Saturday, June 30, 2018

Master of StringsCh43: Coincidental Consequences

Zilo and Leo were thrusted into the shadowy veil before they crashed headlong into Jin. The three of them rub their bruises before standing. Leo grabs Jin by the collar and pulls him close.

"The hells are you thinking! Leaping into a shadow mountain before getting backup!"

"I want to prove that I'm stronger than whatever is here, after both Jemma and the bandersnatch I need to prove I'm still good at this."

Zilo immediately grabs onto both of them and the friends fall to the ground as Zilo shushes the two of them. The three of them now have a better chance to observe their surroundings. The air is stale, misty, and rather dark, but not too dark not to make out figures in the distance.

The landscape is rough and craggy with unstable footing make of rocks, but there also seemed to be figures fighting on the rocks, but not moving. They looked to be stationary, frozen in the the middle of a small scale war. Zilo is more able to make out the figures as elves, being lead by strange figures.

The figures on one side look to be a wolf man, a short elf, and a half ling in a large hat and cloak, while the other side is led by a scrappy human, an armored human, and an elven warrior. Both sides look strong, but their stillness was unsettling. They also gave off an metallic sheen.

The cold air had affected the figures as the surface. Their metallic skin had bits and pieces of frost on them. All that said, Zilo hadn't force his friends down due to the figures, but the being among them.

A 12 foot tall bipedal insect-like humanoid stalked around the figures. It had long pointed back antennae along with the face of a preying mantis. In it's hand it held a giant spear that let off a aura of frost that glowed pale blue like the rest of the creature carapace. It's movements were exact and quick as it looked around, balancing itself with it's long blade-like tail.

"What is that?" Whispered Jin.

"A Gelugon, normally referred to as an Ice Devil." Said Leo biting his lip. Zilo fished out a paper and elbowed Leo and said, "You aren't gonna believe this, but..."

"I know, Maldrek has it's Antennae on the list."

"How does a giant bug man count as a devil, I was expecting a pitchfork and horns." Remarks Jin.

"Well you see-" as Leo begins to explain, the Ice Devil's antennae twitch, it's head whips around and it stares dead on at the three prone adventurers.

"Scatter!" Shouts Zilo, being the first to identify the devil's movements. The creature floated up into the air, and in a rough, deep, and exacting phrase it waved it's hand to the ground, and out came 2 large skeletonal beings with long scorpion tails.

Jin charged the first being and with a quick cartwheeling jump he brought his foot down into the left creature's head, and managed to avoid the snapping of it's tail as he landed and lept back. Leo knew these creatures, Osyluth, bone devils. He also knew that casting spells directly at them might not work, so he instead opted to sheathe his blade in lightning and strike at the other bone devil.

His strike hit hope with a thrust up into it's body and it's chest cavity cracked on the impact. The creature reeled back as it crouched down, ready to leap at the magus. Zilo's tunes began to fill the dark cold void with some manner of hope as he tested out his newest ballad, Inspire Greatness. He played tunes that invigorated Jin with power, and with every note played Jin's body seemed almost thrusted forward, continuing to strike at the opponent he faced.

In a matter of moments the devil opposite the monk was decimated and faded away into dust in the dark void. As Zilo and Jin breathed relief, Zilo was struck by the bone devil Leo had been facing. The devil had lept higher than Leo expected, and flew over him, making a dive bomb directly at Zilo.

Zilo held his shoulder that was stung and as the venom worked it's way into his body he felt his strength begin to fade. Leo turned to his friend and had planned to intercept the fiend from behind, but as he charged the ice devil sideswiped him and planted it's spear into his hip.

The spear froze his side in an instant as Leo winced from the incredible pain. He felt his body freeze and slow. As the devil's tail reared up to pierce Leo's skull Jin lept at the devil and hit it wit a mighty drop kick before landing and darting forward to land a heavy sidekick in the creature's center of mass.

Leo was wounded, and partially frozen, but breathing and standing with Jin against the devil. The creature raised it's off hand and a swirl of magical energy gathered in it's hand. Before the two warriors could react the devil let loose a Cone of Cold. Both Leo and Jin felt their bodies become heavy as Ice as all the heat in their bones was blasted away.

After the spell faded the two of them stood shivering as the devil began to approach, but just before it let loose another Cone of Cold, the other bone devil tackled it's master into the ground. Zilo ran over and began casting Cure Moderate Wounds at both of them.

"I must have been frozen a bit too hard, is that devil helping us?" Asked Leo.

"I used Charm Monster to buy us time, now get up." Responded the bard. Once Leo and Jin were back to being able to stand they look to see their charmed ally impaled and fading on the ice devil's spear. The creature floats up and raises both hands with magical power and slams it down into the ground, casting Wall of Ice before rising high into the air again.

Zilo takes aim with his bow nailing the creature in the chest as Jin runs up the side of the wall and hurls himself up at the devil. The devil tries to bat him away with the blunt side of his spear, but Jin manages to wrap his tail around it and flip up and over the swipe, landing on the devil's shoulder. Jin begins to try and pull the monster's antennae off, but he isn't able to muster the strength he needs.

The devil begins to cast Ice Storm to try and crush Leo and Zilo. Leo and Zilo withstand the first impacts of the attack, but they doubt they can hang on for the next round of attacks.  Zilo continues to play his song to bolster Jin's body, but it still isn't enough.

 Leo scours through his pages looking for the spell he readied along with a tool he picked up for this moment, While the group visited the magic section of Deneval. Leo takes out a small rod and shouts "Flourish!"

The rod extends out 30 feet and Leo smacks into Jin on the devil and shouts again, "Bull's Strength!" Energy rides along the extended rod and Jin's muscles explode, busting his shirt out from underneath. In one mighty heave he tears off the devil's antennae. The devil screams in agony as it falls to the ground.

The wall and storm vanish as the devil rolls around holding it's head in pain. Leo points to the way they came and shouts, "We need to go now!"

The three of them get the lead out and plunge themselves back through the shadowy veil, just barely managing to avoid another blast from the monster's Cone of Cold.

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