THE CREATOR'S TEST

[THE BLACK SERPENT]

112 / 250 HP    45%

▼ BLEEDING ▼ INFESTED ▼ BURNING

The beast before the Gembounds throbbed with stolen magic, a pulsing black shimmer filling the air around it like boiling Oil. Whatever it was casting may well have been deadly, but as the fighters tore into it--bold Relic and Nidhogg sinking teeth against Oilstone scales, Vargas's strikes, the Sentinel's magic breaking open the earth and dragging it down--it shuddered and faltered. Jaws gaped, eyes gleaming, and then--made unstable with its powers and the damage done to it--The Black Serpent exploded.

The magic blast that shot outward in all directions was a shockwave, throwing black dust into the air in billowing piles and throwing the Gembounds flying. It would burn--a searing pain that would drain their magicka, leaving them utterly exhausted--but they would live. Then came the fallout: black ropes of shredded, Oiled flesh, the clatter of Oilstone as the scales cascaded around them like Corrupted rain. The Black Serpent's body--what remained of it--hit the ground steaming throughout Draco.

As the dust faded--leaving only gore--it seemed as though a low, malicious laugh reverberated through the cavern. Perhaps it was only the shuddering of the ground...

Yet the theft of their magic, and its subsequent searing burst, left the Gembound present with a new and sinister knowledge.

The knowledge that it was possible to steal the magicka from its source, in order to strengthen themselves. Enchanted items... lost stones... even other Gembound were not safe from this power.

Had this been a battle, or a gift-? A test?

Or all three?

Vargas 11/20	Nidhogg 11/20	The Sentinel 11/20
V-Hiddenite-One 20/20	Ruby-Beta 20/20	Azrael 20/20
Garnet-Epsilon 10/20	V-Labradorite-One 20/20	Rue 11/20
Khavur 20/20	Relic 20/20	Madhukar 12/20

[ ACTION LOG ]

> THE BLACK SERPENT explodes with consumed magic, obliterating its own form and inflicting magic burns on all present, but granting knowledge of a new spell...



> THE BLACK SERPENT takes 1 point of damage each from INFESTED, BLEEDING, and BURNING, for a total of 3 damage
> RELIC attacks THE BLACK SERPENT with PHYSICAL COMBAT, inflicting 18 damage
> RUE misses their attack
> VARGAS uses BERSERK on THE BLACK SERPENT, inflicting 5 damage
> NIDHOGG attacks THE BLACK SERPENT with PHYSICAL COMBAT, inflicting 10 damage
> THE SENTINEL strikes THE BLACK SERPENT with DEFILED EARTH, inflicting 11 damae and trappin git
> THE BLACK SERPENT takes 1 point of damage each from INFESTED, BLEEDING, and BURNING, for a total of 3 damage
> NIDHOGG strikes THE BLACK SERPENT with PHYSICAL COMBAT, inflicting 10 damage
> THE SENTINEL strikes THE BLACK SERPENT with BONESHATTER, inflicting 8 damage
> RUE casts CURSED FLAME, inflicting 10 damage and IGNITING the BLACK SERPENT.
> RELIC attacks THE BLACK SERPENT, inflicting 15 damage.
> NIDHOGG uses BLIND, causing THE BLACK SERPENT to flail wildly for one round.
> VARGAS uses RIP, inflicting 8 damage.
> THE SENTINEL casts RIP, inflicting 15 damage on THE BLACK SERPENT and bleeding it!
> VARGAS uses Berserk, inflicting 10 damage on THE BLACK SERPENT and receiving 1 Point Corruption!
> RUE casts Wither, inflicting 10 damage on THE BLACK SERPENT and infecting it!

> THE BLACK SERPENT explodes with its consumed energy, inflicting painful magical burns on everyone in the room but granting them knowledge of a new spell
> THE BLACK SERPENT lashes out with its sharp-scaled tail, striking Rue, The Sentinel, Nidhogg and Vargas for -9 HP and inflicting one point of Corruption on Nidhogg! RELIC dodges!
> Madhukar is struck by LEECH, inflicting 8 Magicka Damage, 8 HP Damage and one point of Corruption!
> THE BLACK SERPENT strikes at Nidhogg, who dodges!
> THE BLACK SERPENT strikes Garnet-Epsilon for 10 damage!
> THE BLACK SERPENT emerges, and begins attacking!

This concludes The Cave Stories: THE CREATOR'S TEST. The Gembounds present will be given the relevant achievement, along with the following spell, which is now unlocked in the shop:

Leech
Medium Intensity Manipulation. Magicka is sapped from a target reservoir - a living stone, an enchanted item, dyes, even another Gembound - to bolster the caster's own energy levels. This spell can be used to destroy Gembound-made enchantments on items and dyes, and will reduce the viability of living stones that are drained.

Spells and achievements will be handed out shortly.

Gembound should bear in mind any Corruption points they may have gained which might affect them going forward; they will also need to sleep to replenish their magicka levels after the fight.

@Vargas (Sentinel, Nidhogg) @Relic @Rue @Teyouma II @Garnet-Epsilon @Azrael (Ruby-Beta) @Khavur (Madhukar) @V-Hiddenite-One @V-Labradorite-One

Little Rue, claws still hooked amongst the Serpent's scales, was ungracefully sent careening through the air, landing far, far away from the spire with a sickly thud and a pathetic whine. The burns of magic traced up their foreclaws and into the stone, leaving them totally drained.

Maybe sleeping after all that isn't so bad... their brain supplies, and their eyes fall dark into a deep sleep.

They'll be fine, after they rest.

Exit Rue

- THE LEVIATHAN -

Vargas blinked up from the rock.

He'd been thrown--when had that happened?--and could feel the immensity of the drain upon his power. With scrambling intensity of purpose he pushed up, claws scrabbling at the rock, but-... The Black Serpent was nowhere to be found.

He heard that last laugh, felt the fade of new magic, and sighed. A test. The thought was bitterly irritated. All things were tests; he knew as much, but the Creator was as likely to kill them on a whim as to reward them.

For a beast of Chaos I like things a little too ordered, he thought, with some annoyance.

There was some faint, lingering sense of awe, there, too. It might have been stronger--might have been near-worship--in cycles past, but this wasn't cycles past and Vargas simply looked around.

"If any of you are dying, tell me. Wounded? Rest," he added, a barked command. He'd watch over them as best he could; his power could allow him to stay awake for a little while. But... not long, he could feel. Already his body was slipping into a dozing state.

He grunted, sitting down where he'd stood. A brief test of the new magic--not use, but a sort of feeling it out--told him that here was a power that could be used to kill unwanted stones, or to sap magic to strengthen his own. It wasn't something that he could immediately think of much use for, but it was a power he hadn't held before, and he made note of it nonetheless.

Vargas tucked this thought aside, and then set himself to watching over the Forge who were here for as long as he could stay awake.

exit Vargas

The hard exterior crunched under Relic's jaws, satisfyingly so. She fought to ignore the foul taste of the oil that gushed its contempt, focusing only on the task at hand. Even then, she saw movement flicker in her peripheral, the participants still standing joining in for the final, fatal blow. She felt the blows land, the muscles of the enemy tensing with pain. The ground rumbled and sank too, and a shock of panic ran through her. Was that the snake's doing? Was she going to be swallowed up by the earth? She kept her grip, tightening as she braced herself for the worst.

And then it exploded.

Completely out of the blue, Just... Boom. Relic's paws left earth, and they took flight for a brief moment. It hurt. They felt energy surge through every nerve, making each and everyone shriek. All Relic could manage was a high yelp, before they finally tumbled to the ground, too exhausted to attempt a smooth landing. The pain left quick thankfully, but the fatigue didn't. She laid for a beat, before stumbling back up, covered in gore and oil. She coughed and hacked at what remained in her mouth, not trusting the substance's edibility.

They managed a weak few steps towards where the serpent had once been, nose wrinkling at the sight and smell. The purple beast barked an order. Not for me, they recognised. This wasn't their home afterall, they'd have to stagger off to one of the tunnels for sleep. The thought made them wince a little, but after this, they could stomach it.

She lingered a little longer, scanning the surroundings. If anyone needed assistance, she would provide it; But she, like everyone else, had napping to do.