[IC] Wok: Science Ascended

[Conor77]

August:

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The thing between you two carefully swivels its head, while trying to beat at the man. Apparently whatever makes him able to bite the creature with such force also gives him a little beefyness, because the brutal battering doesn't even look like it injured the guy. He heeds your words though, and unclenches his jaws, attempting to grab the dagger (that it didn't even use for its attack, you notice).

He wrestles for the dagger, but the thing seems to have a death-grip on it. However, it glances back at you, trying not to open itself to attack, and the wolf-man seizes the opportunity to wrench two of its fingers (it only has three on each hand) away from the blade and with the other hand pop the dagger through the remaining thumb and forefinger. The dagger skitters across the icy stone, and the mercenary darts forwards to grab it. She then steps up, waving the knife back and forth, and the odd creature is now beset on three sides.

Tharan

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Her eyes widen, and she takes another step backwards in the snow. It looks like she's trying to say something, but she's disoriented either by the cold or the extreme effort she took to break the doors. The only thing you can make out is a slight shaking of the head.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Ah well played!" August called, keeping up his assault, still maintaining a steady, focused assault to occupy his foe's defenses.

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Standard Action: Vanguard Strike at (1d20+8)[27] (flanking) for (1d8+3)[8]. On a hit, allies get +4 against the target for one round.

Maneuvers Available: 0/2.

[GuyFawkes]

Tharan-kel

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This girl seemed to be different from the other creature they just fought above. Scared, battered, and overall different feel. It seemed odd to the Jushorun that even as eager to fight as he was, he decided not to immediately jump into combat.

Maybe this is the real one?

He did not drop his guard though, and slowly inched his way closer. He had been fooled enough for one day. If there's ever a way to find out the difference, it was using his nose. He could tell the difference then, but the cold and the wind made it impossible at that distance.

A little more closer, then.

"What? Are you afraid? Where was the bloodlust earlier? Did August give you quite a beating?" he said, trying to distract her as he moved closer.

[Conor77]

Tharan:

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"W-wmm", she stumbles to try to form words, frost coating her lips and her teeth chattering as she at last completes, "What?"

You get closer, close enough to smell her cold flesh, which is bog-standard human tissue. Fear, too. You've tasted it before in the air, but now it is conspicuous because you didn't ever smell it on the thing up there. If there was any doubt before, it isn't there now. She is either real, or you might as well chop your own damn nose off.

August:

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You see an opening.

For the first time, the weird-form is trying to shuffle backwards, away from the fight. It takes its eyes off of you for just long enough...

Three things happen. You swirl your flail around and make sure it enters the thing, mid thigh. on a man, the blow would have broken his leg. On this thing, the leg rips entirely off, forcing it into a partial kneel. It would have fallen entirely on the floor, except that the beast-man lunged at its face at the exact same time, hoping to draw its attention from you as well as deal damage. As it turned out, you had set up him to do damage. And so he does, teeth tearing viciously at the now-mockery of human facial features.

The mercenary though, lands the finishing blow, stabbing her knife deftly into the stomach of what is stuck between teeth and steel, and pulling upwards, ripping the entire body in half upwards.

By the time it is finished and laying on the cold stone, it hasn't even screamed.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Go team, August thinks, giving a fierce grin to the pair. But nothing more; he immediately turns, peering over the edge of the wall to see what his comrade is dealing with. "Tharan! You alright?"

[GuyFawkes]

Tharan-Kel

Tharan looked confused. So it really was different. But this girl meant there are actual persons here whom that thing copied. Not only that, it said it wasn't alone. Hopefully she wasn't the only one who's still alive.

Tharan dropped his guard. "Nothing. Apologies, kid. I mistook you for something else."

August's voice then cut in on the two.

"Oi, August. Yeah, I'm good! Go check on the others at the hall! Meet you there!"

Turning back to the girl, "Come with me." He then moves past her and pushed on the door to open it.

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Strength: (1d20+3)[23]

[Quellian-dyrae]

"On it!" August responded, managing to choke back a relieved sigh. Before starting for the hall, he took a moment to look to the wolf-man and mercenary woman. "You both okay?"

[Conor77]

Tharan-Kel:

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The door splinters open under your hand. The young woman looks shocked to see that happen, regarding Tharan with a bit of wariness as she steps inside.

Blissful warmth doesn't coat you as you step in the door, and you don't sigh at the sudden change. Its almost as cold in the entrance hall as it is inside. But at least the wind chill doesn't come into play as you step past another door, an approximation of warmth and comfort surrounding you. Alia runs over to a closet and starts pulling out blankets and sheets rapidly, throwing many over herself and offering you a large saddle blanket as well.

August:

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The beast man is doing something that looks like licking his hands, but you realize that he is trying to clean his tongue and mouth from the bits of fleshy sludge that got in there during the fight. The same stuff coats your mace and the merc's dagger, though she drops that almost immediately, wiping her hand all over the front of her under-armor padding to get rid of any residue left by the creature's hand.

You look down at the body, rapidly deflated and now looking very unlike any kind of human figure at all. It is all pinkish-peach flesh, like the fatty part of the subcutaneous skin. Looking at the human-shaped piece of meat makes you uncomfortable, even nauseous. Once he decides his mouth is clean enough, the man reaches down, grabs the remains, and pitches them over the side of the castle. That done, and listening to you, he says in quite a different voice than he used earlier, more gruff and with a rumble to it "Yes, I appear to be just fine, probably thanks to you, come to think of it. Sorry if there weren't introductions before, my name is Gaobhair (pronounced like Geh-eer, and your character wouldn't necessarily know how its spelled). The others I travel with actually are mages, allowing me into their company in disguise in exchange for me owing them a favor. and when someone from the Woods owes you a favor, well..." He cracks a wry grin, before sobering up, "I can't forget though, they might be dying even now. We need to find our allies and compatriots, and make sure they are safe. Then we need to cleanse this ancient castle of this scourge" He begins to quickly hurry off, loping almost like a wolf

The mercenary calls after him, "Oy, and I'm fine too, ya bitey git!" She turns to August. "I really am, and grateful to you for saving me, but I think he's right. I need to go lay my hands on my gear, so I can be somethin' other than the not-so-fair maiden in distress. If you see one of them things, make sure you whack it good for me, awright?" with that, she turns to the stairs to descend off the wall.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Aye," August replied, to both of them, really. Smacking his flail on the floor a couple times to dislodge the gunk, and giving his belt pouch a light pat, he followed after Gaobhair.

[GuyFawkes]

Tharan-Kel

"Thanks," Tharan said as he grabbed the blanket offered by the girl without breaking step. Then as he went in further inside, he stopped and turned to face Alia.

"By chance you know where the mess hall is?"

[Conor77]

August:

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Gaobhair moves with an easy lope down the wall further, until he comes to one of the towering bastions that extend the altitude of the wall in three places along its length. He opens it and peeks inside, apparently seeing nothing inside, he continues.

He whispers, then "You go down te flight of stairs and take te first door ya see leading ta de gate, tat'll let you out ta see yer friend. I'm goin' over tis way, gonna get to ta dining hall and see tat tey haven't killed em all. Meet me dere after you get whassisface." His actual accent appears to be coming through more and more now in the way he speaks. He then prowls off through the opposite door, out back onto the wall.

You are in a 20 ft diameter room that has some nice carpet in it. It is cold. There are some textile supplies up against the wall, as well as a few battered wooden cases. One door leads back the way you came. One door goes onward, both leading to the top of the wall. There is a staircase descending on the outside edge of the room.

What do you do?

Tharan-Kel:

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She seems to only take a moment to recover her composure from the cold. "Mess-Hall? Yeah we could just walk across the courtyard, but we need to take this to Theodore, our Luminary. He can help, I'm sure of it. He's the best warrior we have, as well as the wisest.

...and I could use a bow, too. We can swing by the rooms at the same time we move towards him. We just need to go out to the hall and hang a right, it'll curve the way we want to go". She seems to look to you for direction though.

You are in a stark side-room to the entry, with a ransacked closet and 2 doors. One leads to the entry room, the other to a hallway that curves around the fortress interior wall in a circle, broken up by doors.

What do you do?

[Quellian-dyrae]

August wonders if perhaps he should stick with Gaobhair, but figures the druid (he had pretty much decided to consider the man a druid until further notice) would probably be better able to avoid attention without a plate-clad Doruk stomping along beside him.

He followed the man's directions, heading down the stairs, and if nothing was there, heading through the first door to the gate. He didn't bother trying to be stealthy, his flail and shield at the ready.

[GuyFawkes]

Tharan-Kel

Tharan considered storming in at once, but opted to utilize additional numbers in the off chance this Theodore was still who he was.

"Fine. Let us see this Luminary. However, I wouldn't be surprised if he's been compromised already. Lead the way."

[Conor77]

August:

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You move down the stairs, clumping in boots without even trying for stealth, until you get to the bottom. There is just one door, so you push it open. Inside, you find yourself in kind of a rounded hallway (the hallway runs all the way around the castle in the very center, broken up by doors. You stepped out from a side-door). Directly across from you is another door, the doorknob of which turns, the door starting to open. Though you ready yourself, who should stick her head out but the same "girl" you just fought up on top of the wall. Except she looks human again. Alia squeezes into the room before noticing you, and she looks shocked to see you. Behind her steps out Tharan, apparently unharmed.

Tharan:

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Alia sticks her head through the door and gives a little gasp. You push open the door fully to see August standing in a curved hallway, in full armor and looking ready for a fight.

Both:

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You blink once or twice. Alia looks between the two of you.

[Quellian-dyrae]

August just stared a moment, then gripped his flail, started forward, remembered that Tharan had seen the thing in the girl's shape too. Which meant either there was a logical explanation for this (likely something weird and supernatural), or Tharan was under some sort of mental influence. He thought a moment, then suddenly demanded of Tharan, "The name of the kid you were beating up on when we first met. Go!"

[GuyFawkes]

Tharan-Kel

Tharan stepped forward to greet August, but the Doruk had a guarded stance, and it didn't take long for him to get why. When he asked the question though, he was lost for a bit, before getting what he meant.

"Oh, that guy. Forgot his name. He was a weak fellow. I don't remember weaklings. I do, however, remember the one guy they called the Badger, that small fellow who stepped in and handed my behind to me and set me straight. Ha ha ha!"

He stepped forward.

"It's fine, August. She is not the same one up top. My nose says so. Anyway, what happened up there? I assumed you took care of that problem?"

[Quellian-dyrae]

August gave a low chuckle, relaxing his stance. Fair enough. "Aye, that one's done. The merc, the druid, and I wailed on it until it stopped moving," he said with a shrug. "Druid's heading to the mess hall. He didn't have time to explain everything, but it seems like there are more of those shapeshifty things about. Suggested we head there. What happened to you? You hurt at all from that fall you took?"

He kinda just...didn't say anything to Alia, or even really look at her. Weirded him out. Stinkin' shapeshifters.

[GuyFawkes]

Tharan-Kel

"Hah! Not even a scratch. Lucky there was a lot of snow. Hah hah hah!" the Jushorun gave another hearty laugh. When August mentioned about more shapeshifters though, his countenance slowly shifted to a serious one.

"Yeah, I thought so to. That creature did mention something about "us". This girl spoke of a Luminary. Perhaps the one in charge here. I opted to see this man first before charging into the mess hall, see if we could have more numbers. Or maybe this man might have been the prime target to be switched. Better to take out one of them while there is a chance," he shrugged.

"You can go on ahead. We'll catch up soon. But it'd be better if you and your trusty flail were with us," Tharan said with a grin.

[Quellian-dyrae]

August considered for a moment. Their companions were still in that hall, best he knew, as well as several other Salor refugees. His instinct as a guard told him to go defend his people with all haste.

His tactical knowledge as a Sublime Soldier told him that he alone would make scant difference. He, Tharan, Alia, the Luminary, and any other fighters they could pick up along the way? That could matter.

He couldn't spare more than a few seconds to think about it, and the internal debate was written clearly on his face.

Tactics won. "Let's be swift, then. Lead the way, lass," he said, falling in beside Tharan, still not looking at Alia directly.

[Conor77]

Alia nods, and hurries to a door set into the great dividers that make each part of the circular hallway a different part. She tugs it open, and August notices an an unfamiliar part of the fortress behind it. She creeps down the hallway, slightly ahead of your huge footsteps, and comes to another door (in a curved hallway just like the one you passed through, each one maybe a sixth of the total circumference of the fortress)

She listens carefully, as do you. Make listen checks.

[Conor77]

August, you hear scuffling and muted voices, like someone is trying to move furniture around. Alia looks puzzled, and whispers "Ready your weapons, those voices don't sound human".


Then, she readies herself against the door...

...and SLAMS it open, rolling into the room and coming upright 5 feet from the door, fists held in front of her.

Beyond her, you see a couple of monks dragging the lifeless body of another monk across the floor, apparently planning to drag it through another doorway. You notice that the face of the body is also the face of one of the guys dragging it. Which could only mean one thing.

[[ROLL INITIATIVE]]

[Quellian-dyrae]

August steeled his gaze and advanced. How quickly it came back to him, his time in the Academy, drilling not only the combat skills and advanced techniques, but also the unit tactics. He closed with the "monks" lashing out at one with a series of strikes aimed to open up his defenses. He knew a Berserker like Tharan had tricks to close in and let loose a rapid assault far faster than most; with luck, his attack would leave the target open to a devastating finisher. He kept the other shapeshifter within the reach of his flail; if he tried to get around August and go for his allies, he was ready to strike back.

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Move: Advance, threatening both monks. They can come at me with 5' steps, but I think (depending on actual positions) they'll have to move outright to get to Tharan or Alia, provoking AoOs if they do, barring Tumble etc.

Standard: Vanguard Strike at (1d20+6)[16] for (1d8+3)[9].

Current Stance: Iron Guard's Glare.
Maneuvers Available: 1/2.

[Conor77]

August may be short, but his flail swings far. The doppelganger, completely unprepared, get mashed by the full force of the flail. It feels like hitting jelly, and it looks like it too. Instead of mimicking the body and wearing clothes, it looks like these creatures mimic the clothes too, and it is disorienting to have the clothes that look like they naturally fall away from the body ripped away as part of the same semi-solid mass. The thing gives a howl and steps backwards. [Five foot step backwards, their initiative]

The doppelgangers drop the body and draw swords [Move + free actions], but don't have time to do anything else. Alia tucks and rolls in-between the legs of the first one, coming up to the second in time to loose a series of kicks. Bewildered as it is, the Doppelganger still has its head on straight enough that it manages to dodge her, oozing this way and that, refusing to be pinned down.

[GuyFawkes]

Tharan-Kel

Tharan sniffed up the air in the room, making his face twitch.

"This stench. Pay back for last time!"

He growled, loosened his stance, more feral, more aggressive, then leapt into action, setting his sights upon the one August had attacked. With a few steps he had closed in the gap, drawing his punching dagger, then delivered two quick stabs at the creature.

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Free Action: Rage
Swift Action: Shift stance to Blood in the Water
Move Action: Move to the doppleganger attacked by August.
Standard Action: Flurry of blows.

Attack 1: (1d20+8)[20]
Damage: (1d8+5)[12]

Attack 2: (1d20+8)[18]
Damage: (1d8+5)[9]

[Quellian-dyrae]

August would step up and press the attack against the shapeshifting creatures.

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On the off chance the original target is still up, normal attack on it. Otherwise, 5' step in, Vanguard Strike on the remaining doppelganger.

Either way, attacking at (1d20+6)[9] for (1d8+3)[7]