Sorrysorrysorrysorry

I aint got an excuse, a lot's happened with the holidays, so I can only promise to try to post here tomorrow.

*Circle of fire plays in the background* I can at least Promise that what I want to do will be -sexy-

Also: everyone please look forward to a nice announcement soon!

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

Seeing as how his blade was made of wood, Simon Grendel glanced down at it in wonder as it collided with the gem and produced the metallic clang sound he had just head. Indeed, it was a miracle the two-handed sword hadn’t split in two. Thanking the goddesses for the safety of his expensive Deku weapon, he sheathed the massive and unwieldy object. He took over a dozen steps backwards in quick succession, careful not to trip over any debris. Decidingly not wanting to turn around from the enemy he expected to launch a magical attack at them all, he strayed from the traditional approach of turning for a moment to run the same distance in a quicker time. He might have considering flipping away from the colossal Goron, but he was carrying such bulky equipment that he would have no doubt failed such a test of acrobatics. Additionally, he wasn’t confident if he could perform even a single backflip while carrying nothing.

Readying his staff that he had dropped during Katsuro’s prior electrical attack, he was actually surprised to see the spear carrier appear next to him so suddenly. “Shadowmelders,� muttered Simon to himself. Still, I’m more than sure that such skill has the potential to save us all in a time of dire need, he added afterwards in his own head. Listening to Katsuro speak rather than saying anything more himself, the youthful scribe concurred that Katsuro’s plan made sense. Reaching to take the vial out the man’s hands, he made his response.

“I’m alright at healing. It’s not as though I’ve perfected it though. Still, I agree your strategy is good. However, Shar-Guthal seems rather wounded and I think another round of attacks might just be able to finish him, especially if I maybe switch it up and use a magical based attack instead. Of course, I cannot guarantee I won’t need to use some of my reserves to imbue a parchment of poetry with potent magical prowess – especially if the situation seems dire and we need that extra boost to stay safe. Indeed, as it stands now, the enemies are slow enough that only Shar-Guthal and the Redeads seems like valid threats – and the Redeads make that list only because of their paralytic abilities. Still, besides that, I will try to save my more extraordinary powers for the uses of healing any of our critically wounded. Thank you for the vial. If you should think anyone needs it more though, just use that sneaking power of yours to take it off me and give it to somebody who might have a stronger need for it. I know I wouldn’t mind seeing another electrical attack myself, though no doubt their taxing on not just your ability to perform magical tasks but your very physiology as well. That last one took you a while to recover from. So I guess that’s why you’re giving me the vial – Ireallyshouldstopoveranalyzingthisthough.� He took the vial just as Shar-Guthal got back on his feet and started speaking again with this thunderous voice. Indeed it was the Goron’s movement that caused the human to finish his overly verbose response rather speedily. Farore forbid he wasn’t prepared for what came next.

Confused by the first couple lines from Shar-Guthal’s mouth, Simon started to grimace when the Goron began speaking in verse. Indeed, he seemed to have unlocked more abilities somehow, perhaps that was he was so vague about just a moment prior. Hearing the poem spoken but such a terrifying yet skilled orator, Simon felt his confidence deflating even more. The situation already seemed dangerous, but now that they were so close the situation was about to get tougher. Despite still in the middle of his poem, the scribe realized that the outcome would boost the combat abilities of the six new monsters he had summoned. To what extent he could not yet guess and he certainly couldn’t quantify. However, this poem did seem rather inspiring, at least Simon figured it would be to Shar-Guthal’s camp. Nothing pleased and rallied the Dark than hearing about the fall of the Hero who brandished the Ocarina of Time. Seeing Shem thrown back, Simon was also careful to not try to rush the enemy. Instead, he prepared for an opening when he could rush to grab the captain’s spear and hand it to him. However, as Shar-Guthal’s epic came to its chilling end, he found himself and his allies thrown back by a force of energy coming from the Goron’s chest-gem.

“Curses,� muttered Simon, seemingly the first to pick himself back up and dust himself off. The foes before him did seem enhanced by the poem, but not overly so. Indeed, Simon wondered as the foes approached them if any of them still had a strong chance to hitting him. They were moving quicker, but they still seemed so slow. Maybe this won’t be too tricky after all. Rushing to pick up Shem’s spear from where it was lodged, he managed to pry it out of the ground. Passing the weapon off to the leading captain, he prepared his boomerang and threw it at one of the shambling Redeads, eager to see the trusty weapon hit its mark [Attack – Deku Boomerang at Redead 1].

OOC: Sorry about the delay, everybody. Took me a while to find the time to sit down and write this post.

OOC: No apologies, only posts.

IC:

Kasei let out a satisfied smile as his strike found its' mark on Shar-Guthal's exposed weak point, and jumped back along with Denkou in order to give themselves distance from the monster. The Rebel Flame listened to Simon's musings, and turned over. "Any enemy is dangerous if you ignore their threat." He said simply, before he and Denkou were both drawn to the enemy's new actions. The pair both watched as Shar-Guthal rose up and appeared to gain even more power, reciting a poem which seemed to give new power to his undead servants.

"It's never a good sign when the enemy breaks off in verse, is it?" Denkou said half-mockingly, before readying his knife and eyeing up the Stalchild. "You look week, let's dance~" He sang, and lashed forward to strike at his new designated foe.

Sighing softly, Kasei himself decided on a more reserved course of action. Rather safe then...well... The Rebel Flame focused magic into his blade once again, channeling his [Fire L2] spell through his weapon. Rather than attempting to cut down a foe, however, Kasei spun around, swinging the blade as he went, causing a circle of fire to manifest in the air around him as a protective measure.

"Be careful, everyone." He called out, and then pointed his blade out towards the nearest undead foe, ready to strike at whomever manages to make it past his ring of fire.

OOC: BECAUSE I FIGURED THAT COUNTS AS A TURN.

The Sheikah waited for what felt like an eternity while Simon decided whether or not he would take the vial. That's when Shar-Guthal started speaking in some sort of trance.

Great.

He listened as the monster went on and on.

What a talkative battle I've found myself in. Jeez, I sound like Dad right now.

He waited for Shar-Guthal to finish his poem before yawning and looking over the newly created monsters.

"Are you done?" Katsuro called out as he readied his weapons. "Look, we don't have all day for your crap," he continued. "We're going to crush your little army and then we're gonna step on your face- that's what's going to happen next."

The man turned slightly to see if he'd reinvigorated Simon, who had visibly faltered. He turned his full attention back to Shar-Guthal. "How about an intermission next time?" He called out before he lowered himself to the ground.

"Now let's show him what we're made of!" He cried out before turning to smile confidently at Simon. "Can you believe this clown? Let's put him in his place, yeah?"

He'd hoped that his words would calm everyone and remind Shar-Guthal who it is who should be frightened.

[Leadership - Agility]

OoC: You guys are really lucky With one notable exception, the enemies all rolled pretty poorly... once again, the party's efforts all succeed and (almost) all the enemy minion attacks completely miss. The dice, it would seem, are in your favor...

IC:

[Music]

Katsuro's words were bold, but were clearly conjured up only to re-encourage a discouraged party. The speech had it's intended effect, though, as the group appreciated his efforts to keep hope alive, and they seemed to once again rouse themselves into a determined readiness.

Shem took his spear from Simon's outstretched hand with a grim nod. No words were spoken; none were needed. Both men knew that this was now a time of action, not words - and Simon acted accordingly, rearing back and launching his boomerang with deadly accuracy at one of the Redeads. The spinning weapon hits the monster for 8 damage. Unfortunately, it continued to shamble towards the group, unaffected by the discombobulating effect the weapon sometimes has (Stun Fail).

Denkou was not far behind the scribe, his dagger colliding with the Stalchild's skull, cracking it and dealing 9 damage, which sent the small skeletal creature stumbling backwards from the force of the blow. With a clattering of bones and a ghastly chuckle, it righted itself and retaliated at the thief - but even when powered up by magical poems, Stalchildren are no threat. It's tiny arms came comically short of hitting Denkou, who would find it hard to not see the comedic nature of their exchange.

Shem locked eyes with the Stalfos. "You're mine." He snarled, and with a yell, lunged towards the skeleton shield-first, slamming into the Stalfos' own shield. The result was a moment in which both of them had their shield arms momentarily knocked away - which Shem was ready for (Shield Bash). He quickly took advantage of the small drop in defenses and stabbed his spear forward into the body of the Stalfos for 19 damage. In retaliation, the Stalfos gave its signature deep, rumbly laugh and spun around, sword poised to slice Captain Shem across the torso - but he was able to bring his shield up just in time to deflect the blow.

What he WASN'T prepared for was the second attack. While the captain was exchanging blows with the Stalfos, the Gibdo had come up to him from the side, unseen, and slammed into him hard. Shem, who was completely vulnerable to this attack, took the full brunt of it - 12 damage (critical hit!). He reeled back several feet, just managing to keep from wiping out completely. When he regained his balance, he was staring down a Stalfos and a Gibdo, and his arm was throbbing in pain from the force of the Gibdo's strike.

Redead 1, following behind the returning arc of the boomerang that had just struck it, lurched forwards towards Simon. By now, though, the scribe was becoming accustomed to the movement patterns of these undead enemies, and he had no trouble moving out of the way of the redead's swiping claws. In fact, it's fumbling whiff through the air threw it off balance so badly that it fell face-first into the dirt - wide open for whoever would attack it next (critical fumble! Its AGI is removed from its defense rating for one round).

The Stalhound, meanwhile, was making a beeline for Kasei, letting out its canine growls as it sprinted across the ground towards him. However, as soon as it came within ten feet of the Rebel Flame, his flame spell activated, homing in on the monster and exploding in its face. Unfortunately, it's skeletal body is a little better at resisting magical attacks than other, more fleshy enemies, and it seems to resist the attack a bit, only taking 13 damage. Kasei's efforts did succeed in disorienting the Stalhound, though. As it burst through the column of smoke left in the wake of the fire spell, it began snapping its jaws wildly in the air, hoping that it might blindly land a hit on Kasei. It would have no such luck. The old sheikah easily deflected it's jaws with swing of his Rapier - though the riposte didn't hit hard enough to damage the hound again. (Still no parry love :/ I think the rapier desperately needs some tweaking...)

Shar-Guthal, seeing his empowered minions still so easily dealt with, grew worried. It was beginning to look like these meddlers might actually be able to defeat him... Panic growing in his mind, he clenched his fists, dark necromantic energy pulsing from his gem.
"No... I cannot lose... I WILL not lose!"
He cried, and unleashed the building [Necro Blast] at the party. Simon and Kasei, two of the more magically - inclined members of the group, braced themselves and resisted the attack more successfully than the others - Kasei especially so due to his Sheikah blood. Katsuro was not as lucky at resisting the attack, but his natural resistance to shadow magic did some of the work for him, like Kasei. Simon and Katsuro both took 11 damage, for different reasons, while Kasei only suffered 6 damage. Shem and Denkou, both humans, were unprepared for the attack and took the full 22 damage. Both of them looked terrifyingly close to death.

But the horror wasn't over yet. One redead had yet to move towards a specific target - because it was now readying it's signature harrowing screech.

Somehow, miraculously and ironically, everyone was able to force the unholy sound out of their heads and keep a hold of their sanity except for the Rebel flame. Perhaps the concentration and exertion it took to both pull off his stunt with the flame spell and resist a powerful magical attack had drained him of his ability to resist the mind-numbing sound, and he immediately dropped his rapier, clutching the sides of his head in agony as the voice of the redead conjured up all manner of terrifying demons to haunt his thoughts.

And with that, the metaphorical ball was once again in our heroes' metaphorical court.


<center>~Round Results~</center>
King's Banner: +1 DEF to party
Leadership: +3 AGI to party for 2 more rounds
Simon: 13/36 HP, 32/48 SPL, 9 Will
Denkou: 3/41 HP, 3/37 SPL, 9 Will
Katsuro: 38/64 HP, 4/40 SPL, 5 Will, Leadership cooldown - 5 turns
Shem: 3/71 HP, 8/11 SPL, 9 Will, Shield Bash cooldown - 2 turns
Kasei: 31/61 HP, 36/56 SPL, 9 WILL, STUNNED 1 ROUND

Epic Poem: +2 to all Stats for the entire enemy party for 1 round
Shar-Guthal: 82/253 HP (+2), 50/70 SPL (+2)
Stalfos: 33/50 HP (+0)
Redead 1: 14/20 HP (+0), STUNNED 1 ROUND
Redead 2: 20/20 HP (+2)
Gibdo: 30/30 HP (+2)
Stalhound: 9/20 HP (+0)
Stalchild: 8/15 HP (+0)

Simon Grendel
STR-3; DEF-5; AGI-5(+); INT-5; SPI-6; HP-13/36; 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 (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) 5(+) = 20(+)

Right after Katsuro’s lighthearted, inspiring humor, Simon smirked in return. “I won’t settle with knocking him down a peg, let’s crush this Goron!� Turning back to assess the effectiveness of his teammates, the smiled on his face grew even more. Every one of his allies landed their attacks with ease. Under his breath, and to himself, he spoke reassuringly. “I think we got this!�

Even Shem being attacked by the Gibdo, the fearless captain still seemed to be in good health. Of course, Simon had made that snap judgement before Shar-Guthal’s Necro Blast. As he sensed the necromancer preparing his attack, he called for his comrades to brace themselves, but perhaps he was a moment too late. No sooner had he prepared himself for the attack, it already happened. And two of their party were nearly passed out, Captain Shem and Denkou. Katsuro seemed to have weathered the attack rather well though, and Kasei seemed to have nearly shrugged it off completely.
Simon had forgotten exactly how potent the magical prowess of the foe was though, and the young scribe from the family Grendel didn’t realize that it was going to hit hard enough to cause this dire of a situation. Besides, he had only used it once prior, and that was specifically after one of the times they had stunned him. While he hadn’t used it after the last time they managed to strike him, Simon figured he saved that particular technique to force his opponents back long enough for him to recalculate the situation and to summon more of his undead servants.

He looked again at Denkou and Shem, realizing he had trailed away in his thoughts. Katusuro’s word seemed to have up everybody’s efficiency. Probably because they were all starting to feel very bleak. Assuming that his words still burned in their hearts though, the decaying fiends would have a more complicated time hitting any of them. Realizing that between his armor and the evasive tactics Simon had seen the captain use, Shem, while very weak, wasn’t really in any danger from any foe on the field. No, the only problem Shem would have would be if Shar-Guthal attacked with that burst attack again. And, if that happened know, Simon knew they’d have much more to worry about than just a fallen captain. Simon would heal him, because Shem was in critical condition, but at least he was probably stable from receiving more injuries in that moment. Thinking of the captain, Simon Grendel still called to him, “I know thinks are looking rough, sir, but if you can just hold out a little longer, I’ll get you all the help you could need.�

Remembering Katsuro’s words, Simon remembered that he was the only healer in the group. Not only that, but Denkou had already drank the red potion. Or was it the blue? The young scribe couldn’t quite remember. But, still, they only had one healing potion left. Examining his own injuries and sizing up the size of the Stalfos’s blade and the speed at which the beast moved, Simon concluded he too would need to be healed soon in order to avoid risk of fainting or even dying at a time that would be inopportune to his allies. It was a selfish move to heal yourself instead of your comrades who were more injured. Simon knew this. Deep down, his heart wretched and his gut ached. And it wasn’t from all the magic that just passed through his body. Still, if the blue potion was still in play, it made more sense to use it on Denkou, whose magical reserves were actually exhausted and who could cast more offensive magic as well. Besides, Simon still had the vial of green potion.

Calling out to the sneaky Katsuro, Simon’s voice trembled at his own cowardice. “Katsuro! Go to Denkou’s aid. I promise I’ll heal the captain, but he isn’t in much danger yet. I’m no use as a healer though if I go down first.� Before the Sheikah could argue, the scribe could be seeing casting a refreshing Life spell on himself [Use Life L1 on Self].

“I’m sorry,� he added. “But I promise I won’t let anybody fall.� He raised his voice several decibels, making sure all those fighting alongside him heard him. “Denizens of Hyrule, we got this!�

OOC: I just realized I haven't been including the buff from the King's Banner ability in my stats tag at the top of my posts. I'm assuming that you're remembering to apply it for all though, Leth. But, if you want me to add it directly myself, I can fix that too.

Everything had gone relatively well- everyone's attacks had landed... but there was one thing Katsuro picked out among all the confusion and chaos. Their first real victory had shown on the panicked face of their enemy.

"No... I cannot lose... I WILL not lose!"

You will.

Katsuro unknowingly said telepathically to Shar-Guthal. By complete accident, he'd tapped into an old ability of his father's. The right swell of emotions? His mind finally tortured enough from battle? Though possibly a one-time occurrence, it would no doubt instill psychological warfare in the mind of the enemy.

That's when the Necroburst came. Katsuro felt the magic swirling in the air, but not before Simon's call for caution rang out above the action. The man pulled his cloak over his head and braced as the magical attack swept the battlefield. It blew his clock straight back off of his head and coursed through his body like a cold wind blowing through a thick coat. He felt his magical resistance at work, weathering the storm.

When he lowered his arms, he found that his team was still standing. He looked around to see Shem on wobbling legs, Denkou on a knee- and Simon with new found resolve.

“Katsuro! Go to Denkou’s aid. I promise I’ll heal the captain, but he isn’t in much danger yet. I’m no use as a healer though if I go down first. I’m sorry. But I promise I won’t let anybody fall. Denizens of Hyrule, we got this!�

Katsuro smiled confidently. "Way to use your head, Simon!" He called out after receiving his orders. He lifted a hand to his eyebrows in a salute, "Yessir!" He hoped that would inspire the scribe further- because to win this battle... Katsuro dipped into a shadow and rushed through the aether to Denkou's aid.

We're going to need you, Simon.

He popped up next to Denkou, blue potion in hand. "Denkou! Look alive!" He shouted ironically as he pushed the potion into his hand. "Take this... And then bring down the lightning. No doubts. If we're going to win this... We're gonna need you, Denkou." He whirled around to Captain Shem.

"Captain! Grit your teeth and stay with us! Relief is coming! Don't you dare die, do you hear me?" He turned to face the crowd of enemies. "Without your shield at our backs, we're toast." He dropped into the stance that he always does when he's about to put boots to asses. "Hey!" He called out to the hoard as he charged them. "Eyes over here assholes!" He dove into the crowd, his shield and sword glimmering in the moonlight as he brought his sword down vertically on the head of the troublesome Gibdo. "WITH LOVE, FROM SHEM!!" He screamed as he swung with all of his force.

Kasei allowed himself some satisfaction, watching the Stalhound lunge forward into his infernal barrier. While surprised that the undead was not completely destroyed by his ward, the Rebel Flame nevertheless sidestepped and parried the monster's attack, flourishing his weapon as the creature passed.

"No... I cannot lose... I WILL not lose!"

His attention turned back to Shar-Guthal, just as the Necromaster unleashed a new wave of dark energy. A silent prayer was recited in his mind as the Shiekah braced himself against the attack, feeling the wave wash over him and doing some small damage. Turning to survey the others, Kasei noticed that Denkou was not so lucky against the attack, and lay on the ground, not seeming to move.

"Denkou-!" Kasei shouted, before the unholy screech of a Redead caused his world to fade to white noise...

====
Ow...

Denkou shook his head as Katsuro appeared next to him. The thief wasn't quite sure how he hit the ground; the last thing he remembered was smacking around a Stalchild...

"Is it over? Did we win?" He asked in a daze, as a potion was thrust into his hand.

"Take this... And then bring down the lightning. No doubts. If we're going to win this... We're gonna need you, Denkou."

The man got to his feet, drinking the potion, and could feel both magical energy and awareness coursing through him again. He shook his head and peered around...

...To see Kasei standing, not too far away, clutching his head with a look that combined absolute fury with unmatched terror, his lips moving with unseen words as his eyes darted back in forth.

"Old man...?" Denkou already guessed what had happened. It looks like our heavy hitter is out...so I guess it's time for me to step up...? "Thanks, Katsuro." He stated simply, before stepping towards the Redead he believed responsible for Kasei's current condition, and raised his hand to unleash his [Thunder L1] spell that has gone too long now without a victim. The thief had poor control over the magic, but attempted to have it prioritize his chosen enemy over random strikes.

OoC: So... I don't want to be a rules stickler, here, but if Denkou is going to drink the blue potion on his turn... that's his turn. He can't cast Thunder until the next round.

Which, in this case, is actually a good thing. If you cast thunder this round, the damage it would cause would be enough to really terrify Shar-Guthal and force him to use his necro-blast again - probably to disastrous effect. (Believe me... I ran the numbers to see how this round would play out if I went ahead and let you cast thunder. It wasn't pretty.)

So... for the sake of the party, I'm going to follow the rules and say Denkou actually spent his turn drinking the potion, and did NOT cast thunder - yet - and give the party one more buffer round between Necro-blasts.

And I'll probably get to posting that tomorrow. Because it's like 2 AM now. So I'm going to bed.

OoC: Okay, here we go!

IC:


[Music]

Simon felt his energy returning to him as his life spell took effect, the warm sensation of holy magic flooded his body, healed his wounds, and restored 18 HP.

"Captain! Grit your teeth and stay with us! Relief is coming! Don't you dare die, do you hear me? ...Without your shield at our backs, we're toast."

Shem grimaced and nodded at the young Shadowclaw. The last thing he wanted to do was to sit out of the fight - he had a sworn duty to protect Hyrule, even at the cost of his life - but he could see the sense in what Katsuro said. Acting beyond his physical limitations now could easily cost him his life, and then he would be no use at all to his King and Country. No, if help was on the way, it was better to hold back and simply focus on staying alive for just a few more moments - whatever it took until his assistance arrived. [Dodge Check + 9 Will]

While Denkou uncorked the potion and began drinking the revitalizing fluid within, completely restoring his health and magic, Katsuro was already on the move, determined to not ease off the offensive and cover for his teammates while they recuperated. His blade was like a flash of quicksilver in the night sky; a brief warning of the havoc it was about to wreak. The blade buried itself in the skull of the Gibdo, dealing 16 damage.

The unfeeling undead, undaunted by the damage it just sustained at Katsuro's hand, turned quickly and lashed out at the Sheikah. The Gibdo was fast - surprisingly so - but Katsuro was faster. The creature's bony, clawing hands descended on where he was standing, only to meet with nothing but the cold night air as Katsuro swiftly dodged out of the way, melding with the shadows to re-appear a few feet back, unharmed.

The Stalfos, seeing that it's attacker was now badly wounded and on the defensive, tried to press the attack and land a finishing blow on the captain. Shem was too well trained to fall victim to it, however - especially while he was doing nothing but focusing on his defenses - and easily brought his shield up in time to knock away the incoming sword.

Redead 1 was still intent on it's original target, Simon. It lurched towards the scribe, intending to wrap it's decayed arms around him in it's signature head-biting attack while he was focused on healing himself, but Simon's spell finished out just seconds before the redead collided with him, affording him the time he needed to just barely roll out of the way of the deathly embrace.

The Stalhound also decided to keep pursuing Kasei, taking advantage of the Rebel Flame's temporary paralysis. This time, it succeeded in it's efforts, no doubt due to the stun effect still lingering from the redead's screech just moments earlier, and it's jaws clamed around Kasei's arm. Fortunately, Stalhounds are not known for being particularly vicious creatures, and it only dealt 3 damage to the immobile sheikah.

Even a blind squirrel finds nuts sometimes, and sometimes even a lowly Stalchild finds itself succeeding. It lumbered clumsily over to Denkou and swung it's tiny arms at him just as he was downing the last few drops of the blue potion, and scraped it's bony nails across the thief's leg for 2 damage - a success it would likely not live long enough to celebrate.

Shar-Guthal studied the battlefield closely. Things seemed to possibly be turning around for him - he had put the entire enemy party on the defensive, and his undead underlings were managing to score a couple hits. There was only one person who continued to be a thorn in his side - Katsuro. Shar-Guthal's eyes narrowed as he focused in on him.
"You!"
He bellowed, his raucous voice echoing across the moonlit field at him.
"The annoying fly, buzzing about my head. You've spewed enough of your arrogant words... and it's time you were swatted like the gnat you are."
The Necromaster leaped forward with surprising speed, curling into a ball in midair and slamming into the ground with enormous force, causing the ground to quake beneath his weight, and his momentum carried him forward into an unbelievably fast roll straight at Katsuro. Flames began to roll off of his body as the [Spirit of Dragonbane] endowed him with even more strength. Suddenly, he exploded upward with a mighty roar, one blazing fist reared back, and plummeted towards the Sheikah. Even with his quick reflexes, he would have to move very far very fast to avoid any of the fallout of what amounted to a small meteor descending straight at him.

Shar-Guthal hit the ground with an earth-shattering THUD, flame exploding all around him and kicking up an enormous cloud of dust, obscuring anyone from being able to see the outcome immediately.

While everyone was momentarily distracted by the giant Goron's full-frontal assault, the second Redead once again inhaled deeply, releasing it's breath in a ear-piercing [Screech of Fright]. It seemed, however, that upon hearing the grating intake of breath, most of the party was able to mentally prepare themselves for the incoming audible assault - all except Denkou, who was once again subjected to the mental torture that can only be conjured up by the soul-wrenching screams of the undead. Whatever hopes the party had of the Thief's magic turning the tables on the necromancer and his hordes, it would have to wait a few moments longer...

And it was at that moment, the dust settled, allowing everyone with all their mental faculties intact to see Shar-Guthal, his fist buried several feet into the ground amidst a small crater... and Katsuro rising up from the shadows behind him, unscathed.



<center>~Round Results~</center>
King's Banner: +1 DEF to party
Leadership: +3 AGI to party for 1 more round
Simon: 31/36 HP, 24/48 SPL, 9 Will
Denkou: 41/41 HP, 37/37 SPL, 9 Will, STUNNED 1 TURN
Katsuro: 38/64 HP, 4/40 SPL, 5 Will, Leadership cooldown - 4 turns
Shem: 3/71 HP, 8/11 SPL, 0 Will, Shield Bash cooldown - 1 turn
Kasei: 31/61 HP, 36/56 SPL, 9 WILL

Epic Poem: Depleted
Shar-Guthal: 82/253 HP, 50/70 SPL
Stalfos: 33/50 HP
Redead 1: 14/20 HP
Redead 2: 20/20 HP
Gibdo: 16/30 HP
Stalhound: 9/20 HP
Stalchild: 8/15 HP


OoC: So playing by the rules saved Shem's life... but also delayed the thunder by one round And the fight continues!

He was but a shimmer in the night as his steel danced wildly in the moonlight. He weaved through the crowd of creatures, a smile on his face curiously enough.

You know it struck me not long ago...

He blocked a re-dead's claw with his shield and bashed it away as he stepped out of the way of yet another attack, responding with a backward kick in one fluid motion.

The battlefield... I've been trained to avoid it if possible...

He whirled around catching a glimpse of Denkou downing the potion, but only briefly as a stalfos appeared in his face- too close for comfort. The skeleton's sword was on a direct path for his sword arm- he wouldn't be able to block it easily, his shield on his other side.

Dad always said the best self defense was the kind you applied before the fighting... That knowing how to stay out of tough situations was the key to a long and fulfilling life.

He dropped halfway into a shadow and swung the blunt side of his sword at the creature's ankles, sweeping it off of its feet. It came crashing down, Katsuro arising out of the shadow only to turn and catch another claw with his shield. It was the Gibdo he'd just attacked, its head concave in the temple from his blade.

But the battlefield... I feel at home here... Moreso than anywhere else.

A smile appeared on his face; anyone who had known Dogura Shadowclaw would know that smile- they would also see the resemblance between the two if they never had before. That smile was the smile that said a thousand words of bravery, valor, confidence, and spirit. Those bearing witness felt their hearts steady, their spirits calm, their wills burning. Their confidence in the samurai- the knowledge that he was on the battlefield with them, unwilling to surrender... To some, it assured victory, and Katsuro wore it well.

I think dad felt that way too!

He swatted the creature's arm away with his shield before delivering a brutal bash of his pommel to the creature's face, knocking it backward. He heard the footsteps of a re-dead behind him above the battle, and whirled around in time to see it lunge for him. He ducked the blow and pushed underneath the creature with his shield, flipping it over his shoulder. He surveyed the ally battlefront, seeing Simon's vitality returning to him.

Excellent. I need to remain a distraction for just a little bit longer... If I killed all these creatures, Shar might feel threatened enough to use his magic again... If only he knew how effective it really was against us... If we were to wear on our faces the anguish it caused us...

A pained smile overcame him as he turned back to the hoard.

This battle might have already been over.

The group of monsters continued to lurch forward, hardly even slowed down by the man's antics. He dashed back into the fray, wreaking more havoc among the masses. His bladework was immaculate- he'd been trained well. However he couldn't have seen the monsters that were flanking him. Before he knew it, he was completely surrounded. They moved in on him in unison, and while he could have dipped into a shadow and escaped, a different idea gripped him.

He smiled mischievously as he allowed them to close in on him- and just before their attacks reached him, he dropped into a stance that Shar-Guthal might remember if indeed he had served Ganon in the fight against the hero.

Low to the ground, his torso twisted, he turned with all of his might into a forceful spin-attack; an ancient art that he'd mastered over his years of training. The attack would cut through all the monsters in the area- while likely not fatal, it would at least stack some damage on top of them for when Denkou brought down the lightning.

[Bomb]

Katsuro finished his spin, and without stopping to see if he'd damaged them, dropped into a shadow and reappeared several yards away. His shoulders rose and fell, his chest expanding and contracting as he began to steady his breathing. It was then that a voice boomed over the battlefield.

"You!"

He didn't have to look to know who it was. He sighed and closed his eyes before turning his attention to the magical behemoth.

"The annoying fly, buzzing about my head. You've spewed enough of your arrogant words...

The man smiled back at the creature.

"Arrogance huh? Words are only arrogant if the speaker can't back them up." He finally stood up to full stature, his breathing regulated.

"It's time you were swatted like the gnat you are."

"That." Katsuro called out, "That right there. That's arrogance- and come on, am I a fly or a gnat?" He smiled cleverly before the sound of steel against steel turned his attention towards captain Shem. It was loud. The captain had defended himself from the attack, and it looked like the only monster he was dealing with was a Stalfos.

Damn... I'd hoped to buy them a little more time. You know for dead things, they sure do have a lot of spunk...

He turned his attention back to Shar-Guthal to see the Goron rocketing towards him- and it was happening far faster than he'd ever thought it would. With little time to think about it as it was, the necromancer exploded upwards, his spin uncurling to reveal Shar-Guthal, fist ablaze, descending like a meteor towards him. The sheer amount of momentum caused a vacuum in the air around him, creating a peculiar sound rippling through the airwaves.

Katsuro's face turned from confidence into deep concern as the monster rocketed towards him. This is bad... He thought as Shar-Guthal plummeted towards him at a supernatural speed. Katsuro's concern turned to worry as he watched in awe. His eyes dilated as imminent death grew closer and closer.

Not for him. He already knew his escape route. His mind wandered back to that time during the Newpeaktop Tournament in the clouds- Dogura versus Tensei the Stone Fist. He smiled proudly in remembrance of the first time he'd witnessed his father's tactical genius. Of course here and now it was the middle of the night, so it wouldn't be nearly as impressive.

No, he would dip into the shadows and escape pretty easily. He would. But for anyone else... He thought grimly as he executed his escape. He retreated into the shadows and watched the earth's surface shatter from below. The impact was so heavy and so powerful that the monstrous fist of the necromancer nearly reached his face even as deep as Katsuro had retreated. The shockwave from the blast sent him reeling further into the shadows. Katsuro slowed his descent and turned himself upright to get a better look at the disaster radius Shar Guthal's attack had achieved.

This is really bad...

He continued his original thought.

If he's capable of this... He would have absolutely smeared captain Shem in his weakened state... I think Kasei and I are the only one's truly capable of evading such an attack...

And when it came to Kasei, he was just guessing. Katsuro didn't know the limits of the rebel flame's abilities, but he had a hard time believing that the man didn't have a few more tricks up his sleeve.

Katsuro climbed out of a shadow near Denkou and took a knee. "Hey. Any time you want to cause a little thunder would be fine with me... Denkou. Hey!" He finally turned to look at the man and saw him grabbing his ears, face twisted up in pain.

"Denkou?" He took a closer look at the man, his eyes filled with urgency. He swallowed before turning to see Shar-Guthal getting up from his attack. He turned back to Denkou and sighed.

A re-dead must have caught him off guard... Probably happened while I was in the shadows... Noise is so muffled in there. It's like being underwater, but even quieter.

"Alright then." He took a defensive stance in front of the man. "You're not getting a potion just so you can get hurt again." He said to Denkou, even though he couldn't hear him. "Hang in there, friend. We need you." He swallowed as he flashed back on Shar-Guthal's speed.

I need to keep his attention focused on me... If he targets Simon, Shem, or Denkou... I can't save them. I need him to stay angry at me...

"Denkou..." Katsuro said loudly, hoping his voice would get through somehow. "I'm putting you in even greater danger standing next to you than I would if I were to leave you alone. I've got to get back out there. Stay safe, and bring that storm when you can!"

Katsuro's boots flung dirt as he raced back into the hoard of monsters. I'm sorry Denkou... this is the best thing that I can do for you. Get a hold of yourself soon.

I'm counting on you.

He rushed into the crowd of monsters hoping to catch Shar-Guthal's eye as he did.

"YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN THAT!!" He cried out as he dove into combat once more.

Simon Grendel
STR-3; DEF-5; AGI-5(+); INT-5; SPI-6; HP-31/36; SPL-24/48; 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) 5(+) = 20(+)

Simon Grendel felt a twinge of guilt as he felt the magic course through him. The scribe looked around, some of his fellow warriors were doing a good job evading the monsters, who now seemed significantly slower themselves. He wondered if Katsuro’s words were still resonating with him enough to put a spring in his step. As he finished healing, he noticed the Redead coming towards him. Rolling out of the way of the zombie’s gaping, rotted maw, he realized that his reflexes did still seem abnormally sharper.

Focusing on the battlefield situation to notice if anything changed, he saw the samurai’s son smiling like he hadn’t a care in the world, almost like he was at home amongst the chaos of the battlefield. But it didn’t seem to be a smile of bloodlust, but rather a smile of serenity. Thinking the same thing as Katsuro, but without realizing it, Simon noted that Katsuro should keep that smile up if he wanted Shar-Guthal to not destroy them with his potent magic. He managed to draw up a smile as well, despite the guilt he felt.

However, the scribe soon found himself trembling a bit at the knees as the necromancing Goron spoke out in anger. Part of him was afraid for Katsuro, especially when the necromancer got moving. But, there was a small portion that was pleased that the rolling ball of enraged rock wasn’t coming for him. He hoped his luck would hold out a bit longer, but he wished even more that Katsuro would stay out of harm’s way. Realizing he didn’t have time to stand around anymore, he had to start moving before he even saw the outcome of Shar-Guthal’s attack.

He remembered that he had to heal Shem. The captain was weak on health, and Simon got a distressing feeling that their newfound quickness would expire soon. Sprinting to Captain Shem’s side, the apprentice raised his hands up to use them as channels of putting the healing magic inside of Shem. Of course, Simon didn’t need to actually touch the knight, but to quicken the speed of his work, he was sure to have his arms outstretched towards Shem as he started to transfer the magic inside of him to his new desired target [Use Life L1 on Shem].

OOC: I swear I wrote up a reply but it looks like either I was wrong or I was wrong.
That being said, here's a quickie for you.
IC: Kasei gets his act together, ponders, says something slightly meaningful about the current situation and then does his fire-sword attack on a redead.

Denkou loses his shit.

I am disappoint.

Someone give me a heads or tails.