Variorum of Victoria: Chapter the First: A Twisted Schema

[Arahira]

* Reflex save *

If I succeed I run up to it then cast inflict moderate damage on its' one working leg.

* Attack roll *

* Damage if attack succeeds *

(I hope I did that right and let me know if I need to do anything else. Ignore damage roll if attack is unsuccessful.)
(T_T OMG! it even happens with digital dice!!)

[nijineko]

The wavering beam comes dangerously close as you scramble to get out of it's erratic path. A flash of heat and the smell of burning fabric lets you know that you were not entirely successful in evading it completely. You're not sure what's going to hurt more later, the wound, or repairing your clothing. Your last forward dash carries you towards the creature and you decide to make a try for it. Gathering your inner energies, you prepare an infusion of entropy and decay that should damage it's structure at the very least.

You come close and reach out to touch it... when you trip over a root and fall flat on your face. Your hand comes just short of hitting it and slaps the ground, releasing the infusion into the ground instead of the monstrosity. A billow of dust and earth blows up obscuring you, and probably saving your life, as the thing lets out a metallic screech and ear-clawing shrieking sound, and one heavy limb thuds into the ground scant distance from where you lay.

[Arahira]

Eep! Curse my klutziness. I try to muffle my cough as I get a mouth full of dust then wait a few seconds before reaching out to see how close it was to me. If it's close enough then I attempt to cast yet another inflict moderate damage on whatever nearby leg I can reach. This time I take advantage of the dust cover, hoping it lasts long enough, and concentrate.

* Attack Roll *

* Damage if attack successful *

Succeed or not I attempt to get out of its way as quickly as possible.

* Reflex *

(Let me know if I rolled wrong and do I add the Cat's Grace bonus to my attack roll or not? If I do then add 4 to whatever I got.)

(Gah! I curse D20s! and I lost track of my spells... reduce that damage by one of those D8s.)

[nijineko]

The dust obscures your target and though you aim towards where the sounds are the loudest, your hand yet again slaps dirt, sending up a fresh billow of dust. You roll away from the sounds, eyes stinging and muffling coughs. You jump slightly as hands grab you, but you recognize the small hands of the monkeys, and let them lead you. Some water splashes into your face unexpectedly, clearing away the grit.

You see the monkeys jumping into, and occasionally being flung out of the dust cloud. There is a sudden screeching sound which escalates until it feels like your head is going to shatter and darkness descends. When it clears you find yourself lying on your back seeing a plume of smoke rise up towards the tree tops and you feel some hot stings as small hard objects pelt down upon everything.

A group of monkeys is nearby... The spokesmonkey limps over to you.

"To enslave the good,
Evil's piercing voice raises,
Smiting living ears,
One has fallen from our might,
Two yet remain still to fight."

Looking around you see that there remains only about two thirds of the monkeys alive.

[Arahira]

Too tired to understand what the lead monkey is talking about all I can do look around and think of how I failed. I was supposed to destroy that thing before it hurt anyone.

I scream and beat the ground in frustration then look around and listen to see if I can see or hear anything. He had said there were some still left to fight, I assume he means the monkeys that were still alive. Had they not taken it out? Were there more of those monsters still?

[nijineko]

As you start to look around, the spokesmonkey helps you up. The dust and smoke begins to clear, and you can see the thing laying still in the massive holes that you blasted into the ground. it is charred and twisted, partially melted, and smoke is still trickling from it. Apparently it was unable to get out of the holes that you made, enabling the monkeys to strike it.

Some of the monkeys are gathering the dead and placing them in a row near the holes. The rest of the monkeys are keeping an alert watch around them. The spokesmonkey follows your gaze to the dead and says,

"There is no success,
Without cost, or trial, or price,
We few, save many."

[Arahira]

"I just wish I could have done better." I say quietly then start collecting the dead and placing them as the other monkeys were unless I was stopped.

Hopefully this was over now.

When the monkeys were done retrieving their dead I walk over to the charred and twisted thing to take a closer look. It was obviously man made and very strange. Why had the humans created it though? For power? Greed? Or was there some deeper story I would never get to know.

Since they were answers I would never get I pushed them aside and take a closer look around the surroundings. Were there more human things about or was this thing trapped in here by means of the creatures that lived here until the day came when someone came to help destroy it? If they could confine it for so long why not just destroy it? Sounded like a sick joke to me. I sigh. So many questions I know I will never receive answers to.

Really what I wanted was a hot bath, a new dress and something to eat. My dirty and tattered dress reminds me... I fish through my many pockets in search of my little bird until I find it. Whatever condition it was in I'm just glad I hadn't lost it.

[nijineko]

The task is swiftly done, and there is a moment of silence before the monkeys turn away.

The contraption is clearly a construct of some kind, evidence of high skill. Many wires, and machined gears, as well as rods of various thicknesses are visible through the rent in the once metallic covering. Now all is coated in thick oily soot.

Your bird is surprisingly unharmed, if a bit dirtied with soot and dust. You have just about gotten it clean when there is a crashing sound from the dimness. Something unnatural this way comes.

[Arahira]

I look up at the sound and almost drop my little bird, shoving it back safely into its pocket. Right now I was really wishing I was more skilled. With not many spells left, and I doubt my dagger would do much if that sound turned out to be the same as the contraption beside me, I start looking around to see what I could use for a weapon. I also shout out to the monkeys if it seems they hadn't already noticed.

* Spot *

* Search *

[nijineko]

You find some rocks, and better yet, a metal rod with twisted and jagged ends, once a part of the machine in the hole before you. There is not much else. The monkeys heard the sound too and try to make themselves scarce, some playing dead, others hiding. A couple of brave or insane ones actually wedge themselves in under the broken construct.

There is a clear increase in the noise as the thing approaches. You even spot some metallic glints as a dark hulking shape brushes past trees in the distance breaking through the rare sunbeam from above.

[Arahira]

I grab a rock and the metal rod the move toward the hulking shape. I wait until its out in the open to decide what to do.

[nijineko]

As it draws near you start to get an idea of its shape. A bulbous dome of an head sits upon massive shoulders. From the shoulders thick tentacles of sorts sprout, two on each side. It walks upon these thick tentacles. A diminutive body dangles beneath the shoulders with far too many oddly jointed feet likewise swinging, making scraping and chiming sounds with the construct's movements. It is made of a dull metallic substance, much begrimed with the greens and browns of the forest. A curved rectangle of a translucent substance, much starred and cracked is embedded in its chest.

It stops and seems to be regarding the wreckage and surroundings.

[Arahira]

I raise my eyebrow at the odd contraption before me. What were these people trying to do here? I wonder. Since I failed so well at being stealthy last time I figure what the hell, what's the worst that can happen? I die? Well there's no one in this world that would miss me.

I wonder if that translucent substance is important. I cast magical stone, take aim at the rectangle spot with the translucent substance and hurl one in its direction. If all else I'll have its attention.

* Magical Stone *

* Damage *

(Damn frakking damn dice! >.<)

[Arahira]

Apparently you cannot add rolls to your posts once you have posted.

* Second roll *

* Third roll *

(w00h00! on second roll!!)

[nijineko]

Your stone flies true, and smacks the translucent surface. A web of cracks spreads out from the impact and the construct jerks slightly, miss-stepping. The cracks continue to maze the surface until it is no longer translucent, then with a tinkling, shatters. Large and small chunks fall out, revealing a shadowed cavity behind. The construct turns slightly and a slot opens in its head. A thin vertical reddish line is emitted, and it begins turning slowly, apparently searching the area it thinks the stone came from no visible harm to the trees or ground occurs as the line passes over.