Dream Of A Thousand Bandits - Finale

    The group has been able to get the one bandit captured early on to talk, mostly in request to help the 'queen' of the bandits live. Even though she was angry with him and desired death, the young man's heart would eventually give way to just how horrible their situation was.

If he had turned a new leaf however, was hard to say, but either way, he was their ticket, along with some tracks to get into the hidden cave of the Bandit King.

And so, in the cool early morning, the group set out, with request from others that wish to put a stop to this. Xander made sure the young bandit lead the name, and what was his actual name you may wonder? Under inspection he gained the name of 'Coby The Bandit Coward'. Did that change somewhere along the lines? Maybe! Maybe that is what he started to call himself.

Eventually the tracks would end and Xander looked at the bandit, narrowing his eyes, "So, our dear friend, which way? And please don't play games-- or I'll let Kauchemar there eat your soul.. If not feed you to other Werefang allies." He didn't mean it, not really, but it did get the bandit to sweat a little.

It may not be meant literally by Xander, but that doesn't mean Kauchemar won't play along.

The fact that right now she's in her human form, with the hood of her cloak pulled up over her head, actually makes it a bit more spooky of a response. Since all you get is the eerie glowing eyes from the shadows of the hood and a brief gleam of fangs as she smiles.

Kaydon, also in his human form at the moment to help blend in, snorted faintly, "He's too gamey. I'd probably just tie him up and stick him in a raid zone. See how long he lasts." The Juggernaut responds, with a faint smirk, before pulling his own cloak over his head, "So choose your words carefully."

After spending nearly a month in the forge working on the statue over in the Palace Lands Miho needed to get up to something. The bandits were still and issue to deal with. She has never seen Kau in human form before and before they took up where they were? She would have told her damn you look good like this.

She stalked along now Naginata in hand.

"I told you have a snack before we headed out Kaydon..."

Musical Kung-Fu Nurses aren't exactly known for being part of bandit gangs, so Uta had to go for a proper disguise today: your run-of-the-mill rogueish apearance whose staples are light leather armor and leather boots, but otherwise rather light cloth garments to maximize mobility. Generally in darker, muted colors, to better blend in the environment, especially at night. Much to her detriment, being a Spriggan gives the whole bit a huge boost in credibility.

Notably, she is wearing no hat -- but it's fine. These people are criminals, of course they will not respect the basics of civilized society!

"Can I have him as a guinea pig for my medical experiments?", she asks. "Please. Can I? I have such a backlog experimental medications that haven't been tested on people yet..." Uta starts, "...and my injection skills are severely suffering because of the lack of practice. I need someone to address both issues."

...She is saying that just to scare the bandit, right? She... she doesn't really mean it, right?

...Right?

Deception! Illusion! Did someone call for an Enchanter with Dark magic? You got Haru. He is keeping with and keeping glamours up for the less subtle among the group. As such he isn't as talkative since it requires a bit of concentration to keep it together. His own disguise is familiar from his time in Dark Training: Ruxah, Dark Mage of the Desert. Monocle sold separately.

    ...If not feed you to our other were fang allies.

    Mizuki obligingly steps a bit closer and *grins*, showing all those pointy teeth!

    Inside, she feels a little conflicted though. She's not really a monster, and she'd never really eat people... Will jokes like this make people start to see her that way?

    Gods, what way does she *want* to be seen? Something something cute cat but also reliable hero and that train of thought runs into a confusing fog that she shakes her head to clear and tries to think of something else.

    Kaydon joking him being gamey and about torturing the guy doesn't really make her feel better.

    ...But *that* train of thought makes her wonder: "Wait, people don't leave corpses in the game. Does that mean getting eaten is even a fear it makes sense for NPCs to have?" She deliberately makes sure to use some terms that will make the Lander ignore the words.

Miho looks at Mizuki for a moment "I figured you'd eat them alive." Is all the Salamander has to say before she turns back to the task at hand.

    The bandit gulps a little as the party reminds him of his situation and when he talks he tries to not stutter. "We are not far, It is-- it is through those boulders." He doesn't motion, knowing fully well that could be seen as an alert by the group. "No-- No one has ever found it because we use magics to hide the entrance. Camouflage it in by some of our mages."

Cody looks around. "... and they guard the entrance with one mage and two fighters." He then goes on to lead the way. "... Though with the queen missing.. He may have upped security."

    Xander isn't far behind still, glancing over at the others, as he pulls his own hood over his head, only allowing his white bangs to show and his slightly darker skin, along with black scales, kind of help hide his facial features.

Xander looks over to Kaydon, "We are going to take out the front post. Try to do so quietly. There, I'd like for you to stand guard. Give a howl or a whistle if you get into trouble." Xander then looks over to Mizuki, "Why wouldn't it. To them, this virtual world is alive, while they are programmed to vanish, there is still the concern of being eaten before they do despawn." He looks away. "After that, who knows what they might be thinking."

    The group moves in closer, so far no one comes rushing out, though as they approach the rock wall, Cody inhales deeply. "To the king, I come, to the king I vow.Let me enter, as the king goes, so do I."

There was then a flicker as it becomes slightly transparent. There was two guards alright and looks like they didn't increase things after all. Though one of them looked at him, then at the group. "Who ar't these fella's?"

Cody motions to them. "They are new brothers I have located. They freed me from the cell. There is more down toward the keep tending to her lady and the captain."

The bandits look at one another, then the group. One of them rubs his chin. "Oi! Fine! Ge' in here ye so the king can assess ye!"

    Mizuki blinks at Miho. "I *tried* that with fish once when we were desperate for food with taste! Biting it killed it so... poof." She makes a gesture bringing her hands close together and then pulling them apart wiggling her fingers to indicate the way things shatter into polygons. "I didn't even get to taste it."

    Once they reach the bandit hideout, as Cody bluffs that they're new recruits, Mizuki puts a hand on her hip to draw attention to her sheathed daggers. Still in her town outfit with the blue jacket, she's dressed for the part, wearing an outfit that a bandi--TREASURE HUNTER would certainly wear, after all! She smiles again, *slightly* less toothily.

Miho is keeping with the group and sem ready to go at this point she looks to thge banid for a moment she says nothing and she not tilts he head a bit. She's got to ponder jut what they are going to run into eachohter.

She'll work with Cody's bluff if he coperates with them still she has no issue in giving him a new chance she might even try to find work for him if he was intrested either way she doing her best to look the part.

Kauchemar leans a bit closer into the group as she lowers her voice to a whisper, "And if you can't yell out loud, yell in your mind. I might be able to hear it." A short reminder that her Oracle power will allow her to communicate when other means cannot. Could be useful here.

Then she turns her attention to the guards to their 'guide' gets them passage, simply nodding her hooded head and following the group in... until they're passing the guard's field of vision.

Then she's gone, as silent as the shadows she lurks in.

And back to the guards, shifting back to her 'true' monster form as she steps up behind them. "Oh, by the way." And barely gives him a chance to look back as she CHOMPS on his neck with her toxic viper fangs. So even if he doesn't pass out from the jumpscare, the paralytic venom is sure to leave him incapable of doing much.

Haru contributes to the anti guard affair with Illluussssiiioons. And miiinnnddd gammmmeeesss. Also with bolts of arcane energy to Metal Gear Solid some guards that get wise to the situation.

One moment she's there, the next-

Where'd Uta go?

She cannot really be seen at the moment, but if one were to strain their eyes, they might notice a shift in the shadows.

The shadows behind one of the other guards specifically, who, one moment is there, minding their own business, and the next-

Well, Uta wasn't kidding about practicing her injection skills. Some specificguard might feel a sudden piercing pain on their exposed skin and- well, pumped full of anesthetics.

The Dark illusion concealing Uta in the shadow is broken for a moment, just so the Coby the Bandit Coward can see her. Can see her grinning at him, with a glint in her eyes.

As if for saying, "You're next!"

    One, two, three, the guards go down!

Cody just watches this and frowns a little. He knows darn well that no one is going to stop these adventurers and he also knows many of these bandits, like himself, were led this life by the Bandit King.

This allows Kaydon to remain on guard duty, once they hide the bodies, and for the group to continue down the underground path.

    Down they go, down the makeshift stairs and dripping stalagmites. Little bit of water can be seen seeping from the rock walls, which all seems to be feeding somewhere. As they continue they come to a fork in the road and thanks to capturing their guide, he leads them down the correct path, explaining the other direction was a trap full of poisonous snakes. This is why it was good that the group early on got this guy!

In the distance they can hear the sound of metal and spells being cast. The rickety old bridge takes them above a training ground. The group too distracted to even notice the new comers or their guide.

However, another group is coming toward the bridge as well and they come to a pause. It looks like about five bandits now. The group looks them over, before one of them walking toward Uta, "... You look a little small to be a bandit, girly."

Kauchemar tilts her head. "If he thinks she's too small it's a good thing we didn't bring Fuka along," can be heard muttered from under the hood.

"We would be fighting already if we did," Haru mentions from behind his hood. He does the Obi Wan hand gesture. These are not the Spriggans you are looking for. One of his ioun stones floats over towards Uta. It slowly appears over her shoulder and does a little glow in the bandits directions. Calm Emotions! Let your ago be null! Halcyon Circuit, drink your fill! And other such things. Everquest Enchanter Crowd Control Life.

Miho see the guards go downa nd she looks to Cody for a moment and they need to deal with the master mind behind this do they not? Miho now just gives them a look she heard being called small and assumed it was all about her. She just gives them a death glare and says "Right sizes to make someone less a man if she needed too."

Kaydon is not very stealthy. That's probably part of why they're going to leave him at the front gate in order to keep an eye on things. Which may be for the best.

Over the course of the time the others are downstairs, Kaydon DOES run into a few of the bandits trying to get in. He manages to intimidate them away from the gate, which should keep the guys inside secure for the time being.

"Now, now, that's not a nice thing to say to my friend-"

Wait, this is an undercover mission! Uta was about to say 'Miho', but it is probably a bad idea to use real names. But pseudonyms were not agreed upon! (Or if they were, Uta has, of course, forgot them).

"-Julienne Fries!", she rattles out with a frown and without skipping a beat. "Sure, she may not have much to bring to the plate as far as vertical prowess is concerned, but I can ensure you that she can slice and dice and-" Silence. Looks aside to Mizuki. "Or did you mean her?" Uta points. "I can ensure you that my friend Murderkitten can take out more prey in one day than a leopard can in six months!" She crosses her arms and gives the man a stern look. "Please apologize to my friends for what you've just said or I will be forced to-"

Ok, do what?

"...Unleash the combined wrath of Julienne Fries and Murderkitten on you." Serious nod.

    Poisonous snakes. Mizuki glances down to her bare digitigrade feet. But then, would armor protect from poison anyway as long as the snake bites her player model?

    Her ears perk up at the familiar sounds of training -- she's heard it often enough around Scale HQ. Her hand idly goes to one of her daggers, fingers playing across the hilt, just verifying it's ready to draw.

    You look a little small to be a bandit, girly.

    Mizuki bristles. She's under 5 and a half feet in were fang form, and now transforms to human form, maybe 5'1'' or so, as she walks over next to Uta. Before she can speak though, Miho does, and she *winces* at the thought of that, squeezing her thighs together briefly. Why do people have to say things like that...?

    And then Uta speaks too. Wait, Uta's talking about her and Miho? 'Murderkitten' tries to grin toothily and raise a hand, extending her claws, but... oops, she just changed to human form, right. She changes back to werefang form and repeats the gesture, teeth and claws glinting in the light as she makes a sort of rumbling sound in her throat like a large predator.

    Thanks to Haru, the five bandits kinda sway for a moment as magic effects them. They shake their heads and when Uta, along with Mizuki, then the others give their fierce 'em looks, including Xander with his draconic glowing eyes, they quickly run past the group while saying sorry.

The dark scaled Salamander gives a thumbs up to the group, as they continue on their way, poking Cody to keep walking and not say anything.

Soon, they will find themselves entering a large gallery of sorts. Water washes down by streams of waterfalls and a stash of gold and other artifacts can be seen strove along the ground. There, slightly higher up, was a tall man, looking to be around seven foot tall, muscular build, and kind of conan-ish really.

His eyes fall on Cody, before the group. Then he speaks, his words echo in the chamber. "Enter!" Then they will hear the sound of clacking as a hand crank elevator slowly rises to meet them.

"Some people just never learn to think before they speak." But the situation has been diffused before it can turn into something to spoil their advance. Kauchemar adjusts her hood to keep it in place, and the group continues on as Cody leads them deeper in. To the treasure, and the King seated upon it. And has a very deep voice.

"And people thought dragons did the whole horde nesting thing." Interesting. Very interesting. But for the moment Kauchemar just continues to play along. See, she can be subtle. When she wants to.

"Dont they though," muses Haru to the muse. He has read Tolkien. Smaug is a covetous bean. Maybe Puff wasn't. "I always thought they were a reference to the wealth and power of social elites through oppression lower on the social order." Then he goes into 'Ima a bandit' twang, "Lets git dat murder did forda boss. Work work." Jobs done.

Miho is glad to ahve got past these ones without a blood bath her main issue is the leader. They can worry about what to do with the surivors later for now they have to ride the lift up, thankfully she does not hum any sort of elevator music at least.

    Mizuki looks around the gallery. And there's Conan the Barbariandit. It strikes her that that's conventionally attractive, isn't it? But this man is just... threatening. The thought of *those* arms around her is gross and disgusting, not like Syx or Har--

    Mizuki shakes her head, hair whipping back and forth. . o O ( WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING?! )

    To get on more secure footing mentally and assert herself, she ignores the elevator and leaps down (using the outside of the elevator shaft to walljump down if necessary,) landing with catlike agility.

    Her ears perk as others liken the bandit king to a dragon. She remembers Kauchemar's suggestion before, and thinks, . o O ( Is this an indication he *might* be a dragon in disguise? )

    Mizuki turns her focus to the bandit leader. Damn, from down here it's really striking that he's over a foot and a half taller than her. Somehow, that's more annoying, on a social footing, than a monster five times his height that she would just climb up and stab in the face. She tries not to look intimidated, but that focus just makes her look annoyed or angry. Maybe he'll assume she just has resting bitch face.

    "Murderkitten, yer 'ighness." She's doing a voice. She's not sure what voice it is. She takes a half-step forward and extends her hand in something like an introductory bow but only slightly nodding her head rather than fully bowing. Claws out, it is *not* an invitation to a handshake. "Lookin' forward tah doin' bizniss wit' ya."

It's clearly a trick.

Getting the suspicious Adventurers, all in one consrained space, of which the bandits have full control? Mizuki had the right idea there. Do not trust them. Do not enter the cage, songbird! Just spread your wings and flyyyyyyyyyyyy- or at least crummy feather fall, as the case may be.

But then again, as Miho points out, here we have an -elevator without muzak-. This is something a Musical Kung-Fu Nurse cannot let go unaddressed!

And so Uta steps in, holds her hands in her lap, and looking up and away to avoid embarrassing eye contact with people, hums a bland samba rendition of the First Song, trying her best to sound like the elevator music from before the Apocalypse.

    As the group comes down the elevator, they will see two guys operating it, though they don't look like warriors, more like eye candy actually. Mizuki takes center stage and the King takes notice. He rises from his throne and goes to step down the stairs. He does look over to Cody, but it was a look of 'we will talk later', as his attention goes from those on the Elevator, to Mizuki.

He walks with calm steps, self assured as he moves. He doesn't even have a weapon on him, beyond his own physique. Though her claws are out, he doesn't seem to have any fear of them. Instead he reaches for her hood, his hand while rough moved with gentle care to remove it. "Let me see your face--" Then he looks to the others, "And the rest of you as well."

    Xander tsks at this a little. If they fail here to take down the king, they will know their faces and given how organized things have been. That could be an overarching problem.

Let me see your face--

    Something about that gesture just DOES NOT SIT RIGHT with Mizuki.

    EWW EWW EWW GROSS NO

    She ducks her head and takes a wide step back, though the hood she must have rezzed last pose to look extra-impressive leaping down falls in the process anyway, her bare face glaring at the king angrily. "No touching. 'ow'd you like it if someone did that to you, all 'let me see yer face'?" her extended hand vaguely imitates the gesture.

    She's not entirely sure *why* she's this upset. She kind of doesn't want to think about it right now. So she'll just be mad.

Impressive size is clearly part of how the leader of these bandits rose to power. Apparently unarmed, but would he even really need it? Too many stray possiblities yet...

At the moment Kauchemar isn't really worried about being looked at, being in her less familiar human form. She puts a hand on Mizuki's shoulder when she steps back. "Calm down, kitty. Wouldn't want to make a bad impression." She steps forward past the tigress and bows to the towering form. "We have waited some time to be able to come to you." Which isn't a lie when you think about it. "You have made quit a reputation for yourself with your effective and unrelenting raids. A few," she glances aside at Cody briefly, "bad luck missteps aside. But not all can be as great as their leader, am I right?"

She's putting that Bard charisma to use, trying to keep the big bad bandit leader's attention away from the party trying to orcestrate taking him down....

Miho looks to Mizuki for a moment then to Kau and seems to get read on thiung and she'll pull back her hood now allowing more than her liminal rings of her eyes to be seen. She seem pretty bold now.

"Indeed you have made quite the name for yourself..." She'll hold back as to not wreck whatever the bard is up to...

"I hope you will understand if we do not reveal our faces until we have concluded... ah... negotiations," Uta drops in a offhand manner, still hiding her features. "We are eager to work with you, of course, but as you are certainly aware, in the fast-paced environment of proactive unilateral property management, it is vital to take precautions before entering a new partnership. While negotiations seem to be off to a good start-"

Eye sideways to Mizuki's stunt.

"...to be off to an acceptable start, there always is, in such matters, the chance that an agreement is not reached. And you will understand that, in our industry, the only way to ensure that non disclosure agreements between the parties hold is by not revealing such information to any living soul. Enforcement focuses mainly on ensuring the 'not revealing' and/or 'living' parts of that sentence."

Haru has been on 'kill on sight' lists on the Palace Lands since the War of the Dragons reached the 'We can Break your Crowns' stage of the skirmish. Adding a bandit faction to the list isn't going to change his day to day much more than it already is. He gives Kau a look of 'Why are we treating with him' before putting together the fastest way to take this guy out. Haru loathes types like this. The unmitigated arrogance and suffering wrought onto others to satisfy their own egos. It makes his blood boil like lava. He is team Mizuki on this one, going as far as to aside to her with a murderous glint in his purple monocle. The Artificer doesn't need to /say/ anything when his posture says 'You heard the lady. F off or get wrecked.' Ruxah Mode: Engaged.

    One part of the group was trying to remain with negotiations on their mind, another side might be wanting to pick a fight. For Xander himself there was so many unknown variables for taking down this guy. By a quick check, the enemies level was nothing but question marks, but deep red. There was also a buff marker. Something here was /buffing/ this guy, but what?

That is when Xander turns to Haru, "Could you go get our tribute, so we may show this great Bandit King that we truly wish to be at his side and we honor his greatness." This would allow for Haru to go get Kaydon and maybe Haru could use his skills to make sure /no one/ interfered in a more magical manner.

Mizuki was serving as a decent distraction, even as Uta explained why they couldn't take off their masks, and Kauchemar was trying her own charms as well. The Bandit King looked to Uta, then to Kauchemar, before back to Mizuki. "I see." He said before he flexed his hand a little bit. It gripped into a fist, before it relaxed.

"I will remind you however," He looks at the coward of a bandit trying to hide. "That I am king of this domain. My word is law and when you join my-- family-- you will do as I command." He then tilts his head ever so slightly to the side. "So, while I am honored you plan to bring me tribute, you have a choice to make. Either you /do/ join, as you are already here and do as I command-- or find yourselves part of the stone, then what remains given to my vipers."

He then looks to Mizuki and Kauchemar. "Or find yourselves put in a cell until you /change/ your minds. For I see great things in some of you.. But I also see betrayal from others. So, what will it be. Join? Or die."

"Part of the stone?", asks Uta, distractedly. "Like... is it a frozen in Carbonite kind of deal? Like Han Solo?"

After a short silence, she hurries to correct, "Oh, sorry, sorry! Ancient Adventurer Lore. Nevermind. Uh. It's... er... are you going to, like, pour cement all around us or something? The ancient Romans had cement, so you probably know what cement is-"

Silence.

"Ok, ok, nevermind. I think I get it. Let me think of an answer to that question."

Uta looks up, away, and taps her chin. Repeatedly.

"No."

She then spins her staff and assumes a combat stance, weapon directed at the bandit.

That charade... actually worked longer than some expected it to, getting them this far into the bandit den. But the King is showing himself to be less of a fool than his minions. Kauchemar cants her head to one side, cloak shuffling with the moment. She has refrained from revealing her true Were Fang form so far. "A bit heavy handed, but I suppose one of your prestigeous position has grown accustomed to always being suspicious, always watching for that dagger in the back to come. Need to keep others in line." Methodically, as one proverbial eye is kept on the Bandit King while she gives the chamber a once over. Hmm. He's getting a boost from -somewhere-, Landers unaware of such displays Adventurers see when they Inspect.

Eyes flicker beneath the hood as she turns her perception to other methods of awareness. A connection draws from the Bandit King to a point... no, three points... three items giving him that formidable aura. How clever, having his throne room also be the treasure chamber, making the orbs easier to overlook.

<<Three orbs are giving him that buff>>, she murmurs as softly as she can that the party chimlink will pick up, and hope it's not readily overheard by the bandits. <<We will need to destroy them first.>>

Then stomps a foot to the ground, making a theatric show of finally transforming into her Nightmare form, all that dramatic flapping of cloak and flickering lights. "Alas, I see a more mutual agreement isn't in the works. Alas. Some of us don't take kindly to being ordered around."

    Mizuki startles at the shoulder-touch, and gives Kauchemar a shocked and slightly betrayed look at the lack of support. Haru, at least, seems to get it, and the message he's sending to the bandit leader with his body language puts her a little more at ease.

    Ease which is swiftly removed as the emphasis the bandit king places on 'do as I command' makes a chill run down her spine. She doesn't want to think about what sort of 'commands' will be given by this big guy who tries to get touchy-feely with a girl who's obviously uncomfortable with it... Ah crap. *Oh crap,* she's pretty sure she's read a manga like that on a lonely night online many years ago. She looks to the others with obvious alarm, hesitating to answer because she's not a good liar, especially when thrown off her acting game. Her eyes fall on Haru looking for a lead to follow...

    But it's Uta, of all people, who takes action first, or at least takes word. The tigress shifts into a combat stance and starts circling around the bandit... and then, with the mention of orb objectives, runs off to put some distance between herself and the bandit king, making her way towards one of the orbs and using an earth-based Sword Arte to try and smash it with the weight of stone!

Back at the initial guard gate, Kaydon had been standing there in his non-transformed form to try to blend in with the bandits. He had managed to get a couple of them to leave, and a couple others who didn't fall for it are now no longer bandits or alive.

Imagine his surprise when Haru came running up after a while, telling him they needed him back at the boss room, and Haru had to set up some magical protections. Kaydon's usually the first one to defer to other people when it came to magical stuff, but if they needed him it must be something he can destroy.

He's sprinting back towards the boss room when he hears Kauchemar's instructions over the chimlink and he slows down. Kicking in the door would just give away their extra number, but there's not a lot of other ways into the chamber anyway. So what the hell.

He picks up the pace again, and then when he reaches the door of the chamber, transforms into his gnoll form just before he boots the door open, slamming it into the wall, "HEY ASSHOLE!" He yells out, getting the Bandit King's attention. This guy isn't the real Bandit King, the one who saved people in Ezzo. Just some would-be imposter.

Instead of going straight at him though, Kaydon's eyes lock onto one of those orbs on the side, and he smirks faintly as he pulls his gunblade off of his back, "You call yourself a King, but look at you. I've seen better Kings running a burger joint. No the only King I acknowledge is the one who sings Jailhouse Rock."

Kaydon plants his right foot and launches himself across the room, aiming for that orb, which he strikes with a wheeling overhand blow, setting off one of the gunblade charges on impact to shatter the orb into sparkles and code, "Time for a little bit of regicide."

Uta is there, an intense look on her face. Her staff, a while deal, in the shape of twisted serpents coiling around a red crystal which is an anatomically correct crystallized heart, stands ready to either blast matgic at or impale the head bandit.

And then Kaydon makes his entrance.

Uta stops, listens, and her admiration for Kaydon grows a few sizes.

Until, that is, something seems to hit her. She frowns. "Wait, so, uh, our act was over already? We no longer have to pretend we're interested in joining the bandits?"

Back to the threatening the head bandit with the monster's-internal-organ-on-a-magical-stick. "And I know you do not work that way, but I would like to take this opportunity to politely point out that that was not a nice way to interact with my friend Murderkitten. And that, therefore, I will now find myself forced to engage in corrective action in the form of VIOLENCE. Like... uhm... what could I do to teach you to treat people more politel-..."

It is abrupt, mid-sentence. Uta pretty much cuts herself off to jump off to a side, deliver a flying roundhouse kick to one of the orbs, and shattering it into one gajillion pieces, and landing back into a martial arts fighting stance.

Miho is looking to be resting easy on her weapon for a moment and she looks the Bandit king over there's a fire in her eyes and she looks at them for a moment.

"Die? You know we just get back up from that right?"

She readies her self for ther right that's going to come now as she takes a moment watching her allies effort she's been waiting the whole times.

"So my Answer is no and its time to end your terror over the land and even your own men!"

With that she becomes a blur of motion heading right for the Bandit King moving to strike with a flaming Nagitina.

    The Bandit King watches as Uta decloaks herself and draws out her staff, then as Kauchemar transforms into her nightmare form and chuckles toward her words. He doesn't seem to be in disagreement with her statement.

That is when the group seems to quickly move out to strike the three orbs protecting the Bandit King, he watches this and just laughs gently, seeming amused how quickly they sorted this out. "Very well then, no more games it is!" His fists then start to glow as he takes on his own combat stance. "Then come at me! Let us see if you can take down the leader of a thousand bandits!"

Xander tossed aside his own cape and drew out his sword, along with shield. His eyes narrowed sharply as he let out a low draconic growl. "With pleasure." Xander moves in with Miho.

While Miho manages to get a strike in with her flaming Nagitina, Xander is suddenly stopped and thrown off balance by the conan size bandit. The man then turns around an attempt to kick Xander directly in the back, before sweeping around to back hand Miho.

Then with a fluid motion, he leaps up and slams his glowing fist into the ground. The floor rumbles, before rocks try to explode under the others further out.

The look Mizuki gives Kauchemar doesn't go unnoticed. "Sorry, I was focused on figuring out how we're going to be able to even hurt this guy, you're welcome," she quips back as an apologize. She can't exactly divinate without focusing on that matter at that point. It shows, as even now that she's in her more formidable form the sudden shockwave and spiking of stone caused by the bandit lord throws her off her footing. Literally. Sacrifices made to try and ensure a greater chance at success for the party.

"I guess the real sport is on now," she rolls back onto her hooves, giving herself a quick brushing down as she stands. Draws her Grindcore Staff from her inventory after having kept it stashed so it's distinct appearance didn't give them away. But now it was time for the Nightmare Bard to do what bards do best.

The staff is leveled at the bandit lord, the horned skull atop of it crackling with an aura of dark magic as Kauchemar raises her infamous voice.

"o/~ We're the Party you should pray you never find yourself at.
When we show up even Lucifer pisses his pants.
We eat havoc for breakfast, mayhem for lunch
And wash down dinner with a bucket of blood. o/~"

Gross choice of lyrics, but it's meant to be fierce and intimidating. Even as she unleashes the burst of enervating energy that's been charging in her staff at the large man ready to stomp them into the stone as previously stated.

    The orb shatters very satisfyingly, but the False Bandit King does the tried and true boss move of smashing into the floor to shake the whole screen. Mizuki has been playing games for years; a six-year-old could avoid that attack!

    She wasn't prepared for SPIKES to come out of the floor everywhere though, which catch her in midair, unable to dodge. Pain is reduced for adventurers, but still. "Owwww!"

    She's sent flying, and hits the ground rolling on her side, but quickly kips up, glaring at the boss with hateful, slit-pupil eyes as she equips her usual midnight-violet ninja outfit with the long red scarf and draws a second dagger, before sneaking around and waiting for him to be focused on someone else for a second. The moment he does...

    She leaps for his back, trying to latch on by digging her daggers and hindclaws into his flesh. "What kinda creep acts like this?! Seriously!"

    Seeing a guy touch somebody like that would've made Sam feel kinda skeeved out before, and the creepy air of the same guy following it up with talk about commands would still have been, like, creepy, but seeing it from *this* angle just felt worse and confusing in ways she's not sure how to deal with so she's just gonna take out her anger on the person responsible for it.

    Kauchemar sings about how they're a Party you don't want to face, further buoying her spirits. "That's right! I'm Mycroft Hellfire, engineer of the Well-Tuned Murder Engine, and I'll show you WHY we have that name!"

"I will let you know you are dealing with the Ruler of an Unspecified Number of Slimes!", Uta exclaims, and leaps to the attack. Rock explode under her, but she is quick to leap left, right, somersault, backflip, each time barely missing jagged pillar shooting up from the rocky floor.

Uta dashes in for the final blow, staff raised to strike the bandit, when one last, unexpected spike of rock shoots up at Melee range, skewering her right through the lungs, like an insect on a pin (and she even has the wings to pull off the look).

Uta's eyes grow large. Red halos glow on her body, where the spike enters through her chest, and exits through her back; frozen in space, all she can emit is a faint wheezing sound.

But while massively impaired, and incapacitated in her spell-singing abilities, she is, nonetheless, at melee range.

While her eyes are still frozen, staring ahead, her mind wanders back. Searching, scrounging, cavenging any viable memory of an attack technique that works right now. And finally, after her synapses (or what counts for them due to the mysterious nature of the Adventurers' predicament) have scanned, explored all the possible lessons learned in the past, all the possible nuggets of wisdom imparted by her sensei's, she finally settles on one, shining pure, crystallyne, the piece of puzzle that fits neatly with the moment.

She begins to wheeze, barely audible, her voice merely a whisper: "Thanks... Vertina..."

And straight-up tries to punch the bandit in the face.

The fact that the guy was smirking at their threats made Kaydon mad. These people always underestimate adventurers. It's the same shit the Palace Lands leadership pulls. It's why they lost in Yamato and are going to lose in their own home.

The ground explodes under him after a moment of surprise, catching him and the whole group off guard. Kaydon tries to block downwards with his blade, but have you ever tried blocking the general direction of 'down'? He gets back to his feet after a moment, and grips the gunblade with both hands, before crossing the distance between himself and the Bandit King with frightening speed for someone his size and as armored as he is. He stops just short with his left foot forward, twisting around with a diagonally downward strike aimed directly at center mass of the leader, "One adventurer is worth more than a thousand bandits, let me show you!"

On contact with his target, he'll trigger another shot from that cylinder. Two down, four remaining. But with the force behind that fire arte being released through the blade, he usually doesn't need more than two or three.

Miho is on the bandit leader, she says nothing else as she's caught fiughting up close so to speakl as the magic comes wait? No that's a kick and she's send back she'll be able to stop her flight thanks in part to her tail, helping her keep some level of control over how she fell. She's up again looking up at at the Bandit.

Once again she closes and she'll spin her weapon once breaking into a chain of savage attacks at high speed, stabs so fast they blurr.

"SONIC BLOW!"

    The Bandit King raises his hand and Kauchemar's dark attack slams into a massive rock wall. He doesn't comment on her lyrics or his thoughts on the matter, as his focus shifts to the next attacker. Mizuki rushes in with all fire and vigor in her soul. Only when she goes to latch on, does the large muscular figure move out of her attack, and with each strike, she is just inches from him. Not only was this man built like Conan, but he moved like a dancer; Or at least someone far faster than he should be!

Kaydon goes in with shots from his gunblade, which the bullets are met with a rock wall to keep him safe from the attack. Only for Uta to charge in from the Bandit's blind spot and smash his face with her fist! This also allows for Miho then to move in while he is recovering where she succeeds where Mizuki failed earlier with the rapid strikes.

Xander takes this moment to ignore his own blade with fire, as red runs light up across the blade and then swings out his own strike, as a fire lashes out like a whip toward the back of the Bandit King.

The fire whip hits its mark and the Bandit King stumbles forward a bit, before his eyes begin to glow. He raises up his hand, as several rocks rise from the ground upward and then with a throw of his hand to the side, boulders are tossed in every direction toward the group.

This time Kauchemar isn't distracted by other things, stamping the butt of her staff against the ground. Spectral flames briefly appear, out of which rises her Binder Shield. Just in time to intercept the stones being hurtled at the Nightmare Bard. Rock impacts against posessed steel and shatters into multiple fragments around her harmless. It's almost a mocking recreation of the way he blocked her own attack.

"I think this fight has had enough rock to roll. But you know what it's missing?"

She raises her staff again, this time generating an audible thrum not unlike the bass line of a night club, as darkness briefly descends around the Bandit lord, only to be broken by the disorienting bursts of illusionary collor that erupt within it. Hopefully the shock of darkness to blinding rhythmic color and back will be enough to disorient him enough for others to get in their blows. This really isn't going to be good for them if it turns into a protracted battle because this guy is trying to bring the entire house down on them.

He wheels around again after his strike is blocked by the rock wall, catching a flying boulder to the torso and being knocked back again. But he's back on his feet, his defensive attempts not proving fruitful. But they say the best defense is a good offense.

Kaydon is often one to prefer a stand up fight to using underhanded tactics. Which is why it's still weird he invented the weapon he did. The weapon he uses as he closes in with a feint on the bandit king, trying to open him up for a stab to the ribs with the hidden blade on his off hand. No fancy words from Kaydon this time, just a surprise thrust and a look into the Bandit's eyes on contact. And then maybe a little twist.

Dash. Zip. Uta disappears into the darker areas of the location; and as her ominous Chant picks up, and tendrils of Sheer Darkness slither across her steff and coalesce into her staff, a black mist oozes out, envelopes her, and she becomes one with the Shadows, in a more-than-metaphorical sense; her appearance, through being surrounded the twisted Darkness, makes her a sort of living Blind Spot, so that it will take an extra dose of willpower to focus on her instead of being driven away by that chilling gut feeling, that shiver at the back on your neck. Extra Willpower which might be hard to come by during the circumstances.

Away from the rock... and harder to target directly. That seems enough for her to hang around long enough to realize that her disguise as a bandit involves a dagger, doesn't it? Well, it's time to jump out from the shadows, and take a slash at the Boss.

Things are not looking good for Miho shges' getting pummled very hard iut alm sot looks like she's about done at this point there's cracks on her body bleeding red light. If not for her brestplante she might be down already she also knows it's not over yet as she gets hit by a boulder and WHAM she goes flying back. She's lucky to not be trapped under one, still the damage is done and she'll launch one final attack leaping ith her sprear at the Bandit one last time.

    It would have been REALLY SATISFYING TO STAB THIS GUY, so Mizuki is only disappointed and angered more by her failure! Damn, he can move like that despite looking like 800 lbs of muscle, huh???

    At least the others score some hits.

    But the bandit king doesn't even give them some banter, he just throws rocks! At least she's able to dodge them, leaping, flashstepping aside in midair, or watersliding under boulders. "Tch. The Yellow Devil was a harder dodging challenge than you'll ever be..." She starts flinging kunai and bolts of flame from her hands as she runs around the room, trying to chip him down some while looking for an opportunity for a big strike. While Kauchemar does that flashy shield move, she hides with Uta -- and as the Ruler Of An Unspecified Number Of Slimes leaps forward with her own dagger, Mizuki leaps from the shadows behind her, zipping past with the exemplary Sworde Arte of this type of attack: Edge of Shadow!

    Kauchemar serves as a great distraction, as she tries to blind him with darkness and color. Though it doesn't seem the Bandit King is bothered by it, as he creates rocks around his arms to block Uta and knock her aside. "Do you think I got here to lose so easily! I am the king of my domain! Soon to be a father! And I will rule these sands with my own determination! Never will any suffer again!"

Perhaps frustration was starting to take hold, even as he knocks back Xander, who tries to go in for a strike, sending him to the other side of the room. Though this gave an opening for Kaydon to rush in and jam the gunblade into his side. He roars out, sending the Werefang away, as he tries to use magic to 'seal' the wound, before Miho charges in with a spear jamming it into his shoulder.

The Mizuki comes in for the final blow, slamming her blades from the shadows into his body. The Bandit King goes down to one knee, trying to fight back, before one hand falls to the ground. "... This is-- my kingdom. This is.. My home... my future... You will /never/ have it."

Then there is a rumble around them, as he laughs and laughs. Even as he starts to dissolve into pixels. Part of the cave roof comes crashing down to the ground, then a pillar topples over. Xander tsks gently. "I guess he believes in 'If I can't have it, no one can'. Lets move people!"

The Salamander then goes to head for the entrance that Kaydon made his entrance from, as something catches his eye. He looks over at it and then runs over to pull it out of the treasure pile, only for a pillar to almost fall over on him, as he uses his own magicks to knock it aside. "... Right. Keep moving." He tells himself, as he goes to get the hell out of dodge.

"Good grief, I didn't mean bring the house down literally!"

Kauchemar... makes sure to grab Uta to make sure she realizes it is indeed time for them to run, before literally hoofing it for the exit before the entire place drops on their heads.

    Oh, NOW he talks. "You mean none YOU care about will suffer." His kingdom? "...We don't *want* it, we just don't want *you*!"

    She and Uta deliver the final blow in a combination stab attack! And then... well, what gamer doesn't remember that moment, right?

                                 TIME BOMB SET                                  
                                 GET OUT FAST!                                  

    "Oh shit, that was a load-bearing boss!" Mizuki shouts. She takes a quick look around to make sure everyone's mobile, taking Uta's hand to pull her along if she looks disoriented as usual. "Come on!"

    The escape sequence is totally full of lots of awesome cat ninja parkour and, in retrospect, pretty damn cool if she wasn't having to worry about cave collapse...

    But, do they get the chance to save the animals^H^H^H^H any prisoners?

Uta flies against the wall, and once again, is skewered against a jutting rock. Red halos across chest and back, those eyes go wide again, she wheezes, unable to sing and cast magic.

But something in the bandit's words hits her even harder. Her wheezing stops at the same time as already impaired breathing -- until Mizuki pulls her off the rock and Kauchemar drags her away, staff and all.

"He was going to be a father...", is all Uta can whisper-wheeze in her state of shock, the red discs on her front and back still glowing luminous. "Please let them be just coded NPCs... please let them be just coded NPCs..." she repeats, while providing her services as dead weight to the rest of the party.

Miho is lueky to still be in one peice but sees the banit as eveyrone else has basically brought this to and ned.

"Good it's time to ... oh you have to be kidding! THE PLACE IF COMING DOWN IF YOU WANT TO LIVE GET OUT!"

She shouts at the top of her lungs the one kindness she'll attempt to any lurky minions of this would be King. She then runs.

Man Kaydon sure hopes that this guy's kid doesn't hunt them down for murdering their father someday in the future. Because that's definitely not something that would happen. And their kid especially won't have the adventurers fight them in the same place their father was fought. That'd be crazy.

Kaydon definitely is not thinking about this as they run for the door, "Why do they always rig up self destruct buttons, it makes it real hard to loot stuff!"

    Xander doesn't even respond to the whole 'Going to be a father', cause it probably has to do with the 'queen' they have kept alive at the village. Though that does make him wonder if, after everything that woman has been through, if that child would even survive. That-- isn't a thought he really wants on his own mind as they make their escape.

Sadly meany of the bandits are caught as the roof comes down and many less even get out. Hell, the group barely manages to get out, as the entrance falls apart behind them.

Xander slides to a stop and just turns around to look at the rising dust. His hands come to rest on his knees as he grumbles out. "Why do some bosses.. have to be so damn dramatic..." He then stands up, "At least however the area won't have to worry about a massive bandit issue for awhile."

"No kidding. Even *I* don't go that far for the sake of theatrics." Kauchemar huffs, leaning on her staff to brace herself and catch her breath. Just because she's a horse and really good at running doesn't mean that going full tilt like that while making sure certain others didn't get distracted and forget to flee didn't take it's share of her stamina. "We will have to make sure his 'queen' is properly handled... and his kid doesn't turn out like him, hopefully."

Miho looks to Kau for a moment. "Aye get a healer too had and yes lets see the kiddo does not end up like him." She looks to Xander. "Why not? It was the Swan Song no? Why go out with a whimper?"

"I volunteer to make sure that everything goes well with the boss's family," Uta says, with a feeble voice, finally seeming aware of her surroundings. "Take care of the mother, the child, anything." She barely has the strength to stand, and she is wobbling badly. "...I don't like to kill Landers. Even if they are bosses."

After a couple of teetering motions where she threatened to topple over, she manages to steady herself enough to flick her menu open, and shimmer a health potion into existence. "...After I take care of the party, first. Heal the squishies first," she says, and chugs down the concoction. Ready to work her Pharmaceutiucal Skills and Light Magic on the rest of the party if it needs be.

Which, given the current boss encounter, it probably does.