Darilan has no trouble getting a hit in on the Madderpiller, and as the staff makes impact with the slimy, unclean creature there is a resounding echo followed by what sounds like a gurgle of rage. The beast’s hue reddens, and a purely hateful expression takes over its every facial feature. It starts to flail around the room as if in a blind rage [Madderpiller 1 – 10 HP].

The other staff that had been aimed at the angry creature falls short, and Maverick’s attack does nothing. It would seem that Madderpiller, having lost its calm, is too fast for the mage.

Taint, on the other hand, manages to get a decent a strike in with his sword as the Madderpiller turns from the scholars and nearly collides with the Zora. The wooden blade digs into the beast with all the passion of a warrior’s heart [Madderpiller 1 – 11 HP].

The Hylian nomad’s attack stings the Madderpiller in a similar fashion, gouging a hole in its thick carapace and sending it on in its angry fit [Madderpiller 1 – 10 HP].

Now it is the Madderpiller’s turn to retaliate. It does so by attempting to collide with Maverick, but the scholar is able to leap nimbly to one side and avoid any damage – fortunately, because this angry beast would do some serious damage if it were quick enough to catch the mage. Madderpiller 2 tries to bump into Simon, but misses entirely.

Madderpiller 1: 9/40 HP
Madderpiller 2: 40/40 HP
Keese 1: Defeated
Keese 2: Defeated
Keese 3: Defeated
Keese 4: Defeated

Richard Valens: 41/41 HP

"I've got this one." Sabertache called out to his party. The Madderpillar was on its last legs now, and after feeling his blade pierce that sheen skin once, the nomad would not let it escape a second blow. Aiming for one of the spots where the spheres connected, he attempted to slip his blade into the groove, slashing downwards to dissemble the insect.

HP: 33/44
SPL: 14/14
Will: 9/9

His sword dug deep into the flesh of the creature, and the better part of this attack is that there was absolutely no retaliation. It just so happened that there were so many threats at once that... he was... the least of them.... He shook this thought, and kept a big goofy smile on his face. He was aching pretty bad from his previous fights, and he was just thankful to Nayru that he hadn't suffered a major hit since then. Surely it would only open up his preexisting wounds, and cause his muscles to ache more so than now. He hopped back a bit to measure out his next attack against the critter. He didn't want to put himself that same position again.

"I've got this one."

Someone in the room had called out to the rest of the party. Taint could only deduce that he meant the already weakened Madderpillar. Really wanting to squish the bug for good, the Zora had his reservations about leaving it all up to the chance of one hit. He decided that he certainly wouldn't make many friends by cutting in on their dances. He left in Saber's hands, and turned his attention to the undamaged Madderpillar. It was close actually- very close. It was headed straight for him in fact! At the last moment, it made a sharp turn, the rest of its body following. As it wriggled past him, he slashed his sword forward with good force, and matching accuracy.

---

HP: 41/74 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
SPL:9/15 IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
WILL: 4/9 IIIIIIIII

IC: Finally, the last Keese had fallen. Now, his comrades had practically slain the first Madderpiller. Simon was pleased that they were making good progress. Saber informed the group that he would finish the wounded Madderpiller, and, Simon decided not to interfere with the young man's work. Instead, following Taint's lead, he turned to the uninjured Madderpiller. Realizing he stood a small chance hitting the beast with either magic or a physical attack, he weighed other options. He could attempt to buff his group again, but he was certain that a poem would not cause the same affect the previous one had before. Not yet, at least. No, he had to try to damage the monster. He took his two handed sword off his back, and readied it in his hands. The blade was heavy, but not impossible to wield. Simon held it cumbersomely, and it was difficult to maneuver. Yet, with a burst of shear spirit [Will 9], Simon quickly lifted the blade, and brought it plummeting down upon the Madderpiller.

OOC:

Stats (as boosted)
STR: 3
DEF (rating): 17
AGI: 2
INT: 5
SPI: 3
SPL: 42
HP: 33

Talents (Most recent update)
Goron Strength L2 (included in stats)
Deku Agility L1 (included in stats)
Hylian Intelligence L2 (included in stats)
Exceptional Health L1 (included in stats)
Train: 2H Sword L1
Train: Boomerang L2
Elemental Burst L2
Life L1
*Epic Poem L2
Shield L1
The Quill is Mightier than the Sword L1
*Speak: Gerudic L1
*Master of Linguistics L1

DMG (modified to fit stat boosters)
Deku Staff:12
Deku 2H Sword: 17
Deku Boomerang: 8 (+1chance to hit)
Bombs: 9
Magic: 21

CURRENT
HP: 33/33 (stat boosted max)
SPL: 21/42 (stat boosted max)
Will: 0/9
Bottle: Broth/Stew as added to by Saber

Saber is unfortunately unable to his precision sword technique, for just as his blade tip nears its target the Madderpiller is shooting off in some other direction, entirely too fast for the Hylian.

Leaving the Madderpiller still alive, Taint’s blade descends on the second. It is by some strange stroke of luck that the group isn’t up against two angry Madderpillers instead of just one.

Or so would be the case, but Simon’s wicked two-handed sword strikes the Madderpiller right across its back! It stops suddenly, and turns to look at its assailant. It fixes Simon with a murderous stare and suddenly jerks in a random direction, crashing with its brother as it flails around the room in a fit. Still, Simon’s sword did the trick [Madderpiller 2 -17 HP]

Unfortunately, the first Madderpiller, still in a blind rage, comes hurtling into Simon’s unprotected side, laying him flat and dealing some heavy, anger-amplified damage [Simon -12 HP]. The insect that has taken the brunt of Simon’s sword attempts to knock Saber around, but the nomad is able to leap out of the line of danger again.

General Valens is deeply worried by the presence of two boosted creatures as opposed to just one, so he thrusts his sword at the closest one – Madderpiller two. In the confusion that followed Simon’s devastating attack, he has lost track of what one was which. His blade impacts, and the agonized monster darts for safety [Madderpiller 2 -14 HP].

Madderpiller 1: 9/40 HP
Madderpiller 2: 9/40 HP
Keese 1: Defeated
Keese 2: Defeated
Keese 3: Defeated
Keese 4: Defeated

Richard Valens: 41/41 HP

Dammit, this is bad...

Taint dodged out of the way of the angry Madderpillar after his failed attack, and checked to see if the other guy had hit his mark.

Dammit, this is really bad...

He tucked and rolled out of the way, and watched as they circled the room in their furious frenzy. Both were gravely wounded, however, and this was good. The Zora decided that it would be best if he could take out two birds with one stone. Taint pulled a bomb out of hammer space and lit the fuse. It'd be easy to hit the both of them with the way they kept colliding with each other. "Bombs away!" He called out as he lofted the bomb towards the creatures.
"Lilly!"

She understood instantly, and flew down into his pocket. Shrapnel is a nasty thing, and if any of it were to catch her, it'd damn near kill her.

"Taaake COVER!!"

The Zora got down on his hands and knees, and covered his head.

Well that sure was a strange turn of events. They would have to adapt their strategy and try to take out the Madderpillers at the same time. The Zora hand the right thing in mind. Darilan prepared to jump in and strike at one of the Madderpillers, carefully timing it so he wouldn't be harmed by the bomb blast [Staff on Madderpiller 2].

Taint's bomb hits the ground between the two Madderpillers and explodes, ringing in the ears of the adventurers and blinding the creatures it was aimed at. The blast is sufficiently powerful enough to send the Madderpillers to their eternal rest, and if it hadn't been, what happens next would have done the trick. No, not Darilan's staff - the Madderpillers are already dead [Madderpillers 1 & 2 Defeated].

As the bomb goes off, even the smallest spark caused by the explosive catches the unidentified but noticeable liquid that dampened the floor. Perhaps flooded is a better word, as the stuff is definitely ankle-high. The entire square room is suddenly bright with fire as the initial spark spreads, catalyzed by the surplus of what is now confirmed to be lantern oil. Not a single adventurer is able to escape this - the massive flame surges high for a few moments and disperses as its fuel runs out, but not before scorching the group as was likely intended by whomever had designed this mess of a room [All -15 HP].

The remains of the Madderpillers and Keese are charred to a crisp. The door at the south end of the room slides open.

Saber was not proving to be the best ally in these tunnels. Every time he tried to call the shots, it didn't end up paying off too well. Here, again, his planned out strategy which was not even slightly complex or difficult had failed. All he had to do was kill a beast barely clinging to life. Surely, he would be voted out of the party for being the stupidest member there.

Then, hell.

The nomad had no idea where the fire came from or what started it. The only thing he could think was that there were many places he would rather be than this room at the moment, and several of them ended in 'torture chamber'. He flattened himself against a wall, but that didn't help; he dropped to the ground and rolled, but now there was fire inside his nostrils. All he could do was cry in shock until the flames subsided. By some miracle of the Goddesses, he survived. By some miracle of plot manipulation, his hair was also unscathed.

Standing there amongst his singed comrades, covered in burns and open wounds, all he could do was beg the Goddesses to stop the pain. [Favor of the Goddesses]

HP: 18/44
SPL: 14/14
Will: 9/9

OOC:
At first I was like
Then, I was like D8

Sorry guys

IC:

Taint leaped for joy when the creatures died; an epic win on his part. That is, until hell decided to kick him in the teeth, and knock him down a peg. Flames rose up from the ground to consume the group and he was no exception. Tain reached into his pocket, and tossed Lilly into the air, where she hovered watching the devastation. "TAINT!!" She cried out as she buzzed around. The flames eventually died down leaving a certain Zora was welded to the floor in immense never-ending pain. She gasped, and held back the tears as she slowly descended to her friend. She had never seen anything like this in her little fairy life. She coughed out some tears as she looked around. They all seemed to be okay, but badly beaten. Taint in particular was in pretty bad condition. He had a few open wounds, he was scorched here and there, and his breathing was irregular.

"Taint?" She asked as she landed by his head. "Can you hear me?" She asked again. Still no answer. She teared up fearing the worst. "TAINT!!" She screamed burying her face against his temple. "Stop screaming, okay?" He wheezed as he opened his eyes. Her overwhelming joy caused her to fly into the air with a wide open smile. "He's okay!!" She cried as she flew back down to him. He turned his head to her and smiled. "If any of them saw me throw that bomb, then I'm probably the least of their worries right now." She put her hands over her mouth, and nodded. She wiped her tears away, and hugged him again. "Thanks for saving me..." She whispered. He sat up, his aching back getting the better of him. "Dammit... I can't keep going like this..." He reached around in hammer space hoping that he still had a potion left over. He couldn't remember the last time he'd bought one, but he could only hope.

[Find Sustenance L2]

IC: When the Madderpiller hit him earlier, there was no doubting it caused pain. Yet, Simon's tolerance for pain was much, much higher. It wasn't until after the bomb was thrown that Simon realized they were still standing in a mysterious liquid. He wanted to call out that what they were standing in might be oil, but the words would not come to him fast enough. Taint's bomb killed the Madderpillers, but it also did something else entirely.

The entire floor had been covered with some kind of explosive fluid, lantern oil to be precise. Simon watched as the room around him erupted, though quickly shutting his eyes, hoping not to become blinded permanently. The explosion knocked him off of his feet, and, at first, it would appear as though he was unconscious, but he was not. He soon got up, gazing over at all the others who managed to scrap through the blast. Every bone in his body seemed to ache. Realizing he might need to converse magic, he pulled out his bottle full of broth, and took a swig. After all, Saber had bottled some, and he was a nomad, so he probably checked its worth [Bottle].

OOC:

Stats (as boosted)
STR: 3
DEF (rating): 17
AGI: 2
INT: 5
SPI: 3
SPL: 42
HP: 33

Talents (Most recent update)
Goron Strength L2 (included in stats)
Deku Agility L1 (included in stats)
Hylian Intelligence L2 (included in stats)
Exceptional Health L1 (included in stats)
Train: 2H Sword L1
Train: Boomerang L2
Elemental Burst L2
Life L1
*Epic Poem L2
Shield L1
The Quill is Mightier than the Sword L1
*Speak: Gerudic L1
*Master of Linguistics L1

DMG (modified to fit stat boosters)
Deku Staff:12
Deku 2H Sword: 17
Deku Boomerang: 8 (+1chance to hit)
Bombs: 9
Magic: 21

CURRENT
HP: 6/33 (stat boosted max)
SPL: 21/42 (stat boosted max)
Will: 0/9
Bottle: Empty?

Darilan lay on the ground, writhing in pain. After he used a healing spell to heal his burns, he thought about how much better everything could have went. He was disappointed in himself for not realizing the liquid on the floor was lantern oil. Before the adventurers lit the torches, he had looked around for burning material, and didn't realize they were standing on top of it. His idea of asphyxiating the Madderpillers by passing smoke through the holes in the cage was a good one, he thought, but so was lighting the oil on the floor and letting the beasts fall into the flames. He wanted to express his dissatisfaction with some of the others for not taking longer to assess the situation but thought better of it. He could disagree with their methods as much as he wanted, but adventurers fighting amongst themselves would not be good. It would weaken them and leave them open for attack. They would be just like the Bulblin and the Bokoblin a few rooms back, bickering and distracted from their goal, and that hadn't ended well, to his great amusement.

HP 20/23
SPL 8/27

The Goddesses smiled on Saber from the heavens, lending their warm light to the Hylian’s plight. The aura surrounded him and healed his painful wounds, but the memory of his agony would likely haunt him [Sabertache +22 HP].

Taint is equally lucky as his scaled fingers wrap around one final potion, and the exhausted nomad is soon feeling much more able to press on and leave the scene of the bomb catastrophe behind [Taint +10 HP].

Simon’s potion proves to be much less effective, and mostly gives him a nasty stomach ache. The rotten broth smells most foul, but it is at least non-life threatening despite its bitter and unsavoury taste. It becomes quite clear that Ganon’s horde is not well fed [Simon +2 HP].

General Valens sways unsteadily in a sort of shock before shaking himself into alertness. As official leader of the expedition, he lightly chastises Taint for the boy’s lack of foresight, visibly shaken by the sweep of flames. As had Darilan reconciled, Valens knows that fighting amongst themselves will only spell out trouble for the adventurers. He forgives the Zora’s mistake almost instantly and prepares to leave the room via the south door.

Only a moment afterward, he comes dashing back through the door with an arrow protruding from his shoulder. The General appears to be quite fed up with this labyrinth, and he voices this as he tears the shaft from his wound.

“Four Bulblin archers in that room, by the Goddesses this never ends!” he yells as he removes the arrowhead, wincing. “There is a great abyss separating them from us, with a narrow bridge running down the middle. And when I say narrow, I do not say it lightly. They could peg us off one by one if we tried to cross, but I’m more worried about the fall...”

Ah, relief. The Goddesses sure knew how to make a man feel as though his body had never been touched. Their healing was like a sauna full of nice.

Now, if only they knew how to wipe memories. There were quite a few that the Nomad would love to forget, and this one actually wasn't very high up on the list. It wasn't that he shrugged off being burned alive, it was just that he tended to have all sorts of unbelievably cruel things happen to him, as though there were always some sort of omniscient force who had nothing better to do than to sit in the room with a blank expression on his face and submit Sabertache to countless tortures for his amusement. But what were the chances of that...eh?

Well, the party seemed to have all healed up to varying degrees. Saber was by far the best off when it came to recovering from the wounds, however. Perhaps he should lend his hand in assisting their recovery--but who first? They never knew who they would be fighting next--

“Four Bulblin archers in that room, by the Goddesses this never ends!”

They knew they would be fighting archers next, and the mercenary had become useless. Only long-ranged weaponry...Valens was an archer. It simply wouldn't do for him to be hurting. Moving closer to the General, Saber began to pray for his recovery. Losing him could be a crushing loss, especially considering the size of the group. [Favor of the Goddesses on Valens]

"Is there anyone else without long-ranged weaponry? Unless I'm able to throw a bomb that far...perhaps we should think of ways the close-ranged fighters could cross the bridge without being noticed or hit. Any Sheikah could Shadowmeld while they cross...If I'm able to keep my footing, I may be able to sprint across it without being hit."

HP: 40/44
SPL: 14/14
Will: 9/9

His fingers wrapped around the cold glass bottle, and a look of relief fell over his face. He removed the potion from his secret compartment and popped the cork off before promptly gulping the liquid down. A foul tasting concoction, but it closed some of his wounds and did wonders for his fatigue. He stood up slowly, and took a few harsh words from the commander before sheathing his weapon and putting his shield back on the hook provided on the sheath. It was getting too dangerous for Lilly, and the Zora himself felt as if he couldn't take much more abuse. It had been a long road, and he didn't want to turn back- the end was probably right around corner.

That's when Valens returned with an arrow in his shoulder. Taint sighed, realizing that he was half right. With the information Valens had provided, there wasn't much that the young Zora could do in this situation. His magic pool was small at maximum strength, and he'd fired an elemental burst earlier before to take care of one of the Keese. All he had in his possession was a lousy old slingshot, and he didn't even know how to use it. He cursed his lack of ability before putting mind to work on how to deal with the archers. Surely the'd all take aim at the whomever could attack from a distance first. All he could think to do was dodge the arrows until they ran out of them. Not a very good strategy. He thought and thought before he came to terms with the only plan he had.

"If everyone would care to listen- I have a plan." He stopped for a moment before continuing. "It's a long shot, but it might work..." He paused again. "I'm going to walk out into that clearing with my hands in the air. I'll lay down my weapon, and get down on my hands and knees with my hands behind my head as if to surrender." Taint knew full well what it was like to be a grunt in a gang. Any chance you got to have fun with a POW, you would. It was the only control that you felt like you had. He fell back on memories of the gang before continuing. "Chances are, they'll want to kick me around some before detaining me. If they cross that bridge, I'll call out to you all. We'll have a chance. It's my fault you're all burned- and I'll risk my life for the continuation of this mission." Lilly chattered about in his ear, clearly not thrilled with his request. He nodded to the group, and folded his arms. "It's worked before... Trust me." He smiled.

---

HP: 36/74 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
SPL:9/15 IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
WILL: 4/9 IIIIIIIII