Denkou felt the world spin around; his injuries just seemed to keep piling up. The thief wasn't used to large-scale fights like this: almost all of his previous battles were one-on-one, small scuffles that he could easily escape from. Battles like this had too many variables. He was good at improvised combat, he had to be, but Denkou was starting to realize that those skills worked much better on the city guard than random, undead monsters. "Nuts to this..."

Kasei gave what was most likely a satisfied grin as his weapon pierced the Redead Knight, but it quickly turned to a scowl as the monster unleashed its' [Screech of Terror]. The Rebel Flame was frozen in place, helpless, but not for long - the crushing blow of the Redead sent him flying, and it took the man some great effort to clumsily land on his own two feet. If looks could kill, the dagger that Kasei glared at his foe would lacerate any man.

For a moment, Kasei thought of regrouping; the rest of the group wasn't doing so well - especially Denkou, now that Kasei was getting a good look at him - and there were many other strategic options to take rather than fighting out here. We could corral this goon and his summons in one of the streets....no, the loss of life... Many plans went through his head. The rest of his comrades-in-arms, the Seven Stars, have almost certainly mobilized by now; they're likely just beyond this fight, helping Drommlin and the others against the hoard. They would be more than valuable in this fight. Drommlin knew where Shar Guthal was. If by some mad chance, he was able to tell even Silva about their plight, the difficulty of this battle would drop immensely.

A faint glow caught his eye, and Kasei turned his attention to Shem, holding aloft the Crest of Hyrule. Kasei could almost feel the rallying cry it gave off. "Right, we can do this on our own." The others were likely preoccupied with their own battles; Kasei and the others need not retreat, they simply had to work with what they had.

"Denkou!" He called out. "You'll be playing support now, got it? Get moving!" Without waiting for a response, Kasei turned back to face the Redead Knight he was engaged with. "You, my friend, need to go down, hard."

The Rebel Flame lunged forward, blade poised to impale his enemies' throat. As he neared his target, Kasei mustered up magical energy from within himself, and channeled it through his blade, using its' tip as the casting point. He thrust forward, and cast his [Fire L2] spell all as one swift, violent motion, intending to impale and then spit-roast his foe.

Denkou watched his ally begin his assault, ideas forming in his mind. "Okay, I guess that Shem guy is gonna want some help..." he began, before finding himself slammed against the ground; the lone Gibdo took advantage of his wayward carelessness and slapped him around for his trouble. "Son of a..." he trailed off, getting to his feet, dagger at the ready. The thief weighed his options, before deciding that teamwork was now more important than simply surviving. "One battle at a time...yeah, I can do this." He threw his dagger at the Gibdo, before using some of what little magic he had left to [Jump] towards Shem, ready to provide support to the captain.

OOC: Let's get Tingle with it.

Simon Grendel
STR-3; DEF-5; AGI-2; INT-5; SPI-6; HP-24/36; SPL-32/48; 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 (3) = 8
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 = 17

Simon Grendel stared in awe at the scene before him. So many of his friends had been hit by the latest wave of attacks. At least his allies had managed to wound their respective foes in turn, for the most part. He gave a smirk as the extremely wounded Denkou stabbed into the Stalhound’s skeletal frame, although he winced as the rotted canine struck back in turn. Simon already made up his mind who needed his healing expertise first. He made his way cautiously across the field, but flinched again when he heard the scream of the heavily armed Redead. It had apparently managed to cause Kasei to freeze up long enough to get under the Rebel Flame’s defenses.

Then, Shem unfurled the flag. Watching it blowing in the night air, Simon was barely able to concentrate his eyes to make out the details of it. After all, a battle loomed around him and the knights fighting in the area they had rode through on horseback were making enough clatter to sound like an active warzone. Of course, the distant moans and screeches of the undead didn’t accompany your typical military cacophony; additionally, those sounds would haunt his ears from years to come. But that flag, the flag of the King and of Hyrule, kept him focused and sane. You didn’t have to be a patriot to feel inspired in that moment. Just watching the determined captain make a makeshift flagpole out of his spear, defiant to an enemy that seemed like an unstoppable force, was enough to remind Simon why they were all here. It wasn’t just about saving Hyrule or North Castle, it was also about fighting alongside the courageous and the determined. It was about seeing them being willing to risk their life and you risking your life for them in turn. Simon wasn’t going to let Shem or the others down. And he surely wasn’t going to let Hyrule fall to the ranks of the undead.

As he felt a second wind inspiring him, he looked over to see that he had caught the attention of a Redead. However, it seemed the walking corpse was put off by the healing magic that was still working its way through his body. How fortunate, Simon thought, believing the Redead would just move on and perform a slow ineffective attack. But, as he saw the Redead’s maw open wide, he already knew he had counted his chickens before they hatched. The creature screeched right next to his face, but it seemed Simon wasn’t going to be deterred. Realizing he still had movement, he looked over to see that Shem and Katsuro were paralyzed by the latest attack. But, they weren’t the ones who needed help now. Still, the Sheikahn spear-wielder was close enough to the path he was planning on taking to get to Denkou.

Simon bolted to assist the thief, but stopped shy as he got to Katsuro. It was helpful he had already reached Katsuro before he heard the Goron’s booming voice call out to Shem, because that voice would have made him stop dead in his tracks mid-run. No doubt he would have fallen over and what more to do once you’re on the ground than curl up into the fetal position and pray that the necromancing Goron doesn’t murder you. Still, Simon stayed on his feet, but was relatively frozen with fear. He almost forgot what he wanted to say to Katsuro – almost, but not quite. Seeing the Goron barreling at them at full speed was even more terrifying. As the Goron landed a hit on Shem, pushing him back, Simon felt bad for the Captain but was also glad he wasn’t exposed to that attack at the moment; it would have annihilated the scholar’s wiry frame. Daring to glance at Shem, and praying the man hadn’t had his body pulverized by the attack, he sighed a sigh of relief to see that the armor seemed to have taken most – if not all – of the attack. Shem would probably have some body soreness and some gnarly bruises for a while, but probably nothing he would notice right now in the heat of the battle.

Simon turned his head back to Katsuro, talking low into the ear of the other fighter. “Don’t worry about Shem, I’d wager that his armor soaked up most of the force behind that attack. But, I don’t think we’ll be too safe from another one of his magical attacks. Let’s just say to save any of your best motivational speeches until the time is absolutely right. Now, I better go save Denkou so you don’t have to use a potion on him.�

Simon stepped away, not even seeing any of Denkou’s interact with the Gibdo. When he looked towards his target though, he did realize that he seemed just a little worse for wear, and that he was readying to attack the odd mummy. Then, he watched as the clever thief just threw one of his daggers at the Gibdo before jumping towards Simon himself, although more likely to the courageous captain – which was relatively near where Simon was. Realizing Denkou’s maneuver, Simon followed the arc of the thief’s jump and then pumped his healing magic out towards Denkou once he was close enough. “I pray this magic eases your anguish and banishes weariness,� he muttered – more to himself than Denkou [Use Life L1 on Denkou].

[Music]

A plume of fire burst forth from Kasei's rapier, engulfing the opposing Redead Knight in it's raging flame. It took 26 damage - just enough to return the creature back to it's grave, killing it for good.

Denkou, by now greivously wounded and making a frantic escape back towards the captain, was perhaps not able to put all his focus into the throw of his dagger, for it went wide, going past it's inteded target - the Gibdo - by several feet.

As the thief landed, however, he was not long left in such a state, for Simon was there to see to his wounds. As the scribe's spell seeped into Denkou's bones and bloodstream, a warm feeling took over his body, healing up his wounds and restoring to him 21 points of health.

Shem and Katsuro, still in the lingering effects of the ghastly screech, were unable to do much of anything for a few moments, taking all of their effort to even move their limbs at all.

The first Redead, who had stunned them in the first place, took advantage of this and rushed towards it's closest stunned opponent - Katsuro - for Shem had been knocked back a ways. It's claws were a bit more lucky than it's undead companion's was, however, for they found their mark, dragging along the Sheikah's flesh in one of the small areas uncovered by his armor, dealing 4 damage.

At that point, the final effects of the screech wore off, and Katsuro finally regained full use of his extremeties. Just in time, too, for the second Redead was closing in fast. With his regained dexterity, however, the young shadowclaw easily moved out of the way.

The last Redead, perhaps infuriated at witnessing the demise of the Redead Knight, moved towards Kasei with an angry howl. It's shambling movement was too erratic to swing accurately, though, and it's attacked missed altogether. (((OoC: I really want that Parry to come in to play - but the dice just aren't allowing it! D: )))

The Gibdo wasn't about to let Denkou get away so easily, and it pursued him across the battlefield, moaning eerily the whole while. As soon as it got close enough, it moved in for another tackle, catching Denkou's legs as it went down for 6 damage.

The Stalhound followed close behind, snarling as it pounced at the nearby Simon, but the scribe was quick with his staff, deflecting the incoming jaws of the skeletal beast and avoiding harm.

Shar-Guthal didn't bother moving. He glanced down to see Katsuro still standing nearby, having just recovered, and raised his fist high in the air, ready to descend with unprejudiced judgement. With a loud grunt, the massive goron brought his fist down hard against the ground - for Katsuro had just managed to jump out of the way. The Necromaster's fist had punched a hole in the ground several feet deep, and the earth trembled beneath the crushing blow.

"SIT STILL SO I CAN KILL YOU."
Shar-Guthal boasted with a smirk, yanking his hand up out of the ground, spraying chunks of earth everywhere.


<center>~Round Results~</center>
King's Banner: +1 DEF
Simon: 24/36 HP, 32/48 SPL, 9 Will
Denkou: 25/41 HP, 3/37 SPL, 9 Will
Katsuro: 49/64 HP, 16/40 SPL, 5 Will Leadership Cooldown: 0 turns
Shem: 37/71 HP, 8/11 SPL, 9 Will
Kasei: 37/61 HP, 41/56 SPL, 9 WILL, flaming rapier 1 turn

Shar-Guthal: 169/253 HP, 60/70 SPL, Dragonbane Cooldown: 1 turn
Redead Knight: DEAD
Redead 1: 20/20 HP
Redead 2: 20/20 HP
Redead 3: 20/20 HP
Gibdo: 30/30 HP
Stalhound: 11/20 HP


OoC: This low-quality post is sponsored by 2:30 AM, provider of sleep-deprived and half-functioning brains everywhere. Get yours today at a special discount with offer code whyme at checkout!

Simon Grendel
STR-3; DEF-5; AGI-2; INT-5; SPI-6; HP-24/36; SPL-32/48; 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 (3) = 8
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 = 17

Simon glanced back over his shoulder to see that Kasei had incinerated the Redead Knight. At least that was one less foe, especially the one Simon believed had to be dealt with next. He turned back just in time to see Denkou finish healing. “There you are! I know you took a risk helping us; if I can help it, you won’t fall here.� The scribe glanced over the battlefield a bit and caught the last of the enemy’s actions. He watched as Katsuro and Denkou were struck. Watching the thief getting attacked again made him a little frustrated – as he had just healed him. But, everybody still seemed in good health, and that was uplifting. He took a sigh of relief and noticed the incoming Stalhound just in time. He brought his staff to meet where the creature’s jaw was opening. Once the stick had made its way into the hound’s mouth, he shoved the undead beast aside.

He only remembered to check on Shar-Guthal after it was too late. His fist was coming down. Luckily, Katsuro had managed to dodge the attack. As Shar-Guthal let out a shout of anger, Simon felt a slight chill, and backed up accordingly. Still, part of him wanted to chuckle at seeing the Goron’s frustrations. Looking around, he tried to get an idea of who posed the biggest threat next. Deciding that the Redeads were overly powerful with their ability to paralyze, Simon gathered up his staff and made his way towards the closest shambling corpse. Planting his feet firmly on the ground and building his stance, he swung the staff towards the Redead’s center of mass, hoping to perhaps topple it – knowing he couldn’t full well strike it down in one blow. He went with a swinging arc as well because he felt it would serve his purposes better to at least push the Redead off its balance [Attack – Deku Staff at Redead 1].

OOC: Parry is great on paper, terrible in performance xD

IC:

Kasei sidestepped the Redead that lunged forward at him, rapier at the ready to slice down on the undead foe.

"Hey, don't you have some spell that could wipe these guys out?" Denkou yelled over to The Rebel Flame, from his position near Shem. Kasei took a step away from his foe before responding;

"My fire magic has limited range, Denkou, while my most powerful attack is of the Darkness element, it won't be effective on the undead...why don't you use some of your magic? Lightning has quite the range, doesn't it?" He quipped, before returning his attention to the Redead, and lashing out with his sword to impale his enemy.

"Well...yeah, but....I'm runnin' low on gas." The thief mumbled.

“There you are! I know you took a risk helping us; if I can help it, you won’t fall here.�

Denkou flashed a dry smile to Simon. "Oh, don't worry, my services don't come free, I plan of collecting a heroes' reward when this is all done, so I've got no intention of dying out here~" he smiled, revealing another dagger - it seemed as though the thief had them hidden all over his body - before taking careful aim at one of the nearby Redead. His target was the one closest to Shem. Confident in his aim, the thief let his weapon fly.

EDIT: aaaand done, smooth.

Katsuro's eyes moved swiftly along the battlefield, taking in all the information he could. They seemed to have recovered from the blast of magic; they were certainly doing better than five minutes ago. With some of their health restored as well as an enemy slain, things were on the up and up.

As soon as that had crossed his mind however, a risen beast turned its head and locked eyes with him. They stared at one another for a few moments, Katsuro unmoving and hoping that the creature would just go away. No dice. Its jaw hung open as it turned and gunned for him.

"Oh man..." He muttered out loud as he struggled for control of his body.

I still can't move properly.

The creature drew closer and closer, Katsuro's body seizing up more and more.

DammitdammitdammitdammitdammitDAMMIT!!

It lunged forward raking its claws through his side. He winced in pain and immediately snapped out of it. He dropped into a low stance, readying his shield and sword. He swiveled around to see another redead closing in on him, and jumped gracefully out of the way.

He landed a good distance away and held his side for a moment. It looked like it wasn't serious. It was bleeding a little bit, but nothing life-threatening. He turned his eyes up to see Denkou get thrashed by a gibdo. He turned to see a Stalhound being bashed away by Simon. He gritted his teeth.

This... This...

He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up as all of his peripheral senses were firing off at once. He turned quickly around to see Shar-Guthal, fist falling quickly towards him. With no time to jump out of the way, Katsuro let himself fall backwards into the shadows. The beast's fist plummeted deep into the earth, still catching Katsuro and shooting him deep into the darkness. He clutched his stomach, the wind having been knocked out of him.

He regained his composure in the following minute, inspecting himself for lasting damage. After concluding that he'd be fine, he turned himself upright and began concentrating as sounds of battle erupted above him. He put his sword in his sheath and his shield on his back as he watched Shar-Guthal pull his fist out of the ground.

This...

He felt the magic swelling in his chest as he began propelling himself to the surface, a bright electrical trail in his wake as he skimmed through the darkness.

This has gone on for too long...

The storm was rising within him as he moved faster and faster.

This will probably be my last large-scale attack like this...

He shot out of the ground breaching into the air high above the battleground so as to get a clear view of the enemy. The cool night air blasted his face as he felt the energies surging out of every pore.

"THIS IS OVER!"

He screamed as he flung his arms out, thunder falling from the sky towards his enemies. He felt something in his body tearing as he unleashed all of the magical energy. This wouldn't just be his last attack on a large scale- this would be his last magical act period. With that in mind, he focused harder, making this count for its fullest.

[Thunder]

As the party moved forward to attack the undead around them, the air suddenly grew thick with static, and a familiar magical electric hum filled the air.

"Hold!" Cried Shem before they could get any closer to the redeads that had been mercilessly assaulting them. Good thing, too, for at that moment Katsuro's thunder spell manifested itself as five large bolts of lightning dropped like heavenly arrows from the sky, each seeking out their targets with uncanny accuracy. The three Redeads were instantly consumed in a burst of flame and sparks as their desiccated flesh caught fire in the intense and sudden heat of the lightning. They dissolved into a ash on the wind. The Stalhound simply fell apart, the bones scattering all over the ground. The wrappings on the Gibdo were all disintegrated, but somehow the creature managed to hold on to it's last bit of necrotic "life". As the static in the air subsided, and the thunder faded away to a low rumble, it and and Shar-Guthal were the only antagonists left on the field. The glow in Shar-Guthal's chest piece faded dramatically, and he staggered momentarily at the sudden drain on his power.

"Good job, Shadowclaw!" Barked Shem as he assessed the situation. "Only one left, let's take it down!" He shouted, and he, Kasei, denkou, and simon all converged on the one creature, the last remains of it's mummy-wrappings still smoldering. Between the four of them, it had no chance of dodging or surviving the onslaught. Within moments, it too joined the redeads and the stalhound in death.

Shar-Guthal had anticipated this, and tried to run at them before they could strike down the Gibdo, but he couldn't arrive in time. The Gibdo fell to the ground just as the massive Goron was running towards them at full speed.

[Music: Strike Now!] Suddenly, the Necromaster's lost all control of his limbs and was sent into a tumble, rolling straight at the four heroes gathered around the gibdo's corpse like an enormous crushing boulder. The adventurers saw it coming, though, and all were able to get to safety before being crushed beneath the massive form of Shar-Guthal. When his momentum had run it's course, the Necromaster ended up sprawled on the ground, the gem once again in a perfect position to be struck.

"Hit it with everything you've got!" Shouted Shem as he rushed towards the prone Goron. "Whatever you can do to hit it as hard as you can, do it!" He finished, spear raised in the air as he ran.

<center>~Round Results~</center>
King's Banner: +1 DEF
Simon: 24/36 HP, 32/48 SPL, 9 Will
Denkou: 25/41 HP, 3/37 SPL, 9 Will
Katsuro: 49/64 HP, 4/40 SPL, 5 Will
Shem: 37/71 HP, 8/11 SPL, 9 Will
Kasei: 37/61 HP, 41/56 SPL, 9 WILL, flaming rapier extinguished

Shar-Guthal: 169/253 HP, 60/70 SPL, STUNNED THIS TURN, Dragonbane Cooldown: 0 turns
Redead Knight: DEAD
Redead 1: DEAD
Redead 2: DEAD
Redead 3: DEAD
Gibdo: DEAD
Stalhound: DEAD

Simon Grendel
STR-3; DEF-5; AGI-2; INT-5; SPI-6; HP-24/36; SPL-32/48; 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 (3) = 8
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 = 17

Still smiling at Denkou’s remark, Simon glanced over to see Katsuro forming an attack pattern with some weird trail of electrical energy forming behind him. He cursed under his breath as he felt the static growing in the air before Katsuro’s attack. He wasn’t quick enough. As Katsuro released his magical multi-strike, the scribe realized that the Redead he was directing his attack at might had blown away in the wind – having first been converted into ash. Of course, Simon made note to remember that Katsuro was probably very magically drained after that attack. Of all the fighters that still seemed to have magical presence left, there was only Kasei and himself, and he was fairly certain he’d never seen Kasei use a light based elemental burst or explosion before. Kasei was magically potent – the question would be would the powers that made him truly extraordinary been accessible during this fight. Well, Simon recalculated his plan to incorporate the fact that until somebody got their magical abilities restored via potion, he would be the only one who could reliably cast light magic.

Of course, Simon focused on the only remaining target left after Katsuro’s attack – that pesky Gibdo. As he rushed the Gibdo, he realized his comrades had the same plan. Maneuvering to slide and strike at the creature’s legs, he remained far from where the other fighters were planning on striking. As the Gibdo fell and Shar-Guthal rushed them, Simon was still on the ground, so he immediately started to crawl backwards, naturally fearing for his life. But once it was evident that Shar-Guthal had been stunned, he sprung himself up and developed a quick plan. An epic, inspiring poem imbued with arcane energy might help his allies defend themselves from Shar-Guthal’s possible magical retaliation, which is what Simon suspected he would do. Still, it wouldn’t be as effective without getting help with a rousing speech from Katsuro. Simon felt it was better to conserve his magical prowess until he could work in conjuncture with Katsuro. Additionally, this way he’d have more magical to heal with should Shar-Guthal use the attack before they were prepared for it. Drawing his two-handed sword from the sheath on his back again, he sprinted to Shar-Guthal and brought his massive and unwieldly weapon down against the Goron’s primary crystal [Attack – Deku 2H Sword at Shar-Guthal].

"He's down!" Kasei barked, as Shar-Guthal was once again rendered open to assault. "Hit him hard!"

As the Shiekah began summoning forth his magical energy into an attack, Denkou was already on the warpath, sprinting forward and stabbing down at Shar-Guthal with a dagger. "Gonna pop you like a balloon, ugly!"

With the thief already making his attack, Kasei's own magic was ready, and he descended upon the Goron-monster, swinging his blade in a wide arc, unleashing his prepared [Fire] spell as he did so, causing a plume of flames to erupt from the tip of his sword as he struck at his enemy.

As the thunder faded away into the night, nothing but faint echoes of death hanging in the still night air, Katsuro fell to the ground. He landed less than gracefully, and dropped to a knee and two hands, his chest expanding and contracting as he gasped for breath.

Surely... That was the last of my magic.

He propped himself up with an elbow on his knee as he tried to regulate his breathing. He felt the essence inside of his chest faintly- his next magical attack would be but a trickle of what it should be. He always hated the feeling of being out of magic. Perhaps it was because the feeling carried with it a feeling of helplessness. He'd only ever run out of magic in the most dire of situations. It was the feeling of a close fight- the kind of fight he wasn't particularly used to or fond of.

"Good job, Shadowclaw!"

He heard Shem cry out as he lifted his eyes to see that his spell had caused complete and utter destruction. A smile forced itself upon him as gave the captain a weak thumbs up. As the rest of them ganged up on the final remaining enemy, his breath came back to him. He stood up and sighed, dusting himself off. Getting his sword and shield back in hand, he hopped in place a couple of times, shaking the static off. It was then that he noticed Shar Guthal sprinting towards them.

Joy.

Katsuro prepared for evasive maneuvers but ultimately wouldn't need them. Shem and the others had finished off the remaining enemy, sending the monstrous Goron into a free-fall tumble. Comical as he found it, Katsuro remained serious as the creature landed belly-up with his gem completely exposed. Katsuro broke into a sprint, and following everyone else's lead, came crashing down onto the gem, burying his sword deep into the largest crack he could find, twisting his sword after the penetration so as to widen the crack, and hopefully shatter the gem.

When he was certain he'd done all the damage he could, he back-flipped off the monster and landed next to the beast, hopping backwards in preparation of Shar's retaliation. He skidded to a stop nearby the rest of them, regrouping for safety. He knelt down and examined the vials of medicine- he still hadn't used any, and the group would certainly be needing them soon. He glanced around at his allies before turning his gaze back to Shar-Guthal.

If we see that magical attack of his again, the party will be devastated surely... But everyone should live. These people are made of tougher stuff than Shar-Guthal knows. I guess it all depends on how everyone handles it. If he gets up and doesn't pull that bullshit again, then I might be safe holding onto these a bit longer.

He turned his eyes towards Simon for just a moment before returning his attention to the boss.

Simon demonstrated healing properties a moment ago... Perhaps...

Katsuro dipped into a shadow and moved through the shadows over to Simon's position. He resurfaced next to him, an idea written all over his face.

"Simon, you healed yourself a moment ago... Are you able to heal others?" He didn't wait for a response, "Listen if you can heal us up, you just became an MVP." He smiled, handing Simon the green potion. "If you can manage, heal the others. It's one of the only advantages we have over Shar-Guthal. If I see you're hurt, I'll get this red potion in your system ASAP. Unless you've got other ideas, I think attrition is a good strategy." He held out the green vial waiting for Simon to either take it or decline it.

Working on my reply. There's a creative aspect to my next post that's gonna take some work, so it may be a little bit before I feel like I've got a good final draft. Just a heads up.

quickeveryonepostrepliessolethknowsweareherestill

Postingsolethknowsweareawaitingthestunningconclusionofhisstorywithbatedbreath

OOC: WOWZER, I'M STILL ALIVE AND NOT DEAD!
Sorry; between my writer's block and an internet fiasco at home, I've been away for a little bit... obviously. And while this post still isn't as wonderful as I would like for it to be, it's at least a lot better than the first few drafts I did up. Anyway, here goes:


IC:

Simon's massive sword descended upon Shar-Guthal's gem with judicial might. The resulting clang of metal upon impregnable gemstone was so loud and jarring, it was a wonder that Simon's blade didn't split in half upon impact. But there was a clear result of his attack - deep within the heart of the gemstone, a long crack had manifested as Shar-Guthal took 17 damage.

Next up was Denkou and Kasei. Denkou's dagger was not a particularly threatening weapon, but it played it's part, dealing 9 damage as the sharp edge of the blade struck the surface of the gem. Kasei's arcane flames proved to be much more potent. As the inferno engulfed the gemstone and spread over Shar-Guthal's entire body, the gem lit up brightly and almost seemed to hiss at the sudden heat. Shar-Guthal took 26 damage as the crack expanded, growing wider, but it still didn't quite look like it was close to shattering.

Katsuro's sword wasn't able to catch on the gem - there was a little bit of wear on the surface, but most of the visible damage was deep within the gem itself. The impact of his strike, however, did hurt Shar-Guthal, and left the oversized Goron with 16 points of damage.

Shem was the last one to strike, his spear humming through the air as he spun it over his head. He brought his weapon down, the tip of his spear pointed straight at Shar-Guthal's chest, for 19 damage. This last hit, combined with the damage dealt by the others, was finally enough to make the cracks within the gem splinter into a spider-web of fractures, several of which made their way to the surface. Katsuro would have no trouble catching one next time.

The dark purple aura in the gem flashed back to life, and with it, Shar-Guthal came back to consciousness. For a brief moment, as the gem was resetting itself and the Goron's eyes opened wide, the evil blackish-purple glow they had maintained for the duration of the fight was gone, replaced by the passive deep indigo of a normal Goron.
To anyone looking closely, they would see one emotion in his large eyes - fear. It was all gone quickly though, as a wave of power pulsed from the gem, and the dark glow returned to Shar-Guthal's eyes and the crystals that protected his body, his pupils once again obstructed from view.

"No! Stop! You're waking him up!"
Shar-Guthal bellowed, flailing his arms wildly at anyone too close to him. It was momentary, however, as he suddenly stopped, a grin slowly spreading across his face.
"Actually... that may be to my advantage. All of his abilities, at my disposal..."
He looked back up at the party and laughed, the sound of it echoing across the field like gravel grating against stone.
"Yes... let's see what new tricks I have up my sleeve."
He finished, and flung his hands out, the gem pulsing with dark power. All around him, the ground erupted as six new undead creatures crawled out from the depths of the earth. A slight spherical aura began to form around Shar-Guthal and his six summoned creatures - a Stalfos, two redeads, a gibdo, a stalhound, and a stalchild - as he began to chant:

"The Hero and the Demon King
Trapped within a blazing ring
Had met each other in final clash
That would see the world razed to ash

When arrows of light brought Ganon low
And came the time for final blow
The Hero could not strike him down
For his sword was nowhere to be found

Hylia’s weapon, the Master Sword
Was all that could stop the evil horde
And lacking the Blade of Evil’s Bane
The Beast had won, the Hero slain."

The glow around him was much brighter now, and it had a tangible feel of power to it. Shem looked at the others. "I've heard enough." He grunted, and gripped his spear as he ran headlong towards the monsters. As he got closer, however, a dark tendril whipped out of the swirling energy and knocked him back, sending him rolling across the field, his spear flung away and lodged in the earth. Unperturbed, Shar-Guthal continued:

"The sages sealed the Dark One away
But doing so meant a price to pay
For war soon came back to the land,
Unstable as the shifting sand.

Evil came, lured by the Triforce’s power;
For on that day, in Light’s darkest hour,
The Triforce was sealed with the Demon King
Leaving Light powerless; Ganon’s final sting."

Wind whipped at the party members as the poem neared its end, and Shem pushed himself back up to his feet. He was breathing heavily, but didn't seem to have sustained any lasting damage. He glared up the Necromaster, who was now grinning broadly as he raised his voice:

"The warlords sought it with every breath
But their scramble for power ensured their death
The chaos brought by the Hero’s fall
Harkened the age of Shar-Guthal!"

The Necromaster finished his spiel, and the gem on his chest flashed brilliantly as the swirling mass of magical power burst, knocking all five of the heroes backwards. When they looked up, the energy was gone, but the seven enemies standing before them definitely seemed empowered; perhaps they were even a little bit larger. They were certainly intimidating, more so than the previous creatures they had fought. [Epic Poem Lv. 1] Once again, Shar-Guthal's laughter boomed out, filling the heroes with dread. It seemed as if they were so close to defeating the Necromaster... but he was not going to go down easily.


<center>~Round Results~</center>
King's Banner: +1 DEF to party
Simon: 24/36 HP, 32/48 SPL, 9 Will
Denkou: 25/41 HP, 3/37 SPL, 9 Will
Katsuro: 49/64 HP, 4/40 SPL, 5 Will
Shem: 37/71 HP, 8/11 SPL, 9 Will
Kasei: 37/61 HP, 41/56 SPL, 9 WILL

Epic Poem: +2 to all Stats for the entire enemy party for 2 rounds
Shar-Guthal: 82/253 HP (+2), 55/70 SPL (+2),
Stalfos: 50/50 HP (+2)
Redead 1: 20/20 HP (+2)
Redead 2: 20/20 HP (+2)
Gibdo: 30/30 HP (+2)
Stalhound: 20/20 HP (+2)
Stalchild: 15/15 HP (+2)


And just a reminder of everything's stats (except now add 2 to everything ):

Stalfos: 50 HP, 30 SPL
8 STR, 18 DEF, 5 AGI, 6 INT, 10 SPI
Sword – 7 base dmg

Redead: 20 HP, 1 SPL
4 STR, 8 DEF, 1 AGI, 1 INT, 1 SPI
Screech of fright

Gibdo: 30 HP, 1 SPL
6 STR, 12 DEF, 1 AGI, 1 INT, 5 SPI

Stalhound: 20 HP, 8 SPL
3 STR, 8 DEF, 3 AGI, 2 INT, 6 SPI

Stalchild: 15 HP, 5 SPL
2 STR, 6 DEF, 4 AGI, 1 INT, 6 SPI

quickeveryonepostrepliessolethknowsyouareherestill