We Join This Battle Already in Progress

I would like to try something a little different today.  Instead of sharing stories from around the table, I thought I might give you a glimpse into the Play-by-Post campaign that I am currently running.  But first, some information to get you up to speed as we will be joining a battle that is already in progress….


The party of adventurers, through the effects of a magical catastrophe, found themselves stranded on a world far from their own.  They have crossed two entire worlds so far in their search for a gate, portal, or magical device that would allow them to return home.  Their most recent excursions have taken them into what the locals call the Grimmlands.  They soon learned from Sir Jack Horner, the Nimble, the Giant-Slayer, that there is rumored to be a portal in the Wonderland that leads to another plane of existence.  The group ventured across a mountain range and plunged into the sanity-bending Wonderland itself, in search of the fabled Rabbit Hole.  However, the way is blocked by the Jabberwock – a fearsome beast that can only be slain with a vorpal blade.  The adventurers found the weapon but learned two things about it – first, that it is sentient weapon and second, that it is a major jerk.

With the weapon stowed in the fighter’s pack for safekeeping, the group plunged into Tugley Woods, ready to confront the beast.  That was when it emerged from its den, burbling and babbling – the nonsensical words and phrases uttered by the beast struck dumb most of the group, who even now lay insensible on the ground, struggling to rise to the their feet so they can join the fight against their monstrous foe….

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DAY THIRTEEN (December 11th), 8:11:12-8:11:18 am

Ra’ziir comes to his senses and places his left hand flat on the ground, drawing energy up from the earth and into his core.  He closes his other hand around the small aquamarine hanging from a thin chain at his neck, adding its power to his own and utters a single word, “Festina”.  The magic radiates outward from the bladesinger, enchanting all of his non-airborne allies with increased speed and faster reflexes. 

He leaps into the fray, Deathblossom bursting into flames as he rushes the Jabberwock.  The troll-slaying blade strikes deeply on its first slash, tearing open scales along the monster’s flank.  The monster, unused to being hurt, spins, its tail flattening even more trees and avoids the half-elemental’s second blow.  Ra’ziir adjusts, holding his swing until just the right moment and strikes again, slashing the creature across on one of its forelegs.  That clawed paw is pulled back just in time to avoid the elf’s final two blows.

Korbin flips over onto his feet, spreads his ebony wings and takes to the air.  The talking crow from the Aesop Islands climbs, circling the battlefield.

Cedron clears his head and moves toward Raven.  What is meant to be a rousing shake becomes a gentle caress but the action is enough to snap the Black Bird of Death out of his stupor with a sputtering “Whaaaa….!”  Arthur also rises to his feet, finally clearing his head of the burbling jumble of words and sounds that were echoing through his mind, bringing him to the very precipice of madness.

Raven sits up and sees his companions fighting the Jabberwock.  He sees his allies tossed around like tenpins, their weapons failing to penetrate the monster’s thick scales.  He considers drawing Bedlam, the Vorpal Blade from its sheath but instead drops his pack to the ground and pulls out a wooden case with a lightning bolt engraved on top.  He flips the copper latches open and the air immediately takes on the charged smell of ozone as he lifts the brass gauntlet from within.  He takes a breath and slips his right hand into the armored fist.  Wires emerge from the cuff and the elf screams as they burrow into his flesh, snaking their way beneath his skin.  The metal glove begins to spark and his hair stands on end.  He rises to his feet and stalks toward the Jabberwock, drawing his black-bladed sword Nightwatcher from its sheath as he prepares for battle.

- End of Round Two/Beginning of Round Three -

Shadow hovers for a moment and chants the words, “Fulmen Cuspide”.  A gray shimmering beam, roughly the length of a longspear appears in his hand.  The dark elf takes a deep breath and mutters, “This is not my best idea ever”, draws his rapier Swiftwind and plunges into a dive.  The lance stretches out to a length of 20’ as the drow closes on the Jabberwock.  The lance strikes the beast in the side of its long snaky neck but the beam bends, following the curvature of the scales without so much as scratching the surface.

Kysek changes his grip, angling the floating, disembodied hand and tries to force the creature to lose its grip.  The elf succeeds in breaking free of the monster’s grasp and returns to its attempt at choking the massive monster.  Once again, the creature’s sheer size enables it to resist the spell and continue its rampage.

Grotto raises his axe and flies toward the monster.  It raises one claw and slashes at him as he draws near, bashing the dwarf with a scaly fist.  Grotto is knocked toward the ground but before he can even bring his dwarven weapon to bear.

Drax falls back on his training and slips behind a tree, allowing the cover to shield him from the monster’s magical vision instead of relying on a spell.  He moves as swiftly as possible, making his way around behind the creature and prepares himself for the right moment in which to strike.

Morn rolls over and pushes himself up onto his hands and knees and pulls a wand from within the folds of his jacket as Raven rushes over to him.  When the elf arrives, he speaks one simple word, “Grow” and taps the black-clad swordsman with the wand.  Raven instantly doubles in height, reaching an imposing 10’ tall but is still dwarfed by the mammoth monster looming before him.

Hansuke remains on the ground by the tree he was hurled into.  The monk shakes his head, clearing away the little birds he sees dancing in his vision while the battle rages on.

The wounds he just inflicted begin to heal as before the bladesinger’s eyes.  The Jabberwock roars and seizes the giant floating hand in its jaws and bites down with devastating force.  Cracks appear in the magical construct and pain sympathetic shoots up Kysek’s arm through his mental link with the spell.  The monster slashes at Raz’iir, raking him with its massive claws.  It wraps its tremendous fingers around the bladesinger’s half-earthen body, grasping his chest in one powerful mitt and his legs in the other and pulls in opposite directions.  Tendons rip and Ra’ziir feels like his spine is being torn in half before he is hurled to the ground once more.  The monster’s snaky tail comes around, reaching outwards of 50’ from its body and slams into Shadow as he comes around for another pass with his summoned lance.  The dark elf’s defensive wards absorb some of the blow but the creature’s sheer strength is enough to overcome much of the spell’s protection.

Niklas raises his bow, steadies himself and fires four shots at the beast’s head.  Each of his arrows hit the creature in the face and snout but none manage to penetrate the draconic foe’s thick scales.

Ra’ziir hits the ground and reaches out to it through the Gift of the Blood and the Jewel, drawing upon the protection of the earth itself.  His crystalline body hardens, absorbing minerals from the ground until it is as hard as steel.  He rises, stronger and heavier than before and slashes with Deathblossom.  Two thundering blows crash into the Jabberwock’s abdomen, forcing it back a step and knocking the wind from its lungs for a moment or two.

Korbin races along the ground, wings flapping as quickly as a hummingbird’s and he snatches a rock off of the ground.  He pulls up, rolling over in flight and angles straight for the Jabberwock’s face.  He releases the stone and drops away, leaving the missile to continue along its trajectory.  Just as the stone is about the impact the monster’s eye, the Jabberwock blinks and the rock hits scales and falls away.

Cedron calls upon Malazzarr to protect him and his image wavers, much like Kysek’s.  He staggers a step or two but his steps become steady as he rushes through the snow toward Hansuke’s fallen body.  He raches the monk and crouches beside him as he draws forth his holy symbol and prepares to cast another spell.

Arthur bellows his challenge and rushes the Jabberwock.  His holy sword glows as swings it at the monster, calling upon his god to empower his swing to defeat this evil foe.  Flames erupt from Lawbringer as the paladin draws near to the beast but it almost negligently backhands him with its massive clawed forelimb as he starts to swing.  The blade sweeps an arc through the air but fails to hit home.

 
With strands of copper wire continue to bore through his flesh, trailing their way up along veins and nerves, Raven raise Nightwatcher to strike.  Like Ra’ziir before him, Raven’s first two blows crash into the monster’s scales, slicing through the thick hide as sparks flows through the gauntlet and down into the blade.  The Jabberwock shrieks and rears back, avoiding the next blows but as it lands, Raven’s final strike, granted to him by Ra’ziir’s speed-enhancing spell pierces flesh and lightning bursts from the blade, frying the opened wound and sending the stink of seared flesh into the air.
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The players will have a day to formulate and post their responses before I begin rolling dice to determine the results of their declared actions.  Tune in next time to see what happens in the next exciting round of combat!