ORIGIN

At the edge of the canyons, now, the Merchant trudged inexorably forward. He was silent as he quickened his pace, as though he expected that he would soon be needed up ahead.

On the plateau itself, chaos had erupted. The great Vulture was not faring well. Reseda had snagged a feather but had been attacked soon after by the Labradorite. Shango's lightning strikes were crashing into the mesa--hitting two vultures, and striking the Matriarch a glancing blow that left smoking char-lines down one flank. Yet she could not retaliate, held by Quartz Five-Two-Four's magic. The creature "Imp" had drove beneath, tearing at the Matriarch's belly--a slight spill of intestines splattering down, glistening in the desert glare. As the Quartz's hold began to fade, the Opal's magic took effect--and the Matriarch slowed, stumbling, the blood loss and forced dehydration combining to weaken her greatly. A final ripping wound at the back of her neck, inflicted by the white dragon Asimona (which seemed, he thought, to be recovering) sealed her fate: with blood pouring from her neck, and her abdomen gutted below, there was little chance of her survival.

Others had grabbed their feather-trophies and fled; the Desert Rose, the tiny lizard Amazon, and--ahh, the Lapis! Its speed was promising, the Merchant noted--it had snagged a feather with surprising agility and fled almost as quickly. Its prior stumble when arriving could, he thought, be forgiven. And Garnet--that one was always a survivor; perhaps not so useful as a soldier, he mused, but it was certainly difficult to kill.

There were those, too, who had fallen prey to the vultures. Yoosung was fleeing, bloodied--Styx had been knocked clear over the edge, though hopefully he would strike a ledge shortly below and not plummet fully down through the ravine, which would--the Merchant could see from here--be a fatal fall. And Mayngo was down, torn, crumpled--a vulture tearing at him even now. And Quartz Eight-Six-Zero, the brute, had lumbered right into another Eyehook's attacks. The other vultures, sensing injury and weakness, began to dive at these wounded--seeking to end them, to rip them apart, or to fling them from the plateau.

He could hear the Agate, now, but he could not tell what she was saying--her raucous cries rent the air, but the words were lost to distance, and wind. However, whatever she had done, had worked: the Vulture Matriarch, with one final burst of strength and her own screech of rage, lunged for Agate with gaping beak and thrusting wings.

_________

Those Gembound who were injured by failing their last rolls--Yoosung, Styx, Mayngo and Quartz Eight-Six-Zero--must roll to defend themselves against the onslaught of swarming vultures. Those in their placement may attempt to aid them. If both they and their would-be rescuers fail, they will perish.

Reseda may roll to defend herself in some way against Labradorite's attack. Failure to do so will result in a severe burn injury as the bile sinks into the muscle of her back, though she may choose another action and take the injury, if she (for example) wishes to attack in retaliation.

Agate Two-Three-Six has successfully distracted the Vulture Matriarch herself, and must roll to defend against her attack. Failure to do so will result in a severe injury.

The others are free to attempt to sabotage one another, or to--whilst Agate has it distracted--attempt to finish off the Vulture Matriarch, or to attempt to retrieve a trophy, or any other action that they see fit. Those who have already retrieved trophies may act as they see fit, including abandoning the others to now move ahead by one placement... though this may have future consequences...

A Critical Fail on any roll will result in a severe wound from one of the vultures, or from a fall.

Please post & roll only once.

Garnet Five-Seven-Nine moved quickly from the moment it contacted sand, head-first. Judging from the terrific wingbeats coming from behind, the whole nest had been disturbed. The smarter of the Gembound --- the Champions, most certainly --- would make like flies and flee from the dangerous hodpodge with their trophies. As for the others...

They may need to be forced out of their stupidity with a bit of sabotage.

The creature unfurled its limbs, reaching for its magic for the first time in centuries. Feeling the top of its shell begin to smolder, the acrid stench of billowing smoke enveloping it, the Garnet lowered itself to the ground, half-burying itself in the scorching-hot sands. Barely at the edge of it all, the creature was a smoke machine. Let the smart be weeded out of that mess.