The Vale of Shadow

NathreeDe'Shezbron · Post by **NathreeDe'Shezbron** » Sun Mar 07, 2010 8:50 am

((Works for me. School was a bundle of joy. Should be back for good for a long time now.))

Zazzt flew ahead of the group. He enjoyed solitary travel, despite the entertainment he had from the group. They were a good bunch, if some young and inexperienced, or so they believed. But he knew that in a tight spot, there were few people he would have preferred to fight by him. However, his musings were disrupted by motion out of the corner of his eye. Considering he was a good hundred feet in the air, but invisible to boot, that was enough to snap him fully to the present. Just in time too, as a bolder easily twice as big, and multiple times as heavy, streaked for him. Zazzt had just enough time to dodge it, before he spotted a large head amongst the tree tops. Closer inspection revealed multiple, including one who followed him wherever he went. Oh gods, Zazzt thought, a cleric giant. The last part was relayed back to Inri mentally, and he hoped he had gotten the message clearly enough before he was forced to dodge another boulder, and dove under the trees, hoping to be hidden.

Zekafae · Post by **Zekafae** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 1:40 am

When the horse finished he got up onto the horse after grabbing her arm. Settling some on the animal he patted it's flank some. Shrugging as he heard them he spoke." When you've had a few careers in your life, and most involve hunting others, you sometimes get creative." Looking around he raised a hand" You hear something?"

veraka · Post by **veraka** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 2:39 am

Veraka noted Zek's hand rise up and immediately started tuning his senses to pick up any trace of disturbance within the immediate vicinity.
[i:172fj18k]I sense that our monk friend, Zazzt, is under attack[/i:172fj18k] Aurora said, expanding her thoughts to Veraka.

NathreeDe'Shezbron · Post by **NathreeDe'Shezbron** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 3:28 am

Zazzt, shook his head, now that he knew where the giants were, and they did not know where he was, he had time to prepare. Their attack was brutal, and unexpected, but ultimately useless. They had given away their position without even injuring him. Zazzt quickly cast a spell that let him communicate with Inrii, and quickly told her the situation, "I was ambushed by giants. Nasty buggers, managed to pin me down. Take necessary precautions, I might need you." He kept the spell active, but didn't say any more, his attention turned fully on the group of giants, almost half a dozen, including the cleric. Zazzt decided to focus on that one, and yelling a word that was all he needed for the spell, a streak of fire and lightning took the cleric's head. Zazzt just had enough time to curl up in a ball as a club expertly knocked him out of the air, into a tree trunk, a blow that had easily shattered ribs, but Zazzt's wards were hard at work repairing the damage.

Inriiaynrae Jaelre · Post by **Inriiaynrae Jaelre** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 3:40 am

[i:vjbfcufy]giants [/i:vjbfcufy]she signed, then remembered Vekaka. "giants, ahead. follow me."
then speaking to Zekafae, "hang on tight..."
she nudged the horse hard and it suddenly took off where Zazzt firespell indicated. the horse ran swift and smooth zigging thru the trees. Inrii controled his movement well with her legs and arms.
As she neared the spot, and unable to draw her sword, she pulled out Dancing Shiv, her magical dagger. The horse turned sharp around a bush of thorns to a club smacking Zazzt.

Zekafae · Post by **Zekafae** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 4:11 am

Hearing her he nodded and spoke" get us into the trees, I'll head for the higher route and see if I can snipe from above." It was just as he said that he saw the club and muttered." I'd rather fight dragons." Reaching up as they went, he grabbed a branch and pulled himself up and off of the horse" Be careful." Was all he said before clambering up into the trees. Getting high enough he wrapped his leg around the narrowing trunk of the tree to stabalize himself. Taking the bow off of his back, he notched an arrow and waited as the trees swayed and groaned in protest from the movements of the giants. He already mapped his way down and through the trees. As he caught sight of one of them, he took aim pulling the string back and soon released. He'd release a couple more in rapid succession to draw attention away from the others. Dropping down he'd quickly move to descend and work to get himself to jump to a nearby tree. It was risky, but he loved playing with his "prey" like this. Whether the arrows hit or not, he'd continue the hit and run tactics.

Inriiaynrae Jaelre · Post by **Inriiaynrae Jaelre** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 4:25 am

As Zekafae lept up, she turned sharp again, and slipped around a cluster of trees. She cast a globe of invulnerability around her quickly. Then her hands went thru the correct motions and soon a lightning bolt burst from her hands at a giant followed by an acid arrow.

NathreeDe'Shezbron · Post by **NathreeDe'Shezbron** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 4:35 am

The arrows hit, each taking a giant in the face. But they might have missed, for all the attention the behemoths paid them. The group instead converse around a tall male, who weilded an ornate club easily as tall as he. Obviously he was the leader. By this time, Zazzt had recovered from his wounds, and was running towards the middle of the circle. He easily dodged all attacks that were launched his way. He seemed inten only on that single giant, ignoring all the opportunities the other giants afforded him to counterattack. As he ran, his hands flashed through motions for an arcane spell, and when he finished, his left hand was surrounded in a sheathe of pure magical energy, the flames burned white hot, and lightnings surged ou of his stiffened fingers. The giant saw the attack, and smiling wickedly, stepped forward, challenging the racing drow. However, his smile vanished, as Zazzt dissappeared mid stride, and now stood on the creature's shoulder. Zazzt lunged, the magical power in his hand screeching with power, but the giant moved it's head, and with a shrug of his shoulder, threw Zazzt off. He was launched straight at Veraka, the energy of his spell still held in check by Zazzt's will.

veraka · Post by **veraka** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 6:31 am

Veraka heard what Inri said and with that, bolted toward the source of the commotion, pacing Inri's horse by himself. He came upon the giants that Inri had mentioned, not to mention a thrown Zazzt.
"Zazzt, how the bloody hell did you get ambushed," Veraka asked Zazzt as he offered the monk an armored hand.

NathreeDe'Shezbron · Post by **NathreeDe'Shezbron** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 1:52 pm

Zazzt grasped his hand, with the normal one and hoisted himself up. "Well," He said, "Warnings are only useful if you pay attention to them. And they had a powerful cleric, saw right through my invisibility."

veraka · Post by **veraka** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 8:36 pm

Veraka nodded; "then may I suggest that we take a more [b:1jle7vlm]direct[/b:1jle7vlm] approach," he said, drawing Marala Vharc and charging ahead right into the thick of it.
[i:1jle7vlm]Aurora, take the one on the right, and doesn't get up[/i:1jle7vlm] he telepathically told the winter wolf.
As he charged in, Veraka shouted at the giants, "come on, you over-sized excuses for a troll!" This got their attention, but Veraka saw that he'd more than ticked a couple of 'em off. Both of the giants came in, roaring and swinging their clubs. Veraka jumped out of the way of an overhead bash attack, only to have to roll to his left as the other giant swung a hard right.
"Good, these two have their attention on me, means that others'll have an easier time taking care of the rest."
Veraka attempted to cast a Chain Lighting attack, but to his dismay, it failed. Veraka then remembered what Zazzt said about a cleric among the giants ranks.
"Zek, I need you find that cleric and put shafts between its eyes!" he shouted to Zekafae, though he had no idea as to where the ranger was. He again had to dive out of the way of an angry giant's club.

Zekafae · Post by **Zekafae** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 10:43 pm

Zek heard the yell though he had avoided a nice apparent golf swing at the tree where he was. He had lept to the next tree over, thank the gods for branches being elastic enough to shoot himself over. Muttering darkly" Filthy mountains of flesh." He made his way to get clear shot of the cleric. There he perched poised with arrow ready to go, looking for a weak spot in the head to get the arrow in. It wasn't like a dragon where you had plenty of weak spots, or well to him there was plenty. Pulling the string back to the fullest he can go, the head of the arrow touched the grip of the bow. He knew this arrow probably could scream through the air. When he saw what looked like an artery near what he interpreted as the Giant's temple he released the arrow hoping to catch the movements just right. But he went to release another arrow quickly following the first. When they left his bow, he was already moving again. Now, he'd get up close and personal if he had too. Having an idea to as what to look for, knew where to send his blades if he had too.

Inriiaynrae Jaelre · Post by **Inriiaynrae Jaelre** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 12:23 am

Inrii, still hidden in a good spot, continued to send lighting, acid and fire arrows out at the giants and covering movement of the others.
Zarstra even got in on the fight, sending magic missiles at them also.
Inrii laughed as the giants fell, an almost evil laugh. Controlling her self and ready to get into the battle, she drew Shadowblade and nudge the horse into the fray, casting protection around her and the horse.
The blade came down upon one giant who had been attempting range attacks. As the blade cut thru, his essence turned to shadow and he vanished from sight. The horse turned again as she looked for more in the back.
"I got it, I will call you Midnight Rhayne," she told the charging beast.

NathreeDe'Shezbron · Post by **NathreeDe'Shezbron** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 12:45 am

Zazzt shook his head, even the sorceress was fighting on the front lines. He sighed, that would make most of his spells useless, since they would hit his compainons. Ah well, he thought, and grasping his staff, ran right up the trunk, grabbing the lowest branch with his free hand and hoisting himself up. He straightened, and ran along the branches, climbing ever higher, until he was level with the face of a giant nearest to him. Silently, he swung his staff around, and on the second circuit, he swept it onto the creature's face, right between the eyes. A sharp crack was heard, and a thin stream of blood trickled down its face, the staff had punctured the bone, a fatal wound, since Zazzt kicked the staff, driving it deeper into the creature's brain. He jumped on the giant as it fell down, and used that momentum to come up behind the creature with the club, that had smacked him. He quickly called out the words for a lightning bolt spell, and it streaked out, lifting the giant from its feet, to land dazed, but not dead, a good 2 feet away.

veraka · Post by **veraka** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 1:51 am

Veraka looked at Inri, who'd charged in and joined in with him in the carnage. He shook his, [i:172eolb5]and here I thought I was the vanguard of the group.[/i:172eolb5] He decided to tease her about it. Turning to Inri, he said in a loud voice "Me juggernaut," he said pointing toward himself, then toward Inri, "you artillery; get the difference?"