Brought Down to "Normal?" [Closed]

[meat_mooks]

||Attention, Attention. The following personnel please report to the Observation Deck. Attention, Attention. The following personnel please report to the Observation Deck.

Goliath
Farseer Alastirra
N'tho 'Sraom
Kang
Rainbow Dash
Crematia||

When the summoned gathered, mission information was displayed on the Obs Deck for them to see:


Planet Designation: Hendersus Villae
Status: Terrestrial, H-class
Non-sentient life: Minimal flora, aggressive nonsentient fauna.
Semi-sentient life: No
Sentient life: Yes
Water: 25% of planet's surface
Climate: Primarily volcanic with frequent ash and lightning storms, dry and hot at volcanically active equator, temperate seas to the north and south poles.
Landscape: Variable. Much of the planet's landmasses are constantly being reworked by lava flows.
Air: Normoxic concentration: 31% oxygen, 60% nitrogen, 2% xenon, 4% trace gases, such as hydrogen, krypton, and argon.
Air Pressure: 93.8 kPa (kilopascals) = 13.6 psi (pounds per square inch)
Sky: Pale red, when visible.
Sun: Class G yellow star, distant orbit and dim light.
Warnings: Not suitable for crew incapable of flight, or without superhuman endurance.
Mission: Search and rescue Zarom Ghartha, missing GIA wizard, last seen en-route to investigate severe magical disturbance detected in the area of the planet. Crew is advised that native fauna is likely to be antagonistic, native sentients unfit to assist beyond the offering of information.

Comments

[farseer_alastirra]

"Maybe if I had claws instead of hooves, but with the dampeners in place, I cannot even feel the elemental spirits, much less attempt to speak with them. Though I regret not having fist weapons, now. Maces are good, but claws are definitely an advantage, here." the Draenei sighed.

"Though perhaps we ought to consider procuring a rope, in case something like this happens again?"

[governorkang]

Kang crossed his arms over his chest, debating, and muttered a curse, "Or we can go on dragonback, if Crematia will allow it."

[elementofloyalty]

"I'll go ask!"

Foolishly, unwisely optimistic, Rainbow Dash zipped up into the air, waving her hooves to get Crematia's attention. "Hey! Heeeey!"

[mercyisweakness]

Crematia is enjoying a moment of pure and unadulterated moment of flight - she duck and dive, only to flap her wings furiously to regain the altitude. When Ranbow Dash approach the red serpent, Crematia fold her wings tightly to her body and let herself to immediately fall to the ground like a stone, only to spread her wings at the last possible second and glide over the volcanic rock, an arrogant and superior smirk gracing her lips.

Regaing her altitude, she notice the tiny blue speck waving its hooves at her, vying for Crematia's attention. She eyes the winged pony with disdain.

[elementofloyalty]

Huh. For a huge dragon, she was a pretty good flyer. Rainbow Dash had to give her credit. (Not as good a flyer as Dash herself, of course! But that went without saying.)

She reared up a little, then shot over to Crematia, her tail leaving a streak of rainbow in her wake. She had entirely too little fear of getting right up close so Crematia could see her -- her last experience with a dragon having been put entirely out of her head.

[mercyisweakness]

Crematia gives Rainbow Dash a curious but haughty stare. She doesn't know what this pony is wanting, but she better keep it short - Crematia might not have this opportunity to fly in such perfect conditions ever again.

"Yes?" she says, her voice a deep rumble and smoke emitting from her nostrils.

[elementofloyalty]

"The non-flying guys are gonna hold us up forever and a day," she said, matching speeds neatly with the skill of one born to flight. "They wanna know if you'll give them a lift."

1/2

[mercyisweakness]

WHAT.

2/2

[mercyisweakness]

"I am not a beast of burden!" Crematia roared, making sure those weaklings on the ground can hear her.

How dare they she ought to swoop in and incinerate the lot for making such a request.

[governorkang]

"I thought that'd be her answer," Kang said dryly. "We'd best start moving on foot, then. Goliath?"

[not_the_philistine]

Goliath spared a deep sigh for the impracticality of a dragon's pride.

"I will take the lead."

He set out over the plains, stepping heavily to reveal any more false surfaces.

[meat_mooks]

He had no sooner come to the next covered crevasse when something large and dripping with lava burst through the thin glass shell with a shriek. The lava on its hard carapace rapidly cooled to stone that was merely searing hot as it lashed out with a razor-edged foreleg at Kang and Alastirra.

[mercyisweakness]

Crematia has been itching for a fight, something to dominate, to destroy and ruin. With the indignity fueling her ire, she notice something down on the ground, dripping in lava. She fold her wings and dives, landing on the heated floor with a heavy thud. She roars, but she is too slow for the quick limb as she combs through her mind to cast a spell.

[farseer_alastirra]

Well. Stacy had said magic was dampened, not entirely useless--hopefully this worked.

"Frost Shock!" She swung one of her maces at the beast's foreleg, counting on natural agility to get out of the rest of the way of the attack.

Well, and hopefully her armor still counted for something...

[governorkang]

Kang dodged the limb by only a few inches, his wings flaring in surprise, and without time to do much else besides draw his axe, he focused on his lightning. It wasn't exactly a spell, even if there was magic involved; breath weapons were more of a natural ability. He hoped it would work. He didn't want to engage the creature for any longer than was necessary, and get to the town as quickly as possible.

[meat_mooks]

The spellcasters valiant efforts tugged at the dulled and dampened magic seething under the surface of this harsh and unforgiving world, and . . . fizzled out after their initial bursts of power.

Alastirra's mace, on the other hand, struck its target true, and the beast reared back, screeching, its bladed foreleg at an odd angle. It stumbled back, injured, before charging the group again, holding its injured leg aloft.

At the same time, Crematia's landing opened another chasm in the unpredictable surface of the planet. The shattering volcanic glass spread across a much larger chasm, from which poured more of the hard-shelled, blade-armed beasts. They attempted to swarm the dragon, still dripping with molten lava.

[governorkang]

The few sparks that had managed to gather around Kang's mouth went out, and he cursed. It had been a gamble, anyways.

He swung his axe, aiming for the vulnerable joints of the creatures just as he would an Ohm Grunt.

[elementofloyalty]

Rainbow Dash to the rescue! In a fell swoop, she dove down, spun neatly in midair, then kicked both powerful hind legs at the creature's head as it charged.

[warriorraceguy]

N'tho could not fly, nor was he a good climber, but he could shoot.

He fired on one of the lava beasts as it charged him, keeping steady on the apparent gaps in its plating before dodging to the side, rolling shoulder-to-hip and regaining his feet quickly as it barreled past.

[mercyisweakness]

Crematia just roars and roars, completely swallowed up in her own hatred and rage at everything now. Sneering in contempt at the beasts that crawl toward her, she lashes out with a whip of her tail and scatter the fire beasts. She restrains her fire breathe, knowing it will be useless against natives in their own element.

Swinging a heavy forepaw, she neatly slices one lava beast into two.

[meat_mooks]

N'tho's gun, being simple engineering, still shoots despite the technology damper. The noise as much as the impact surprises the lava beast into fleeing. In fact, flight seems to be the word of the day - it seems these creatures aren't used to such strong opposition from their prey.

The exception is the swarm attempting to cover Crematia. She can't possibly squash all of them at once, and the ones that have so far evaded injury are taking heart from this and continuing the charge.

[elementofloyalty]

"INCOMING!"

This was Rainbow-Dash-speak for "hey Crematia, I am about to make an effort to repel the swarm currently engaging you and would appreciate not being treated as collateral damage from one of your broad draconic motions".

The pegasus zipped over to start laying powerful kicks into the creatures, darting down to catch them and then back up to avoid their counterattacks.

"Take THAT, you giant lava bugs!"

[mercyisweakness]

Snarling at the beasts' tenacity, Crematia makes a wide turn, directing her hindquarters at the beasts rushing towards her. Using her tail as a whip and battering ram, she makes a low, ground-hugging sweep, scattering the lowly lifeforms away from her.

Unfortunately, she has not correctly interfered Rainbow Dash's intent behind her proclamations. After, to a dragon of war, it sounded more like a war cry than anything.