Island of Storms-
Fight-
Here to DieTaking the initiative, the Jade Prince called upon the purity of his element, sending a bolt of green fire at his enemy. But instead of recoiling in pain when the blast struck him, the assailant just laughed as the flames snuffed out.
“You fool!” he shouted, fingering the bone necklace he wore. “This talisman protects me from the magic of jade. And this one,” he said, pulling out what looked to be a baby’s boiled skull, “Will ensure my victory!”
He crushed it, and a wave of Taint swept over the garden. A feeling of nausea crept up upon Jade Prince as he felt the spirits around him twist as though they where in stranglehold. “Now die as the spirits of nature abandon you! Feel the power of the Taint!”
You are less thrall, less then a dabbler, the Prince thought darkly. With a heave, he wrenched out the earth from beneath the fool. It took great effort, like swimming up a mountain, but he would not be beaten so easily.
The assailant attempted to send another blast of tainted blood, but Elon simply used the wall of earth to crush him mid-cast. He crawled from the rubble, his magical defensives having protected him. The Jade Prince grinned.
The things I could do naturally would drive you mad.“Rise,” Jade commanded, gripping his hand. A great claw of stone whipped up from ground, grabbing onto the assailant. His magical force field flared valiantly, but Elon willed the claw to persist, and it clamped onto its prey.
Struggling a hand free, the tainted mystic drew upon his dark magic. “
Quake in fear at my power!” he chanted.
A feeling of darkness forced itself into Elon’s mind, attempting to cloud his thoughts.
Such childish antics, Elon found himself thinking with amusement.
I should show him real power. I should-
Nay! Jade Prince shouted at his inner darkness,
Be silent, Dark Hunger. I am the bane of Taint, not its child! I will not be thrall to my blood!Digging deep within his soul, the Mystic of Jade called upon thoughts of purity and truth, dissipating both the dark cloud and the voice in his mind. “Now crush!” he whispered, closing his hand.
The earthen claw squeezed down tightly on Elon’s captured foe. He screamed and thrashed about wildly.
The dark one’s scream suddenly grew loud; far too loud for someone who should be having trouble breathing. Then, the assassin shouted out with such might that it shattered the claw and continued onward. It passed against onto Elon, whose magical defenses flared up and warded him from the attack.
“Mildly stronger then I thought,” he mused with contempt, brushing off dust from his front. “You are still nothing to me, even with your trickery. Surrender if you value your life, thrall. I’ll not repeat myself.” Drawing on all the power of the earth, his magic blazed and swelled, seemingly overcoming the dark ward that should have left him at his feet.
“I told you,” his opponent shouted, cutting his hands and calling corrupt fire to his fingertips, “I am here to kill you!”
Before he completed the spell, the shrubs and trees in the garden sprang to life. Branches reached, tendrils wrapped, and soon he was bound up, every limb, every joint, and even his mouth, tied up and covered. He was completely immobilized.
“And I
told you,” the Jade Prince said calmly, stepping forward and gripping his prisoner by the jaw, “you are here to die.”
Initiative
Jade Prince: 19 + 0 = 19
Tainted Cultist: 8 + 0 = 8
Jade Prince and the Tainted Cultist are 15 feet from one another. Both are prepared to fight, with all magical defenses ready and neither is flatfooted.
Round One:
Jade Prince starts off with a Power Attack 3 using his Jade Bolt of Ghorummaz spell, wanting to end this quick. Attack Roll of 12 + 8 – 3 = 17 vs. the Cultist’s Defense of 5 + 7 = 12; hit. Unfortunately, the Cultist has an item that prefents direct Jade Magic Damage, rendering the Prince’s spell useless. Jade Prince gets a Hero Point for the complication of his enemy being prepared. He now has 2
The Tainted Cultist activates his second magical item he has, which reduces the level of all Elemental Magic in a 30’ radius by half. Because Jade Prince already got a Hero Point for his enemy being prepared, he doesn’t get a second one.
Round Two:
Jade Prince uses his Earth Control to send a mass of stone and dirt the Cultist’s way. He uses enough earth to cause an area effect, and the Cultist has to make a Reflex Save for half damage. 6 + 3 = 9. No good, he takes Damage. Toughness Save of 17 + 7 = 24, he’s unharmed.
The Cultist crawls out from the dirt and attacks with another blast, rolling 1.
Round Three:
The Prince uses his Snare, getting 19 + 8 = 27 vs. 16 + 7 = 23. Hit. The Cultist rolls his Reflex Save, getting 13 + 3 = 16. He fails it by 1 and is Entangled.
The Cultist tries to use his Emotion Control on Jade Prince, intending on causing Fear. Jade rolls a Will Save of 11 + 12 = 23, resisting the effect.
Round Four:
Jade Prince uses his Snare again, hoping to reduce him to Bound and helpless. 17 + 8 = 25 vs. 12 + 7 – 2 = 17; the Cultist is hit. He rolls a Reflex of 12 + 3 = 15. The Cultist fails his save a second time and is Bound and helpless. The Snare’s Constricting Extra activates, dealing damage equal to half the spell’s rank, or 3, in this case. The Cultist makes a Toughness save, getting 8 + 7 = 15. He fails by 3 and is Bruised.
The Cultist GM Fiats to escape the Snare, and uses his Blast attack again, getting 10 + 5 = 15 vs. 14 + 6 = 20; miss. Jade Prince now has 3 Hero Points.
Round Five:
Jade Prince uses his Plant Control on the Cultist. The Cultist rolls a 4 + 3 = 7; failing his Reflex by 10 and is Bound and Helpless again. This time, the GM allows him to spend a Hero Point to end the fight now. He now has 2.
Aftermath:
Jade Prince: 2 Hero Points
Tainted Cultist: 1 Bruised, Bound and Helpless
“Jade Prince!” a deep and husky voice called behind him.
Elon turned around to be greated by the sight of the Mystic of Ruby,
Shaman Blood-Mane, claws a blaze with red fire, Himawari behind him.
Took your time, didn’t you? Jade Prince thought bitterly. “The situation is handled, Blood-Mane,” he said simply, walking over to his fellow. “And be careful,” he added, “there’s a Tainted ward weakening all Elemental Magic nearby. See if you can fix that.”
“Well done, my Prince,” Himawari beamed brightly. “To defeated a foe on his own terms is an accomplish worthy of your station.”
“My apologies, Lord Jade,” Blood-Man cut in, using the most apologetic tone his bestial voice could allow in human tongue. “I cannot say any more for my failure to protect a guest in my own din, nor can I account for the laxness of my security to allow such an abomination in my abode.”
“Don’t apologize,” Elon said stiffly. “He probably had some help from a powerful friend. A
Faustian kind of friend.” His voice could not have held more contempt.
“Perhaps we will find out soon,” Blood-Mane growled, “I will see to it that he is detained and interrogated as soon as-”
The Kitsu lord stops short, however, as the assailant’s bone necklace began to glow red.
“NO!” The two mystics acted as one, calling up walls of jade and scarlet just as the Tainted assassin exploded in a blast of maggots and miasma.
“Damn,” Jade Prince hissed, staring at the disgusting corpse. “It seems that he was here to die.” Elon looked around the desecrated garden. “And you’ll need a new spot for meditations.”
“By the Burning Circle,” Blood-Mane snarled. “Himawari, go get my students. We must purify this place at once, before the infection sets in. Jade Prince, would it be too much to ask for your- -Jade?”
Elon had walked away, his back to them. He called upon the powers of the Earth Dragon, and an arch of stone rose up from the ground. “My apologizes,” he said, looking over his shoulder, “but I must investigate this further…on my own. We will have to rearrange our meeting later.” And with that, he stepped into the portal and was gone.
Blood-Mane sighed. “Why must the young always rush things?” he asked in exasperation.
“Ohh,” Himawari moaned, “I didn’t even get to thank him or say goodbye.”
Stepping out of the portal into his abode, the Jade Prince looked around, and sighed. “I would appreciate it if you’d come out where I can see you,” he called.
“Don’t kill me.” It was squeaky voice that had warned him earlier. From thin air, a creature that looked like a
ghostly cat appeared. “Hello,” it said nervously, bowing, “I am called Kaki. Please,” it repeated, “don’t kill me.”
Jade Prince smiled. It was shaking in fear. “Calm down. You’re no threat to me. Let me, why did you save me from the assassin?”
The cat stopped shaking and smiled slightly. “My masters got wind of a plot against you, and so he sent me to watch over you. My natural abilities can make it difficult to detect me.”
“I believe you,” Elon replied, guessing that the only reason he sensed the thing entering the portal with him was because it wanted to talk with him…away from the land of giant cats. “But why would you master want to save me?”
“You have no love for the Tainted One. Nor do my Masters,” Kaki explained simply. “In fact, they wish to meet with you!”
The Jade Prince raised an eyebrow. “If they wanted to, they could have asked in person. Why do they hide behind you?”
Gulping, Kaki thought for a moment. “My Masters…
one of them, actually, suffers from a malignancy. One you are not found of.”
“Taint.” Elon spat the word out.
“Please!” Kaki begged, throwing himself to the Mystic’s feet. “He did not choose to be Tainted. It is why he wars with the Dark One.”
“Off me!” Elon shouted. He ran his hand down his face, thinking hard.
“Please,” the cat repeated. “I saved your life”
The Jade Prince sighed. “Very well, tell your Masters I’ll meet them at noon of the ‘morrow.”
Kaki squeaked with delight.
“But know this,” he added fiercely, “It will be on my terms, and if I detect the slightest hint of darkness in either of their souls, I will fulfill my duties as Mystic of Jade.”
“Don’t worry,” Kaki purred, “you won’t.” And with that, he was gone.
