OOC: I don't care how you deal the damage. Karuna could make the attack stronger or weaker if he wanted to... whatever. And Karuna launched his attack before he got confused, oh well... it doesn't matter.

IC: Leth walks giddily around, singing. "Now listen to a story 'bout a man named jed..." And then he started ranting and raving. "No, darth. I am YOUR father... mommmmmyyyy! Frodo is hogging the ring all to himself! No, I don't want any moon pies! Awww, but chickens are sooooo good... and tell Davey Jones to call off his weird beastey..."

OOC: And right when all hope seemed to be lost!!!

IC: Nogare jumped forth, after his friends, and made his attack! An unexpected blow to Karsis's face! "For the King!"

OOC: Sorry Leth, but I do these fights in a three turn style (I guess you could call it that . . .) Every three attacks, checks, whatever . . . if an ally does something, it counts as a turn, and every three turns Karsis's turn comes up. If your turn hasn't arrived by the time Karsis' does, then your attack will occur after his, even if you posted before I did.

In short, Nogare could very well become confused along with everybody else by the time his attack comes.

IC:
Rose's confused mind may be leading her around in some dangerous circles, but it is fortunate that these circles keep leading to the same conclusion: attack the enemy. The dragon's claw lashes outward at the being who is closest to her . . . which once again just so happens to be Karsis himself (Confusion Roll: 3 [Attack Normally]). The claw rips through air, wall, and finally flesh as the Suggester finds himself caught completely offguard once more (17+6[Roll+AGI]). Thrown to the ground once more, Karsis rises very slowly, eyeing the dragon carefully as he begins wondering if maybe Rose really is getting a mental boost from being in that form.

With another 15 HP lost by Rose's attack, the Suggester decides it's time to get serious at last. No more fooling around for him, and no more of that laughter that he enjoys so very, very much. As his own turn begins, Karsis turns and looks Nogare straight in the eyes just as his Hallucination Wave pulses outward. The mental disorienter slams into the knight, and unlike before he is unable to resist the effects brought on by the attack.

At last, every member of the party is confused. Maybe not for long, but it will be long enough for him to make very good use of their state of mind.

Karsis' hands rise upward, over his head until he takes on the appearance one would expect from a person who is putting on a puppet show. Not one to disappoint expectant victims, Karsis immediately begins the technique that he actually has come to call the Puppet Show.

Puppet Show - Karsis manipulates a random enemy's mind, 'suggesting' which target they should attack. He then joins his attack with theirs, resulting in a joint effort that cannot be evaded.
Cost: 20 SPL. If the person he is controlling is not confused, also requires a successful Innate Check

Closing his eyes, the Hakiem allows his magic to work on its own, selecting a suggestee on its own. When he feels that the choice has been made, his eyes take a slight peek . . . and despite his earlier decision to not do so, a round of laughter escapes from his lips as he feels himself gaining absolute control over none other than Colonel Veldam (OOC: dang, this dice really loves torturing Horren ). Quieting down after a moment, Karsis' mind pulses out a psychic message to his captive. 'To your left . . . that's the enemy!'

Horren's face jerks around, falling upon a man whom he would normally recognize without trouble. But confused as he is, all he thinks is, 'Wow . . . that hippo has some really shiny sneakers . . . I should try to gargle with them in my bellybutton sometime.' But the message bombards his mind without end, until he finds his sword in hand and his feet darting forward.

Even if Nogare was to spot Horren coming in, he would be unable to dodge, for at the very instant Karsis strikes him from behind, slashing through his back without warning or mercy. As if the 14 DMG from the Hakiem's Gilded Sword wasn't enough, Veldam's blade joins in and catches him full in the chest. "Take that, you flying moo-horned platypus!" he cries as Nogare loses another 12 HP. And Karsis stands back once more, satisfied with his work.

But satisfaction has a price, and Sovelis makes that fact quite clear to the warrior. Staff twirling above his head, the Tempest focuses on one of the blue things in his sight and charges forward, aiming his weapon to strike the Hakiem with his full force (Confusion Roll: 3 [Attack Normally]) But whoever had thought that the price of the lesson would be paid for with pain was quite wrong, for Karsis manages to dodge to the side without too much difficulty (4+1[Roll+AGI]). His own blade, on the other hand, finds its target without any difficulty at all (20+7[Roll+AGI]), and slashes straight through his chest with no sign of hesitation present. Sovelis had best be cautious, because now his health is at a very low 5 HP.

And then suddenly Nogare's cry is heard. The last of the warriors to become confused, the son of Greyblade's blade slices through the air even as the words emerge from his mouth, dedicating his onslaught to His Royal Highness. Karsis turns in shock, this being the last expression that would ever be worn on this evil face as the sword pierces straight through his nose, emerging through the back of his skull and ending the fight immediately!

. . . or it would have, if this entire scene hadn't occurred only in Nogare's mind. In reality, he hasn't moved an inch; all that happened was that he shouted out his words while standing perfectly still (Confusion Roll: 1 [Do Nothing]).

Nogare - 65 HP, 12 SPL Confused (3)
Veldam - 23 HP, 19 SPL Confused (1)
Shada - 41 HP, 25 SPL Confused (2)
Rose - 47 HP, 3 SPL Confused (1)
Fang - 53 HP, 30 SPL Confused (1)
Leth - 31 HP, 11 SPL Confused (1)
Karuna - 41 HP, 6 SPL Confused (2)
Polari - 19 HP, 21 SPL Confused (1)
Sovelis - 5 HP, 40 SPL Confused (1)

Karsis - 50 HP, 55 SPL

OoC: I've waited a few DAYS before posting, so I'll say sorry to anyone who didn't or doesn't get a turn

IC: Sovelis may still have been confused, but he had-for a split second- been totally in control of himself. Now that the confusion was wearing off some, but not completely, he came to the conclusion that he was going to die again very soon. "I'm still alive...but I won't quit until I'm dead..." he gasped as he struggled to his feet. Everyone in his sight still looked like big blue shapes, so he wasn't sure who to hit or who NOT to hit. He felt blood trickle down his chest, and his breathing was growing hagered. "Not...to sure...but I think...these wounds are real...better safe than sorry..." he mumbled as he tried again to gather his magical energies together into a spell, hopefully one that wouldn't backfire or blast someone. "Nayru, guardian of this land, hear my humble prayer, give me the strength to go on, heal me so that I may purge this land of the evil that plagues us and torments our minds!" Sovelis said loudly as he hoped he had cast a Life spell [Life Lvl 1...I hope at least!!!]

OoC: I liked the fact that I blasted the Colonel , Alpha. nice! :

Suddenly, light came to the world of darkness, that Fang had so curiously found himself in. His eyelids shot open, and jolted forward, sitting in an upright position. What hell the me to happened? he thought, glancing around the room. The hell who all these are people and? Suddenly, he jolted to attention. Why think straight can't I? He began to question what had actually taken place around him- that is until Karsis shot past, and cut into one of his allies. "whoa!" he cried out, jumping to his feet.

All at once the memories of the day forced their way back into the mage's mind. A face of rage appeared over his face, and he couldn't remember what had happened. He feared that he had suffered a closed head injury, and was in a bad mental state. He tried to levitate off of the ground, but he instantly came crashing back to the floor. He fell flat on his back, and it knocked the wind out of him. "Ohh my head..."

OOC: I know, isn't it great? This dice really likes to hit Veldam a lot. XD

IC:
Sovelis kneels down, smartly choosing to attempt the casting of a Life spell rather than attack, as doing otherwise would almost certainly result in his defeat, or perhaps even his demise. Unfortunately, fate - or confusion, whichever you prefer - has different plans for the Tempest, and soon resting in his hands is not a healing spell - but rather an attack of great pain, his Fire spell. And though he himself has no idea what's going on, the attack launches itself out towards the first being that happens to cross his blurry line of sight: Polari (Confusion Roll: 4 [Attack Allies]). The Minish, in a similar daze, doesn't even see the attack coming and is completely overwhelmed by the searing flames of the Mage (4+3[Roll+SPI]), taking so much damage that he falls over, unconscious at least . . . possibly even dead.

But even had any of the adventurers retained enough presence of mind to think about checking to see whether or not the little guy had bitten the dust, they'd have not had time as Karsis charges forward once again. His Hallucination Wave is fired outward, but the Hakiem doesn't even bother to wait to see the results - after all, everyone's already confused, so what's the point? Instead his Gilded Sword once again flashes into his hands as he charges for the first adventurer he sees: Leth.

And suddenly, without warning, the majority of the fighters find their minds clear once more. The confusion has worn off for each of the first group, of which Leth was included. With his normal clarity of thought restored, Leth is able to mount a much better defense against the approaching warrior's attack . . . though it still isn't enough, as Karsis slips straight around the shield and armor that the Hylian is sporting and slashes straight into the man's back (15+7[Roll+AGI]), dealing a hefty 14 DMG.

In the corner of the Sheikah's vision, he spots Veldam still stumbling around, and allows himself another quick chuckle as he leaps away from his latest victim. He can't recall who's still confused and who isn't right now, but the way the Hylian Knight is practically falling over himself makes it likely that the man is in the former group. Especially when that nonsensical dribble pours out from his mouth again. "My mommy could make a very delicious pie from starlight, pig fins, and Elemental Burst - Light!"

The flying spell is launched before even Karsis' superior Sheikah abilities can pick up on it, and as such he cannot mount even a semblance of a barrier against the mighty strike. The Elemental Burst, launched by the obviously good actor Horren, nails the Hakiem right in the back, ripping through him and shattering almost a full half of his health, leaving him with 24 HP less than before. Falling to his knees, the Sheikah can only turn and eye the Hylian as the Knight grins superiorly.

Nogare - 65 HP, 12 SPL Confused (2)
Veldam - 23 HP, 13 SPL
Shada - 41 HP, 25 SPL Confused (1)
Rose - 47 HP, 3 SPL
Fang - 53 HP, 30 SPL
Leth - 17 HP, 11 SPL
Karuna - 41 HP, 6 SPL Confused (1)
Polari - defeated
Sovelis - 5 HP, 35 SPL

Karsis - 26 HP, 55 SPL

OOC: Wanted to wait one more turn, rather than be a threat to myself and others

IC: Suddenly, Fang snapped to his senses. Full senses. His depth perception was back to normal, and all of his senses were fully functional. His eyes lit up, and he raised his hands over his head in an angry rage. "You damned scum! You will not take what is rightfully mine!" He shouted, conjuring a wave of magic. Suddenly, he began to wonder if anyone had heard that. He was still a little dazed, and he wasn't thinking straight. The mage dearly hoped nobody had heard him.

(I'll edit later. sorry, but I g2g to san marcos.)

OoC: HURAH!!! I blasted...um...that wasn't good for him...I hope he's okay!
And now that I know that I need to LEARN Life and have the scroll, I kinda can't heal anyways Alpha...

IC: As Sovelis's mind sudenly snaps, the Blue shapes vanish and his allies stand where they did, and he relizes that he just fried one of his own party members. "I-I didn't...Leth...Polari...I WILL AVENGE YOU!" he shouted as he gathered up his strength and faced his sheikan opponent. "I, Sovelis Magalion Le'ano Liadon, High Lord of the Tempest, find you to be of a dark heart, and lacking any morality within yourself, Shall cast you down into the pit of hell myself, even if I must drag you down with me." he said as he held his open palm towards Karsis and colected his powers into the flat of his hand. " FORCES OF NATURE, LEND ME YOUR STRENGTH AND ALLOW ME TO CLEANSE THIS DARKNESS FROM THIS WORLD, ELEMENTAL BURST!!!" he half-yelled due to his wounds as he cast his last spell, and fell to his knees as the spell left his hand. "Thats all I have left...die scum..."

At first, Leth watches in horror as his best friend is roasted by flames, but doesn't have a chance to do anything about it because of Karsis' sudden attack. He arches his back in pain, and almost casts favor of the Goddesses on himself, but instead casts it on Polari, which may be his only chance of survival. Then he turns to the suggestor, blood streaming down the back of his tunic, and snaps his fingers. A ball of green fire ignites itself over his palm, and he throws them at karsis, then brings one up to his mouth and blows, creating a flamethrower effect. Then, without waiting, he pulls out his bow and notches an arrow to the string. It is a light arrow. (Got permission from RG, I can also use fire and Ice arrows. Arcane archery, baby. Oh, yeah.) He lets it go, and it hurtles towards karsis so fast that it is barely a blur of golden light.

OOC: ZV should edit faster. Oh well, Fang's loss.

IC:
Sovelis' chanting is followed swiftly by the glowing sphere of altering colors in his hands. Red, blue, green, black, red again, yellow . . . the randomness that comes from the first level of the Elemental Burst is indeed a wonder to behold - and as many beings in the world well know, very damaging to experience. And experience it Karsis most certainly does. The orb has chosen the element of Water by the time it crashes into the Hakiem (12+3[Roll+SPI]), dealing enough damage to equate it to a monsoon of power.

Karsis falls to his knees, weak but not yet beaten - he's lost 21 of his HP from the Mage's incredible attack, but still holds on to 5 HP. His hand comes up, preparing one of his most devastating attacks, one that will cost him most of his remaining spell power - a full 50 SPL. But once it has taken effect, the almighty Distortion Trick will cause every adventurer present to become confused for 3 full turns - even those already confused - and he will distort their minds so that the only thing they can do is attack each other; those other three pathetic effects - do nothing, attack normally, and attack themselves - will not be allowed.

And it is then that Leth's fireballs surge forward, smashing directly into his head. He cannot dodge out of the way, so weakened is he by the others' attacks (9+3[Roll+SPI]). And to add insult to injury, the Hylian's attacks only keep coming, first in the form of another jet stream of flame, and quickly followed by a Light Arrow. An arrow enchanted with the power of the Light Element: to a Sheikah, being struck by such a thing could mean instant death, especially when the Sheikah in question is as weak as Karsis currently is.

Of course, having it pierce directly through his heart probably doesn't help much either.

Nogare - 65 HP, 12 SPL
Veldam - 23 HP, 13 SPL
Shada - 41 HP, 25 SPL
Rose - 47 HP, 3 SPL
Fang - 53 HP, 30 SPL
Leth - 17 HP, 11 SPL
Karuna - 41 HP, 6 SPL
Polari - defeated
Sovelis - 5 HP, 35 SPL

Karsis - defeated big time

The Hakiem's form crumples to the ground without a shred of the once prideful life remaining within it. Without Karsis' subconscious fueling of the group's confusion it quickly wears off for the remaining crazies, allowing them to recover and rest.

But before anyone can forget about it, from beneath Karsis' robes falls the form of a key on a ring, chattering along as it ricochets off the ground a few times before finally coming to a halt.

Seeing that he and Leth's double-teaming had worked, Sovelis let go of his will and fell to the floor. His wounds had taken a mighty price upon his body as he lay there on the cold stone tiles, freely bleeding and slowly dieing. "So...sorry Leth...I couldn't...stop m-myself..." he mumbled weakly as he passed out on the floor, in a small pool of blood that matched his battered cloak perfectly in its shade of red.

Leth celebrates quietly at being the one to defeat the evil man. Then he turns to Polari, who is sitting up and patting himself, almost as if he is making sure he is still there. Leth smiles. Then he turns to Sovelis. "AH! Sovelis, are you okay? Dumb question. Polari, can you do anything?" He asks his friend. He nods, and casts LIFE upon the dying Tempest. Leth, trusting his friend, turns and picks up the key. "I think we can go back to the door now." He says, holding it triumphantly.

It is a very lucky break for Sovelis that Polari has been able to make such an astounding recovery. Almost as if someone was dictating the Minish's life and actions, and had abruptly forgotten that mere moments ago Polari himself had been near to knocking on death's door himself, the little guy manages to pull himself upwards and utilize a small portion of his energy on the Tempest. Sovelis' wounds magically close, and the blood seems to almost be absorbed back into his body as the worst of his injuries vanish by the spell's powers. His energy is restored to him as he is revitalized, regaining a full half of his original HP.

Of course, just as the weakened Veldam glances over, a question of bewilderment on his lips, something along the lines of, "Wow, Polari! You gotta tell me how you did that - it's simply amazing! I mean, resuscitating oneself back from near death so quickly is something even the highest ranking Hylian Knight Scholars can't seem to do," . . . Polari collapses back to the battle worn floor. His eyes shut and will refuse to open again unless they can get him some help, almost as if another someone dictating the current events had noticed the first guy's mistake, decided to allow the Minish to do his job, and then promptly forced the fatal reality of the situation to take over again.

But really, who among the group actually believes in such a crazy idea?

Polari - still defeated (13 SPL)
Sovelis - 22 HP, 35 SPL

Veldam meanders over to where the others are, wondering why his mind seems cluttered with little tidbits of ideas . . . something about a hippo, clowns, and an upside-down partridge fence . . . weird. Regardless, he looks to Polari, and then to Leth as the Ranger holds up the key triumphantly. "Yeah, we'd better hurry back. General Lion can revive Polari without difficulty, but it'll be easiest if we get to him ASAP with the little guy."

OOC: A few more closing posts here, and we'll be ready to return to the CL thread, where it shall be time to enter into the throne room! Prepare yourselves!

OoC: What does that mean Alpha?

IC: Sovelis stumbled to his feet, soar, but at least the blood wasn't dripping down his legs anymore. "Uhg....I feel like I had a goron sit on me...." the Tempest mumbled as he regarded what Veldam had said. "We should get going then.....I'd rather not fight anyone else for the moment....." he said as he picked up Polari in his real hand and started towards the exit when he relized something. "Um....Where is the Triforce?"

OOC: Just means that we'll be returning to the main thread of Part 8, Castle Liberation, after a few more posts. CG here will have served its purpose well, and the finale of CL can finally occur.

IC:
Veldam suddenly pales as the Tempest brings up the subject of the Triforce. He had pushed the question of its current whereabouts to the very back of his mind when Karsis had confronted the group, and it had been pushed out of his brain completely when the Hallucination Wave had managed to confuse him so thoroughly. Now, though, it returns in full force, and his worried gaze sweeps the entire tower interior, trying to find some trace of the magnificent treasure. He then darts across the chamber in its entirety, looking in every nook and cranny.

But he can search as much as he wants - Nayru's portion of the golden relic is nowhere to be found. At last his shoulders slump in defeat; it's obvious that whatever the Hakiems have done with it, it didn't include being nice enough to just tuck it out of plain sight. "It's . . . it's g-gone . . ." his trembling lips finally speak. 'This is not good . . . if these Sheikah guys have the Triforce on their side, there's no telling what could happen.'

Finally, after several tense seconds, he straightens, looking back at the others with a fire in his eyes. "All the more reason for us to hurry - maybe the guys inside the throne room have it with them." He immediately rushes for the doorway, determination present on his tight glare.