Hyrule Adventures 2

The sky was a brilliant orange as the castle guard began to make their way up the stairs on the outer wall. The setting of the sun marked the start of their nightly routine: The guard would watch for the return of the Outer Patrol and give the clear for the drawbridge to be raised. It was an important routine: As the night crept in, so too did all manner of unsightly creatures. Night time in the fields of Hyrule was not a safe place to be, and the raising of the drawbridge prevented the ghastly monsters from entering the town and terrorizing it's citizens.

This system had proven to be a simple but effective method of repelling monsters for countless centuries, and the night time terrors outside the walls had not entered the minds of the townspeople for equally as long. The drawbridge was simply another facet of life that, for the less adventurous folk who never left the safety of the town, was of absolutely no importance. The sky was blue, the grass was green, and there was a drawbridge at the town gate that came up at night. Such was life.

So as Shem the Knight looked over the parapet and saw the cloud of dust signalling the safe return of the Outer Patrol, there was no question in his mind that tonight would be any different from normal. He looked back down at the gatehouse at the base of the wall, and signaled that the patrol was returning right on schedule. The guard waved back, acknowledging the signal, and retreated inside the gatehouse to prepare to raise the drawbridge.

The sky was beginning to turn into a dusky dark blue as the patrol reached the Castle Town Entrance. A fog had begun to roll in from the east, slightly obscuring Shem's view as he observed their return. As the last soldier atop his horse made his way across the drawbridge, Shem gave the call.

"All clear!" He shouted, and turned around to make his way back to the barracks, where a hot meal was waiting for him and his brigade. As he approached the first step, he stopped, and listened. Something wasn't right. There was no familiar clanking of chains. He turned back around to see that the drawbridge had not yet started to rise.

Perhaps he didn't hear me. Shem thought as he made his way down the stairs, his pace picking up. When he reached the bottom of the stairway and the drawbridge was had still not moved, he began to worry. As Shem strode towards the gatehouse, he crossed in front of the town entrance and cast a glance out at the fields. It was beginning to get truly dark, and the fog was getting thicker by the minute. He frowned, and reached for the handle on the gatehouse when it was flung open by a panicked soldier.

"S-s-sir! The drawbridge, it... I..."
"What is it, soldier? Spit it out!" Barked Shem at the man.
The younger soldier swallowed hard and said nervously, "The chain, sir... it's been cut."

Shem was taken aback. "What do you mean? The chain looks fine from here; I didn't notice any slack." Shem said as he brushed past the young man, going inside to look at it himself.
"No sir... it was done internally. I made to raise the drawbridge, sir, as we always do, and there weren't no resistance when I turned the wheel. The chain slid right out of it's place inside the gatehouse - cut cleanly in two not but a few feet from the pulley, sir." the soldier said as he followed Shem inside. Sure enough, it was just as he had said - the chain lay piled up on the floor, one of the links severed right at it's midsection.

Shem's mind raced and heart beat faster as he contemplated what this meant. Someone had sabotaged the inner workings of the drawbridge. Intentionally. It was no easy feat to get at the chains; the gatehouse was constantly guarded and the area where the chain had been cut was hidden away behind the brick of the wall. There was magic involved here, no doubt.

Shem rushed outside. It was truly dark now. He squinted as he looked out across the moat, and his blood froze.

[Music: Danger Approaches]

Through the murky darkness of the fog, Shem could see shifting shadows as something approached. The closer it came, the more Shem could see. It wasn't just a handful of creatures... it appeared to be a vast sea of moving bodies. The moans and groans of the approaching creatures told Shem all he needed to know -

"Redead." He whispered, frozen in fear. A shriek pierced the air behind Shem as one of the townspeople caught a glimpse of what Shem saw, reminding him of his duty. Quick as a flash, he grabbed the horn at his waist and blew on it with all of his might, signalling the rest of the guard. The note echoed ominously over the town as Shem Turned around to take size up the situation.

Most of the people have gone home... but there's still a few people left in the courtyard. No time to escort them home. We have to get them to safety.

"Listen to me!" He shouted as loud as he could over the growing panic. "Everyone find the nearest building and lock yourselves inside! No time to gather your things or go home; just get to the closest shelter now!" Fortunately most of the remaining Townsfolk were nowhere near the town entrance, but there were a handful of people who had nowhere to run but the two gatehouses on either side of the gate. Shem briefly considered closing the massive wooden doors at the gate, but the were more decorative than protective, and Shem wasn't sure he'd be able to get them closed in time. They were big. Besides, with an undead army of that size bearing down on them, it was only a matter of time before they would break down the gate and then they would be fighting the creatures inside the town, something Shem did not want.
No, better to meet them in battle outside of the town and prevent them from getting any closer. he thought as he readied his spear and shield.

This was the plan that he told the first troops as they arrived. Indeed, the Outer Patrol had not had time to get very far from the town gate before Shem's trumpet had called them back, and they arrived in record time, riding back out the gate and across the drawbridge to face the oncoming horde. Shem grabbed a couple of the guards running past him towards the drawbridge and said, "I need you to get inside the gatehouses - one on each side, and protect the citizens inside with your life. Hopefully nothing will get inside these walls, but the people will need someone to protect them should the worst happen." And he sent them on their way, each soldier entering one of the gatehouses. A metallic click moments later indicated that the doors were locked.

[Music: Battling the Dead]

Shem turned back towards the drawbridge, and the sound of battle, to see that a small handful of monsters had managed to slip past the guards battling on the drawbridge among the hectic, nightmarish fighting. With a shout, Shem rushed towards the first monster - a gibdo, wrapped in rotting cloth - and thrust his spear deep into its mummified gut. The gibdo let out an unearthly screech and grabbed hold of the spear, pulling Shem towards itself. Shem responded by delivering a solid kick to it's abdomen, wrenching the spear out of it's body and sending the monster stumbling back with a dreadful howl. A final swing of his spear left the monster headless, and it fell to the ground, never to move again.

Shem glanced around and saw, to his dismay, that the other monsters were already advancing further into the courtyard - 3 Redeads and 3 more Gibdos - and two of the redeads were already almost upon the doors of the gatehouses.

It was at that moment that Shem spotted you.

"You there! We have to keep the stragglers from getting inside the city walls! I trust in the strength of our forces to keep the large chunk of the creatures at bay, but there are bound to be a few that slip through! We cannot let them harm the citizens!" He shouts to you as he moves to attack one of the redeads.

While one of the redeads and all three gibdos spot you, and begin advancing towards you, the two redeads seem intent upon getting the fresh, fearful flesh they can smell on the other side of the gatehouse doors. You could protect yourself and attack the monsters quickly approaching you, but the redeads will surely be upon the doors of the gatehouse in mere moments, and who knows how long those doors will hold up against their attacks.

Decide quickly... the monsters approach.

<center>-------------------------------------------</center>

Gibdo x3
STR - 6; DEF - 12; AGI - 1; INT - 1; SPI - 5; SPL - 1; HP – 30

Redead x3
STR - 4; DEF - 8; AGI - 1; INT - 1; SPI - 1; SPL - 1; HP - 20
Abilities:
Screech of Fright - Once per turn, a Redead may unleash a terrifying screech that paralyzes all opponents on the battlefield. Unless an Innate Check of 10 is passed, the warriors cannot attack until the following turn (After the Redead in question has had another chance to attack).

Gatehouse Door x2
HP - 10

Have fun with this one

Night was falling fast on Hyrule as a figure in a black cloak moved along the streets of North Castle Town. He stayed nearest to the walls as he walked, partially because he didn't like drawing attention to himself like he did in his younger days, and partially because he just didn't like being close to the often pungent citizens of the slum he was passing through.

He turned a corner and moved down an ally swiftly and silently, his heart set on the mission he'd been sent on. The Overwatch had become something bigger than those who had started it. It was a vast network of connections that kept information flowing to Darkin, who's house had become the central intelligence agency of the guild. People needed things done, wanted treasure's found, and required information on a more regular basis than you'd think.

Katsuro had become the main man for that role. He was one of the best at what he did. A man that could take the coin-purse out of your hand while you were watching and walk away with it. A man that could track a suspect for days without eating or sleeping if need be. A man conditioned to be a one-man army by two of the strongest men Hyrule has seen in centuries. A man that reeked of capability. There were few like him, indeed. He'd grown a lot since the years after joining The Overwatch. His beard had come in nicely, though mostly shaven, his mind, spellcraft, and sword-hand even moreso. He matured a lot after the "death" of his father. It really brought him down to earth in a lot of ways, but more than anything, it taught him the reality that no one man is strong enough to walk a dangerous path alone. It taught him never to forsake his friends among other things, and despite everything that happened, Darkin postulates that it may have even been good for him.

He turned a corner, his cloak billowing behind him as he made haste through the Castle Town Square. He was a day ahead of schedule, having skipped sleep in favor of travel on his way to Castle Town. He clutched the package tightly as he looked around for the shop.

2142, Rockin' Meats... Goron butcher by the name of Castor Rumbles...

He recalled Darkin's words perfectly from two days ago as his eyes scanned the shops. Several of them were closing their doors for the night already. Suddenly, his eyes came across the sign.

Bingo.

He hurried across the market square quickening his pace. The rather small looking Goron came into view, reaching out and kicking the door-stop out from underneath the door. He grabbed the knob and pulled the door shut, Katsuro slowing to a jog as he came to the shop. He let down his black hood and knocked on the window to the shop. Castor moved up to the window and grabbed the curtains, shaking his head at the man to signal that sales were done for the day.

Katsuro lifted a hand from under his cloak and pressed a piece of parchment against the window. The Goron looked down at the symbol and immediately recognized it. He smiled widely and hurried for the door.

"Sorrry!" He said as he opened the door, "I thought you werrrre herrre for meats!"

"No, sir." The man said, a smile on his face. "I'm here with your package." He held out his hand, the box wrapped with a bow and The Overwatch seal stamped on the front.

The shop owner quickly snatched it up, a toothy grin on his face. Katsuro couldn't help but smile with him- it was something he really appreciated about the job. He got to play Santa Clause fairly often and it always felt good, especially when he himself'd had a hand in acquiring the item for the client.

The Goron looked up at Katsuro, "A whole day ahead of time too!"

"All in a day's work," He replied with a nod.

"You can trust your payment with me, or mail it to this address." He handed the man the same piece of parchment he'd pressed against the glass. "That's the address of the proxy box we keep in New Peaktop Postal Building."

The Goron sighed, "Rrrright. A hefty fine. I don't have all the money at this moment... But I will make my payment by mail, rrrrest assurrrred. Goodnight, and thanks!"

He shut the door and Katsuro turned around, sighing deeply.

He aint payin'. I wish Captain wasn't such a bleeding-heart. People don't pay for things because I'm not allowed to rough people up... He's too nice.

He drew up his hood, a cool night air sweeping the market square. He yawned and decided to find an inn. He didn't necessarily need sleep yet, but he felt he deserved it after a job well done. There was a nice looking one that had recently gone up in the courtyard since the last time he'd visited. He sauntered up the street and across Royal Avenue into the courtyard. The rushing sound of the courtyard fountain soothed his ears as he passed it. He dropped a red rupee in it as he passed- all proceeds of the fountain went to the orphanage on the south-end, and he had a soft spot for the cause.

He sat down on the edge of the fountain and looked up at the sky. The sound of the water was really nice for some reason, and he thought scantly about falling asleep right here by the fountain- that is before the sound of a horn blew through the town like a death-wind- a death-wind because Katsuro knew what it meant:

An emergency of high proportions.

It could mean a number of things- an impending tornado, an attack on the castle, a riot in the streets- not too many things could merit that sound. An entire group of soldiers on horseback rushed past the man towards the drawbridge. He stood up alarmed as he heard the horn blow yet again.

He dropped into a shadow, disappearing from sight. He suddenly reappeared on top of the battlement, casting his eyes downward. They expertly pierced the fog the way only the Sheikah could and he immediately realized the threat.

Re-dead? Here? And Gibdos too... Why don't they just pull the drawbridge up?! Come to think of it... Shouldn't they have done that about ten minutes ago?

He cracked his knuckles.

This smells like sabotage. Someone must have risen those things, and chances are high the same people are responsible for the bridge...

He hopped off the battlement and slid down the chain, his cloak billowing loudly as he reached the bottom and jogged across the bridge.

"You there! We have to keep the stragglers from getting inside the city walls! I trust in the strength of our forces to keep the large chunk of the creatures at bay, but there are bound to be a few that slip through! We cannot let them harm the citizens!"

The cloaked man took an angry look on upon his face.

"No. No we can't."

He lifted his hand and opened it, a magical essence shimmering in the air as the spell began to take shape. It grew brighter and brighter until it's nature was apparent- Light.

"And we won't."

The spell shined brightly, a beacon in the night as he dashed forward, weaving through the enemies advancing on him and zeroed in on one of the re-dead lurching towards the gate-house.

"Stay dead this time." He called out as he launched the ball of light directly at the decaying predator.

[Elemental Burst Lv2 - Light]

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Katsuro Shadowclaw
64/64 HP IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
34/40 SPL IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
9/9 WILL IIIIIIIII
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edit:

OOC: Forgot to put his new information here.

Katsuro (Spirit) Shadowclaw
STR-4; DEF-18; AGI-6; INT-9; SPI-3; HP-83; SPL-27; WILL-9
Physical attack: Strength(4)+Weapon base(12)= 16 DMG
Magical attack: Level(13)+base class(2)+Intelligence(5) 20 DMG
Equipment
Deku Spear
Deku Shield
Lv1 Jerkin
Abilities
Train Spear Lv2 (2TP)
Train Bow Lv1 (1TP)
Elemental Burst Lv2 (4TP)
Thunder Lv1 (3TP)
Leadership Lv1 (2TP)

As night fell on Castle Town, many denizens of the city were ending their day. Shops were closing down, owners counting their sales, while families tucked their children in, wishing them sweet dreams and promising to see them in the morning. Friends waved goodbye, and adventurers returned to their abodes to rest. The day was over, and tomorrow promised new stories.

But for the bars and pubs of Castle Town, the day was just beginning.

<a href= "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY5E-1m ... 5BD35E44BF">[Music: Tavern at Night]</a>

"Aaaaahh, that hit the spot, you old fossil! Hit me again, c'mon, next round!" Denkou laughed, slamming his mug into the table. The golden-haired rogue sat across from Kasei, who was taking a few more moments to chug his drink, before placing it down softly, revealing his smiling, aged face. The tavern around them was dimly-lit, with patrons at nearly every table. A zora band played near the bar, and everyone was in high spirits. It was a good time for a drinking game.

*Cough* "Not yet, you still haven't gotten it right: how many pearls are around her neck?" The Shiekah replied in a deep, gravelly voice, smiling as he glanced at the woman some tables behind Denkou. It was a guessing game, a game of observance; ask a question about someone in the bar, while the other tries to answer without looking. The loser buys the next round, the winner gets to drink for free.

"Gah, I don't know!" Denkou said, before turning around and eying her up. "Zero, really? That's hardly fair!" He turned around, only really half-upset. "Now, now, zero is still a number. Your turn." Kasei replied, still smiling.

Denkou surveyed the room behind his friend a moment, before spotting a man, seated in one corner, that he recognized. The thief smiled. "How many former city guards are behind you?" He asked, certain of his victory this time.

Kasei didn't hesitate for more than a moment "Just one. Jibrus, I believe. Charming fellow. His leg doesn't quite work like it used to, though." He said, shaking his mug. "Pay up."

With a moan of dissatisfaction, Denkou waved over one of the maids for a refill, handing her the rupees before grabbing his mug. "You're a slimy piece of trash."

"You're unobservant. Bottoms up."

As the pair moved to toast and drink, they caught the sound of panic outside; people running, guards shouting. The other patrons noticed, as well. Some moved to check out the windows, while others silently crept out the back door.

"There's trouble!" Denkou stated, getting up.

"There's always trouble." Kasei said, looking out towards the door. "Go check on it. If it's serious, I'll be right behind you." He said, sipping his drink while Denkou glared.

The thief knew Kasei wouldn't actually be coming along. His condition was getting worse. Damn fossil He mused, before taking a big swig of his own drink and darting out the door.

-

It didn't take long for Denkou to find the source of the commotion; for whatever reason, Re-Dead were past the drawbridge, making their way towards the guard posts. Denkou looked around, spotting about six enemies, before hearing a man call out:

"You there! We have to keep the stragglers from getting inside the city walls! I trust in the strength of our forces to keep the large chunk of the creatures at bay, but there are bound to be a few that slip through! We cannot let them harm the citizens!"

It didn't seem like the guard was talking to Denkou directly, but it didn't matter. How in the name of the gods did they get in? The thief mused, spotting the lowered drawbridge. Thoughts raced through his mind about who and how and why, but for the moment, the thief attempted to ignore them and focused wholly on the battle. He was still some distance away from the main fight, but that wasn't really a problem.

Feeling the energy flow in his veins, Denkou whipped out one of his trusty daggers, throwing it towards one of the Re-Deads nearing a door. As the blade flew, lightning flew with it, connected through the spell Denkou used all too often...

OOC:

Well, slap my ass and call me a tunasalad, what's going on here?

I'm trying to go for a combination of a thrown Dagger and the Thunder spell, seeing if I can get it to discharge on impact (since the rules here are rather nonexistent about such things, I'm leaving it up to you).

EDIT 1: Holy crap that's more than I thought it would be. Anywho, no idea how often I can post, but I can try to at least put an attack down. I miss you guys.

EDIT 2: Sorry for the holdup, here's some stats:

Denkou
Race: Human
Class: Vagabond/Thief
Level: 18
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Gender: Male
Weapons of choice: Throwing Daggers [x8]

Stats:
HP: 30 + [SPI, Exceptional Health] = 41
SPL: (LV 18 x 2) + 1 (SPI) = 37
STR: 2 + [Goron Strength LV 2] = 4
DEF: 1 + [no modifier]
AGI: 3 + [no modifier]
INT: 3 + [no modifier]
SPI: 1 + [no modifier]

[Talents] (3 unused)
Goron Strength LV 2
Deku Agility 1
Hylian Intelligence 1
Exceptional health 1
Train: Garrote 1

Spells:

Jump L1
Thunder 1

Abilities:
Pick Lock L2
Stealth 1
Pick Pockets 1

That should be correct, but yell at me if I missed something.

OoC: Kasei, can you give me Denkou's Stats/Abilities?

OOC: You'll have to forgive me this short post. I have to leave to go do a quick job here in the next hour, but I also really wanted to get a post to this topic in today.

IC:

Simon Grendel was a devoted apprentice. He was always available whenever Orpheous had work for him to do. He always made sure his schedule was clear of any conflict. After all, he still had much left to learn. Orpheous wasn't necessarily a strict teacher - Simon simply didn't want anything hampering his education.

In whatever leisure time he had when Orpheous wasn't around (or the time off that Orpheous demand Simon take), Simon enjoyed seeing the culture of the town they were currently inhabiting. Sometimes he would just relax and curl up with a nice book, but that was only if he was exceptionally tired.

With Orpheous away, Simon was out seeing the businesses along the main entryway into North Castle as night fell and the shops closed for the evening. Today he didn't really see anything new or eye-catching. Yet, it would seem fortune still favored him when it came to being at the focal point of a crisis.

He was near the wooden doors that marked the last line of defense of the castle. He knew that the drawbridge should be raising soon though, so he wasn't too worried. But it wasn't being raised. He heard a shrill shriek imminent from outside the walls - he had to guess the sound was coming from near the gatehouse. He prepared his staff, and began rushing out to the Greens. He arrived just in time to hear Shem bark orders in his general direction, and he saw two others present who seemed like fighters but not quite like knights.

He didn't have time to try to recollect any of the faces - not of the fighters nor the knights. For sure enough, four opponents made their way in his general direction, and two others worked their way towards the gatehouse. He had to make a swift decision. He rushed the gatehouse doors, and swung his staff in an arc to attempt to strike the head of one of the Redeads - specifically the one that Katsuro was already attacking [Attack - Deku Staff].

OOC: I'll edit this when I return to clean it up and add Simon's stats. Leth, you want to reply before then, Simon's stats are in my profile, amongst other places, although bear in mind they need editing, seeing as how he's level 14 now. Hopefully I'll have it fixed before 8:00 PM Central Standard.

EDIT:

Simon's stats in long form. I'll use a shorter structure for all the following posts.

Simon Grendel

Name: Simon Grendel
Race: Human
Class: Scholar/Scribe
Alignment: Neutral
Level: 14
Gender: Male
Age: Early Twenties
Primary Weapon: Deku Staff
Secondary Weapon: Deku 2H Sword

Stats
STR: (base) 1 + (Goron Strength L2) 2 = 3
DEF: (base) 2 + (racial modifier) 3 = 5
AGI: (base) 1 + (Deku Agility L1) 1 = 2
INT: (base) 3 + (Hylian Intelligence L2) 2 = 5
SPI: (base) 3 + (Garlund Amulet) 3 = 6
HP: (base) 20 + (Exceptional Health L1) 10 + (SPI) 6 = 36
SPL: [(Level x Base Class)] 14 x 3 + (SPI) 6 = 48

Talents (29 out of 31 spent)
Goron Strength L2 - 2
Deku Agility L1 - 1
Hylian Intelligence L2 - 2
Exceptional Health L1 - 1
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

Equipment:
Deku Boomerang
Bomb Bag
Deku Staff
Deku 2H Sword
Scroll of Fire
Scroll of Elemental Burst
Scroll of Life
Scroll of Shield
L1 Tunic
Gerudo Training Gloves

Defense Rating: (DEF) 5 + (Tunic L1) 10 + (AGI) 2 = 17

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 Glove) 1 = 8 (+1 chance to hit)
Bombs: (base) 5 + (STR) 3 = 8
Spell Damage: (Level) 14 + (base class) 3 + (INT) 5 = 22

OoC: I know Nogare expressed interest in this topic to me, but I also know he's been having problems with his computer, so Nogare if you're reading this, feel free to jump in at any time man! Better late than never, ESPECIALLY in HA2!

OoC #2: Kasei, I'm going to assume Denkou is wearing a tunic, so that would give him a +10 DEF modifier

IC:

Just as Katsuro and Simon moved to strike at the undead terrors closing in on the two gatehouses, Denkou's dagger found it's mark.

It was expertly thrown, sinking with a satisfying thunk into the undead flesh of Redead 3, dealing 7 dmg - but that wasn't the end of Denkou's attack. As soon as the dagger hit the redead, arcane lightning coursed through the creature, dealing a whooping 23 more damage, which was more than enough to disintegrate the reanimated monster. Even as the electricity put the redead back to death, the powerful lightning chain-leaped from the one redead to every other monster in the immediate vicinity, killing the other two redead instantly and dealing 23 damage to two of the advancing Gibdos. The other Gibdo was the last to be affected by the lightning, and seeing it's effect on the other monsters, seemed to brace itself in anticipation of the attack and only took 11 damage.

However, it did not see what came next.

Katsuro's expert control over the arcane allowed him to redirect his attack at the last minute- away from the smoking, (and actually lifeless) corpse of his original target, and towards Gibdo 3. The pure energy of the Light Burst proved to be too much for it, overwhelming the mummy and causing it to disappear in a burst of light, never to trouble the realm of the living again.

Simon was able to respond to the swiftly-turning tides of the battle in similar fashion. With only two gibdos remaining, the scribe continued his forward momentum not towards the now re-dead Redead, but towards Gibdo 1. His staff connected heartily with the Gibdo's skull, completely crushing it, and causing the monster to fall to the ground, dead. For real this time.

Only one monster remained in the streets of Castle Town - but it would soon be none. Shem leaped quickly into action, internally stunned at the quick response of this ragtag group that had appeared out of nowhere- but not allowing his surprise to overcome the demands of the situation. He rushed at Gibdo 2, slamming into it shield-first, [Shield Bash L2] causing it to stumble back, completely susceptible to attack. Shem took advantage of the opportunity to thrust his spear straight through the walking corpse - and watched the glow of undead life fade from it's eyes as it collapsed to the ground.

And just like that, the four of them managed to take down 6 creatures in the span of a few seconds - (largely due to some clever spell casting on Denkou's part). Shem turned to the three heroes with no small amount of wonder in his eyes.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing. You three didn't even hesitate in the face of terror - in fact, you met it head on... and completely destroyed it!" He shook his head in amazement. "You might want to stick around for a little while longer... I have a feeling we'll need more of your help before the night is through."

Immediately, almost as if he were prophetic, a horrifying screech rent the air around the four men, causing them to all turn back towards the drawbridge, and see, moving towards them-

Redead x4

Stalchild x2
STR - 2; DEF - 6; AGI - 4; INT - 1; SPI - 6; SPL - 5; HP – 15

And a new monstosity - a creature that appeared to be a redead, but was much larger, and much more terrifying, for it dragged behind it a monstrous sword.

Redead Knight
STR - 6; DEF - 10; AGI - 1; INT -1; SPI - 6; SPL - 1; HP – 40
Redead Sword - A giant, rusty blade from ages past. Base damage: 7
Screech of Terror- Once per turn, a Redead Knight may unleash a terrifying screech that paralyzes all opponents on the battlefield. Unless an Innate Check of 12 is passed, the warriors cannot attack until the following turn (After the Redead Knight in question has had another chance to attack).

The way this new group of monsters moved, it seemed as if two redeads were moving towards each gatehouse door, and the Redead Knight and the two Stalchildren had their sights set on the 4 valiant men standing in the courtyard. Fortunately, they're not close enough to be able to attack immediately, but in a few moments that will change.

Shem redied his spear and glanced at Katsuro, Denkou, and Simon in turn.

"Shall we?"


OoC: The way this is laid out is this: The drawbridge spans the moat surrounding the town. On the town side of the moat is the gate, with useless decorative doors (because you know, in Ocarina of Time, there were no large entrance doors.... they just pulled up the drawbridge. Good enough, I guess.). On each side of the gate is a gatehouse - so two gatehouse each a decent distance apart from each other. So there are three available groups of creatures I can choose from - creatures attacking the north gatehouse, creatures attacking the south gatehouse, and creatures attacking the party. Any area of effect spells/attacks can only affect creatures within that specific group - with the exception of Thunder, of course. There are currently two redeads on course for each gatehouse, and the Redead Knight and its skeleton fodder are moving towards the party.

Make sense?

OoC Edit 1: I also realized I failed to provide the stats of my own character, for whatever that's worth... so here is Shem!

Shem, Level 10 Human Vassal

HP: 71 SPL: 11 DR: 25
STR: 5 DEF: 6(22) AGI: 3 INT: 1 SPI: 1

Deku Spear
Deku Shield
L1 Chainmail

Lv4 Train: Spear
Lv2 shield bash
Honorable Kill
Lv1 Kings Banner
Lv1 Leadership

Spear: 12+5+2 = 19 dmg, +5 cth

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

Simon didn't need Shem to tell him that their help was still needed. While he trusted the knights to do the job needed, he was sure more of the enemy forces would work their way past the drawbridge. Simon had recently come to the conclusion that the drawbridge must have been sabotaged - as a normal usage failure was unlikely to coincide with an undead swarm of this magnitude. If that were the case, there were two distinct possibilities. The knights stationed at North Castle could certainly handle this threat, and any foe who was smart enough to plan the sabotage must have also realized it was only a matter of time before the guards put those bodies back to rest. Likely, this ploy was being used to divert attention to an outside threat while the real action was being carried out elsewhere.

The second possibility Simon formulated was that the mastermind of the plot was seeking to weaken North Castle, if not Hyrule's strength. Attacking while one held the advantage of surprise was perhaps as good of a time as any - especially with a force one knows cannot overcome one's opponents. Perhaps sabotaging the drawbridge was all that commander dared to risk - perhaps there were other traps still. Regardless, the one behind the attack most likely anticipated the horde killing both civilian and military targets. The death of a soldier during a siege, while tragic, could be expected. It will dishearten the enemy to kill one of their knights, and - perhaps more so - the death will lower the number of enemy troops with which they can fight with in the future (both in defensive and offensive maneuvers). The death of a civilian in a military engagement though is generally more demoralizing than the death of a combatant. And, for every dead civilian, that would be more less citizen helping to support Hyrule's needs (especially a potential future war effort). Any deaths that the undead managed to cause would weaken Hyrule's military, economy, and morale.

Simon processed these facts quickly, but also attempted to seek out some other possible explanation. Yet realizing threat there was a chance that the attack could be a distraction, Simon made a mental note to pass this information off to Shem once he say it without shouting it to everybody around him. That would have to wait though. Out of the fray of blades rendering undead flesh that was the battlefield on the other side of the drawbridge came more attackers. He watched as Redeads began their approach to the two gatehouses as their more evolved kin and his skeletal minions approached his comrades and himself. Making the first move, he decided to follow suit of their first tactic. The safety of the gatehouse was the priority. He rushed to the gatehouse north of the gate, and brought his staff down in the hopes to crush one of the Redeads' head [Attack - Deku Staff at Random Redead at North Gatehouse].

OOC: Just thought I'd have Simon try to put some deductions together. Orpheous must have been busy as of late sharpening Simon's theorizing ability. I don't know if he'll be right, obviously (I'm not the moderator of the topic), but he didn't think anything I thought wasn't a valid point. Of course, he's probably just too focused on the worst case scenario.

Katsuro saw the re-dead fall just as he'd released the spell.

Great.

He dropped to a knee and thrust his hands forward, palms out, fingers bent as he tried to steer the spell towards a new target; the man wasn't a fan of wasting his magic reserves. He curved the ball of light energy just enough to drive it directly into a gibdo, the creature outright exploding on impact. Katsuro rose to his feet and made a gun with his thumb and index finger, blowing the smoke from his pantomime gun.

"What's the matter? Afraid of a little light?" He quipped as the group pulled back together after a successful repulsion.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing. You three didn't even hesitate in the face of terror - in fact, you met it head on... and completely destroyed it!

The man cracked his neck and knuckles, "I'm a senior member of The Overwatch. It's what we do." He smiled briefly before his attention turned elsewhere.

You might want to stick around for a little while longer... I have a feeling we'll need more of your help before the night is through."

Katsuro lifted a finger, "Yeah... I was just about to suggest the same..."

Immediately, almost as if he were prophetic, a horrifying screech rent the air around the four men, causing them to all turn back towards the drawbridge, and see, moving towards them- a new monstosity: a creature that appeared to be a redead, but was much larger, and much more terrifying, for it dragged behind it a monstrous sword.

Katsuro lifted his hands to his ears and shut his eyes tightly as the scream ran through his body like an electric current. He opened an eye to analyze the new situation, though it didn't take an eyeful to know the source of that noise.

"Dammit all... I hate it when they do that."

Katsuro eyed the new threat- one he'd seldom seen in his journeys. Not many places one can find a Redead Knight. Much less here in North Castle. "That tears it. This is deliberate for sure."He opened his hand and let a spell begin to take shape in his palm.

"I'll take the loud-mouth. You guys keep those gatehouses safe. We can minimize casualties as long as we work as a cohesive group. Everyone watch each others' backs, and for Goddesses sake, don't stop moving. I don't know how many of you have fought Redead before, but they're tenacious. They're slow, but they never stop. They're an eating machine with little to no pain-inhibitors. That's to say they'll bite clean through your armor or break their teeth trying. Now let's wrap this up before more of them show up- And Shem..." He turned to the knight. "I sure hope your boys are alright up there... If you want to get up there to check on them, we can handle this back here- rest assured."

[Leadership - +3 Agility]

A light spell had been complete and brightly shining for a solid minute now as he'd been talking. He turned and looked at the big clunking zombie. "This thing's been pre-heating just for you..." He said with a stone-cold expression. "Let's dance, ugly." Rather than throwing the ball of light in his hand, he lurched forward an impressive speed and leaped high into the air, bringing the ball of light down with his hand and smashing it directly into the Redead Knight's face with the force of an elemental hurricane.

[Elemental Burst Lv2 - Light]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Katsuro Shadowclaw
64/64 HP IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
28/40 SPL IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
9/9 WILL IIIIIIIII

OOC:

I don't remember if we were able to use Leadership as a non-combat ability like a check. If not, then just choose the attack over the leadership.

<a href= "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbjYLNxCwZ4">[Music: This is gonna hurt]</a>

The thief allowed himself a wide grin as his attack struck its' target, sending a brilliant display of lightning in all directions and wiping out several of the undead monstrosities. Straightening up, Denkou watched as others moved in and finished off the remaining foes. After what was only seconds, the fight was over. "Guess all that worry was for nothing." He mused, before turning to face the others.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing. You three didn't even hesitate in the face of terror - in fact, you met it head on... and completely destroyed it!"

The thief nodded, continuing his wry smile, but couldn't shake the feeling that something was off...Sure enough, almost as soon as Shem was done speaking, a fierce cry rang out, and the Denkou turned to spot a second wave of undead terrors advancing on their position. He quickly surveyed the situation. Seven enemies...two on either door...three more coming our way. He didn't like the look of the sword being carried by what looked like the most powerful of the foes, and made a mental note to avoid it if possible.

Even as the thief was formulating his own attack plan, he saw the others spring into action:

"I'll take the loud-mouth. You guys keep those gatehouses safe. We can minimize casualties as long as we work as a cohesive group."

Almost instantly, another one of the fighters moved to attack the enemies at the northern gatehouse. Which leaves cleanup at the south to me Denkou mused, whipping out another dagger and eying up the enemies. Only two....shouldn't be too hard, but I can only use the big spell so many times...

The thief surveyed the area, looking, perhaps, for cover, or a ladder, some way to get around the Re-deads and attack from an angle they couldn't see. When such a convenient obstacle didn't show itself, Denkou decided to attack from angle they couldn't see, anyway.

Gathering magic in his legs, Denkou crouched down before activating his Jump spell, flying into the air above one of the monsters, dagger at the ready, knowing that when he came down, it would plant itself nicely in the face of one of the horrors.

----------
OOC: Let's play the "Just-how-inventive-can-I-be-with-these-spells?" game.

Denkou:
HP: 41/41
SPL: 23/37
Daggers remaining: 7/8

Updated with post!

OoC:

Let's play the "Just-how-inventive-can-I-be-with-these-spells?" game.

I'm a fan of this game Now, I would think that attacking from a large jump would require a decent amount of aim and control over one's body... so it would be difficult to aim such an attack accurately. However, it would be easier to approach this way without being noticed by the target. Who checks the sky for attackers? So as far as Chance to Hit goes, I think the pros and cons cancel each other out. So no bonus (or penalty) there. However... Falling on someone with a dagger from 15 feet in the air would have a bit more impact than simply swinging at someone. You've got gravity and a fair amount of momentum on your side in that regard. So I think maybe.... +5 damage would suffice?

Done.

I don't remember if we were able to use Leadership as a non-combat ability like a check. If not, then just choose the attack over the leadership.

I'll allow it this time

Also, for some reason I had written that the Redead Knight has an intelligence of 11? Which is not right. It's one. The redead knight has an intelligence of one.

It's really dumb.


.....actually it's really late rn so I'm gonna get my reply up tomorrow. Already rolled up everyone's actions, I just have to type it all up into a story format... which is the lengthy part. So anyway, look forward to that!
I'll simply say... this enemy wave is looking like it's NOT going to be as easy as the first wave

<center>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</center>

EDIT: OoC: Okay, let's get this show on the road!

Important: ZV, I'm seeing a discrepancy between the stats you gave me in your earlier post and the stats you're putting at the bottom of your posts. In the original stat block you said Katsuro had 83 HP and 27 SPL, but in your posts you're saying he has 64 HP and 40 SPL... did you give me the right stat block at the beginning?

Also if 40 is your max SPL, after two Elemental Bursts you'd be left with 28, not 30

IC:

"I'll take the loud-mouth. You guys keep those gatehouses safe. We can minimize casualties as long as we work as a cohesive group. Everyone watch each others' backs, and for Goddesses sake, don't stop moving. I don't know how many of you have fought Redead before, but they're tenacious. They're slow, but they never stop. They're an eating machine with little to no pain-inhibitors. That's to say they'll bite clean through your armor or break their teeth trying. Now let's wrap this up before more of them show up- And Shem..." He turned to the knight. "I sure hope your boys are alright up there... If you want to get up there to check on them, we can handle this back here- rest assured."

Katsuro's words seem to energize the other three men standing nearby, giving them the encouragement they need to stay quick on their feet in this dire circumstance. Shem forced a small smile and said, "My men can handle themselves. Din only knows what horror's they're facing out there - but the people inside these walls need protecting. I'm here with you three, at least for now. These creatures demand our attention."

The others quickly leaped into action - one of them literally so. As Denkou fell out of the sky towards the sourthern gatehouse and the Redeads advancing towards it, the moonlight reflected briefly in the polished metal of a fresh dagger, causing him to appear like a falling star, dooming the creatures below. His momentum caused the dagger to slam into Redead 3 with unprecedented force, dealing 12 Damage- but frighteningly, it didn't even seem to feel the blow, instead turning slowly towards the thief, its dark and empty eye sockets suddenly taking on a deep red glow. With a haunting growl, it lurched forward to take a bit out of Denkou's shoulder - but the thief was too quick, and stepped to the side to let the Redead stumble harmlessly past him. However, Redead 4, unchecked, moved forward and slammed it's body into the South Gatehouse Door - dishing out 4 damage. Cries of fear could be heard from inside the gatehouse as the people hiding there watched the wood begin to splinter.

Simon was as successful as Denkou - at least at first. His staff descended sharply on the decaying head of Redead 1 for 12 damage. However, this redead almost seemd to anticipate Simon's approach, for no sooner had the scribe's staff found it's mark than the redead had turned around, jaw gaping much wider than Simon had ever seen or thought possible for a humanoid creature, and bit down abnormally hard on his arm, dealing 8 damage. (((What can I say? It rolled a natural 20. That's a crit in my book)))

Shem, seeing Redead 2 almost upon the North Gatehouse door, rushed towards it.
"Not on my watch, monster." Shem muttered as he approached the undead creature. Just as he was about to reach the redead, he spun his body around, swinging the butt of his staff with him, sweeping the feet of the redead out from under it. As the redead fell, Shem continued the momentum of his spin, spinning the spear so the blade was now facing outwards, and continued it's path around.
"FOR HYRULE!" Shem bellowed as angled the spearhead up towards the falling body of the redead, cleanly severing it's head from it's body before it could touch the ground.[Honorable Kill] With a thud, the headless carcass hit the stone pavement, never to rise again.

Katsuro's hand - and the brilliant orb of light pulsing above it - hit the Redead Knight with full force. Upon impact, there was a massive explosion of light, and the courtyard was temporarily flooded with a blinding flash. But to Katsuro's dismay, the attack had failed to put the creature down permanently. The impact of the Elemental burst had caused it to stumble back a few steps and sustain 30 damage, but it wasn't quite down for the count. The Redead Knight brought it's head up, it's eyes locking with Katsuro's. With a sickening popping sound, the Redead Knight unhinges it's jaw, causing it to hang gruesomely from bits of rotting flesh, and it inhaled. The sheikah's blood ran cold as he suddenly knew what was about to happen.

Immediately, a blood-curdling scream erupted from the gaping mouth of the Redead Knight, filling the ears of the four men in the courtyard, flooding their thoughts and blocking out all else. The world around them seemed to grind to a halt as the petrifying sound rent the air. Simon and Denkou both fell to the ground, hands around their ears as the sound of terror incarnate filled their heads. Shem and Katsuro, both being a little more experienced in fighting these creatures, just managed to block out the terrifying shriek from their minds and stay focused on the fight at hand. Even after the Redead Knight closed it's mouth, the courtyard echoed with the sound, fear hanging in the air. Simon and Denkou would need a moment to recover. [Screech of Terror - Simon & Denkou stunned for 1 round]

Fortunately, Katsuro had managed to keep his wits about him in the face of such a terrifying sound, and saw the two Stalchildren coming towards him. However, it was possible the blast of Light from the sheikah's earlier attack had blinded the Stalchildren, for they seemed to just be aimlessly wandering about, flailing their arms wildly. Katsuro easily moved out of their way, and they only succeeded in running into each other, doing absolutely no damage to anything at all.

This was no respite, however. Looking around, there were still two Redead to dispatch at the South Gatehouse, one redead grappling with Simon at the North Gatehouse, and the Redead Knight - all very real threats. With Simon and Denkou still paralyzed with fear as a result of the mind-numbing screech, things were beginning to look grim for the four heroes.



<center>~Round Results~</center>
North Gatehouse:
Shem: 71/71 HP, 11/11 SPL, 9 Will, AGI Boost 2 more rounds, Shield Bash cooldown: 1, Honorable Kill cooldown: 2
Simon: 28/36 HP, 48/48 SPL, 9 Will, STUNNED 1 TURN, AGI boost 2 more rounds
Redead 1: 8/20 HP
Redead 2: DEAD
Door 1: 10/10 HP

South Gatehouse:
Denkou: 41/41 HP, 23/37 SPL, 9 Will, STUNNED 1 TURN, AGI boost 2 more rounds
Redead 3: 8/20 HP
Redead 4: 20/20 HP
Door 2: 6/10 HP

Courtyard:
Katsuro: 64/64 HP (?), 28/40 SPL (?), 9 Will, AGI boost 2 more rounds, Leadership cooldown: 5
Redead Knight: 10/40 HP
Stalchild 1: 15/15 HP
Stalchild 2: 15/15 HP

Simon Grendel
STR-3; DEF-5; AGI-5(+); INT-5; SPI-6; HP-28/36; SPL-48; WILL-9
DMG
Deku Staff: (base) 9 + (STR) 3 = 12
Deku 2H Sword: (base) 14 + (STR) 3 = 17 (-2 chance to hit)
Deku Boomerang: (base) 4 + (STR) 3 + (Gerudo Training Gloves) 1 = 8 (+1 chance to hit)
Bomb: (base) 5 + STR (2) = 7
Spell Damage: (Level) 14 + (base class) 3 + (INT) 5 = 22
Equipment
Deku Boomerang
Bomb Bag
Deku Staff
Deku 2H Sword
L1 Tunic
Gerudo Training Gloves
Abilities
Train: 2H Sword L1 - 3
Train: Boomerang L2 - 4
Learn: Elemental Burst L2 - 4
Learn: Life L1 - 2
Epic Poem L2 - 3
Learn: Shield L1 - 1
The Quill is Mightier than the Sword L1 - 2
Speak: Gerudic L1 - 1
Master of Linguistics L1 - 1
Learn: Fire L1 - 2
Defense Rating
(DEF) 5 + (L1 Tunic) 10 + (AGI) 5(+) = 20(+)

Simon felt a bit cocky after hitting his next target - and he was swimming in happiness. Normally he wouldn't have this much luck with physical attacks. Maybe he was becoming more capable. Then again, Redeads were slow foes, and he was feeling particularly motivated by Katsuro's speech. He didn't have much more time to mull over how to feel though, because soon he could feel a very sudden pain in his arm, and it was clear he'd allowed himself to get distracted. He had literally forgotten about the Redead until it sunk its teeth into his arm. He was trying very hard now to remember if Redeads could carry illnesses he could potentially contract after contact. He reeled back in pain, and thought he could hear the sound of a bone being dislocated followed by an ominous intake of breath. And in that moment, he processed what was about to befall him.

Then came the screech. The cry of dead so chilling to the soul that it could freeze hardened veterans where they stood. Simon immediately collapsed to the ground, his hands working fiercely to keep the sound from his ears. He pressed against the sides of his face where the ears lay he thought he was going to crush his skull.

Soon, it wasn't the Redead he was hearing. He was back, that some odd decade ago. He was home, hiding from the angry men outside. Neil Kipley, the old man who worked at the general store who always gave Simon sweets when he saw him, was across the street.

"You can't keep abusing our hospitality. There's no threat around here anymore. You can go back to staying in your camp to the north-east." Kipley spoke with a tone of defiance in his voice. A grumbling of replies from the mob behind him seemed to generally agree.

"Yeah, Corporal Evans is making my daughters uncomfortable!"

"We've been housing you and doing your laundry, and none of you have given a word of thanks."

One I of his soldiers spoke up, Simon thought it might have been Lieutenant Captain Litchmann. "Oh, is that what you think? Maybe I think you lot need to show a little respect. We're out there risking our lives to keep you filth breathing in here." There was a sound of open hand hitting a face. Witnesses would later claim Litchmann struck a private from his squad. "I think that you just assaulted a Hylian Knight."

"No, please no!" cried Kipley.

"And I think you've earned yourself a suitable punishment. Evans, get me the whip and take this man to the lashing post. Twenty should be just fine. The rest of you, I believe we need to perform a training exercise. It's such a shame you have all those flammable goods in your store, Mr. Kipley. Aren't you worried about this exercise getting out of hand. Maybe a lantern could get knocked over."

Kipley was being carted off; Simon could hear the sound of his limp, hopeless form being unceremoniously dragged across the cobblestone square. He managed enough strength for a bewildered reply. "I don't carry any flammables."

"Oh, you don't? We'll see," and Simon could just imagine the wicked, knowing smile form on Litchmann's face. There was rustling about for a great time, and eventually the sound halted. That's when Simon could hear the cracks of the whip start up. The lieutenant called out the number of each strike. All twenty-five. "Five more for insubordination," he commented after he had delivered the twentieth would-be final lash.

Kipley cried out with each crack of the whip, and Simon could see in his mind's eye the flesh being rendered from the body. He wanted to make the image go away, but more images followed. Kipley forced to his knees - a tired old man - begging with his posture for the pain to end and Litchmann looking deeply unmoved by the plight before him that he himself created.

After the lashing stopped, Kipley sobbed for a bit. Eventually the sobbing stopped. There was a short silence; then, a horse rode up. He was mounted upon it. "Well, you killed him, Lieutenant. Congratulations," the voice was mocking to even his own subordinate. "Kipley's dead and now look at that mob all around you. Do you think we can go back to North Castle now? Hmm, the famous soldiers from the Tantari campaign? No. Finish what you started; kill the ungrateful dissidents."

That evening screams echoed throughout the village of Galfin. In the morning, sixty percent of the inhabitants were dead, including his parents, and the knights were nowhere to be found. Simon was hearing them all again, the screams of his people: the tailor, the milkman, the baker, his neighbors, even some of his classmates and friends. To hear your parents being murdered, no child should ever have to hear such a thing.

As he lay in the North Castle Courtyard, the pressure from his hands pressed against his ears making his head hurt, Simon Grendel wept.

Leth wrote: Important: ZV, I'm seeing a discrepancy between the stats you gave me in your earlier post and the stats you're putting at the bottom of your posts. In the original stat block you said Katsuro had 83 HP and 27 SPL, but in your posts you're saying he has 64 HP and 40 SPL... did you give me the right stat block at the beginning?

Also if 40 is your max SPL, after two Elemental Bursts you'd be left with 28, not 30

Correct you are, the SPL. However the stats in my sig are still Dogura's stats. You can see the updated Katsuro in the bottom of my profile. His stats are copied and pasted here.

Also, Jesus Christ, Orpherous.

IC:

The ball of light connected perfectly, the screech of the monster all the payment the man required. He then saw the creature's mouth hang open, and watched the chest of the redead expand, its rotting lungs filling with air. Katsuro rolled his eyes and dropped his shoulders, still hanging off of the redead's shoulder with one hand.

"Nayru's love, I hate these things..." He whined as he kicked off of the creature and covered his ears, a small bit of magic pouring over his hands. The sounds of battle faded away. The screams of men, the clash of weapons, the moans of zombies; all of it was drowned out completely by the minor muffle spell Katsuro had applied to his ears.

... And even still, the unhallowed shriek of the reanimated carcass that towered over him rang through his bones with heavy vibrations that rattled him to the core. He took a step back and forced his eyes open.

I can't let this thing impair my senses. There's too much going on- I can't afford to fail here.

When he was certain the terrible earth-shattering screech had drained the monster of breath, he uncovered his ears, letting the remaining ounces of magic slip off of his hands. He reached around his back and pulled his sword from its slumber.

The Phantom Blade glowed ominously, cutting the fog and darkness around him away with its radiance. He heard the rattle of bones behind him and caught another bit of movement out of the corner of his eye- two stalchildren attempting to ambush him together.

"Well, this is surprisingly well thought out for you guys... Might have worked on a child." He said, keeping his comedic tone in the thick of it all; something he'd definitely inherited from the arrogance of his father. He let the two of them draw close before dropping into the shadows, the bonk of their heads a fitting reward as he propelled himself through the inky blackness. His eyes moved swiftly around the battlefield, noting every position of his comrades. Shem was expertly dispatching a redead, which was a welcome bit of news. The man seemed to be handling himself well. His eyes searched rapidly for the other two men who'd been conscripted during the chaos.

His eyes landed on Simon, who was doubled over on the ground, his hands smashed against his head.

Dammit... The scream hit him with full decibels... This is my fault.

He turned his attention up to the Redead Knight, which was regaining its grip on its weapon after blowing its lungs out. The man turned himself over, floating chest up as he removed his shield from his back, strapping it to his left arm and gripping the handle. His vengeful eyes narrowed at the beast.

You might not be a spirit- the kind of work my blade was made for...

He suddenly rocketed forward, shooting out of the ground at a high speed. He flung himself high into the air under the pale moon's glow, "BUT THIS THING IS STILL DAMN SHARP, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!" He dropped from the sky, swinging his blade in a perfect downward arc that would garner applause even from the hero who perfected the attack. He plummeted down upon the creature, his razor-sharp edge on a crash course for its neck.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Katsuro Shadowclaw
64/64 HP IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
28/40 SPL IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
9/9 WILL IIIIIIIII

OOC: I came here for storytelling, Orpheous gave me feels...

IC:
...

OOC: Can't really do anything and time is kicking my ass, this counts as my stunned turn!

OoC: ZV, I would like to note that you rolled a 3 for your attack roll..... and it was STILL enough to hit the redead knight. Without the Leadership boost.

I think I'm gonna tweak them a bit, in case you guys run into another one. Got a better idea for their scream mechanic anyway; something more zelda-like.

Anyway.

IC:


The Redead Knight's ragged breath could be heard as it began inhaling to let out another soul-freezing scream, but it was cut short with a gurgle as Katsuro's blade came down upon it, slicing a huge gash straight down the middle of it's body. It let out a mangled moan as it fell over, lifeless. It's blade clattered loudly on the ground behind it as it slipped from the Redead's grasp. One down... five more to go.

Over at the North Gatehouse, Redead 1 took advantage of Simon's immobility to get in another attack. In true Redead fashion, the creature lurched forward to grab him in a ghastly embrace, and chomped down on his shoulder - but the Scholar's armor must have been made of stern stuff, for the Redead was unable to penetrate it and dealt a grand total of 0 damage.

Shem, wanting to save the immobile Scribe from the terrible fate that had befallen him, thrust his spear forward at Redead 1 in an attempt to knock the monster off of Simon's back. The blade of his spear neatly cut right through the creature's body, pushing it off of Simon and killing the redead for good. (((It was actually going to miss, but then I remembered to factor in the Leadership boost! Good on you, ZV!)))

At the South Gatehouse, Redead 3 - seeing how vulnerable Denkou was at the moment - also tried its luck at attacking the thief once more. This time, however, it's luck was considerably bad. When Denkou had fallen to the ground, clutching his ears, he had dropped his dagger - and the Redead stepped right onto it. The dagger slid out from under the creature's feet, causing it to faceplant into the Courtyard pavement. The whole ordeal ended up costing it 1 whole point of damage - whether from the dagger underfoot or the harsh fall was unclear - but that managed to hurt it just enough that the Thief would have no trouble taking it down for good, once he regained his senses. (((And that right there was a Crit Fail, ladies and gentlemen. 1's and 20's are so much fun to play with.)))

Redead 4, it's focus still unbroken, continued to pound away at the wooden door, dealing another 4 damage. If this continued, the door certainly would not last much longer. There were now small chunks of the door that had splintered away and fallen apart. The redead paused just a moment to look through one such hole at the terrified citizens huddled inside - which proved to be a terrible mistake. In response, Knight 2 - who was inside the gatehouse guarding the civilians - thrust his sword through the same hole, stabbing the redead directly in the eye and dealing 9 damage. The redead immediately pulled back, as if enraged, single-mindedly focused on tearing that door off it's hinges. Someone had to do something, and quick.

The two Stalchildren, however, continued to bumble around. Stalchild 1 meandered aimlessly away in the opposite direction from the young Shadowclaw, arms flailing harmlessly, nowhere close to hurting anything. Shalchild 2 seemed to at least have regained it's vision in the wake of the blinding light attack, for it came almost directly at Katsuro, but he was easily able to step out of reach of the small skeleton's tiny arms.

In that moment, the echo of the horrible Redead Screech finally faded from the minds of Simon and Denkou, allowing their thoughts to return to them. And good thing, too - there were still plenty of undead to deal with, and urgently. The screams of the civilians in the South Gatehouse was plenty proof of that.


<center>~Round Results~</center>
North Gatehouse:
Shem: 71/71 HP, 11/11 SPL, 9 Will, AGI Boost 1 more round, Shield Bash cooldown: 0, Honorable Kill cooldown: 1
Simon: 28/36 HP, 48/48 SPL, 9 Will, AGI boost 1 more round
Redead 1: DEAD
Redead 2: DEAD
Door 1: 10/10 HP

South Gatehouse:
Denkou: 41/41 HP, 23/37 SPL, 9 Will, AGI boost 1 more round
Redead 3: 7/20 HP
Redead 4: 11/20 HP
Door 2: 2/10 HP

Courtyard:
Katsuro: 64/64 HP, 28/40 SPL, 9 Will, AGI boost 1 more round, Leadership cooldown: 4
Redead Knight: DEAD
Stalchild 1: 15/15 HP
Stalchild 2: 15/15 HP

Simon Grendel
STR-3; DEF-5; AGI-5(+); INT-5; SPI-6; HP-28/36; SPL-48; WILL-9
DMG
Deku Staff: (base) 9 + (STR) 3 = 12
Deku 2H Sword: (base) 14 + (STR) 3 = 17 (-2 chance to hit)
Deku Boomerang: (base) 4 + (STR) 3 + (Gerudo Training Gloves) 1 = 8 (+1 chance to hit)
Bomb: (base) 5 + STR (2) = 7
Spell Damage: (Level) 14 + (base class) 3 + (INT) 5 = 22
Equipment
Deku Boomerang
Bomb Bag
Deku Staff
Deku 2H Sword
L1 Tunic
Gerudo Training Gloves
Abilities
Train: 2H Sword L1 - 3
Train: Boomerang L2 - 4
Learn: Elemental Burst L2 - 4
Learn: Life L1 - 2
Epic Poem L2 - 3
Learn: Shield L1 - 1
The Quill is Mightier than the Sword L1 - 2
Speak: Gerudic L1 - 1
Master of Linguistics L1 - 1
Learn: Fire L1 - 2
Defense Rating
(DEF) 5 + (L1 Tunic) 10 + (AGI) 5(+) = 20(+)

Simon came out of her horror-filled daze rather slowly. The tears were coming to a close though. He pushed himself off of the cold pavement to see Shem standing near him with his spear pointed in his general direction. This was shocking enough to draw his glance back to the tip of the spear. And then he saw that Shem had killed a redead that must have - by logic - been on him while he was dazed.

Of course, Shem was still wearing that chainmail. In that moment, he looked so much like a knight. Simon readied his staff which had fallen beside him, and was preparing to bring it to bear on Shem, but then he clarity returned to him - and his tears stopped.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, mumbling because he was so embarrassed. "I have a bad history with Hyrule's military. Seeing you while I was still coming out of that terror induced fit surprised me. And, I have the feeling I wanted to tell you something, but I'm having trouble - ah, now I remember." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "There is a chance that this attack could be a distraction while something more sinister is being carried out somewhere else - maybe even within our very walls. It would be the perfect way to keep the knights in the city occupied."

With that, he felt his briefing was done, and before waiting for an answer, he rushed over to the South Gatehouse. He was stumbling from the effects of that prior scream, but it was better than being collapsed on the cobblestone. Running the last bit of the way, to get the momentum he wanted, he brought his trusty weapon down on the more resilient of the two redeads [Attack - Deku Staff at Redead 4 at South Gatehouse].

OOC: You don't have to take my advice, Leth, but I was thinking about what you said about the Redead Knight. It makes sense that undead enemies would have low defense ratings. Most of them aren't armored, their flesh is either rotting or non-existent, and they move about as slow as molasses. I could understand increasing base defense - that's always an option, or maybe even agility (albeit increasing it anymore than one or two points probably wouldn't make much sense). But I think that the fix for making an undead enemy into a tank would be to have it possess enough health that it can afford to soak in attacks - not necessarily avoid or negate them. Although, that being said, the most logical threat and the best course of action to have them pose the greatest challenge would be sheer numbers. That's usually what would make the redead and their kin so deadly. That being said though, I understand that we're only fighting residual forces now of what sneaks out of the main field of battle. And, I really like how you're making the waves seemingly progressively harder, rather than just dump all the numbers on us at once. I'm not telling you how to run the topic, but I am curious of you'll give us another objective at all, like another location to defend or something to that regard.