mace, ice sharps lodged into the mighty Wyrms scales causing its roar of rage to sound louder.
"I agree with the short one" Yells the bloodied and filth covered blade, "My enchantments are almost spent and my strength is waning, I don't know if I can come back from another blow!" he pants, while keeping the wing pinned and dodging the strikes from the dragon's tail and rear legs.
Something was wrong though, there was enough open space for the dragon to take to the wing yet he had refrained from doing so as long as patrons' attacks were little more than annoyance, now they had started to actual wound the beast it seemed even more imminent, and yet the wyrm stayed firmly on solid ground.
Not as fast as a dragon flies the lizardfolk had been slowly gathering at the treeline since the fight began in earnest, and though the mage could see none of the black scaled descendants of the dragon amongst them it was very unlike lizardfolk to hang back from a fight. No there was something going to happen that hadn't been accounted for. Almost as if the thought itself was a taunt suddenly a javelin came flying towards the lone mage. The bone point shattered and the wooden shaft splintered beyond repair as it fell harmlessly to the ground, deflected harmlessly by the blade of forcing dancing around his torso. Snapping his head towards his assailant he barked out the infernal word for pain and the lizard dropped to the ground with a croak writhing in agony. Temporarily disabled the others still seemed unwilling to join the fray.
What were they waiting for?
The loose surface soil was already starting to writhe as earthworms and other ground-dwelling insects tried to escape the heat inside the diagram as the gem began to shake and brighten before exploding, dark oily smoke snaking towards every living thing trapped by the spellform.
Not wasting time the fiendish primate scooped the small handful of creepy crawlies, now tainted by the essence of a pit fiend and popped them into his mouth with a grimace.
Gagging but not bringing anything back up and the little monkey doubled over squeeling, its muscles normally hidden by his soft black and pink fur began to bulge visible as the mage growled in pain before beginning a chant. Twisting onto his back Behemon, began to grow, bulging muscles doublign and doubling again as the sounds of his bones expanding caused joints to pop audibly. Mouth wide open in silent scream his canines enlarged as his jaw elongated and extra horns sprouting from his twisted skull as the fiend within tried to force its new form into a more natural shape.
The mages chanting increased in volume, face straining through the pain as the familiar's fur began to lengthen fighting to retain his own shape. Soon the longest hair began to ignite, flames running down the beasts forelimbs its size kept increasing. Several minutes of agony and growth passed before Behemon stood the transformation complete. Once a tiny monkey off odd colouring and with small horns on top of his head the familiar was now barely recognizeable as a primate, easily 12' of horned fury and flame, though still dwarved by the dragon.
A tingling at the back of his skull, and then another and another was warning of impending magical transportation. The mage's gaze flicked from tree to tree, as he counted a half-score of beings about to arrive.
"The trees, the slimy Geckos are coming by the trees.."
The ward would only delay their arrival a few moments. Just long enough too...
Casting out his left arm one of the force blades flew away from its brothers into the mages grip; Six blades bacame five and though they adjusted themselves to continuing their protection they now made a barrier not quite so thick. Lightning leapt along the outstretched limb and dove into the blade just as the nearest tree his arm was pointing towards began to bulge near its roots. The blade continued to take its electrical charge as the bark seemed to melt away revealing the black scaled face of the first lizardfolk shaman. Long sleek body soon followed and Lat released his grip on the blade, flying unerringly towards its targetted still tethered to the mage's palm by a line of lightning.
The druid probably didn't even know what hit it; just as it's tail cleared the tree and the trunk solidified behind it the charged blade of force connected with the chest of the lizardfolk and slammed it back against the tree it has just used as a portal, pinning it there and providing a channel for the lightning following it to travel. The druid's insides began to boil, and its scales started to peel as the heat and electricity travelled through its body into the tree behind it. It was over in an instant. Once the lightning bolt had passed the blade winked from existence and the once shiny black lizardfolk no longer pinned slumped to the ground at the base of its charred tree, smoke rising from its mouth and nostrils.
"One down, nine to go"
The moment it took to dispatch the shaman was all the others needed to arrive in the battle clearing, Nine black scaled shamans clear of the trees used to transport themselves and almost three times as many lizardfolk warriors behind them.
The blade look upon the scene before him, Ebnar and his icy doppelganger are entangled at the front of the dragon, forcing it's head down while the dragon writhes in rage and pain, knoland the berserker is readying his attack while the blade himself is desperately attempting to pin one of the beasts wings. The weary blade glances around, after the initial attack both Celest and the Alekeep seem to be tending to the wounded while the battle rages on (OCC: unless they so wish to not do so)
Noting with disgust the emergence of the mage and his subsequent empowerment of the familiar he mutters, "stupid monkey", he then yells to his own familiar, the one true and trusted companion he has had for his long life, "Yumi! Don't let that monkey show you up! show those arriving lizard folk your real power!"
Snarling in pleasure yumi grows to over 3meters tall and launches herself at the arriving forces. (OOC: was wanting to do that for awhile, figured since latronis did, i might as well power up my familiar as well.)
Returning his attention to the fight, he realizes that the group must defeat the beast soon, lest they be overwhelmed by its underlings.
(OOC: already disabled fight, kind of taking the lead since the thread seems dead? however both latronis and Dreyy are better at this and either one of them are better suited to finishing the dragon off, then we can fight the draconians)
IC: Ebnar thumps down ontop the Dragons head, trying to desperatly keep the beast from razing its mighty neck up and unleashing a breath of acid fire. The Dwarf's rear end rolled over the Dragons eyes and nose only enraging the mighty beast further, it jerks and swings its neck and body, the Dwarf being violently jerked along with the motions but still holding firm and not losing his grip, he snarls in the direction of his Ice Clone.
"Go an be helping em kill the lizards! I got this beastie!"
The ice clone takes a few moments to process the order and quickly and without protest moves away from the great wyrm and begins marching towards the onslaughting lizards pouring out of the trees and foliage. Several arrows and bolts strike into the clones chest and head but bounce off leaving the ice covered golem uninjured, it begins swinging its weapon strikeing back lizard after lizard with each swing, but for every one killed two more emerge to take its place, slowerly the clone begins to form chips in its ice armor but continues the attack unphased.
Growling Ebnar outstretches his hand and calls his axe to return to his grip, it still being lodged into the Dragon's Hide, at first the axe refuses the order but after several insults from the Dwarf it finally begins to hum and comes swinging back to the grizzled Dwarfs grip. A crazed smile returns to his face and he begins mercilessly hacking and slashing down ontop the dragon's skull, one strike with the axe, another with the mace, flurrys off ice and blood scatter out from the onsluaght but still the Dragon continued to fight and resist.
"Will ye hurry and die already! I be needing a new pair of dragon skinned boots!"
He said with a manic laugh, the beast gets a new lease of life and begins struggling harder to be free, several talons and spikes along its spine and head dig small gashes into the Dwarf's leg and thigh, Ebnar has no choice but to grip a tighter hold of the Dragon's head to stop himself from being thrown free.
"WIll someone cut the damned beasts head off and be done with it!!" he roars, not aiming it at anyone in partilcular. he glares around and sees an open wound in the Dragon's neck, the hide and scales having been cut and beaten away, "There! someone grab and damnable axe and hack at it!!" the Dragon jerks again catching the Dwarf unaware but still managing to keep his grip on the beast, the Dwarf was growing red with anger, "I can nay be doing everything myself!!"
Haggard surveys the rest of the survivors, the dwarf stands tall, panting but proud, his squire is slumped against the wall of the tavern, the female bard is hiding in the shadows recovering from facing the beast and the magic users are slumped in a corner exhausted from their efforts.
Haggard turns his attention to the lizrd folk, now screaming in rage at the loss of their god, but held back by the two familiars and the ice clone.
"Well guys, its either run like fun or stand your ground,and I,for one, intend to improvise, messily, violently, and all over the place"
Things were about to get out of hand, Strong reinforcements the icy doppleganger and drake might be, but the lizardfolk would only have to scatter and surround them and they would be overcome.
Worse yet the shaman's shared chant was just beginning to make sense, prayers in the dragon's tongue, apparantly aimed at the beast itself. The returning strength wasn't just desperation it was drawing power from it's followers and soon the dwarf would no longer be able to hold on. Too many miscalculations on my part.
"Be; Go" And the flaming primate juggernaut exploded into movement leaping onto the recovering wyrms back.
"DWARF, DROP AND YOU'LL GET A CHANCE TO TAKE DOWN A GOD"
Now to the other problem, Throwing out his hands a shaman exploded, without its outsides to keep its insides inside, the mass of entrails went everywhere, expanded from the mage's power and tangling the army of lizardfolk between the trees. It did however grab the attention of another shaman who retaliated in kind the vegetation around the mages feet curling to life and grasping at the mages arms and legs before reaching up to try and grab the drake and ice clone.
The drake flew up out of range of the reaching vines and those that entangled the ice clone froze and shattered barely slowing it down but the mage was not so quick and blades of force, one, two, three sent at the interfering caster leaving merely two lonely blades to protect the mage. Thunk, Thunk, Thunk the blades hit their target but the damage was already done, a vine had attached itself to the mage's wrist; yanking his arm up he managed to pull it into the path of a blade, severing the vine but using up that blade in the process and the last one sent at a patch squirming towards at his feet in a futile effort to get free.
The once tiny monkey by now had a good grip on the dragons back, a leg digging what must've been painfully into a wing joint as he reached and grasped onto the deformed side of the beast's face. The Dragon bucked and tried to throw the familiar off but a tonne of possessed monkey was not an easy weight to shift and when the dwarf rolled free looking for his axe behemon planted the beasts face into the corner of the alehouse, the loud cracking either the dragon's skull or the timber of the alehouse noone yet knew. With the beast preoccupied the dwarven axe came down on at the exposed flesh but instinctively the head easily as large as the dwarf crashed into the wielder, knocking Ebnar off course but apparantly the dwarf was harder then the walls of the alehouse and the dragon was momentarily stunned. And it was haggard who took the opening and finally put the beast into its final rest.
With the dragon neutralized the massive ape that was once the mage's familiar began gagging and soon began to bring back up the infected grubs he had consumed and the thick, dark oily smoke that infected them.
Each hack shrunk the familiar back down to size and the smoke began to snake its way to a new target, the mage knew the risks when he performed the ritual and a free pit fiend with a serious grudge was no small matter, but with his arms and legs currently confined by the grasping weeds there was little he could but watch as the smoke snake curled its way around and into the one of the lizardfolk shaman.
With the dragon slain, the beast's magic powering the spells of his priests began to fade, and soon Lat pulled his way free of the vines (with a helpful arrow from the bouncer coming considerably closer to his fleash then it had too) in time to see the corrupted shaman vanish, a problem for another day.
Time to mop up
OOC: Perhaps the Alehouse doesn't have to be dead after all.
We don't kill it intentionally you know that. It just dies and then comes back. It's kinda like a Phoenix in this regard.
So come one, come all. Come eat, drink and be merry at the Alehouse. We have our usual Spicy Red Dragon steaks (don't ask about the seasoning) and plenty of booze (Dwarves pay extra).
Come on, come all, Come on back to the Alehouse.
*Launches a celebratory fireball through the chimney, as it explodes in a flair for all to see.*
We have fresh Spicy Red Dragon steaks to celebrate the season (don't ask about the spices). Furthermore, we have a new drink, you can now get @Lady_Rhian 's specialty Aged Red Wine.
Also added to the menu is @Quartz 's Shorty Special. You don't get to know what's in it, you will wonder why you're no longer on your feet after you drink it though.
Please note that any attempts to harm, attempt to bring harm, or causing any sort of harm around @booinyoureyes will be met with swift reprisal.
Welcome back, lets get Aleing!
This is as big as we make this drink