NPC Stats:
Alaric: HP = ??, PP = ??, EP = ??, Status = Fine
His manhood still wrapped within her silky folds and his lips still tasting every part of her that they could reach, Alaric nonetheless paused and looked up at Elysia as she spoke to him. Perhaps it was something in her voice, or perhaps the tone, or perhaps he simply interpreted what the seamstress said, but the blacksmith seemed to recognize what she'd said and the importance behind it. He rose up to look her in the eyes, not going above her but meeting her at an equal level so as to gave deeply into her.
"Elysia..." he began, "I want... I want more than just to have your body... Like this." Every word was spoken with passion, and as he continued, Alaric began to stroke the sweaty seamstress's face affectionately, his own body showing no fewer signs of sexual exertion than her own; "I feel for you... Stronger than I have for anyone in a very long time. You are free to stay by my side... And will be welcome in my home, and in my bed, for as long as you desire... Be it only a short while, or...." He left that sentence unfinished, merely offering her a soft, affectionate smile while raw emotion caused his eyes to shine like blue flames in the dim lighting of the room that they shared.
Elysia gazed up at Alaric with a vulnerable expression upon her face, having firmly placed her heart in his hands for him to do with as he wished. While disappointment was still a possibility in the moments of silence leading up to his reply, the immense amount of comfort, safety, and real happiness she felt was too much for her to give it too much thought. But luckily for the lovesick seamstress, she wouldn't feel that, not tonight at least. The blacksmith's response, straightforward as it was, didn't fail to take Elysia's breath away, causing her to take on a tearful smile.
"Yes... yes! U-Um, by that I mean... to say that I'll stay, Alaric. For as long as you'll allow me to," she replied, somewhat excitedly at first, blushing deeply all the while. If he looked to be wanting a second round, based on the hardness of his length buried in her glistening flower, Elysia would gladly yield to him, ignoring the messy feel between her legs for the sake of providing for her beloved however she could, as well as spending more quality time with him. While she was more on the tired side, it wouldn't be difficult for the man to get her to start moaning again with a mere stir of his hips, as they were still pressed tightly against her own. After all, she was still quite sensitive in the aftermath of her most recent orgasm.
Otherwise, she would embrace him tightly, turning her head ever so slightly in order to kiss his hand where it caressed her face, and appearing generally content to entrust herself to his care. "I just hope this isn't a dream," she thought to herself, almost in disbelief that such a good thing like Alaric could happen to her in the midst of all this apparent misfortune. Pressing herself close to him in a most intimate cuddle, she nuzzled his neck with a soft sigh, soon letting sleep claim her until the morning sun rose.
NPC Stats:
Alaric: HP = 94, PP = 42, EP = 42, Status = Fine
Alaric seemed content with one round for tonight, as he pulled out and laid himself down beside Elysia. Wrapping his arms around her tightly, they fell asleep while holding one another tightly, Alaric embracing the seamstress with the same passionate affection with which she embraced him.
~~~~~~~~~
Elysia woke up alone. Or at least, she woke up without the comfort of her lover's arms around her, but after a moment she realized that she was, in fact, not alone. The scents and sounds of food cooking over an open flame, detectable over the scent of her lover left over in his bed and the sound of Alaric humming as he worked over the kitchen stove, clad in a loose white shirt and black trousers. He didn't notice that she'd awakened at first, but after a moment he glanced over his shoulder and silently offered her a smile before returning to the meal that he was cooking.
It only took him another few moments to finish breakfast before Alaric brought Elysia a plate of steaming, hot food on a ceramic plate, with appropriate silverware. The smell was practically divine, and a single taste confirmed as much, the exceedingly simple fare somehow made rich and delicious by the simple blacksmith. The light streaming in from the blacksmith's windows was wan and pale, suggesting that it was exceedingly early, but Alaric didn't seem to be any more sluggish for the earliness of the hour. Indeed, Elysia herself felt exceedingly well rested following her night in the man's arms. Pulling up a chair, Alaric sat down beside her and, before setting about his own meal, said; "Good morning... Did you sleep well?"
Elysia released a soft moan as Alaric withdrew himself from her, seeking to maintain bodily contact with him in some form at all times, her fingertips resting firmly on the smith's arms while he moved to reposition himself beside her. From there, she happily snuggled up next to him, an unmovable smile upon her face as she leaned into her new lover. For the first time within the past few weeks, she would truly find sleep, completely surrendering herself to the fatigue that would bring about tonight's slumber, without the nerves that she thought she would have due to recent trauma. For that degree of security, she could thank Alaric. Tears, those of happiness, for once in her life, formed at the corners of her eyes, and she was content to let them roll away as her eyes fluttered shut. No dreams were to be had that night, or at least, none that she could remember, as she was far too content with the current reality of this world, the one that Alaric shared with her.
~~~~~
"Mmmm... Alaric," she groaned slowly upon waking up, her hands reaching for someone that wasn't there. Oddly enough, it was nearly panic-inducing, at least enough so that it caused her to sit up rather quickly and look around for the well-built craftsman. She didn't have to do so for long, however, as he was right in plain sight, which brought a wave of relief back to calm her in good time. Not to mention, he was cooking for her, another quality of thoughtfulness that she was keen to appreciate. Elysia also proved quick in returning her lover's smile with an even brighter one, and moved to get up out of bed, but hesitated when her body simply refused; she was still quite sore from the various events of the previous day, from all that had happened with Lavender to her own heartfelt coupling with Alaric himself. Even as his back was turned, she couldn't help but look back up every once in a while, as if to confirm to herself that the previous night was indeed, real. It did much to get her thoughts in motion, for better or for worse.
The seamstress' body had been through so much over the span of just two days, and it was a hard pill to swallow, especially one event in particular, that involving Typhon. She simply couldn't stand to think of it, and already her mind was working to bury it once again beneath piles of other thoughts. Alaric himself had seen this, and that in itself caused her no small degree of humiliation. The experiences with the shorn farmer, Lavender, were considerably more pleasant, albeit particularly awkward considering that the smith had, again, borne witness to the tail end of one session. Despite all of this... Alaric still accepted her, and that was truly something amazing to Elysia. This series of events had brought her to him, and it was still strange to think about, that such a man had lived here in this little town, a distance of quite a few miles from her own village of Laerwick. If she had never fled, she may have gone through her entire life having never met him, and that notion in itself was suddenly a most terrifying one.
She interrupted the man to give him a brief yet warm hug and a kiss on the cheek, beaming at him afterwards. "Yes, of course," she answered, before taking a bite of the breakfast he had so kindly served her. Just like the dinner from a few nights before, it was delicious, and this meal confirmed that it wasn't necessarily her hunger, but Alaric's skill, that made the food so filling and yet wonderful. "I should be well enough to start work today, to help fill the place of the late seamstress you mentioned earlier. Are you... leaving for work soon?" She reached one hand over to his lap, seeking his hand in order to clutch it like some sort of safety blanket.
NPC Stats:
Alaric: HP = 94, PP = 42, EP = 42, Status = Fine
Alaric smiled all the more brightly as Elysia, still clad only in her stockings, climbed out of bed to hug him before setting about her breakfast, though his look was far more affectionate than it was lustful as he returned her hug and kiss on the cheek. "That is good to hear," he replied when she said that she was well enough to go out to work. His expression never shifted from a smile, but he seemed to notice her underlying discomfort at the idea of parting from him as she reached out and grasped his hand.
His fingers gave hers a soft squeeze, and the blacksmith's voice softened even further as he said; "Soon, yes. There is always much to do, and I prefer to start early so that I might be able to come home before the break of dusk. I'll try to stop in on you when I can, and will come to find you when I'm finished." He cracked a grin, "There has not been a skilled seamstress in Blinlock for some time... Who knows? Perhaps this time I'll have to wait for you to finish your labors today." He gave her hand a light squeeze before returning to his breakfast, though before he went back to eating he said; "Come, eat. Good works are best done with a full stomach."
The blacksmith, in contrast to the grim demeanor which he had maintained when they had first met, didn't seem able to stop smiling while he was around her. There was only one instance in which the man stopped smiling, and it was when the young man whom she had met the day before when she had come to retrieve her sewing kit, suddenly entered the room. He only knocked after he had already stepped inside, and his knuckles rapped against the door frame into Alaric's apartment far too late to keep him from getting a free eyeful of her. Having not yet dressed, Elysia's generous bosom was fully on display, and it was a display that Alaric's young apprentice seemed to appreciate greatly judging by the dumb smile that appeared on his face and the bulge that rapidly grew in his trousers. "I'm here for my daiyyeeee... Ehhh...."
Alaric scowled at him in annoyance and rose, quickly stepping between him and Elysia as he said; "Brun, what have I told you about knocking before you enter? Go get the forge started." Alaric's voice pulled the man out of the trance he'd been in since seeing her breasts, and he hurriedly looked away and said; "Y...Yes sir! Right away!" Despite the circumstances, it was hard for Elysia to miss that the man showed Alaric a great deal more respect than he had shown Eartha the day previous, as he gave the older blacksmith a quick bow before rushing out of the room. Once he was gone, Alaric heaved an exasperated sigh and turned back to her, "I am sorry Elysia... You seem to be unable to maintain your dignity while you're around me."
Elysia felt her heart flutter as Alaric returned her loving gestures, giving him a shy glance every now and then while maintaining a degree of bodily contact just at the threshold of comfortable. Her behavior wasn't particularly a mark of her being all that bashful around him, so much as it was a result of embarrassment over the fact that she was already acting so lovesick in the aftermath of their first night together. Still, it was surprising, albeit pleasant for her, to be able to observe the change in Alaric as well, and that brought about a degree of ease to the seamstress' nerves. "Mm... so diligent. Although that's the first thing I ever noticed about you, even before setting eyes on... ah... eheh," she stuttered towards the end, pausing. "A-At any rate, I am certainly glad to be of some use to you and Blinlock alike. It's the least I can do for the help that you, Eartha and Lavender have provided."
As she ate, Elysia's thoughts regarding her upcoming work and passion began to stir. "Hopefully the townsfolk will take a liking to me, at least professionally if nothing else. Hmm... I wonder what the the predominant fashions are in a town like this? While my own was not a large village by any means, I still noticed differences in the way that travelers would dress, and that's part of what got me into experimenting with various fabrics. Lace is..." She stopped herself before getting too far into her rambling, shutting herself up, so to speak. "I'm such a nerd..." she thought to herself, only hoping that her unconscious habit didn't grate on the man's nerves too much.
But when she set eyes upon the rugged smith once more, her expression reverted to one of a serene smile. So stayed her fixation on him that she didn't even notice when Alaric's apprentice made his way in to catch an eyeful of her plentiful bosom in all its glory. Elysia gasped, her cheeks turning red as she moved to cover her nipples with her free arm, only moving to pull part of the sheets up to conceal herself further after realizing that a single hand wouldn't quite cover her assets in their entirety. "Eeek...! Ah... s-sorry," she stuttered at roughly the same time Brun gave his own apology, only giving the young man a single glance before averting her eyes, though she did manage to notice his apparent arousal upon catching her half-nude form. This made her swallow and shift about in slight discomfort, but she tried her best not to think too much of it.
Alaric's own reaction did help put her at ease, and after the smith made his quick but appropriate response, she slowly lowered the sheets back down afterwards; so long as it was him of all people, he could stare at her all day, if he wanted, and then some. Finally managing a smile despite the terribly embarrassing episode, she shook her head at him, waving off his apology with one hand. "No, it's quite fine," she replied. If anything, he was probably the only thing that allowed her to maintain any sense of dignity, at least in her eyes.
"I'll be sure to keep myself dressed more appropriately until you decide you are tired of seeing me covered," she teased, before finishing her delicious breakfast. After she was done, Elysia would insist on bringing the dishes to the kitchen, only to wash them herself. Then, she selected a light dress and a set of undergarments from her bag to be used for the day ahead. If a shower was available, she would also look to take one, so long as it didn't mean missing the chance to properly see Alaric off.
NPC Stats:
Alaric: HP = ??/94, PP = ??/42, EP = ??/42, Status = Fine?
Elysia's teasing statement brought a smile back to the blacksmith's face, and he replied; "I'm sure that won't take long! I'll look forward to taking them off of you." He watched her dress up until the seamstress displayed even a hint of shame at her stares, at which point he would turn around without complaint. Once she was dressed, he turned back to her, still smiling, and said; "Come, gather your things and I'll show you-"
Alaric was cut off as a bell rang suddenly from somewhere outside, its sound clear and sharp even through the walls, causing the man's smile to vanish into a worried frown. Shouts came from outside immediately afterwards, and Alaric rushed towards the door, retrieving his hammer along the way. He stopped in the doorway and turned back to her, quickly saying; "That's the alarm! Stay here, and try to stay quiet! If anyone comes in here that you don't recognize, hide or run!" He rushed out the door immediately, and Elysia heard him call out; "Brun, grab a sword and come on!"
After that there was a short period of vague noises from outside, lasting no more than a few seconds, before another, unfamiliar voice called out from far away; "Monsters! The grey death has come! To arms!" The sounds of battle were already coming from outdoors, and then there was a loud explosion that shook even Alaric's sturdy home before the sounds of combat continued.
Elysia was anything but prepared for Alaric's quick response to her verbal tease, and the man's words sent blood rushing throughout her body, her cheeks being no exception to that. While she didn't particularly mind him watching her like this, it wasn't long before the thought of them being together once more occupied her imagination, which caused her to look slightly more uncomfortable than she normally would.
"I um... ah, y-yes... me too, eheh..." was all that she could manage to stutter out in reply. "Great, Elysia, smooth as ever," she scolded herself internally. It wouldn't have been the first awkward moment spent around Alaric, but that didn't keep the seamstress from concerning herself with the blacksmith's impression of her. After all, it was practically a miracle that he could still feel the way he did for her, given what he had seen her go through, or so she thought.
Such worries weren't given much time to dwell upon, however. The tailoress had been in the middle of gathering her things when an unfamiliar noise startled her, and she turned to look at the smithy with questions in her eyes. While he did explain well enough to address such inquiries, the man was gone before Elysia could formulate a proper response, and she couldn't help but frown at this. The town she had formed a nearly instant attachment to, one that she was about ready to call home, suddenly besieged, its people in jeopardy. And she was to hide? Elysia was quite aware of her other great talent in spellwork, particularly her ability to heed the 'spirit' of the very thread she used. She could even use them in both offensive and defensive measures to great effect... but had utterly failed to so much as call on the help of even a single one during that fateful evening. Not today, she told herself. No longer would she allow herself to be comforted, blanketed in safety at the citizens of Blinlock's expense. Now, she was prepared to return the favor, somehow.
Slinging her sewing kit over her shoulder, Elysia took a moment of silence to herself. It wasn't for thought or even the sake of reminiscence, though--it was for focus. She hadn't needed to call on the spirits around her, ones that her mentor Sorien had taught her to listen to, in a good while; it had been at least several weeks. Mainly in part because others had covered for her. But they wouldn't need to, now, and she had no hesitation in doing it for the sake of the village. When she put all of her heart--and her soul--into it, she found that the power returned to her rather quickly, like an old friend. A familiar feeling that filled her body with vigor that was in itself unnatural, but she didn't hesitate to embrace it. She felt lighter, and of course, faster, knowing that her loved one had rushed ahead before her. With that, she headed towards the sounds of combat, intent on demolishing whoever, or whatever, threatened the town of Blinlock.
Activate Aspect of Spirit for X = 6, gaining +24 to attack rolls, +24 to Dodge, and +12 to Speed. Go to where the thingies are.
Elysia: HP = 44, PP = 42, EP = 105/112, Status = Fine, Aspect of Spirit X = 6 (+24 Dodge, +24 attack, +12 Speed)
NPC Stats:
Alaric: HP = ??/94, PP = ??/42, EP = ??/42, Status = Fine?
Rolls
Elysia activates Aspect of Spirit X = 6, for etc etc.
A hunter then attacks her out of the blue as she heads outside.
Attack: Miss.
Power did indeed wash over Elysia, granting her body strength and speed that it would never have with only her physical muscles to support her, as she flicked out a tiny breath of her vast spiritual essences to call the spirits to her side. Energies, neither living nor dead but somewhere in between, swirled around her in a cloud of soft, blanketing protection, like a second skin that accompanied her lightened step. The seamstress was made to be glad of those protections as instinct called to her suddenly just after she passed through the doorway into Alaric's private quarters, slamming into an invisible wall of powerful muscle that caused her to recoil.
Elysia was made to stumble by the push of the more physical powerful creature, chameleon skin slowly shifting into a mottled greyish green color. A wide grin of yellow teeth, jagged and sharp like those of some mutant crocodile greeted her as the seamstress' gaze naturally swept up to its face, which was completely inhuman save for its general shape. Two slitted nostrils sat in the center, and above them were a pair of beady black eyes, set far apart but clearly focused on her nonetheless, while the entire bottom half of the creature's head was dominated by its wide, toothy maw. Her gaze drifting downwards, Elysia saw that its body was similar, humanoid in shape only; arms that were too long, legs that were too short and stout, hands too big and claws as long as her pinky, and skin that was thick and leathery, an odd nub at its groin the only sign that the creature had any identifiable gender.
The creature hissed wordlessly and advanced upon her, claws swiping but missing by a hair's breath her body forced itself out of the way before Elysia's mind could even catch up. Though its initial strike may have missed, the lizard-man was still approaching, rapidly backing her towards the wall next to the doorway into Alaric' apartment from his shop. She could see fighting behind it, vague shapes in color fighting vague shapes that weren't, and another explosion appeared behind it just as she backed into the wall, the combination of the two finally enough to force her mind to catch up with the rest of her and deal with the approaching monster.
The seamstress' adrenaline levels shot up as she stumbled into the invisible barrier only to behold a most fearsome visage, her own face taking on a look of mild fright. This strange creature was like nothing she had ever seen before--Laerwick had never directly been attacked by such beasts, alien as they were. And though she had heard stories, Elysia had never been face to face with a reptilian horror such as this one; not until now, anyway. Needless to say, it frightened her, and her body's natural instinct was to freeze almost immediately. However, the power coursing through her bones wouldn't let her idle, wouldn't allow her fear to turn her into a victim again. Not this time.
Whether it was thanks to the power she summoned just moments earlier, or her own reflexes kicking in, she wasn't sure, but Elysia managed to avoid the creature's first attack, albeit just barely. It felt as if a ghostly force grabbed her by the back of her dress and yanked her backwards, but at the same time her feet were moving, as light as they felt. Ironically, it was also due to this increased speed that she found herself cornered, after inadvertently backing into the wall before she could realize it. But despite the fear threatening to paralyze her, the tailoress won it over in the end. Instead of dulling her reactions, she grabbed ahold of the terrible feeling and used it, allowing the nerves to sharpen her senses and ignite her will.
"No... I can't dawdle here. Not when Alaric and everyone else are fighting for their lives. I've already caused them too much trouble--there's no way I learned all of this for nothing!"
It was at this time that she felt the spools of thread in her pack reacting to her will, as if they were alive in their own right. They began to creep out, slowly at first, then accelerated to unfathomable speeds as she thrust her hand forward, telekinetically weaving the five strands together to form the rough outline of several crescent-shaped blades, aligned horizontally from top to bottom. As she did so, psychic energy coursed through the threads, turning the odd sculpture into a deadly, magical blade potent enough to penetrate even the toughest of substances. She sent these directly towards the approaching hunter, aiming to reduce it to chunks upon impact, provided the makeshift weapon reached its target on time.
Mind Cutter for X = 8. So, (2d8 + 1) * 8 damage on a hit, minimum rolls being 4.
Applicable Aptitudes: Harmful Spirit
Hit: 50 + 12 (from Soul Sense) + 4 (Multifocused) = 66 to-hit modifier.
Elysia: HP = 44, PP = 42, EP = 94/112, Status = Fine, Aspect of Spirit X = 6 (+24 Dodge, +24 attack, +12 Speed)
NPC Stats:
Alaric: HP = ??/94, PP = ??/42, EP = ??/42, Status = Fine?
Rolls
Elysia uses Mind Cutter X = 8.
Attack: Hit.
Damage: 8 + 4 + 1 = 13 * 8 = 104 - 4 = 100 damage.
Not that it matters right now, but you forgot the bonus from Aspect of Spirit in your attack roll calculation.
Elysia gains 2 experience!
Tiny threads, so thin that they were practically invisible even woven together, bent to her will and wielded with flawless precision even without the guiding power of the spirits she'd called to her will, formed into blades sharp enough to cut steel into butter. The alien creature, as it turned out, was not made of something stronger than steel. Her psychically controlled blades were lightning quick and lashed out with more than enough force to pass right through hide, flesh, organ and bone. The monster's expression didn't even have time to change as it fell into chunks, literally chopped to ribbons by her assault.
Down it went, no longer able to hurt anyone, and then Elysia was able to go past it. With nothing left to keep her here, the seamstress no doubt hurried out, and when she stepped beyond Alaric's shop she needed only to follow her ears in order to turn towards the battle taking place in Blinlock. The aliens were coming across the bridge she'd taken into the small mountain village, slimy grey tentacle spawn and grey-green reptiles and puddles of mobile grey slime that assumed vaguely humanoid form as they attacked the men and women defending Blinlock. The warriors fighting for the town were outnumbered and scattered, and Elysia was unable to spot Alaric or Brun among those fighting. The situation in the village was dire, however...
A massive humanoid creature was battering through the defenders, easily the size of three men high and six abreast as it screamed in fury and smashed men down like pins. Already a dozen man lay strewn about its path, crushed beneath its blows, but even though it had suffered wounds in its grey flesh none of them had caused it any apparent bother, and it was heading deeper into town. Near the embattled bridge was a small knot of fighters, and though they were practically surrounded they fought on, swords and shields their only defense as in the days of old. They were likely to soon be overwhelmed, however, and Elysia had heard the stories of the most common fates of men when they fell to the invaders.... Death. Across the bridge was what had most likely caused the explosions earlier, and the bodies she could see burned along the bridge... Two violet slimes, akin to those that were in the center of the battle, stood about halfway across the bridge, magic swirling around them, but behind them on the opposite side floated a being which Elysia could literally feel even from where she stood some hundreds of feet away, humanoid in shape but only in the vaguest sense as its too long arms stretched out toward the town, fingers splayed like those of a puppeteer, and a skirt of slimy tentacles writhed beneath it. The faceless floating alien was incredibly powerful, but it was also distracted, or at least so it seemed, and Elysia had a clear line of sight to it even across this distance.
Another group of defenders stood on the front steps of the town hall, in which those unable to fight no doubt waited in fear fro the decision of their fates. Half had swords and shields, but the other half were armed with rifles that they were using to cut the aliens down. They'd last longer than the group by the bridge judging by the look of things, but when they crumbled the aliens would have free rein to kill and rape the helpless people of Blinlock. Her emergence from the blacksmith's shop had not gone unnoticed, however. Five of the aliens broke off from the battle and started toward her on spindly grey legs that supported headless bodies, slimy tendrils waving in the air. They were far away but quick, and would be upon her within the next few moments, but she had a chance to intervene in any of the dire straights in which the townsfolk of the village that had so aided her now found themselves.
Across the bridge, about 300 feet away, is an elder lord. 40 feet ahead of it and about 280 from Elysia are two dark slimes on the bridge. Another 50 feet ahead of them and a total of 240 feet from Elysia are a group of eight fighters battling with twelve grabbers, nine hunters, and four grey slimes. Broken off from them are four grabbers, currently 160 feet away and coming for Elysia, who will arrive in 2 rounds unless she moves and forces me to recalculate everything ever. Past them and going another seventy feet is a large group of aliens swarming towards a group of twenty five fighters, fifteen melee and ten ranged, consisting of thirty grabbers, nine grey slimes, and twelve hunters. Then there's the juggernaut smashing its way through the reinforcements, which is about 200 feet away from Elysia.
Elysia's heightened senses fueled by adrenaline remained, even as she willfully directed the razor-like threads through the body of her opponent. The result rendered the intruder into no less than four separate chunks. When it fell, even the spirit wielder was surprised; while she had tested this power before, she certainly hadn't used it on a creature like this, nor any living thing, for that matter. A momentary rush of relief settled in as its pieces collapsed to the floor, forming a puddle of ichor just seconds later. But more than relieving, it was... empowering.
Still, any confidence she did gain from the minor victory was quickly crushed upon exiting Alaric's forge. Nothing could have prepared her for the horrific scene that unfolded before her eyes. The town of Blinlock, which she was all too ready to call her new home at this point, was under siege by a horde of abominations, the likes of which she had never seen before. Her eyes scanned from left to right; all she could see was fighting and death in no small amount. Was this what many of the Badarian towns beyond Laerwick suffered on a regular basis? It was unfathomable, and yet, this was no nightmare--it was real. She knew of the stories, but seeing the events in person was a different matter entirely.
Even worse, her instincts were pulling at her to simply run and leave it all behind. The seamstress desperately fought those temptations with thoughts of Alaric, Eartha and Lavender, but all she managed to do was freeze in place. No... not nearly good enough, and she knew it. The tailoress had to move, to try something, or all that she ever grew to care about within the past few days would be gone in an instant. As her psyche sunk into a primal state, in the depths of sheer terror, she could only resort to what her body knew to do by instinct--what it had done over and over again, countless times, to where it came as second nature and not a conscious action. If it wasn't to run, then what was it?
It was to sew.
Elysia slowly raised her hand, and out of her sewing back came six more threads, bearing sewing needles at the tip while squirming about like snakes to her proverbial charmer. Each seemingly bore habits of its own, but all were bound to her undeniable will. She turned an eye to the chunks of flesh behind her, the remains of her fallen foe. It would have to do. With that, she sent the pack of threads to work, grotesquely looping about the corpse. It was sliced up pretty badly, almost beyond recognition to some, thanks to the way she dispatched it earlier... not an easy job by any means. But she had done repairs like this, to dresses in worse condition, and in less time. Really, if looked upon from a true seamstress' perspective, this was nothing. Adding focus, Elysia entered the same zone in which she normally did during any project, and she was done within no more than three seconds, thanks to the benefit of those needles and threads all working at once. Stitched at the seams where it had been cut, the zombified hunter rose, taking its place beside her as an ally under her command. Like a morbid puppet, its actions were, in essence, controlled in part by a steady helping of the spiritual magic familiar to Elysia, and it bore a form even stronger than its previous incarnation thanks to the power-infused threads running through its body.
By the time she was done, however, the odd, tentacled creatures had approached even closer. While she could outrun them, provided they kept moving at the same rate, she chose not to. After all, she was standing in front of Alaric's home. Instead, she looked to the smith's forge to see if there were any leftover embers from which she could ignite a larger flame with her mind. If not, she would have to do it herself, given extra focus. Elysia remembered the words Sorien told her--to 'agitate' the very air itself, to where fire would form on its own. She didn't quite know how it worked, but it did, and she remembered the steps by heart. That was all she needed to know. Another set of strings emerged from her bag to help facilitate this, and just a second into her concentrated spell, tongues of flame formed upon the tips of those threads. Turning to the cluster of grabbers that were now only meters away from her, she threw her hand forward, unleashing a torrent of flame upon them with her psychic will, hoping to burn them into nothing more than charred remains before her summoned minion would even need to fight.
If this worked out to her satisfaction, her racing mind would take her to what needed to be stopped first in terms of priority. Well... everything did, really. The pressure made it difficult to decide logically, so she had to go with what left the most impression, and that came to two things; the giant, spindly humanoid in the background, and the 'tank' running through town already, the latter seeming like a more immediate danger. After all, she couldn't shake off the glimpse she got of the hulking mass of destruction batting aside Blinlock's men as if they were nothing. If soldiers like the ones fighting now were the extent of the village's defenses, then they wouldn't last long before the gigantic being began to plow through the lines of their riflemen. With that in mind, she rushed towards its position with her new minion in tow, placing it just slightly ahead of her, and upon entering the proper range for her unbelievably sharp threads to work, unleashed them upon the juggernaut with an even greater degree of agitated energy charged upon them.
Pay 4 EP (due to Overlord) to use Animate on the chunks of the hunter's corpse, stitching it back together like some kinda Hunter-stein. Not sure if this was a special kinda hunter or anything, but the bonuses he'll get are: +30 Body, with Resistance/Perception dependent on its new Body stat, and +4 AV.
Then, I would like to first soften up the approaching Grabbers with Pyrokinesis at X = 7, spraying them with a cone of 7d6 + 6 (minimum rolls 3 due to Harmful Spirit) Fire damage.
If that somehow works out, she'll charge towards the Juggernaut's position with her Hunter in tow, and Mind Cutter the thing for X = 20, remaining within her Spirit Ceiling for that casting, dealing (2d8 + 1) * 20 damage that only counts ½ of the target’s AV. The minimum rolls on the dice would be 4.
Quick reference:
Overlord: Creatures summoned by the character through Spirit Powers gain a +10 bonus to Body and a +4 bonus to AV. The cost to activate summon Powers is reduced by 2 (statically regardless of input.) The character may spend 4 EP and deal 2d6 + Spirit/4 damage to either overcharge (in the case of spirits, automatons, and other such summons) or "motivate" (in the case of succubi, angels, yetis, and the like) their summons, granting them +12 attack and x2 damage for the round.
Turn 1: The battle at the bridge goes in favor of the defenders. The battle at the hall goes in favor of the defenders. The defenders slow the juggernaut. Elysia animates the Hunter, spending a total of 4 + 3 = 7 EP.
Turn 2: The battle at the bridge goes in favor of the defenders. The battle at the hall goes in favor of the attackers. The defenders slow the juggernaut. Elysia uses Pyrokineses X = 7 for a total of 9 + 3 = 12 EP this round.
Attack: Hit.
Damage: 31 damage total, softening them up quite well! They don't die though, not yet, and they'll get to attack her next round.
Sadist: 1 + 1 = 2 PP damage.
Perception: Success! She spots Alaric at the town square! Unfortunately, this occurs just as the battle there turns south and he's dragged out of the line by a grey slime.
Resistance Damage: 1 + 2 + 3 = 6 damage.
Turn 3: The battle at the bridge goes in favor of the attackers. The battle at the hall goes in favor of the defenders. The defenders fail to halt the juggernaut. Elysia moves forward and basically butchers the juggernaut with X = 20 Mind Cutter for a total of 23 EP spent this round.
Attack: Hit.
Damage: 5 + 4 + 1 = 10 * 20 = 200 - 6 = 194 damage. Juggernaut down!
Sadist Pleasure: 2 + 1 = 3 PP damage.
Alaric tries to get free!
Grapple: Alaric wins, and is freed!
The grabbers all try to get a taste of delicious seamstress.
Attacks: The second one grabs her, and then the other two just pile on cuz reduced dodge from being grappled.
Aphrodisiacs: Elysia takes a total of 19 Resistance damage, putting her at 6/25 Resistance.
FrankenHunter finishes off the grabber that missed for convenience, leaving only the three about to make some 0/1 tokens with Elysia.
The elder lord, now without anything to do, prepares to enter the fray by activating dark magicssssss. The dark slimes attack the defenders at the bridge.
The monstrosity that her magics created from the corpse of the alien she'd killed was somehow more horrid than the thing had been in life, a horrid contrast to what her skilled work had done to the dresses that she'd been paid to repair that she'd use similar magics upon. Even so, the stitched hunter rose, its empty eyes surveying her as it awaited her command even though the being she'd animated, now more spiritual in nature than physical, didn't need them to see. She needed no physical act to control the zombified hunter, and it came to her side with a thought and stayed there while she turned and surveyed the battle. Despite the advantage that the aliens held in numbers, things were, at least momentarily, going in their advantage as the defenders cut down a few of the monsters without suffering any losses of their own. Even the massive creature was halted in its tracks as more wounds began to cover its body, slowing it while the warriors issued darting strikes that kept it confused and off balance.
The tentacled creatures that had broken off from the battle to come toward her were drawing nearer, however, and Elysia quickly turned her attention upon them. A wave of flame appeared at her will, erupting from the tips of her threads and spreading out towards the four creatures that were coming to claim her. Her psychically controlled flames burned each of them badly, grey flesh turning black as their flesh dried and slowing them as if it would cause them to drop. The damaged skin slouched off, however, and on the creatures came as if they were oblivious to the damage done to them, almost coming within tentacle's reach of the seamstress. The defenders of Blinlock fared just as well near the bridge, miraculously, but those near the hall were not so lucky. They began to take losses among the warriors on the front line, one man having his throat torn out by one of the creatures that had attacked Elysia while another was dragged from the ranks by a slime. It was a heartbeat later, when Elysia was just starting toward the juggernaut, that she realized that the man being pulled into the grip of the increasingly feminine slime was Alaric.
The blacksmith struggled wildly as his apprentice fended off a group of the tentacled creatures in an attempt to reach his master, eventually coming free and returning to the ranks of the defenders as they formed up and repulsed the invaders successfully, and Elysia was able to turn her full attention to the creature that she had targeted next. Rushing as fast as she could while the sewn-up monstrosity loped along beside her, Elysia sped towards the juggernaut as it started crashing through the ranks once more, and once again her threads lashed out under her will's expert guidance. The blow she'd sent against the hunter had been made in a state of surprise, but now she had a few moments to prepare and aim her strike, Elysia could make it all the more devastating. The defenders had pushed it closer to her, allowing her to reach it far more quickly than she might have reached the bridge and letting her line up her attack nicely, and though her threads neared the maximum extension of her ability to manipulate them it didn't make the hit any less devastating when it landed. Like her first target, the monstrous humanoid was reduced to chunks by her psionically manipulated threads, the crescent blades taking off its arms first, one at a time, and then splitting it apart until it was in even more chunks than the hunter had been before her magics had stitched it back up.
And then, everything went to shit. The floating creature had apparently been manipulating the greater monster, because its hands shifted back as it died as if invisible strings had been cut. Power suddenly washed over it, detectable even from as far away as Elysia stood from it... And it was immense.... Greater in scope than anything she'd ever witnessed before as its working revealed a glimpse of the magical power that it was capable of throwing around, and it was clear enough that it would be joining the battle in full within the next few moments. The aliens at the town hall suddenly surged forward, killing some and plucking others from the defender's midst despite their best efforts, and when they were repulsed several men had fallen or been taken irrecoverably. Two of those guarding the bridge suddenly collapsed as Elysia felt quick bursts of magic from the two slimes sitting in the center, and it felt as if their souls had simply been ripped from their bodies. The hole in their line allowed the grabbers to pluck two more from their ranks, which were then passed to the weaker slimes who had their pants off in moments, allowing Elysia to see the arousing effects of the invader's slime...
Just before she got to experience it first hand. Her guiding spirits warned her just before one of the aliens suddenly lashed out, having survived her wave of fire somewhat better than she might have liked. She avoided its tentacles flawlessly, but before the seamstress could celebrate her successful dodge a second warning came. She saw it coming. She knew they were there, and she knew how far and how fast she needed to move to avoid the foul things.... But while her spirit was willing, her flesh was weak. The second one coiled a tendril around her thigh, stopping Elysia in her tracks, and the sudden surge of powerful arousal that went up in her as its slime seeped into her skin was doubled and then tripled as two others latched onto her. Elysia was lifted unceremoniously into the air, tentacles coiling around her legs, her arms, and her waist. The slime seeped through her clothes and into her system, rapidly pushing her to madness with the lust that began to spread across her body from the point of contact with the tentacles, and those points of contact were spreading rapidly as the slimy appendages crawled across her body. They were already worming their way underneath her clothes, and had pulled her legs apart and her arms up, putting her in an incredibly lewd pose while they writhed against her skin, and the arousal they caused was already nearly enough to send her beyond reason. The monstrous being she'd reanimated from the chunks of the first beast to attack her stepped in, however, slashing the first alien to have missed her into ribbons, but that still left Elysia held in the grasp of three more, and a few more seconds of being held like this would leave her beyond the ability to think straight through the haze of lust that was fogging her mind.
Elysia's FrankenHunter: +30 Body, +4 AV.
Across the bridge, about 276 feet away, is an elder lord. 40 feet ahead of it and about 256 from Elysia are two dark slimes on the bridge.
Another 50 feet ahead of them and a total of 216 feet from Elysia are a group of four fighters battling with eight grabbers, seven hunters, and four grey slimes.
Broken off from them are three grabbers, who have taken 31 damage each but are right on top of Elysia.
Past them and going another 70 feet (now 46 from Elysia) is a large group of aliens swarming towards a group of twenty twenty fighters, ten melee (including Alaric and Brun) and ten ranged, consisting of twenty grabbers, eight grey slimes, and eight hunters. The five men that had been held up by the juggernaut will join the defenders of the town hall next round.
As Elysia's adrenaline took over, she had sped towards the juggernaut in great haste, making the mistake of assuming that the quartet of odd, tentacled beasts she had unleashed fire upon were crippled enough by her initial assault so as to be left out of the fight completely. There was simply too much to keep track of at this point, and as a result the seamstress could barely afford to take the time to ensure that each attacker was completely dead. With that she had focused her efforts wholeheartedly on the juggernaut, feeling a rush almost sexual in nature as the thrill of her power being put on display against the monstrous being took over. She had been so helpless, more than she had ever wanted to appear to Alaric, let alone anyone, and to finally be able to exert her will in such a manner was a wonderful feeling.
Still, that momentary triumph over the enormous menace wouldn't be enough to take away from the urgency of the situation, and when she spotted Alaric's close call her eyes widened in near-panic. Yes, they were holding off, albeit barely, but the thought of losing the smith this early, even moreso than the town itself, was too much for her to bear. That moment of alarm in watching him struggle against the powerful hordes caused her to lose her focus, enough so to find herself unprepared when the singed grabbers came upon her to claim their revenge. Thanks to the heightened speed by which she moved, due to the spirit amplifying her natural abilities, she managed to slip away from the first creature's attempt to grapple her. It was to her great misfortune that the second foe's tendrils touched down upon the place they did, her inner thigh, and at that moment Elysia gasped.
While her first instinct was to fight back, the way in which she struggled ended up as more physical in nature, as the panic caused her to resort to brute force, as opposed to the proper method of focusing her spiritual energy. This would give the creature enough time to apply its slime, which would seep into her skin and bodily systems, causing her already sensitive body to move into a state of arousal. When two of its cohorts joined in, the next movements of tentacles against her made Elysia weak in the knees, and she could feel her resistance fading. It was hard enough for her body to move at this point, and she cursed her innate sensitivity silently. From the incident with Typhon to the accident with the shorn weeds, and even before then, she had always been 'sensitive' in a most sexual of ways; orgasm had never been too much of a challenge to reach for the seamstress, be it in self-pleasure or with a partner. It was just unfortunate that her 'mate' in this case would most likely be this odd-looking alien intruder, one that threatened to send Blinlock to a disastrous end.
Elysia felt her own secretions trickle down her inner thigh as she whimpered, turning her head from side to side as her frantic thrashing grew weaker and weaker still. "Nnnff, s-stop... ah-hnnn...! Guuh!" she cried out in protest. This came out in a voice much weaker than she would have liked as the slime's effects began to kick in at full force, flooding her mind with the most lewd suggestions. Her body was ready, and she could have just given in, right then and there. It would all be so... easy, too. Abandoning all responsibility and stress in the moment, she could just stop struggling as the creatures would shift her clothing aside, exposing her shapely rear and bosom to the others, human and alien alike. Whether they were slimes, the tentacled grabbers currently handling her, or the lizards much like the one that first attacked her in Alaric's forge, it didn't matter. They would all swarm around her, invading her lower holes and mouth the way Typhon's group did, and fuck her senseless, turning her into the star attraction of some perverted show, a most desirable breeder. And she would love every minute of it, welcoming any attempt to impregnate her. But whatever foreign part of her mind believed this, wasn't really her--it was anything but. And Elysia knew this. It had to be the odd substance influencing her senses. It wouldn't be the first time--she knew a similar feeling from the drug that was given to her in bed. Never did she want to feel that helpless again. Even if it pleased her physically, nothing quite disturbed her more in the mental aspect. "No... this isn't what I want! This was NEVER what I wanted! I need to save Alaric... to save Blinlock! I can't afford to be this helpless! Damn it, Elysia, calm down. Focus... focus!"
It took all of her strength to finally snap out of it, and when she did, the tailoress actually stopped struggling, for once. This was not her way. She was not some powerful, brutish warrior who could muscle their way through adversity. More than just a seamstress, Elysia was a vessel of psychic energy whose talents could only be wielded properly if her mind wasn't full of panic. Only when she remembered this did her attempts to fight back actually work. Clearing her mind of the lewd suggestions with a steely determination, she replaced the persistent images with the thought of one thing: Fire. Flames all around her, burning intensely to cleanse her immediate surroundings of the lewd creatures would form, hopefully freeing her of their combined assault.
Once free, she would take a deep breath, but Elysia knew that time was of the essence. The floating being across the bridge, immense in power as she understood it to be, was seconds away from joining the battle, and the situation near the hall only got worse. At the very least, the sudden absence of the juggernaut had freed up some of the soldiers while sparing others from untimely deaths, but the picture was still dire. There was no way she'd be able to turn the tide by fighting each of these one by one. If only she had a way to even the score...
The pale beauty's eyes met the chunks of the large creature that she had just laid waste to. An even tougher job than the hunter, no doubt, but she was focused enough to do it, or so she believed. Telekinetically commanding the largest swarm of her threads possible, she began work in an attempt to stitch the giant being together. Anything to buy time, she thought to herself.
Use Pyrokinesis at X = 4, burning the grabbers around her within a 10 foot radius with a 4d6 + 6 (minimum rolls 3 due to Harmful Spirit) Fire damage.
If that works, pay 4 EP (due to Overlord) to use Animate on the chunks of the juggernaut corpse.
Elysia: HP = 44, PP = 31/42, EP = 36/112, Status = Fine, Aspect of Spirit X = 6 (+24 Dodge, +24 attack, +12 Speed) 6/25 Resistance
NPC Stats:
Alaric: HP = 0?/94, PP = ??/42, EP = ??/42, Status = ???, taken 6 Resistance damage
Rolls
Forgot an instance of sadist last round, but I edited it into my last post. Elysia is paying 3 EP upkeep every turn.
Turn 1: The battle at the bridge goes in favor of the attackers. The battle at the hall goes heavily in favor of the defenders.
Elysia sets fire to the grabbers! Pyrokinesis X = 4, for a total of 6 EP. That brings her spending in this round up to 9 EP.
Attack: Hit, of course.
Damage: 23 damage. No more grabbers!
Sadist Pleasure: 3 + 1 = 4 PP damage.
The elder lord does.... Something, and floats over the group fighting near the bridge. Also, a horn is heard off in the distance.
Turn 2: The battle at the bridge goes heavily in favor of the attackers, defenders are wiped out, and the attackers there move to join the battle at the Hall. The battle at the hall goes in favor of the defenders.
Elysia pays 4 EP (total of 7 this turn) to Animate the juggernaut.
The elder lord comes in and blows the defenders at the hall right the fuck up.
Casting: Success. (Blightning Strike)
Attack: Hit.
Damage: 5 + 1 + 9 + 2 + 2 = 19 * 5 = 95 damage. They're, uhhh, pretty much fucked.
The cavalry arrives and attacks the slimes on the bridge! They pretty much just get killed.
Fire. All it took was one little spark, one little flash ignited by her will, and Elysia was surrounded by it, bathed in heat and light that her intoxicated mind could just barely keep from burning her just as it did the monsters she'd intended to destroy with it. The alien she'd animated was not so lucky, but the minor burns that it received weren't enough to destroy the threads possessed of her energies. The live aliens, on the other hand, were not nearly so resilient. Their flesh bubbled and blackened, grey meat cracking and then falling apart under the second touch of her mind's fire. The three remaining tentacle spawn collapsed around her, dropping Elysia to the ground as their flesh sizzled, producing a uniquely foul smell that mixed burning rubber and rotting eggs with the expected smell of freshly charred flesh. Picking herself up, the seamstress was able to see the progress of the other portions of the desperate battle for Blinlock, though at the same time the seamstress heard an odd noise emanating from the direction of the mountain path.
At about the same time, the men that had fought the juggernaut that she'd felled rushed towards the melee, attacking the invaders from the side and momentarily stalling their assault upon the steps. The combined efforts of men and women with rifles and the strikes from those armed with hand weapons managed to fell a number of their foes, and now the numbers between attacker and defender were almost even. Any hope that the results of the battle at the town hall were marred by the disaster playing out at the bridge, where several of the town's defenders were trying to hold off a small army despite being reduced to only four men. Their situation was practically hopeless, but each of the men there understood that they would be given no quarter by the invaders, who would take their lives or their souls, if not both. They held, shields forming a square against the claws and tentacles coming to get them, and for a few seconds they resisted the tide.... And then one of their number was snared and pulled from their ranks, and the square quickly became a triangle. That wouldn't last long, however, as their shields didn't cover nearly enough to hold back all of their attackers. The floating tentacled alien didn't even pay the trio any mind, going right over their heads as it passed them by and came toward the hall.
The battle was turning in their favor, or at least wasn't so one sided, and Elysia's next move was to make certain that it was going to stay that way. Her threads lashed out towards the fallen juggernaut's remains, and this time their actions were done in reverse - where before they had come to destroy, now they worked to repair the monstrous creature. Massive chunks of grey meat and heavy bone were sewn back together by the same threads that had taken them apart, her animated string working furiously to piece the gigantic beast back together. The process didn't take much longer than it had with the hunter even if it did require a good bit more concentration, and when it was finished the grey giant stood once more, opening its toothy maw and letting out a cracked scream before rushing towards the wall of aliens that were attacking the defenders of the hall at her command, its steps thunderous over the staccato beat set by the gunfire and her own rushing heartbeat. But then once again, Elysia found herself distracted by a most unusual set of sounds that were just barely detectable beneath the sounds of the ongoing battle. The hoof-beats of a horse moving at full gallop, joined by the howls of dogs or something similar, and something else... The strange call that had come up from the mountains before.
She couldn't see beyond the bridge, but Elysia did catch an odd glint of light and movement from that direction before her attention was commandeered in full by the events playing out right before her eyes. The defenders of the bridge, outnumbered and surrounded, crumbled against the swarm of aliens around them. They held out against the tide for a few more seconds, and then another one of them was dragged away, and the last two fell shortly thereafter to the claws of a pair of the reptilian monsters. With the defenders there wiped out, those they'd tied up started moving to reinforce the ones attacking the hall, but the ones that Elysia had freed up managed to link up with the defenders of the hall, sealing the holes in their defense that had been left by their losses. With Elysia and her animated allies coming in, a glimmer of hope seemed to reinvigorate the men and women of Blinlock, and as they did so an orb of blackness suddenly blotted out the bridge, including the slimes that had been situated upon it, an effect that Elysia would recognize instantly as magic.
The floating alien wasn't going to have any of that, apparently. Even if she hadn't seen them before in person, Elysia had heard of the more learned magics before. While her spells were fueled by her soul's power and her own will, the seamstress knew of magics that involved careful use of the world's latent energies to supplement one's own power, and that was what she instantly recognized now. The monstrous thing gathered the power present in the air around it, shaping it and infusing it with its own formidable power, and a moment later Elysia was present as a bystander to observe the results of its working. A hole appeared above the defenders of Blinlock, some fifty feet up or so. Her gaze was intrinsically drawn to that hole, which she realized immediately was no mere physical opening. Elysia felt the tear in the fabric of reality threatening to widen even as the elder lord pulled power from it, and looked through that portal into unfamiliar stars. A sudden surge of energy caused the tear to snap back, but not before it came through the opened doorway and hammered into the ground in the form of a bolt of dark green lightning. The explosion that resulted was loud enough to momentarily deafen her and powerful enough to send her tumbling onto her backside, and though it didn't hit either of her animated corpses directly the both of them stumbled slightly as well.
The bolt hit right in the middle of the defenders of Blinlock, amidst the riflemen who'd been covered up until then, but it spread outwards into both the melee fighters and the building itself in a sphere. Bodies were thrown aside by the force of the blast, no less charred and blackened than the tentacle spawn that surrounded her, but there were far too few of them to account for all of them that had been present in the radius of the explosion. The reason for that became all too clear as the dust caused by the blast cleared only a second or so after it had landed, and Elysia was made to see the crater that stood where the steps up to the hall had once been. There was nothing else. No bodies, not even a few scraps of bone or armor. Where once the majority of the defenders of Blinlock had stood, now there was only a crater, and the portion of the building that had been obliterated by the blast of magic lightning was enough to cause the structure to groan in protest. The front of the building simply collapsed, partially filling the rounded crater, and the terrified faces of the people of Blinlock were visible within.
A handful of defenders remained, but against the power of the elder lord and the sheer number of remaining aliens, there was no way that so few could hope to stand for long. There was no sign of Alaric or his apprentice, and Elysia remembered clearly that they'd been near to the center of the line, where the destruction had been centered most. And then, emerging from the blackness that had spread to cover the entire bridge, a figure out of darkest dream appeared. A humanoid figure clad from head to toe in armor so black that it was like looking into the void, a spear crafted in the likeness of a twisting dragon held in a lancer's pose under one arm and a kite shield that looked to have been crafted from pure obsidian, came riding out of the magically conjured shadows astride a massive black horse possessed of a mane of pure flame, a single twisting horn jutting out from its forehead, and hooves that left patches of fire wherever they touched against the ground. Still deafened by the explosion, Elysia's imagination was left to fill in the sounds of the falls of the flaming horse's hooves, and those that might have been made by the two shadowy objects that darted out of the darkness behind it, their shapes vaguely canine as they split off from the rider leading them. One of them was coming almost right towards Elysia.
The alien lord turned to face the newcomers, swiveling in place without any effects from inertia or even any apparent use of its muscles, and as it reoriented itself Elysia felt it gathering in power once more. If it hit like it had before, the creature would likely obliterate horse, rider, and whatever was around it, but but in that moment its back was turned to Elysia. She had an opportunity to strike, if a brief one, before it could complete its second working, but the question was whether or not she really wanted to. The aliens were swarming over the rubble towards the vulnerable people of Blinlock, and though her juggernaut would likely slow that advance it could only hold off so many for so long, and the remaining human defenders were scattered and likely to be quickly overwhelmed. Elysia had to make a choice, and had instants to make it, on where and how she would intervene.
Elysia's FrankenHunter: +30 Body, +4 AV, taken 11 damage.
Elysia's FrankenJuggernaut: +30 Body, +4 AV.
46 feet from Elysia is a large group of aliens (ten grey slimes, twelve hunters, nineteen grabbers) swarming towards a group of ten fighters, eight melee and two ranged.
Elysia struggled to regain her breath, stumbling a few steps forward after her well-placed inferno freed her of the invaders' slimy appendages. A quick glance up at her green-skinned ally would tell her that she had accidentally singed it in the desperate attempt to free herself, but of course, her attachments lay not with the animated corpse of a fallen foe, but with the citizens of this town--one in particular. It was those very bonds that kept her from fleeing or freezing up for too long. She could only be thankful that her obsessive nature, with regards to her personal interests, made her spellwork and needlework alike feel almost automatic when she needed them to be, thanks to countless hours spent repeating and memorizing the necessary procedures. They would be invaluable instincts at a time like this, where the steady losses of Blinlock's citizens and militia made the already growing emotional and mental pressure worse for the seamstress. It was bad enough that the people she was excited to meet just earlier that morning were now dying left and right, but for her to lose the one she had shared her love with the other night would have just been too much. Still, it nagged at her in her mind as the battle raged on. She had to hurry, had to dispose of as many of these things as possible before they could claim the life of Alaric, his student, and anyone else Elysia might have known in the village. While defeat didn't look inevitable quite yet, loss did, and knowing the intrepid craftsman, he would remain on the front lines no matter how many close brushes with death he might experience.
This ultimately spurred Elysia on to work her threads with ever such haste, and her eyes filled up with hope as she saw the juggernaut rise, joining the fray within seconds. She would have her charred hunter do the same, as the aliens appeared to be moving in a more uniform cluster towards the town hall, and flanking them with reanimated versions of their own kind would hopefully buy enough time for Blinlock's struggling defenders. After all, they had already suffered terrible losses at the bridge, and while Alaric wasn't amongst them, Elysia knew that their deaths would be devastating enough for those living here, in addition to being a handful of fine people that she will never have the pleasure of formally meeting. As these thoughts were too painful to dwell upon, she brushed them off before long, returning her focus to the battle before her. Unfortunately, she only did so in time to see the strange, floating being's terrifying spell tear apart the reality she knew, both in its initial casting and the devastating bolt that was unleashed upon the mass of defenders. She inherently just knew that this utterly dangerous creature was making its move, and that she had to stop it at all costs. But it was far too late by the time she looked. Elysia couldn't even afford to react before the force of the blast kept her from standing, and when the dust cleared, she coughed, wiping her eyes only to have them widen in utter shock at the horrifying scene that revealed itself to her.
The trap that had set itself in her mind was that as long as she could occasionally glance towards the crowd and find Alaric's large, unmistakable frame, she would know that he was still fighting alongside her in a way. And while nerve-wracking to have him constantly exposed to danger in such a manner, she somehow knew that he wouldn't have it any other way. So to just know that he was alive, and there, brought her an immense degree of comfort, an anchor for her nervous feelings. But like everything in the freshly formed crater, it was gone in an instant. She would have spotted him by now, no doubt... and now she just couldn't. Frantically, her eyes scanned the scene two, three times, and again. Still she failed to find the silhouette of the one she cared about most, and the loss of any semblance of composure gradually departed from her features. "N-No... no... Alaric... ALAARIIIIIIIIIIIIIICCC!!" She screamed as loud as she could, instinctively rather than intentionally, her cry deafening to those around her. There was nothing to find there anymore, no one to hold and comfort her after it was over. Her entire vision blurred as if it had gone peripheral, and the loud noises of combat dulling themselves to her ears, the moment having become oddly surreal within itself. Her stomach dropped, and she felt as if she was literally beside herself. Slowly, the tailoress looked up to see a dark rider form in the distance. Who was that? No... it didn't matter. She was done. Everything that she had ever come to treasure in the past week had come and gone before her eyes, and for what? Why her? Elysia had not the answers to these questions that floated about in her mind. She saw some other figures moving, but they didn't resemble Alaric in the slightest, as much as she would have wanted them to.
One of the shapes was too large not to notice, however, and it was that of the humanoid creature, turning its back to her. She stared at it for a moment, trying to make sense of everything in her mind, trying to do something other than stare and be a victim, but when she tried, the only thing that ignited within her was anger. It was, after all, the spell of this... thing that had taken her loved one away. She had no idea what it was, why it came here, or what it meant to accomplish by laying waste to the innocent citizens of a small town like Blinlock. But it had to stop. If nothing else, she just wanted it all to stop; to be given silence, peace, to no longer have to hear the screams of those suffering around her. She was too deep into it now to run away. Both of her hands went up and pointed forward before she knew it, and with them maintained in that position, she began to run in the direction of the menacing being. Though it would have frightened her away in another situation, this wasn't the time. Not when she had nothing more to lose. In desperation, she grabbed a handful of spools out of her bag, flinging them, allowing her telekinetic powers to weave them into random patterns expressive of her distressed state. "Stop... just... stop...!" Once she was within range, she held out her hands, picturing the alien giant being crushed in between them, with tears streaming down her cheeks, as every thread from her kit began to snake forward, glowing with energy. The seams of her dress even began to unravel, with the threads having bound them flying forward, similarly charged with energy in order to lend themselves to her cause. Killing it... no, making it stop, making everything quiet, was all that she wanted at this point. The other aliens, the dark rider or its pet approaching her, she failed to notice as her focus became sharper than any needle. Her sights were set on the alien lord, and with her final bit of energy, she devoted her being to silencing it permanently.
Mind Cutter at huge alien lord thingy for X = 20.
Dealing (2d8 + 1) * 20 damage that only counts ½ of the target’s AV. The minimum rolls on the dice would be 4.
Also if she can, drop the AoS to X = 3 for an upkeep of 0 after.
Elysia: HP = 44, PP = 29/42, EP = 13/112, Status = Fine, Aspect of Spirit X = 3 (+12 Dodge, +12 attack, +6 Speed) 6/25 Resistance
NPC Stats:
Alaric: HP = ??/94, PP = ??/42, EP = ??/42, Status = ???, taken 6 Resistance damage
Rolls
Elysia attacks with Mind Cutter X = 20 and then lowers her buff to X = 3! Total of 23 EP spent this round.
Attack: Hit. On the fucking dot.
Damage: 5 + 4 + 1 = 10 * 20 = 200 - 2 = 198 damage.
Sadist: 1 + 1 = 2 PP.
Frankenhunter counterattacks!
Attack: Hit.
Damage: 11 + 11 + 25 - 8 - 24 = 15 damage on the hellhound.
Elysia's threads lashed out towards the floating alien, directed by the bereaved seamstress's will. Their paths were wild and floating, but given her less controlled usage the enchanted string wove into the only pattern available to them; The one set by her fingers. The elder lord seemed not to notice the cage that formed around it as it concentrated on the dark rider speeding toward it, not until the threads were ready to come closed, and that was when it pushed. As she closed her hand, Elysia felt a barrier of similar energies form around her target, seeking to preserve it from her wrath. It became a contest of wills between her and the alien, taking place across the span of a single heartbeat as her threads attempted to draw inwards...
And it was a contest that the enraged woman won handily. The elder lord's magic held her at bay for less than a second before the deadly trap closed shut, hundreds of threads laced with energy that made them sharper than any razor passed one another as they switched places, moving through the alien they'd trapped in the middle order to do so. In another time and place, watching the alien fall to the ground, literally sliced into fine ribbons no wider than a slice of ham, might have been a comical sight. There came only one point of resistance through which Elysia's threads could not pass, a dark grey stone the dropped out of the dead monster and rolled a few feet toward her. With her target dead, however, Elysia had no choice but to view the world around her again, much as she might like to turn inward rather than face anything more.
The massive black hound that had started toward her after exiting the black cloud hanging over the bridge, living shadows twisting around it and red eyes gleaming, crossed the distance between her and it in the span of a few rapid heartbeats. It was practically a blur it was moving so fast, and when it got within thirty or so feet of her it simply leaped, flying straight toward her... And then over her, slamming into the lizardman that she'd killed and reanimated earlier and bearing it to the ground. The monstrous dog's jaws clenched shut right on the alien's head, and there came a loud crunch as the lizardman's skull was crushed like a melon in a vise, its contents oozing out between the beast's clenched teeth. The headless hunter didn't seem bothered by this at all, as it then promptly started trying to gut the monster that had just decapitated it, and though its claws drew blood the monster's twisted shadowy garb seemed to protect it from the brunt of the assault.
That the alien could counterattack at all seemed to surprise the beast more, as it leaped off of the hunter and then spun as soon as it'd landed, scythe-like tail swishing back and forth as it eyed its opponent. Her animated ally naturally rose to its feet, but the beast had done a number on the threads with which she'd animated the formerly diced alien, and it was plain that the undead creature wasn't doing too well. The exchange had not been missed by the dark rider, however, who had been heading towards the juggernaut after the elder lord had fallen. Seeing the strings binding it together (and that it was on the side of the defenders after it squashed one of the grey tentacle monsters into paste) they turned into the mass of aliens heading towards the practically unguarded hall and charged in there instead. What came next was no less one sided than the fight that would have occurred if the aliens had been allowed to enter the damaged building, only thankfully it was their side that was on the winning end.
Bounding up the steps and killing several of the lesser invaders along the way, the rider wheeled her flaming mount around as two more riders - these on more normal looking horses - came charging into the fray along with two more of the shadow-clad hounds. The aliens, now leaderless and facing opposition no less potent than what they'd been losing to before, were ripe for the picking as the beings that had arrived out of nowhere formed up with what was left of the defenders.
The lizards bailed. It seemed that they, at least, possessed some level of intelligence, as they turned and started off in random directions, their skin shifting colors to help them blend in. On the chaotic battlefield, however, that camouflage wasn't particularly effective, and Elysia's juggernaut grabbed one of the fleeing aliens by the head and - ignoring completely the claws flailing at its wrist - crushed the gripped hunter's head into bloody paste. There were plenty of others getting away, however, and Elysia had an opportunity to try and stop them as the defenders of Blinlock and their mysterious allies turned to fight off the less intelligent invaders. The hellhound most directly next to her gave a snort and made a move to go off and join the rest of its pack in dealing with the tentacle spawn and the slimes, though she could send her hunter after it or attack it directly if she so wished. And then.... Something happened that likely took the brunt of the seamstress's attention.
Many had been flung aside when the blast from the alien lord had struck in the center of the defenders, not close enough to the center of the blast to have been vaporized. Most were obviously dead, too badly burned to have any chance at survival or even missing pieces entirely. The smoke caused by the sudden explosion had also resulted in a cloud that had left her momentarily unable to see, but presumably some had been thrown directly away from her such that she couldn't see them. As she surveyed the battle with eyes that were likely dead, a figure emerged from a smashed house, shirtless and singed and possessed of a familiar immense stature and dirty blond hair. Alaric came forth from some debris on the opposite side of the battlefield from Elysia and promptly knocked a fleeing hunter's head off. There was an enraged scowl on the blacksmith's face, and for the moment he seemed not to notice her, but he was most definitely alive.
When she felt the alien leader's barrier come up just in time to keep her telegraphed assault from crushing it, Elysia did not yield to it in the slightest. All of the rage and anguish she felt deep inside had sublimated itself into this one task of just making that thing stop. No more killing. Not another citizen of Blinlock should die, and certainly not in the way they have been. This creature couldn't be allowed to live and continue to murder on its own terms. That would be the logical way to go about it, but even that was gone from the seamstress's mind at that point in time. All she wanted was for it to die--how dare it resist her will! Feeling it fight back against her, strong as it was, only caused the woman's fists to clench even tighter, and she grit her teeth, mustering all of her will to destroy it. "Just... die! Please!" Something had to give. And surely enough, one side did. It wasn't her.
It was oddly satisfying for her to feel the lord's will buckling under the immense pressure of her own, to simply know that she had a degree of power over the situation for once, when she had been nothing but helpless time after time. The distraught woman continued to 'squeeze' the alien even after it was clear that her psychic blades had already made several passes through it. And when the invader finally fell, reduced to chunks by her unbelievably sharp threads, a wave of relief washed over Elysia, her shoulders drooping. She exhaled deeply, staring at the stone that tumbled to a stop before her. Elysia could only guess that it was something once vital to the creature, but her mind was still too numb to really process its worth. She was far too tired now--the repeated use of her telekinetic gifts left her physically exhausted, in addition to the emotional toll that the invasion had taken on her psyche. And yet, as much as she wanted to simply fall over and sleep, she couldn't. There was still so much noise, and it grated on her nerves.
Realizing that the silence she longed for still hadn't come, Elysia looked up just in time to see a terrifying canine form charging at her directly. She reacted far too late, only managing to raise an arm and grimace as it passed right over her and her expectations alike to deliver an assault on the animated hunter. Finally, her once vacant mind began to kick in again. If it wasn't targeting her, then why the minion? Did it recognize the zombified creature to still be that on the side of the invaders? Of course, the headless hunter would defend itself automatically, though Elysia made sure not to order any extra pursuit when the hound parted itself from the standstill that followed. After all, it could have just as easily attacked, perhaps even killed her, and it didn't. While she had always been fond of animals, the pale beauty understood these to be different, no doubt, otherworldly even, given the shroud of shadow coating it, its frightening appearance setting it apart from the average dog. It was practically a miracle that she was still alive now, to begin with--no use aggravating the situation. She had been spared, and would take this for what it was, a show of mercy.
She turned around to behold a scene that she also had not seen coming nor fully understood, that of the black rider and their dogs actually helping to dispatch the tentacled creatures, slimes and reptilians alike. With their peculiar appearance, it was difficult for Elysia to associate the mounted knight, their pets, and the others that came charging in, acting for the benefit of those living in Blinlock. She had always been raised to fear anything that possessed such characteristics. But then again, her mentor Sorien was considered shady by many in Laerwick, and she came to trust him more than anyone. Either way, the seamstress was not about to sit still for much longer, not when the sounds of combat were still echoing through the air. Grabbing the odd stone in front of her, she willed herself to stand, surveying the chunks of the creature she had dispatched. She could use the thing's body to her own benefit. But having to set her eyes upon that odd frame again, reminding her of Alaric's death, would be too much, even for her. Turning away from the corpse, she headed towards the remaining battle, where thankfully, the tide appeared to be changing already.
And there she saw him, the man whose supposed loss she had just begun to mourn--Alaric. While he looked a little worse for wear, he was alive, and it took a few seconds for this to register within Elysia's mind. Once she could visually confirm this, the swell of relief that rose in her chest was almost too much to bear. She was exhausted, and couldn't feel much of her focus remaining, certainly not enough to keep working her threads for much longer. The next action would have to count. Alaric on the front lines, in particular, was too much for her at this point--she could watch it no longer. A brave man such as him would fight until he died, no doubt, and the fact that he continued to stand there even when the odds were terribly stacked against the defenders proved that. It was this courage that attracted her to him, but at the same time, it served to frighten her in that sense that she could very well lose the intrepid craftsman if she were to simply let him continue to fight for her sake. She wouldn't. Elysia was not to be the helpless damsel for him every time. He had saved her enough--it was now her time to return the favor, somehow, at least in a way that he would notice.
Running to the rear edge of the alien crowd, passing the fleeing hunters, she hoped to halt some of their retreat with this last blaze, sending her own stitched-up hunter into their flanks while looking to its other side. Focusing the last of her energy, she took aim at the crowd of grabbers and slimes remaining, so as not to hit her own minion, and sent a thread to each within range, letting a stream of flame travel along the lines to ignite the mindless beings. Elysia would let them burn until she could do it no more, only hoping that her final spell would dispose of as many of the remaining attackers left as possible. "Burn... just, burn," she thought, praying that it would all be enough to stop it by now. She even continued to follow through with the motions after her mind was too tired to continue, at least for a few seconds, before dropping her arms at her side, panting.
Burn things. Pyrokinesis in cone form, sweeping them grabbers and stuffs with X = 10 for a total of 12 EP spent.
Oh yeah, also send the headless hunter in to bat clean-up along with the juggernaut.
Elysia: HP = 44, PP = 29/42, EP = 1/112, Status = Fine, Aspect of Spirit X = 3 (+12 Dodge, +12 attack, +6 Speed) 6/25 Resistance, Low on Energy
NPC Stats:
Alaric: HP = ??/94, PP = ??/42, EP = ??/42, Status = fine?, taken 6 Resistance damage
Rolls
Elysia uses Pyrokinesis as you said, aiming to fry the crowd.
Attack: Hit.
Damage: 45 damage.
Elysia's frankenhunter grapples one of its kin.
Attack: Hit. A hunter has been prevented from escaping!
Elysia's frankenjuggernaut squishes a different hunter.
Attack: Hit.
Damage: 2 + 12 + 47 - 8 = 53 damage. Down it goes in one shot.
Though they were now outmatched in might courtesy of the intervention of the mysterious riders and their black hounds, the invaders still posed a threat to the people of Blinlock. The tentacle beasts and slimes were by far the least deadly of their foes, but even they might have inflicted casualties on the remaining mortal defenders. Elysia made sure that they didn't.
Fire called at the seamstess's will and fueled by the last of her spiritual energies swept over the remaining aliens, and the bodies of the tentacle monsters were left as little more than charred lumps of sizzling grey meat. The slimes weathered the assault slightly better, but even though weren't immune to the power of her magical flames, and though they didn't fall immediately the creatures were greatly reduced by the time her flames cleared. They were quickly mopped up by the armored figures, who charged down the steps to see the invaders wiped out quickly and decisively, and though not all of them were caught, Elysia's headless hunter tackled one of its living brethren to the ground, easily overpowering its non-animated kindred, while her animated juggernaut lifted another by the head and crushed its skull. The black dogs quickly surged out, seeking more of the aliens, and many were found and eliminated, though it was impossible for the exhausted seamstress to tell whether or not they'd gotten them all.
The people of Blinlock looked no better than she did despite their narrow survival, and such was likely understandable given that many had just watched many of their friends and neighbors slaughtered by their attackers. Both within the blast that had leveled the front of the town hall and in the melee that had preceded it, at least half of the town's fighting men and women had died, or suffered a far worse fate when their souls were torn from their bodies. Their strange saviors weren't met with the praise that they might have deserved from the townsfolk, and while it might have been kind to say that it was due to the tragedy that had just landed in their laps, the looks that the figures were getting from many of the townsfolk, including Alaric, were less than kind. Suspicion and fear were fairly evident all around, but none were more striking than the brief look of hate with which Alaric gazed at the figure sitting atop the flaming horse. It was difficult to miss that some were looking at her with similar expressions.
The armored rider didn't seem overly bothered by this, however, as they dismounted and glanced about before finally settling their gaze upon Elysia. The seamstress didn't have the spiritual steam left to do much fighting, but her hunter still held one of its struggling kin, and the massive alien juggernaut was still under her control, leaving her with at least a degree of fighting ability left should this person pose a threat, though whether that would really be enough after they'd stormed in and fought off the aliens with such apparent ease was questionable at best. "You. You are the most powerful person that I sense here. Do you speak for these people?" the armored figured demanded, its helmeted head oriented straight towards Elysia. The townsfolk were silent, Alaric included, thus leaving the battleground at the front of the small village deathly quiet save for the snorts and stamping of the horses and the low growl that emanated from the massive black dogs that surrounded them.
By the time she had finished setting the last of her conjured flames upon the crowd of shambling invaders, Elysia was finished, at least in terms of having the mental focus to keep going. She had done all she could, retaining only the bare minimum of energy to maintain her morbid 'puppets', and hoping that the rest of the aliens would know better and flee from then on. It went to reason that she would react to the riders and their hounds' interventions with no small degree of relief, as she simply had not the faculties to keep on fighting at that point.
Turning her attention to the remaining survivors, the first thing she noticed was their weary and angry expressions. She couldn't blame them. What was this all for? Surely Blinlock had never sustained an attack on this large of a scale, certainly not if their defenses had always been to this level. Their soldiers were still more competent than that of Laerwick's, and it had still not been nearly enough to properly fend off the swarm of otherworldly attackers. Elysia already had several people that came to mean much to her over the span of just a few days--what about someone who had lived here all their lives? What had they just lost? The pain and anguish associated with such would be unthinkable for the seamstress. Still, she was not one to miss the glare that Alaric directed towards the black knight, and couldn't help but wonder as to why.
Panting, she began to walk back towards the damaged town hall, where the rest of the survivors and remaining warriors were huddled up. She kept an eye on what looked to be the leader of the shadowy group that had stormed into the battlefield, then blinked a few times after seeing that the figure had actually bothered to address her.
"Me...?" She looked to her left and right before turning back to the rider. Of course it was her--but with all the stress of recent events, it was difficult for Elysia to be all that sure anymore.
"Oh, um, I am fairly new to this village, so I wouldn't go so far as to say that..." she trailed off at first. Would the people of Blinlock even accept her, after having seen such powers? Animated, grotesque mockeries of her former foes stood under her control--surely not the mark of a typical seamstress. "But, I defend them. Yes," she eventually added, with a more convincing sense of confidence in her tone, despite her actual lack of power for the time being.
As much as she felt it proper to thank them formally, she still felt a hint of unease from the odd exchange of looks between the newcomers and the townsfolk. It grew harder for her to stay reserved, with all of the questions still floating about in her mind, and eventually, two of the most pertinent ones escaped into verbal form. "Why them... and why here?"
