The Howl Of War

The alliances have worked up a possible network to alarm larger groups of undead activity. One such activity comes up through the chimlinks. There is an attack happening on a small fishing village.

Only thing is, the ghouls and bones attack are NOT human, but rather that of Werefangs and wolfhounds.. and the group that reported the attack, well, they had to fall back.

It will be up to new party to charge in and save the day!

Helena Lethe
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

    The Hunter's guild sent out the announcement that a small farm has come under attack by the undead forces in the Ninetails Dominion, and that a small group of lander defense force was moving in to see what they could do to slow down their assault.

As your group arrives, they will witness the battle taking place. Knights trying to defend against bone and ghoul massive wolf werefangs. People being chased down by ghoul wolfhounds and then dragged back; If not out right killed; To their master, along with several other armored skeleton Were fang warriors.

    The master of the undead pack of hounds, was a woman wearing leather armor, with a horn strapped to her side and a sword on the other. There was also a bow on her backside, with quiver of arrows.

This woman had emerald scales along her visible face, glowing blue draconic eyes, and black hair pulled back into a tight bun. As one of the lander knights was dragged over to her, she couldn't help but smile. "Good pup." She said to here ghoul Were fang, that tossed the knight at her feet. "Now go get me some /more/ men." She watched the Were fang leap back into the fields and as the knight tried to reach for a weapon, she stomped hard on his wrist.

Her eyes not even looking at him, as she continued to watch the battle rage on. "It is cute," She says with a fanged smile. "That you think you can win." Her glowing blue eyes then looked sharply down at him. "But you all have been sent to your deaths, or perhaps... Relife."

    The salamander woman crouches down and places her hand over his chin, clamping tightly along his jaw, even as the knight tries to fight. "But I /like/ you. You have such a /fighting/ spirit. I think I'll make you my personal pet."

Then as the knight tries to spit at her, she unnatural avoids, with a slight dark mist that follows where she was. "My my!" She laughs, before back handing him unconscious. "You are /indeed/ a fine prize." Then she allows her two werefangs beside her toss him in one of the cages. "Though I think we have enough souls for our queen... Probably about time we leave I think before they send more forces." She runs her hand along one of the were-wolf's faces, which leans into her touch.

It was not shortly though did she dare turn her back, that an arrow went flying her way. An arrow she catches and just as quickly spins around and sends directly back at the Lander archer, which impacts his shoulder. "Or before any more strays test my patience."
Goldenblade
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

Goldenblade rides in on Pekoback, poor equestrian that she is. Or pekostrian, anyhow. But as she sees the aftermath, it would seem, of the raid on the farm, she shouts in alarm, then in challenge, and spurs her peko on into the fray. Or at least prods it with her heels. She hasn't earned her spurs yet. The peko leaps forward, and she hops off at the closest of the enemy forces, drawning her blades in a whirl of steel and slashing at the undead, hoping to relieve the remaining defenders, taking some of the pressure off them. The peko, a bit more sensible, squawks and waddles away from the fray at speed.
Shiruba
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

Shiruba had been on a trek to collect information on the various locations the Undead Army had been encountered. While it was a bit more dangerous to do so she had kept to herself in an attempt to avoid drawing any sort of extra unwanted attention to herself. The effort would only pay off if the enemy didn't realize what the sly Cait Sith was up to.

That said being in the actual area meant she was quick to come across the message of another raid, and while her own investigation was important she couldn't just stand aside while there was danger afoot.

The wolfgirl slinked onto the scene at the edges of the settlement, still in the mindset of avoiding attention until she sees how bad the situation really is. It was, frankly, pretty bad. The farm was already in ruins, with undead monsters running rampant. Undead werefang ... wolves? God dammit. Her subspecies has enough reputation issues.
There was a glimmer of appreciation in seeing some of the Lander forces had started to step up to protect themselves, though with just as many of them already in cages it was apparent they weren't going to be able to handle this alone brave or not.

As other Adventurers started to gather Shiruba crouched in the grasses at the edge of the farm and quietly readied her bow. She waiting for the other melee combantants to get into their range.

That's when she finally stands and fires a cluster of arrows arcing into the air, aimed at deterring those wolfhounds trying to harry and tired people out with their chasing.
Rylen
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

In recent days, Rylen has taken a semi-permanent post in the Highland City, trying to martial Adventurer forces and work amongst the Lander Dominions in order to build up defenses against the undead armies. He had firmly taken his place amongst those who had volunteered to defend the Kingdom, where his strength and charisma are best used.

The reports of undead activity is enough to draw him out onto the front lines, however. With recent rumors of Adventurers being turned, he is a bit more armored than one might normally expect him to be. His leather jacket is pulled over a sleeveless padded vest, heavy boots drawn up to the knees offering a bit more protection. Even his fists are covered in a set of leather gloves. For someone who normally performs shirtless, it's a change of pace.

Rylen steps up, putting himself physically between the undead woman and the injured archer. "I'll block your retreat. Go." He advises, voice serious. The beastmaster cracks his knuckles, looking across the battlefield towards the woman who he assumes is at the core of this attack.

He firms his stance, slipping into a form that looks distinctly martial artist, then stomps one foot to the ground, following the motion with a pull of his arm upward, as if he were tugging something that isn't there.

Then, vines begin to shoot up, coiling around the cages. It is meant to make it harder for the cages to be moved or for the enemy to escape with their prisoners, but also to protect those inside from further injury. "These people aren't your playthings. I recommend letting them go."
Merek
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

    Merek draws Shadow Eclipse from the sheath while he comes upon the place, then he notices the woman along with that general exchange. The man nods to the party, "I am going to deal with the Hounds," the man notes, taking the time to swing along in and protect the Knight Forces, flanking the enemy with a swing of the weapon that seems to draw a flame upon it. "You want a real fight!" Looks like he's trying to tank the hounds away from the forces.
Kaydon
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

Once again Landers are in trouble and once again it's up to the Adventurers to save them. But Kaydon has been hankering for a fight, so this is exactly what he needs. A chance to let off some steam and help the Landers in the process. A good combo for the were fang.

He is on foot, where he's most comfortable fighting from. And he has brought his special blade along with him. The Damascus Blade can shatter steel and rend flesh and bone like butter. He wields it like a one handed blade, despite the size of it, and it allows him to rush into the forces of the hunter's hounds, slashing downwards with practiced precision to try to divide the head of one of the hounds from its body.
Uta
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

    Uta, as it seems to have been her modus operandi of late, covers the last leg of the trip to the battlefield on foot. Thanks to her attunement with the element of Dark and her solid sneaking skills, she manages to arrive close enough to witness the scene without seeming to cause any reaction from the people involved. Back flattened against a tree, she peers out, hidden by the shade, the camouflage enhanced by elemental magic.

    The events that transpire are decidedly unusual, and it is typical for Uta in these circumstances, she'll pull up her medical-grade inspect on these monsters and landers, and observe in complete silence, trying to memorize any names she sees to the best of her ability.
Helena Lethe
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

    Goldenblade comes in with her blades twirling with grace. One of the ghoul wolfhounds is cut down, before another as well. Shiruba's own arrows fly true, as one Wolfhound is taken down by an arrow before it can snatch a victim, allowing the defenses Lander to run free.

Though this places her in the sights of a ghoul Werefang that comes charging right at her on nearly all fours. Her arrow pierces it in the shoulder, but it continues the charge. Leaping directly for her, with its massive bone claws stretched out and jaw ready to /chomp/ down on her!

Goldenblade may need to do her own fancy footwork, as a ghoulish wolfhound tries to leap in from behind. As Goldenblade has to deal with their own problem hound. Merek comes in and takes down a few that may have had bright ideas to go after Golden as well.

    The Magic Knight cuts down several hounds, as he tries to call attention to himself, which does work as a ghoulish wolfhound goes charging directly for him! As Kaydon joins in, only to find his blade suddenly blocked by an armored Werefang with its own sword.

The two blades collide and sparks fly from the two swords making impact. That skeleton Werefang stares directly at Kaydon, before moving to take a slash at the man before it.

The Merchant Blades take advantage of the adventurers coming in, as several archers take aim and unleash their own arrows into the fray, taking down a few more hounds and placing a few more arrows into the ghoulish Werefang forces. Though they themselves have to deal with a few of those same Werefangs coming directly at them!

    Uta for now goes unnoticed, for now all the undead werefangs carry their proper monster tags, including the woman calling the shots, who /does/ have a name and seems to possible have a 'red' bar under her name, which is 'Sylver the Huntress'.

As for Rylen he gains this woman's attention, who's glowing draconic blue eyes look at him as if looking at smaller predator before her. She watches the knight take off to head back to the safety of the back lines, before her eyes stare directly at him. "How brave. Foolish..." She tilts her head, "But brave."

Then as Rylen uses magic to try and hold the two cages in place, she looks at her two armored Werefangs, "Deal with him." She snaps her fingers and points. The two quickly rush down and one of them goes to swing its sword directly for the Pooka. While she turns away and reaching for her horn and blows directly into it toward the sky.

Shortly after, she lowers her horn, and several more armored werefangs rise from the very ground next her, along with a few more ghoulish wolfhounds. "Kill them." She says with little emotion in her voice. "Kill them all." Then they go running into the field of battle.

        [ Shiruba, Kaydon, Rylen, & Knights vs 12 ]
        [ Goldenblade, Merek vs 9 ]
Merek
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

    Merek draws up a magical shield of divine energy, while he swings the blade along back into its sheath. The man begins to shift forward a little while he speaks to the party, "Alright, let's make this a little easier," he notes, when he notices the enemies are swinging into his friends. The man weaves a little Earth Magic while he shifts the ground into a cradle, swinging up pillars that begin to surround all of the were fangs as well as the hounds, cornering them towards the party to make them easier to fight and defend against, for a little while. The man has clearly been practicing. He then points to the woman leading the hounds, "Enough from you, these battle lines are drawn!"
Kaydon
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

Kaydon's blade gets caught, and he slides backwards after the other were fang interrupts him, "You wanna do this, my friend? Fine, lets go."

He rushes back in, only to catch a strike from the opponent, sending a bright red line across his chest, as he pulls away, stopping himself from falling, but his flow getting interrupted.

Balancing himself, he switches his grip on his blade, and rushes in again, bringing it in an upward slash with the intention of cutting straight through the were fang's defenses and into him. He's not pulling out the move that can shatter steel yet. That comes if this fails.
Goldenblade
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

Goldenblade is surrounded and set upon by the ghoulish wolfhounds, but remains one step ahead, twirling aside from claws and bites and infected undeadness. She rushed in, so it's clear she's determined, though the thought that maybe they could have planned this better occurs to her. On the other hand, the defenders were getting mangled, and now we're all getting mangled, so the mangling is getting slightly spread out. She hasn't been paying much attention to the details of the reports of the armies doing this and that: she waits until people tell her which way to go and who to fight. That's how she wound up here, and just in time!

She lays about her with deadly thrusts and piercing blows, her blades sapping the enemies' HP bars satisfactorily, piercing their flesh, or so it seems, the VR nature of the wounds, glowing red areas rather than gaping rents of flesh. She fights on fiercely in the midst of a scrum of foes, tagging them all as her blades reach them, damaging them all as she can, prioritizing spreading out as much damage as she can more than concentrating on one and cutting it down at the expense of sparing the others.
Shiruba
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

The undead Were Fang takes a hit and just keeps on coming, with the wolven archer dead in it's sight. Not as easily to shoot into stopping as the wolfhounds but that's not really a surprise either.
Shiruba kippups back and then stomps her foot into the ground while uttering a quick incantation under her breath. Stone and dirt erupt upward at her command to form a barrier between her and the charging monster. Who leaps and charges right into it. Right THROUGH it. The stone structure does slow the descent of his pounce just enough for Shiruba to duck away from getting crushed under his bulk, but the flailing of it's claws as it does so still catchs her across the back and sends her into a wheeling stumble before steadying herself. She keeps an eye on the one that attacked her, but knows her help is needed more elsewhere.

She turns, drawing back her bow to ready. Not with a physical arrow. But with an actual lightning bolt manifesting in the weapon.

"You want to know why the call me the Howling Storm?"

She fires the bolt up into the air.... And with the audible crack of thunder a much larger stroke of Lightning! crashes down towards where Merek is trying to corral the other attackers into a vulnerable position.
Rylen
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

Brave and foolish... That's certainly an apt descriptor of the Pooka Beastmaster. As he meets the woman's eyes, the corner of his lip quirks slightly. It's almost a silent challenge.

When the armored Were Fangs approach him, Rylen stands his ground, giving the Landers behind him time to make their escape. It does, however, mean that he ends up having to face the two directly. His movements are swift, blocking the initial blows, but it isn't long before one manages to get through. There is a rip of cloth and a lance of fire that shoots up his side. When he draws back, one hand going to his side, his fingers come free stained in red, the digital outline of a wound visible beneath the torn vest.

"Shame you won't fight me, yourself, huntress." Injured or no, Rylen's first priority is to protecting the Landers. His companions seem to be handling doing damage to the hounds and their Were Fang companions well enough.

He dodges around one of the strikes that seeks to keep him in melee, and lands with both feet, crouching and then pulling up a massive chunk of stone from the ground below. Dirt and grass fall off of it as he shoves the boulder forward, trying to slam it into the side of one of the cages in order to weaken the bars.
Uta
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

    Uta quietly raises her staff shaped like a caduceus. "I have scanned them," she murmurs into the party chimlinks. "They come up as monsters, The Salamander is called 'Sylver the Huntress.' Red bar under her name."

    Still keeping at a reasonable distance, she goes for her to-go ranged attack of the Dark persuasion: staff pointed at the hounds, she intones a sinister, oppressive chant. The staff glows darker, splotches of Night pulsating into existence on and floating around it. An aura of shadow seeps out from Uta's whole figure, engulfing her, growing into a writhing Uta-sized hamsterball of void with writhing purple tendrils. Reduced to a black silhouette whose only feature are solid purple eyes, glowing darkly, Uta aims her staff, kicks the soul-crushing ominousness up (or is it actually down?) a notch, and when she hits the final note, the whole aura is sucked in, and shoots it out at the hounds as a jet of Dark magic.
Helena Lethe
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

    Merek crates a spell that is forcing the hounds and werefangs into a tunnel, as they charge. This does give the archers and those with ranged weaponry and easier time to pick off the forces as they come. Though as he calls out, the salamander vampire only gives him a slight glance; Not seeming to take him to seriously either.

With that though, she begins to walk /toward/ Rylen, allowing her hounds to deal with the new problem they have been caught into. Either not carrying for her undead pups or believing they are capable of getting the job done without her watchful eye.

It seems that while Merek was conducting the challenge, Rylen had her /full/ attention. "You really should stop playing with what belongs to the Queen. I hate to ruin that pretty face of yours, Pooka."

    As Merek tries to hold up the Earth walls, he will find a ghoulish Werefang racing directly for him, before leaping up and trying to slam him down to the ground!

Kaydon's blade strikes true and cuts directly into the Skeleton werefang, breaking the bones. It is not long till the Skeleton wolf humanoid vanishes into wisps, but then a Wolfhound goes leaping directly for him!

Goldenblade continues to do a number on the wolfhounds as they come racing toward her. One by one they fall to her blades, however a large shadow soon looms over her, as a Werefang jumps to pounce the woman in an attempt to pin her to the ground. However, Shiruba's lightning strike keeps that from happening, as the ghoulish werefang is impacted by the lightning.

Yet, here comes another Werefang, a bone one at that, covered in armor, as it attempts to intercept not only Goldenblade's own sword, but also counter attack back, while Shiruba may need to watch her six, as a ghoul wolfhound tries to jump her.

    Uta then attempts to assist in the fray as well, who fires off her own dark magic, but the hounds are quick! There padded feet, and raised walls, allow them to leap around the dark bolts, while one of the wolfhounds jumps right at her!

The lander knights at least get a break from the battle, and they take the chance to open fire once more from, what is now, a safe location. Though as few hold back, in fear that they could hit the adventurers! As for Rylen, while he /has/ the huntress walking toward him. He has to deal with another armored skeleton werefang, attempting to slam him directly into the newly raised wall.

        [ Merek, Goldenblade, Rylen vs 10 ]
        [ Kaydon, Shiruba, Uta vs 8
Merek
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

    Merek watches while that shield he created around all of the creatures begins to shimmer away, while he draws up his own shield of light to defend against what looks like a werefang coming along at him. The man seems to watch them while he thinks about it, he doesn't talk with the woman, he doesn't try to look for his party. They all seem to be managing alright. "I won't let the Queen..." Then he lifts up both his fists while he takes a stance, "Then I will free you," he says. Then he begins to charge in along with swinging his fists, "Ragnarok's Wisdom!"
Shiruba
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

Shiruba mutters at the party link, though not anyone particularly on it. Just the name that's been revealed thanks to Uta. Another hunter using a variation of 'silver' as a name? How rude! But she can't let that distract her at the moment, and quips a quick "Thanks Uta" over the party link.

While she may of focused on assisting her teammates like a good leader, it doesn't mean Shiruba isn't paying attention to her own dangers. It's the opposite, between hunter and explorer she is exceptionally aware of what's going on around her. A ghoulish wolfman comes charging at her, only to get a faceful of froth as a surge of water and frost allows the wolfgirl to slide out of his path before he can realize she's moving.

This time when she does turn afterwards it is to face her own attacker. An arrow is flicked from her quiver as she does so and notched into the bow, runic markings resembling coiling vines glowing faintly along the shaft just before she fires.

The arrow bursts midair, the earth magic within manifesting a cluster of barbed constricting vines that will latch onto whatever they hit and wind tight in a choking, crushing grasp.
Goldenblade
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

Goldenblade looks worried as the werefang prepares to pounce her, but is struck down before it can, and she fights on, only to be attacked by the bone werefang as well. "Not playing /that/," she grumbles, pressed, and with a grunt, she zips clear of the attack so fast that she leaves flaming footprints in her wake, and the flames singe the attackers. That's a fast escape, and a function of the fire in her soul.

She counterattacks her skeletal attacker, her blades bursting into flame, slashing down like hammerblows, chipping away at the bone, sucking down it's health bar with each blow. "You're going down," she growls defiantly, fiery blades hacking as hard and fast as she can swing them, heavy blows falling on the bones. Twirling away from the counterattacks, she strikes with a flaming slash with each fast rotation of her body. They call her Blade Dancer for a reason.
Rylen
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

Well, way to open your big mouth, Rylen. At the very least, the woman seems distracted enough to be focusing on him rather than the others. It means that the rest of the group can try to deal with her minions. It also means that the charismatic Pooka has both an armored Were Fang and a high level undead monster woman on his case.

He catches the movement of the Were Fang first, his foot sliding out, in a way that brings him just below the attack that would have grabbed him about the waist. The Were Fang goes sailing over him, leaving Rylen to roll to his feet, making sure he has distance and sight on the enemies currently targeting him.

"They don't belong to your Queen. Those people belong to no one but themselves." Rylen replies with his usual charismatic boldness.

Then, in a way that is likely far too cocky for his own good, Rylen points upwards. As he's been fighting, each time his earth attacks have been used, bits of earth have been collected, forming into a series of boulders that now hover above the fighting.

A flicker of fire forms on the surface as the rocks begin to fall, carefully aimed at the cages, ready to slam into them and hopefully weaken the last of the durability on the bars.
Uta
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

    "You're welcome, Shiruba!", Uta replies at the chimlink message. "Trying to do my part by providing useful intelligence. Plus, you know I'm a compulsive inspector..."

    "Oh snap!", Uta exclaims as she notices a Hound coming at her. A quick rising sequence of notes is vocalized as her staff is slammed on the ground, and the Stone Catapult spell is activated.

    A disc-shaped slab of terrain spontaneously carves out from the rest of the ground Where Uta is standing, spinning in place along with the musical kung-fu nurse standing on top of it, just in time to snatch her away from her attacker. She floats there for a moment, Q*Bert style, before being FLUNG into the thick of battle at incredible speed; Uta barely has the time to murmur, "...In hindsight, I shouldn't have said 'Oh snap!', but '@#$%!'".

    The spriggan flies over part of the battlefield, towards where the ghoulish Were Fangs are, and lands with the tips of the fingers in one hand touching the floor, and her other hand lifted up, holding her staff. An intense stare at the incoming threat, she makes a mental note of the movements and positions of each enemy, quickly formulates a plan of action, and then she lunges forward.

    Her jumping and twirling movements, her swinging of her staff... they are rhytmical, musical, terpshichorean; her blows aim to strike different parts of the armor with such a tempo to produce... music, as if using the enemies' differently sized and shaped helmets, bracers, and chest plates as the most dangerous metallophone.

    In case she succeeds, even if partially...

    ...wait, is that tune 'Werewolves of London'?

    ...is she vocalizing the 'aroo' part as an opera-style 'ah-AAAAAH'?
Kaydon
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

Kaydon's blade cleaves clean through the were fang he was fighting, rendering him into the sparkles that make up everything in this world. He quickly wheel's around, recovering and setting his stance, just in time to find the wolfhound rushing towards him.

He moves to block the wolfhound only to misjudge the timing, and getting his arm bitten into. Thankfully it's his off-hand that's being chowed down on. He hauls back with the hilt of his Damascus Blade and begins to slam it down onto the head of the canine that's holding onto him.

"Bad dog! Bad!"
Helena Lethe
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

    As Merek goes directly for the Huntress, one of her Werefang knights gets directly in his way, taking the full brute of the force. The skeleton fang shimmers and then fades into wisps of light, before a ghoulish wolfhound leaps directly for him!

Shiruba not only avoids her attacker, but she fires off her arrow, which wraps around the Werefang, crushing into a light of wisps. Though it is not shortly after will she find another Werefang leaping as the wisps rise directly for her!

Goldenblade crashes her hammers against the skeleton werefang until it vanishes into wisp of light, though like Shiruba, from that light comes racing in with its maw wide open is a ghoulish wolfhound, ready to take a bite out of the blade dancer. As Goldenblade is dealing with a hound, Uta is playing music on the Werefang skeleton armor, taking down one after another.

That was till a Paticular werefang ghoul got tired of her musical number. His claws reaching out and attempts to not only snag her staff, but if succesful, tries to throw her to the ground. Some just don't have a taste for good music.

Kaydon is dealing with his own problem, as the wolfhound tries to chew on his arm, thankfully a good smack in the head gets the hound to back off, before it growls at him. However a shadow soon loom over him, as a ghoulish werefang raises up its clasped hands together and tries to slam them down on /him/ in return.

    Meanwhile...
Sylver the Huntress walks ever closer toward Rylen. Even as he talks, she continues to walk toward him. Her glowing eyes staring directly into his gray eyes. Her dark, emerald green scales being shimmered by the falling, burning rocks.

One slamming into her armored werefang warrior, another into another one, and the cages breaking free. As they break free and the landers scramble to their feet to escape. Her eyes narrow sharply. Her vampiric fangs become obvious as she says with a soft, calm tone to her voice. "I think you... Need some obedience training, beautiful stranger."

Then before Rylen can blink, before he can even comment back, that woman is right in front of him and a dagger holstered to her back, is driving directly into his side. She holds the blade there, as she leans in, her lips dangerously close to his own. Her eyes still staring into his as she says softly. "Now be a good boy... and heel." Then she rips the dagger out.

    As the people move to escape, the knights hold back any attack as they focus on getting the people to safety and keep any of the undead pack hounds from giving proper chase!

        [ Shiruba, Kaydon, Uta vs 10 ]
        [ Merek, Goldenblade vs 7 ]
Shiruba
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

If there is one thing Shiruba has learned in her long career as a gamer, it's that you don't -stop- until the fight is clearly over. Numerous werefang wolves and wolfhound undead are down, the cages are being smashed by the Beastmaster, but there's still plenty of danger going on. Wolves are already unrelenting pack hunters, making them undead just makes them more so.

"BRAKE WIND!" the storm hunter shouts, and a surge of air whips up and around Shiruba at the command. The undead were fang charges into it, only to get tossed aside as the minature cyclone lives up to it's terrible joke name and put the brakes on his charge.

Instead of simply dismissing the winds Shiruba elementally grips them once more, drawing them in as she draws and nocks one of her special arrows. "The winds of change come to blow you away!"

That cyclonic energy is charged around the arrow as it's fired, the tumultuous howl of storm strength winds following in its wake as it screams through the air towards its target.
Uta
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

    Uta twirls, slams, twirls, slams, twirls-

    There is an unexpected impact, and her staff is punched away from her, spinning in the air, like a majorette's baton.

    The Spriggan GLARES at the Were fang that pulled this stunt, and, well, just... she'd punch him in the face. Just /punch/ him so hard his whole face would glow red.

    She would, but she doesn't. Because with the corner of her eyes, she catches sight of what Sylver is doing to Rylen.

    "OH NO YOU DON'T!", she growls, and forasking the philistine completely, she leaps from spot to spot, bouncing off rocks and trees, catching her spinning staff in mid-air (now that it has reached the descending end of its trajectory, quite some distance from the starting point), and with lightning-fast movements, she's soon really close to the Pooka.

    She launches into a celtic-sounding melody which projects flickering floating dots of light in multiple colors from her staff, all of them headed towards Rylen. It's hard for her to keep her voice steady, anger boiling in her vocal chords, but she does her best...
Goldenblade
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

Goldenblade is too fast for the ghoulish wolfhound, remaining a step ahead of it as she dodges and whirls amid the crashing blades and blazing flames of the intense fight. "Too slow," she mutters as she avoids another slash; she's got to stay one step ahead at all times, in action, and in planning as well. Skirting it's horrible claws, she steps around to the side, coming at it from its weak side.

She manages to position herself correctly for another deadly thrust, only a few enemies left now, and making the attacks count is harder as the battle draws out. The swords she carries burst into flame again, and she attacks the wolfhound ghoul, seeking blood. Or pixels, anyhow, draining away HP rather than blood with each impact, but the principle's the same, and so's the result.
Rylen
Overworld - -41 - 12 - 0

"I'm not very good at following orders." Rylen replies, that self-same smirk on his features. There is something wicked in that expression. Though he may play the role of the hero, there is a certain element of chaos that comes with the Pooka Beastmaster.

However, that expression changes when that dagger finds the already exposed skin beneath his armor. Rylen goes to speak, but his voice catches, a trail of blood dripping out from between his lips. There is a slight cough that follows, even as he stands perfectly still.

As soon as the dagger is ripped from his side, Rylen drops to one knee, his hand moving over to clutch at the wound even as he gives a grimace of pain. Blood marks his teeth as he looks up, his expresion forming back into a grin. "Never." It's a haggard whisper, but certainly one of defiance.

Even though he barely moves, there is a shudder of dark energy that seems to radiate from him into the ground. The earth cracks, a bone-thin, pale hand reaches up, an armored form of an undead warrior crawling out. Her hair is long, dark, tilted forward to hide her face. However, her hand clenches a sword, which is held out in defense of Rylen.

"I... have ghosts of my own." Rylen murmurs, as the undead girl protecting him gives a strange, eerie roar, lashing forward with her blade.

The Pooka's silver eyes flick towards Uta, some of the measure of pain on his features easing as he gives her a nod of his head. There is still evidence of damage there, but her healing offers him enough that he is able to get to his feet, still clutching his side.
Kaydon
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After finally managing to get the dog off of his arm, Kaydon gets that feeling. You know the one where someone is sneaking up from behind you. A slight change in air pressure around you. A slight shift of the wind and the smell of someone that shouldn't be there on the air.

But that moment of warning is all he needs, as he rolls forward, away from the swinging fists of the large were fang behind him, and comes back up onto his feet. His blade shifts, and then ignites into flames, as he comes back towards his attacker with an upwards swing, slashing a literal wall of flames through the air towards the creature, trying to cleave it in two.
Merek
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    Merek finishes off the werefang which he was engaging with, then he takes a look to the fight with Sylver as well as Rylen, taking a moment to watch while there's a dagger which is put into the man. A hand lifts up a full flame shield when the hound would try to fight with him. "Thank you for the information Uta," which is to the matter of that inspect, then he follows up the healing while charging into the fight. "What is up with the Queen's forces?" Then a firebolt would swing right into that huntress. The man looks to distract her knowing that she's probably too much for them to manage, at the moment.
Helena Lethe
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    One by one, the adventurers start to peel off the ghoul wolfhounds and undead werefang forces. It wasn't long till there wasn't many forces left, and what few did remain were being kept back by the lander knights.

As for the huntress, she can't help but smirk a little at Rylen's defiance. Though when he summons an undead warrior, that does cause her to take a step back and hmm, softly. This also allows her to gaze at her own forces and the situation.

When the undead swings the sword, she attempts to parry, but is to slow, this also opens Sylver to being hit by Merek's flaming attack, which she turns her attention for a moment toward him. "This land /will/ belong to her highness again and one day, to her daughter, Saphir Lethe!" Her eyes narrow. "... and we will never stop until it is done."

"For her highness. For our once king. For the future of our princess." She draws out her sword and is ready for the fight to continue.

    While both attacks didn't damage her HP bar much, but there was the slow rising of fog in the air. It was unnaturally coming in and soon with it came a rider on an armored undead horse, with green flames. Who was the dark armored rider on this unnatural horse and summons the fog with him? Auther...

His eyes look to the battlefield, to the adventurers, to the knights, and then to Sylver. "That is enough, Sylver!" His voice booms. "Retreat."

    She glances over her shoulder, "But with the two of us--"

    "The /hunt/ is over. There is another day and it is /not/ today. Do as I order."

    "... as you command." She hisses in protest, before jumping back and sinking into the ground as she lands. Auther though looks at the group, before he pulls on the reigns of his steed. "... Till next time, Adventurers." He says with a sound of respect in his voice, before he too goes to vanish into the fog.

It wasn't long after does the werefangs and wolfhounds also take retreat, leaving the lander militia cheering! They had won! For the first time, they had successfully stopped any of their own from being taken.

    But at what cost would this victory come at...?
    Or would it be the victory to lead to many more...?
Shiruba
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Shiruba narrows her eyes, ears perked forward as the undead salamander speaks. Saphir Lethe... was that the Princess' real name that she couldn't remember? ... But that's also a name that could be researched later.

Her weapon remains raised, tail twitching as Auther appears... but it's to call the encounter off, and cut the loss at the loss. As one would expect a commander to do when one of the others isn't willing to withdraw on their own. Sylver (grr) does the into the ground disappearing act, while Auther disappears into the mists.

Her attention turns to the remaining wolfhounds and were fangs, making sure they are retreating as well, and watching which way and where they go until they're out of sight or pull similar disappearing tricks.

Once its certain the fight is over and victory is there's does Shiruba finally stow her bow. To pull out her cartography kit instead, quill in one hand as she flicks open a map of Ninetails Dominion lands with the other. "...Mmmm..." She marks an X on the map at the coordinates of the farm.

It's nice seeing a green one amongst what's a majority of red on the map, but that's besides the point. It's information.

She also scribbles 'Sylver' and 'Saphir Lethe' in a margin next to 'Auther' and other important names.
Merek
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    Merek looks then to Auther when comes upon the party, then he watches while all of them would travel along away from the field. A look to the party, while he takes a moment to walk along the field moving, while he thinks to himself.
Rylen
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The snarl remains on the lips of the undead creature that stands in front of Rylen, though it's clear that summoning her has deminished his mana bar. It isn't until the vampire and horseman retreat that she finally turns back towards Rylen. "I'll be okay." He offers to her, reaching out and touching her cheek. There is a tenderness to that. Then, the warrior bows her head, vanishing into dark smoke which seems to be sucked back beneath the earth.

There is still an expression of pain on his features as he tries to straighten, "Looks like they're developing more powerful soldiers." He winces, "And recruiting more vampires to their aid."

Looking to the others, "I'll see about passing along information to the other Alliance contacts." He pauses, "When I'm feeling less like a piece of stabbed meat."

With a grunt, he looks to Uta, "Let's not tell our mutual friend about this. He may not be happy with me risking my hide in a stupid way..."
Shiruba
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"Freeing the prisoners while we kept the invaders occupied was -not- stupid," Shiruba comments, though she hasn't looked up from her map to do so. "Risking your hide though? Definitely.... and thank you, Rylen."
Kaydon
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"You know.." Kaydon sheathes his blade after the vampires retreat, and the mist blocks them from following, "Next time one of the leadership folks shows up, tell me." He says, as he looks between Rylen and Shiruba, "I want to give them a little taste of the Damascus Blade and see how they feel about my design, but they always run off while I'm busy fighting their minions."
Goldenblade
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Goldenblade looks around as the enemy seems to be in full retreat, and she peers after them, but holds her position with her allies. She looks around, and whistles for her peko, which is cropping grass some ways away. It looks up, then goes back to grazing. "Well, we did good here, at least," she offers, "there'll be more chances to nail those people, when we're in e better position to support a pursuit. If we went chasing after them and they got back to their fortifications, we'd be outnumbered badly."
Uta
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    "That detail needs not be mentioned," Uta smirks. "Besides," she continues in a posh accent, starting to pace around Rylen with her chin tilted up, "a Queen knows how to properly manage the affairs concerning her highest-ranking generals. You will be properly rewarded with a medal of the Order of The Old Shoe, or perhaps something more distinguished We might create for the occasion, if We can think of a sillier name. This is how Royal Decorations work, is it not?"

    Her little improvised act collapses as she bursts into mild laughter. "Don't get yourself killed, you big oaf. That'd be a big loss," she says, playfully delivering a light punch to the Pooka's shoulder.
Merek
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    "Thank you, and all," Merek notes then to Rylen, while he nods along in that way.
Shiruba
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Shiruba pauses in marking her map, mmming softly at what she sees. "A lot of the recorded attacks have been in this part of the nation, which is centralized on farming." She taps the map with the feather end of the quill as she double-checks her count. Looks up over the top of the map at the ruined farm around them. "I dare say this confirms that they are trying to ruin food supply chains as well as take prisoners."

Then back to her map. "If that is true, this would be an area to keep active patrolling, to get a heads up on any future attacks."