You're going to suplex what?

A little while after he had started training in how to better himself at being evasive, Syx had been contacted by Mizufa Trude, who had pointed him at the location of a particularly problemsome sandworm that had been causing trouble for the Holy Empire.

Syx had scouted out the location and upon spotting the sandworm had made up his mind that he was going to suplex it, but that would require some help, as there was no way he would be able to fight it solo. So he had put out feelers through the Hunter's Guild for some help, and at present was standing in a campsite on a rocky outcrop overlooking the sandworm's territory, as he waited for the others to gather up.

    "He's going to suplex -what-?"

Perfectly reasonable question to ask the poor receptionist at the Hunter's guild when Skara brought up the job. After being out of the way for so long, that coming back to the guilds and the quest boards that this one just caught her eye. "Sure.. why not. Give me the details.."

And that's why a were-fang paladin is coming up on Syx's campsite, with sword, but no shield? Weird. "So lemme get this straight.."

Having gotten several similar tips during her own training ventures from Adlet Mayer Vertina was all for encouraging Syx to pursue the advice/warning from Mizufa. That and she really wanted to see if he could actually suplex a sandworm. He'd probably need some help actually catching the thing, anyways. "Nice we can finally get back to doing proper Adventurer things like crazy stunts with monsters and not dealing with a bunch of assholes from another region being rude unwanted guests." She does a few stretches like a proper athelete to warm up.

Goldenblade is a Westelander as well, and wears a badge identifying her alliegiance. That doesn't exactly obligate her to do things for Westelande. But she is inclined to help out, and when the request came into the Guild, she responded immediately. So she's met Syx at the campsite, with a loose cowl worn over her mail coat, and a hood over her head to shade her from the sun.

"Ah," she says, seeing everyone assembled. "Good, good, this is a good group, it looks like." It looks like a group that can smack down pretty much anything, anyway.

Haru is here mostly because the thought of anyone suplexing a giant sandworm is right up with suplexing a train. Plus there might be some interesting silica sand out here. Win win. "A review of the details wouldn't hurt," the man with a monocle says. Skeptical? Sure. But this is Elder Tales. He just wants to make sure that there isnt a 'please dont debuff the monster' thing going on. Because he will. A lot. Enchanter Life.

"Thank you all for coming. So I want to make this clear, this isn't TECHNICALLY an official Hunter's Guild mission so there probably won't be any rewards from them afterwards. But you can keep whatever you get off the sand worm of course."

Syx turns around to look out over the desert valley below them, "So this sandworm has been causing issues for the Holy Empire's trade routes, and we're going to get rid of it. So my idea for how to do this is pretty straight forward."

He turns back around and grabs a stick to draw in the sand a little bit, "So rough outline of its territory, what I figure is since its sensitive to movement on the sand, we set up on these big rocks here, here and here." He jabs the dirt three times, "Each group jumps down to draw its attention, and we lure it away from the sand and into this rocky outcropping where it won't be able to dig."

Well that answers her unsaid question. Syx does mean to suplex this sandworm. Somehow. Someway. "... Well I take it you're serious then.." Skara muses before looking at the crude map and then the area beyond. "mm. Alright. If anyone needs a quick solid surface, yell. I can probably help out, for a moment or two at least.."

"Yeah, sandworms tend to navigate by tremorsense," Vertina agrees with a nod of her head. "If it's been drawn to caravans, it's detecting number of vibrations as well as their strength. So we need it to think there's a group of small prey to hone in on." She stretchs her arms with her fingers interlaced to finish loosening up.

Goldenblade listens as Syx explains his plan. Technically Guild or not isn't an issue for her, not for a Westelande-related mission, and she listens closely as Syx explains his plan, which sounds good to her. Trouble for trade is a big problem with the desert kingdom, which relies heavily on trade to keep the desert villages supplied, and she pays close attention to the plan.

"That sounds good," she says, about luring it out to the outcropping. And if Syx can suplex it there, it won't be able to escape when the fight turns against it.

Haru listens into the specifics and looks off to the sands in consideration. The Artificer is an accomplished Earth Artes user. Chances are he will use his summons to handle this situation if the need comes up. With the names present here, he expects the danger to be on the mangeable side. "They are also attracted to specific types of spice." Did he just make a Dune reference? "Im good to go here." At least the benefits of cloth armor is being well prepared for arid travel.

Syx gives Haru a little smirk, "Okay so we'll set up at our positions, I'll be waiting in the final one, and once the worm gets to me, I'll slam it, that should stun it, and then everyone can go to town on it." He thinks that's a pretty solid plan, "Everyone chime in when you're in position!"

And with that he suddenly leaps off the rocky outcrop and down towards the part of the valley below where he'll be waiting for them to drive the sandworm towards him. Everyone else can make their way out onto the rocks carefully, and once everyone's in position, Syx will give the go for the first person to jump onto the sand and aggro the worm.

Well, the map made enough sense for Skara to understand it. When Syx calls the break, the paladin heads for her spot, sword still at her back, waiting for Syx to let them all know when to enact this plan of being bait for a giant sandworm. .... Glad she isn't Betelgeuse.

Vertina sprints down to her position and climbs up onto the rock there. She's all ready to go with this plan. She can use her earthbending with her jump to make sure the vibrations she produces are nice and strong and reverbrant to notice even if the Sandworm is fairly far away.

Goldenblade gives Syx a thumbs-up, "On it!" and gets into position with an admirable amount of haste. When she's ready, she will give another thumbs-up, and calls out, "Ready!" in a loud, clear voice.

Haru was ready before and remains at the ready now. One of those situations where the back of the line caster waits for the countdown. A glance around for the signal.

As soon as everyone is in position, Syx hops down off his rock and slams his fist into the sand, sending a shockwave through it with an earth arte that's sure to draw the ire of the large sandworm. Indeed after a few moments it rises from the sand with a roar not far away, before charging towards where Syx was.

The group is free to harass it and use their own artes or abilities to drive it towards the rocks where Syx waits, and they should be able to get it out of the sand proper once it runs out of area to burrow through. It's speed is remarkable for how quick it moves towards the group.

While they're waiting Vertina takes a moment to compose and focus herself, doing one of those balancing on one leg meditating stances atop the rock you see in all the flashy kung-fu movies. Because that sort of thing actually works in this world, as she draws on the surrounding environment and it's heavy Earth leaning to ready herself.

Turns out the tip Syx was given was correct, and this thing is unusually fast for a big legless terror. But her still position means it's going to not pay any attention to her as it's focused on Syx's vibrations. It's not until it's near passing her position that she leaps off the rock, slamming hands and feet first into the ground. She's not just going to make more vibrations, she's going to heave the actual ground up to help drive the thing out of the sand and it can't duck away when Syx makes his move.

First Syx lunges, and then once the sandworm surfaces, Skaranda does the same. The difference here is that instead of using the sword at her back, she conjures up a fairly massive shield, made of shimmering ice, with which she charges the massive beast, trying to direct it for the suplex he wants to attempt.

Goldenblade, when in position, takes her cues from Syx, and when he he sends off his initial shockwave, she nods, and when she senses the time has come, she stomps her foot down firmly, the sand trembling slightly from the impact magnified through the earth. She guides and shapes it as best she can, but Earth is not her element. It's all magic to her, and she's not entirely clear on /what/ she's doing to make the thing happen. But the ground is shaking, and the ground where she is now seems less nice for worms than the very good lad over by Syx. Nice worm, go over there.

Make sound? Attack something in the ground? Haru doesn't need to engage any closer to the Sandworm as he is a Wave Artes user, a caster. And as such, a caster casts causally for casualties. The silver haired human with a monocle gets the nice 'desert wind billowing' effect around his hair and navy jacket as he summons the mana to begin a summon. Four small stones circle around him, the focus for his magic. As they hum, the orbs begin to let out a catchy tune that sets the backbeat for the chant, "Terra. Vocare. Terebro. Numerus. Terebrare. Hostis." Sand draws from the dunes and begins to solidify into rocks around two energy-infused drills. Arms form. A torso. Finally feet that stomp into the ground. It vibrates to loudly that the sound around it begins to shake to the music that even a Nightmare would appreciate. Besides the earth summon having a flash entrance, the four meter tall behemoth engages the kaijuworm with those drills with enough force to make Rapture proud.

Sound reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIr4C5Ztlcg

Vertina is the first one to strike at the sandworm, the strike sending the shockwaves through the ground and launching the earth with it. The worm can't do anything but interpret it as an attack, and it rapidly burrows through the sand to try to get away from Vertina. That directs it towards Skaranda, who's massive ice shield is a veritable wall for the worm. It slams into the shield, but her power wins out and the worm dives back into the sand, burrowing deep, only to get driven back to the surface by Goldenblade's attacks.

It flops to the ground and roars, focusing on all the sound from Haru's summon, the worm immediately focuses in on that, attacking the summon and engaging it in close combat. Because of the location, the worm is forced backwards towards where Syx waits, as he steps up to the edge of the rocks.

He waits for the right moment, biding his time as the worm squares off with the drill armed summon, and then Syx strikes, driving his hands into the side of the worm to make sure he has a firm grip, holding tight as he hauls the worm through the air and slams it into the rocks with a powerful suplex.

The worm is stunned, but starts to flail around from the sudden impact and the multiple attacks its suffered now. Anyone in melee range are going to have to dodge the worm's flailing to get close enough to strike.

He did it. The crazy bastard actually did it and suplexed the worm. Though it isn't taking it lying down, so to speak.

Vertina starts to advance on the thrashing worm in an... unusual manner. He stride has an odd sway to it, side to side, step to step, in not quite a zig-zag manner but close to it. Which, despite it's erratic looking pace, manages to walk right through the sandworm's flailing tail and midsection without getting hit by it. Almost like the erratic movement was a perfect opposition to the erratic flailing.

As she nears the head end she smirks. "A big boy like you must get hungry really fast. So," she takes out one of her flasks, shakes it, and then heaves it towards the sandworm's maw. "have a taste of this!"

It tastes like burning. Lots and lots of burning.

Goldenblade grits her teeth as the worm roars and thrashes, stepping up, then then stepping aside quite fast when it slams down, retreating so fast she leaves a trail of flames, like certain sports cars are wont to do. When Syx manages to stun the huge creature, she will dart in again, zooming around the thrashing creature, and her blades blaze with fire as she strikes it from behind, hacking and chopping furiously as she takes part in the dogpile. "Let's do this," she calls as the fight is joined.

Up... then down, and then sand goes everywhere. "... Wow. That.. is a hell of a thing," Skara calls out before the massive worm starts thrashing about. Ah, right, it didn't just die like it was supposed to. Welp! Time for the sword and stabby bit! Except there's an exceptionally sharp coating of ice across the blade as well. Stabstabstabignorethefactitsayshammerstab.

Haru is thankfully far away from a big flopping worm. Terra, his earth sprite is not and the two share health, but its like burning a fire elemental with more fire. Being in the back row is its own kind of armor. The 'not in range' kind.

The Artificer decides to take advantage of the worm's current stunned state by debuffing it with further paralysis. For handling monsters he could potentially imprint his will on the worm with enough oomph (and the Capture Monster, not Handle skill). But then he would have a pet sandworm. To ride into battle. Then Haru would become a killing word. Either way, the four casting orbs begin to soar around the big worm and pulse lulling crowd control effects onto it. Calm down hoss!

Skaranda hasn't been around with the groups running the tower or some of the other instances where Syx has probably violated some game rule when he slammed something way bigger than him.

Syx has to lay there for a moment after the suplex in order to re-center himself but soon is back on his feet in order to evade the worm's slamming tail.

Thankfully the other adventurers pile on as soon as Syx has it down. The worm tries to bury itself a few times only to find the sand is too shalow and it is mostly rocks, forcing it to be unable to retreat.

Skaranda is able to keep its focus now that its unable to escape, its attacks falling against her ice shield time and time again while her ice blade tears into its flesh, leaving multiple bright red lines across its form.

Vertina's evasion techniques that she's been teaching Syx are on full display as she seemingly effortlessly weaves in and out of its strike, looking like a stumbling drunk to anyone who hasn't seen her work this technique before, only to have her flask of liquid splash into the worm's mouth and burst, sending the firey feeling surging through its whole body.

Goldenblade's firey retreat ends up burning the worm, and leaving it flopping back, before her burning blades strike repeatedly and carve its health bar down, leaving it burned and suffering as its flails grow weaker.

Haru's technique is unorthodox but does appear to work as the worm's flailing grows weaker, and seems to be quieting down. Because of the sheer number of debuffs on the worm, Syx is able to close in and give the worm his finishing technique.

Syx's finishing technique is going to wind up lifting the worm off the ground again as he gets under it, hefting it again as he brings the massive creature up. He clearly won't be able to do this for more than a moment, and the strain is obvious, but Syx unleashes his Ragnarok Driver finisher and slams the worm back into the ground with a firey explosion, as it bursts into pixels and loot for the group in the wake of the fire.

Vertina thrusts her fists in the air with a victory cheer as Syx delivers his finisher to the sandworm and reduces it to nothing but pixel gibs and loot. Probably pretty decent loot too, considering there's two Salamanders with their Hunting racial trait helping the odds. "Whooo yeah! Now that's how you make the worm turn!" She still needs to work on her end of fight one liners though.

Haru gives a solid thumbs up from back there on the ridge. Pixels and prizes. The mark of a good hunt. Plus the benefits of people with the actual Hunting skill for better drops. "Do not victory dance by doing the Worm unless you want sand everywhere, though," the Artificer observes before someone thinks it could be a good idea. Also, it'd be hot. Still...

When Syx finishes off the wyrm, Goldenblade breathes a sigh of relief and grins widely. She chuckles and raises a fist with Vertina, and looks to the others. "Everyone OK?" she checks. She smirks and adds, "So Westelande has been wormed, it seems."