Two Rage or Not to Rage
Log Info
- Title: Two Rage or Not to Rage
- Emitter: Murder
- Characters: Murder, Skielstregar
- Place: Wilderness
- Time: March 7th, 2023
- Summary: Upon a clearing in the woods, Skielstregar comes across Murder's training grounds. After pondering the effectiveness of destrying dead wood, Skiel offers to be a sparring partner. The duel was simple, keep the gobbo away, and the gobbo had to strike him once. That was much more difficult when Skielstregar uses some magics to have multiple versions of him! Murder is almost knocked out, but manages to push through and manages to destroy all of Skiel's illusions and lands a hit on him! They break to go rest up so the makari can explain how he did that to the gobber.
Despite the grey, gloomy day, the mild wind is proof that Spring is impending. The sights and sounds of nature have been on the increase: early blooming flowers pushing their buds upwards, the occasional dash of rabbits, the music of the songbirds in the branches above.
What's not part of the normal background is the ringing crash of swordblade or the growling and grunting of something exerting itself. In a clearing, where the snow has been trampled flat, several dead trees come under an assault of steel and ... green.
A black haired mare with solid crimson eyes breaks through the clearing, hollow hoof beats emptily echo where none should be. Puddles of black ichor wafting in their wake. A large beast. Unnatural. And atop it an unnaturally shiny sith-makari with a spear in one hand, and a cracked halberd resting on their shoulder.
Atop his steed, Skielstregar looks on at the carnage in confusion. "... erm... hello?" he calls out. "Winter ssspirit of the woodsss, pleassse calm down. Treeess may suffer your wrath but it isss not their time yet."
GAME: Skielstregar casts Mount. Caster Level: 9 DC: 13
The little green streak jumps and lands atop a tree stump which is tall enough to allow her to almost look the horse in the eye. The red in her eyes fades, and her blade is jammed into the stump as she stands. Murder grins toothily. "Skiel, you're already huge and you are now riding this beast of a horse?" The Gobbo giggles.
Skiel blinks. "... oh. It isss not a winter ssspirit," he states dumbly. Flipping the spear over, he slots it into the large quiver on his back to nestle amongst the others.
The horse does not budge from the sudden gobbo in the face. In fact, it doesn't move at all. No tail flicking. No blinking.
"Voarexautha isss thisss one'sss steed," he mentions, patting the top of the eerie horse's head. "Hello Murder. Why are you dessstroying wood?"
"Voarexeth... I'm going to call them Voar.", she says with a squint. "You are fond of complicated names." The Goblin stretches out a hand to touch the end of the steed's nose.
Glancing over her shoulder at her clearing of (wood) horror, she shrugs. "Welcome to my colosseum! The dead trees make for perfect targets, yes? And afterwards, you have lots of kindling for the fire." Her toothy grin returns. "How is your patrol?"
"Sith-Makari namesss are not complicated," Skielstregar retorts. "Softskinsss not know the language of the dragonsss, so it sssoundss complicated to them when it isss just two wordsss."
The nose is booped. It's cold. Unnaturally cold. Voarexautha huffs once, chilly air wafting over the hand.
"It isss going well. Until thisss one ssay game fleeing and birdsss scattering. Thisss one thought sssomething got loossse in the woodsss. They... sssuposse they are right...?" he looks past the gobbo to inspect the damage. "Hrm. It doesss make good kindling. But collecting it all after dessstorying it ssseemsss... inefficient?"
He scratches his neck with the spear tip of Malefic. "So you are jussst... practicing, thiss one takes it?"
The Gobbo cackles. "Some softskins do know the dragon language." She tsks and shakes her hand. "Even your horse is cold.." Murder looks again to her clearing, with wood scattered everywhere.
"Gathering it all up is part of the exercise. And uh... yeah, it's safer out here to get angry and just let myself go. No one to really practice with, anyways."
"Sssome do, and those that do undersstand it isss not complicated wordsss," Skiel snorts, throwing a leg over and dismounting with a thud. "Sssa. They are cold, asss they are sssummoned by thisss one's magicsss."
The deathly, necromantic kind.
He looks to Malefic, which the weapon turns to peer at him blade first before he shrugs and looks down at Murder. "Do you wisssh to practice with thisss one?"
Her eyes widen slightly at his offer, but there's hesitation. "I would love to. But .. no rage?" Murder rubs at her cheek. "And.. maybe use your spear?" The Gobbo pulls her blade free, and hops down from the stump. Yawning, she stretches at length, some joints popping
"Thisss one would not invoke their feral half in ssspar with a friend," Skielstregar says sagely. "Thisss one sssavesss that for thossse who dessserve it." He nods once, him pulling out the same spear he put away as he sets the halberd off to the side. Malefic stands on its own.
Patting his horse on the side, he strides out to the clearing, leaving both mount and weapon behind.
The Gobbo squeaks and jumps into the clearing, and begins circling Skielstregar, running and hopping about. "Remember, we fought before, you were very scary." She holds out her blade, to some it is merely a one-handed weapon, to her it is a two-handed one. "So, this should be fun, yes? You have a longer weapon, so you have to keep me from getting close. I win if I can tap you with my blade, you win if you can keep me from doing that. Sound good?" She bounces up and down in place. "It will be good practice for us both!"
GAME: Skielstregar rolls 1d4+3: (2)+3: 5
Skielstregar merely watches Murder run around in circles, a slight smile creeping onto his maw. "Keep you from touching thisss one with your blade..." he repeats. "Very well."
He adopts a stance, spear held with both hands with tip pointed towards Murder. Fingers grip tighter against the haft, so much so that a familiar black, nasty ichor drips between his scales and off the weapon. "Obsssscure..." he intones in a growl to himself.
Each drip wafts off black haze. Each haze morphs into a silvery shape. And there's another Skiel, back to back with the current one. Another, crouched low. Another, behind, weapon high. More and more Skiels fill the space, until there's six of them.
All six of them stick their blackened tongue out playfully. "Jussst tap with blade."
Malefic, from the distance, rumbles out. "You are cheating!"
"It iss practice!" he retorts.
GAME: Skielstregar casts Mirror Image. Caster Level: 9 DC: 14
Her eyes dart back and forth as more Skiels appear, the Gobbo's grin disappearing. "Well, that's definitely cheating!" She giggles despite the shift in odds, and shrugs her shoulders. Tilting her head quickly left and right, cracking a few vertebrae in her neck, she points her sword again. "Ready?"
Murder jumps forward without giving him time to answer. Landing amidst the thunder of Skielstregars, she quickly swings her blade at a couple of them.
GAME: Murder rolls weapon8: (19)+14: 33 (THREAT) GAME: Murder rolls weapon8-5: (1)+14+-5: 10 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Skielstregar rolls 1d6: (3): 3 GAME: Skielstregar rolls cmb: (7)+14: 21
All the Skielstregars are about to say something, but Murder's quickness manages to tap one of them!
And it goes away in a >paff< of black miasma. "Ack!" Skiels stammer in surprise, all of them twirling out of the way. A hail of spears come down, but only one does anything, attempting to shove Murder towards a stump with the back of the weapon.
The horse ambles closer to get a better view. As does the halberd, who apparently moved themselves into a side holster on the saddle. The axehead is grinning.
Murder grunts as she rams her blade home into a tree stump, and before she can pull it free, she's shoved into a stump by.. one of the man Skiels. She growls, and jumps at one of the Sith's with teeth bared.
GAME: Murder rolls weapon0: (15)+13: 28 GAME: Skielstregar rolls 1d5: (3): 3 GAME: Murder rolls weapon0-5: (18)+13+-5: 26
Yet another one of the Skiels goes >poof< under the flurry of claws. They all scowl, reaching over to pick up the small blade. "Focussss," he rumbles, tossing the weapon back to the frustrated gobbo. "Do not let the anger cloud judgement."
Murder snorts, but moves to catch the sword by the hilt. "Hmmph. Gonna swat your flank but good." Cackling, she once more moves into the dwindling cloud of Skiel's. "A neat trick though, if I win, will you show me how to do that?"
She glances about and then closes her eyes. The Gobbo inhales deeply, and begins sniffing about, then makes two quick attacks.
GAME: Murder rolls weapon8-4: (17)+14+-4: 27 GAME: Murder rolls weapon8-9: (2)+14+-9: 7 GAME: Skielstregar rolls 1d5: (2): 2
"To be honessst, thisss one doesss not entirely know how they do it," Skiel answers, chuckling. "They will explain regardlesss."
It's hard to pin Skielstregar down. He smells faintly of death, that much is easy to pick out. But all of them moving about makes it difficult to sort it out. Another swipe, and another >paff< as they vanish. It's not hard to hit him. He's big after all.
"Good. Good. Focusss," he instructs, the spear batting away another swipe. "When the enemy isss overwhelming, it iss bessst to keep going and whittle them. Water carvesss canyonsss."
"Ah, I getcha. It's one of the spells you pick up." Murder turns her head about, attempting to hear where the voice is coming from. "You should at least be trying to swing at me.", she offers before lunging to her side, twirling the blade over her head.
GAME: Murder rolls weapon8-4: (20)+14+-4: 30 (THREAT) GAME: Murder rolls weapon8-9: (1)+14+-9: 6 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Skielstregar rolls 1d4: (2): 2 GAME: Skielstregar rolls weapon1-4: (18)+14+-4: 28 GAME: Skielstregar rolls weapon1-4-5: (11)+14+-4+-5: 16 GAME: Skielstregar rolls damage1: aliased to 1d8+7: (5)+7: 12
"It isss, but they can explain how it feelsss. Maybe it may make sssome sense to you," Skiel replies, doing a slow circle around the gobbo. One of the flashes of the blade manages to strike Skiel dead on in the chest! >paff!< Dammit! Another copy!
Down to just three Skiels. One of them is real. "Asss you wisssh."
There's a reason why he hasn't been going for hits. And it's apparent as the back end of a spear, a real one, clanks HARD and smarting against the side of Murder. "Focusss! Keep going!"
Whenever Skiel speaks, the Goblin tries to home in on his voice, moving towards where she thinks he may be. "I wish it was a skill to pass on, but maybe you'd like to breath fire, like I can?"
She yelps at the spear that slaps into her side, looking pained for only a moment before she turns around suddenly and grunts, swinging her blade low.
GAME: Murder rolls weapon8-4: (18)+14+-4: 28 GAME: Murder rolls weapon8-9: (2)+14+-9: 7 GAME: Skielstregar rolls 1d3: (3): 3 <OOC> Skielstregar says, "dc 18 reflex save" <OOC> Skielstregar says, "for half" GAME: Skielstregar rolls 3d6: (16): 16 GAME: Murder rolls reflex: (5)+7: 12
Yet again, Skiel is more focused, taking on the iniative to deflect and parry. Though he misses one, and the one in three chance lands in his favor. Another figment. He laughs. "Nahh. Thisss one prefersss the ice!"
What does he mean? He's inhaling deep. Both Skiel's, their maw is collecting ice. And suddenly, an artic blast of frost and ice scours the battlefield, Skiel blanketing everything, and Murder, with an attack passed down from his silver ancestors.
Murder squeaks in surprise and pain as Skiel blasts away the warmth that Murder had worked up from earlier. She staggers to one side, wobbly on her legs. The Gobbo growls, her frown full of teeth and fangs, her eyes still shut. "That .. was uncalled for.", she grumbles. The strain is noticeable as her next swings are not as quick as before.
GAME: Murder rolls weapon8-4: (9)+14+-4: 19 GAME: Murder rolls weapon8-9: (4)+14+-9: 9 GAME: Skielstregar rolls weapon1-4: (19)+14+-4: 29 GAME: Skielstregar rolls damage1+1d8: aliased to 1d8+7+1d8: (4)+7+(1): 12
Skiel looks on in a bit of concern, but he shakes his head. "You told thisss one to sstrike back," he rumbles, dodging out of the way of another swipe, but his illusion takes the blow.
It's just Skiel now.
Malefic is intently watching.
The spear suddenly flips, he grips it with both hands, and puts in a sideways clothsline whistling straight towards the gobber.
The Gobbo grunts and falls to one knee as the spear knocks her sideways. "Hnng.. yes. Strike back." She spits to the side and slowly stands up, wobbling. She cracks open one eye, and then the other. "Oh." Murder gives herself a shake and then charges at Skiel, swinging eagerly at him once more.
GAME: Murder rolls weapon8-4: (6)+14+-4: 16 GAME: Murder rolls weapon8-9: (2)+14+-9: 7 GAME: Skielstregar rolls weapon1-4: (1)+14+-4: 11 (EPIC FAIL)
Skielstregar knocks both strikes aside with his spear, him having to keep up with the still speedy gobbo. Theres' a twirl, and he holds out a hand. "Murder. Yield," he rumbles, spear poised behind him to whip forth.
And it does go out, apparently. But so used to the weight of Malefic, he overshoots it immensely.
Speaking of. Malefic is watching. She grins at the offer.
GAME: Murder rolls weapon8: (15)+14: 29 GAME: Murder rolls weapon8-5: (14)+14+-5: 23
Murder comes to a stop, eyes wide as she sees the strike. Her eyes close as it nears, and open again as she feels her hair move in the breeze. She lurches forward and runs to his side, her sword coming up to swat at his flank with the flat of the blade.
Twice.
And the flat of the blade smacks twice. One hits the plate skirt. The other hits tunic. "Ack!" Skiel yelps, hopping back and rubbing his backside.
Malefic cracks in two and boisterously laughs.
Skiel shakes his head. "Alright, alright, you won," he chuckles. "But ssseriousssly, you can have been badly hurt if that landed."
The Gobbo coughs and spits. "What's to say I am not already badly hurt?", she says with a snort. She shivers then, and moves to the other end of the clearing, fishing her wolf-pelt from behind a log. Wrapping herself in it, she rubs at her arms. "But, well... sometimes you have to risk it, right?"
"Badly hurt asss in unconsciousss," Skiel sighs. "But, asss the sssoftskin Luchts sssay, 'risssk it for the bissscuit.'"
Malefic quiets down, them instead now watching Skiel as he slots his spear back into his quiver. The horse has stopped paying attention, them staring off into the woods.
"Well, perhapss thisss one can tell you how they make multiple of themsselvess?" he offers. "In exchange for making you cold."
"Well, at that point then, I was going to be on th' ground, or slapping your ass." The Gobbo huffs and laughs. Nodding, she reaches out to tug on one of his claws. "I would hear how you do that... but.. back at my camp? I really need to warm up...
-End Scene-