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 Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2018 6:18 pm
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Calixita rolled 1 8-sided dice:
8
Total: 8 (1-8)
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Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2018 6:56 pm
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The Walker: 60 - 8 = 52 HP
Tarashikomi: 50 HP
Ridley Kuzeri: 50 HP
Tarashikomi reeled back from a swipe from the skinwalker's claws, ducking underneath to slip away out of reach -- if only at least for now. She shook her head, shaking her sweaty bangs out of her face to try and re-focus. This is the toughest skinwalker she's had to face down yet, and usually, she had some backup -- but there was no one available this time, each busy with their own tasks cleansing the Kawani lands. Thus far, they'd reached a stalemate -- neither of them had been injured, swings and misses one after the other. Something had to give eventually, though -- no one's stamina could last forever. The skinwalker lunged towards her just as Yamato-e swooped down in front of it, causing a momentary distraction; the skinwalker snapped its jaws at the bird as it fluttered around its head, and that's when Tarashikomi took her chance.
She jumped forward and twisted around, kicking out with her hind legs. Her movement was enough to draw the skinwalker's attention back on her, though, and it attacked at the same time, claws digging into her hide just as her hooves connected with the monster. The skinwalker left deep gashes in her hips, but Tarashikomi had knocked her to the ground, gasping for breath as it tried to recover from the blow to its chest. |
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Nyx Queen of Darkness rolled 1 8-sided dice:
6
Total: 6 (1-8)
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Nyx Queen of Darkness Crew
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Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2018 12:23 am
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Walker HP:46
The woods were quiet, but her mind was not. Inside of her a war raged of guilt and innocence. She had seen no way to save her, even in retrospect, but still she blamed herself. She had loved her after all an never told her. She had been disowned by the master she had served under all her life. He had broken her honor, smashed it into pieces when he threw her out. He blamed her too.
Her he-
A sound brought her head up, snapping to attention. She could hear the shuffle of feet, the hoarse roars of battle. Ridley Kuzeri ran for it, as she always had towards battle.
Niles took flight from where he rested on her back and flew above her leading the way.
A walker was slowly getting up, squaring off with a mare. Ridley did not hesitate, she struck before the walker could turn leaving three gashes along it's back.
"I think you could use a partner," Ridley smiled slightly. "If I'm not intruding?"
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Calixita rolled 3 8-sided dice:
3, 8, 6
Total: 17 (3-24)
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Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2018 7:13 pm
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The Walker: 46 - 17 = 29 HP
Tarashikomi: 50 - 12 = 38 HP
Ridley Kuzeri: 50 - 12 = 38 HP
Tarashikomi and Yamato-e exchanged a quick look, relieved to have another join them in battle. This should hopefully turn the tide in their favor -- especially with a mare with claws like that helping them! She waited a moment to respond while the skinwalker was distracted with the newcomer, charging in with a powerful attack -- she struck out with her front hooves, battering against the skinwalker's ribs. "Glad you have you join us!" she called out, unable to stop the grin from spreading on her face. Now this was a battle! Taking down a purewalker of this formidable strength and intelligence would surely make for a grand tale. She was sure Yamato-e would do it great justice when he painted the story down. The skinwalker swiped at her face, and she jumped away again as the claws scratched her cheek enough to draw blood -- it stung, but it didn't slow her down. This beast wasn't just strong and smart, it was fast, too. Maybe if they kept it distracted on each side, trading their strikes back and forth?
Yamato-e swooped down again, trying to draw its attention from the two mares fighting it. He wasn't sure how long the ruse would work, especially since he wasn't actually hurting the skinwalker. He was simply too small -- and, well, its jaws were just too strong. It could easily grab his tail and pull him down to the ground in one swift movement. He flew back up to the sky, circling around to join the newcomer's familiar in the air. |
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Nyx Queen of Darkness rolled 1 8-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-8)
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Nyx Queen of Darkness Crew
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Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2018 4:48 pm
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Walker HP: 29-4=25
Niles flew in wide circles above the carnage below. He was never one for a fight, he preferred peace. But he had not had peace for a long time, not since Rhona had been taken from him. He had been bonded to her from the moment he was born. She'd raised him, like a mother and when she'd been killed all illusion of peace had left his life. Ridley Kuzeri was the only one who understood his depth of grief, the only one that loved her as much as he did.
He tightened the circles and swooped down flapping at the walker and jabbing with his beak. He wasn't out for blood, but rather to be a nuisance or a distraction. Even against true evil, he didn't have it in him to harm something. He hoped that day would never come.
Ridley watched as the other mare attacked, her movements quick and precise like an elaborate dance. For one without claws she fought almost as well as someone who had them.
She inclined her head slightly, her voice gutteral. "I couldn't in good conscience let you have all the fun." Her heart soared as it always in battle. It was always the time when she felt most alive, most like her old self before tragedy and dishonour had left their marks on her.
Ridley saw the splash of blood as the walker's claws slashed against the other mare's face. She took the opportunity to circle and sweep in from behind, her thick claws smashing into the area around the back knee. It would not cripple her, but she would bleed profusely and it would tire her more quickly.
She inclined her head to the mare as she stepped back to circle some more. It was a sign that she understood how to work together with her. That their best chance came in attacking from all sides
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Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2018 11:00 pm
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Nyx Queen of Darkness rolled 1 8-sided dice:
6
Total: 6 (1-8)
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Nyx Queen of Darkness Crew
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Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 12:31 am
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Calixita rolled 1 8-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-8)
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Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 1:10 am
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The Walker: 19 - 4 = 15 HP (BLINDED)
Tarashikomi: 26 HP
Ridley Kuzeri: 26 HP
Tarashikomi panted, nodding almost absently in responce to the mare's question. "Fine. I'm fine!" she assured; she would be. She was bleeding, yes, but not profusely, and she didn't feel faint or dizzy -- but maybe it was just the adrenaline. Still, she couldn't take a break now while the had the skinwalker at a disadvantage. There'd be time enough for that later, and just this small, brief respite was enough to catch her breath, at least. She appreciated the concern from the other mare, though -- but she didn't want her letting her guard down because of her.
Once she felt steady again, nodding again -- partially to herself, partially to her ally -- and lunged at the skinwalker again, striking against it with her hooves. It wasn't a very strong blow, but it did well enough to make the skinwalker scramble for purchase to stay on its feet.
With his task complete, Yamato-e stayed up in the air and out of the way. The aimless flailing from the skinwalker made him too nervous to try and attack again, and it certainly couldn't see well enough for a distraction to be of any use. |
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Nyx Queen of Darkness rolled 1 8-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-8)
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Nyx Queen of Darkness Crew
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Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 11:42 pm
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Calixita rolled 1 8-sided dice:
6
Total: 6 (1-8)
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Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2018 2:53 pm
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The Walker: 12 - 6 = 6 HP (BLINDED, FINAL ROUND)
Tarashikomi: 26 HP
Ridley Kuzeri: 26 HP
Tarashikomi watched in horror as blood spread across her companion's face; she was ready to leap in front of her to her aid, but the other mare stood strong in the face of the skinwalker, remained standing -- she was resilient. Good. Finish the fight first -- deal with wounds after. She caught the signal the other mare gave her and nodded, moving into position, her body coiled and ready to strike. When the mare moved, she moved, muscles springing into action and lunging at the skinwalker. She kicked out again with her hooves; no, she didn't have claws to rend flesh, but her cloven hooves had pointed tips and she used those to her advantage, puncturing through flesh with each strike.
Blood stained the ground beneath them, but most of it wasn't their own. The skinwalker was growing weaker and soon, it would fall.
Yamato-e joined the crane in the tree, though his body was tense with worry and ready to spring back into action when he was needed again. The frenzied attacks were coming slower and even more uncoordinated as the skinwalker stumbled from the loss of blood and steadily growing injuries. Yes -- they were going to win this one! He chirped in encouragement -- just a little longer, and they could end this skinwalker's reign for good! |
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Nyx Queen of Darkness rolled 1 8-sided dice:
2
Total: 2 (1-8)
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Nyx Queen of Darkness Crew
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Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2018 9:14 pm
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Calixita rolled 1 8-sided dice:
2
Total: 2 (1-8)
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Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2018 9:59 pm
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The Walker: 4 - 2 = 2 HP
Tarashikomi: 26 HP
Ridley Kuzeri: 26 HP
Yamato-e startled, glancing at the heron beside him, not having expected conversation while the fight was going on. He supposed it was nearing its end, though. He relaxed a little, shifting his grip on the branch they were sitting on to get a little more comfortable. "Hi," he said with a small smile. "Is this a common occurrence for you, too?" He nodded his head at the battle below; Tarashikomi dedicated her life to eradicating evil, so this wasn't really anything new to him. It didn't mean he liked the violence, though. He understood why it was important, of course -- but it was still a grim duty.
Tarashikomi moved back when the other mare did, letting the skinwalker shriek and snarl its rage, slashing its claws at the air in a feeble attempt to strike them down. She could see it blinking its eyes, its pupils beginning to focus -- the Blinding Powder had done its job well, but it seems their advantage with it has run out. Time to make the final blow -- before it was too late. She saw the signals from the other mare, caught her intention -- Tarashikomi would be taking the lead, and instantly she knew what to do.
The skinwalker had turned its head to focus on the other mare, and Tarashikomi made her move -- she barreled into it with the full weight of her body, slamming sideways into it. The skinwalker, already weakened, tumbled to the ground and rolled closer to the other mare. With claws like those, she'd be able to end its life quickly -- faster than she could, which is exactly what they needed right now. |
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Nyx Queen of Darkness rolled 1 8-sided dice:
5
Total: 5 (1-8)
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Nyx Queen of Darkness Crew
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Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2018 12:12 am
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"Yes," Niles spoke gently. "She says that fights and death follow her everywhere. I do not agree, but it hard to convince her otherwise. She feels..." He hesitated trying to figure out how to say it exactly. It wasn't that she owed anything to anyone and there was no reason she needed to prove herself. But in some ways that's what she was doing. Rhona had died and nothing would ever be the same again.
"She-we lost someone," Niles spoke very softly. "Someone we both cared for. Someone whom we would give our lives for. But when the time came....neither of us could reach her in time." He could still see her laying there, the blood soaking into his feathers as he tried to press his wings into the wounds.
Blood frothed at her mouth but no words came out that he could hear. The rain fell as did his tears, as though the world wept at her passing. "It changed everything. I could not live where she had lived, to see her at every corner in memory. I was haunted by her, so i left with Ridley. I thought we might find our way through the grief together."
For a moment his eyes stung thinking of Rhona, thinking of his best friend and the one who had raised him. Then he coughed politely and asked, "How did you come to be together?" He nodded toward the fight below.
Ridley watched the mare make her move and when the opening came, she did not hesitate. She did not balk. Rage drove her, the rage of loss at the thought of how many lives this walker had destroyed. It brought up thoughts of Rhona and her own failings.
All of this passed through her mind in less than a second as she attacked. With all the weight in her body, she swung out her claws. Her claws sunk deep into the flesh of her downed opponent. She could feel the nerves and vessels snap like threads as she drug her claws deep. Each snap pumped more blood out of the body. The hatred in the walker's eyes did not dim even as she bled out.
Ridley took a few steps back, panting. The blood was gritty beneath claws as she swung around to see the other mare. "You fought well."
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Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2018 1:31 am
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Yamato-e didn't know what to expect in reply to his question, but it definitely hadn't been this. He listened in quiet respect to the heron's story, his feathered crest pressed flat against his head in an expression of his sorrow. When the heron finished, so had the battle below, and he watched as the mare delivered the final strike to the skinwalker. It wouldn't be hurting anyone else ever again. "I'm so sorry for your loss. Both of you. Grief can change you -- but I hope that over time you can start to heal, too. It's good that you have each other. Tara and I, we're part of the Order of Celestial Light. We believe it to be part of our duty to hunt down skinwalkers and other beings of evil like them. It's not always violence, though. We help soquili and familiars in other ways, too. Help them find sustainable food when they're hungry. Help them find a new home after they lost their old one. Things like that. We met when I was just a chick and she was just a filly. I fell out of my mother's nest, and she helped me. We've been together ever since then."
He looked away from the carnage below and back at the heron. "Maybe you can try doing things like that too. Helping others in different ways. It might help you both find some peace to see the good out there thrive instead of facing down evil and cruelty all the time, you know?"
Tarashikomi kept her eyes on the skinwalker for a moment longer as she panted, catching her breath, wanting to make sure it was good and dead. Another one down. Good. She resisted the urge to spit on its corpse in a final insult; there was no need for unnecessary behavior like that. She wanted to destroy them, but she didn't want to lower herself to their level. It always felt good to rid the world of one more skinwalker, though. One day, maybe it'd be enough to make up for the one she let go. It had been just a foal then -- but who knew how many lives had been lost now that it was an adult, all because she hadn't been able to bring herself to kill a foal?
She gave the other mare a weary, tired smile. "As do you. Thank you for the help. We were at a stalemate, but I don't know if I would have had the stamina to keep going." She could feel blood oozing down her legs slowly, but didn't think any of her injuries were life threatening. She wanted to get them treated soon all the same. "My name is Tarashikomi. My companion there up in the tree is Yamato-e. If you like, my mother is part unicorn -- she should be able to tend to our injuries. You're both more than welcome to accompany us." |
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Nyx Queen of Darkness Crew
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Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2018 1:52 am
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Ridley's breathing finally evened out. Her whole body ached with pain as the adrenaline wearing off. "I'm sure you could have fell it in time, you fight well." She took another deep breath, "Why did you go it alone?" It wasn't a condemnation of her actions, no kind of judgement but rather a question that slipped out of her mouth. Most soquili wanted company for even the smallest tasks, yet this mare had come alone with her familiar.
"I'm Ridley Kuzeri," she blew a breath out through her nose. She tilted her head towards the tree, "My familiar's name is Niles. It has been an honour for us to fight with you." At the mare's offer at having her mother heal them, Ridley felt grateful. "Yes, thank you. We will come with you if you know your mother won't mind."
She turned with the other mare and fell in step with her as they went on to find healing. She suddenly felt weary not just in body, but in heart and mind. The past few weeks had been taxing at best. She turned toward the mare again, "Thank you. Truly."
Niles nodded in the trees with the other familiar. "I don't often help in fights or the attack. I believe in peace if possible. Yet, I go with her from fight to fight because I cannot, I dare not leave her alone."
((Concluded))
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