Of Light, Life and Liches

[Kobold-Bard]

Harin

"Watch it's blade" Harin called to the others as he landed an aerial assault upon the king, focusing all his belief into his blade as he swung it down at the dead man.

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1. Attack Corvina with Greatsword using my Half-Celestial Smite Evil ability.
Attack:(1d20+11)[31]
Damage: (2d6+6)[8]+(2d6)[10](Holy)+6(Smite Evil)
2. If I was already close enough to attack it then I will use my move action to fly out of its swords attack range.

[Kobold-Bard]

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That looks like a crit.
Crit confirmation: (1d20+11)[28]
Crit damage: (2d6+6)[11]+(2d6)[4](Holy)+6(Smite Evil)

[MountainKing]

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It's in Complete Arcane, just before it goes in-depth in the Feats section. It discusses weapon-like spells, which are defined as any spell that requires an attack roll in order to deal damage (meaning touch and ranged touch attacks). It goes on to say that one can take Improved Critical for such spells, which I can only assume means that weapon-like spells are capable of getting a critical hit. Granted, it's a bit of a stretch to say that Cure Serious Wounds is a weapon-like spell, buuuut against the undead, it really is. It meets the requirements; it has a touch attack that is rolled, and it deals damage... but it's your call.

Amos Omaril gasped as he tried to quickly glance away, but it was too late. He had faltered somewhat; he had been careless, as the ghost had accused him...

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Okay, first order of real business for the post... His last name isn't Robilard. That's the first name of a different bard. No worries. Now then, Fortitude save!

(1d20+3)[16] If this save fails, then the following spell cast will be for Amos, not for the ghost, as uh, yeah, taking 15 damage means I'll be at 19 HP. Heck yes, Con penalty!

"Your pain is not the lonely sort, the kind only you may feel!" Amos shouted, "You are not the only one who has spent life abandoned, knowing no real family! I myself am an orphan, raised by those who are not my blood, but who became my kin; skalds sing often of Grod the Lonesome, whom whilst living in solitude, was hurt in a rock slide. A traveler came," Amos' voice picked up, and his next words were sung, rather than spoken.

"And healed his pain!" With that, Amos threw himself into the song, channeling the power of his music into his body, and then through it, conjuring the same healing power he had just cast.

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Okay, for four uses of Bardic Music (by my notes, assuming that I didn't regain any music for resting, this pretty much burns what I have left) to use Lyric Spell, and cast Cure Serious Wounds again, holding it for the ghost only if I succeed my Fort save above (I know, it's a lot of pain in the arse conditionals, but I don't want to double post, and I can't add rolls to a post). If I fail the save, the CSW is for Amos.

Touch attack: (1d20+10)[18]
Crit (If you decide to use the weapon-like spells rules, and rule that a Cure spell can crit on undead): (1d20+10)[23]
Damage: (3d8+10)[27]

[Tacitus]

Adun

Furious arcs of blue-white lightning dance off his fingers and smash into the ground. Blue-white smoke rises from the ground in the aftermath of his hand going wide against the fell King. Recovering from his failure his left hand lashes out with the same powerful energy in hopes of helping put the King to rest.

Battle Mechanics:

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AC totals
Vs Normal: 25 T:13 FF: 21
Vs Undead: 30/18/26
+2 Midnight Dodge declared against King Corvina

Touch Attack (1d20+7)[27]
Disrupt Undead! (6d6)[19]

Incarnum Mechanics:

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Essentia:17 (-6 for Feats) (E=Essentia Invested) Capacity 3, +1 for bold
Soulmelds:
[5] Armguards of Disruption: Disrupt Undead. Touch attack to deal 1d6+Ed6 damage. [Incarnum Focus grants +1 capacity]
[Bound]: Insight to AC and Saves equal to E against Undead
[3] Diadem of Purelight: 20+10Eft radius bright illumination, shadowy double. +2 to Spot within any light. Counted as spell level of E for purposes of interacting with magical Darkness.
[Bound]: Negate less than Total Concealment in Bright illumination. Includes spells. Excludes Invisibility.
[0] Dissolving Spittle: 1d6+Ed6 acid damage at 30ft ranged touch.
[3] Pauldrons of Health: Immune to Disease, Sickened, Nauseated. +E enhancement to Fort saves.
[Bound]: Immunity to Energy Drain
[2] StrongHeart Vest: Reduce Ability Damage by 1+E
[0] Vitality Belt: +4 Morale on Con checks and Con based skill checks, but not Fortitude Saves. Gain one hit point per meldshaper level for each Essentia invested. (+10E HP) These are not temporary. Removing these Hit Points can stagger, render unconscious, or even kill Adun.

Feats: Capacity: 2 (change E only once per 24hrs)
[0] Cerulean Will: Insight to Will equal to E
[2] Healing Soul: E/day heal 2Ehp as swift
[2] Midnight Dodge: Dodge for +E to AC
[0] Sapphire Sprint: Add 5Eft to speed. Retain Dex to AC while running. Add E insight to AC when leaving a threatened square.

[Another_Poet]

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Just Empowered, actually.

And I know Rays can crit. I guess it'd make sense that touch attacks can too.

"Damn it!" Screams Radley. "Keep it as alive as it is! Capture it! We can use it to lure the lich!"

Another Ray of Enfeeblement springs from his rod...
ranged touch - (1d20+10)[17]
base strength damage: (1d6+4)[5] x 150%. So 7 total.

Faithdreamer only:

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The imp will stay hidden. He will use his Suggestion spell-like ability on the closest tank ally of ours who is not immune. You can choose who that is; I'm not sure who's up there wailing on the death king or not. It won't choose Green though, since we're hoping he'll listen to Radley without magic.

The command I will Suggest is to do as Radley says and take this thing without (re)killing it.

The DC is 15 but I'm hoping you'll invoke the "A very reasonable suggestion causes the save to be made with a penalty (such as -1 or -2)" clause.

fly to to take up position right behind the king, opposite Green to gain a flanking advantage. He will use his hide skill so that when he attacks and loses invisibility he still has a good chance not to be seen by my comrades.

Keeping his dodge against the king, making his AC 21.

[Faithdreamer]

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Initiative
Radley (21)
King Corvina (18)
Green Man (16)
Harin (14)
Adun (11)
Matthias (10)

Grass Blades
(1d6+8)[10]+(1d6+8)[10]

Attack of Opportunity (Green Man)
(1d20+14)[26]

(1d10+2)[5]+(9d6)[28]
(1d10)[10] (Only on a Critical Hit)

Adun’s Critical
There is no reason to say ‘No’. He is using a touch attack, Disrupt Undead is normally a Ray and both are considered weapon-like spells.

I should remind everyone, don’t post yet, or awful things are not guaranteed to avoid you.

[Faithdreamer]

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Green’s Strength (Trip): (1d20+6)[16]
Wily Corvina (Trip): (1d20+5)[19]

Green’s Might (Trip): (1d20+6)[23]
Corvina’s Wit (Trip): (1d20+5)[14]

Perhaps Applicable
Attack of Opportunity (Reverse Trip): (1d20+2)[14]
Green’s Opposition (Resist Trip): [roll]1d20+6 [/roll]

Attack of Opportunity (Reverse Trip): (1d20+2)[13]
Green’s Opposition (Resist Trip): [roll]1d20+6 [/roll]

Do Not Post.

[Faithdreamer]

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AoO Harin (1d20+10)[11] (1d10+4)[13]
AoO Adun (1d20+10)[18] (1d10+4)[9]

I’m still trying to work things out and I didn’t want to rob your Glorious luck (I told you so); another warning not to post.

[Faithdreamer]

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Corvina’s Hamstring (1d20+10)[27] (1d10+4)[11]
Fade Away, Hide Check (1d20+27)[32]-5 to this number

Intrigue
Something rippled when the Bugbear set his roar free. Your backs straightened, your resolve was supple water hard like diamonds. Your muscles wrapped themselves in warmth. It was spiritual fire, the mettle of your Heart!
Radley’s magic was as subtle as the wind. It soaked the King’s chest and swirled around him, fog. Time became the water on a lake, freezing to ice. A perfect painting in an epic encapsulated in the ages – Corvina surged up at heaven with a cunning sword, the Green Man plunged down to drive him back to the earth – two monsters. One with a golden heart… the Bugbear’s axes cracked bone after the sly sword slipped between them as easily as it sank through the Green Man’s flesh a heartbeat before. Righteous vengeance masked Harin’s blood-speckled face, with all the glory of Heavens his Great sword let justice fall. His prudence was a yell across the space between as he flitted away from Corvina’s spiteful reprisal. “Watch it’s Blade,”
Adun wove around the Death King’s sting and struck him with an open palm that made Corvina shrink back; he paused in the way he would have had his beloved slapped him. He glanced from Adun, the furious love of the desert, to the radiant glow of Harin. He slouched – begging for mercy? – He lashed out at the Green Man’s knees. With a snap of his dark, rippling shroud, Corvina ‘vanished’.

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Take a look around if you like. You might have spells to help. I wanted to mention it was Matthias’s turn now. The Green man suffers 35 damage.

Be happy and feel the Fortune’s Pride, that’s 124 damage between the four of you with a Strength Penalty Radley-driven courtesy.

Study

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We’ll say Amos used his rolls to heal 21hp, presumably you haven’t lost your charge from the first touch attack. You’re not taking more material for the same thing..?

Temun’s anima laughter was sardonic joy. It’s clear from Temun’s posture (s)he wants to be convinced. “My heart does not care Amostly lost cause. Has that nothing to do with being careless at all?”

Warmth, serenity, purity wraps you in love and holds you close. The ghost's chill doesn't bite as much.

[Kuma Da]

The Green Man

Oh, no you don't. You might be able to wink out of sight, but you still reek like a dead thing. Clutching the open wound in his chest, The Green Man's nose wrinkles, trying to pick Corvina's distinctive odor out of the other scents of the battlefield.

Blood. Sweat. The acrid tang of metal. There.

Closing his eyes, he charges.

[Another_Poet]

Radley

"Green, no!" As he continues to try to talk sense into his collagues the sorcerer-merchant runs forward and makes a motion with his hand. A circular wall of fire springs into being, 50' in diameter, 20' tall and centred on the place where the death king disappeared. Radley just barely makes it inside its radius before it appears.

((Be careful guys, stay toward the middle or it will toast you.))

acrane spell failure (needs to be higher than 5%): (1d%)[30] *

*faithdreamer, I feel bad. I've been forgetting to roll this. Feel free to make the DC higher than 5% on this wall of fire to make up for it if you want.

faithdreamer only:

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Imp will go invisible, but remain mundanely hidden as well. He was opposite Green to give him flanking; does Green trip over him or run into him when he charges?

[Kobold-Bard]

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Who is inside the wall of fire, everyone or is it just Radley and Green. Also is Corvina in it. And does it deal damage inwardly or outwardly.
I'll post once I know.

[Another_Poet]

((As far as I could tell everyone swarmed Corvina, so everyone's in it, safely in the middle. Corvina should still be here unless he has a heck of a move rate, or he might be getting toasted as we speak. The wall deals damae inwardly and outwardly; it's heavy damage within 10' of it and something like a d4 damage within 20' of it. CHeck the link in my post above to be sure tho.))

[Kobold-Bard]

Harin

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Using Spell Like Ability Detect Evil to see if Corvina is inside the wall.
If he is I will I will move towards him ready to attack on my next turn. In case I get too close to the wall Radley please make a Spell Resistance check (1d20+Caster Level) to see if your wall doesn't hurt me (DC16), if it does I have Fire Resistance 10.
If he isn't on the inside I will fly straight upwards and over the wall and look for him on the other side, moving towards him if I see his aura.

[MountainKing]

A play on words... Amos' song trailed away as his magic healed his agonizing wounds.

"If one be careless, and the other couldn't care less, would they not share a likeness of faults? If they do in fact have shared fault, could they also then share common interests?" Amos stood still, not daring to look the ghost in the eye a second time, not just yet, and decided to give his words one last try.

"A desperate man and a determined man may make the same devil's bargain, the same foolish offer in order to achieve wildly different ends. You say you do not care; if this means that you will devour my life, regardless of what I say, then so be it; but know this: you will destroy a chance to free your spirit," the bard paused, hoping his words would have some effect.

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Diplomacy roll: (1d20+19)[30] or Bluff roll to buy myself time if while I'm speaking, Temun decides that he has had enough with waiting: (1d20+17)[28]

"I have read the dryad's diary... heard her beg for "death", to be freed from some manner of curse which binds her to this place. What is your story, Temun? If I may, I would hear your tale... perhaps, I can help you break free from this world, and enter the lands of eternal rest..." In the back of his mind, Amos could hear himself screaming at himself to run, to enchant his legs with the speed of the wind, vanish from sight, and run as fast as possible... but he crushed it, forcing himself to remain.

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Okay, well, I'm going to be relieved that I get to reserve bardic music (I assume that's what you're telling me), and basically, my action this round is to avoid looking directly at Temun's eyes, and pray that he's feeling a little more reasonable this round.

[Faithdreamer]

Fluidity
Passed the smoke rising from Radley’s magical hellfire Harin could only barely make out his aura. The two colours were the same – smoke and spiritual strength. For an instant the subtle taint was this way – then it burst from the river with overwhelming intensity. The source was steadily growing distance between the entrapped party and itself. The King had fled into the river and used the fast currents to give himself a surge of speed.
Though Green tried, he could only smell smoke and fire now. There was one other besides Harin safely out of the blaze. If he could make Matthias hear him, Old Man Raker could give chase from the ground while Harin followed in the air.

Weep
Temun’s body inches forward, the boy hugs himself like a scared girl. A sob escapes him, a pout beautifies his lips. A shiver rakes his body and he looks fragile and docile. The end of his sibilant voice’s sentence needs no more words.
“I just want to feel warm again. Don’t want to see anymore. If you touch me…” A great timbre of sadness captivates Temun. “with the light. I can sleep. Then you’ll burn this tree and turn it to ashes.”

[Kobold-Bard]

Harin

"Raker, the King Is in the River. Fire at the interuptions in its flow, slow it down" Harin bellowed at Matthias as he flew with all his haste after the evil being.

"You shall feel the Wrath of Kord" he shouted as he fired a ray of intense light straight at the undead Corvina's location.

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1. Free action to speak.

2. Move action to persue the king.

3. Standard Action to cast Searing Light.
Ranged Touch Attack: (1d20+8)[15]
Damage: (6d6)[21]+(2d6)[8](Bane Magic)
(If the type of undead the king has become is light sensitive then damage is: (6d8)[17]+(2d6)[7](Bane Magic))

(Sorry to Radley but Harin isn't really built for capture)

[Another_Poet]

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I'm too late posting this for this particular combat, but for future I should point out that Detect Evil shouldn't've pinpointed the king so quickly. It only lets you know the presence/absence of evil the first round. On the second round you see the number & location of evil auras.

Radley

When Radley hears that the king is outside the wall he curses and lets the spell go. Instantly all that remains of the barrier is a 40' thick ring of brown ash and crispy treetrunks around the party.

He sinks to the ground, looking tired, and watches as his winged ally fires spells into seemingly empty air. [holding action]

and faithdreamer only, please:

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The Imp will will use the run action this round, flying 200 feet straight up. It sees that the angel-man has locked onto the king and figures it's best to stay out of range of the detect evil radar. (I know it's unlikely that he would sweep the cone straight up, but just in case.)

[Kuma Da]

The Green Man

Char and smoke and the biting-a-penny scent of blood curl through the air, drowning out all traces of Corvina's passage. Although he hears Harin's call from above, The Green Man has more urgent matters to attend to. Ripping up a piece of sod, he presses it to the wound in his chest and hunkers down besides Radley.

"We need to get something straight, boss. I might be in your employ, but there is no way that you'll convince me to do something as stupid as capturing Darvis' pet autocrat. Even if we could somehow ensure that has wasn't going to break free and murder us all in our sleep--which, incidentally, we can't--I'm gonna wager that Darvis doesn't have any real attachment to him. He's a puppet. A symbol you use to scare commoners with." The Green Man snarls. It isn't directed at anyone, just an extra bit of tension working its way out of his throat. "Maybe you're a little bit new at this. The rule of thumb is that, when you're setting a trap for an ogre, you don't bait it with a dragon. Or a tarrasque. Or a mouldering death-dealing machine."

[Another_Poet]

"Keeping ourselves safe around him is the easy part," Radley says. "And using him as a lure is only one of the many benefits he presents us. Maybe you're new at this, but having a royal hostage is a big deal. If his mind is intact, he can issue edicts... that we give him. If it isn't intact, then darn, we're only down to a hundred or so great advantages from having our hands on him." The sarcasm is heavy in his voice, but his smile seems genuine. "I don't know how we stumbled into him, but I bet it's not coincidence. Whatever we can learn of his master's plan is invaluable. Hopefully he's escaped, as he's more useful walking than dead."

[Jade_Tarem]

Matthias

Matthias is willing to give chase, but firing into the water won't solve anything.

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Tracking (Survival): (1d20+13)[28]

It may be difficult/impossible to track Corvina all the way down the river, but even an idea of where and how he gets out would be helpful.

Edit: Matthias will take the penalty for tracking at full speed.

[Kuma Da]

The Green Man

"You're absolutely right." The Green Man's expression goes stony. "Keeping ourselves safe around Corvina would be the easy part. Using a psychotic, magically enslaved warrior who'd willingly rip our throats out as a puppet governor to a kingdom populated by the dead would be substantially more difficult than just keeping that same psychotic from ripping our throats out. And I agree as well that our meeting was too good to be a coincidence. The lich directing ol' Corvy wanted him to meet with us, which means that the first thing we should do is try to put as much distance between us and him as possible. I do not want to walk into any trap that's set by a creature stronger than Corvina. I don't much enjoy bleeding." With that, The Green Man slumps to the ground.

"I hope Harin and that loony ranger run him down and destroy him, but I don't think that's too likely. So we need to plan ahead for when we next encounter him. Let's start by agreeing not to try and cash in on him. This venture is dangerous enough without either of us getting greedy."

[MountainKing]

Amos nodded quietly, speaking in soft tones.

"I will help you, Temun, but I beg you, tell me of the Music, or tell me at least what the dryad told you of it. Whatever you choose, however... I accept." With that, Amos channeled the power of warmth and light into his hand again, focusing it in his palm. In silence, he held his hand out, and said nothing more.

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Okay, casting CSW for reals, and holding it until Temun willingly touches my hand, which will basically resolve the touch required for the spell. I'll let you handle the roll for it secretly, Faith, if that's what you'd prefer.

[Another_Poet]

Radley

Radley surveys the bugbear's wounds and produces a clean silk handkerchief from within his robes, offering it to staunch the bleeding. "Don't worry, Green. With these religious types around there's bound to be some first-rate pharmaceuticals, or a little dressed-up magickery to heal you."

Radley sits back and watches his allies heading downstream. He shakes his head and gives a short chuckle. "Thing is, for all we know it can be reversed. Well... not reversed exactly. Fixed at least. Somewhere out there, in some little town not unlike the one we left behind, are a whole bunch of nobles just praying to their invisible gods that they don't have to be the fall guys for this. Hell, some of 'em might even feel familial love toward the poor bastard. You can call it greed, but I'm here to serve the crown and make piles of money doing it."

There's a moment of silence before he adds, with surprising affection, "And, you know, the guy was actually a damned good king."

[Kuma Da]

The Green Man

"Sure. Maybe. I guess. As far as kings go, there's been worse. But he's none of that any more." He pauses. "I don't make a habit of head-shrinking my clients. What's in their mind is supposed to be their concern. But it sounds like you've got some illusions about the way things are here. This is not the kingdom you knew. Not any more. If we're very, very lucky, we'll kick out the thing that's taken control, and a little bit of peace will return. If not, we'll salvage as much of your business as we can and book it out of here. But if you think that that there's a neat little knot of rulers that we can fit back into the palace, you're deluding yourself. They're either dead, or hiding, or corrupted--like Corvina. And, in that last case, killing him would be a mercy. Imagine coming back to your senses and finding that you've supervised the slaughter of an entire kingdom of innocents? If we find a way to save him, he'll probably just go crazy once the gravity of what he's done sets in."

"Look, boss. It's not even past noon and it's already been a long day. I don't mean to snap, but both of our fortunes are riding on this. I would rather you didn't dash them both in a fit of idealism. That never pays out."

[Another_Poet]

"You sure have a lot of opinions for a bodyguard," Radley laughs. "Ah, well. Most of them are dead or corrupted, but it's the hiding ones we need to think about. An aristocrat in hiding is a wonderful man to serve. If we can find a way to return their cousin to them, whether or not he likes it or how sane he stays isn't our concern. Anyway it looks like he's escaped for now and, you're right, it has been a long day. Let's see if there's any sign of our holy friend."

((Radley will attempt to search the area where they found Corvina, looking for any sign of Absalom's corpse or tracks.

Search: (1d20+1)[4]

))

[Faithdreamer]

Anointing
Colour rushes back to Temun’s face with the radiant smile that nearly reaches each ear. There’s a broken light in his eyes and it’s hard to tell whether he wants to tell you he feels happy, or sad. His sibilant voice leans you against a soft bed. You needn’t worry about that anymore.

“You’re a nice man, Amos.” A tricky smirk, knowing, wondering, “Don’t you understand?”
Temun’s tiny hand reaches for the light, as soon as he touches it he shudders, and arches his back in a distinctly non-masculine way. The boy’s body flops into your arms; it almost feels like you can hear flighty laughter near the tree, finally happy. It feels more welcoming, it feels peaceful. A weight you hadn’t noticed before fades from your shoulders. For an instant you think.

That was a good decision. You feel uneasy when you look at the tree, maybe you should... Virtue was for everyone - no exceptions.

Wily Water
Fortune was capricious sometimes; Matthias’s skills always served him well. He jogged the length of the river with Forge at his side eventually. Harin’s searing holies made the water sizzle earlier. Obviously he hadn’t hit anything, Matthias otherwise wouldn’t have bothered with the search. There were no tracks no matter how far he travelled. Swimming in the rapids might have left impressions on the soil bed – he hadn’t even found those. And he knew, he knew, how easily he should have found things like that. With Harin unable to see anything from the sky and Forge never catching any scents…

The King probably hadn't gone this way.

Fades Away
Harin’s spell passed through the water like it was air. The cleaning flames made their mark and the disgusting smell of something rotten vanished. There was nothing after that. Not a trace.

[Kobold-Bard]

Harin

"DAMMIT TO HELL" Harin roared in perfect Draconic, his prefered language for expressing anger and frustration.

Turning in the air Harin glided back towards where he had left the rest of the group. Landing beside the scorched circle he folded his wings back and with his head down he simply said "I was unable to defeat the thing, it got away. I am sorry". He then stood away from them, silent.

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Anyone need healing? I don't know if the wall hurt anyone.

[Another_Poet]

Radley

"Don't feel too bad. He was obviously here to taunt us."

((The wall shouldn't have hurt anyone - it was meant to encircle us safely and it was dismissed before anyone gave chase.))

[Kuma Da]

The Green Man

"Stings a lot. For a taunt, I mean." The bugbear takes his paw off of his wound, revealing it for a moment. "Does anyone want to help me with this? I could probably manage on my own, given a needle and thread, but that hurts a tad bit more than, y'know, mana from heaven."