Winter Wonderland

There have been rumors in Alexandria. Rumors of a white tower possibly associated with the plague. Nothing really is known about this tower save that it is north of Alexandria, and that it is surrounded by snow and ice. That, and that it has something to do with a party that Mikilos threw. What the connection there is few understand that weren't actually there. Really the rumors around /that/ night don't get any less confusing.

Right now the tower is what's important. The fact that it might hold some clue to the cure. So you're headed northward, trying not to get lost in the wilderness as you move along. Searching for some sign of the tower itself or the snow and ice that's supposed to surround it.

GAME: Garak rolls survival: (10)+10: 20
GAME: Nasrin rolls survival: (1)+3: 4 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Disaster rolls survival: (16)+0: 16

"A tower that effects the plague." Disaster murmurs. "I will unlock this secret and add it to my own." He hefts the oddly shaped device that serves as his death ray. Seemingly able to work on it while walking. The small screwdriver in his right hand twisting away as it adjusts the device. "I wonder what it is? I wonder what will be inside. I wonder if I can get this device to work correctly. There seems to be a jam in the oscillating hinge mechanicals causing a hydraulic failure."

GAME: Delilah rolls survival: (15)+0: 15
GAME: Donna rolls survival: (8)+6: 14

"You'd think finding a bunch of snow and ice surrounding a bloody great white tower would be easy," Delilah muses. She's walking with the group, never too far away from her dark haired twin, Donna. "I mean, it's a tower, right? It's not like it moves or anything, right...?" She pauses, making a show of inspecting some otherwise trivial forest detail, trying to make it look like she has a better idea of what she's doing than what she actually does. "Well... if it's causing the plague, we need to either fix it or really, really break it," she adds. She eyes Disaster's death ray, and glances sideways at her twin. "That's a... big contraption he's got there," she mumbles to her.

Garak sits atop his trusty warhorse. Something of a minor miracle that it's survived all these adventures. Perhaps literally, as he tends to layer all manner of divine protection spells on it at the slightest hint of danger... "I believe this tower does in fact move," Garak replies wryly. "But it was powerful ritual magic that sent us this way."

"Wizards," Donna answers her sister, the word falling from her lips as though it had only four letters. "Movin' towers sounds just stupid enough to be a wizard thing, D. You know that well as I do. Bringin' its own winter with't... Still tracks." Blowing out a disgusted sigh, the dark twin turns her attention to the foliage on the other side of her sister, glancing sidelong at Disaster. "...Yeah well wait 'till he needs t'use it. Could be as you'll get jealous."

"You'd think the tower would be visible at a distance anyway," Nasrin observes. "Maybe it's hidden by magic? And... C'mon. Tower. Wizards live in towers. It could TOTALLY move." Nasrin narrows her eyes and looks over at Delilah for a second before shaking her head. Then she snaps and points at Donna. "See! I told you."

Whub Whub Whub. The Death Ray in Disaster's hands begins to power to life. Gears spinning, a bladder pumping and something in side wheezing. "Yes, it is now ready for it's ultimate purposes. Opening cans, and death." The little Gnome pulls out a can of preserves and hooks it to the machine which quickly spins and slices the top from the can. "Yes! Such is the power of science! Now I need a living target to test the other function on. I expect similar results, except with electrical discharge." There's a pause as he picks out a fig from the now open can and eats it. "Probably less edible."

"Just so we're clear, neither my sister nor I are volunteering for test-subject duty." Delilah continues along, feeling entirely confident that the group is heading in the right direction. Afterall, what could possibly go wrong? She pulls her pistol (A considerably small device than Disaster's death ray, but hey it's still gnome-tech) from its holster, makes sure it's got a fresh cartridge chambered, and reholsters it. "Never," she adds, glancing sideways to Donna. "I've got my magic. Also, yes. *Wizards*." The word issues forth from her lips with the same rancor as when Donna spoke it. "Snobs." She looks up towards Garak and Nasrin, and shakes her head. "It better not move. I do not approve of moving towers." She pauses. "Unless it's mine."

GAME: Disaster rolls survival: (11)+0: 11
GAME: Donna rolls survival: (6)+6: 12
GAME: Delilah rolls survival: (20)+0: 20
GAME: Nasrin rolls survival: (18)+3: 21
GAME: Garak rolls survival: (8)+10: 18

"It probably moves," Donna mutters, picking a bit of grit from between the short, vicious spikes studding a bar across her gauntleted knuckles. "Just keep an eye out, D. Ten gold says the first we see outs this tower's when something that lives there tries to eat your face."

"Of course it moves," Nasrin agrees in a quiet mutter. "After this I want a drink. And I am going dancing. And then some guy is going to try to get too friendly and I'm going to punch him in the nads." She shakes her head and scowls. "Let's just get this over with. Except the face eating. Maybe."

You keep heading further, and further north but there's no sign of the tower which you've been directed to just yet. It's beginning to grow dark and you've been on the move for some time at this point. Long enough that Alexandria is a nearly forgotten memory behind you. The wilderness is becoming more and more hostile as you go further north. Spikes grow out on trees. Animals of strange design cross your path. Squirrels with two tails and teeth like razors. Deer with antlers that grow red fruit and flit away as soon as they're seen. It's unnatural, and it's just getting worse.

GAME: Stena rolls Survival: (1)+0: 1 (EPIC FAIL)

Garak eyes some of the unnatural creatures with mild distaste. He's always preferred cities to wild places. And sights like this just serve to remind him why. "I think we're getting close," he observes.

"...I need one of those," Delilah declares, pointing at one of the two-tailed, pointy-toothed squirrels. "...On second thought, no I don't. But seriously, a squirrel with two tails." She watches one dart across the path; then watches a third one pounce on a shrew in the underbrush and bites its head off. An eyebrow arches, the young sorceress filing that one away, before she pulls hte brim of her hat a bit lower and continues on. "Oh look, frost," she murmurs, pointing off to the right. "You're on, Donna, ten gold it is. I think we'll find something pathetic before we find something hostile. ...This way!" And then she steps off, changing direction and leading off to the right.

"Oh for--" Donna groans, smacking her forehead with her palm. "DELILAH! JUST SAYIN' 'THIS WAY' AIN'T WARNING ENOUGH! *GET YOUR ASS BACK ON THE ROAD.*"

On the upside, Donna's shouting gives the rest of the party a marker to follow as she hares off in pursuit of her blond twin.

"Are you sure?" Disaster's goggled eyes look up at Delilah. "Well yes I imagine so." He sniffs then, and produces a grimy rag which he blows his nose into. "There is so much out doors out here in the um, out doors. Isn't there?" Hefting the device upwards and resting it partially on his shoulder. Disasters seems to not mind when the destructive ray gun makes a 'tonk' noise and hisses out an acrid cloud of green fumes, then shudders. "Now a moving tower would be interesting. I should make some sketches. We could use a gyroscope!" Extending a small hinged arm from his chest with his free hand. The small Gnome attaches a square board to it, then lays a notebook on that. He then begins to quickly scribble designs for a walking tower. "Now to handle balance correction from the left to right momentum we would need shifting ballast contrary to the walking motion of the engineered legs and ack.." The small Gnome visibly jumps when Donna yells. "WhatAreWeYellingAboutShouldIFire?"

Nasrin is eyeing up the squirrel, apparently intent on catching it. She ducks forward and tries to catch the creature in question, her gauntleted hands striking the earth. Narrowed eyes follow as she tracks the beat through the brush. Ultimately, she follows the group, but lightly crouched. The Cleric will have that squirrel yet, it seems!

Stena is /totally/ here. She's, of course, more than happy to help out! Heading northwards. Of course, she's busily enjoying this box of muffins she brought with her. She offers one to Nasrin.

GAME: Delilah rolls perception: (8)+0: 8
GAME: Donna rolls perception: (13)+8: 21
GAME: Garak rolls perception: (16)+18: 34
GAME: Nasrin rolls perception: (16)+3: 19
GAME: Disaster rolls perception: (18)+2: 20

You travel some distance through the woods that grow quickly darker as the sun sets. A thing which only serves to make the woods seem all that more unsettling. Now strange noises join the movements on the corners of your eyes. Anything could be out there in the dark. Might actually in fact, considering what you've seen. As you make your way quickly through the underbrush the frost grows thicker and thicker until it's like snow. Until it's winter come in the dead of spring and you practically tumble out into a clearing.

Starlight falls on this clearing smooth and clear. The ground is permanently frosted so thick that it's no longer slick. There's a mound in the middle of the clearing made of snow and ice behind which sits a tower of white. Out of the tower walks a tall man, and as he moves out the tower vanishes from behind him. He strides over the mound with ungangly unnatural movements as though he's drawn on strings. A man in black clothing with black hair and skin so pale it reflects the starlight. What's remarkable about him though are his brilliant green eyes. He smiles as he approaches you. "Greetings."

The small gnome flounders in the perma-winter. "This is most uncomfortable!" Disaster states, shivering. "I will need to see if I can find a c-c-c-olaborator to help me design insulation for my equipment." Blowing his nose again the little engineer sets to work. Extending another arm from his equipment he attaches a torch to it and lights it with a flint and steel. The burst of flame providing a small amount of warmth and light. Holding his hands up to the flame as his deathray is balanced on the hooks of his shoulder. As the stranger approaches Disaster trundles over to meet him, burning torch in tow. "OH HELLO!" The small Gnome juts out a hand. "I wonder why you are you here? You are most quite unusual and something does not seem normal. Perhaps you would elaborate about yourself and the hill behind you? May I take samples? Could I interest you in being apart of the adventures of science? Aaachcooo!" The Gnome sneezes, wipes at his large and continues. "Have I introduced myself yet? My worry it's so cold and outdoorsy here I can't seem to stop sneezing."

"..." Nasrin is staring at the guy in question, her head tilted slightly to the left as she studies him. The redhead reaches up and brushes crimson tesses away from her face. In her hand hse is clasping the tiny squirrel she'd manage to capture. "You! Who are you? What are you doing out here It's not sa-AAGH!" The squirrel has bitten down on Nasrin, having found a tiny gap in her armour into which to sink its devilishly squirrelly teeth. She scowls at it, staring. A beat. "As I was saying. Who are you?" She'll wordlessly present the squirrel to Delilah in the mean time.

"...greetings," Garak begrudgingly replies. He even inclined his head, in the tiniest of nods. The common courtesies must be observed, always. "I am Garak, a priest of Serriel. And you are...?"

"Oh come ON! It's just the woods," Delilah protests to her twin's shouting at her. "We've walked through woods before and I've managed not to get eaten by anything, just because these are spooky woods with bitey things that shouldn't matter." Still, her protests leave more than enough time for everyone else to catch up to the short distance she'd strayed from the path, so she just waits and falls in line beside Donna, right where she's supposed to be just in case anything does try to eat her. Once the clearing is reached, the golden haired sorceress eyes the man who comes out of the tower, before the damn thing goes ahead and vanishes. "Are you... a wizard?" she inquires, folding her arms across her chest, "Because you know, we--" She abruptly loses her train of thought. "Oh! Squirrel! She's *cute*!" she pronounces, flashing a winning look up at Nasrin. ...Before the little critter promptly bites her thumb.

"Pffft," says Stena when a squirrel bites Nasrin. She finds this amusing. She has yet to be bitten by any terrible squirrel monsters. "Muffin?" She holds it out towards... the squirrel. Seems she's trying to help.

"...Been looking for a white tower," Donna says around a sigh, edging just past Delilah to place one shoulder in front of her sister. "Looks like we found it. Yours?"

A reputable adventurer might almost be embarrassed at the comedy of errors playing out all around her. Luckily, Donna is not a reputable anything.

There are a lot of questions for the strange man to answer, but he seems largely unphased by it all. "My name is Kol Demontry, and it is my pleasure to meet you all." He flashes a grin all around and you realize he's been smiling this whole time. A soft warm smile. "I am not a wizard, nor is the tower mine. It belongs in fact to my mistress."

He glances behind him quickly with an odd expression twisting his smile before returning his attention to you all. "I am here in fact to greet you and you could say that the... hill? This is a gift for you." He motions somewhat behind himself to the hill. "In fact you could say that I am a gift as well. Someone to entertain you." Kol bows with smooth easy grace.

"Entertain us?" Garak says the words carefully as if they are unfamiliar. "Perhaps another time. Who is your mistress? Perhaps it is her we should be speaking with."

Delilah waves her hand about in the air, while simultaneously shifting the little two-tailed squirrel to sit on her shoulder, just to see if it'll stay there or run away. Hopefully it'll stay, but you can't make someone stay with you, afterall, even if it's a squirrel. She does, however, produce a bit of beef jerky and hold it up to the little critter -- gingerly, of course. She takes a neat step back and takes up position behind her sister, letting Donna have the out-front position as usual. "Right, so uhm. Who's your-" she pauses, while Garak asks the same question she was just going to say. "What's the lump?"

"..Demontry? Really? What's next 'Karb NotASpy'?" remarks Stena, dryly, though she's glancing towards Delilah now with obvious curiosity. Then Garak. Then back to Nasrin. And the squirrel, of course.

The clearing you stand in is freezing cold, the image of the white tower hovering briefly in the air like a mirage before it fades entirely leaving only the hill and the man named Kol Demontry behind. Kol's shoulders shake and an odd almost mechanical noise like grating leaves his mouth. You realize belatedly that it is laughter. "It is the name I was born with, as for my mistress - she has little desire to speak to you, that is after all why she left. She would however like to get to know you better. Understand you."

He makes a motion with his hand and the lump... moves. Ice and snow shift off of the back of what can only be described as a giant bird with the face of a lizard. Feathered wings beat out from its back. It's easily six times larger than the largest person here. It doesn't look friendly, but it makes no move to attack.

You know that muffin she was holding out to Nasrin.

She dropped it as the creature revealed itself.

Stena staaaaaaaaaaaaaares in its direction. "Oh," she says.

"...Oh no, the muffin!" Nasrin moves to bend over and pick it up only to catch a glimpse of the creature in mid-gesture. "What the fuck...?" The muffin is dropped again. This time it rolls away.

It the glow that gives him away. Not that he's been exactly sneaky, but glowing in the dim light is hardly subtle. But usually when a wizard appears, there's a flash of light, or puff of smoke, or some sort a fancy thing like that. Mikilos just keeps to the basics however. One moment there's just an open patch of frost, and the next moment, a glowing elf. "Ah, lovely. I thought scrying those out looking for the tower might be useful. Glad it w-" The magus blinks, eyeing the large bird-lizard... "What the heck?"

Donna stares at Kol, a look of despairing resignation on her face. When the snow shifts, her eyes track to it.... and her gaze goes up, and up, and up, locked onto the eyes of the bird. Her arms drop to her sides, save for a single, spasmodic jab of her elbow into her sister's ribs.

"You owe me ten gold."

Suddenly Kol's eyes light up, like a kid seeing candy in a shop. "You!" He exclaims, rushing forward so quickly that they eye can not follow until he's suddenly there in front of Mikilos. "You are a spell-casting sort. Have you perhaps heard of Mikilos?"

Behind him the white bird-lizard lets out a coughing roar and rises to its feet, wings creating a gust that billows out around you.

"Oh no! The muffin!" says Stena after it hits the ground for the second time. Then she scoops it up. Because that's better than dealing with... well... whatever that is. And then Mikilos arrives and she falls down on her bottom and, well, stares.

Garak holds out his hand and a gleaming silvery lance appears in it. "Be warned - if your creature attacks us, we will defend ourselves!" His other hand reaches for his horse's neck to steady it. Under his voice he murmurs a quick benediction.

Delilah digs into the deep recesses of her robe, hefts a small handful of coins, and presses them into Donna's palm. "I should've known better," she grumbles. "When is it anything other than something trying to eat someone's face?" She lets the squirrel take the beef jerky from her fingers, and reaches up to tickle it under the chin. "Right, well... get to know us better how? Better as in how we beat your critter senseless? I mean obviously she's not inviting us for tea and crumpets."

GAME: Garak casts Shield Other. Caster Level: 11 DC: 16

"Sounds... About right," Nasrin mutters, half to herself.

Mikilos blinks, but schools himself to hold steady as the... 'person'... appears before him. "Ah, yes. I certainly have." He frowns a moment, eyeing the figure before him. "I take it you are the one known as 'Demontry'?"

The excitement only increases at Mikilos' answer. Kol sidles closer to the mage, invading his personal space without any consideration. "Yes. I am Kol Demontry, and if you could tell me where this Mikilos is... my mistress wishes to meet him you see." He grins and holds up a hand, showing that there is a scar of that name emblazoned upon it. M-I-K-I-L-O-S. "Very much."

Behind him the bird makes a coughing roar and Kol makes a motion with that scarred hand. "Yes. Kill them all. All but this one." His green eyes bore into Milikos' and the bird-creature charges the nearest and most threatening foe. Garak.

"....Man wizards even have weird fangirls," Donna groans, raising her fists and preparing for a proper slobberknocker.

GAME: Nasrin casts Bless. Caster Level: 5 DC: 14

"...are we seriously having to do this now? Are you serious?" says Stena. "Whoa! No one has to do any fighting! Or, well... OKAY! SO BE IT!" She tears her muffin in two and slaps half of it in Nasrin's mouth and the other half in her own before drawing her axe.

SHE IS READY.

"...Of course." Nasrin produces a drum that she holds out in front of herself. The crimson clad Cleric of Kor takes a deep breath and calls out her best bellow of, "Kill them!" She then begins a sharp, percussive war beat on her drum. "Spill their--aaaughfff...!" Muffin is shoved into Nasrin's mouth as she opens it to speak and she starts into a fit of coughing. Fortunately, Kor still favours those she's blessed. Even if it's less than impressive.

Swiftly pocketing the gold, Donna looses one final sigh through her nose... Then plants her feet, pale-blue energy bursting alight from her eyes, from glyph-like tattoos that crawl up one arm, as her outline begins to vibrate into a smeary blur. As the bird-lizard-thing charges, the dark twin leaps out to meet it, ducking to one side and under to take a looping, overhanded swing down toward it's hopefully-fragile leg bones.

Mikilos blinks at the scar for a few moments. "You know, it's actually Mikilostravia Abrioudelanarchie Mithralla. And a host of titles if you really want to get into it. Not that anyone really uses more than 'Mikilos'. Anyway, I'm a bit cautious of introductions. You havn't built the best of reputations, and by proxy that casts a poor light upon your Mistress." His fingers waggle by his side, and he murmurs a few choice phrases under his breath, sending a wave of magical haste to those in the party.

GAME: Mikilos casts Haste. Caster Level: 11 DC: 21

Garak eyes the winged creature. If it can truly fly, he reasons, they'd best finish it now, while it's still on the ground. He lowers his lance. Without a word or gesture, his horse spurs into action, diring at the creature in a path that will take them alongside and allow its rider to attempt to spear the monster as they ride by.

GAME: Mikilos rolls will: (2)+11: 13

While her sister dashes forwards, Delilah pets the squirrel on her shoulder. "Keep calm now," she coos to the little creature. "You'll be needing a name too, when this is finished." Glyphs tattooed on her arm, much like her twin's, flare to life, glowing a brilliant blue just as her eyes do. She chants allowed, drawing an intricate design with glowing energy in the air in front of her; when she finishes it, the energy coalesces into a searing lance of fire, sizzling through the air at the beast!

"You will come with me." The man known as Kol Demontry says, holding out his hand and grasping Mikilos with it. "Say yes." There's just the slightest edge of demand to this.

Meanwhile everyone else is busy with the beast which collides heavily with Garak's charging horse. It's tail whips out, blocking one sister from attacking it's legs though it catches the flaming lance in the side for it's trouble. It lets out a roar of pain and snakes it's head down to try and bite at Garak even as it's wings beat at the ground; trying to squash the woman at its feet.

"...oh, right. It's YOU," says Stena after a long moment. Then she's running at...

Wait, she's running at Mikilos!

GAME: Nasrin casts Bull's Strength. Caster Level: 5 DC: 15

Garak feels his horse stumbling and then falling. He releases the lance and just manages to fling himself from the saddle before a leg or more is pinned beneath the falling steed. The cleric immediately rolls to his feet and then runs forward. He vaults over the horse as it struggles to rise. Garak stands between it and the creature, raising his fists and then shifting into a fighting style reminiscent of Donna's even as he calls upon Serriel for aid.

GAME: Garak casts Divine Favor/Quicken. Caster Level: 11 DC: 19

Mikilos blinks, frowning thoughtfully. "You.... you... yes." The elf's hands are clenched, his back stiff and rigid, but he makes no motion to attack or defend himself.

The tremendous foot crashes to earth, but the woman has only just dived out of the way... close enough that the earth-shaking impact drops her to her knees for a moment as she struggles to get out from under the creature's tread. As Nasrin's spell finds purchase in her muscles, she surges back to her feet, blue and red energies streaming in the wake of her armored fist as it tears the air toward its tender, meaty tail.

Kol's grin widens until he's flashing all his teeth and then suddenly... The two are gone. The elf and the man have vanished without a trace. No puff of smoke or glowing. Just mist and shadow curling where they used to be and Stena arriving a second too late to stop them.

Donna's attack hits the creature's tail and it roars again, thrashing that limb and beating down on her more heavily with its wings even as it snaps at Garak, trying to force the man back or take a bite out of him. Whichever is more possible.

GAME: Delilah casts Scorching Ray. Caster Level: 4 DC: 17

"Kick his ass!" Nasrin shouts in encouragement, whooping as the drumming reaches a harsh crescendo. She's cheering when Donna is suffused with the crimson light of Kor, dropping to a knee to continue her song in true drum corps fashion.

Stena goes tackling through the air towards Mikilos, who vanishes just as she's about to reach him. She gets a look on her face that's kinda: oh snap! And then she slides face first into the earth, going end over end a moment later.

Buffeted by wings and feet and tail, Donna staggers back, and puts two fingers to her lips, loosing a high-pitched, piercing whistle. "OI UGLY! OVER HERE! HEY, SNAKEBUTT, YOUR MOMMA'S SO STUPID, WHEN YOU HATCHED SHE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CANDY!"

...To be fair, that's probably the *cleanest* insult she could come up with to keep a massive frost creature's attention...

Garak flings a forearm up and shoves it into the snapping beak. It saves his throat, at the cost of a savage wound to his arm. The cleric grits his teeth and pounds his other fist into the creature's head. "Keep at it! We have to finish it!"

Delilah takes a step back; part of being a magic user is not being right up on the front line. That's Donna's playground anyway. "Got it, sis." Not that Donna can hear her, but it doesn't matter. The squirrel on her shoulder chitters excitedly as she retraces the design she drew a moment earlier, conjuring it up in the air once more. "BURN YOU REJECT!" she shouts, finishing it off at just the precise moment to let fly with the blast of fire -- right for the creature's underbelly. Which, hopefully, is exposed by now.

Now raising herself back to her feet, Stena turns and begins taking a run right at the... winged...bird.. thing.

"GWAAAUGH," she yells in frustration. THIS COST HER HER MUFFIN. AND PREVIOUSLY DAYS OF HER MEMORY.

The blast hits, slicing open the creature in a spill of something black and ichor-like on the ground. Even injured so graphically the creature remains somehow on its feet, smacking at the woman threatening it, and chomping down harder on the arm that it's got tucked securely in it's maw. Even so, it's clear that this beast can not remain standing much longer. Not after what's been done to it.

When the blast of fire is launched Nasrin apparently sees her chance. "Fast ball," the cleric bellows as she breaks into a lumbering charge. The thing about Nasrin is that while she is not very maneuverable whilst wearing dozens of pounds of steel she is actually rather fast. She lowers her axe into her hands as she runs, lowering her head and weapon in order to barrel into the creature full force, waving her weapon like she hopes the staggering creature will lose its head if she can get in one furious swing of the crimson axe.

Wings this large and heavy are positively bruising, and not even her towering fury can keep Donna up forever. But as her sister's fire slices open the creature's underbelly, Donna's seething eyes widen, as a grin spreads across her face. Lunging through ichor-stained snow, the dark twin curls one hand into a fist, and lunges up, attempting to plunge her hand as far into the wound as she can manage. Should her hand find its mark, it's just a matter of getting a good grip on whatever she can find in there.... and pull.

Kor would probably be proud.

Someone once said, 'go for the eyes'. Well, maybe someone did, maybe they didn't; either way, it was sound advice. Delilah pulls her pistol from it's holster, and then just sort of watches as Donna does... that. "DONNA YOU'RE DOING YOUR OWN LAUNDRY!" she yells; a quick glance confirms that the squirrel is still there, looking innocent and totally not eyeing up Delilah's earlobe. The golden haired sorceress moves forwards, following Nasrin and getting a bit closer, just... not as close as everyone else, before she raises her pistol, sights down the barrel, and with a loud report fires a shot for the beast's noggin. Y'know, eyes. Or whatever she can get.

Garak was in all the chaos of close combat finally released by the creature - more like flung away, actually, as it sought to snap at others. He ends up close to where he dropped his lance and takes the time to scoop it up. He twirls it end over end while shifting his grip to hold it like a spear, until it ends lined up with the creature, ready to lunge and stab.

Maybe it's the cut to the throat. Maybe it's Donna pulling down things that were never meant to see daylight. Maybe it's the shot to the eye blinding it and sending it's head down just low enough to meet Garak's lance. Maybe it's the lance. Whichever strike it is, the creature lets out some odd agonized noise and flops down dead on the ground still spilling ichor. Donna is covered in it from being beneath the thing.

GAME: Donna rolls reflex: (15)+6: 21
GAME: Nasrin rolls reflex: (18)+3: 21
GAME: Stena rolls ref: (12)+2: 14

When one is in the grip of a killing rage, one forgets long-term consequences for short-term actions. Action: Pulling out the guts of a giant monster from underneath, in the hope of killing it dead. Consequence: Having to dive out of the way, getting a mouthful of ichor-slushed snow to keep from having the damn beast fall right on top of you.

"Pthbptpleh pleh, pfaugh," Donna opines as she heaves herself to her feet. "I will *do my own damn laundry and I will like it.* *Totally* worth the hassle."

For her part, Stena had buried her axe largely ineffectively in the creature while the others did the real work. She's a bit to flummoxed to be effective in this situation, and perhaps a bit concussed from that...

...and then, well... not being squished is good.

Delilah is standing far enough back that the monster isn't squashing her; that doesn't stop her from rushing forwards to make sure her sister isn't getting squashed. Or, y'know, anyone else, but priorities. "I'll help you do your laundry," she adds, her eyes and tattoos returning to normal as she holsters her pistol. "Everyone alright?" She pauses, and scowls. "Of course, now we have to go find the bloody tower again."

Mikilos is... still disappeared. But maybe he'll be back! Maybe he'll reappear right over there in 3... 2... 1... !!!... nope... still disappeared.

-End