“Disrobing? The larks of a cherished trickster has vested my gear with pandemonium.” She glanced and motioned her fretful pupils over the distraught apparel, speckled with dirt, sap, and moisture.

Waving her hands to magnify the sieved disarray, she trusted the Abjurer would bear witness and magically cleanse her of this murky plight, but recognized his Eladrin appreciation for this levity. Her almost decade young Aasimar existence possessed not the hereditary predispositions to patience and abstinence the once librarian’s demeanor retained centuries prior, within her coveted candle kept walls. Sinful collusion now encroached internally and intermittently, with ever more so frequency, attributing to the wares of a more meager lifespan. Jealousy over Haemar’s unruffled composure slightly punctured her emotional hide. A stunted pant of exasperation climaxed in the interim. The envy eventually spurned, observing a short-lived animation, betraying no longer any trace of contempt or derision in the visage of the Celestial.

She calmly then answered the mage’s original inquiry, once again, in their own Elvish tongue.

“Devils have their hypocrisy, while virtuosity guards my bed and thoughts. It remains not the kissing, but the telling that sprouts insecurity at times.”


@Big Dread@The Harbinger of Ferocity

Haemar's lips tugged into a smirk at the Asimar's flustered state at not only her discomfort from the machinations of filth that things like battle would no doubt drive into them but also at her own internal conflict. She was rather young. Many of the companions he found himself with were and all were younger than he was. He sensed the roiling dissonance in his companion. She had vows and thoughts and they seemed to clash with her instincts. All people felt this, save the most base of individuals and greatest of saints. Haemar was never one to deny himself what his instincts wanted when the time was right but locked them firmly under control when the time was not.

With no words aside from those needed for the spell itself Haemar used the ever useful cantrip he knew to cleanse the attire of Wick and then himself. He folded his arms back over his chest and shook his head at the words she spoke to him in their shared tongue. "Subtlety is an art often lost on many. Particularly the young and fiery of heart. Try not to fret over this too much, Sister Wick. If you would like, I am here to speak with about your troubles or if you would like a meditation partner. I might not be as in tuned with the cosmos as Katia but I have spent my life in contemplation and study before all of this." he replied with an offer and hopefully some comfort for the small Celestial in Elven.


@Gordian Nought @The Harbinger of Ferocity

Katia laid back on the grass near the lake with her eyes closed and a wide grin on her face. The conversation of her allies filled her ears, but what she was really ustening for was the conversation of nature. The grass rustled in the light breeze semding a thousand welcoming whispers scuttling along the ground. The trees danced with merrymaking, their natural castenets punctuating their rhythm. The pond splished and bubbled gently as the breeze caught ripples and carried them across the surface. Here was true peace: the bounty of Mother Nature and the antics of her friends.

The smile seemed to widen at that thought. It was mere months ago that she had been running hither and thither, lost with no home or allies. And then, as if by the hand of providence of the gods, they had gathered one by one. Katia would have to remember to thank a god if she ever saw one.

Her attention was brought back to her allies at Theodore's grumblings. "If you can't run around half-naked in the middle of Nature's Bounty a million leagues from the nearest civilization, where can you?" she called out, turning her head and opening her eyes to see who her friend was referring to. It was a bit of a shame that Thea was forced to cover herself with plate in each battle, as she held a natural and effortless beauty that seemed to be evident in nearly every Aasimar. Katia's glance was just in time to see the shared kiss, and a small frown overtook her grin from before. Katia sighed quietly and picked herself up from the grass, muttering to herself in Terran, "Bog dal, bog vzyal."

Picking up the quarterstaff she used as a walking stick, Katia turned to see Wick and Haemar talking in their favored Elvish language. Although Sylvan had been taught to her at an early age, Elvish had unfortunately eluded her grasp thus far, although she did pick out a familiar word. "You know, it's impolite to talk about someone when they can't understand you," she announced to the shorter Aasimar. Although her tone was scolding, the twinkle in her eyes belied the amusement hiding beneath. "The day ahead of us is bound to be a long one. If we are done with our rest, perhaps beginning our journey is in order."

With that, she turned to get one last glimpse of the sailor before his chain shirt was fully donned, then began to slowly walk down the hill, a patient gait that all could overtake with considerable ease. Her face turned to take in the rays of the sun, and she drew in a deep breath. "Akh, eto zhizn'."

@Big Dread@Gordian Nought@Zverda@Cu Chulainn@Hekazu

The words of Haemar would have angered the Ranger beyond reason. You don't just pull your weapon on a member of your party like you pull one on a monster. You don't need to prepare for the worst when a long time friend of yours walks before you. Not even then if you might have... a thing for her, but this would not have been publicly shared. Some of Katia's speech was unintelligible, but he would have realised from her body language that she wasn't too happy about something. But there was a reason these were all hypothetical: Theodore's mind was not exactly on this plane of existence and he wasn't quite the mystic that could handle telepathy over those distances.

All that came from there was the resounding 'what on earth did just happen?'. And somebody had that set on a loop. So, as anyone who did not have access to his mind would only see the Ranger freeze in place, a slight red colour rising to his cheeks as he did his best to process this turn of events. "Thea... you... I... what...", he stammered, probably making next to zero sense to anyone. In a few moments his mind found something to focus on, which was to get his mask back.

He tried reaching for it first, but Thea held it away from his reach. This reminded him of something... had Katia talked her into this without him noticing? It was a possibility for certain, he couldn't discard it. His attempts were punctuated by cute high-pitched grunts, though they were very much unintentional, but as they yielded no fruit, he simply placed his hands onto the Paladin's shoulders and repeated something he had explained to her last many years prior: "The mask is important and you know that. Says in the doctrine to keep it on at moments like this, out in the open and not in a fight, eating or things like that. Could you hand it back?" His voice next dropped heaps in volume as Thea did indeed hand the mask back to him, making a remark on why she had kept it. "Well if it is just that, maybe later when the doctrine allows..."

Theodore covered his progressively reddening face with the mask once more and lingered for just a second next to the woman he admittedly was interested in, but finally began taking small steps towards the rest of the group, ready to continue on on their journey. He shook his head and placed one of his hands on the front of his mask, pressing it against his face, the material cooling his heated face just a little before heating up to the same temperature.


@Zverda@The Harbinger of Ferocity

The Vale

Unknown,
Currently

After gathering themselves, their items and their spirits, the heroes had seemingly found their path to success; through the great vale that stretched before them and wherever it seemed to lead them. If anything the sheer scope of their adventure, pursuing the darkness that left them without their beloved home, had only grown to portions beyond their ability, at least for the moment. In the time to come, they would need not only discover what befell them and where to go from there, but also what it would take to defeat the Kingdom of Darkness, preferably once and for all.

Despite these difficulties, they found none such in the terrain they found their way through. The rolling grassland before them, with its lively blades of ever so gently tanned leaves and wildflowers, made for an easy walk, that of which at times passed by tremendous woods, whose trees were as broad as a giant at their base and whose apparent saplings were as big as a man. Now and then the chitter and chatter of nature reached their ears, with the few animals they witnessed disappearing the moment they took sight of the new company; some bounded off into the distance upon springy, long legs and others merely skittered into the brush in flight. None dared pose opposition just as one imagined they would not.

The hours of walking, from what seemed to be morning on, were met with little advancement in terms of scope, but there was clear progress all the same. In fact, the eyes high above in the sky were those to take the most notice, for as they sailed around upon ivory wings, they revealed more and more of the great world beyond and at times offering insight to their master whenever anything of interest appeared that surely they could not see far below.


A group of massive black birds, the scale of which were as large as draft horses and certainly no ordinary fowl, begin a descent from on high. The trio, like feathered streaks of ink on a canvas of sky, flew past the comparatively insignificant hawk with a whipping of wind following in their wake; they hooted and hollered their mockery as they passed, plummeting further below until they came upon the troupe of travelers. Ceasing above them and pulling out of their dive, the giant feathery figures beat the air around their wings as they begin an apparent descent.


@Big Dread, @Cu Chulainn, @Gordian Nought, @Hekazu, @JBRam2002, @Zverda

Cesar Lorenzo Tidesong Bolivar
The Vale, Did I ever tell you how much I hate birds?

@The Harbinger of Ferocity@Hekazu@Zverda

Cesar was only a bit bored. They had spent hours upon hours of walking through these strange lands, which seemed mostly uneventful at the time. During this time, Cesar had been singing sea shanties and swinging his sword around, telling tall tales of heroics to pass the time.

Suddenly, however, a trio of giant birds the size of Cesar's pride began to encircle thr group, making their descent. Cesar clicked his tongue, shaking his head at this new potential threat.

"Ah, great. Oversized gaviotas..." Cesar said under his tongue before he rolled his neck, looking over to his ally, Thea.

"Alright, then, amiga! Ready to fight fearlessly like those heroes of old I was just talking about?" Cesar asked, the spark surrounding his words as he spoke, an indication that his magic is being used, before raising a glowing fist directed at Thea, leaving it out for her to "fist-bump," as Cesar called it. Cesar pounded his chest with his other fist using the arm holding the sword (and obviously in a matter where he doesn't hit himself with his own sword), before the spell was completely cast, and they were both invigorated with a sense of fearlessness.

Theodore had focused most of the time their journey had taken to collecting edible stuff from around them while simultaneously keeping up with the rest of the group. Nobody seemed to be bothered by it and it let the masked zealot think about what had happened before they had got back on the move. Thea seemed to... like him. But he couldn't say it back for some odd reason. His body just refused. Whatever be the case, he was both happy and extremely confused about it. But he couldn't let that distract him too much, he concluded as he noticed he had picked up a less-edible mushroom and tossed it back over his shoulder.

The scenery didn't seem to change much as their journey went on, but the Ranger didn't mind. If there was something for him to collect, that would keep him busy. Eventually he even noticed that he didn't really feel hunger at all, yet he still kept picking up sources of nourishment. To occupy his mind with something he could indeed understand. As they were passing a group of trees for the umpteenth time, he, noted the sun had not moved. Before he got a word out of his mouth, however, he had to notice another thing. They were under attack. Giant birds were circling above, rushing towards the party. There had been many a time the Ranger had seen a bird hunting, but never one of such sheer size.

He didn't get the bewilderment get the best of him and was quick to assess the situation. One of the birds had chosen to fly towards a bigger group of his allies, so they could handle themselves, but there were two that rushed for Thea and Cesar who had much less of an advantage in their position. He would need to reinforce them, Theodore decided and took off in a run.

Arriving below a smaller tree, he yanked his mask off his face and slammed it onto his bolt case while pushing the hood back and drawing out his crossbow with the other. He stared at his target, the bird circling above Thea and could feel just how... mundane it felt. Sure it was big, but it didn't feel like there would be anything else to it. With the size being the only remarkable feature of the bird, he decided to deal with it as with any other threat thus far: Aiming the crossbow at it and taking the shot. And as far as he could tell, it was a good one.


@The Harbinger of Ferocity

The pained cry of the enormous avian echoed throughout the woods and immediately the second wing took to its side as they descended together on the Templar. Badly injured, but oddly the bolt nowhere to be found from the shot to its body, the first large bird flapped furiously and struck out with its feet in wild abandon. With all of the commotion that came from this, literal feathers flying, it scored a few hits through Theodore's defenses before it at last landed. After, it then tilted its head in an observant manner and shrieked loudly in the man's face before it tapped him directly upon the head with its beak. Stepping back, it flapped and squawked, allowing the other unexpected attacker its turn in what seemed to be some sort of belligerent game.

Prior to Theodore shaking off the daze of being hit on the head, he was leapt upon and pushed to the ground. Instinctively, rolling to fend off his attacker, he too dodged an angry beak, which hit the ground rather than him. Now viewing his enemy face to face, he could note how it paid him less mind given that he was in its talons rather than free, watching instead the sword bearing elf who was no more than a few feet away. Its sizable black eyes, as seemingly difficult to read as they were, watched the wizard for a moment with apparent confusion and then moved back to inches from his face where it crowed again and blinked.

Not far off however, Cesar - at the end of his spell - slammed into the grass and leaf litter, sending pine needles into the air all around them and covering Thea. The last great raven now stood where it fell atop Cesar and seemed to laugh, its beak tipped to the sky above and mockingly cawing repeatedly. It did not hesitate beyond that to then begin rapidly striking with the point of its beak around the ground until it smacked square into the bard by sheer chance rather than any semblance of skill or direction.

And in spite of this something was off about it all.

There wasn't an ounce of blood to be found, well, anywhere. Understandably, and better than anyone else no less in this moment, both Theodore and Cesar felt hurt but in a way they never had before. It wasn't the pain of a spell, a knife wound, being bludgeoned or the like, just that something in their entirety felt... empty. As though a something in them was gone. This was a scarier thought in truth in some manners, although there was no time to ponder or muse with what was going on in the midst of a battle! They first needed to defeat their feathered assailants.


@Hekazu, @Cu Chulainn

Stricken by licorice birds of prey, the Templar reigned in repercussions from this untamed world, an arrow exchanged for talons. The Latvian gambit of sorts enthroned the ranger with flanking winged beasts, of mythic stature, not subservient but as mediators of a coup d’êtat, namely of their ensemble. Contending with the beaked giant's onslaught of strikes, the charcoal avian's teammate tackled the masked monster slayer, swarming the man into a feathery quicksand whereupon frantic struggling tightened its reflexive vise. Another separate flightless fowl soon landed on and wrestled the boisterous bard, stamping each tarsus upon the manacled chemise, the chains ringing with every erratic pounce.

Always migrating in packs, the diviner had experienced similar conspiracies of such ravens in her previous lifetime; they were clever to isolate and rapture their quarry to a roost, where progeny awaited a long quartered meal. Once in flight, the fall from cloud kissed heights, or worse, a journey to their famished offspring would meet, almost certainly, with a tortured demise.

As a precaution, the cleric’s aura seemed to penetrate the eerie woods' undomesticated dominion; jugular and pulmonary veins hummed with gory energy, reveling into dual cardiac atria, both ancient and juvenile, never baned with loss or heartbreak. This very core entrusted itself to Aryk, an Archfey who initially presided over the armored female's intermittent dreams, peddling His power, in barter, for vended obedience. To her, He served the Light, aligning their common interests; yet, the deity’s domain bordered insanity, at times, overflowing with hallucinations and delusions, particular in the manipulation of wildlife, stemming from a myriad of existences. The gifted scythe, in hand, was a testimony of this unholy connection. This presence now seethed dimly within the youthful warlock, demanding terror within its proximity; the aerial raptor aboard the pirate ceased its irregular mannerisms, ogling the reborn sage with now taxonomic apprehension, respecting a hierarchy which was not overtly evident before.

A seemingly natural dignity oozed over the crowing behemoth, demanding biological order in its biome.

Wick knew this air of authority would not last indefinite; her actions necessitated swiftness. Grasping an abused salamander’s eye from a belt pouch, she whispered an arcane pox on the titanic buzzard brawling with the veiled Theodore, attempting to hinder its tussle and prevent a goaded takeoff with the bird’s claimed game. Announcing boldly with contempt, she declared expeditiously.

“Ground them! Once aloft with our troupe’s members, only prayers will preserve life and limb!”


@The Harbinger of Ferocity@Zverda

Thea smiled at Theodore before looking down at his mask, the thought that he would be wiling to remove it before her was pleasing. She understood his need to stick to the code the Templar's instilled in him, but she had her own reasoning for wanting to see his face. It was something familiar, something that anchored her and kept her grounded when things became hectic and confusing... both he and Haemar gave her that and Gods be damned if she wasn't at least a little selfish about it. "I will hold you to that promise Theodore," she told him as she gently placed the mask back on his face, her fingers gently tracing the side of it before she placed them behind her back, "A familiar face other than Haemar's is welcome to me during this confusion."

---

As the Ravens darted past their Magnus, the Paladin frowned, this would be an enemy that would be hard for her to fight if they did not land. However, her worries were silenced as the large beasts settled on the ground... one of them choosing Cesar as their perch while the other decided it wanted to have some fun with their Templar. No fair... I want to have some fun with Theodore too... she thought as a pout crossed her face. The pout soon disappeared as Wick spoke, drawing the Aasimar's attention away from the amusing sight of a Raven on a Half-Elf... sounded like a good name for a song actually. She would have to talk to Cesar about making that a reality.

Thea understood what Wick was saying and the best she could do at the moment was prep her Thunderous Smite as it would at least knock the Raven off of her Bard friend. However, when she went to attack she was distracted by the fact that there was no blood from the wound the Raven inflicted on Cesar. It was a curious thing to experience, the lack of blood despite the attack was something she had never experienced, whether it be in her memories or experiences as a close combatant. As her sword came down, it missed the Raven by a feather, causing the woman to curse but that was ok... she would be ready if the creature opted to try to fly off with Cesar, she wasn't about to let anything bad happen if it could be helped. "Sorry I couldn't get him off of you my friend," she called, offering a lopsided smile as an apology.



@The Harbinger of Ferocity@Hekazu@Cu Chulainn@JBRam2002

Their long walk through the valley was largely uneventful for some time. Katia spent the first half hour or so attempting to get her bearings as Theodore searched for food. Although sustenance was plentiful in the area, it seemed like she felt no need of hunger or thirst, even after a long hike. More frustrating to her, however, was the distinct lack of any sign that could point out due north. The sun seemed to not budge in the sky, and as such, most other features in this world that depended on the sun’s positioning were not inherently obvious. She had little idea whether the time in this world were noon, morning, or evening. Katia gave up her quest after about a half hour, definitely feeling unsatisfied that one of her primary functions in the group would not be needed in this area. Her gloomy expression was eventually broken by shadows passing overhead, and she looked up to see an unnatural enemy approach.

”Birds!” Katia shouted out, declaring the obvious as they descended down upon the party. ”I think they’re Really Big Crows!” Again, the indication was fairly obvious that these birds looked ravenesque, but Katia was happy to share the knowledge she had gained from her years of trekking across the forests. Which was to say, not much.

Seeing the Really Big Crows descend upon Theodore and attacked, swinging her quarterstaff with both arms at the nearest bird, but seeming to miss, underestimating how poofy giant black feathers could be. She would not make the same mistake again as she leapt onto the bird, slashing her clawed feet along its body in a circular swipe. To Katia’s surprise, the bird disappeared into a shroud of energy which seemed to condense into a dusky gem-like spheroid. She and the gem fell to the ground: Katia with a light thud, and the gem with a crystalline clunk. Not being one to leave potential treasure on the ground, she scooped it up and began to race for the tree.

As her claws tore into the tree, propelling her skyward, her thoughts drifted unbidden to the gem she held. The color was of a deep onyx black, and the light filtering through the tree canopy struck the gem with a series of purple sparkles, reminiscent of deep twilight. As Katia held the gem, she thought of the bird... not the deceased puff of smoke, but the majestic soaring creature it was moments earlier. The obvious magical nature of the gem made her wonder its purpose; her only guess was that it was some sort of summoning sphere.

When she reached the apex of her climb where the tree likely would not support her form much higher, she glanced back down at the situation below. With any luck, she would be able to hold off the Really Big Crows should they attempt to flee. If they persisted with their attacks on the party, she should be in a good position to slide back down the trunk to assist at a distance.


@The Harbinger of Ferocity - DM
@Big Dread - Haemar is next!

The peaceful walk was a nice change of pace from what they had been through recently. Haemar took the time during the stroll to consider a few things. Primarily, where exactly they were and what that might mean for their course of action in the future. As it was, they were just walking with no particular direction and with no end goal. In fact, they did not even know what had become of the previous goal they had held. Things were very strange and unclear at the moment. To compound all of that; none of them seemed to be in need of food or drink despite having walked for hours in the sun. The sun also did not move. wherever they were, it was not the world they had left. Either changed drastically by the crowning event of the sphere, or, somewhere completely new.

He discussed these ideas with Wick as they walked as well as sharing the spells from his own ancient tome with her. She was a student of the arcane just as he was and scholarly collaboration was the cornerstone of all discovery and progress. This was quickly interrupted by 'Really Big Crows' as Katia had named them. Of course, Haemar was not if that was exactly correct but there was little time for debate right now. Instead they jumped into action with bolt, blade, and bursts of energy.

Haemar was slower on the draw than his companions as he still had his spellbook out as he was discussing a particularly interesting set of spellwork he had yet to put into practice. Well, now was as good a time as any. Just as Katia sprung forth and destroyed one of the ravens, reducing it to just a small stone that she then grabbed and took up a tree with her. Haemar darted to the side, forming up just off to Wick's left. As he did so he paid no heed to the raven that might try to assault him in his flight. His wards were up as they usually were and he doubted if the bird was keen enough to pay attention to him when it had Theodore in its clutches. He would need to remedy that.

As he reached his position by the scholar he drew his steel with a familiar ring and began to work his spell. He spoke the ancient incantations and moved his left hand in precise motions. The burning magic shown red in the shimmering air before him and three mansized spears of incredible heat sprang into life above his head, hovering there for just a moment. He took aim carefully, making sure not to strike the young templar with his attacks, and sent the first flying. He had over corrected his aim and shot the ray off above the bird and sizzling into the trees behind it. The Abjurer grimaced and sent the next to flying in rapid succession, the next missing but the last finding its searing mark in the side of avian. As with all things before, there seemed to be no blood or wounds at all, yet, he knew his spell had found its mark.

"Wick speaks truth!" He shouted over the din of furious struggle, "We can not let them rise with our fellows!"



@Gordian Nought @The Harbinger of Ferocity @Hekazu

Cesar Lorenzo Tidesong Bolivar
The Vale, Did I ever tell you how much I hate birds?

@The Harbinger of Ferocity@Hekazu@JBRam2002

The bird had landed on top of Cesar, throwing him to the ground. Of course, they always target the Bard, after all... As it started pecking at him, Cesar threw his arms up in defense.

"Ah, not the face!" Cesar exclaimed as he was getting pecked at. While it did give a nasty, painful blow, it was that similar sensation Cesar felt when he was attacked by those Shadows almost a day ago.

Nevertheless, Cesar didn't feel too worse for wear. A burst of energy washed over the sailor, likely a result of the spell he casted earlier. Motivated not to become birdfood, Cesar cupped his hand over his mouth, letting out a thunderous roar, once again, to throw the bird off him. Much to his dismay, however, the bird managed to stay atop him.

"Some kind of sturdy mierda, aren't you?" Cesar grunted to himself. Despite that, however, between the roar of thunder and the dreadful scare Wick gave it, the bird seemed momentarily dazed enough for Cesar to crawl out from under it, standing up as he quickly got his bearing of his surroundings.

The bard saw Katia up a tree, having her eyes on that bird by Theo. If he knew her correctly enough, then that means she's going to...

Ah, not this again...

"That's it, mi felina! Give them a taste of their own medicine!" Cesar called to Katia, grinning. Hopefully, she doesn't get herself killed with that little stunt she's about to pull...

Theodore had anticipated some sort of a retaliatory strike, but would not have dared guess his actions to bring two of the birds against him. Now that they were kicking and pecking and clawing at him however, he scolded himself for not being prepared enough for it. The massive ravens were ruthless in their attack, but something was not quite right. No matter how hard the attacks stung, his body did not give in. No wounds appeared, no blood was spilled. It was just as it had been with the shadows back at home. Were these birds some similar creation of darkness?

As he was busy being manhandled by his adversaries, his allies acted to help him and, judging by the voices he could hear, Cesar who had been unfortunate enough to draw the ire of the remaining bird. He could not see beyond the bird he had weighed with his newfound divine knowledge, so whatever it was that happened there for now was not anything he'd really know. However, eventually a familiar fur covered companion of his came crashing to the side of the wounded bird, clawing at its body, only to reduce it into an explosion of darkness and some clinking thing, which she quickly picked up in the process. "The early cat catches the bird, huh?" Theodore quipped as a Scorching Ray struck the bird keeping a hold on him.

Theodore chose this to be his moment, attempting to escape from the clutches of this bigger-than-usual avian, but was distracted by the loud bang Cesar's voice made, leaving his attempt half-hearted at best. While he could feel Wick's magic wearing the raven down, it still managed to keep hold of him, making the situation even more hazardous. If it were to take flight, even if it was killed after, he would fall. And after that beatdown, he was not too sure of he could take it.

There were little precious options for the templar, so he chose to drop his crossbow and draw one of his two blades, as well as staring right into the creature's very being. If it was to take him to the sky, it would get something back from him in return. But Theodore dared yet hope his allies could spare him from such a fate. Katia had climbed into the tree he had chosen as his cover, but could not quite reach to grab. Perhaps she was up to something?


@The Harbinger of Ferocity - Next up
@JBRam2002 - A few words were spoken to Katia

One great raven, unaware of why it just became a thrall to fear, soon found itself even more startled by a shockwave that rippled the air and flung wide some of its feathers, of which now drifted by on the wind. Immediately taking to wing, it beat them with such force of retreat that it scuttled away from the defenders in almost a moment, so swift that they hadn't the opportunity to do more than shield their faces from its windstorm retreat. Cawing as loud as it could crow, no longer laughing as it was, it made a hasty exit - not even paying mind that one of its mob had fallen or that the last bird yet was left to deal with its catch.

Speaking of which, Theodore then felt his entire body leave the ground with incredible ease; another moment of near weightlessness, suspended in the claws of a titanic bird which, thankfully, had no chance of dropping him to his seeming death. Which was questionable, because he still could feel no sign of or trace of injury on his person, but his entire body did feel tapped. Unlike the shadows, which this was oddly reminiscent of, their attacks weren't chill touches of entropy, rather... these birds were alive. As in, they were actual birds, actual ravens! Large ravens, but not monsters.

They intended to carry him to their nest!

The ranger wasn't uneducated in the slightest just why they would do this, it all made more sense now, so the good news was, was that they weren't likely to let him go out of malevolence or the like. The unfortunate news was that these trees, which their roost had to be in somewhere, were in themselves triumphant and massive beyond all scale. Even if he somehow survived this, how would he see himself out of that madness of being stuck in a giant nest, surrounded by hungry birds, then down a tree as tall as a castle upon the crest of a hill if not larger?

By the time he had this revelation, the ground had disappeared many feet under him and the titanic bird was sweeping by Katia, not far below her treetop perch. One could only wonder what she was to do next, at least among the heroes, for it was clear these giant avians had not the faintest.


@Big Dread, @Cu Chulainn, @Gordian Nought, @Hekazu, @JBRam2002, @Zverda

Sword and words boomed thunder, bellowing in concert from bard and paladin, swarming the fretful raven with a tornado of missed blows, sadly full of testimonial setback. Stem and stamen curbed lesser enthusiasm towards the Celestial, while the pirate, as a garnish, seared merely but a few plumes with his musical detonation. The prostrated vale received their rumbling sacrilege, only offering hints of threshed dew to honor their magical heresy. Likewise, the bird was none too pleased. These worshiped woods had continuously endured as its domain, unadulterated and ancient, now spoiled by these young trespassers.

The ever smiling Tabaxi, however, was slightly more serendipitous; seeking swift disassembly, she constructed an unroofed hurricane of malignant strikes, imploding one of the mythic trio into small stone.

Curious.

Its flinty template shared similarities with her master’s broken gem. The cleric’s gaze of the glimmer expired as paws rushed the treasure into cryptic branches; the great feline now laid in wait for the avian’s next choreography. Meanwhile, the heroic pirate recited freedom from the pounce of his predator, simultaneously declaring inspiration to the roosting Cheshire.

“Give them a taste of their own medicine!”

To the former librarian, the angle of each of the feathered beast’ shoulders telegraphed that flight was imminent. Theodore attempted liberation, to no avail, aborting his crossbow to birth two blades from their scabbards. Time cried short, no longer allowing the Templar to reap any further adoption. With the flaps of charcoal wings, both of the aeronautical expeditions were off.

One with trepidation. Another with its sport.

The warlock spun, in place, once more, weaving momentum to feed an orb of radiance. She discerned that the cultist’s heritage would likely protect him of the impending brightness. Yet, his resultant fall evolved as a rationed consequence. With one last pivot, Wick surgically flung the brilliant sphere at the monster slayer and his grappler, consuming both in the propelled glare. After the luminary dissipated, the grotesque buzzard remained aloft with its game, angrily squawking and crowing below the hidden monk.

The diviner possessed one final ploy in her arsenal. Concentrating further, her embedded curse still survived with little repercussion against the fluttering of ornithological limbs.

Again, no release.

Annoyed, her pure gums contrived verbal scurvy, desperately issuing syllables of names and commands as she rushed after the other retreating vulture.

“Haemar! Katia! Combine your efforts! Tame their departures. Lest all suffer loss.”


@The Harbinger of Ferocity@Zverda

((@Zverda - Thea has passed her turn.))

”Teddy! Hold on!” Katia placed the Crow Orb into the pouch she kept slung over a shoulder and glared at the Really Big Crow. ”You’re going down, if it’s the last thing I do!” Katia focused her ki into radiant energy as she had done when they first entered this new world.

The attack struck true, the energy seemingly amplified by Wick’s magic. With one last croak, the raven’s wings ceased their movements and it imploded in a shudder of dark violent energy, condensing into a gem similar to the one now in Katia’s pack. Theodore, however, was unable to resist the seductive allure of gravity, and crashed down to the ground, the gem landing beside him. Katia watched in horror as he fell, looking almost ready to plunge off the tree herself, but knowing that it would do little more than get both of them hurt.

The other raven was too far away for her to take down easily. Perhaps a leap from the tree might get her close enough, but she’d be better off allowing it to flee. Instead, she stayed in the precipice of the tree’s branches, ready to prepare an attack should the beast return, and resting after her frenzied climb moments before.


@The Harbinger of Ferocity - DM
@Big Dread - Haemar is next!

@Hekazu - Theodore falls to the ground, suffering 6 bludgeoning damage as a result of his 25-ft plummet (DM Approved).

The raven vanished just as the other had and Theodore fell from its talons and to the earth. Haemar grimaced when he saw his friend smash into the unforgiving ground. That action was reckless at best. It did seem to have worked but the cost could have been so much worse. As it was, Theodore had already been pummeled by a spell from Wick and the bird itself. He needed to be seen to in order to assess his injuries. Hopefully the man yet lived. Losing him would be a great blow to them all, Thea especially if the obvious hints proved to be more than just a game.

"See if The Templar needs healing or if he has departed us." Haemar said quickly to the scholar beside him as he turned his attention to the final bird, fleeing. Haemar raised his hand and it sparked to life with brilliant magical flames. Golden eyes watched the bird in flight and judged exactly where he would need to place the bolt of flame to strike the creature. For now though, it did not have any of his companions in toe and it was making its exit. As long as it continued to flee and not to turn to strike against them again it would be left to live out whatever life it had. Haemar knew these were just birds. They did not bear them malice or serve the forces of Darkness, they were just birds. At least, that was what they seemed to be. They had shifted into some kind of magical stone after death, but, that did not mean they would return.

Haemar waited and watched, ready should the feather foe turn again. His hand remained alight in flames in preparation for if the creature gathered its nerve and thought to make another pass. He did not suspect it would though. They had proven hard prey and predators did not fight for challenge.


@Gordian Nought @The Harbinger of Ferocity @Cu Chulainn

Cesar Lorenzo Tidesong Bolivar
The Vale, Now that that's been all said and done...

@The Harbinger of Ferocity@Hekazu@Zverda

Only one of those devil birds remained standing. Er, flying. Flying away, as frightened as a seagull after you shoot a bolt right next to it... all thanks to Wick, of course. Cesar figured he would bathe that last raven with that special glow of his, to give his crossbow-wielding companion a better shot. Well, best get to it, then...

Cesar took a deep breath as he stopped focusing on bravery and heroics, and planning to focus his latent magical energy on the bird, to bathe it in... hm, blue works, yes?

Before the bard expended any of his magical energy, however, he began to notice something about the bird. He could see it in its dark eyes... pure, genuine fear. He could see that the beasts fight-or-flight responses have gone off, and it's definitely taking flight over fight. Whether this is purely the work of magic Wick had used against the bird, its natural reactions after seeing its fellows killed with it being next, or a mixture of both, didn't matter too much to Cesar. All that he thought mattered was that it was fleeing, and it doesn't look like it will be coming back.

"This pendejo is fleeing, and it doesn't look too keen on returning! Good riddance, I say!" Cesar called, letting out a jovial laugh and sheathing his sword. The sailor cared little if his allies would continue to try and strike the beast down or not. He was just glad they didn't need to deal with any more of these hellish birds anymore, at least for the time being.

His failed attempt at escaping the bird's grasp led to a natural conclusion, that being the bird taking off with him in its talons. The ground moved away from him, leaving Theodore longing for the comforting feeling of it under his feet. If one didn't get up high, one couldn't fall from heights. But, well, there had been an attempt and that was the best he could have done. The others were well aware of his predicament and many made it their priority to help him. However, as soon as Wick's globe of light collided with the bird and basked Theodore in its harmful rays, he had to concede some of the methods were a little reckless. Next up he noticed Katia flinging a bolt of energy his way. Wait, when had she learnt to do something like...

His thoughts were interrupted by the bird vanishing in a puff of smoke, but intent on finishing what he had started he mouthed the final word of the sentence "...that?" And then, he fell. Luckily enough the fall was on the shorter side, but the collision of the surface, the reunion not quite in the way he had been hoping for goaded him into releasing the air from his lungs. He couldn't be sure whether it had been the impact itself or force of habit, but the end result was the same.

Having been on the receiving end of multiple types of punishment in such a short timeframe, Theodore took a moment on the ground to catch his breath, as well as raise a hand between him and the sun. He felt so empty he halfway expected his hand to be see-through! He clambered to his feet, sheathed his sword, picked up the small sphere left behind the bird and took a few running steps back towards his crossbow. The small item reminded him of the bird somehow. Interesting... Having reached his crossbow, he picked it up and took a quick look at it. Still in one piece, at least.

@The Harbinger of Ferocity - Next