Chapter 2: Rites of Passage

[Darren]

"We need to ground that rider! We don't want to scare it off and we don't want Malov to run. We're not fast enough to chase him, so we need him on the ground. Take out the dragonhawk. Malov isn't stupid. He's not going to let himself plummet to the ground. If that bird can't fly, he's going to set it down, and then we can catch him. Ralsor, do whatever you can to block that thing from getting out of here if it tries to run. Stay in its way!"

Turning to the shifter and seeing him ready to spring, Kalarian catches Grafth's eye. "Get over there and help Pel. She did a brave thing and we don't want to let her down."

Spinning quickly on his heel, his hand extended in front of him, Kalarian launches darts of light at the dragonhawk.

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Kal's casting Magic Missle at the dragonhawk.

Basically, I'm figuring if we can damage the dragonhawk enough, he'll land and then we can get him. So I think the majority of us should focus our attacks on the dragonhawk, with maybe one of us also attacking the rider to distract him enough that he doesn't think to just turn the dragonhawk and run. That seems like something Streko might be able to do while Amal and Kal attack the dragonhawk. Goran can either attack the hawk or help cover Pel and Grafth from attack.

[Jeff]

ROUND 6

18 = Kal / Tangat
16 = Grafth
14 = dragonhawk
10 = Ralsor / Mist
9 = Nobleman/ scholar / Pel
6 = Streko / Goran
6 = rider
5 = Amal
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You only get halfway through your shouted words before the moment tears you back...

The glowing missile streaks out from Kal's hand, striking the dragonhawk firmly in its feathered chest....then melting harmlessly away. Some sort of magical resistance, either inherent or from a spell, denies the magic attack.

Tangat whines...starting to snap out of his own spell-induced trance. Grafth moves himself into position, his stance ready, his path clear to run.

The blond scholar pushes himself forward, on all fours, finally out of the sleet storm, then looks up and winces as he looks upon the scene. His body is soaked with frosty rain. He throws up his hands in fear.

"Neshjar, urek zzorevllosh...!" the rider hisses, speaking a language in unpleasant, sibilant tones. But the dragonhawk does not respond immediately. Screeching madly, it turns it fury upon those closest by. Pel is jostled mercilessly in its talons, innumerable, if minor, cuts appearing all over her body—yet this denies the dragonhawk some of its most dangerous weapons. Even so, the magical beast snaps down with its razor-sharp beak at the next nearest target...

In one horrific instant, you see the dragonhawk tear the scholar's left arm clear away. Blood pumps from his shoulder and the sleet around him forms a glaze of pink upon the dock. The blond man cries out more in shock than pain, then loses his footing...sliding, screaming, down to the street below.

Grafth isn't liking the way things look on the dock. Somewhere behind the forecastle he hears the female gnome cry out and duck out of site, frightened by the display.

There is a high-pitched sonic jolt somewhere behind Ralsor's sleet storm. The Lyrandar guards are trying to break their way through the wall of ice.

Streko holds out the thunderstone for Goran to take, should he opt to. Yet the liquid blue fire that has doused the dragonhawk seems to be doing more to enrage or frighten it than a thunderstone likely could.

Amal aims at the dragonhawk with another heavy bolt in the crossbow...

The rider snarls a word of magic and points his hand at Amal. A loud crack precedes a split second after a slender bolt of lightning rips into the Deneith mercenary. Amal drops to the ground without a sound, his body twitching and raising smoke in the air. The electricity licks at the forecastle wall behind the Blademark, spraying wood splinters all around, then vanishes.

"What in Khyber just happened!?" Ralsor screams out from the wheelhouse where he's trying to maneauver the ship.

The smell of burned flesh fills the swirling air.
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• Kal's caster level check = 2 +2 = 4 (failure, dragonhawk is not affected by his spell)
  
• Dragonhawk's attack: 17 (bite, 16 damage to scholar)
  
• Rider's lightning bolt: 17 damage to Amal

[Josh]

"Nadeera, give me strength," Grafth says as he breaks forward in a furious sprint. As he reaches the edge of the deck, he leaps forward with all his might. The shifter's lithe body twists through the air as if it were meant for such maneuvers, a sliver of ambient light glinting in a flash off the axe clutched firmly in his gloved palm.

If the jump goes as planned, Grafth lands under the dragonhawk in an attempt to avoid an opening for an attack by the rider, grabbing for Pel while slashing out at the creature's leg, hoping to release her from its grip.

If for some reason he cannot do this, he will defend against any attack leveled at him, and use any opening he can to reach for Pel.
___________________________
Grafth's jump roll = 20 (+11... equals 31! hells yeah!) I'll leave the rest of the rolling to you, Jeff.

[Darren]

Kalarian glances at the fallen Blademark, the anger clear on his face. He has no other reaction. There will be time to mourn later. Picking up his sharrash and taking a step to his left, he turns his fury loose upon the dragonhawk. "Distract that damn rider!" he calls out to Goran.

________________
Kal is attacking the dragonhawk.

[Joe]

Streko reaches into the haversack and removes one of the blades handed to him by the warforged.

He holds the tip of the blade between his fingers. "I may not be our friend the half-elf," he calls out to Kalarian, "but I still I can try my best. Olladra, bless me and my humble aim!"

He flings the blade at the dragonhawk rider, after which he returns the thunderstone in his other hand to the haversack and re-emerges with a handful of darts.

"If at first you don't succeed...throw half a dozen more..."
_________________________________________________

At this point, Streko has THREE daggers, isn't that right (his original dagger and the two that Mist handed him)? The one he tosses at Malov is his original dagger. He will not use the other two yet...instead, he will fling his darts...

[Jeff]

A reminder from the posting rules thread...

Combat will work like this: Every round of combat will be 24 hours of real world time...so everyone has an equal amount of time to decide what to do each round. When that 24 hours passes, I will post the end result based on everyone's actions and rolls.

However, if everyone posts before that, then I'll go to the next round. But if someone doesn't post at all in that 24 hours, the next round comes and that character isn't really doing anything. Unless you tell me first, if you know you won't be around.

[Jeff]

ROUND 7

18 = Kal / Tangat
16 = Grafth
14 = dragonhawk
10 = Ralsor / Mist
6 = Streko / Goran / rider

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Kal steps over the railing of the airship and slashes out with his sharash. The long weapon easily makes the distance, but the beating wings of the dragonhawk are hard to catch and the war scythe slices empty air.

Tangat jumps up and lays his heavy paws on the railing, and sets to barking madly....it's evident to Kal that he's looking toward the sleet storm and the flashes of light behind it.

When Grafth reaches the edge of the deck, his vaults the railing in a smooth arch, for a split second resembling a hunting cat in its leap...a hunting cat wearing a longcoat....

...and lands in an agile roll just past Pel, ducking below the dragonhawk's thrashing body. The ground is a bit too slick for his taste, but so long as he doesn't venture further closer to the sleet storm he feels he can maintain his balance. With one hand Grafth grasps Pel around the waist but he can tell that the dragonhawk's grip is too strong for a simple tug o' war. Immediately he slashes at the animal's legs where they connect to the rest of its body. The blade glances of its scaly flesh, however; he wasn't braced for a proper swing.

The dragonhawk continues to shriek, but the blue flames are beginning to die down. On impulse, it snaps at Grafth at lightning speed. A mere nip with the tip of its rock-hard beak tears a large patch of the shifter's coat away, and with it a bloody strip of skin. He clenches his teeth against the pain.

The rider calls out something angrily in the same foreign tongue, and the dragonhawk surges up and out, trying to take wing into open air again. Pel's limp form is still gripped firmly in its talons. Grafth realizes in that moment that he has two obvious choices and has only seconds to decide: (1) Grasp Pel's body and hang on for the ride or (2) let her go and attempt to attack the dragonhawk one more time before it's out of reach. Yet he feels fairly certain delivering a serious wound to the mighty beast is beyond him at present.

Streko takes aim with a dagger, targeting the rider in the ash-gray cloak, and throws! In the flapping wings of the dragonhawk and the swirling winds of the air elemental, the halfling hears nothing, but the dagger disappears in the bulk of the rider and his cloak. He sees only a single shudder of the figure; it must have struck home somehow.
___________________

• Kal's attack = 7 +2 = 9 (miss)
  
• Grafth's Jump check = 31 (success; turns out he'd only have needed a 15 to succeed); Grafth's attack = 8 + 4 = 12 (miss)
  
• Dragonhawk's attack = 20 (6 damage to Grafth)
  
• Streko's attack = 14 + 5 -2 (second ranged increment) = 17 (1 damage to rider?)
  

[Josh]

Realizing he's in no position to cause any harm to the beast, Grafth shoves his axe back in its loop and quickly grasps onto Pel, bracing himself for any sudden movement.

If he can, he will try to get one arm around Pel's waist, the other up to the dragonhawk's ankle, in case it decides to drop her. His first priority of the moment, however, is staying affixed to Pel.

[Darren]

"Ralsor!" Kalarian yells out, looking at the beast that seems about to flee. "Block that thing! Move the ship upwards, now!" Kalarian stands with one leg on the railing, his long black coat streaming out behind him in the wind, his arms thrown wide so that his sharrash rests parallel to the deck behind him. In a mighty swing, he brings the weapon around in front of his body and turns it in an arc towards the dragonhawk.

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Dammit. This fight isn't going the way I had hoped. Let's hope we don't lose Pel AND Grafth at the same time. This party is dropping like flies!

[Joe]

Streko turns to Kal. "Do you have any more rope? Something with which we can at the very least anchor Grafth and Pel to US? Wait! I have...."

He reaches into his backpack and produces...

A fishing net.

"We can either stop that screeching bird with this or provide assistance to Grafth and Pel."

He offers the net to Goran. "Can you use this?"

He then goes back to the edge of the ship with his darts and will fling them and the rider again and again, as necessary...
______________________________________________

(unless someone has a better plan...Streko's initiative rolls have sucked of late...

[Darren]

There is a rope currently at Pel's feet, and the other end is on the ship, so it could be possible to tie the rope off to the railing and have Grafth tie the other end off to himself. Although, I imagine that trying to tie a knot while being attacked by the dragonhawk might get Grafth killed...

Jeff, can you tell us the relative weight difference between the airship and the dragonhawk?

[Jeff]

If you find yourself making a post in here that's all in pink, chances are you should be making it here instead.

[Jeremy]

Goran, temporarily stunned into inaction, finds himself again.

He loads his bow once more, though running low on arrows, and aims for the dragonhawk, trying to ground it. He will aim up and away from Grafth and Pel, preferring to miss his mark rather than hit his friends. After this attack, unless the half-elf becomes street pizza like the others, he will sweep out his sword and attempt to get close enough to attack with it.

[Jeff]

ROUND 8

18 = Kal / Tangat
16 = Grafth
14 = dragonhawk
10 = Ralsor / Mist
6 = Streko / Goran / rider

___________________

Kal lashes out again with his sharash, but again the bird is moving too swiftly for him to get a clear strike.

Grafth shows barely a moment's hesitation, before he stows his axe on a loop of his belt, then gets a firm hold around Pel, wrestling with the dragonhawk's movement to try and get a good grip on its claws as well.

The dragonhawk surged away from the dock and Grafth's feet slide off the dock....and he clings successfully to both Pel and the tip of one of the beast's talons, his coat streaming behind him in the wind.

In that moment, the sleet storm suddenly abates, vanishing as if it never were...leaving only an empty dock glazed with a fine layer of wet ice.

Somewhere out of your site Ralsor must have spun the wheel dramatically, because the entire airship pivots sharply, pitching its nose upward in an attempt to clear the dock....however, the Thunderhead's bow strikes the north dock, shearing away the front portion and two of the massive capstans. Wood splinters and chunks of stone and metal break away and plummet to the street below. In the swerve, you fight to keep your balance....and everyone manages to keep your ground, grasping the rail for support.

The ship isn't moving as fast the dragonhawk, but for the moment its sharp turn keeps it apace...

Streko launches a dart into the air, aiming for the rider, but the small missile misses its mark and swishes harmlessly down toward the street below.

Goran follows with two arrows of his own, and both hit their mark smoothly, sinking into the dragonhawk's feathered body—one even strikes a wing. It squawks and shakes but the beast is two mighty to be brought down with two arrows. Nevertheless, its flight path is uneven, possibly slowing it...

Refresh your page!

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• Kal's attack = 9 + 2 = 11 (miss)
  
• Grafth's Climb check = 27 (success)
  
• Balance check = Kal (18, success), Goran (18, success), Streko (21, success), Tangat (17, success)
  
• Streko's attack = 8 + 5 = 13 (miss)
  
• Goran's attack = 18 + 6 -2 (Many Shot feat) + 1 (Point Blank feat) = 23 (hit), 18 + 6 -2 (Many Shot feat) + 1 (Point Blank feat) = 23 (hit) / damage is 8 +2 = 10 , damage is 7 + 2 = 9 (19 damage total to rider)
  

Goran has 8 arrows left.

[Josh]

Grafth, wide-eyed, glances back as the airship smashes a portion of the dock to pieces. Was he just standing there a moment ago?

Knowing there is little more he can do other than clutch securely onto Pel and the dragonhawk, the shifter simply does that. "Pel, can you hear me?" he asks.

His instinct and training as a scout kick in a bit, and he looks around; up at the dragonhawk, to get more detail on the beast, and below, to see what they are passing over.

[Darren]

Kalarian curses loudly as his blade again finds nothing but air. Running over to the fallen Blademark, Kalarian grabs the heavy crossbow that the man dropped and levels it at the dragonhawk's rider.

"See if you can stabilize him!" he shouts to Streko, indicating Amal.

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I don't think Amal ever got his shot off, so I'm assuming the crossbow is still loaded and that I can fire this turn? My intention is to shoot at Malov if possible.

[Joe]

Streko realizes there is very little else he can do but what he has been trained for. He reaches into his handy haversack and removes a healing kit even as he rushes to Amal's side.

[Jeff]

ROUND 9

18 = Kal / Tangat
16 = Grafth
14 = dragonhawk
10 = Ralsor / Mist
6 = Streko / Goran / rider

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The Thunderhead turns sharply, and the damaged ocking platform drifts away...it is clear to all standing on deck that the airship is already moving faster than most airships but it should have no chance to catch a soaring bird...much less a mighty beast like a dragonhawk.

But the dragonhawk's flight is erratic, its wings partially burned by the blue fire. The Thunderhead has a chance to catch up.

Kal takes up the heavy crossbow that Amal had readied—the bolt is still in place. The large weapon shudders in his grasp as the bolt releases...and disappears in the darkness ten feet to the left of the rider.

Grafth's senses are assailed by stimuli: the warm night wind buffeting him, clean and fresh; the unpleasant musk of the dragonhawk, like the scales of a reptile and the gore-spattered feathers of a carrion bird combined with something else, something less natural; the smell of its anger and fear, the slight tang of Pel's blood and Grafth's own. The dragonhawk is a formidable creature. The more Grafth clings to it and looks up at the savage animal, the more he realizes how tough it is. Its flight has been slowed by its injuries, but they are far from killing it.

He looks down and sees that he is positioned almost over the city walls. In a few more moments, he'll be high above the shores of Lake Galifar.

The dragonhawk screeches again and tries to reposition its burden (Pel), aware that it has a stowaway. As it flies, it tries to arc its razor beak down to reach him and bite him free...but the effort only serves to slow it. As he gasps and struggles to avoid its attack, Grafth gets a mouthful dragonhawk's noisome breath.

Streko rushes across the deck with his healing kit in hand. As soon as he sees Amal closer up he understands how gravely wounded he is. The Blademark's banded mail is blackened by the lightning that struck him, his tabard burned completely away. His breathing seems...non-existant. It's hard to tell. Streko kneels down, prepared to assess the situation.

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• Kal's attack: 8 +3 = 11 (miss)
  
• Streko does a double move (20 ft. + 20 ft.) just to reach Amal's position. He cannot attempt a Heal check until next round.

[Darren]

Kalarian shows the first signs that his calm exterior is beginning to crack. He has clearly lost control of the situation. He drops the heavy crossbow to the ground. The Deneith heir looks around frantically, not sure what can be done. He runs over to Ralsor. "Keep following him the best you can. I don't expect we'll catch up, but maybe he'll have to set down sooner or later. I don't imagine that bird can fly forever, right?"

He paces a few more steps. "Do you have anything on board that we might be able to use to snare the beast? To catch a rope on to it?" Kalarian runs a hand through his hair. His voice has an edge of desperation in it.

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Seriously, guys. I'm out of ideas. I'm sorry I led us into a situation that we apparently couldn't get out of and clearly couldn't handle. I don't really know what to do at this point except hope we can follow along and hope that Grafth and Pel don't get dropped....

[Josh]

Thoroughly disgusted by the beast's noxious fetor, Grafth can't help but make a face. He feels confident that he can hold on for a while, but has no idea of what else he could do in the meantime.

He tries again to understand Pel's condition. "Can you hear me? Are you alright?" he asks, unsure of whether her silence is a tacit answer.

[Jeremy]

Goran sighs at the gathering panic on board. But he's unable to think of much to do to fix it, truly.

Pulling an arrow from his dwindling stock, Goran draws and aims at the great bird, or the rider if possible. He will take the next good shot he can.

[Joe]

Streko turns to his helf-elf friend. "Goran, tie the fishing net to the arrow and see if you can launch it over the rider. It might cause the rider and the bird to slow down to some extent, or at least distract them from harming Pel and Grafth!"

He looks down at Amal and proceeds to initiate whatever action he can to stabalize the soldier with the healing kit.

[Jeff]

ROUND 10

18 = Kal
16 = Grafth
14 = dragonhawk
10 = Ralsor / Mist
6 = Streko / Tangat / rider / Goran

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Kal makes his way up the steps into the wheelhouse, where Ralsor mans the helm of the ship. In his haste he cannot appreciate the design of the small room, but he is glad to find that windows look out at every direction. Ralsor has the wheel in a two-handed grip and stares grimly out the window, eying the dragonhawk, which has become harder and harder to see as the blue flames begin to fade away.

At Kal's frantic question, the half-elf nods his head steadily. Perspiration slicks his brow. "Just hold tight, d'Deneith. There wasn't time to get to the ballistae...but you've actually managed to slow down that infernal bird, after all...wounded it enough....I might be able to catch it....or at least save the shifter. Get out and there get ready to help him."

Pel does not respond to Grafth's words. Her skin is ashen...but then she is a changeling, her skin gray-white, and now that she lies in her true form she is difficult to assess. He knows she can act, and act well, but in the talons of this frightening animal he seriously doubts she's playing a part.

Streko rips into his healer's kit and applies the craft he spent several years learning. When he holds his fingers to Amal's neck, he detects a faint pulse. Streko knows that the Blademark will live, but he was almost gone. The halfling feels he's done all he can for the moment. Tangat stops beside the halfling and lifts one paw to him, briefly making contact and making a soft woof.

Grafth hears the raspy voice of the rider calling out, chanting a spell.

Goran moves to a slightly better position as he takes one arrow from his quiver, taking a few precious seconds to aim well...and lets the arrow fly just over the bow. It strikes the rider in the back...and the rider immediately slumps in his saddle. Grafth, below, hears the thud of Goran's arrow and hears the rider's chanting continue unabated, but softer, weaker...he really doesn't sound well.

The dragonhawk is lagging, the ship is gaining...Grafth throws his head over his shoulder and sees the Thunderhead almost upon them, the raised bow of the airship almost below him.

___________________

• Streko's Heal check = 10 + 10 + 2 (healer's kit) = 22 (success, Amal is stabilized, just barely).
  
• Goran's attack: 9 + 6 = 15 / damage is 8 + 2 = 10 to rider

[Jeremy]

Goran considers Streko's idea, but is doubtful.

---

Jeff, I know you can't tell me exactly, but what is the weight of this net, and what are the odds that it would have any chance of succeeding?

---

A: Any chance of success, and Goran will try it.

B: No chance of success: Goran politely refuses and awaits a good shot at the hawk.

[Jeff]

I'll rarely ever say anything's impossible, but the chances don't look good. At the same time, the dragonhawk and its baggage are almost within physical melee reach. A net may not be needed.

[Darren]

Kalarian smiles as he sees the dragonhawk nearing. "Damn you, Lyrander, you're doing it!" He laughs. "You're doing it!"

Kal's panic melts into grim resolve. He looks down at his sharrash as if measuring its weight, then lifts it to his shoulder and sprints towards the front of the ship.

_____________
Kal will use his full movement to try to get to the front of the ship under where the dragonhawk will hopefully end up.

[Josh]

Grafth, unsure of his next move, looks back to the ship to see it gaining on the dragonhawk. As the bow approaches his position, his mind races with the implications of his dilemma.

[Joe]

Streko pats Tangat fondly and speaks to him in halfling. "Stay here and keep this man safe, boy! This is where you will do the most good, for now...and as always, thank you. Treats are due." He smiles at the dog and then turns back to the approaching dragonhawk.

"Now, for some answers...."

He reaches into his haversack and pulls out two darts. "Kalarian, if we can get Grafth, Pel AND Malov on board...alive...we might be able to finally get the answers we have been seeking and it would appear, thanks to Goran's superb aim, that it might not be too much of a problem."

He frowns slightly. "Then again, that seems too easy...especially for this group..."

He moves toward the front of the ship, nodding once at Tangat and then looking forward. "What will you have me do, my friends?"

[Darren]

As Kalarian runs past, he acknowledges Streko's words. "Yes. We need them all alive. Goran, try not to kill Malov. If this ship gets under them, see if you can knock him off that bird..."

[Jeff]

ROUND 11

18 = Kal
16 = Grafth
14 = dragonhawk
10 = Ralsor / Mist
6 = Goran/ rider / Streko / Tangat

___________________

With his sharash leading the way, Kal sprints down the steps and toward the bow of the ship, feeling agony in his injured knee but willing it away.

With the dragonhawk attempting to maintain its flight—all but giving up on tearing into Grafth—it continues as straight as its wounded wings allow. Goran moves into position again, this time walking past the inert form of the warforged Mist, letting fly with another arrow.

His aim is fair, but the arrow actually rebounds off the dragonhawk's feathered and scaled hide. Truly a well-armored beast. Nevertheless, the blow disturbs the dragonhawk, and it continues to lag in its flight...the Thunderhead finally passing directly below it.

Grafth becomes aware that the deck is a mere 10 foot drop under him. He looks to Pel, still unconscious and still in the grip of the dragonhawk...but now that letting go would not result in imminent death, perhaps he can attempt to attack its talons.

In that same thought, Grafth is started by sudden motion from above. The pallid figure in the ash-gray cloak is climbing down from its saddle straight toward him! Malicious eyes—feverish eyes, the eyes of a dying man—meet his for an instant, and the scrambling figure moves and sounds more like an animal as it moves down toward him. Grafth can see one of Goran's arrows still lodged in its back.

Streko leaves Amal in Tangat's "care" and races across the deck toward the bow, two darts in hand. He looks up and sees the thrashing dragonhawk, larger than life, with the confusion is carries: Grafth, clinging to Pel and the beast's talons...and the freaking shape of the cloaked rider climbing down toward his shifter friend.

Refresh your page!

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• Goran's attack: 6 + 6 +1 (Point Blank feat) = 13 (unsuccessful)