Shrike shook herself, blinking. She wasn't entirely sure what had happened, only that she'd been thrown somehow, and it hurt. On the plus side... she was a little farther away, and she could see the ominous blooming glow surrounding the Unbound Champion.

That was a big "no thanks" from her.

She turned, her flapping awkward and barely above the sand (she'd hardly caught herself before plummeting into the earth), struggling to gain a bit of extra, critical distance from Saran'zol before she... before he... before whatever was about to happen.

THE CHAMPION,
UNBOUND

saran'zol

the unbound champion

133/300

▼INFESTED

Most of the gembound manage to scramble out of the way of the energy in time, but a few are hit with a blast that feels charged. It is not hot or cold, but as it shoots through them, they feel every nerve in their body alight as if struck by lightning. Like a nervous energy dialed up to 100, so powerful that they are temporarily paralyzed as it passes through them, leaving red sparks behind. The Bauxite, however, could not withstand it. The blast knocked it off its feet and a moment later, there was a bauxite chrysalis, the last of the red sparks running along its surface.

Saran'zol was recovering, with a snarl he righted himself again, and pushed right back into his attacking, leaping towards Fahl and Gaheris, one strike going towards the reptile, the other the dragon. The dragon's strike, though, only met the same energy field that had protected Saran'zol a moment before and the strike simply rebounded, the blade ripping back and slicing into Saran'zol's side instead. He snarled, the hand grasping wildly again, again pointing its blinding beam towards Audland.

The red sparks raced along Saran'zol's hide, closing wounds where it could (although the corrupted infestation was tenacious...), and beginning to bulk the scales and skin, hardening into tough shell's, ready to defend against the gembound's incoming attacks.

RELIC 20/20	AZRAEL 12/20	SHRIKE 13/20
FAHL ▲Defending 20/20	GAHERIS 20/20	PHELIX 8/20
BAUXITE T-ONE ▼Unconscious 0/20	NIDHOGG 8/20	AUDLAND 12/20

[ ACTION LOG ]

> Saran'zol's blade cuts towards Fahl! Failure to dodge will inflict 19 points of damage, but Fahl will take 9 due to his Barkskin.
> The other end of the blade cuts towards Gaheris, but it rebounds and hits Saran'zol for 9 damage instead!
> Audland has been blinded! Any targeted attack next turn will miss.
> Saran'zol has cast Shell! Any physical attacks, and any magical attacks under a roll of 10, will do half damage next turn.
> Saran'zol regenerated 19 HP!


> Saran'zol takes 6 points from infestation, and 1 point from bleed. Saran'zol is no longer bleeding.
> Bauxite falls and is forced into his chrysalis!
> Bauxite, Phelix, and Nidhogg fail to dodge and take 12 damage!
> Audland, Relic, Gaheris, Azrael, Fahl, and Shrike dodge!

@Bauxite-T-One will awaken with the following special chrysalis consequence:

Saran'zol's Stray: Bauxite will experience random moments of intensified and reddened vision and will be haunted by strange red and black dreams. His voice may take on a strange, charged, crackling tenor at times.

@Relic (Gaheris) @Nidhogg (Shrike) @Fahl @Azrael @Phelix @Audland

Quickly setting himself back on the ground in the wake of the blast, Azrael eyed the thickening plates on the champion's hide. He had intended to rush forward back into melee, but he wasn't keen on trying to break through those at the moment. He wondered if his claws would even be able to.

Instead, he stood, again, at a distance and sucked in a breath, blasting out a strong stream of flames towards the valkhound. They didn't spark away or peter out this time, thankfully.

It has to be true

The wave of energy crashes over him and all he can do is spasm painfully in its wake, his entire nervous system alight with an impossible to describe pain. As soon as he regains his senses he scrambles for anywhere he can catch his breath, ending up hunkered near a large boulder. It takes him a moment to realize it's the chrysalis of one of his fellow combatants.

He'd attempt the freeze Saran'zol's blood and oil into spikes that would stab into his flesh, but the spell was weak and without focus, further hampered by Saran'zol's searing heat and energy.

I'm counting on you
To be my wings and my eyes

OW OW OW-

His thoughts were pain, followed by a mindless, cowardly rage that left him hissing as he found his feet and scrambled away.

When he curved back around it was fast, slitheringly agile, but a little clumsy. He was dazed from the horrific searing that had shot through his nerves. He was mad, but FUCK that hurt, and he wanted payback. But also, he didn't want to get hit again. So his attack wasn't a warrior's charge, but a bastard's ploy, a rush for Saran'zol's hind legs. He darted for them, aiming to snap at a... hamstring, or whatever the Unbound Champion's equivalent might be.

Even if he hit it'd hardly be a battle-ending strike, but this was clearly a war of attrition against a far stronger enemy, and Nidhogg wasn't aiming to be a hero.

Shrike glanced at the demonic blast of flame from her ally, and rose higher in the air.

Her urges toward chaos were strong, now, and she wanted nothing more than bloodshed. But she forced herself to pause--if briefly--and examine the battle with a critical eye.

When she dove, it was with a plan--and a keen avoidance of Azrael's fire. Her attempt was to come in from the side, hopefully out of Saran'zol's line of sight, and full-body throw herself into the haft of the spear, or polearm or whatever it was called. She'd seen him slash himself once already.

Could she repeat that little trick, but straight into his upper torso, or even face? There was only one way to find out. She came as silently as she could, from the side he held the weapon, and aimed her weight for it--preferably below the blade. It was a risky move and it'd be far too easy for her to be impaled if she screwed up, and he saw her coming.

letting dm decide if she just misses or gets smacked up

One had fallen, a pawful were injured - not ideal, but could've been a lot worse, and a lot more chrysalises peppering the arena after that one. Relic sucked in a breath, taking a moment to assess the situation now that she wasn't under direct threat.

Maybe protecting people was the wrong idea? She watched as the damage they'd all done began to reverse, the Champion healing himself gradually. They had to keep up the pressure, no matter what. They had to beat him so bad that there would be nothing left to recover.

Relic saw the chunk of flesh she's just removed begin to knit back together. No! Fuck you! You don't get to do that!

While Saran'zol slashed toward Fahl, she grabbed the same leg she'd ripped open before, doubling the effort as she tore into the healing wound, deepening it, digging down toward the bone. His blood was beginning to be the only thing she could taste, sinking deeper still into her gnarled skin.

Wait, A small voice in her brain interjected. Shouldn't he be bleeding a lot more from this? But the rest of Relic simply didn't care, shell or no shell, she would tear him apart - or try her best too, at least.

He descended again, gracefully, onto the dirt of the forum to plan his next move - but was immediately met by the Champion lunging for him and Fahl. He shrunk back, unable to put a brave face as the blade swiped toward him next -

And rebounded back into Saran'zol's flesh. Ah, that's right. She wasn't that helpless whelp anymore. She was Gaheris.

She took a step towards the Champion, glaring with pitch dark eyes as she willed him away, kicking up the dust around her once again. Another taste of his own medicine!

Ah. Apparently, in Audland's fervor to just barely avoid getting full-body blasted by Saran'zol's omni-directional eradication beam, the blue bouncy-ball had forgotten one crucial thing: don't get too close to its HANDS!"

Audland did not take well emotionally to being targeted. Though, he supposed he should quit it with the big frustration act given how large, loud, and bright blue he was. This didn't stop him from letting out a humorous "AWW, C'MON!" while his body naturally recoiled from the light.

At least this time was less personal than when that one giant noodly twink had somehow put him back in the mimic chest. He hadn't gotten the worst end of it. There were many moving parts on the battlefield, but Audland had managed to caught in his spring that the giant blast had caught up to some unfortunate fellow. Audland wasn't quite sure who, but hey, at least it hadn't been him.

But, inevitably, here was the blindness. AGAIN. Who died and made Saran'zol dictator of Sightville? No don't say that that sounds stupid. Audland would heave a big heavy sigh.

Well... his mushrooms were still going strong in that beast; a persistent pest that had contributed more damage than Audland probably realized. Perhaps it would be better to take a moment on the bench for this particular round. Close his eyes ('cause what difference did it make?) and focus the magic in his body on addressing some of the breakage and exhaustion he was starting to feel within. The others could probably handle this round of attacks. He knew some of the people here; they could be pretty scary when they wanted to be.

Audland takes a moment to try to feel a bit better lol

The energy blasts, that sudden and life-threatening obstacle course he'd ran, disappeared as quickly as they'd came. Nevertheless, once the pressure of battle had reasserted itself, nothing allowed it to be diminished. Even with the field clear, Fahl kept racing along on unsteady feet, straining to maintain momentum. However, it was an effort that only landed him back in hot waters all too familiar to him; yet again he caught the gleam of Saran'zol's blade descending upon his hide.

Fatigue sapped at limbs, so he relied upon magic's saving grace instead for a second time. White light weakly flickered into existence, manifesting wings once more, and the iguana was jerked aside. A section of his bark armor snapped off as the blade's deadly edge skimmed over it. Just this was enough to throw him into a sideways roll before he recovered, scrambling upright and without the graze he would've otherwise sustained.