Fantasy A Name for all Things (Closed)

[JacobLG]

You are led through the winding woods behind a shabbily dressed man, his attire consisting of deer skins, a bear pelt, and wyvern scale-plate which your keen eye picked up early on in your travels with Lars. Lars had led you through the thick forests of Kaa'seui with expert knowledge. When it seemed to you that you had been going in circles, Lars knew that the path the two of you were on had led you around the major creature nests and helped you avoid the densest parts of the forest.

He stopped abruptly now, holding up a hand with two fingers. His hand went to his purse and from it he revealed a blue gem that had darker speckles within its form. From your time with Lars, which now numbered more span than you knew how to count, you knew that this was a sight gem and judging from the fading color, it was nearing the end of its life. He took the gem in his left hand and raised it up slightly. Within the same moment, his eyes went from a normal brown hue with white sclera to a full-on blue. His eyes seemed to glow as he was caught in the gem's spell, but only for no longer than half a minute. He came out of the spell, immediately blinking in response, lifting his hand to rub both eyes. When he turned back to face you, his eyes had resumed their normal hue.

"Brood Mother an' her broodlins' up 'head. No way 'round, either," Lars informed shaking his head. He then reached into his pocket and produced another gem of a fiery-red color before reaching out and placing the gem in your hand. "Put it in yer sword's pommel. The damn Broods all hate a bit o' flame," Lars instructed, turning and heading down the path in silent steps now. You follow close behind, fitting the fiery-colored gem into the pommel of your sword as instructed.

Eventually, you approach a clearing about 20 arm-lengths by arm-20 lengths. In the center of the clearing, a shallow-looking pool bubbles continuously. The liquid in the pool of water is thick and viscous like sludge though, so the bubbles rise and don't pop for a few moments. Something definitely wasn't right here. You look to Lars for advice but find that his face held none of the friendly contortions is usually did. He was looking to you to handle this.

 

[Venom Adhamm]

I screw the gem into the pommel and approach the disgusting pool, though stopping a good distance from it.
"They in there?" I ask, pointing towards the pool and not waiting for an answer as I sheathe my sword in my belt for the moment. Rather not get too close to that sludge if I can't see beneath the surface, and I doubt Lars is willing to be bait.

Need to draw them out if they're in the pool. After a moment of thought, I take out a wooden crossbow bolt and scrape its tip along the blade of my sword to set it alight. Once the bolt's lit, I load it into my crossbow and fire it at the pool in an attempt to draw out the creatures.

 

[JacobLG]

The bolt putters into the sludge-like water, sending thick ripples across its surface. There was a moment's pause, one of anticipation and slight fear, but nothing happened. When you turned back to Lars, you saw a questionable look printed on his face as well, one of his gray and bushy eyebrows raised. "Broodlins' been agitated before, I'd as much guess. This make things a leetle more dangerous," Lars grimaced, stepping forward to stand next to you near the edge of the pool. "Light te' brush 'round it on fire, should draw te' out," Lars advised, donning a bracelet that contained a fiery-red gem, much like the one he'd given you.

 

[Venom Adhamm]

I nod, holstering my crossbow.
"Haven't even come out yet and they're already getting to be a pain in the ass," I say as I draw my sword and walk around the left side of the pool, running my blade through the brush to set it ablaze. As I go, I keep my eyes focused for the most part on the pool, ready to attack as soon as I see signs of something about to emerge.

 

[JacobLG]

You light the brush around the pool aflame, waiting for signs of reaction. Within a few heartbeats, you feel the ground beneath your feet start to move. You take a step back in reaction and within a moment's notice a broodling emerges from the ground in a fit of panic and fury. It was an averagely-sized one, its body resembling that of a flea with eight legs and it was black and dark maroon in color. It was a horrid looking thing, four pincers coming from the mouth of the creature that were sharp and menacing. Despite the ugly and all-beit frightening look of the creature, its fat body and short legs made it move at a less alarming pace toward you. However, once you looked up, you saw many moving out of the sludge pool in a swarm toward you and Lars, at least thirty or forty already. Luckily, the brush fire you lit was already playing in your favor, many of the dim-witted broodlings catching aflame and running back in the direction of the pool.

There was no time to relish the small victory though, as the swarm was massive and the situation was quickly growning out of control. You catch a glance at Lars, whose usually calm face had a hint of worry plastered on it. He had taken a step back and was casting a pure stream of fire toward the stream of broodlings that seemed unending.

Desptite all this commotion, the Brood Mother had yet to reveal herself.

 

[Venom Adhamm]

They aren't moving too fast, so I haven't got much to worry about. Killing enough of them should draw out the Brood Mother. Rather not risk using up this gem before she appears though. I sheathe my sword and quickly draw my wooden spear, lighting its tip on the brush fire and holding my ground as I attempt to use my flaming spear to keep the broodlings at bay by stabbing out at them and setting them alight.

 

[JacobLG]

You stab at the broodlings, embedding your spear in three or four before your spear breaks off in one of their carcasses, rendering your weapon now useless. By now, the broodlings were swarming and there was easily at least fifty or sixty converging on you and Lars while another forty or fifty ran off toward the pool thanks to Lars's fire magic. You were pushed back to the edge of the clearing now, the dense trees blocking your path. A few come close to surrounding you, but Lars directs a cone of flames in front of you, keeping them at bay for now.

You look and catch a quick glimpse and see that Lars is also in a precarious situation, some of the broodlings forcing their way past his defensive barrier of licking flames only to be practically punted across the clearing by the older man. You were quickly being overrun, and to make matters worse, you felt the ground beneath you rock slightly. The Broodmother was surfacing.

Casting your eyes to the pool now, a haunting figure rose from it, the thick water sliding off its skin in clumps, almost like mud. The figure had six arms and a face devoid of any features other than the three slashes where the mouth should be. It kept rising out of the water, easily towering seven, maybe eight feet tall, slender and limber. The creature was entirely black in color, save the molten-red streaks that ran through its form like veins.

 

[Venom Adhamm]

As I see the Broodmother rise from the pool, I drop my broken spear to the ground and draw my sword. Taking a deep breath, I grab one of the dead carcasses near me, then rush forward towards the pool, slashing in wide horizontal arcs at the broodlings in my path. As I reach the pool, I stop and throw the dead broodling at the Broodmother to catch her attention.

"Hey! Hurry up and get over here! I've got places to be!" I call out to the Broodmother, getting ready to dodge any attacks that come near me.

 

[JacobLG]

The Broodmother bats the Broodling's carcass from the air with one hand, advancing toward you in a few brisk paces, claws extending on command from its six arms. It attacks in a lightning-fast manner once about six or seven paces from you, attacking with it's right arms in an arching motion, intending to make quick work of you.

Oddly enough, the many broodlings scattered from around you, turning and heading for Lars instead. They gave the Broodmother a wide birth in doing so, the small creatures fearful of their ruler.

 

[Venom Adhamm]

As soon as I see the Broodmother get close, I try to dive out of the way of her attack. Immediately upon hitting the ground, I spring up onto my feet.
"Lars, wait there, I'll be right back!" I call out as I draw one of my bolts and throw it at the Broodmother. Once I'm sure her attention is on me, I sprint off from the open area around the pool and towards the surrounding woods where I should stand a better chance at fighting.

 

[JacobLG]

The Broodmother is exceptionally quick on her feet, now having been engaged in combat. You do successfully dive out of the way, coming to your feet quickly. However, before you can even make way toward the woods or even throw a bolt at her, the Broodmother swings in again at you.

 

[Venom Adhamm]

She's fast for such a large creature. I begin backing up towards the woods, keeping my eyes on her. As soon as I see her start her attack, I swing my blade in a diagonal arc towards her attacking arms, hoping to slice or burn them off before they can hit me.

 

[JacobLG]

You swing your sword and cut through one of the three swinging arms with ease, however the next two swinging in stop your sword soundly. The effect of the parry sends ripples of stinging pain up your arm after such a sudden stop, but your parry does effectively stop the Broodmother's attacks for the moment. You back up toward the trees now, only a few paces from them when you witness something almost unbelievable. Right before your eyes about twenty or thrity of the Broodlings break off from their attack on Lars and head straight for the Broodmother. They crawl up her legs only to be... absorbed? It was like they morphed into her skin in a disturbing fashion of bubling and oozing pus, and the whole process was enough to make the common man hurl. As more and more of them became one with her, you witnessed her arm regrow at an alarming pace, nearly as before by the time she reaches you. Regenerative powers, you remember keenly. If the Broodmother had access to her young, she was nearly impossible to kill.

Oddly enough, once only a few paces from you, she stood solemnly and with a disturbingly calm posture, those slits in her face observing you and waiting for your next move.

 

[Venom Adhamm]

I hold my swordarm in pain, falling to one knee for a moment, as I observe the Broodlings merging with their mother. Definitely need to get her away from that pool now. Slowly, I stand up and stare down the Broodmother, glaring at the slits of her face from the slit of my helmet.

"You're a real pain, you know," I tell her as I draw a bolt and light the tip on fire with my blade. Taking in a deep breath, I turn and sprint into the woods. As I run, I throw the flaming bolt into the brush behind me, but not directly into the path of the Broodmother. If I'm lucky, she'll get into the woods and be trapped by the fire, unable to escape from me.

 

[JacobLG]

You turn to flee into the woods but realize quickly that it would be a futile effort; the woods of Kaa'seui are so dense and winding that you'd be lucky to make it five arm lengths before coming to a dead end.

 

[Venom Adhamm]

(I'd still like for Sif to continue with his action. His intention was never to get deep into the woods and hide, just to force the Broodmother out from the open into a denser and wooded area.)

 

[JacobLG]

You make it into the woods a little ways, the way being cramped and uncomfortable before making it to an insurpassable blockage of intertwining trees. The Broodmother pursues, but hesitantly, stalking at the edge of the treeline before going into the woods against her better judgement.

(Second post coming with rolls regarding whether or not the fire spreads.)

 

[JacobLG]

The fire of your bolt pitters at first, but manages to relight again and catch fire to the brush, spreading slowly. Maybe this was for the best, as the Broodmother doesn't take notice.

 

[Venom Adhamm]

(Sorry for the delay.)

While the Broodmother hesitates at the treeline, I use that time to climb up one of the intertwining trees. Once at the top, I take a breath, the turn to face the Broodmother as she makes her approach. I wait for her, and when she's close enough, I leap onto her from the tree, attempting to slash at one of her molten-red veins.

 

[JacobLG]

(Don't worry about it. Sometimes I'll be on a mini hiatus too.)

The Broodmother dumbfoundedly follows you into the brush and, when the moment is right, you leap from the tree, sword in hand. The momentum of the blow effectively carries you downward and, when the Broodmother raises all six arms to shield her face, you find that your sword slices through three of them with ease, leaving her with two right arms and a single left one.

The brush fire was spreading very slowly now, but Lars catches on to your idea and leaps over his wall of flames to quickly set the brush behind the Broodmother alight. While this does lock you in with the large beast, you're definitely at the advantage. For one, she has lost three of her claw-wielding arms, and two, she is at much more of a disadvantage in the close-quartered spaces. She now backs away slightly, distancing herself from you an armlength or two, waiting on your move.

 

[Venom Adhamm]

"You're backing away?" I ask, looking up at the Broodmother. She doesn't have anywhere to go, and the reach of her claws is useless if I get in close and stay close. That's right... She's finished if I just swarm her
"It's useless, you're trapped. Don't you understand? Even a brainless beast like you must understand..." I say, holding my sword with both hands and rushing towards her left side.

"It's useless! I'm going to tear off your arms!" I shout as I slice at her remaining left arm, then continue pressing forward, not allowing her any space as I try to continue my assault against the main part of her body.

 

[JacobLG]

Just as you dart forward, the Broodmother makes her own attack in the same instance, charging forward her two right arms and their sharp claws faced toward you in a last-ditch effort.

 

[Venom Adhamm]

As I see her wind up her attack, I shift and pivot my feet, turning my torso and redirecting the momentum of my strike towards her right arms instead, attempting to slice them off as they come near me.

 

[JacobLG]

You successfully dodge most of the blows force, the claws scraping through your armor to leave some relatively light gashes across your chest. You attempt to bring in your own attack and attempt to cut the Broodmother's arms clean off, however you find that the awkward footing and hit you took yourself coalesce to throw-off your well-aimed blow which cuts easily through the thick air of Kaa'seui's swampy forests.

The two exchanged blows leave both of you in awkward positioning. The Broodmother's most recent attack has left her back visible to you for a brief moment and you yourself were left minorly wounded and on awkward footing as a result.

(So sorry for the long wait.)

 

[Venom Adhamm]

I back up after the clash, touching my chest where I was hit, using the time the Broodmother's back is turned to catch my breath and regain my stamina. She's definitely in a worse state than me at this point and doesn't have an easy way out of here.

"Hey, you know, it's not too late to just walk into the fire and give up," I suggest to the Broodmother as I begin to ready my sword for my next attack.