[IC] Monster Hunters

[Kallimakus]

"I try my best not to get caught without" she says. "I'd prefer weapons."

[rs2excelsior]

Hrothrun nods. He sets aside the saddle and tools, and retrieves his hammer from where it was stashed. Åska sits up, interested in watching the fight. Hrothrun moves to an open place, clear of obstructions and uneven ground, and enters a ready stance, shield arm forward. "When you're ready..." The faint electricity that normally runs along the hammer's head when Hrothrun fights is absent.

[hannahbbug3]

"Just be careful, you two!" Sunny chimes from where she's setting up her own tent, looking over at the impending spar with mild interest. She has the feeling she's at fault for this, with the stories she was telling on the way over. But there is a smile on her face, regardless.

[Kallimakus]

Idranel grabs her staff and shield and walks over. She rotates her arms, loosening her shoulders a little before settling into a stance. Shield forward, staff held a bit back, hidden behind the large shield. She switches her grip around, lunging past her shield a bit further away than what the staff's reach would suggest.

Spoiler: Rolls

Show

Using reach for the quarterstaff
(1d20+12)[28]
(1d20+12)[32]
(1d20+12)[14]
Attack rolls to see how well she does, approximately.

[rs2excelsior]

Hrothrun was surprised--the quarterstaff had much longer reach than he was expecting. He took a few smarting hits before adjusting his defense, then ducked and pushed in close, using his shield to try and push Idranel off balance before following with a counterattack.

Spoiler: Rolls!

Show

I'll roll one as a two-handed attack--shield bash immediately followed by hammer. The other two attacks are just the hammer.

(1d20+11)[15] (shield)/(1d20+13)[21]
(1d20+15)[20]
(1d20+15)[30]

Not necessarily specific attacks, also an approximation of effectiveness.

[Kallimakus]

Idranel rocks back before the impact, turning the shield aside with her own. She takes the blow with her armour. She backs down a step, regaining her stance. After that, she guards away a few further blows, giving ground before moving to counter. She lashes out with the staff again, sweeping high before aiming for Hrothrun's feet, trying to sweep him down. She relents and steps back, circling for a moment before charging back again.

All the while, she is evaluating him. It is a close enough contest, as a spar should be.

[hannahbbug3]

Sunny smiles, watching the fight now that she's done with her tent. But suddenly, the entire clearing is rattled, the trees and ground itself shaking as a roar of thunder peals above. It makes Sunny jump, and she directs her gaze to the sky. There are no clouds, the sky is clear, and yet there are flashes of lightning in the east. "...Lugh," Sunny breaths softly. "Something must have upset the Mouthpiece."

[NeoSeraphi]

Alexander stands up. "What is that? ...Did something happen with the civil war?" He turns to Talim and the others. "Maybe we should go take a look."

[Kallimakus]

Idranel stops and turns to the east. "Perhaps he has finally realized that there is a civil war in his land." she says. "Do you think we can make a difference Alexander?" she asks. Not in the manner that dismisses the idea. She is merely curious. She knows plenty about the Mouthpieces, but specifics of their character are not her forte.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alexander picks up his lance. "I have a weapon, and a will."

"And a dragon," Jenna adds.

"I may not be able to stop a war, but I can damn well save a Mouthpiece if he's in danger."

[Kallimakus]

Idranel is taken aback. "You think the Mouthpiece might be in danger?"

[rs2excelsior]

Hrothrun lowers his hammer and looks east, sweating. Idranel had traded him blow for blow or better--her quarterstaff didn't have the heft of his hammer, but it was certainly quicker. However, the unnatural lightning strike seemed to have taken over the group's attention. He gives Alexander a bit of a sidelong glance. "If something has happened that is able to threaten a mouthpiece, I doubt we'll be able to do much to help. But we should at least see what we can do."

Åska is already trotting over, gear in hand. "You all do seem to attract trouble," he remarks.

"Comes with being a hunter, I suppose." He climbs onto the hastily attached saddle, checking once more that it is secure, and glances over to Idranel. "Well fought. Let's hope we won't have need of those skills too soon."

[NeoSeraphi]

"We have the luxury of fighting beasts, Idranel. Soldiers are not so lucky. You will find that a battlefield changes a man. He forgets what he was fighting for, when he wins. When he wins, all that is in his mind is everything he lost to get that far. And something snaps inside him. He doesn't want whatever it is that he came to take. He wants to make the loser suffer, as he has suffered. There are no prisoners in war, Idranel. There are casualties, and there are slaves."

He secures his saddle and gets onto Jenna. "Hrothrun, with me. If we decide to engage the enemy, I will deal with the front lines. You focus on getting anyone who is in danger out of the way. Women and children first, but we can't let them get Lugh either."

Alexander and Jenna take off, heading towards Lightning's temple.

[Kallimakus]

"You fought well too" Idranel replies. Berilian she sends, Looks like we're not done yet. Think you can carry me a while longer?
Do I get a choice? he sends back, amusement evident in his thoughts.
You might, you don't know
Yes, I can carry you.

"Are you suggesting I'm not coming along Alexander?" Idranel shouts. A bit uncharacteristic.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alexander glances down at Idranel. "Someone has to stay behind. Do you expect to leave Sunny out here by herself?" he replies. "Even if we find that Lugh is safe, this nation has been plunged into Hell. There will be blood. There will be bodies. Not all of them with their heads. Do you really want to see what we're going to see, Idranel?"

[hannahbbug3]

Sunny tucks a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she watches her Riders mount up, a small frown on her features. But she looks over to Talim, and inclines her head in the direction of the others, asking if she should come along.

[Drewski]

"I have a bad feeling about this. We really shouldn't be running into a fight while we have the Orb. Scout the fight and then swing back here. I'd rather that we didn't rush in blindly if we can avoid it."

[NeoSeraphi]

Alexander frowns. "Exactly how far do you think it is that we will be flying, Talim? Getting out there, and then coming back, then returning as a group may make us too late. If that's a distress signal, we are already too late," he points out. "But, very well. If there is no obvious need for me to linger, I will not. But I will not leave innocents to die on a battlefield, backup or no."

[Drewski]

"We felt the ****ing ground shake. Either it's not that far, or you're going to be walking into a fight that we are not even close to being able to effect. Even if there are innocents in danger you'd be significantly more useful to them alive rather then dead."

[hannahbbug3]

Sunny's attention had been pulled away, to the bag at her side. She rifled through for a moment, before pulling out a small, smooth stone and pressing it to her ear. Her eyes widen slightly, and she looks up to the others. "Whatever's going on, they just called Flight 1 in on it," she tells the others. "They've been sent to the temple."

[Kallimakus]

"That's news" Idranel says. "What's the plan?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Alexander straightens up. "There's no question that Lugh is in danger now. I am the sword and shield of the Faith and that includes Its Mouthpieces. I would give my life for Lugh's in a heartbeat. Let's ride!" He turns and flies off towards the temple without another word.

[Kallimakus]

"Apologies, Sunny. Unless you think it's an excessively bad idea, I'll follow Alexander. Hopefully I can keep him out of trouble." She rushes to Berilian, leaving her tent behind. "Just in and out."

[rs2excelsior]

Hrothrun nods. "Talim's got a point. There's a good chance that this is way above our heads. We'll see what is going on and save who we can, if there are people who need saving." Sunny's message confirms that this is probably serious, however. "Keep the orb safe. If you don't hear back from us..." He leaves the thought unfinished as Åska launches them into the sky. They are both quiet as they try to keep up with Jenna. Hrothrun half expected some kind of snark about being told to stay back rather than get into the thick of the fight, but the dragonkin seems solemn. Hrothrun lets him be as they make haste toward the temple.

[hannahbbug3]

Sunny exhales through her nose. "My parents are going to kill me," she says, before looking back over to Talim. "We shouldn't let them go alone. Come on," she says.

[Kallimakus]

Berilian launches into the sky after Alexander and Hrothrun. They weren't going to fight in a war. It hadn't been many weeks when they decided that. Then again, they'd decided that if there was a call, they'd go. And now there was, even if not addressed at them.

[Drewski]

Talim puts his rubs his eyes and sighs. "This is ****ing bad, and rushing in is going to get us killed. I'm calling it now. One of the sides of the war had enough and are trying to force Lugh out by killing him." Talim climbs up behind Sunny and Gela takes off.

"What type of Intel can the guildmaster give us, or will we be the first responders?"

[hannahbbug3]

"We'll likely be first or second responders," Sunny answers Talim as they lift off. "...we'll have to report to him what's going on." As the group gets up into the sky, the rumbling of lightning and thunder soon subsides, and the air becomes peaceful again.

[NeoSeraphi]

Alexander races through the sky, with Jenna beating her wings twice as fast as she usually does.

<No, no no no!>

<Relax. You can save him. I know it.>

<Heathens! Heretics! Who dares raise their hand against a dragon?!> Alexander thinks angrily.

<You have to stay calm. Alexander, listen to me!> Jenna yells in his mind.

<...You're right, Jenna. I can save him.> Alexander thinks after a moment.

<...Good...> She sounds relieved.

<It is not by chance that I was nearby and able to see the flash of lightning. It is not by chance that Sunny offered to join us after so long, just so she would have the stone to give us further warning. This is divine providence. This is the will of the Light Itself!>

Jenna's eyes widen. <Alexander, I ->

<I have been chosen by the Divine! If not to spare the Holy his fate, then to punish the transgressors who dared to soil his body with their impure hands!>

Alexander's glasses reflect the last bolt of lightning and he looks to the sky. "...Deus vult," he whispers angrily.

[hannahbbug3]

When the group finally arrives at the temple, it's a shockingly familiar face that greets them. A brown haired youth with tawny skin, sitting astride a blue dragon. Even from this far off, his laughter can be heard. Sapphiron turns her heard and seems to say something to him, before the young man turns around, and, due to the speed of the other riders... Aluneth is now sitting practically face-to-face with Alexander.

"You, there, did you see it?" he asks without pause for introductions. "You should have been here! The eye of it was amazing!" The Brenin lets out a whoop at the top of his lungs, before guiding his dragonkin downwards, swooping down through the open-air temple and disappearing inside.