((A response!! I flipped a coin and got heads, if that helps))

Tails for me, sir.

OoC: Since the coin flip is to determine the outcome of one of Katsuro's actions, I'm gonna take ZV's call, then flip the coin.

...

... I got heads.

I'm so sorry.


Edit: At first I thought ZV was actually throwing a bomb, turns out he was using a bomb but RP'ing it as a spin attack for extra flavor. Since his character can actually throw bombs, I'm allowing it (although if this were an official event, it would still consume a rupee), since there really is no difference between how the attack would work, mechanics-wise. Spin attack is cooler anyway.

IC:

As Katsuro took the offensive, covering his ally's brief vulnerable moment, Simon took advantage of the opportunity to heal Shem. The restorative magic powers flowed out of the scribes hands and over washed over him, restoring 36 HP to the critically wounded captain.

Meanwhile, Katsuro's blade cuts through the air with a deadly hum, a spinning vortex of demise as he danced around the battlefield, a blur of metal and shadow. When he could no longer continue his circular momentum, he briefly and gracefully dropped to one knee in a three-point landing, blade outstretched, before melding away back into the shadows. The party could clearly see what had happened - all of the enemy forces had taken 11 damage from the attack. This was enough to outright kill the Stallhound and Stalchild, but the others remained animated, at least for the time being.

Shem, feeling rejuvenated, sought to remedy that. Spear in hand, he charged forward with renewed vigor, targeting the bulkiest enemy - the Stalfos. He quickly brought his spear up to meet the Stalfos' blade, and in one motion, shoved upwards to knock the Stalfos back, and brought the end of his spear crashing down through the Stalfos' forearm, shattering the bone. The monster dropped the shield, lacking an arm to hold it. It didn't have much time to react before the spear was coming down again, this time shattering it's other arm, causing it to drop it's sword. Shem then quickly followed through with a violent thrust straight up through the nostril of the Skeletal monster, pushing the spear all the way through the other side. The necromantic glow of life left the Stalfos' eyes as what remaind of it's body clattered to the ground in a heap. [Honorable Kill]

The Gibdo rushes forward at Katsuro with a ghastly moan, but once again the sheikah's battle prowess manifest itself as he easily shadowmelds out of the way. The creature stumbles forward several feet, grasping at the air, carried away from the quick-footed Katsuro by it's momentum. It loses it's footing and crashes into the ground, dealing 1 damage to itself. [crit fail]

Kasei said something snarky and killed Redead 1 with fire. Denkou wuz stun, dodged redead 2 somehow.

Shar-guthal was visibly angered by his inability to land a hit on Katsuro. With a mighty roar, he pulled his fist out of the ground, spraying chunks of earth everywhere as he spun around. He was just about to rear back and take another swing at the Sheikah when he felt the toll on his magical reserves as his undead minions fell, one by one. He took a quick glance at the battlefield, and he didn't like what he saw. Half of his minions were disposed of, and the other half were in dire straits.

If I go down one more time, that could be the last time. He thinks to himself, rousing his thoughts from his simple desire to hit the nimble annoyance that kept evading him.
I have to stop this now - once and for all!

Shar-guthal clapped his hands together, his chest-gem pulsing brightly as he called on his reserves of magical power. Slowly, he pulled his hands apart, watching the swirling sphere of dark magic pulsate and grow between his palms. With a loud bellow, he plunged the [Necroburst] into the ground, allowing the dark magic to split and run almost instantaneously through the shadows in the earth before rising up to choke the life out of each of the heroes simultaneously, like tentacles of pure shadow rising up from the depths of the underworld itself.

Shem, perhaps still affected by the lingering remnants of the Life Spell, is able to somewhat resist the attack, only taking 11 damage. Katsuro and Kasei once again take advantage of their natural resistances to sustain 11 damage as well. Simon and Denkou, who was only just recovering from his paralysis, did not fare as well. Simon looked as if he were about to manage to resist the attack, but it proved to be too much for him and he gave in to the overwhelming power of the Necromaster. Denkou offered almost no resistance - and they both took 22 damage.

The field was clearing - it was do or die. Shar-guthal knew if they could take down his minions in the next few moments, it would be all over for him. The question was - had he crippled them enough to buy him some more time?



<center>~Round Results~</center>
King's Banner: +1 DEF to party
Leadership: depleted
Simon: 9/36 HP, 16/48 SPL, 9 Will
Denkou: 19/41 HP, 37/37 SPL, 9 Will
Katsuro: 27/64 HP, 4/40 SPL, 5 Will, Leadership cooldown - 3 turns
Shem: 28/71 HP, 8/11 SPL, 0 Will, Shield Bash cooldown - 0 turns, Honorable Kill cooldown - 2 turns
Kasei: 20/61 HP, 36/56 SPL, 9 WILL


Shar-Guthal: 82/253 HP, 40/70 SPL
Stalfos: DEAD
Redead 1: 3/20 HP
Redead 2: 9/20 HP
Gibdo: 4/30 HP
Stalhound: DEAD
Stalchild: DEAD


OoC: If the coin flip had gone in your favor, ZV, Shar-Guthal would have fallen for Katsuro's bait and instead just focused on attacking him this round. Ah well... I still think you guys are gonna manage to pull off this last battle without any deaths

Having lopped a few heads and drawn a good deal of attention to himself, it would appear that his first goal had been accomplished. He'd bought Simon enough time to heal the critically wounded captain.

Atta boy.

The smiled as he turned to see if he'd accomplished his second goal- attract the attention of the elephant in the room- Shar-Guthal. The beast was undeniably frustrated with Katsuro, however his gaze turned global.

Bad news.

"He's gearing up for another blast of magic! Everyone hold on!!" He screamed as he bashed the nearest enemy to the ground and raised his shield against the incoming magical pulse. He felt the attack run through his bones- although the Sheikah was best poised to deal with the element of the attack, it was still wearing him down little by little. He was starting to feel heavier- his attacks were lacking their potency. He was drained physically, magically, and mentally.

I can't keep this up for very much longer.

He thought as he lowered his shield and observed the damage.

The rest of them are barely hanging on as well. We've got to finish this.

The re-dead he'd knocked to the ground was getting back to its feet as the man stepped on the creature's shoulder, pinning it the ground. It opened its mouth, the air shimmering with the telltale signs of a paralyzing shriek- but its throat found no magic- only an iron blade through its gullet.

[Attack - Redead #2][Will - 3]

"WE HAVE TO END THIS NOW!!!" He screamed, ripping the blade from the dying creature's throat. "WE WON'T GET ANOTHER CHANCE!"

OOC: Short post- I've got a lot of things to do, but I made sure this was on today's to-do list ^^

Guys... we are literally, like... one round away from finishing this topic completely...

Simon Grendel
STR-3; DEF-6(+); AGI-2; INT-5; SPI-6; HP-28/36; SPL-48; WILL-9
DMG
Deku Staff: (base) 9 + (STR) 3 = 12
Deku 2H Sword: (base) 14 + (STR) 3 = 17 (-2 chance to hit)
Deku Boomerang: (base) 4 + (STR) 3 + (Gerudo Training Gloves) 1 = 8 (+1 chance to hit)
Bomb: (base) 5 + STR (2) = 7
Spell Damage: (Level) 14 + (base class) 3 + (INT) 5 = 22
Equipment
Deku Boomerang
Bomb Bag
Deku Staff
Deku 2H Sword
L1 Tunic
Gerudo Training Gloves
Abilities
Train: 2H Sword L1 - 3
Train: Boomerang L2 - 4
Learn: Elemental Burst L2 - 4
Learn: Life L1 - 2
Epic Poem L2 - 3
Learn: Shield L1 - 1
The Quill is Mightier than the Sword L1 - 2
Speak: Gerudic L1 - 1
Master of Linguistics L1 - 1
Learn: Fire L1 - 2
Defense Rating
(DEF) 5 + (L1 Tunic) 10 + (AGI) 2 + (King's Banner L1) 1 (+) = 18(+)

The scribe smiled as he noticed his magic had the desired effect. The life flowed back into Shem, who then had the necessary energy to go out and charge the Staflos, slaying it in a manner that looked so simple. Turning back towards Katsuro, he noticed that Shar-Guthal’s attack had missed. Thank the heavens, he thought to himself. Breathing a sigh of relief, he saw Kasei land an attack and he saw the paralyzed Denkou avoid an attack as well – how he managed – Simon had no idea. The grin only grew on his face as he continue to formulate the next plan of action. Maybe he needed to attack on of the weaker opponents – perhaps that Redead that looked like it was shambling a little slower than its comrades.

However, Simon had failed to notice the undead Goron’s newfound resolve. A magical bombardment was coming. And he was so unprepared, he didn’t even notice the force assailing him until it was already upon him. Perhaps he had missed it because, for once, the Shar-Guthal hadn’t broadcasted his attacks and telegraphed his move. Grasping at his garland amulet hanging about his neck, he almost managed to resist the Necrobust, but the flow of energy overcame him, and he was left on the cusp of blacking out. He hadn’t even realized he’d been knocked off his feet at first, and he slowly shifted around to stand back up.

Everything ached, but he started by rubbing his legs, because he might have to sprint across the battlefield to heal an ally. Looking around, it took him a second to focus his vision and to stop his head from swimming. Realizing that all of his friends had found themselves in pain, he was forced once again to prioritize who needed help first. Denkou seemed to have the lowest chance of evading the enemies that were about, but Simon wasn’t too keen on speed either. And, Simon could tell his injuries were a little worse than Denkou anyways. Lastly, he was their only healer. He still had a green potion. With it, he could cast up to eight more life spells, though he hoped he wouldn’t have to use them all. After all, he’d likely need to use some of his magic to attack Shar-Guthal directly. Still, the young man needed to heal himself first, so he could continue healing his fellow adventurers and the captain for the remainder of the battle. He focused his energies on himself and began allowing the healing magic to work on himself [Use Life L1 on Self].

Kasei gave a flat smile as another undead foe burned away, counting in his head the number of enemies remaining before Shar-Guthal could be assaulted again. In the meantime, Denkou had somehow managed to avoid taking a hit. While the thief was not one to complain, he couldn't help but wonder...how.

Neither had much of a chance to gather their thoughts, however, as the enemies' assault came about once again. The Rebel Flame could feel the dark energy wash over him, knowing that he was avoiding the brunt of the damage, but Denkou did not fare as well, and could almost feel himself being pushed around by the assault. Both turned to gaze at Shar in amazement, wondering exactly how many more times he could do such an attack.

"Denkou!" Kasei shouted, turning to charge towards [Redead #1] with his rapier, stabbing out to attempt to finish off the enemy for good.

His attention returning to the fight at hand, Denkou surveyed the battle and spotted both remaining ReDead. I can do this. The rogue whipped out a knife, filling it with magical energy from his [Lightning] spell and throwing the blade as best he could towards [Redead #2], hastily choosing between the two remaining targets.

OoC: whoops so Redead 1 is actually dead, I just didn't take Kasei's attack last round into account when doing my stat-keeping math at the bottom of my last post. That's what I get for my sarcastic humor


IC:
[Music]

Katsuro's blade did indeed find it's mark, stealing the last dregs of vitality from Redead 2. He pulled his sword from the throat of the creature and looked around the battlefield to see if the others had been able to recover and get back on the offensive.

Simon, knowing he is the only one on the battlefield capable of casting healing magic, knew how important it was that he keep himself alive so that he can potentially keep the others alive. His life spell took effect on him, healing 18 HP. He would live to heal another day.

Kasei moved forward to strike at the last enemy, but Denkou's thrown dagger was quicker. It landed in the decaying, mummified flesh of the Gibdo, who began convulsing and smoking as the Thunder attack coursed through it's body. Moments later it hit the ground, dead.

At that moment, when the last creature fell, so did Shar-Guthal. The toll of his dark magic so quickly expended once again overwhelmed the Goron, who dropped down to his knees and fell over on his side; the necromantic glow faded.

"Come on! This is our last chance!" Shem shouted as he began running towards the fallen Necromaster. "If we hit him now, he's out for good!" He gripped his spear, point down, and jumped into the air, aiming the bladed polearm directly at the chest-gem.

"FOR HYRULE!"


<center>~Round Results~</center>
King's Banner: +1 DEF to party
Leadership: depleted
Simon: 27/36 HP, 16/48 SPL, 9 Will
Denkou: 19/41 HP, 25/37 SPL, 9 Will
Katsuro: 27/64 HP, 4/40 SPL, 5 Will, Leadership cooldown - 2 turns
Shem: 28/71 HP, 8/11 SPL, 0 Will, Honorable Kill cooldown - 1 turns
Kasei: 20/61 HP, 36/56 SPL, 9 WILL


Shar-Guthal: 82/253 HP, 40/70 SPL
Stalfos: DEAD
Redead 1: DEAD
Redead 2: DEAD
Gibdo: DEAD
Stalhound: DEAD
Stalchild: DEAD

"FOR HYRULE!"

Those words echoed loudly above the sounds of battle, splitting the night air like a holy spear through wicked darkness. Katsuro felt the weight of his body pulling against him as he began a slow trot towards the fallen behemoth.

This is it.

He thought as he pushed harder, the rain beating against his sword and shield loudly, and matting his hair against his face. Thunder cracked across the sky in tandem with the lightning that graced the warriors with sight from moment to moment.

We have to do it here.

Katsuro quickened his pace into a brisk jog, his heart pounding in his chest, the oxygen of battle running through his veins and gripping his heart. His entire body was feeling the fatigue of a long war, but his soul was shining brightly with vigor and zeal. A warrior's soul. He pushed harder forward, his boots pounding the ground through mud and over fallen enemies.

For all of my friends. I can't afford to fail!

He gritted his teeth as he neared the beast, Shem already sailing through the air towards their target. Katsuro couldn't help but smile as Shem drove his spear into the beast. Standing atop the mountainous creature, spear buried deep within his target. His armor gleamed in the lightning that prefaced each thunderous crack above them. Katsuro didn't know it now, but he would never forget the sight of Shem in this moment. This was the stuff of legends; the stuff of song.

"HEY, SHAR!" Katsuro called out as he launched into the air, "I MADE YOU A PROMISE, REMEMBER?" He landed square on the Goron's face, using it as a springboard to launch himself atop the necromancer's chest. He plummeted down, crashing sword first into the gem on the monster's chest. He turned the blade before yanking it out, and rolling off the beast's chest, to allow room for his allies to strike after him.

Simon Grendel
STR-3; DEF-6(+); AGI-2; INT-5; SPI-6; HP-27/36; SPL-16/48; WILL-9
DMG
Deku Staff: (base) 9 + (STR) 3 = 12
Deku 2H Sword: (base) 14 + (STR) 3 = 17 (-2 chance to hit)
Deku Boomerang: (base) 4 + (STR) 3 + (Gerudo Training Gloves) 1 = 8 (+1 chance to hit)
Bomb: (base) 5 + STR (2) = 7
Spell Damage: (Level) 14 + (base class) 3 + (INT) 5 = 22
Equipment
Deku Boomerang
Bomb Bag
Deku Staff
Deku 2H Sword
L1 Tunic
Gerudo Training Gloves
Abilities
Train: 2H Sword L1 - 3
Train: Boomerang L2 - 4
Learn: Elemental Burst L2 - 4
Learn: Life L1 - 2
Epic Poem L2 - 3
Learn: Shield L1 - 1
The Quill is Mightier than the Sword L1 - 2
Speak: Gerudic L1 - 1
Master of Linguistics L1 - 1
Learn: Fire L1 - 2
Defense Rating
(DEF) 5 + (L1 Tunic) 10 + (AGI) 2 + (King's Banner L1) 1 (+) = 18(+)

Simon Grendel watched gladly as his allies all felled their marks. Despite everybody’s intense injuries, Shar-Guthal seemed to be on the losing side of this fight. As the Goron toppled over again from his posse being re-slain, the young scribe speculated that Shar-Guthal’s moments of exposed weakness derived from the undead energy that was dispelled when his undead were slain. Still not sure if his theory were right, as that would mean that undead energy force was still tied to Shar-Guthal even after a summoning, Simon decided that attacking while the necromancing Goron was down was more important than figuring out the nature of Shar-Guthal’s power.

Seeing Shem and Katsuro rush the now disabled enemy, Simon began bringing forth some of his remaining magical energy into his free hand. Forcing the energy out of his palm, he began forming an orb of light energy. Once the magical energy orb had stabilized, Simon Grendel directed his hand at the mighty foe. Rather than say a fancy one-liner, Simon figured the Goron wasn’t worth his trouble or time. He’d let his attack do the talking for him. With a flick of his wrist, Simon casted an elemental burst of the light variety at Shar-Guthal [Use Elemental Burst L2 – Light on Shar-Guthal].

"Woo hoo! Take that you ugly mug!" Denkou cheered as hi target decayed in front of him, elation overtaking common sense. That should be the last of the enemies.

As one, both Kasei and Denkou turned to Shar-Guthal, giving twin smiles as they watched him collapse to the floor.

"FOR HYRULE!"

"Don't have to scream it, Mr righteous." Denkou smiled, and looked around, seeing everyone move in for the killing blow.

Kasei himself rushed forward. With any luck, this will finish him off. Weapon at the ready, the warrior lunged forward, striking out again with his rapier, aiming directly for the jewel. Goddesses, guide my hand!

As Kasei attacked, Denkou readied his own response. "This is it, right? Don't go taking all these hits and then tell us you still have another form, got it?" His smile grew into a grin as he mustered his magical power, before jumping in the air himself and flinging another dagger towards his target, a [Lightning] spell surging through it.

"You hear me? Stay down for good!"

[Music: Strike Now!]

Shem was the first one to strike, wedging his spear in the now-large crack right in the center of Shar-Guthal's chest gem. The sound of metal upon stone rang out and the crack widened, but did not give, as Shar-Guthal took 19 damage.

Katsuro hit next, his sword crashing down upon the gem with what seemed like enough force to shatter diamond - but again the stone remained resolutely whole and attached to the chest of the Goron, though Shar-Guthal was not unharmed by the strike - he sustained another 16 damage.

Kasei and Denkou each struck in lightning-fast succession, Kasei's rapier delving deep into the crevice-like crack on the surface of the gem as he leaped over Shar-guthal's body (12 damage). No sooner had Kasei gotten clear of the Goron's body than a bolt of actual lightning parted the skies with a thunderous BOOM and landed squarely on the chest of the massive Goron. (23 damage)

When Shem's eyes recovered from the sudden flash of light, he squinted forward to see, to his dismay, that the gem was still whole, though it was now glowing red-hot from the impact of the lightning bolt. Shem's face fell in pained defeat as Shar-Guthal's eyes fluttered open and he began stumbling to his feet.

"Al... most... you almost... had me..." The Goron managed to speak, still kneeling on the ground, one hand clutching at his chest. He looked up, a glint in his eye as he knew that victory was his. Darkness began seeping out from his clenched fists as he began to summon up another necroblast.

"You fought commendably... but know that this day, you fell before, I, Shar-"

- and it was at that moment that an enormous beam of light erupted from Simon's staff, causing the scribe's hair and robe to flap about behind him, caught up in the forceful wind of the spell. The lightbeam surged forward, fully encompassing Shar-guthal in it's blast, causing the Necromaster to scream out in pain as the light ravaged his body. He began to glow impossibly bright, brighter than the beam that surrounded him in it's furious force, and everyone present had to close their eyes and look away to avoid being blinded. The Goron's cry shook the earth itself, the soundwaves striking against the chest of each man in pure fury as the beam dished out a whooping 44 damage.

[Music: The Fall of Shar-Guthal!]

And then there was silence. Not a creepy, eerie silence like the silence that had surrounded them just hours ago at the gates of North Castle, before the attack, but a silence of peace and victory as the beam dissipated, and Shar-Guthal collapsed to the ground, defeated at last. The purple glow of his necromantic powers had all disappeared, the shard-like crystals that encased his body had shattered and revealed the rocky brown hide of an average Goron underneath. The large purple gem that had been his source of power lay on the ground, several inches from his head, smoke rising from each of the fractures that now covered it's surface like an intricate spiderweb. It had not shattered, but looking at it now, it was easy to tell that if it was perhaps even held too roughly, it would break apart into hundreds of tiny pieces.

Far behind them, the sounds of battle quieted down as the clashing of metal ceased. A great cheer erupted from the weary soldiers as each of the undead minions that had been viciously fighting back against them each fell to the ground, having no more life force to drive them forward. With Shar-Guthal defeated, the magic that held them together dismantled, and they posed no more threat to the people of Hyrule any longer.


Captain Shem let out a huge sigh of relief, and looked over at the other four men standing with him.

"Good show, Simon. I was worried that we were all about to come face-to-face with out fates." He glanced back at the body of Shar-Guthal, and could see that he was not dead, but unconscious, his body moving ever so slightly with the rise and fall of his breath. The crystal gem lay uncomfortably close to him, easily within arms reach if the Goron should wake up at that moment.

"Well. Only one thing left to take care of." The captain said with grim determination, his knuckles once again tightening around his spear. "Shall we?"

<center>~BOSS CLEAR~</center>

Simon: 27/36 HP, 16/48 SPL, 9 Will
Denkou: 19/41 HP, 25/37 SPL, 9 Will
Katsuro: 27/64 HP, 4/40 SPL, 5 Will
Shem: 28/71 HP, 8/11 SPL, 0 Will,
Kasei: 20/61 HP, 36/56 SPL, 9 WILL


Shar-Guthal: 0/53 HP, UNCONSCIOUS, 18/48 SPL
Gem: 0/200 HP

As Simon’s magical blast departed from his staff, he was wondering why the spell hadn’t channeled through his hand as he had attempted. He speculated that perhaps the apparent hiccup of the universe was to blame – although there was also a chance that he simply made a mistake. He wasn’t the most expertly trained castor in all of North Castle. Still, he imagined that he did look pretty awesome as he cast the elemental burst. He felt his cloak blow about from the magical energies as the orb of power flowed from his staff.

His attack departed from his staff just in time. Shar-Guthal was mustering his energies together again, despite the fellow adventurer’s coordinated efforts. His teammates had really carried the fight, Simon felt as though he had cheated Shem of the glory of felling such a tough opponent. But the scribe knew he would have never gotten this far without them.

As Shar-Guthal finally fell to the ground and shed his crystalline layer, including his dark gem, Simon stared down at the cracked artifact. Suddenly, Shem spoke, addressing Simon directly. “No, Captain. Good show to all of you,� he commented, gesturing at his comrades with his staff. “We all helped each other through this struggle.� As Shem tightened his grip on his spear, Simon happened to be reflecting on all the events that had happened.

He did remember how dangerous of a foe Shar-Guthal the Necromaster was. However, he remembered something else, the drawbridge had been sabotaged. The undead Goron or any of his rotting minions would have been extremely suspicious if they themselves had been present to sabotage the drawbridge. After all, somebody would have noticed their presence, surely. Furthermore, Shar-Guthal apparently first lived around the time of the Imprisoning War – hundreds if not thousands of years ago. Why hadn’t he surfaced before now? Why wait this long? Unless somebody brought him back to finish the job.

Simon threw down his staff to the wayside. He grabbed up his cloak and he used it as a cushion to pick up the gem. He made it a point to not touch it directly. He did this all very quickly, and he held the bundle as protectively as he could manage. “Shem, wait! It is imperative you consider the loose ends. If we destroy the gem, there is a chance we could kill him. And we need him alive. Call over backup if need be – should he wake. But, consider, what happened to the drawbridge? Why did he wait until now to resurface? Don’t you find that curious? Or perhaps I am gravely mistaken?� Now, he was starting to second guess himself a bit.

OOC: I figured I would leave out the stats, seeing as how the fighting seems to be over for now. Also, this post was a huge struggle to write. I think I've grown rusty. I hope I brought up some valid points though.

Ooc: dang it Orpheous, you're too smart for my topic. Stop solving my conundrums so fast!

Goncor, feel free to make your post now



...also, the staff vs. hand was just a mistake on my end. Sorry!

Amid the cheering of the victorious soldiers, the ground begins to tremble. The rumbling grows more intense as Simon and Shem speak to one another. Over a nearby ridge, the tumbling form of Goncorgoro appears. He unfurls his body as he nears the victors and fallen goron, standing easily twice as tall as the men.

With an earnest look, he extends his arm in warning. "Stay your hand, friend! The goron is not your enemy. He is a brother who was most unfortunate, goro. The true enemy is within that," he says, pointing a large finger at the crystal in Simon's hands. "Friend, you must not let it touch you."