thebastion | Core Event: Day 259 [open]

"Their mother can handle it, let's just go back the way we came, now, quickly," Megaera said, as she kept right on moving the way they came in.

"I meant in the way of 'So we know what the mother is' Or what we're potentially going to have to deal with if they react to the core." Or so they can tell the rest that there's a nest of what sort of monster in here. It seems like important information.

Of course, running into the mother would solve that just as quickly, so yeah, exiting. But Duke is going to circle the building for windows.

There are indeed windows! And from one of them, the sounds of newborn monsters can be heard, squalling and wailing for food. The exact type of monster is unidentifiable, since it is one nobody present has encountered yet. But there is no sign of Mom yet, so that is good at least?

"With luck, we may even be able to get back to the others to report our findings without being pursued."

Though phrased as a jest, the way Ghaleon's ears twitch slightly at noises as he follows Duke is a bit of a clue that he was half being serious. Call him paranoid, but he knows a potential snafu when he sees one.

"Catching up would be the wisest choice. I'm the one who can escape with the stone in tow once we find it, after all..."

"... I have no idea what they sound like." Well, that plan meant very little. On the other hand, they can now say 'a nest of unidentified monsters', which is still sort of helpful.

".. so we have a nest of baby monsters, no sign of mom, and a core to find. Great." ... If there is no sign of mom, can they keep the babies? ... if the babies don't go crazy when they pick up the core.

Okay, since she's pointing that out, Duke gives her a half bow. "Do you want me to lead?"

Maybe. If the babies truly don't go berserk when the core is retrieved. Then maybe, just maybe the others won't veto taking them back as pets.

Also, that is a useful bit of information to know. "If that is the case, shall I take the rear guard then?"

In any other case, that might not be a terrible idea. Monsters had been adopted by people in the Bastion before, and it certainly could be done again.

But these babies are hungry. Ravenously hungry. So hungry that they are screaming out and scuttling down the hallway in the building, following the scent of the humans who had just been nearby. Humans they intend on eating.

At the same time, another monster is coming. This one is much larger than the eggs had been, but seeing as how it is headed towards the nest with a large, dead animal in its jaws, it is probably the mom.

This monster is easily bigger than a van, and it looks like it could bite a human in half like it was nothing. It is lizard-like in appearance, with the same coloration as most monsters on the Skyway: primarily black, with some blue and orange mixed in.

Also, the mama lizardthing happens to have a glowing spot in its underbelly, definitely large enough to be a core.

Actually, Megaera, go on ahead. Please, get far far away from this rather large creature, and maybe go duck into one of those other buildings to get other people.

Because that monster's belly is glowing. Stomach acid can't be good for a Core.

On the other hand, the creature is distracted.

"Looks like a core. I'd rather start attacking sooner than when she's not distracted. Spell in mind has a bit of a pull."

Yes. Please run and get the others, Megaera. This thing is probably going to take more than a few hits if previous experience with giant monsters is any indication.

Previous experience would also indicate that reptiles don't mix well with ice. (Killing it with fire is still on the table though.)

"I have my own spell in mind that may just slow our scaly friend down."

As the creatures started to approach, Megaera spun around with very little hesitation. "Like this? This'll only buy us a bit, but..."

Raising her hands, she began to incant a spell, words in a strange magic forming from her mouth as she quickly went through a series of precise motions with her hands...

"Slow!"

Unfortunately, the spell wouldn't hit the entire group - not with so many small ones - but it would slow down the mother and buy them a few seconds.

"And now, MOVE!"

Which Megaera was promptly doing.

The mother is slowed, which will definitely help the group, as she is the biggest threat. The newborns are still trying to learn how to use their legs, so their stumbling won't get them anywhere any faster than the mother can travel right now.

The mother drops the animal in her mouth, and the babies immediately go towards it to devour it. Eating is one thing they can manage to do very well.

But those that can't get on the deer carcass, as well as the mother, will be turning to go after the group. Fight or escape, but a choice must be made, because they will be within chomping range before too long.

"Not just yet." When you lack ice, kill everything with fire. That, and the bright light should alert everyone else that there's fighting to do. Okay, Duke is immobile while casting, so the knight does run a few yards before turning and casting. Red lights, red letters, red seal-

"Crimson Flare!" It's a big sphere of red lines that forms and.. more or less dumps a large pillar of fire on mom and deer and babies. For some reason - or perhaps the same reason that this pillar of flame doesn't expand all over the ground - the pillar also tries pulling things into its center.

Well, Ghaleon's not sure what the calling out attack names thing is about, but sure, whatever works for them. It's not like it's necessary for him to participate or anything. He retreats a bit while the knight begins her own spell, the telltale glow of a charging spell surrounding him as well.

The moment Duke's fire dies down, the former hero raises his arms to the sky, glowing brightly for a moment before a light mist coalesces and a hail of large ice shards bombards the area, save for where the party happens to be.

[The light did manage to get the attention of at least one person and within seconds, Ippo had skidded to a stop next to the trio of mages, his hands raised as he peered over the scene. He may have had to dodge a few falling ice shards, but he'd managed it.

For now, he'd hold his ground and gauge the threat level...he saw shadows amid the dust kicked up, but right now there wasn't a clear way to tell just how many of them would start moving again.]

Is everyone okay? Do you think that did it?

"Careful," Megaera declared as she saw Ippo move in. "I'm pretty sure it's not downed yet."

Zuko isn't too far behind Ippo, joining the others and trying to take in the scene as she brought a hand to the sword hilts at her shoulder.

"Probably not," she says, catching Megaera's warning. "Whatever we're dealing with, it's strong enough to tear open iron. It was feeding on the prisoners."

The pillar of fire was actually a very good idea, as it roasts all but a few of the babies. Some of them were still in the process of hatching, so they had not gotten out of the building yet, and thus were safe. The rest, however, are dead.

But the mama lizard monster, it is roaring in pain and anger and it swirls around in the tornado of fire. It can't escape, and the fire is damaging it, but it isn't dead. In fact, the fire doesn't seem to be doing much damage to it. The same goes for the ice shards, too: some damage is done, but all it does is injure, not kill. This is beefy lizard monster that will take cooperation from several parties to beat.

Edited 2014-12-21 08:47 (UTC)

Sorry Duke falls into the most people and most spells require a verbal component.

"Judging by the noise, 'kill it with fire' isn't working on mom there." Duke really shouldn't be as excited about this as the knight sounds, that was one spell use there.

"Either its got a resistance of some sort, or just thick skin. One is worse than the other... Ideas that don't require too many spells or giving only one target to that mouth?" Zuko said it had been feeding on prisoners, that should get across that this thing can eat them, easy. "I've a few other elements of damage-and-hold, which seems like a good starting place."

"I hate to add more bad news, but the Slow spell doesn't last very long, either!", Megaera noted.

... Damn it, that mouth was enough to kill normal people. Even with her regeneration, something she didn't want to reveal to basically half the Bastion if she could avoid it. But if it was the only way to make sure someone wasn't killed here...

She didn't know how strong this thing's mouth was, either. That certainly didn't help - if it was strong enough, even with the regneration the strike could still kill her. That was, in a word, very bad.

This was what lacking information did to a wizard. She was lucky she'd had Slow prepared. She needed something stronger, though. Her best remaining spell was the counterpart of Slow, Haste, but that only worked for about half a minute - if this thing was tough enough, it wouldn't help much. If they could get it bleeding, though, that'd slow it down enough that... Yes, it was her best bet after all.

"Hold it down if you can. Everyone else... Hand up if you want thirty seconds of everything moving a fair bit slower for you!", Megaera declared, keeping her sword sheathed and raising her hands, quickly looking around. "I can get five people, melee first!"

Hold the cast just long enough for people to process what she said. Then, she'd cast it, and the half-minute would begin.

Wizards were supposed to solve situations, not just provide a useful aid, damn it... But it was her best bet.

Ghaleon clicks his tongue in irritation. He'd hoped that his spell would have caused more damage than that, but clearly this was going to be one of those fights. Relying on physical strikes is not something any mage terribly enjoys, but if it must come to that...

...Well, there's more than one trick left up his metaphorical sleeve before stabbing things himself becomes necessary. The moment he notes Megaera's spell is very time sensitive, the sorcerer chants a quick prayer and releases the spell the five volunteer themselves for the speed boost.

"I have gifted you with temporary regenerative powers. Do try not to necessitate them, and aim for the underbelly if possible."

The Gauntlet's Colin gave me can pierce most things, just make sure not to hit the core, right?

[He gave them a solid tap, letting that familiar noise reach him, letting himself be emboldened by both it and the spell. With a nod, he put his hands up in front of him and darted in towards the creature.

He was aiming to make the most of it's current slowness as he could and attempted to get around to it's side where he'd skid to a stop and swing a powerful right hook towards it's underbelly, though he made sure to arc his shot away from the glowing part.

With his full weight behind the shot, there was no doubt if it connected the lasers would go off along with the bonecrushing force of the blow itself. If it hit that is.]

"And here's to holding it still." Well, talking of some sort seems necessary. Duke's spell is black-purple this time, and a puddle of the same color forms under the lizard. The puddle shoots out long tendrils of the same color, which arc down and stab at the lizard.

.. The sound of something Colin-made that 'can pierce most things' means that Duke doesn't.. entirely want to just charge in when the spell's hold fades. The knight does head closer, but stays a bit behind Ippo. Hopefully the knight will be a more tempting target - or just ready to go for eyes should the lizard turn toward Ippo.

Zuko will take that speed boost. She draws her swords from their sheath and darts in for the monster's other side, letting Ippo have his space. She brings both swords around, one after the other, in an attempt to cut into the lizard's underbelly from her side of the core. It isn't just the steel either, but she firebends through the strikes, the flames following the sweep of her blades. Maybe the earlier fire spell didn't hurt it that much, but it's the element she has.

So, imagine this.

There is a giant lizard, who is still smouldering from the tornado of fire and also cold from the ice. it's slowed, so its reaction times are slow, and now it's being punched and stabbed and there's more fire.

This lizard is very pissed, and this time it seems a lot more bothered by the fire. See, its skin is very thick and resistant to most things, but it is weak against piercing attacks. And as soon as it is pierced by Ippo's amazing punch and Duke's tendrils, that skin has weaknesses in it, weaknesses where the fire can blow in and actually burn the monster more.

The lizard screams in pain and stomps its feet, attempting to squish whatever is hurting it from below. As for everyone else, well, this lizard is shooting out its long, sticky tongue.

Try not to get caught by it, because you'll get eaten. No really it's trying to lick up everyone, not unlike how lizards eat ants. And if you get eaten, you're in for an unpleasant trip.

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