Just when it would seem like things would go well, the kobolds arrived. They attacked Brannor and Orchid who were both still caught in the monster's tentacles, but hopefully the monster itself won't try and hurt them. Who knows, perhaps the fact the monster has the two grappled might even help protect the two if the kobolds attack either of the men and end up hurting the monster in the process. Taking out her viol Parum plucked a string and looked towards the kobolds, angrily shouting at them. "Si tepoha ocuirtor vriskeh mrith throdenilt kalith!!" Parum shouts at one of the kobolds, hoping he'll take some damage and make it harder for them to hurt her allies. Though Parum also made sure to take cover behind a rock in case they try and go after her. "Mr. Monster, please let my friends go so they can fight! We promise to get you something better to eat than us!"

The hardening of the kobolds' glue pots did not last long as there was an audible crack beneath the sizable man-tiger. With a strong flex of build and taking one snarling step forward, still held back only by the monster's grip, the slavering beast was keen to put a decisive and violent end to these little dragonkin. Bits more of the glue cascaded off and broke upon the cave floor as the intensity grew.

"Release me and we will find you food." The jowls snarled, having in the moment paid no mind to what Parum had said or that they had already seemingly virtually agreed on how to escape its clutches. All now that there was, was overwhelming drive and desire to hew these depraved creatures. It was the sole thing that mattered now, an impetus put forward, and were it not for being held back they would be leapt upon with animalistic vengeance. So eager was it that the monstrous limbs writhed in resistance to the captor's restraint, each leg strained to lunge the moment it would be let go. All of the pale cat shifted and moved as consequence, bits of armor and necklace chiming off its chest.

All the creature needed to do, was do that. All it needed to do was allow them to go and it would be done.


@Hekazu@Ryonara@Zverda@Lucius Cypher@Norschtalen

In the flickering light of her oil lantern, the flame beginning to die out at the most inconvenient of times though for now still illuminating just far enough for Parum to throw her spell. Unfortunately it seemed the target of not only hers but the pink-haired priestess was particularly strong willed example of their race, quite possibly the leader of this gang and the mastermind behind this ambush. Just as unassuming in their figure as the rest, their hardiness against the magical assault suggested something else. A shriek was shouted to the air as a signal, and another pair of kobolds poked their heads up, this time wielding very different looking containers. The main defining feature was likely the burning rag poking out of the thing.

And so another pair of projectiles came thrown, each aimed at a particular fighter in the front lines of the heroes of Greenest, the glued and the grappled facing a danger after another as the jars cracked and sprinkled burning oil around, but it seemed thanks to less than shoddy construction the projectile refused to wholly detonate, leaving itself leaking its contents by the feet of those that were either struck by them or who avoided such a fate with deft enough movement despite their difficult situation. And like thieves in the night, another pair of glue pots came from the darkness of the kobold's little corner, again aimed at Orchid and Brannor, barely making it to them. There was little strategy to this past the immediate impact of the ambush, leaving the backline in one piece despite all that was lobbed at the front.

But there was something that the kobolds defying all odds had neglected to make note of: They were indeed defying all odds. They could not trust the tentacled stalagmite would remain on their side, and with fire licking at its tentacles it very much seemed like it was not considering that option for its own either. The champions suggested an alternative, possibly more lucrative approach. And it might just as well take it. Yet in some corner of its small mind, it devised a plan of its own. The tentacles left both Brannor and Orchid well and alone, ripping themselves free of the glue as it might have covered them, yet Kyra found no such freedom granted for herself. There came no verbal answer from the creature yet, but it most certainly bit its teeth together in what resembled a sneer.

The rapid changes in the situations were soon reacted to by the druid among them as well, and when he saw how the fellow momentary tiger was targeted by several projectiles pelting at his battle readiness he knew what to do. He darted forth on all of his four clawed limbs, muscles flexing beneath patterned fur as he threw himself against a patch of glue, giving Brannor a shove that helped him break free from the half-encasing sticky shell that had begun forming around him. Torus slunk between the weretiger and the sheer drop now, baring the wild shape's teeth. He was ready to roll, with semi-liquid glue on his fur or not.

Orchid roared as he was attacked by the cowardly kobolds. They were having a nice conversation with the tentacle monster, but now they annoyed him! Unfortunately Orchid couldn't muster up a fury against them, and so he'll just have to make due with some brutal cunning. Now that the monster had released him Orchid swiftly took out one of his javelins and moved to attack the kobolds, hurling his spear at their shadows. He needs to be careful now, so instead of charging the kobolds, he instead backs away, trying to get out of reach of their throwing weapons and possibly slings. If possible he'll even try and get some cover.

Kyra was glad to see the monster release Orchid and Brannor, but the fact it didn't release her greatly bothered Kyra. Did the creature intend to take her hostage? It was trying her patience, but she also knew this was the worse position for her to argue from. If she could somehow get the others to rescue her, that would be great. Alas, she also has to deal with the kobolds, who'll no doubt try to kill her regardless if the monster was grabbing her or not. If anything, the fact the creature made it impossible for Kyra to effectively dodge might make it easier for the kobolds. Without being able to effectively use her weapon either, Kyra had no choice but to rely on her spells as she looked towards the kobolds. "Death comes for you!" She shouts as she grasps her holy symbol.

Parum took notice that the monster had released Brannor and Orchid, but not Kyra. What was it planning? Did it think that he needed Kyra to have some leverage over the the group? It was hard enough to have to deal with the kobolds right now of all times, Parum didn't want to have to keep negotiating with the tentacle monster either! "Wux tepoha vi ehaism ergriff vi tomosha dask tiliw itov!" Parum shouts at one of the kobolds as she takes out her sling. Maybe if they get out from cover, she could hurl a stone at one of them. She looked over towards the monster and continued to try and convince it to release Kyra. "We all of us freed in order to get your food! She is the best cook among all of us, and you'll never taste anything better than what she can make." Parum said motioning towards Kyra.

Freed once again, this time by his own ally, the fire that singed at the monstrosity of moonborne wrath drove it into a frenzied rush. Like a gathering storm the striped champion built gathering speed over the short distance between it and its first target, one of several kobolds, and immediately leveled the worst of the sword carried against it. Towering over the creatures and with untamed force guiding the strike, it likely well dropped the first it had caught sight, scent, and sound of before it reversed the swing. Crossing across the battered armor that lined its chest, the clean end of the biting edge now led on the backward return; it would be a narrow escape, if any, for one of the little dragonmen to avoid it but thus far they had been luckier than most.

The snarl that quivered the lips grew worse as the jaws they shrouded snapped in barely restrained rage. Were Brannor not quite what he was, he well likely would have devoured them like any other prey, just something to feed the beast, but to his fortune and all of theirs quite likely, he was blessed with this other self more than he was cursed with it. All it wanted to do was drive out these despoilers and their minions, by force of course, rather than feed some supernatural hunger. Instead it would be sated by their destruction, which it aimed to continue with another pawed step forward across the dust kicked floor following its initial assault.


@Hekazu@Ryonara@Zverda@Lucius Cypher@Norschtalen

The counterattack had begun. The warrior freed from the bombs of his foes had rushed forth, and despite the best attempts at the kobolds dropping away from his reach, he managed to slice not one but two kobolds down, leaving only two of them behind. Yet these two seemed to be out of bombs, and now driven to a corner. With their options few, if any, they picked up weapons much finer than most of their brethren, them being swords of some quality even if they happened to be on the shorter side. And with those in their hands, they rose to assault the threat that had taken their brethren down. And fight they would.

One at a time, they came at him, scrambling up the stone with weapons first in their jaws, then taken back into those claws of theirs as they rushed in, the first of the two landing a lucky hit that just so managed to sneak past Brannor's armour and nicked at his flesh. Yet it was the second that truly put up a show, using the attack of the first as a feint of their own, weaving their way past the ferocious man's defences, jamming their blade to a much more precarious position. Both shrieked simple battle cries, but soon a pair of very different shrieks came as four of the tendrils from the sidelines lashed at them, cracking like whips as they stole the freedom of movement away from the scaly creatures.

"Told you to leave this!" the monster growled at them, all of the six tentacles yanking in the direction of their source. The scaly critters were pulled to the edge of the other drop, almost tumbling all the way down, barely able to hold enough of their footing to not slide so far. But with the indiscriminate nature of the manoeuvre, Kyra who was gripped by one of the six found herself dragged past the threshold. An instinctive attempt at grabbing the ledge succeeded, yet she could not find enough strength in her to hold on, falling the fifteen feet down and landing flat on the floor. By the looks of it, the monster was more than ready to reel everything in again very soon… and quite unfortunately seemed to be paying little mind to the pleas about Kyra's release.

The situation was certainly not proceeding quite as would be deemed optimal, and so Torus made the hard decision of having to reinforce the suddenly formed secondary battlefield. The shape of the tiger rushed to the ledge that Kyra had fallen from and leapt on down, stumbling a bit on the landing but managing to keep upright with feline grace. For now, the Druid took up position between Kyra and the rock-skinned monster to intercept possible attacks on his more vulnerable ally.

Orchid turned towards Kyra, seeing her dragged into the pit. Why did that monster do that? She was trying to help him! Orchid wanted to shout and complain, however he needed to focus on the enemies they have right now, and save Kyra once the kobolds were dead. Orchid hoped the monster doesn't intend to use Kyra has a hostage or else they were going to have to kill the beast, one way or another. The orc doesn't intend to leave anyone behind! At least, no one except kobold corpses. Seeing that one of the kobolds were grappled by the tentacle monster Orchid wasted no time to run towards the kobold, drawing his machete out from his sheath and chopping the kobold's head off. This was much easier when they weren't squirming around. "Die."

”Gah! Hells!” Kura cursed as the monster had dragged her off the edge of the cliff and into the egg nest. She still had no idea why it kept a hold on her but she doesn’t intend to let him continue dragging her closer. ”Torus, get me out of this thing!” She shouted as she looked towards one of the Kobolds. With her one free arm, she grabbed her dagger in case she has to cut her way out, and looks to the Kobold on the edge of the cliff. ”The evening bell tolls!”

With Kyra’s last spell it seems like the kobolds were killed, but their mere existence proved that there could be more danger lying in wait. Parum couldn’t risk another ambush but right now, she also needed some illumination. So Parum crafted an illusion of light, similar to that of a lantern, centered in the middle of the room to try and brighten up the otherwise dark corridor. “Let there be light.” Parum also moved towards the edge of the cliff to try and spot Kyra and the others, hoping they were good for the dark beast lurking in this cave.

Exhaling loudly through the jowls it bore, the monstrous incarnation and mingling of man and beast turned the sword over in one of its hands. The kobolds had clawed, teared, tore, and slashed at it with everything the had and it put nary a meaningful dent in its flesh, nothing in comparison to what that accursed dragonspawn had. But the bite of their weapons and the felling of their bodies by allies drove the thrall of nature's wrath to turn wildly around, still hungering for its next kill, drawn on by the light invoked before it realized there was nothing left in this portion of the cave.

"Enough!" It roared, eyes angrily searching and falling upon the young priestess and the tendril that held her, now basked in light, "You will have what you want, creature. And we will slay more of these vermin wherever they dare stop us just as we had this time." The obvious tone of Brannor came, albeit twisted and growled through pointed, carnivorous teeth.

This alternate form of him lived and breathed violence, a weapon of flesh and steel united, blessed by otherworldly power, but it was ill tempered and poorly trained. The events of Greenest had increasingly refined it, of course, yet it was no match for its nature. Nothing could hide the red stains that coated the pale fur or how it recklessly embraced its injuries, sustaining itself by some other means; if the past was any indication, the man who was still somewhere at its core would need sleep and sleep long after this, well after washing himself clean of the violence he had done while in it. Perhaps in due time the pendulum of behavior could be better shaped, better controlled, although first they would need be out of this wretched cave - after they dealt with these eggs, which seemed to be only now after feeding the thing which demanded a trade.


@Hekazu@Ryonara@Zverda@Lucius Cypher@Norschtalen