The Batle Rages On

The battle continues.  I now present the fourth round of combat against the dreaded Jabberwock!


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DAY THIRTEEN (December 11th), 8:11:24 am

Shadow takes a deep breath and stares down at the deceptively swift Jabberwock.  The drow drops into a dive.  He wills his conjured lance to shorten and tucks it back under his arm, bracing for the impact while holding his enchanted rapier out before him.  The monster’s head recoils on its serpent-like neck and flashes out with blinding speed, striking the elf long before he is ready to strike.  The drow’s thrusts are driven off of their marks and he is sent spinning through the air, narrowly avoiding a collision with the few trees at the edge of the clearing that are still standing.

Kysek’s fist clenches and unclenches as he directs his massive summoned hand to continue its attempts to grapple the gargantuan Jabberwock.  While realizing that the hand is outmatched in strength, the gold elf knows that it is providing a distraction that the monster must deal with rather than allowing it to turn its full attention to his comrades.

Grotto charges course, pivoting in flight to race over to Shadow as the dark elf regains control of his trajectory.  The scarred dwarf reaches out, grasping the mage by the shoulders and shouts at him to hold still.  He then prays, “Oh Mighty Hanseath, Bearded One, Lord of War and Drinking, heal my fellow warrior that he may continue this glorious fight and help me bring honor to your name!”  Energy surges through the dwarf’s hands, flowing into Shadow’s body, mending cracked ribs, deep bruises and stopping the flow of blood from the Jabberwock’s fearsome bites. 

With the Jabberwock’s attention focused on Kysek’s magical hand construct, Ra’ziir, and Raven, Drax moves into position.  He lurks at the tree line, crouched behind the remains of a jagged stump.  The beast kicks up a shower of dirt and rocks as its shifts its footing, bringing one of its hind legs within reach.  The assassin strikes, his twin shortswords leading the way.  One plunges into the tendon just above the beast’s ankle.  There is a sound like a thunderous boom, similar to the sound of a ship’s hawser parting and blood sprays from the wound.  His other skips off the surface of the scales but the monster whirls about, its slavering jaws opening wide.

Morn coughs and hacks, trying to regain his breath and looks at Raven standing between him and the Jabberwock.  He notices that the elf is not carrying his pack and glances over in its direction.  He flicks his wrist, lashing out with his whip and looping the leather cord around one of the pack’s straps and pulls.  The backpack sails over to him and lands at his feet.  He crouches and pulls the pack open, knowing that which he seeks will always be at the top and reaches inside, pulling out the cloth bundle that the vorpal blade, Bedlam, is wrapped in.  He calls out to catch Kysek’s gaze and hurls the sword at the gold elf.

The Jabberwock snarls and smashes the ground with its tail.  The monster’s continuous stream of blathering chatter stops as it locks eyes with the assassin.  Seconds tick by and the creature’s throat seems to swell and then it opens its mouth wide, unleashing a focused burst of sound at Drax.  The assassin throws himself sideways, scrambling for cover as the shockwave tears into the earth, crushing stones into dust, spraying dirt and debris skyward in a long curving arc but Drax manages to stay one step ahead of the blast and rolls to safety as the burbling resumes.

Niklas continues firing arrows at the monster’s head and back.  The shafts bounce off or shatter on impact but the cover fire gives Ra’ziir time to close the gap with the monster once more. 

The half-earth elemental Ra’ziir calls upon the jeweled heart in the center of his chest, a gift from the dying Yag-Kosha in the Elephant’s Tower and focuses his power into a single blow, smiting the Jabberwock with all of his might.  Deathblossom crashes into the Jabberwock’s unwounded leg with the force of a battering ram.  The foot is swept out from under the beast and its stumbles for a second before catching itself with its wings beating rapidly to keep it upright.

The talking crow from the Aesop Islands, Korbin cuts a tight loop and swings back in the Jabberwock’s direction.  He draws his dagger from the sheath across his back as he closes in and pulls up sharply.  Korbin rakes the edge of his dagger across the beast’s tympanic membrane, slicing through the thinner cartilage and leaving a trail of ice along the edges of the cut.  The Jabberwock responds instantly, slashing at the crow as it flies away.  The monster’s fist closes around Korbin, engulfing the bird’s entire body.

Cedron reaches Hansuke and calls upon Malazzarr to heal the wounds of the tattooed monk.  Bruises rapidly fade and the monk is able to draw a full breath as his ribs pop back into place.

Hansuke nods his gratitude and races back into battle.  The Jabberwock lashes at him with its free hand but the monk drops into a slide and the huge paw passes by just over his head.  He is back on his feet in an instant and throws all of his weight into a tremendous blow and shouts out “ZENSHIN TETSU NO KEN DE PANCHI!”  The monk’s fist slams into the thick scales covering the Jabberwock’s lower body and stops instantly.  The hardened scales take the blow without bending in the slightest and pain shoots up the monk’s arm.

Arthur concentrates, calling upon the magic of his helmet and disappears with a “POIT”.  He reappears a moment later, about 10 feet in the air above the Jabberwock and drops down onto its back with Lawbringer extended point down.  The First Paladin of Malazzarr lands on the Jabberwock’s back, his holy silvered blade parting thick scales to sink into the tender flesh beneath.  Energy surges down the blade, coursing through the wound as the paladin grabs onto a wing to keep from falling off.

Raven reaches back with one hand and brushes his fingers against the hilt of Thorgrim.  Calling upon the giant slaying sword’s magic, he increases his strength.  The enlarged elf takes a single step forward and unleashes his fury against the beast while the wires growing from the cuff of his electrified gauntlet continue to worm their way into his body.  The monster, still facing Drax, has made the mistake of leaving its back exposed to the enlarged Moon Elf and Raven takes full advantage of its lapse.  Back and forth, up and down, he slashes with Nightwatcher.  Deep wounds are carved into the monster’s hind legs.  The tip of one wing is slashed completely away.  The third blow sinks deeply through the base of the creature’s tail and while the fourth blow glances away, the return swing, nearly severs it completely.

= = = = = =

• Extended Haste (22 rounds remaining) – everyone except Grotto and Shadow

• Arthur: 84% health;

• Bubo: 100% health;

• Cedron: 100% health; Displacement (7 rounds remaining)

• Drax: 100% health;

• Grotto: 75% health; Fly (5 minutes, 6 rounds remaining), Protection from Evil (5 minutes, 7 rounds remaining)

• Hansuke: 63% health;

• Korbin: 72% health;

• Kysek: 96% health; Displacement (3 rounds remaining); Bigby’s Grasping Hand (+27 Attack/+32 Grap, 9 rounds remaining); Stoneskin (100%, 59 minutes, 7 rounds remaining)

• Morn: 74% health; Inspire Courage (+2 save vs charm/fear, +2 attack/damage, 3 rounds remaining)

• Niklas: 100% health;

• Raven: 92% health; Enlarge Person (2 minutes, 8 rounds remaining, Nightwatcher 2d6+20), Bull’s Strength (14 minutes, 9 rounds remaining)

• Ra’ziir: 77% health; Iron Body (24 minutes, 8 rounds remaining, DR15/adam, +6 Str, immunties)

• Shadow: 32% health; Overland Flight (14 hours, 59 minutes, 5 rounds remaining); Stoneskin (86%, 149 min, 7 rounds remaining); Thunderlance (13 rounds remaining, +22 hit, 2d6+8 damage)

• Spewer: 100 % health;

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I have included the running totals for spells in progress and remaining health this time.  Tune in tomorrow to see what happens in the next exciting round of combat!