Duty Session 488: No Game Gnoll Life

    The word is going through the grape vine, the gnollman's land has opened and the gnolls are causing havoc. This is why Rizadoman has put out a call to strong adventurers looking to cleanse the land of the trouble. Now he stands at the entrance surrounded by warnings that one might describe as nightmare fuel. Skulls of both landers and monsters adorn the barren trees with blood markings that one can only guess is a warning. Then speaking of nightmare fuel there is Rizadoman, wearing the traditional training garb of his people, a loin cloth. Yes the near seven foot lizardman, guild representative of Moon Tree, is standing there with his shield and nothing else but his loin cloth as he waits patiently for the others to show.

Vertina is here to punch gnolls in their ugly and apparently mutated faces, making them even more ugly than they were before. So also more punchable. Hey she's a simple Salamander with simple tastes in excitement, don't knock it. No comments on Rizadoman's choice in attire (or lack of therefor) because, honestly, she works in a place that people get drunk for enjoyment, she's seen people do stranger things than Go Tribal.

Goldenblade shows up, sees Rizadoman in a loincloth, and says, "Well, -this- is going to be interesting." She's wearing the same thing she always wears, chainmail and a blade at either hip, and she steps up, offers a nod to Rizadoman, and says, "I'm here to fight gnolls and chew bubblegum, and I'm all out of bubblegum." Of course she never had any, but that's not the point. She does have some spearmint, but she's not chewing it just now. As she steps to the side, she shakes her head slowly. It takes all kinds...

Curtana has already been to the gnoll's forest once before, helping to clear out a small force of gnolls and an unholy fusion they had called forth. For a time, things had calmed down. But it seems like things have only gotten worse since the weeks he has been here.

With a heavy heart, Curtana stares upwards at the blood warning signs and shakes his head slowly. He thought he done some good in the world, but it seems the gnolls have only been embolden. He doesn't make any comment on Rizadoman's attire, as he's been used to it. "I'm glad everyone could come."

    Rizadoman looks around and nods when Curtana thanks everyone, "Yes thank you all. I apprecaite everyone ready to take up this challenge with me. Fear not no one will die on my watch. " Staring at Curtana for a moment he leans forwards and says in a softer voice, "Excuse me I am embarrassed to ask this but are you a pooka or an elf. " Without waiting for an answer he leads the groupp on.

     As they enter the woodlands things actually start to take on a bit of normality, well almost normal. It is to damn quiet. Still and quiet if one was looking for the right word when Rizadoman sets off a trap and darts fire out barely missing him, "Hmm I suspect this area has been setup with traps. We should spread out and try to find a way to disable them. " Turning back to take his own advice, one might see one of the darts sticking into the back of Rizadoman's head.

Vertina stops and looks around as the woodlands start to become more normal again... which in a way is almost more creepy than the gloomy enervated appearance if it had stayed that way. Then snorts softly. "This is nothing compared to the trap gauntlets the Goblins made in the ruins." She stretches her arms forward to crack her knuckles. Then demonstrates exactly what she means as she leaps forward and darts into action, flipping over tripwires, sliding under whiplashing branches, and avoiding several pits by running past them faster than their covering can collapse. She finally stops at the opposite end of the field, holding her arms up. "See? Nothing to it."

Goldenblade hrms about the area being setup with traps, nods to Rizadoman, and is excruciatingly careful as she proceeds. Unfortunately, she has no skill at all at spotting traps, and steps on the first one in her path. The explosion lifts her up, throwing her half a dozen yards, from where she frowns and will try to move forward again, now with fewer HP. A few minutes later, an explosion shows how well this plan is working. Luckily, the third trap she sets off blasts her clear of the trapped area, and she hustles to meet up with the party, now down a lot of HP.

The surprising question from Rizadoman is enough that it gets a burst of startled laughter from the knight. Perhaps it's a sign of how much the woods have unnerved him that he's laughing in such a place. "Pooka, and you're honestly the first person that has ever asked that. Wish I could fully pull off the elf look, though." He follows after Rizadoman after having a moment to collect himself. He really does find it amusing to be asked that out of the blue.

From barren to foreboding to almost normal does the opposite to Curtana's nerves, with the woods being so silent. The clanking of his shiny platemail is making a racket all of its' own here, and Curtana almost misses it as his next step comes with a soft 'click'. Leaping forward just in time to avoid a bear trap, he happened to land just on the edge of a pitfall trap. Before it collapses, the Pooka leaps forward again and rolls from the impact, which causes him to just miss an arrow trap. Blinking softly on the ground, he looks at the mess he just happened to miss. "Well. That's new."

    Rizadoman nods his head to Curtana, " I had to ask, Erufu is always looking for more elf friends, and would be happy if more existed. " Turning back he watches Vertina make her way through the traps and nods his head in understanding. "Yes I see. I shallfollow your lead." Taking a deep breath before the lizardman follows where Vertina steps, leaping, darting, flipping, and running past several pits. Till he is standing next to Vertina and nods his head. "Yes I saw nothing. " Turning back he looks toward the others and winces watching Goldenblade, "Do you need a moment for a healing..." Rizadoman's words are cut off by a giant arrow whizzing by.

     Off in the distanst is a giant gnarly gnoll with a wicked, some would say badass bow in it's hands. Moving from it's previous location the adventurers only have a few minutes to deal with the situation before it hides and finds its next target.

Goldenblade is down about 1/3 of her HP, and looks ... worse for wear. But she shakes her head to Rizadoman and says, "I've had worse. You kids never had to walk it off, I think, you just cry until mommy kisses it better?" And so she walks it off, simple as that. She's still down the HP, but she doesn't seem to be worried. On the other hand, when we start taking firee from the grassy gnoll, she draws both blades, channels fire, and unleases a hellstorm that sets the grass ablaze, and the gnoll as well, which spoils his aim a lot.

Vertina reflexively leans back as an arrow whistle through the air, barely passing between her and Riza to thunk into the ground past them. "Whoa, the traps weren't a trap, they were a setup for an ambush!" She turns her head to look in the direction the arrow came from, and snorts softly. "There he is! Too bad distance isn't going to save his mossy hide!" She draws on her Salamander fire power to form a ball of flames, and with one of her powerful soccer kicks sends the flaming sphere hurtling for the gnoll on the hill, who happens to be covered in very flammable camoflague!

Recovering himself from his multiple near misses, Curtana clambers to his feet and follows the rest of the party. A bit more on edge after seeing those traps on hand, he instantly reacts as a giant arrow just misses Rizadoman. Charging forward so he could be in the way of more incoming arrows, Curtana holds up his shield and prepares himself. The thing is, with how large these arrows are, they could end up piercing right through his shield, so he needs to be careful...

The giant gnoll archer fires another arrow at the Pooka Knight, taking the bait! Waiting until the last moment, Curtana sidesteps to the right and then slams his shield into the arrow as it passes. This casues the arrow to slam into the forest floor and keeps his shield intact. "I'll keep him focused on me!"

    Rizadoman turns and looks at the arrow and then at the ugly gnoll and then at the arrow. "Hmm I see so that is what is needed." Rizadoman steps forward and as another arrow flies forward, the Lizardman intercepts it with a shoulder charge. The arrow leaving red pixel damage but not as much as others may take with the arrow. Then another is launched and Rizadoman is a bit to slow to respond, it woould appear that Curtana has pulled it's focus indeed and Rizadoman grins. " We will have to see who is the better shield one day." As for the gnoll he learns why it is not good to bury ones self in the grassy gnoll. Between Goldenblade and Vertina they turn that entire gnoll into a giant bbq pit. Smoked gnoll being on the menu.

     With the gnoll shooter gone they are able to move on and eventually come upon a strange looking waterfall surrounded by gnolls. The moment they see the adventurers though they all turn and drink from the fountain. Moment later it becomes very clear that there is something funky about the water they drank as they beging to foam at the mouth and rage , rushing the adventurers.

Hey look, a waterfall! How refreshi--oh shit the gnolls are rabid! From drinking the water, which means the water is contaminated. And there's a lot of them. "Guys, I think this is a bad place to stick around. And I'm usually the recklessly brave one." She pulls a flask of alchemical contents from her inventory and throws it at one of the gnolls, but the debuff potion fails to do much to the Rabid buff the gnolls have from soaking up so much of the water. "Yeah.. yeah. Time to beat feet folks!" Cue rapid retreat back into the forest before they can get caught!

Goldenblade is ready to rumble with the gnolls and charges in even before the gnolls quaff their magic fountain water. Goldenblade acks as they power up, and tries to pull a vanish before she's in the middle of them. The problem is, she's in the middle of them, and even if they can't see her, she's got no place to go, and fighting as hard as she can, she's still losing HP fast. Hopefully her allies can bail her out.

Curtana gives a polite smile towards Rizadoman and nods his head once as the giant gnoll archer is burned to a crisp. "I would like that, honestly. I really am fond of my shield." Making sure that everyone is fine enough, Curtana follows along with the others, deeper into the woods.

An odd fountain is found, surrounded by lower level gnolls. What was promising to be an easy encounter is quickly changed as the gnolls drink the strange liquid, gaining a massive increase in strength and going rapid in behavior. The resulting melee is furious and deadly, with Curtana's shield and armor not doing much to help keep the worst of the damage at bay. "We really need to stop other gnolls from drinking that vile liquid!"

    Rizadoman watches the Gnolls rage out towards them and he roars back. One gnoll here, another gnoll there, he is quickly being beaten back and even his hardened scale is failing him. "Curtana I agree completely except not right now. Retreat to the forest." Pounding a pin into his chest he lets out a giant roar as he slams the ground hard enough to shake it. Then he charges forward to the tree line, grabbinng whoever may need a ride on the way.

     After running blind through the woods for a few minutes Rizadoman slows down , "I think we lost them." As if tempting fate from behind a pair of trees steps a pair of gnolls.

     These gnolls stand before them , one with a sword , one with a mace and both of them looking exactly the same as the other. The sword lights on fire, the mace howls with wind. However they wield there weapons in almost a eerie parallel as they charge the adventurers ready to cut the party down .

"Those are some pretty big Gnolls," Vertina notes. "Big and ugly." Uh oh, one of them is flinging air around with their mace. "I got it!" Vertina leaps into action, drawing some of the same wind energy around herself, using a flurry of air-infused punches and kicks to intercept the wind blasts from the other gnoll... and then leaping into a spinning kick that slams a galeforce blow against the mace to slam it backwards into the face of the gnoll weilding it!

Goldenblade manages to get out of the pack of gnolls when they break formation to run after the rest of the party, which is good for her. Her HP are hurting. She chases after the party, though, and gradually we pull ahead of the gnolls, losing them after a spirited run. "Whew," she mutters. "You weren't kidding about this mission being hard. It seemed easier from the brief I heard."

But now there's a blazing sword gnoll, stealing her schtick, and she fumes and charges him, forgetting for a moment she's low on HP. Well, if she can put him down fast enough, it won't matter, right?

But she can't, and she'll back down in a panic after a rough exchange of sword blows, which she gets the worst of.

A knight is supposed to stand his ground and be a rock that withstands the crashing of the enemy waves. But these rapid gnolls are something else entirely and are threating to completely overwhelm the entire party! Taking the higher part of valor, Curtana manages to knock back two of the gnolls back with his shield and rushes after Rizadoman, red pixel cuts visible all over his body.

Before the Pooka could ask Rizadoman not to tempt Fate, it answers with what must be two elite gnoll warriors facing them. Armed with elemental sword and mace, the duo are sure to be just as challenging to defeat as the mob that had just fled from.

Taking a calming breath, Curtana starts to channel the energy stored in the breath through his body. Flickers of Hamon lance down his arms to channel in his shield and even the forest floor at his feet shimmers from the sunlight energy. Charging in after Goldenblade, he gives her some much-needed aid, the Hamon making the blazing weapon weaken down into embers. "You shall not bar our path forward!"

    The wind on wind violence causes the mace gnoll to eat it's mace and Curtana rapdily cooling the flaming sword to embers and even causing the dreaded 'Chnk' sound all blacksmiths fear as the sword cracks. Rizadoman steps forth as he begins to generate light magic and causes it to burst out in a wave disrupting the magic between the two of them. There magic gone they are but normal gnolls now, and Goldenblade can easily dispatch them.

     After that the party is given a moment of reprieve as they are able to travel without to many problems. That is until they come upon the cave that seems to resonate dark magic and evil and like some guy in a mask and black flowing cape is going to come out any moment. As they progress into it the cave walls are covered in magical diagrams drawn in blood and as they reach the main chamber, in the center is a single gnoll. A single gnoll that looks like a mad scientist spliced himself with a gnoll and with the giant surgeon knives in hand he is apparently volunteering the party to be the next experiments.

Vertina gives the locked door a good kick, because it's a stupid locked door. Then follows the others down one of the other passages, until they find the gnoll trying to be Dr. Frankenstein. With a really big scalpel. "Is it just me, or are these gnolls getting even weirder -and- more gross?" Then she does something that's probably going to piss him off even more.

She flips one of his work tables.

Then grabs the edges of it and uses the tabletop like a shield to intercept several stabs with the knife, trying to get it stuck so someone else can knock his ass down.

Goldenblade manages to survive the fight against the two gnolls, and will proceed with the party over the river and through the woods. But it's not grandmother's house by a longshot. Some creepy mad scientist gnoll, and she's suddenly fighting for her life. Block, parry, remise, it's all she can do to keep the blade from her, and he hits hard enough to force back her guard with each blow. Low enough on HP, she'll back off from the fight, and let the others finish it without her. She feels useless and helpless and doesn't like that, but likes not being dead a lot more, so she copes.

The dark cave they manage to find after the two elite gnoll guards are dispatched sends shivers down Curtana's spine. This isn't fear but his body reacting to something so purely wrong that it darkens the entire world just for existing. And they are in the center of it all. "I knew gnolls were disgusting creatures but...this goes beyond what I knew."

Inside of what must be a Gnoll lab, Curtana's grip on his shield tightens as he stares at the odd creature that has apparently experiemented on many a Lander and Adventurer. He almost charges into battle with the others, but the major burns scarring half of the gnoll is giving the Pooka knight a great idea to put into action. Grabbing several vials of liquid off one of the slabs, he chunks them straight at the gnoll scientist. These vials burst into flame upon shattering, burning more of the gnoll's flesh and dealing additional damage as it re-burns scarred flesh.

    Rizadoman raises his own shield as he finally puts it to use, the knives of the gnollstein bouncing off the shield and in the interim of more attacks he will whap the gnoll every now and then with his shield. All of the party takes on a defensive posture for the fight, deflecting and parrying what they can and playing the long game with this fight but in the end the gnoll dies and in it's place sit several ruby red gemstones. Who could possibly say what they could be used for. With a sigh of exhaustion Rizadoman looks around, "If you are dead speak up."

Goldenblade looks to rizadoman, but is not dead, so she remains silent. She's hurting pretty bad, but she will collect a gem because screw it, this is what we came for. "This -is- what we came for?" she asks, double-checking.

Vertina grabs one of the ruby gems as well. "I think so. The color matches one of the slots on the door... but I don't think four of them are enough." She's beat up, but tends to be too stubborn to really show it.

Curtana runs out of vials to throw, which is quite a good thing, as the creature he had been throwing them at finally shatters. Letting out a soft sigh in relief, he walks forward to examine the small pile of ruby gemstones that had been left behind. Seemingly, it's the loot from defeating a powerful mad scientist, but he couldn't be sure as to what, yet. "Possibly...but honestly not sure what they are for. Maybe it could have something to do around here?" Kneeling down, Curtana picks up one of the ruby gems and holds it up to the light. But it seems Vertina has the right idea!

That can wait until later, however. The knight just wants to rest for a moment.