Festival: The Killer Claus

Things are getting pretty cold at this point. There's snow showing up in parts of Yamato. And while the warmer areas like the Ninetails Dominion may not show it yet, there's plenty of cold to be found on some of the parts of the central isle of the Yamato region. Aincrad Isle, some call it, though it's hardly its official name, seems to have become home to something in particular.

Gilgamesh himself has requested that those who were available would gather and try to hunt down a creature that has been kidnapping Landers from near his Kingdom! Described as a humanoid with red clothes, it sounds a lot like the 'Santa Claus' that some Adventurers may be familiar with.

Chasing tracks left by this creature, a large dragging formation on the ground suggesting some kind of large object it's dragging with it, they have chased it into a snow-covered forest region in a small hill valley. At the center of which the creature stands, pulling an enormous sack onto a gnarly looking tree, and is preparing some kind of viscious looking knife to stab into the sack.

As they approach the new year, Rylen has returned to the Isle of Beginnings in order to stave off the worst of the winter cold and to tend to the Peko Ranch. As part of the holiday season, they've been offering peko-drawn sleigh rides and Moko might just have some red paint across his beak to make him look more festive. The peko, if nothing else, is dressed for the season, with colorful attire that makes him look like a reindeer.

Rylen is also dressed more for the weather, wearing a coat over his usual vest to ward off the chill. He walks beside his mount, making sure to be close enough to the ground to get a good view of the 'tracks' left behind by the creature they've been sent after.

"At least we don't have to worry about tracking all that much." Rylen comments, blowing on his hands. It isn't long until they find the source of all the trouble, and Rylen decides to do what he does best, utilizing the very ground to fight against their foe.

"Let's slow you down so the others can get in a good shot." He stomps into the partially frozen ground, vines that are frost covered snaring upwards, trying to lash around Santa's feet.

    Setsuna had not been in the best of moods this last week. In fact his sour expression and scowl would have made the Grinch look down right jolly. However he had seemed rather enthusiastic about this mission and hadn't hesitated to take the mission. With his skeleton knight in tow the pair joined the rest of the party to track down the fake Santa. The moment he had been found, the necromancer did not even take time to take in the scene before him just unleashing a fire ball at Santa, not even paying much attention to the bag.

    "This is not how Christmas is supposed to go." Amalthea mutters to herself. Something in a red suit kidnapping landers? Kidnappings aren't supposed to be a thing relevant to christmas at all!
    But here she is, trudging after footprints, sword in hand.
    Then it pulls the knife.
    Pointing her sword at the red-garbed killer thing, the old Paladin says, "There, that's gotta be him!"
    And then she's in the fray, spamming her taunts as she starts laying into the red-clad monster.

Yeowang is dressed for the weather in a short, thick woolen coat and pants, and a scarf wrapped around her face. Her long hair has been bundled up in a bun to keep it out of the way, though above the scarf, her eyes are keen as she watches alertly all around. She was one of the hunters that have assisted in tracking, though the task was not difficult, this Santa-like person by the trail left by his ... his sleigh, perhaps, and we seem to have found him. And not a moment too soon!

When this bad Santa is spotted about to perform some dastardly act, it seems, everyone leaps to attack, and Yeowang is with them, leaping in with a powerful flying kick attack, though it is partly spoiled by the snow she lands in being deeper than she'd expected. She stumbles as she misses the landing, but recovers quickly.

    Merek looks to the party while he nods a bit, well it's right into combat. The man lifts up the weapon with him which looks to be axe. Then he swings that along with an advance forward. He doesn't manage to strike on anything, the man will keep fighting while he takes the time to try to find an advantage.

Christmas time was always one of Kaydon's favorite times of year. This would be the first one trapped inside of Elder Tale, however. And so the were fang had found himself doing what he usually did. Helping those who needed it, while insisting he was only doing it for the reward.

He's got himself some new, warmer looking armor to deal with the cold, and he has his weapons at the ready as they approach the red suited...Well he's not sure yet. Murderhobo Santa?

"Hey Big Red, heads up!" He calls, as he rushes in, his longsword slashing through the air in a violent arc, trying to keep that blade from stabbing the sack.

It's cold, and the time is here. Time for toys and time for cheer. Or kidnappings and rescues, or perhaps all of the above. Lin isn't exactly prepared for all of this, but he never turns down any kind of job. He'll chase a rumour, be it Sandy Claws or any other kind of claw.

Previous defeats are in the past, and now this is the future. It can be approached with full vigour. He joins with the rest of the adventurers and has his spellbook ready. When the others locate and launch their attacks on the Bad Santa he looks ahead with a divination spell, using it to target his opening salvo. Glittering balls of light fly through the air.

T'was the fortnight before Christmas, and from all 'cross Aincrad, news Landers a-vanishing has spread for quite a while. A quest was posted for all to see, of an evil St. Nick on a kidnapping spree!

Children and grown ups and grandparents too, were all being trapped in the creature's ruddy sack, it mattered not who! So dire it all was that the call came from King Gilgamesh himself, beggeing aid from every able-bodied adventurer, leaving no resource to languish on the shelf.

From high in the tower responded a force to be reckoned: a band of battle-hardened raiders, their skills all first class, and none second. Leading them was the man who some called madman, villain and much more-- but to those in need, these myriad names all fall to silence, for they all know to call him 'Doctor.'

Charging at the van, his face was a fearsome mien, glowing red eyes and vicious sharp teeth and altogether looking quite mean. But his heart surged with fury and his hands blazed with fire, for this wannabe santa had drawn his rightous ire.

With an angry shout that even a god of thunder could praise, Prophylaxis hurled forth an inferno to set his target ablaze! "Hands off those Landers!" The Doctor did yell, his arrival the monster's defeat would fortell!

Vines rampage up, grabbing at the creature in the red suit, grabbing hold and latching around it. Grabbing into its coat as it turns and shows horrifying teeth and green skin. The being looks grotesque. And the vines are weirdly sinching in the clothing in some spots, and not in others! After Rylen's attempt to keep it locked in, the fireball of Setsuna's that follows makes the creature into a shining torch for everyone to focus on.

The red clothing burning, stepping away from the bag of Landers thanks to Amalthea's taunts, it starts storming at her, wobbling rather weirdly as it brings its dagger forward using a sword arte to try and cut her, only to get kicked right in the face and bending over at a really awkward angle. The clothing bowling open...

Revealing six goblins in a santa suit, each wearing santa suits!? One of them is wielding that knife and suddenly stabs... itself! The moment it does, the knife glows, and the Goblin suddenly turns bigger, into some kind of buff santa Goblin! It then throws the knife to the next Goblin, as it unburies an axe from the ground and charges the team, bodychecking Merek now that the buff Goblin is about one-and-a-half times Merek's size!

The other Goblins spread out as Kaydon's massive blade comes down, one of them moving too late and being chopped right on in half by the large blade! And with the lights coming from Lin's magics, the other Santa Goblins are having trouble finding them! Certainly enough to single out yet another, and allow Prophylaxis to set it ablaze with a bombardment of blazing spells!

This still leaves four however, of which one is massive, and the other is grabbing for the thrown knife to try and turn big as well! Except that one is running towards the bag of Landers!?

The other Goblins storm the team, remarkably fast with their little santa-suit-carrying-feet. Bringing out small weapons and trying to dive onto peoples' shoulders to stab at their necks. All while the larger Killer Clause goblin raises his axe, and then brings it down as the blade begins to shine, creating three viscious claws of energy that rush along the ground!

    "..."
    S-six goblins in a Santa suit.
    It was six goblins. In a santa suit.
    Briefly, Amalthea is caught off guard by this reveal. In fact it presents a perfect opening for that blade to come at her. In an instant her armor covers itself with a layer of ice, the dagger failing to penetrate as she has to stare for a beat.
    And then one goes for the lander-bag.
    "--Get back here!"
    Amalthea rallies and she rallies well, lashing out with her shield to bash the nearest mini goblin in the face.

"That... is disturbing." Rylen comments as he watches as the goblins are revealed. Not only that, but they seem to have some unusual sort of buffing magic. "I don't even want to think about what the developer of this monster was on when they created it." The Pooka's attitude is usually relaxed, but there is some concern that lingers there as one of the goblins makes for the bag of landers.

"I don't think so." He stomps the ground again, causing frozen rock to launch up from the ground. Then, with a motion of a punch, he starts to fling rock after rock towards the goblin that is threatening the civilians.

Yeowang recovers her footing and takes stock of the situation. She backpedals to avoid an ornushing goblin, and when it pursues someone else, she reorients on the santa goblin. She watches the situation for a few moments, and it looks like someone is rushing to take care of the Landers, so she concentrates on the fight in front of her.

She has fought big targets before, and in her experience, they are very tough. So, the trick is to hit pressure points and sensitive areas, where masses of muscle can't absorb the impact of a blow. So, joint strikes and blows to the head are where she concentrates her attacks, hoping to stun or hobble the target and weaken it further.

    Merek looks about when the goblins come to try and fight them, then he will take the time to lift up the potion with him to explode it into the claus. "Alright, well. This is quite the interesting thing."

The chaos doesn't rattle Lin. It's not an army of soul eating bugs or what could only be described as Laser Necro Tetrahedron. Six goblins? He's sent fireballs and lightning bolts at too many goblins to count. Sure, he's never fought anything in a santa suit, but nothing's unusual yet. Lin is enthusiastic and optimistic. "Easy!" He shouts, lifting his singed spellbook and beginning to call out the words of a spell. A cloud of mist, crackling with electrical energy! It obscures the air around the goblins, flashing bright blue as the damage over time effect zaps them.

    Setsuna watches the goblins tumble out of the suit and there is a bit of deflated attitude as he looks at them. He can't help but vocalize his first thought, "At least they arent slimes." Then he watches the goblins juice on whatever that knife is and become a bigger pain to deal with. Gripping his dagger tightly he raises it into the air before plunging it into the ground, "Arise!" From the snow covered earth comes to skeleton minions which move to back up the knight in formation as the trio charge towards the Killer Clause aiming to be the distraction for the much bigger incoming attacks.

Well that was honestly the last thing Kaydon was expecting when he attacked the santa suited creature. For it to be a bunch of smaller creatures...That are also in Santa suits, "Well hell!"

Never the less, his blade finds purchase in one of the goblins and rends it in half, and he soon turns his attention to the others, "Come on then! I'll chop you up and use you for coal!" He advances on the goblins, going to work with his blade as he charges into the group.

What a horrifying revelation! A startling stimulation! Six goblins in a trenchcoat! The possibility of such a thing seemed so utterly remote! The Doctor is stunned, briefly taken aback! For a moment or two, both his jaw and defenses go slack. The goblins seize the advantage, the blade-brandishing knaves, but what ultimately gets him is the big one's lethal shockwave.

Prophylaxis staggers back, his expression a pained frown. But he has little time to nurse his wounds, else he might be cut down! With another angry shout, the Doctor did flare, pressing a mote of flame into his heart, right there! His flesh turned to flame, Prophylaxis decreed: "Death to all goblins!" With each incendiary word spitting glowing sparks at speed. He swept his staff at the goblin juggernaut, unleashing a volley of burning, white-hot grapeshot!

Rylen and Amalthea both try to halt the small Goblin from getting to the bag! Luckily, they two are being so observant, or it could no doubt have spelled some really bad things for those Landers! Amalthea's first, getting that shield to bash into the goblin, bowling-bashing her way into the creature and causing it to go tumbling, right before the first iced rock slams down behind it, halting its move. The follow-up of various iced stone slamming into its small body, until there's a satisfying shattering of light - and the dagger goes flying!

It lands right behind Yeowang, missing her by a fraction as she slams her fists into the mutated Goblin's face, causing it to stumble back at the end of its sword arte, and then getting punched in some key vital areas to keep it reeling! Halting it from countering her immediately! And the moment one of her punches sends it back, Merek's potion detonates against it, chunking a good part of its health off. Normally, this would be a difficult battle, but the raiders present have fought around one-another often enough to play into eachothers' strenghts!

A goblin grabs at the dagger behind Yeowang, only to get frozen in place by Lin followed by a sudden thunderous blast that zaps the creature and sends the knife flying again. Caught by another Goblin! It's like playing a game of hot potato - as Setsuna's skeletons run past - jumping from one head to the next, footstooling off of each of them as it dives for Setsuna, stabbing him with the knife...

But nothing happens, except for the fact that a marker appears over Setsuna; <<< IMMORTAL OBJECT >>>. Except... Setuna isn't an immortal object! The fact that he takes damage in the very same strike, even if it's just a sliver of his health shows that much! Before it can recover from the confusion, Kaydon's massive blade comes down and cuts it by the shoulder, causing it to try and retreat and run away with the dagger, ducking right out from underneath the grapeshot flames that detonate against the hulking Santa which manages to grab the knife from the smaller Goblin as it tries to retreat, and stabs itself with the knife once more, turning bigger still! Yet its heart remains as small as can be.

The large, now more lanky looking green goblin hisses at those around it with hatred, and throws the axe right for Rylen's head, before grabbing hold of the dagger itself and charges it between his fingertips - too small for it to wield normally - and then suddenly turns, creating a massive series of radiating shockwave circles that could do massive damage. Spinning time and time again to create a timed and difficult to avoid pattern!

Rylen is a bit too focused on the fight at hand to even notice any unusual shenanigans taking place around Setsuna. In fact, he's got shockwaves coming in his direction and then an axe sailing towards his head. Rather than staying in one place, he launches himself skyward with a jolt of rocks, allowing him to avoid both the axe and the shockwaves at once.

"Alright, I've had about enough of you lot. Let's try to clear the field a bit." Rylen adds, his brows furrowing.

While in that moment, hovering in the air, Rylen pulls the bits of stone and earth around himself, forming a vortex of rock. As he lands, the meteors come down with him, launching themselves towards the Goblins at high speed, the force of the descent causing them to burst into flames before exploding upon impact.

    Merek looks then to Setsuna while he nods a little bit, then he notices the shield which he used to protect himself will not work for the many enemies at the moment, he tries dodging although he takes a strike while he tries to fireball into the claus.

Business as usual! Lin looks thrilled. He whoops from the back line as his first few attacks land. The returning salvo from the goblins isn't a huge problem either. The rhythm of them is easy to get into, and the Pooka cuts his way through each with neatly timed defensive spells. "You'd think that by now Goblins would give up when they see Adventurers!" Lin flips a couple of pages in his spellbook and turns it to the side, consulting notes written in the margins. More improvements - experiments. A glittering rainbow halo surrounds his free hand, leaping away with an accusatory gesture. On reaching a target Goblin it shines down from the sky as a burning light!

    Setsuna was caught off guard by the attempt of being stabbed, he really wasn't expecting it. So with a nod of his head and a blink of his eye away he goes disappearing and reappearing back at the edge of the battle lines. It appears he had escaped the damage unscathed that is until he notices two things, first he took a little damage, Second, that he had achieved his holiday wish of becoming immortal. Then he gets a sneaky idea of what really happened. " Take it from someone who has tried that on a few people ugly. The system really really really hates when you try to apply monster magic to adventurers. " Looking across the field at his knight, "SKULL TAKE IT'S HEAD!" The skeleton knight nod it's head and raises its sword into the air, gathering a dark aura as it slashes at the killer clause. "See you in hell, fat man."

    That pattern is too tough for Amalthea to read.
    She eats a shockwave dead on, HP dropping by near half, but she weathers through it, grunting from the pain and force.
    "Goblins never give up." She asides to Lin. "That's what's so troublesome about them." Muttered as she readies her blade, and hacks at the fleeing little bugger in passing.

Now Kaydon has been itching to try out his new weapon in an actual fight, and this chance is better than any other he's had.

Ducking and diving and doging and rolling through the shockwaves, he comes out of the whole thing unscathed. Still, once he's found himself in position, he knows he can strike!

It's a small target, that heart. But it's the best one to go for. Kaydon uses one of the smaller goblins as a stepping stone, and leaps into the air, sailing through and hauling back with his left hand. As he approaches the tall goblin, he aims for that minature heart, the hidden blade in his gauntlet aiming to stab straight into that tiny target.

Yeowang acks as the goblins' counterattacks seem to set up a pattern of radiating shockwaves. It takes a moment, but she finds the pattern in them, and when she does, she can move to avoid the attacks, darting quickly between waves to move in and strike. It's a bit harder in the bulky winter clothes, but she manages to stay ahead of the attacks.

She looks warily, takes a step back, then leaps into the attack. She jumps forward, vaulting over the intervening space to deliver a flying leap to Santa's head, her powerful kick delivered with her heavy booted heel, amplified by her body's rotational energy. The spinning attack is delivered with a "Kyah!" as she slams into her target, then lands heavily at his feet.

Waves of thunderous force ripple and peal, unleashing power enough to bring a mountain to heel. But how to deal with this, the Doctor well knows. It's clear from his expression and his moves that this ain't his first rodeo. His gait is swift and his step is sure, but what sees him to safety is skill, practiced and pure. Like lightning he dashes between great shockwave smashes, his dodges finding safe windows no matter how the great goblin slashes. It's plain to see to any with even a hint of a clue, that the Doctor of Tolbana is an old hat at the great game of Danmaku!

With a final duck and weave, his dance is complete, tracing a complete circle in the snow with graceful feet. He squares himself solid, his staff raised to the sky. A prayer is whispered, then shouted on high!

"O' spirit of winter, o' great mistress of cold, witness these villains acting so bold. In the midst of your season, this holiday they defile-- seeking to taint your pure snow with spilt blood and fluids most vile! Let us together stand against this malignant cancer, and to our frigid wrath these goblins shall answer!"

Lo and behold how the snowstorm responds! Howling wind and killing frost, channeled along this most sacred of bonds. Prophylaxis shivers, his skin pale with frost, breath icing at his lips as his body pays winter's cost. Across his face, a ghostly apparition traces delicate fingers. Upon his cheeks, her icy touch in particular lingers. But it's a trade worth making, victory worth the price-- as winter embraces the great goblin, rapidly encasing him in ice!

No matter how large he grows, his heart remains small. This above all else is his final downfall. The goblin has grown strong! Its might few could hope to defeat. And yet that means nothing, when his heart fails to supply enough body heat!

Rylen shows that nature is frightening, and Gravity is even more so frightening when around the phenomenon known as atmosphere. The flaming stones crashing down at the goblins with fierce power, detonating against their small bodies, tearing up the landscale partially! Their burning embers illuminating the lands - one of the Goblins torn assunder by the crashing flaming wreckage of stone! The poor already-missing-one-arm goblin annihilated, leaving little in the way of goblins to take care of!

Joining into the flames, Merek's flaming orb of fire detonates against the Clause, causing it to stumble! Illiminating the last Goblin that is in fact trying to sneak off, ducking under the dangerous radiating circles of damage that are cutting down the tree near the Clause. The burning radiating light coming down from the skies pinpointing it thanks to Lin's work, giving Amalthea the signal she needs! Chopping its head clean off - having observed the Goblin Slayer in person enough times to have picked up how to cleanly cut one of their ugly heads off!

As the head flies off, it bumps against one of the skeletons rushing for the Killer Clause. One sacrificing itself to one of the shockwave dagger attacks, so the other can stab its blade into its gut! The thing stumbles, followed by Kaydon coming down from a different angle. Stabbing into its chest. That stabbing blade releasing another jab into its body, and barely missing that heart. Goop that messes up the mechanics of the well crafter blade getting all over Kaydon's weapon!

Only for Yeowang to kick it into the head and causing it to stumble. This allows Prophylaxis to start freezing it. The chilling winds erupting around it, slowly freezing its movements, its arms, its head, staring out in shock... Allowing Kaydon's attack to move and causing the blade to cut downwards, stabbing through its heart, and finally causing it to detonate into light!

Causing items to drop from its body. Various boxes, exactly enough to give to each Adventurer here.

"Huh." Rylen watches as the goblin explodes like a treasure pinata. He walks over slowly, plucking one up, giving it a shake before tucking it into his inventory. That is something to check out later.

His focus, is on making sure the Landers are okay. So, the Beastmaster gives a whistle, summoning his festively decorated peko from the edge of the battle field as he approaches the bag, ready to help the Landers get themselves free.

"If anyone has trouble walking, let me know. Moko can carry a pair of riders if needed." Explains, his peko giving enthusiastic bird noises, trying to ease some of the feature and concern the Landers might have.

With Rylen's help, the bag is carefully opened, and some confused and horrified landers drop out. Some of them immediately bowing to thank Rylen and the others for their rescue. Looking utterly confused at what had happened. "One moment I'm just working the field, and the other I'm getting stuffed into a bag!" One of them complains.

Yeowang pulls on her Red Chain armband and starts administering such first aid as she can to the Landers, attempting to mainly sort things out and organize things, checking to see if anyone is badly injured or needs significant help.

    Setsuna looks at the box that rolled to his feet and he tilts his head for a moment before he sighs and sticks it in his inventory. Taking a moment he looks at the slain goblins and dismisses his summoned creatures. "Seems like this situation is solved." WIth another word he begins to moves back towards the near by village, letting others deal with the Landers and it seems with every step his expression returns to that sour look.

With the goblins vanquished, the battle comes to a satisfying end. The only thing left to do to look for wounds to mend. While Rylen attends to the great goblin's bulging sack, Prophylaxis takes unfolds a set of healing tools- the Doctor has his own injuries to attack! Once he's done, he would soon approach, all a-smile. "I'll treat whatever needs treating, it'll only be a short while."

And so the story draws to a merry close, and the doctor's poor writer can finally abandon his prose!

"Right? Goblins! They don't know how to take a hint." Lin agrees with Alamthea in a brief crossover. The Pooka twirls around gracefully, spinning defensive shields and attacks of pure rainbow energy. Before long the battle is over and he's left vaguely confused. "What... these are supposed to be harder." Maybe he's spent too long trying to climb the tower and has lost sight of what this world was supposed to be. He smiles brightly. No sense in questioning a good thing! "I'll take it. Merry gobmas, every one of us!"