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Post by Sumnes (Baelethir) on Nov 21, 2022 3:08:54 GMT -5
Thanks to a few of the experienced pit fighters, Socket had trained in unarmed combat. Learning to use the strange wrappings as a means of constraining still required a bit of concentration, but was worth the utility. As the days passed, they continued to cross paths with familiar faces. One in particular was Kothar, a dependable hunting companion. Several times they'd been after quarry in the same area and exchanged a story, shared a meal before tracking their prey again.
Keeping Gazablaak in good supply and relatively safe for merchants and travelers was a busy undertaking, one Socket felt fulfilled doing in between the adventures and happenings. 'Things have been busy, so many happenings throughout the continent.' The construct pondered, once again having embarked on the trail of game. The Marsh was not like other places in the fall and winter. The cold winds could be straining even for metallic beings, but it was the moisture that truly frustrated Socket. All tech in the 'Verse couldn't keep water from getting everywhere it was unwelcome. The coolest mornings though, they brought a crisp dryness to the air that invigorated the machine components, allowing them to be more efficient.
"T-That's.... wher.... wha!! no! NO!! RUUNNNN!! AHHHHH!!!" "Bugger!! Where'd ye get frum!! Varmint!! Rrrrawweeettt!!!!" A cacophony of clanging steel, more voices shouting. Wasting no time, Socket dashed up into the trees and headed straight for the sounds of battle. A grating, metallic sound and more shouting, a crash that shook loose the colored leaves of many trees. As the construct neared the road, the deep thrumming growl of several large beasts caught their attention. Thinking quickly, they scaled the tree at the edge of a clearing.
A caravan was pinned down by a pack of Displacer Beasts, six large clawed limbs, twin raking tentacles, a particularly nasty bite... oh... and of course they can phase in and out of reality to avoid damage and stalk prey. To make the day extra challenging, there were 6 Displacers, their purple hued fur blurring at the edges as they stalked around the wagons. The caravanners kept the beasts at bay but were pinned down and unable to move. The pack animals were panicking and would soon cause even greater chaos.
'No time like now to ride the winds of change.' They thought as they assessed the best way to keep the caravan safe. Socket took a moment, clearing their thoughts and bringing to mind the outcome they desired. A breeze rustled the trees, the construct put one paw forward and stepped with the wind itself, striding over the clearing. "Stay in the wagon if you please, I'll do what I can to clear the path." They called down below, readying for another arcane word, picking 5 points around the wagon that the group was gathered on.
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Post by Kothar on Dec 3, 2022 18:59:48 GMT -5
The attack had been a sudden one and in the midst of the chaos that erupted because of it Kothar was flung from where he had been standing on one the wagons in the caravan that he and several other members of The Butchery had been hired to protect. He had landed some distance away, off the path at the edge of the Marsh's trees, and before he could stand something large bit into his left shoulder to drag him further in. Whatever this creature was, Kothar decided it had picked its prey poorly. Javelin gripped tightly in his right hand, Kothar stabbed at the creature, but just as his javelin began to sink into its flesh it suddenly vanished. His upper body dropped back down to the ground as it did so, mud splashing as Kothar twisted his body and stood as fast as he could manage.
Kothar scanned his surroundings, ignoring the shouts and yells behind him that came from the caravan. The merchants would have to wait, his own survival took precedence in this situation; turning around to run back could be a fatal mistake on his part. Time seemed to pass slowly with each second seeming like a minute as Kothar tracked the creature that had grabbed him by sound; he could hear padded footfalls on the dryer parts of the ground, quiet though they were. They were consistently accompanied by a noise similar to the sound of someone opening a Blixt™ energy drink, a sound Kothar had only heard once or twice but knew others called the sound the fizz of the drink, but the lizardfolk didn't really grasp the concept, like fire was burning underwater. This fizz sound was almost immediately accompanied by a pop and then another pop somewhere else. While the sounds were actually near silent, a trained ear could pick up on it.
Having experienced such a creature before, the lizardfolk hunter deduced that it was a pack of displacer beasts that had beset upon them, the characteristic sounds of the teleporting they did as well as the yowls emanating from the caravan a ways behind him led Kothar to such a conclusion, one the creature itself confirmed as it stepped out from behind a tree to face him. It snarled at him, tails whipping about behind it in a display of frustration before it vanished once more, though this time Kothar heard the second pop come from directly behind him. He ducked and rolled to the side, quickly spinning and stabbing with his javelin in its direction. His strike was true and the beast snarled as it displaced itself again in response to the pain. Another pop behind him, but Kothar wasn't in a position to dodge completely this time and he felt claws rake against his back as he tried to dive out of the way. While he managed to prevent himself from being flayed, the beast had still been able to get a decent hit in. As he scrambled to get up Kothar absentmindedly realized that since the creature was a displacer beast, it had dragged him with one of its spiked tentacles. Pushing the errant thought from his mind, Kothar assumed a defensive position and waited for the creature to come after him again.
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Back at the caravan, the other members of The Butchery hired to protect the caravan were struggling to fend off the other six displacers beasts, as they continuously phased in and out of sight, striking at those they considered the weakest of those fighting back, in an attempt to overcome their preys' defenses. As they were fighting, Krick the Kobold Scout looked up as a familiar voice called out above them. "Socket! Help!" he shouted as he saw Socket walking across the air above, thankful for all the help they could get.
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Post by Sumnes (Baelethir) on Dec 3, 2022 19:51:08 GMT -5
Recognition dawned upon their face, the caravan's escorts were all fellow hunters. As the voice of Krick broke through the general melee, Socket muttered an arcane word, and five slender pillars of crackling electricity(Lightning Lure) formed a rough circle around the group. The closest two Displacers, phased and stalking forward, recoiled as the parts of their body exposed to reality were brushed with tendrils of lightning, leaving scorched and crackling skin, and the smell of singed fur. The pair quickly vanished, barely bothering to try to hide themselves as twin trails of smoke snaked off deeper into the brush.
Socket dipped closer to the caravan, careful to keep above the reach of the other four beasts circling the magical 'fence' they'd created. Still, driving off two that looked barely adult, perhaps even still juveniles was nothing to scoff at. Noting the barrier's effect, the four remaining circled, one even using it's tentacle to fling a small branch at the barrier which turned to ash upon contact. They knew it wouldn't take long, the barrier would prove to be an obstacle at best to the clever, cat like creatures.
"Don't get too close to the pillars everyone, try to stay together and in the cart. Anyone with the skills to do so, please tend to the wounded." They shouted down to the caravan as they descended until just above the area of the pillar's influence. "I'm glad you're still with us Krick, and I'll do all I can to drive off these things. Would you kindly keep watch here, alongside anyone else who can still fight. This isn't over by a long shot, and this many displacers will be reluctant to leave empty handed so to speak. Also, where's our resident Kothar? Is he a part of this group or on another task this day?" The construct inquired as they watched the movement of the displacers, the patterns, keeping alert.
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Post by Kothar on Dec 3, 2022 22:27:46 GMT -5
"Kothar got flung off the lead cart when the displacers attacked! I haven't seen him since, but I'll fetch the few archers we have and try to keep the beasts from teleporting on top of the carts to get over your fence!" Krick answered, giving Socket a salute so forcefully he nearly flung his leather cap off his head. The kobold scrambled up to the top of a wagon near the center of the caravan, calling out to a few others as he did so. A goblin wielding a magic staff, two orcs and a tiefling climbed up with him and they all stood as back-to-back as they could so as to eliminate any blind spots. One of the orcs was using a longbow, the other had several axes to throw as well as a crossbow as back up, and the tiefling had enchanted daggers that could be animated to fight on their own, which also allowed them to return to their owner's hands after being thrown. Krick had his trusty shortbow.
One Displacer tried to do just what the five had grouped up to prevent, and as soon as it phased into sight, the goblin with the staff fired off a bolt of electricity from the staff's tip, forcing the beast to phase back out and outside of the electric barrier Socket had set up. As this was happening, several more members approached Socket. A dark elf with a mace and a shield, a tiefling with a two-handed battle ax and a kobold wielding two shortswords. The tiefling spoke up, addressing Socket as she asked them if they thought it would be advantageous to let one side of the barrier down in an attempt to filter the beasts in a specific location rather than giving the creatures time to figure another way in.
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The pair stood, both breathing heavily and starring at each other, unmoving save for the Displacer flicking its tendrils and tail in frustrated impatience and Kothar making minor adjustments to make his stance more comfortable, his buckler out in front of him and his javelin held over top it ready to strike. His lips parted and the lizardfolk let out a low, slow hiss at his feline opponent, daring the creature to try once more. Both were wounded with Kothar possessing several cuts from the displacer's claws, though only two at most were deep enough to worry about and the beast had just as many puncture wounds from being stabbed by Kothar, of which just as few could prove detrimental.
Kothar knew that the beast would rather turn tail than fight to the death, so if he wanted to secure this kill rather than risk it try to sneak up on him later, he knew that he'd have to convince it that this hunt was worth the effort. The lizardfolk dropped to one knee, feigning exhaustion as he also let his arms dip and moved his upper body side-to-side slightly as if he were woozy. It wasn't too long before the creature took the bait and started to run towards Kothar, leaping at him after just a few steps. Another fizzle-pop-pop and the beast displaced itself, reappearing from another angle as it came down on Kothar. However, Kothar had brought his javelin in close to his body and held it tightly whilst the creature had vanished, and though he turned to face the creature from the direction it had decided to teleport-lunge from he did lash out with the weapon. Instead, Kothar tilted back as if he were falling and as the beast fell upon him, he angled the weapon up, so that as the displacer fell upon him it did so also on his javelin, driving it through the creature's heart.
Being too focused on what it thought was a sure kill, the displacer did have enough time to react to the pain it felt in its chest before it was too late. The javelin pierced its heart as the beast displaced itself away from Kothar, swaying as it stood to gaze at the lizardfolk, who simply lay on the ground and returned its gaze as he watched the life slowly leave the body. With a final huff the displacer beast fell over on its side and was still.
Standing up, Kothar shook himself, taking pleasure in his ability to secure his own survival against such a formidable foe, or whatever approximation of pleasure a lizardfolk could experience. Were he human, one would say that he was feeling rather smug of himself at the moment. Kothar approached the body of the creature and tested the corpse with the tip of his javelin, confirming that he had indeed killed the beast. Opening his maw wide and raising his arms in an outstretched manner he let a pleased and triumphant hiss to world, proclaiming his might and skill as a hunter. His accomplishment filled him with vigor, and he loped off the beast's head as a trophy, and hurried back to the edge of the trees to put eyes on the caravan.
When he broke the treeline he saw the electric barrier that Metal-Hunter, formerly known as Metal-That-Lives, had erected and saw Krick and others defending the caravan. Kothar raised the head of the displacer beast he had killed and let out another loud, guttural hiss of triumph to both announce his presence and his victory.
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Post by Sumnes (Baelethir) on Dec 4, 2022 0:43:10 GMT -5
As the triumphant call of his good friend quieted the battle, Socket was glad to see that Kothar was still standing, and had even claimed a head for his own. Taking stock of the battlefield, the beasts now faced off against an organizing force, and the space gained by the grisly visage of one of their own seemed to frustrate and upset the creatures further. One lost it's focus, and decided to try to phase into the barrier from below. In it's haste, it jumped a moment early and instead appeared to leap out of the ground a few feet away from the cart Socket and the others stood on.
'Avasha is good to me today' they thought to themselves, stepping closer to the nearest pillar. "Make ready! Opening the gate! Stand Clear!!" the construct called out to the caravan, nodding to the others as they faced off with one of the larger beasts.
It whipped it's tendrils across the ground, testing, seeing if the prey it chose and the noise it made would sate it's primal hungers. Socket simply walked to the edge of it's range, taking a quick glance around to make sure the path between themselves, the displacer, and the arcing pillar keeping the others at bay. In that fraction of a second, it chose to spring full force, displacing parts of it's body in an effort to mask it's position and dodge any strikes the construct might have waiting.
For a moment, a tiny tick, the beast's eyes filled with satisfaction, it would have it's meal, and serve it's purpose. That moment was also the moment Socket chose to dismiss the pillar, triggering it's secondary effect. A bright flash passed through space, followed by a thunderous shockwave as magical electricity jaunted between the spaces. When the flash had dimmed, and the dazzle had passed, the creature drew a final, spasming breath and was still.
This meant there was now a large gap in the protective ring, and the remaining creatures would be upon them soon. Socket pivoted quickly, hopped back on top of the wagon just as the others were getting down, and addressed Kothar. "Remember hunting the Swamp Toads my fine friend? Would you care for a boost over this barrier or is that unsafe?"
While handy and capable of moving a person with great ease and little effort, Gust Thrust was equally unforgiving. Gravity would bring you back to the ground, without some other means to stay aloft. No matter the response, Socket visualized the outcomes of both possible answers. If Kothar's injuries were superficial, they could easily be propelled clear of the pillar's influence and be to the battle in a matter of moments. If they were too great however, being stuck outside the barrier could either be a saving grace and keep them from further injury or leave them isolated and a target, in which case the construct would still activate the magic, but target themselves instead.
One thing had escaped the automaton's notice, a series of gashes across the side of one leg which left part of their body exposed. Wires, servos, actuators, and various other intricate machines danced in unison to give life to the construct in a practical sense.
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Post by Kothar on Dec 4, 2022 14:06:56 GMT -5
Kothar tied the trophy head to his hip and made his way closer to the action, watching in approval as Metal-Hunter made short work of another beast by using the electricity they were able to wield so efficiently. The lizardfolk made a mental note to find some electricity to improve his own survivability, as Metal-Hunter had demonstrated several times its usefulness. As he got closer, Metal-Hunter called out to him asking if he remembered the tactics they had employed against the swamp toads. He did, but as he currently had the ability to approach from the creatures' backs, Kothar shook his head side to side to say "No" and pointed with his javelin to the beasts' rear, moving to position himself behind them.
While his breathing was labored to some extent, the lizardfolk felt confident in his ability to continue this impromptu hunt. The displacer beasts may have started it, but the battle was reaching a pivotal point with the members of The Butchery having managed to form a decent defense with the help of Metal-Hunter. An offensive retaliation was entirely possible at this point, making it so that the prey would be the predator; the hunted, the hunters, and such a thing filled Kothar with some form of primal excitement. That, coupled with the brief moment of rest he had managed to obtain had Kothar filling like he was ready for another fight, despite his wounds. Having packed dirt around the outside of the more serious ones before leaving the carcass of the displacer beast he killed had staunched the bleeding, leaving them not as worrisome as they otherwise would have been. Luckily it seemed that his injuries were nothing but flesh wounds and so Kothar pressed on with the hunt.
Coming up behind the beasts, the action in front of them held most of their attention, providing Kothar with the opportunity to make a surprise attack. Half crouching and making his way up as quietly as he could to one in the back, he managed to get almost all the way up to it before it noticed the sound of his feet on the ground of the Marsh. Its ears flicked back and the creature quickly turned its head to identify the source of the noise, at which point Kothar lunged with his javelin. He pierced its side but the beast was able to react fast enough to avoid having its heart skewered, displacing itself away from the lizardfolk, favoring its wounded side when it reappeared and growling at Kothar, gaining him the notice of the other remaining two.
Normally Kothar wouldn't have approached three full grown beasts like these alone and already injured, but Metal-Hunter had proven themselves to be such an effective ally that their appearance boosted the lizardfolk's confidence in his ability to handle such a situation.
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Post by Sumnes (Baelethir) on Dec 4, 2022 21:05:53 GMT -5
Nodding, Socket watched the events unfold. As the remaining beasts turned their attention towards Kothar, the construct knew there was a way to take advantage of their positions. Captivated by this isolated newcomer for a brief moment, Socket tossed themselves from the wagon, stretched themselves out flat to clear the top of the pillars, then activated Bullet Dash to reach a point that lined all three of the Displacers between themselves and the crackling pylon they had just leap-frogged.
ZZZZAAAAPPPP!!! The air once more filled with light and heat and pressure, crackling tendrils of unbridled energy traced their way to the construct. The effect spread itself out among the beasts, not lethal with so much flesh between them, but turning their own bodies into spastic static generators for several seconds. This disrupted their phasing, leaving some parts of their actual body tattered and battered as the illusory parts of themselves gave way. Socket stood before the three creatures, prepared to unleash with fists and furious winds.
"It's good you're still breathing my friend, your hide must be as thick as your horde of trophies is large." the construct remarked. Noting the injuries in better detail, Socket approved of Kothar's quick thinking and instincts. They stared after the Displacers as they started to recover, each straining to pick itself up and move, tendrils barely able to lift themselves from the ground.
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Post by Kothar on Dec 5, 2022 7:38:26 GMT -5
As expected of them, Metal-Hunter managed to pull yet another impressive usage of their abilities. Yes, it was good fortune for Kothar that they had met, despite his initial misgivings of working for The Butchery. Good fortune indeed.
Capitalizing on this good fortune, Kothar nodded in acknowledgement of Metal-Hunter's words before surging forward towards the nearest displacer beast whilst it was still recovering from receiving such a strong jolt of electricity. Apparently being able to share the load with its kin had lessened the effect the electricity had had on the beasts, but the fact that it had at the very least stunned was enough for the lizardfolk. Reaching the one nearest them, Kothar plunged his javelin in its side, piercing its heart. The creature convulsed from the pain and collapsed as it heaved its final breath.
The other two were starting to stir more, and as Kothar attempted to end them as well, the two younger displacer beasts that Metal-Hunter had managed to scare came back, appearing out of thin air and swiping at Kothar. He barely managed to stop his momentum and lean back out of the way of their claws. This provided the other two enough time to regain their composure and stand, ready for action. However, by the way the creatures were beginning to act, it was becoming clear that they were seeing that this hunt was close to being an entire loss on their part.
Growling and snarling, the adult beast closest to the caravan turned and searched for easier prey. Krick and the other ranged fighters had separated somewhat as everyone had been keen on watching Kothar's and Metal-Hunter's display. With an excited snarl the creature displaced itself and appeared behind Krick, grabbing him up in its teeth by his shoulder, leaping and displacing itself again. Krick dropped his bow in the process, and when the beast reappeared, it hit the ground running into the trees surrounding them.
Two more adults appeared out of the treeline as this was happening, as it would seem the adolescents had brought back up.
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Post by Sumnes (Baelethir) on Dec 5, 2022 11:12:50 GMT -5
"KRIIICCCKK!!" They shouted, about to bound after the beasts, when more appeared. The situation was growing worse, and they needed to get the others safely away before the hunt for their Kobold friend could begin. Frustrated by their tactics not being able to protect a friend, the construct stared coldly forward at the other Displacers. The large adults made socket look small and frail in comparison.
Socket held their gaze, stared dead at them as a wicked and surprising move formed in their mind. It was risky, and could get everyone into a worse situation than was at hand, but it was also an effective means of disrupting such a flank. Barely whispering the arcane word, the automaton barely moved their hand and blasted the two adults with a healthy gust. The backsplash whipped across their fur and pushed them back a few feet, but sent Socket careening into the two juveniles. An accelerated fist connected with the nearest of the two, a solid thud to the side of it's skull that caused it to go limp almost instantly and topple onto it's companion.
The pair of adults recovered quickly, and bounded forward from the brush as they witnessed the other two slump forward from the blow. Socket, now interred with the desire to pummel these creatures for harming their friends, fired off a Bullet Dash that carried right between the two creatures. They used the rapid acceleration to reinforce a solid lunging kick to one adult, driving it sidelong into a tree as the crunching bones gave way to the metallic blow. Socket knew none of them was put down yet, but there was now space to fight once again with the beast's formation in shambles.
They took a step forward, bark and wood exploding overhead as the remaining adult lashed out at the automaton. Quick as a cat, Socket caught the pair of clawed tendrils and held firm, anchoring the beast in place for a moment and looking to Kothar. "I won't be able to hang on for long, take it out!! then we deal with the others.... " Their voice held an odd, hollow tone, the sound crackling slightly as the struggling Displacer pulled with it's six powerful limbs. Having a grip on the solid parts of the creature meant it couldn't phase that part of itself away, and could only flail about or try to escape. Leaning back as far as possible, with their feet dug into the earth, Socket held steady, keeping the beast in place for their companion.
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Post by Kothar on Dec 5, 2022 16:54:32 GMT -5
Kothar watched as Metal-Hunter quickly executed a series of movements and attacks, managing to throw one of the juveniles into the other and sending an adult caught off balance careening into a tree. The remaining newcomer lunged at Metal-Hunter, but they grabbed the tendrils coming from its shoulders before could attack them. Having been grabbed, it was currently opting to wrest itself free of their grasp. Heeding Metal-Hunter's words, Kothar moved to impale this one as well.
Suddenly, the beast Metal-Hunter kicked into a tree appeared on top of him before he could make his attack on the one Metal-Hunter was grappling. Barely having time to raise his buckler in defense, the creature managed to rake his left upper arm and shoulder with its deadly claws. Kothar fell back as it had caught him off guard and he was unable to maintain his footing. The beast was upon him, trying to bite him and gore him with the second leg on its right front side; the two on the left were limply pulled up close to its body, as if they were broken or fractured. That was the only thing allowing Kothar to stop it from spilling his guts, using his javelin shaft to fend off its fangs whilst intercepting the claws with his buckler.
The adult that Metal-Hunter was gripping tried to displace itself, growing surprised that it couldn't escape Metal-Hunter's grasp. Deciding to change tactics, the displacer opted to rush forward rather than pull away from them. Rearing up, it attempted to eviscerate their front as it swung four sets of razor sharp claws at them. If Metal-Hunter still had a hold of it, the creature would displace what little it could and attempt to reappear behind Metal-Hunter and continue its clawed assault.
As for the rest of the members of The Butchery, most of them tried running after Krick in an attempt to save them, but they were being harried by the two additional adults that had accompanied the juveniles back to the caravan. The two tieflings, the one with the battleax who had a pale pink skin tone and the one with the daggers who had a bright crimson skin tone, came running towards Kothar and Socket in an attempt to help the pair deal with the displacers assaulting them.
WIP, not done with post
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Post by Sumnes (Baelethir) on Dec 6, 2022 11:01:06 GMT -5
Startled by the quick recovery of the first adult, Socket strained to keep a grip on the second while narrowly avoiding fangs and claws. Fed up with the situation, they activated the Constrictor Wraps around an arm which quickly entangled the beast as if it were no more significant than a fly in a spider's web. They pivoted on their heel, reaching into a small pouch and pulling out an exploding pellet that was tossed at the pair of juveniles in an effort to scare them away. The bright flash and loud popping sound it made would hopefully startle them and keep them out of the tussle with the adults.
"You're a big, stubborn beast aren't ya?" They taunted at the other adult as they started to approach it. Where were this many displacers coming from? What kind of pack leader could organize and keep this many of the beasts in check for any length of time. Curiosity and Survival clashed in their mind, wanting to keep their life and pursue the knowledge at once was a struggle the construct often found internally.
They turned sideways, a claw tipped tendril streaking it's way beside them. Kothar needed space to fight, space the beast was very reluctant to give up since it couldn't put up a reasonable assault from distance. As the other two members of the caravan moved forward to help, Socket directed them towards the other adult, the one they had wrapped up and disengaged from. Things might just be okay, but this fight needed to end quickly, time was of the essence in trailing after Krick.
Socket stepped in behind the Displacer entangled with Kothar, blocking and dodging it's lashing attacks. One of these was aimed for their helm, but was stopped short by a pair of fists colliding with either side with a satisfying crunch. The barbs lost their rigidity, jarred loose of what little anchoring was to be had in the odd pseudopod. Another bit of ground gained, and Socket's unarmed flank began to wear into the rear legs and hips of the Displacer. Heavy blows rained upon it's flesh, and the construct did all they could to push the beast away from their friend and off the battlefield.
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Post by Kothar on Dec 6, 2022 16:32:06 GMT -5
The juveniles recoiled at the blast of the small object Metal-Hunter threw their way, retreating a slight distance with their ears pressed down and giving defiant hisses in response. While they didn't flee entirely they were hesitant to go near Metal-Hunter after being soundly "thumped" repeatedly by them. All of the nearby displacers were being frustrated by Metal-Hunter, as the one they had been grappling with now snarled and struggled to free itself from some length of cloth wrapped around its two forearms and the one currently trying to kill Kothar was being pummeled in its side by them. Having all of that it could take, it displaced itself to stand next to the two juveniles.
Rushing to join the fray, the two tieflings followed Metal-Hunter's directions and began attacking the displacer currently bound by the cloth wrap. While it could still move about mostly just fine, its offensive ability was hampered by its foremost legs being restrained like they were. The tiefling with the battle ax keep the creature on the back foot as no matter where it displaced too in her vicinity she would already be turned to face it and swinging away. Complicating its attempt to avoid her attacks was the other tiefling, expertly using his daggers to harry the creature; several times while trying to dodge the ax, the daggers would land a blow and vice versa. It wasn't long before this displacer beast also decided to just displace itself away from its attackers, also reappearing near the juveniles while trying to bite off the cloth wrapped around it.
Kothar stood, nodding his thanks to Metal-Hunter as he focused on catching his breath. The displacer in possession of Krick was already out of sight, much to the dismay of The Butchery members. Looking around, it seemed that all of the displacers were making moves to leave the area, with much less prey than Kothar was sure they had been after. All of the beasts were wounded, and if they had any pride it was surely wounded as well. Turning to the rest of the group, Kothar suggested that most of the party should finish escorting the merchants into town, while a smaller group went after Krick.
He asked Ezra, the goblin with the magic staff, Trina, the tiefling with the large battle ax and Desmond, the tiefling with the magic daggers as well as Socket to accompany him to retrieve Krick. Though, he called them all by the names his own mind had come up with for them: Little-Boom-Stick-Hunter, Red-Horn-Ax-Hunter, Horned-Bird-Daggers-Hunter, and Metal-Hunter. Once he turned his back and started after Krick, the other three exchanged looks amongst themselves, and did so with Socket too, an amused light in their eyes despite the situation.
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