Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

[Hafnium]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 70, PP = 60, EP = 50, Status = Fine, Saved by the Bell

Note: Faeriegold Plate Armor is at 9/30 TP

"Oh? Ohhh?" The sheep transformed into a wolf in front of Lyra's eyes as she explained her lack of experience. It might not have seemed possible, but somehow the faun managed to push even more of her body against the knight's. In addition to the warmth and feel of skin against skin, the close embrace left the knight with lungs full of the overwhelming scent of the faun's hormones.

"That's fine, that's fine..." the shorter faerie insisted. "Adorable, really~ You've been spending too much time around humans. Were you saving it for someone in particular? Or are you just nervous~?" At that, Lyra felt the faun hook her thumbs underneath the band of the knight's pants. "There's no need to be nervous~ We have plenty of time and I'll teach you everything before we get to the main course~ I'll show you every sensation that you've been missing out on~ You'll beg for more~!"

Kalila was growing more aggressive by the second. The faun's lips moved to her neck, planting little kisses from the sidhe's jaw down toward her shoulder. At the same time, hands at Lyra's waist began to tug at her pants. Before the faun could make a meal of the virginal knight, however, the familiar feeling of being summoned took root. Lyra could feel her soul being called to some spirit wielder northeast of her, far across the continent. A hint of jealousy and pride transferred across the connection, but not much else. It was up to Lyra whether she wanted to take her chances with the unknown person waiting for her or Kalila.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

"No, um, I... I really don't think this is a good idea." Lyra weakly protested, though she was quick to make a grab at the faun's hands when she felt them tugging at her pants, pushing them away. She couldn't seem to muster the resolve to actually push Kalila off of her though, only continue to vainly hold off her advances. "Really, um, I'm flattered, but I really don't want this now..."

Lyra finally put her hands on Kalila's shoulders as the faun leaned in to kiss the side of her neck, physically pushing her back at least a little. Before she could do more though, she felt a familiar tugging sensation on her soul. The summoners emotions weren't quite what she was used to dealing with, no fear or anger, but she was willing to take anything at this point. Nothing about it seemed malicious, so at worst she could refuse and return home, and at the very least it would get her out of her current predicament.

"I'm sorry, I um... I need to go!" And with that she let the summoning take hold, whisking her away from the incredibly awkward situation she'd found herself in. It was only as she felt herself being pulled across the intervening space that she remembered she didn't have her armour, only the outfit she'd been intending to practise in. That, and the nagging worry that she might no be entirely presentable when she appeared. It stung her pride to appear like this—without her armour she hardly struck a knightly figure, after all—but it was still better than the alternative.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 70, PP = 60, EP = 50, Status = Fine, Is Now the Belly Dancer

Lyra would escape in the nick of time, as Kalila seemed to be past taking no for an answer despite the knight's efforts to physically dislodge the faun. The sidhe's body dissolved to take the short trip toward her summoner, mercifully doing so quickly enough that Lyra didn't get to hear the other faerie's response to her sudden departure. Within a second or two she would find herself materialized in a new location which would likely only reinforce her desire for her armor.

She was indoors somewhere, surrounded by gray, smoothed stone walls standing at least ten feet tall and smoothly transitioning into a floor and ceiling, all of which was damp. The still air was cold and wet and carried the strong smell of must and mold. The room she was in appeared to be about as wide and long as the walls were tall.

Sconces with lightstones lined the walls and provided enough vision to look around. In one of the corners of the room was a small circular table covered in a thick film of dust. Two shoddy stools were gathered around the table, one was knocked over and missing a leg. In another corner stood a bookshelf with a variety of tomes, and it too was in a state of disrepair as two of the shelves had collapsed under the weight of their load. In a third corner laid a skeleton. There were massive plank doors opposite each other in the middle of two of the room's walls, one with a plank busted away revealing part of a stone hallway.

And directly in front of Lyra was her summoner. A human with long red hair tied in a side ponytail. She had beautiful features marked with the sort of tiny flaws which humans had. She had a face which was just slightly more oval than heart-shaped, sparkling green eyes set just a bit too far apart, and a nose which was just a little bit too pointed to be described as button. She was thin and wore a form-fitting cross between a robe and a dress and a matching mantle over her shoulders. The cloth was black with gold accents.

The summoner's uncertainty was easy to read in her expression. "So you're a knight, huh? I guess I was expecting more armor. I guess it was silly to assume human knights and faerie knights were basically the same. Now I really wish they would've let us summon knights in class. I don't know why they wouldn't," she bemoaned. "Well, whatever! You're here so obviously I can do it just fine!" The redhead's exclamation ended in her crossing her arms in a dramatic huff.

"Anyway! I summoned you because I need help getting through this labyrinth. I... er, well, my sister and I found the entrance a few days ago and decided to explore it ourselves before we tell anybody. But a few minutes ago we had an argument about which way to go and split up. I wanted to go left and she wanted to go right, and after a few minutes of arguing she had the nerve to stomp off saying she was going to summon a demon and clear this place out herself! There's no way I'm going to some... abandoner do that! I keep hearing noises though.... I'm not scared or anything! I just think there's strength in numbers! So, uh, will you lend me a hand?"

 

[Astarte]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Lyra couldn't help but feel a little bad for abandoning Kalila like she did, knowing her part in the faun's problems, but she couldn't help but feel relieved when her physical form faded away. Even more so when she lost all perception of the shop before Kalila could react to her disappearance. She felt a little guilty, but she pushed that thought aside. Someone needed her help.

The surroundings she arrived to were unfamiliar, though that was hardly surprising. Indoors... possibly underground? It was hard to say. The place looked old though, as if it hadn't been disturbed in a long time. No immediate threats presented themselves after a quick scan of her surroundings though, prompting Lyra to release her grip on the hilt of her sword for the moment and turn her eyes to her summoner.

"Yes. You can call me Lyra, Knight of the Court of Spring." Lyra replied to the girl's query with practised ease, giving a quick bow. "I apologize if I don't look particularly knightly at the moment, but I assure you that I am a more than competent protector nonetheless."

The comment about her lack of armour left Lyra feeling just a little self-conscious, but she managed to keep her composure in front of her summoner. She'd managed to make it with half the oasis leering at her in this outfit, she could deal with one human girl. Besides, they were more protective than they looked, she knew that much. Not as protective as her armour, but she could fight without armour too. She had her shield and both her bronze sword and the enchanted glass blade Abla had given her, those were all she needed to perform her duty.

A raised eyebrow was the only change in expression the rest of her summoner's speech got her from Lyra, but inwardly the faerie knight had to resist laughing a little at her denial of fear. That her sister may have summoned a demon was a little worrying, but she could deal with that if they encountered each other. "Perhaps it was wise they didn't allow the summoning of Knights," Lyra commented once her summoner had finished speaking. "Every summoning has a price, and while I am one of those who requires nothing more than that my duty be to offer aid or protection to those in need of it, others have more specific goals. None that I know, however, would appreciate being summoned as a demonstration." She made certain to emphasize the final word, giving her summoner a serious look for a few moments before relaxing again.

"Regardless, I will protect you to the best of my abilities, you have my word of that." Lyra smiled again, all trace of severity gone from her face even as she slung her shield on one hand and drew Abla's glass blade with the other, giving off a flash of firelight as she made a brief flourish. "Would you like to lead the way, or shall I?"

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 70, PP = 60, EP = 50, Status = Fine, 2/2 Summoners Educated about Summoning

It might've come as some relief that Lyra's summoner had no interest in ogling her. The knight's answer regarding her clothing situation seemed to satisfy the human woman. With a small shrug, the spirit wielder quit scrutinizing the knight. "I'm Erika. I'm glad to meet you, dame Lyra."

She shrunk back a little bit under the sidhe's gaze. "I know..." she defensively began in response to Lyra's warning about the cost of summoning, though she quickly appended more to it. "But summoning a someone as strong as you are is a lot different than summoning a gruff. It would've been nice to have some practice before I had to do it in the field. I promise that I never had any intention of asking for any faerie's time lightly, or without considering the potential cost."

"I think you should probably go first," she would reply at Lyra's query, after the knight's expression had softened. "That makes sense, right? You've got the sword and shield, after all. Besides, I'm not very good at close quarters. No training in it. I came in from that direction," she pointed at the unbroken plank door, "so unless you think we should double back and follow after my sister, we should probably be going the other way, right?" Despite being Lyra's summoner, Erika would prove more than willing to cede the role of leading them through the dungeon. The sidhe was left to make the ultimate decision on which path they took.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

"Of course." Lyra nodded to her summoner, glancing down the hallway indicated. She had no idea where to go, having seen nothing more than the room she was summoned into, so there was no reason to doubt Erika's choice of direction just yet. "I will take the front then, and I see no reason the change direction. We can't be too careful though, give me a moment."

Closing her eyes, Lyra concentrated, working one of her more complex spells. The wind picked up despite the air being still moments before, the air itself being drawn into a single point beside her, eventually resolving into a vaguely humanoid form made from numerous swirling vortexes in the air. Lyra certainly wasn't the most adept mage, having always focused more on martial skills, but she had picked up a trick or to aside from enchanting and this one in particular was invaluable when it came to protecting someone. This way she could guard the front and rear at the same time.

"There. If we run into anything hostile, he will cover you while I engage the enemy." Lyra smiled as she opened her eyes again, directing the elemental—which was very clearly a genderless construct despite what she said—to guard her charge while she began to make her way down the hallway, the elemental taking up the rear as they moved. "Is there anything else you could tell me about this place?" Lyra asked as they walked, though she kept her eyes on the surroundings the entire time, "What sort of threats to expect? Or what it is you were seeking here, if you are willing to say. Anything could be helpful, however minor."

Spoiler

Casting Call Wind Elemental for 6 EP, using Dedicated Concentration to trade 8 dodge dice into +24 Casting to ensure a successful cast (Giving her a +57 to cast the spell)

Elemental Stats:
48 Body
48/48 HP

17 Natural AV
Dodge: 13d10+4
Damage Reduction ½
Immunity (Force)

Attack: 9d10+3
Damage (Natural Attack): 2d12+16

Fly Speed 35

Talents: Hard to Hit, Agile, Pain Resistant.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 70, PP = 60, EP = 50, Status = Fine, 1/1 Air Elementals Misgendered

Air Elemental (Maintained by Lyra): HP = 48, Status = Fine, Despite Having no Genitals
Erika: HP = 40, PP = 40, EP = 90, Status = Fine, Voted Most Likely to Trip in a Horror Movie

Rolls

Spoiler

Perception: 32

"Oh. I wouldn't have expected a knight to be an accomplished mage," Erika remarked as Lyra weaved her spell. Without the distractions of battle, it wasn't difficult to weave her magic into form and motion and eventually an ally. By the time she finished casting and let go of her spell, the knight had created a tornado in humanoid size. Despite the ferocity of the winds inside the new arrival, the only effect on the surrounding environment and the faerie and her summoner was the dispersal of the lingering smells. "A powerful elemental, too. I haven't seen one like this since the joint festival between the local warrior's guild and my school. I suppose it's to be expected of one of nature's lords and ladies."

With the rear guard determined, the trio was free to venture further into the labyrinth. The broken door's rusted hinges protested as she pushed it open, but eventually it gave way and revealed a hallway not unlike the room she'd been summoned in, albeit not as bright. The same gray stone walls were lined with the same cast iron sconces, though most of the lightstones had lost their magic and sported thick cobwebs. Only a few of the magical light sources still flickered with enough power to dimly illuminate the hallway.

"Er, well.... no, not really," Erika cautiously admitted. "We, uh, my sister and I found it by accident. As far as I know, nobody else knows about this place. It's probably been abandoned for a long time. We were going to tell others but, well, we're graduating soon. Bringing back anything of interest from a place like this would give our reputations a big boost. For newly graduated mages like us, there's a lot of competition in finding service with a powerful noble. Mages and wielders who don't have access to that influence don't get access to the ancient libraries or the amount of gold needed for serious research. This could be make or break for us," she explained. "Assuming we make up...."

They would walk for several minutes as the passageway began to wind, making it difficult to tell exactly which direction they ended up traveling, before they came across an alcove. The wall was recessed two-foot deep by ten-foot wide and a seven-foot tall clearance.

A massive wooden plank chest covered in a mixture of oil and dust took up at least sixty-percent of the space. The wood was dark with age and rot and a thick black liquid oozed out of the holes left by damage left by insects and time alike, though it wasn't open and so the knight couldn't see what other contents it might've had. The iron padlock which had once kept the chest locked laid rusted on the ground.

On the left side of the chest was a set of shelves made of thick timber. The timber had weathered the years better than the chest, only showing signs of darkening and insect damage rather than full on rot, but the contents hadn't. Iron chainmail shirts, leggings, and gloves sat in abandoned piles, most rusted to the point that it would've been easier to craft new. Some had actually dissolved into brown piles. The heavy iron spikes which kept the shelves together were likely of more value than anything left on them.

On the opposite side of the shelves was a stand for weapons. The weapon rack had best stood against the test of time. The artisan's love was more evident for the thick dust laying atop it. The joinery of the wood was so precise that it still stood firmly together. It had been planed so smoothly that it was still pleasant to the touch. And it had been oiled so carefully that not even a single insect bite or spot of rot could be found. Unfortunately, it was also empty of any weapons except for a single iron arming sword. The sword was half-gone with rust, but Lyra could still make out an inscription on the wooden pommel which read 'For Agda'.

Erika seemed no more eager to take the lead in determining what to do with their findings than she had in deciding which way they should go. It was up to Lyra whether she wanted to loot anything present or just move on.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

"It's not my strongest suit—I'm no sorceress—but I've learned a few things in my life. Most of the magic I practise is actually related to enchanting." Lyra did her best to remain modest in her reply, even if she couldn't help but drop in a mention of her other talents. She always had loved receiving praise, no matter how minor, but showing that to her summoner was incongruous with the knightly persona she always tried to maintain.

Her summoner's explanation didn't answer as much as she'd hoped it would—apparently the sisters knew very little about this place—but she would have to make due. It seemed like a dangerous place to venture alone, or even in a pair, for two students, but that was why she had been summoned after all. She couldn't say she truly understood why they had needed to rush this instead of properly preparing—despite Erika's explanation—but that was simply another facet of humans she always found so interesting.

"I'm sure you will." Lyra added reassuringly. She was a little out of her depth in this topic too, knowing that human families tended to have a different sort of dynamic than faerie ones, but a little reassurance couldn't hurt. It didn't seem like a major disagreement, certainly if they were close enough to have been working together on this they could get over such a minor fight? Lyra's only worry was the mention of a demon. If Erika's sister had summoned one, especially a more powerful demon... The creatures were known for their manipulative ways. There was a chance they might try to inflame the resentment their argument had spawned.

That wasn't something she could worry about now though. She needed to focus on protecting her own summoner. For the most part the passageway they were following looked fairly uniform. Nothing of particular interest stood out until several minutes later, when they came upon a reasonably large alcove in the wall. It looked like it might have been some kind of armoury at one point, odd as its location inside of this labyrinth was. Not only was the armour useless to her for its material, it was rusted to the point that she doubted there was much usable metal left among them, and the lone sword was in the same sorry state. The weapon rack on the other hand was quite impressive, both in its obviously loving craftsmanship—visible even to one like her, who was used to the works of the Spring fae—and the fact that it had outlasted everything else here.

It wasn't as if she could carry the rack with her though, and the blade was iron, so she simply passed them by after looking them over. The large chest was the only thing in the room that might hold anything of value, but after seeing the sludge leaking through the decayed wood she wasn't eager to open it. She wasn't sure if whatever was in it had rotted away, something had started nesting in it, or if the sludge was from something else entirely. Regardless, it was worth being careful.

"Just a moment, I want to check this out." She called back to her summoner as she took a few steps back, calling her elemental to her side and directing it to try to open the chest for her. After all, her summoner was looking for something here, it would be best to check everywhere. There could be a trap that had somehow survived this long though, or something living inside it as she had previously considered. Regardless, caution was warranted in a place like this, and she would move in to take a look herself if nothing seemed immediately threatening.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 70, PP = 60, EP = 44/50, Status = Fine, Maintaining Wind Elemental, 3/3 Homes Invaded

Air Elemental (Maintained by Lyra): HP = 48, Status = Fine, I didn't sign up for three status messages an update
Erika: HP = 40, PP = 40, EP = 90, Status = Fine, Leading from the Back

The air elemental silently moved to do its summoner's bidding. It placed both hands on the lid and heaved upward, flinging the chest open with ease and in the process immediately confirming the knight's suspicions. The chest was full moving black goop, with only a single golden shimmer suspended inside as proof that any treasure had ever been in the container.

The instant it had been exposed to air, four oozing tendrils shot out toward the elemental to wrap around its limbs. "Gotcha!" A decidedly feminine voice called out in apparent triumph as it ensnared its perceived prey. The windy nature of the elemental's body blew small specks of slime from the tentacles and spattered Lyra, her summoner, and the stone walls with black tentacle goo, at which the knight could immediately feel her skin flush at those small points of contact. But, after the wind elemental was fully encircled, the attack would cease as abruptly as it had begun and the slimy thing released the elemental and pulled back back into its chest, closing the lid behind it.

"Nobody's home!" A muffled call sounded from the chest. "Go away! Unless one of the pretty ladies wants to open my chest!" Erika eyed the chest in bewilderment for several moments. "I can burn it out, if you think we should take care of it now," she whispered.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Lyra found herself simply staring at the chest for a few moments after it had closed itself once again. She had expected a trap, but she hadn't expected that... whatever that was. The strange sensation in her skin at the points the specks of slime stuck her was enough for her to be very glad she hadn't chosen to open it herself. She really didn't want to think about whatever that creature was had been planning to do to one of the "pretty ladies" if either of them had opened it. Fortunately her elemental seemed entirely unaffected, and she recalled it to her side, debating the best course of action. It was possible they could just ignore it, but she wasn't entirely certain that it would stay put if they did.

"Yes, that might be fore the best." Lyra replied to her summoner after a moment's consideration. "I don't like the idea of leaving a threat at our back."

Shifting her sword into her shield hand for a moment, Lyra turned back to Erika, a sudden breeze blowing through the room as she wove another spell, air wrapping around her hand before expanding to envelop the other woman in an invisible shell. "There, just a little extra protection. Now let's see what you can do, I will be sure to defend you." The faerie knight smiled before turning back towards the chest and taking up a defensive stance once again, her elemental flanking her and the two of them providing a barrier should the creature try to reach Erika.

Spoiler

Casting Aspect of the Wind on Erika for a buff to Dodge, trading one die from Attack/Dodge for a +3 to casting to ensure it casts successfully (Giving her a +36 to cast). Then just preparing to fight if needed.

Her spell costs 4 EP and 1 Upkeep, and provides +6d10 Dodge.



Also possibly relevant stats for Lyra:

Dodge = 15d10+34
Armor = 12
Grapple = 10d10+0

Reflexes = 25
Focus = 18
Willpower = 11

Also +12 to Resistance checks against being moved, Stunned, knocked Prone, Bull Rushed, Overrun, Dominated, Charmed, given the Horny status, or any other attempts to control her actions.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 70, PP = 60, EP = 40/50, Status = Fine, Maintaining Wind Elemental, Is Actually the Antagonist in this Thread

Air Elemental (Maintained by Lyra): HP = 48, Status = Fine, Will Eventually Obtain a Lenient Sentence by Snitching on Lyra
Erika: HP = 40, PP = 40, EP = 72/90, Status = Fine, Aspect of the Wind, Arsonist

Rolls

Spoiler

Buff succeeds NPNP.

Erika doesn't need to attack roll since the chest isn't exactly moving.

Damage roll: 3d4-1 = 5*18 = 90 * 2 = 180. 180 damage done. Technically the chest has 20 HP left but I'm not going to require another round of rolling for this one. The chest blows up.

The knight's summoner nodded solemnly at her desire to see what the wielder could do. With a defensive phalanx consisting of Lyra and the wind elemental in front of her, Erika was free to focus on the chest ahead of the group and summoned her energy into a concentrated ball of white flame in her hand. It wasn't as refined as the essence weaving done by some of Lyra's kin, but the sheer amount of power the mortal girl had on call wasn't shabby even by faerie standards. And when she finally cast that ball of flame at the chest, the wooden container splintered in a mighty explosion that caused a hail of wooden shards to harmlessly rain against Lyra's shield and the stone surroundings.

Where the wooden chest had once stood, only a stunned black puddle of slime remained, but it quickly proved to be anything but dead as it began to ooze its way into an approximation of the shape of a standing human woman, with a golden necklace visibly suspended where a flesh and blood humanoid's heart would be found. "What is wrong with you people?! You blew up my house! You. blew. up. my. HOUSE!" It glared at the three with slimy indignation. "Just leave me alone already! I'm hungry but I don't feel like being hurt just to eat, so I'll just wait for another doggy to come by. You three should just go away," it demanded, attempting to fold its arms but in the process joining them together into one indistinguishable mess. "If you don't then I'm going to get really angry!"

Erika had already begun to prepare a second wave of holy fire for the slime, but would glance at Lyra for confirmation as to whether she should unleash it or not if the knight looked her way.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

The blast of white fire that Erika unleashed was relatively impressive in power, though it lacked the sort of artistry she was used to seeing in magic. It was enough to blast the old wooden chest apart, Lyra needing to raise her shield to ward off a few splinters flying towards her face. What was left in the aftermath gave Lyra pause though, uncertain whether she should be attacking or not.

She had thought the voice had just been some kind of trick to lure people in so that the creature could have its way with them before devouring them. She hadn't expected it to actually look so much like an ordinary woman. If slightly transparent, and entirely one colour. Of course that too could be a trick, the slime woman had already demonstrated its ability to shift into whatever shape it wanted.

Lyra glanced back to her summoner, confusion evident on her face, but Erika seemed to be waiting on her cue to attack. "Your... house?" She muttered incredulously, glancing around at the remnants of the old chest. That was her home, and not just a box she was using to lay a trap? It looked... cramped. That wasn't what was important though, it was what she had been trying to do to them—and still planned to do to the next person to come along by the sounds of it. "What? I can't just let you... eat people!" She shouted back, eyes drawn to the fact that the slimegirl's arms seemed to have just merged into one. She was a shapeshifter herself, and could make some changes to her body at will, but that just looked... wrong, somehow.

"And just what were you going to do if I'd opened that chest myself?" Lyra demanded, snapping her arm up to point her sword at the slime, the glass blade moving fast enough to draw a trail of flame in the air as the enchantment activated briefly.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 70, PP = 60, EP = 39/50, Status = Fine, Maintaining 2 spells, Attempting to Converse with an Open Container of Gak

Air Elemental (Maintained by Lyra): HP = 48, Status = Fine, The Strong Silent Type
Erika: HP = 40, PP = 40, EP = 72/90, Status = Fine, Aspect of the Wind, The Nervous Loud Type

The slime shot Lyra an annoyed look at her proclamations, apparently either too brave or too simpleminded to be threatened by the dangerous swish of Lyra's sword. "Eat you! Duh!" She explained, initially unhelpfully, and then her face softened into something like a frown. She would gesture down at her own crotch, slime forming into a decidedly phallic shape as she repeated her words for emphasis. "Eat you," the words left her mouth moments before her bubbling slime cock collapsed into shapeless goop and sunk back into her crotch.

"Slimes are akin to succubi, dame Lyra," Erika added, perhaps more informatively. The mage was blatantly on edge though, and the appearance of a gooey phallus had her preparing even more energy to throw at the slime in the form of holy fire. "The field guides suggest they don't have any physical metabolism to speak of. They eat souls and reproduce by splitting after they've gathered enough energy. They're very valuable to enchanters, actually, though every bit as dangerous."

"I don't take entire souls anymore," the slime snapped. "Just enough to keep me full. Around here there's been nothing but wandering puppies for years, so I was hoping for a taste of one of you.... But I don't really want to make HOUSE EXPLODERS like you feel good anyway! So the offer to eat you is off the table!"

 

[Astarte]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Lyra's expression hardened as the slime woman clearly admitted that she had been planning to eat her. It was odd to talk to her, like her body language didn't match what she was saying at all, or perhaps she simply was this unashamed of what she was doing. When the slime repeated herself, this time demonstrating with another casual shift of her body, Lyra's face just began to turn a little red. She'd suspected that was part of it, but having it so blatantly shown to her was a little off-putting.

Erika's explanation was more helpful, leading Lyra to realize that what she'd been misunderstanding was just how she "ate" people. In the end it wasn't much better, consuming the soul entirely would kill someone just as surely as anything alse, but she at least claimed that she didn't do that. It was still something she couldn't condone, the slime's trap making it clear that she fed on unwilling victims, but she had a hard time feeling as motivated to strike her down as she had when the slime had seemed to be just another monster.

She gave her summoner another look, hoping Erika would give her some kind of direction, but none seemed to be forthcoming so far. "Fine." She finally sighed if Erika made no indication of having come to a decision herself, lowering her weapon. "Just... go. As long as you don't come back and try to "eat" us later. I don't like senseless killing." Lyra wasn't entirely certain she was making the right choice, worried of what might happen to someone else who stumbled upon the slime's trap, but she didn't feel like she should be passing judgement either—especially when she couldn't do much besides kill her, something Lyra wasn't sure she deserved, despite how personally distasteful she found this.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 70, PP = 60, EP = 38/50, Status = Fine, Maintaining 2 spells, Showing Kindness by Blowing Up Someone's House and then Not Murdering Them

Air Elemental (Maintained by Lyra): HP = 48, Status = Fine
Erika: HP = 40, PP = 40, EP = 72/90, Status = Fine, Aspect of the Wind

Slime: HP = ??, PP = ??, EP = ??, Status = D:<

"What part of 'this is my home' do you not get?! You go! I LIVE here!" The slime pouted. She proceeded to throw a tantrum by folding her arms and oozing into a folded-leg sitting position and refusing to move. "And I already said that I refuse to eat you! I bet you taste bad! Like a HOUSE EXPLODER! In fact, I bet nobody would be willing to eat someone like you! I bet you've got cobwebs in your fun place! I bet that's why you're so angry, you've probably never felt the good spasms! You probably never will because nobody will ever want to touch a house exploder!" The slime stuck a gooey tongue out at the knight.

"Uh... I'm all for just leaving. And probably just forgetting that this ever happened," Erika interjected. And if the slime's tantrum hadn't reignited Lyra's desire to slay her, the mage would gesture her head in the direction they'd been heading and the trio could be on their way again.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Lyra couldn't even manage a coherent response to the slime's ranting, not sure whether she was supposed to be angry, offended, or something else altogether. In the end, all she was really feeling was confused. She understood that the slime girl was angry about her... box having been destroyed, but she simply couldn't wrap her head around how she also seemed incapable of understanding how what she was doing—or trying to do—to people was also wrong.

"Yeah. Let's just... go." Lyra sighed, giving her summoner a quick nod. Directing her elemental to take up the rear and keep an eye on the slime girl, Lyra led the way towards the passage they'd originally intended to take before being distracted by the slime, letting the protective spell she'd cast drop once they were a safe distance away. "We need to keep moving if we want to catch up to your sister, after all."

She could only hope that not everything in this place would be so... strange. Everything was easier when she was just summoned to fight monsters or demons, and not talking slimes shouting at her about breaking a box.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 70, PP = 60, EP = 38/50, Status = Fine, Maintaining a Wind Elemental, Probably Not the Wolf Whisperer

Air Elemental (Maintained by Lyra): HP = 48, Status = Fine
Erika: HP = 40, PP = 40, EP = 72/90, Status = Fine

The group would be able to leave the slime behind without being accosted, at least outside of the slime blowing a prolonged raspberry at them which didn't fade from hearing until they turned a corner several yards away. From there they had only the choices of following the winding, dimly lit passageway or turning back. Assuming Lyra didn't change her mind and direct them back the other way, the group would be left walking for several minutes with nothing to do but count the cobwebs on the wall.

But the group wasn't lucky enough to maintain their boredom. Eventually they came across a great black wolf in the halls. On four legs it stood as tall as Lyra, with shaggy fur and piercing green eyes that honed in on the faerie. It was obviously hostile, as it immediately lowered into a threatening stance and began snarling and barking at the faerie with a mouth full of teeth as long as her fingers. "I don't suppose you can talk it down? As a faerie?" Erika asked hopefully from behind her even as her energy flared in preparation to blast the wolf.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Lyra did her best to ignore the slime as they passed, not quite able to completely shake the feeling that she had done something wrong. Regardless of the damage done the slime woman had been the one to strike first, so there was nothing for her to feel bad about. She had even been lenient enough to let the creature which had freely admitted to preying on people go unharmed, a decision she still wasn't entirely certain had been the right one.

Fortunately it did not take long for them to move out of earshot, continuing along the path they had originally been following before coming across the slime and her chest. Unfortunately, this place certainly lived up to its title. There was nothing of interest along their path, and precious little to differentiate this passageway from the ones they had just come from. It was a tense several minutes or walking as Lyra did her best to keep a mental map of where they were going in relation to their starting point, but his sort of navigation was not her strong point. She was fine for the moment, but if the path branched off too many times she was pretty sure she'd be completely lost.

Before that could become a concern, however, they were faced with a new obstacle. Lyra drew her blade the moment the wolf took a hostile stance, a brief flourish drawing a trail of fire through the air with the glass blade. "So this is what she meant by puppies, then?" She muttered under her breath, shaking her head as she considered just how much that slime woman could make a big fuss about things while so drastically understating others.

"Unfortunately, speaking with animals is not one of my talents." She added as she took of a position between the wolf and her summoner. She new that some faeries could speak to animals directly, especially the nymphs, but it was hardly a universal trait. The wolf itself was not like any she could recall encountering, a massive black creature, but she didn't even know exactly what part of the world she was in, so that was no surprise. She didn't enjoy killing animals, but there was no other solution she could see here—it clearly intended to attack them.

With a simple gesture she sent her elemental in first, following shortly behind it herself. She kept herself between the wolf and Erika as well as she could, but her priority was closing the distance and keeping focused on her and her elemental, and not her summoner. Lyra led with her shield as she lunged forward, the glass blade drawing another arc of fire through the air as she swung at the side of its neck. She didn't strike with her shield, keeping it at the ready to block any retaliation from the wolf

Spoiler

First having the elemental move forward and attack:
Attack: 9d10+3
Damage (Natural Attack): 2d12+16

And its defensive stats for reference:
17 Natural AV
Dodge: 11d10+4
Damage Reduction ½
Immunity (Force)

Then Lyra will do the same, attacking with her sword, and using Intercepting Strike with her shield.

Sword Attack: 13d10+10
Sword Damage: 2d6 + 1d8 fire + 30

Shield Bash Attack: 12d10+7 (Prepared action for whenever the wolf attacks, making a feint check with the shield's attack roll, and causing it to lose all attacks for the round and take a -10 Dodge penalty until its next turn if she succeeds.)

And her current defensive stats:
Dodge = 15d10+29
Armor = 12
Grapple = 10d10+0

Reflexes = 25
Focus = 18
Willpower = 11

Also +12 to Resistance checks against being moved, Stunned, knocked Prone, Bull Rushed, Overrun, Dominated, Charmed, given the Horny status, or any other attempts to control her actions.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Spoiler

Lyra: HP = 70, PP = 60, EP = 38/50, Status = Fine, Maintaining a Wind Elemental, Home Invader x4 Bonus

Air Elemental (Maintained by Lyra): HP = 48, Status = Fine
Erika: HP = 40, PP = 40, EP = 62/90, Status = Fine, Also Voted "Most Likely to Say Glad There Weren't More of Them" in a Horror Movie

Rolls

Spoiler

Wind Elemental attack: 61 vs 62 + mystery bonus. Miss.
Lyra's attack: 111 vs 90 + mystery bonus. Hit.
Damage: 36 normal + 2 fire - 10 armor = 28 damage.
Erika's attack: 74 vs 69 + mystery bonus. Tie, making the mystery bonus less of a mystery. But I'm going to go ahead and rule it a hit.
Damage: 7*10 = 70 - 10 armor = 60 damage. RIP wolf.

However, a new challenger appears.

The wolf, despite its size, proved completely unprepared and unable to raise an effective defense against the trio.

The wind elemental went in ahead of Lyra, at her order. The sentient tornado of a creature moved toward the wolf in a gust of wind, blowing hard enough to do damage anything in its way. The great beast was quicker than its size betrayed, however, and it hopped to the side without issue.

It snapped at the wind given form as a counterattack, but Lyra had been right behind her elemental and took advantage of the wolf's newly exposed neck. Her glass blade drew a fiery arc through the air and ended embedded in the beast, despite its tough hide. It yelped in pain, its blood running down the knight's sword and its fur singing around the burning wound. Its yelp grew even sharper as she followed through, drawing her sword along to deepen the cut and worsen its injury.

Erika followed up for the kill. The moment Lyra pulled her sword arm back behind her shield, a ball of white fire flew past her and exploded on the wolf, blinding Lyra with white light. By the time her vision had cleared, the beast was smoldering on the ground, its fur was missing and its head and most of its body were charred by the ferocity of the explosion.

"Whew," Erika sighed in relief. "Well, that wasn't too hard!"

But Erika's relief would be short-lived. A sudden cacophony of noises filled the hallway, coming from the relative darkness behind the slain wolf. Thunderous bangs of wood and steel slamming against sounded out like a steady drumbeat. Barking and growling accompanied the improvised drum, filling in the silence which would've existed otherwise. And beneath those two noises, Lyra's fey ears picked out a third unique sound which was something akin to if somebody had stretched a leather boot over a set of logs and was marching them down the hallway toward her and her summoner.

The trio would need wait only seconds for the sources of all the noise to emerge beneath one of the magical lights. The first was another of the great black wolves, which began to growl and snap at the trio as soon as it saw them. But the only resemblance the second arrival had to a wolf was that he wore one of their great black pelts upon his back.

He was at least nine feet tall, nearly standing high enough to scrape his head on the massive ceilings. He was easily five times as wide as Lyra. His square face was covered in soot, which made his sky-colored pupils all the more piercing as he scanned each member of Lyra's group in turn. His blond beard — which was braided and proved much more meticulously cleaned than any other part of him — was nearly as long as Lyra's torso. His chest was bare, revealing powerful muscles and dozens of ornate tattoos featuring everything from horses to sea serpents and several different skulls. His equipment consisted of a nasal helmet, his pelt, cloth pants, and a massive one-handed axe and wooden, circular shield reinforced with an iron ring.

"Interlopers!" He shouted at them in some ancient dialect of Crolian which Lyra could only understand due to her innate connection to language as a faerie. His voice sounded like a battering ram against castle gates. "You intrude in our last remaining sanctuary! You trespass through our burial dens! You kill our dogs! You shame us!" He pointed at the trio with his axe. "Naturekin! I will beat you both until you pray for death! Then I will give you to the dogs until you are swollen with cubs to replace the one you killed! And I will give the one behind you the honor of bearing proper warriors!"

"I'm, uh, guessing he's not inviting us in for tea?" The spirit wielder swallowed nervously from her position behind the knight.

 

[Astarte]

Re: Thou Art a Knight (Astarte) GM'd by Hafnium

Her elemental failed to do any harm to the wolf with its charging attack, but Lyra hadn't expected anything more than a distraction from it. The wind from its passing caused her hair to billow out behind her momentarily—along with the looser bits of her clothing—in what she hoped was a suitable dramatic fashion before she charged in after it, shield up in front of her and sword held low at her side. Her clothing trailed fiery streaks through the air as she dashed forwards, her sword following suit as she brought it up in a diagonal swing from below, sinking deep into the side of the wolf's neck while it attempted to snap at the elemental harassing it.

She dragged her blade as far as momentum would carry her before tearing it free with another short flourish and smoothly shifting her body so that she was presenting her shield forward, ready to intercept any attempt at attack it might make. Her caution proved unnecessary as another ball of white fire sailed past her, setting the wounded beast alight. Lyra shifted her shield slightly to block her eyes from the source of the bright flash that followed, blinking spots out of her vision as it died down. The beast was down, and didn't seem likely to get back up, so Lyra lowered her shield and approached it to confirm.

She had to agree with Erika's sentiment, though she didn't say so out loud. It would have required a bit more time to take the beast down on her own, but she didn't think she'd have much trouble doing so. It was big, and getting bit by it would certainly hurt, but didn't seem particularly intelligent.

Unfortunately, the beast wasn't alone either. Lyra turned to face the sound of oncoming footsteps, shield raised defensively. She heard another of the wolves, but something else as well, something big. There was almost a drumbeat in the background, and she couldn't fathoms what it was that would be making it. A tense few second later and the source walked into view, an absolutely massive man accompanied by a second of the wolves. She wasn't certain what to make of the man, heavily muscled and covered in tattoos across his bare torso he made for an undeniably intimidating figure. Oddly, his face was covered in what looked like soot, yet his beard seemed perfectly clean, a fact her mind fixated on for the few moments before he began to speak.

His voice made her wince, her ears ringing when he finally finished. "You can try. You will find me no easy match!" She shouted back, before tilting her head back just enough to keep him in sight to speak to Erika, in a lower voice. "He's speaking very old Crolian. Something about burial dens and a "last sanctuary"." She quickly replied to her summoner, on the chance that it might provide some kind of insight, though she didn't hold out hope. "I would rather not repeat the rest of it." She took a few steps to the side, keeping her shield towards her enemy as she tried to block his path towards Erika.

Unlike the wolf, this was an intelligent opponent, most likely a skilled warrior. She couldn't afford to take him lightly, not with the massive difference in size between them. She couldn't let him pin her down, or she'd be done for. She needed to play to her own strengths, dance around him and wear him down, buy time for Erika to strike. "Focus on the wolf first. I'll keep him occupied!" She shouted back to Erika as she slowly advanced, directing her elemental to hold the beast back while she went for the man. She moved slowly, wind wrapping around her in a protective shell as she cast another protective spell, trying to keep just out of his reach until he made a move.

Spoiler

Elemental attacking the wolf.
Attack: 9d10+3
Damage (Natural Attack): 2d12+16

And its defensive stats for reference:
17 Natural AV
Dodge: 11d10+4
Damage Reduction ½
Immunity (Force)

And Lyra casting Aspect of the Wind for 4 EP and 1 Upkeep on herself for a Dodge buff (+6d10 Dodge), using Dedicated Concentration for one die, taking a -1d10 penalty to Attack and Dodge for +3 to the casting check, bringing her up to +36 to cast (And a guaranteed success, barring other modifiers).

Bringing her stats for this round to:
Dodge = 20d10+34
Armor = 12
Grapple = 10d10+0

Reflexes = 25
Focus = 18
Willpower = 11

Also +12 to Resistance checks against being moved, Stunned, knocked Prone, Bull Rushed, Overrun, Dominated, Charmed, given the Horny status, or any other attempts to control her actions.