Zion: Light of the New Moon Part 2, Ch 3.4 Bannihar
Zion - Light of the New Moon, Part 2 Chapter 3.4
Bannihar Measured in Minutes
Combat begins in earnest for the party, and isn't off to a very good start with Elesin's contributing reader being AWOL (another -1 Willpower for her and a -1 Favor for the group). Incidentally, a random roll determined that the Bannihar party will be facing down a 2 point danger event; in exchange, their earned danger points are reduced by the same amount. The modifiers to Bannihar for this chapter are as follows: ++ Favor, + Willpower, - Delay, ++ Experience, and - Luck... but only if successful.
The enormous worm rose higher and higher above the dunes, gaping maw easily large enough to swallow 'The Risen'. The creature's massive coils practically pulled the ground apart as it moved, sending everyone tumbling off their feet. Although the rocky length of the worm continued to twist and grind through the sand around the party there didn't seem to be an end to it-- they were trapped within a living wall of stone.
"Goddess protect us!" Kayte cried toward the heavens as the worm let out an ear piercing screech, and its yawning maw dove forward.
The Worm suddenly convulsed, a section of rocky-flesh cracking. Dana stood with her feet shoulder-width apart, a cascading flow of energy rising up into her legs from the sand, roiling along the lengths of her arms, and emerging from her paws into a hazy aura of power. She kept up the flow of magic, and it wasn't long before Elias caught sight of what the shaman was doing and quickly stepped up beside her. The worm let out another screech when Elias' spell struck it full force as well.
"Cute... but not exactly effective." Elesin smirked confidently, "How about something a little more high profile?" She set her stance deep, and cupped her hand as if gripping a large rock. She shouted out several words of power and hurled her imaginary stone straight into the worm's head. The creature let out another high pitched screech as it recoiled, as if struck by a boulder thrown by a catapult; a cascading shower of dust and debris fell from it as cracks appeared in its rocky hide. "THAT is how you get a reaction."
Dana scowled, "Tis far better to seek to drive it off than anger it. We be tryin' ta ward it off, Ella... not provoke it."
"I'm not provoking it... I'm scaring it away." the kangaroo huffed, "Enough blasts of earth mana usually kill smaller monsters but I bet it'd have that big sucker thinking twice about making us as dinner." she thumbed over her shoulder, "Doing better at it than they are, anyway."
Sebastian, Iskiy, and Jules stood in the indicated direction. The gryphon had pounced forward, claws lashing into the worm's stony hide, but the attacks were no more effective than if he had been attacking a rock wall; Iskiy's arrows were likewise useless. Jules, on the other hand, drove her sword into one of the cracks that had been created by Dana and Elias; black ichor sprouted forth, but the worm barely seemed bothered by the attack.
"This is worthless..." Jules scowled, "We may as well try filling a bath one drop at a time."
"Each drop of water gets us closer to a full cistern." Lord Raes pointed out, and slashed one of the wall-like coils... to no effect. Roarg, beside him, was much less verbose, and, though his attack managed to knock free a section of stony hide, it failed to draw blood. Kayte likewise bashed at the coil with her staff, but did little other than create a crack in the shaft of her weapon.
"We have to do more." Elias announced to Dana, and motioned to one of the coils. A large, forceful blast of earth gathered up at the armadillo's feet and launched itself toward the worm's body, exploding against it... without effect.
"Patience... an' consistency." Dana corrected, not following suit as she remained standing evenly, earth mana flowing from the ground through her body and out her outstretched paw.
"Patience is for people who can't act!" Elesin announced, and launches herself at the same part of the coil being attacked by Roarg, Raes, and Kayte, but her strikes did nothing, "Hmm... I guess swords are about as useful as patience right now..."
The creature's coils shifted, digging into the earth and contorting. The ground beneath everyone's feet began to shift and rumble, large mounds of desert rose and fell creating huge waves of sand, threatening to bury the group alive, "On your guard!" Lord Raes called, and dove out of the way of one of the large, cascading walls of dirt. Despite the chaotic nature of the shifting sand it was obvious that it was at worst at the center of the coils... right where the casters were.
The shaman broke her connection with the earth, lifting one foot up before planting it against Elias' shell. She gave a swift kick, extending her leg and knocking him away from a sudden sink hole threatening to swallow him. He landed hard on his side but quickly got to his feet. The worm's coils shifted, a large portion of its body diving straight through the circle causing everyone to jump away from it or risk being crushed-- Elesin was not fast enough; once the coil had passed she pulled herself free of the indent in the ground, blood streaming down her face and across her body from several deep gashes created by the worm's uneven hide.
Dana scrambled to her feet, the rocky flesh of the Worm having grazed her back, tearing at her clothing and shearing off several layers of fur and flesh, leaving her bleeding. Roarg, who avoided the worst of the trampling worm bulk did get caught between two coils momentarily, pinching his arm against his body and popping his shoulder out of joint; the badger growled, slamming his collar bone powerfully against the butt of his half-buried axe, popping it back into place, "We can't keep this up!" he shouted, "Beat this thing back!"
"You just want to watch me beat a worm, is that it?" Elesin smirked, fingering her holy symbol, "Patience, Roarg... you heard what Dana said earlier." and divine energy cleansed the party of their wounds, "We have Tah'aveen on our side... or did you forget?"
"I never thought I'd say this to you, Elesin..." Elias huffed, looking down at his broken walking stick, "But how about you talk less and cast more?" He didn't stop to wait for a response, moving to join Dana as she began her earth mana channeling. Elesin smirked in response, winked, and joined them. The ground vibrated with the power of the three magi, and it wasn't long before the worm was doing the same-- it didn't particularly seem to enjoy the sensation but, rather than retreat, it arched its body, bringing its coils dozens of feet into the air... and spontaneously bringing them back down; the resulting tremor knocked everyone off their feet, and the casters' ritual was disrupted.
"Tail!" Jules exclaimed, motioning with a blade toward a tree-thick tip of the worm's body whipping just across the surface of the ground. Everyone jumped, ducked, bounded, or dropped prone to avoid the tail and almost everyone succeeded in evading... except for Elesin. A sickening, fleshy snap heralded the aerial flight of the kangaroo's limp form as it was sent into the air. Elesin's cry began as a sound of bone-grating pain, but it was quickly overpowered by the all-encompassing fury of an feral roar... and she landed on both her feet, larger, angrier, and... monstrous.
Elias let out an exasperated sigh, "Is it too late to ask her to talk more and cast less?"
"Focus, Boyo." Dana noted, rising back off the ground to begin her channeling anew. Although Elias moved to assist her most of his attention was still on Elesin, who was busy using her one good arm to pull, push, and unsnap her other limbs. The kangaroo monster rose up, giving her tail a firm whip-like crack, setting it firmly in place and revealing a hooked, bony stinger. Letting out a roar, the Moon Crazed battle mage landed atop the end of the worm's tail and begain tearing into it with tooth and claw.
"At least she's not killing us." Roarg announced, and led the renewed charge against one of the worm's coils. Jules jumped to the attack beside the badger and Sebastian, who had taken to wing to avoid the rumbling ground, dive-bombed the worm.
The pin-point charge had a noticeable effect that time as the worm reflexively raised its injured coil, providing an archway through which to escape its coiled body, "THERE!" Lord Raes shouted, motioning toward the escape route.
"Nay!" Dana shouted, catching everyone's attention, "Stop!" her call distracted everyone long enough that they were not beneath the coil when it slammed back down onto the earth.
"Get ready!" Iskiy warned, "It's doing that thing again!" and he knelt down low as the worm coiled itself up again, another length of its body slamming down among the party. Elesin, who was still gnawing on the worm's talk, snapped and popped as she was caught in the middle of the rolling coils of the beast. Elias was knocked to the side, a resounding crack echoing around the battlefield as he was squeezed hard enough to fracture his shell before he slipped past the coils. Lord Raes and Kayte were knocked apart, each scoured by the tough hide of the worm.
"It's pulling us apart at its own pace." Jules warned.
"Then we won't make it easy." Lord Raes vowed, and Tah'aveen's healing touch restored the party to health. Elesin, outside the area of the blessing continued to tear away at the bloody section of tail, holding onto it with her fore claws and jaw since her legs had stopped working due to the damage she sustained. After a powerful rip with her teeth she was finally flung free and landed in a heap near the group.
"Elesin!" Kayte gasped, and was just about to run to her aid when Lord Raes grabbed her arm.
"She isn't herself..." he stated gravely, "Give her space." as if to agree with the dog, Elesin looked at the priestess and hissed.
"Elias... I need ye hear." Dana announced, and began her channeling anew.
The armadillo moved between Kayte and Elesin, "Kayte needs me HERE." he announced, looking over his shoulder to exchange a glance with the priestess... moments before everyone was thrown off their feet again by another rumble of the worm's body.
Lord Raes helped Kayte stand then brought Elias to his feet with a firm grip. The dog looked at the Geomancer, "Survival first." he stated simply.
"You're not making this very easy you know." Elias spoke quickly to the Champion, then, for just a moment, met Kayte's gaze; she was smiling. He looked back at the wall of stony flesh with renewed vigor, and threw his mana into it.
Elesin, propped up on the ground, roared out incomprehensible words of power, and sent a fireball right into the midst of the coils... and the party. "Cover!" Dana shouted, and ceased her channeling of earth magic so she could face the incoming flames. She extended her paws, dissipating the majority of the spell before it could explode. Raes threw his shield up to block the worst of the fire and Roarg dropped flat. Jules, who was suddenly at the center of an explosion, could do nothing but stop, drop, and roll after the flames had done their worst.
"Nae!" Dana shouted, "We canna fight both threats!" she announced, and sprinted to Elesin, "Ella... ye gotta get control!" she announced, reaching down to grab hold of the kangaroo. The Moon Crazed battle mage sneered back, growling, "Take back yer mind, woman!" she declared, "Ye canna--" and the shaman stopped mid-sentence. Elesin's bestial muzzle drew back, her pointed teeth glinting gleefully as Dana stumbled back, pulling herself off of the kangaroo's blade, "Ye... canna..." Dana murmured, paws covering the deep wound in her abdomen... and she collapsed.
"DANA!" Iskiy shouted, turning to face Elesin, who's maw opened wide, practically unhinging as she went for the fallen wolf's throat. The scout raised his bow and snap-fired an arrow. The shot flew true and narrowly grazed the Moon Crazed kangaroo's shoulder-- Iskiy hadn't meant to hit her; he was aiming for her cape. Elesin's head snapped back as the arrow pulled on her cloak, impacting against the coil of the worm behind her and pinning her in place.
Iskiy had no way of knowing that the worm would have felt THAT strike, and had not planned on it taking notice of Elesin. The party shouted, scattering as the worm's enormous maw hovered over the battlefield... Elesin was the only one who was not able to move. The carriage-sized maw slammed down into the earth with all the force of an avalanche, and the ground rocked and rumbled as the kangaroo disappeared into the earth, carried away by the worm.
The party was still wary as the ground continued to rumble, but, as more and more of the worm followed after the head, it was readily apparent that it was prepared to call it quits. Moving further away from the still submerging worm, the first voice to speak up was Elias, "We can't go after her..." he murmured.
"Damn right." Jules spoke second, "She was beaten... battered, and hovering near death... even if we could find her there is no way we could take her from that.... thing."
"Dana?" Iskiy inquired, kneeling down next to the unmoving shaman. He lowered his head down to her chest.
"Iskiy..." Kayte spoke softly, moving to aid him... and that's when the worm's tail finally moved to follow the rest of its body.
"DUCK!" Sebastian shouted from above. Everyone dove for the ground, except for Kayte, who was focused on Dana and Isky... and Raes, who was focused on Kayte.
A loud, resounding crack caught everyone's attention. Kayte, who had been knocked to the ground a split second before the tail had struck her could only look over her head, watching as Raes was hurtled into the air, his pauldron lodged into the grooves of the worm's tail. He held a paw out toward her and, in the split second she locked gazes with him she saw only a serene sense of fulfillment in his eyes... and then he was carried over the edge and disappeared into the hole. "RAES!" she screamed, but it was too late; as the soft sand of the desert collapsed back in on itself, Lord Raes, Champion of Bannihar was gone.