Super Smash Quest - Story - Chapter 195: Rampage of the Skeleton King
Date: 1:02:51 PM, May 7th, 2005.
Echidna: "Perhaps it is because we didn't guard the chaos emeralds from a demon!"
Tetra: "I hear this lightning didn't come from the heavens though... A demon? What demon?"
Echidna: "I saw it... it came... from the forest of doom!"
Julian Sawyer: "...Was this demon all watery and such?"
Echidna: "A... ...I can't say... it's just too terrible."
Tetra: "Tell me about the demon. Please."
Echidna: "To tell you would invoke its wrath!"
Garrick Fy`aar puts a hand on Tetra's shoulder "Let him be..."
Echidna: "It ate the last people who knew what it was... and blew up the other three... I am the only one left!"
Tetra: "We can handle anything that comes. And we'll protect you too. Just tell us."
Echidna: "I was allowed to live, so that I could warn you... run away! Far away!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "Tetra, that's enough."
Aribar: "...Where is the Forest of Doom?"
Knuckles: "You see the problem? He won't tell us where the demon is."
Echidna: "...That way!"
Metal Man (GM): The Echidna points at the group of trees where he also said the lightning came from. The trees look gnarled, and a nearby mountain blocks sunlight from that area.
Garrick Fy`aar: "...Dex, open scanning areas."
Aribar: "...This is our best lead I think."
Garrick Fy`aar: "Try and see if you can trace the magic signature..."
Smash Dex: "Forest of Doom. Population: Zero. Life: Zero. Magic: Zero. It's full of trees and skeletons."
Tetra: "Dex, check for technology in that forest."
Julian Sawyer: "...Okay, that's not good."
Smash Dex: "No technology detected."
Tetra: "Hmm..."
Garrick Fy`aar: "...magitek?"
Echidna: "Anyone who enters that place never returns!"
Tetra: "What's on the other side of the forest?"
Smash Dex: "None."
Garrick Fy`aar: "That's most likely Death Mountain..."
Echidna: "The forbidden valley of doom! ...Yes... right near the mountain of Death!"
Tetra: "Everything is about doom here, isn't it?"
Knuckles: "The people here are very superstitious."
Julian Sawyer: "Speaking of Magitek, Garrick, I got all the items I'd like you to combine my gloves and boots with."
Garrick Fy`aar: "We can tell... right, let's get moving then."
Knuckles: "And for good reason. Lightning flying out of a forest, and demons eating people!"
Julian Sawyer: "But that's probably better suited to after this mission. Nothing we can't hadle."
Knuckles: "I'm not going in there... not going to get eaten by that demon."
Tetra: "I don't believe in demons."
Garrick Fy`aar: "Then stay here and look for anything out of the ordinary."
Knuckles: "I'll make sure the demon doesn't come here for revenge... right."
Garrick Fy`aar: "The rest of us will check this forest out."
Echidna: "I shall pay for... your funerals!"
Garrick Fy`aar starts into the forest, the safety of his guns clicking off all at once.
Julian Sawyer: "If we're not back in 10 minutes... keep waiting."
Aribar starts towards the forest of doom... Plus 1.
Echidna: "Brave souls... wandering into your doom..."
Metal Man (GM): You all wander into the creepy forest.
Julian Sawyer: *Heads into the forest, stretching his gloves tight.*
Metal Man (GM): You feel... some sort of imminent danger, in here. You head into the trees, passing up... many skeletons.
Tetra heads into the forest and continues grilling the dex. "Could you search for magic, technology, or magitek in the valley of doom beyond the forest?"
Metal Man (GM): There's several places that look like lightning hit.
Aribar switches out to the Wand of Wonder. "I've some divine magic that may help us if we encounter the Undead..."
Garrick Fy`aar: "Forego the Dex, Tetra..."
Metal Man (GM): You can see a few ruined huts in here, as well...
Julian Sawyer: "Man, this place is creepy..."
Metal Man (GM): This place used to be a part of the town!
Tetra: "Hmm..."
Metal Man (GM): The huts are filled with more dead people.
Tetra looks over the huts for any clues.
Julian Sawyer: "...Well, that would explain... absolutely nothing."
Metal Man (GM): You pass by a single holy symbol stuck in the ground. That area gets a single ray of sunlight.
Tetra bends down to inspect the symbol.
Metal Man (GM): Tetra: You feel a chill down your spine. Do you continue walking towards the huts? The symbol is a holy one, like from the cathedral. You can feel that it repels evil.
Tetra: "Just superstitious nonsense. Our best bet is in that village."
Garrick Fy`aar: "Watch yourself, Tetra..."
Julian Sawyer: *Picks it up* "Might as well take it with us..."
Tetra: "I wonder though. Did they build their village way out here or did the forest... move in?"
Metal Man (GM): Julian: You feel safe as long as you hold this.
Tetra: "No, that's silly." *He continues towards the ruins.*
Garrick Fy`aar: "...Tetra..."
Metal Man (GM): Tetra: You reach an area with eight huts.
Garrick Fy`aar: "Like I said, watch yourself."
Tetra: "What? There's no such thing as demons!"
Aribar stays near Julian... "Oh, yes there are..."
Metal Man (GM): ...This place is... CHOCK-FULL of dead people. You hear whisperings in the air.
Julian Sawyer: "And then you get jumped by a 10-foot creature from the inner-depths of hell!"
???: "Leave this plaaaaace..."
Tetra: "Is someone there? Who are you!"
???2: "Eternal lament awaits those who enter..."
???3: "Leeeeave our bones alooooone..."
Julian Sawyer: "See?!"
???: "Turn awaaaaaay..."
Garrick Fy`aar moves forward, no weapons drawn...
Tetra turns to the others. "You not scaring me! I know that's you guys!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "...Tetra, shut up."
Metal Man (GM): Garrick: You start seeing the dead bodies reanimating themselves.
Garrick Fy`aar: "...Tetra! Move!"
Metal Man (GM): ...There's a good 20 of them.
Tetra: "What?" *He looks around.*
Metal Man (GM): They have red eyes... and are moaning.
Zombie1: "Leaaaaaaave..."
Garrick Fy`aar holsters the M150 and draws the Einhammer, switching it over to incendiary shots...
Zombie2: "Oooooooooorgh..."
Garrick Fy`aar: "Get back, I don't want to hit you too."
Tetra: "GAH!" *Tetra blasts Zombie 1*
Metal Man (GM): They slowly walk towards you guys. Zombie 1 crumbles... then reanimates.
Zombie1: "Death..."
Julian Sawyer: *Takes out the holy thing and holds it up* "Back up! You don't want nonna this!"
Metal Man (GM): They're slowly getting closer... and it looks like they're drooling!
Julian Sawyer: *Points it towards them too.*
Tetra backs away from them. "Look. I... we're not here to mess with your bones! Okay, um... please, we just want to know what did this!"
Metal Man (GM): The zombies shy away a bit from Julian, and concentrate on people other than him.
Aribar: "...Holy might!" *The elf raises the Wand of Wonder into the air and it glows with holy powers... The elf casts Destroy Undead on one of the zombies.*
Metal Man (GM): They're getting closer... and you hear some more voices in the woods. One of the zombies is exploded by white light.
Garrick Fy`aar turns to the forest...
Metal Man (GM): ...Skeletons from the woods are coming!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "Crap! We're being surrounded!"
Tetra: "We... we can help you find rest! Isn't that what you want?"
Zombie3: "Kill..."
Julian Sawyer: "Metal! How you doing?"
Tetra keeps backing up, almost backing into Garrick.
Garrick Fy`aar: "Circle it up! Back to back! Julian, stick that thing in the middle of our circle!"
Metal Man (GM): There's only one way out... running forward.
Julian Sawyer: *Does that* "Get the hell back!"
Metal Man (GM): The zombies keep on coming... there's not enough holy power to keep them away from anyone but Julian.
Garrick Fy`aar cocks the Einhammer, firing a group of shots into the crowd of zombies.
Aribar: "I hate these damned bones... We have to run!"
Julian Sawyer: "Crap..." *Looks around for more of those things.*
Metal Man (GM): They keep on reanimating.
Garrick Fy`aar: "The mage is right!"
Aribar dashes down the, for the moment, open path.
Metal Man (GM): Julian: No luck.
Tetra: "These things can't be real. It's an illusion. There's no such thing as ghosts."
Metal Man (GM): One of them tries to bite Tetra.
Garrick Fy`aar: "Julian, grab it! Let's go!"
Julian Sawyer: "RUN FOR IT!"
Metal Man (GM): 10 damage and poison if that hits.
Tetra is hit. He pulls away from the zombies and tries to run after the others.
Metal Man (GM): ...That zombie must be real... it just took a bite out of you!
Julian Sawyer: *Runs!*
Metal Man (GM): You flee. the zombies are hopelessly too slow to keep up.
Garrick Fy`aar bolts along with the rest of them. He draws the M150 as he runs and fires a few sonic discharges to scatter the suckers.
Metal Man (GM): They just reanimate... but they're walking back to where they were before. You're now on an eerie path.
Tetra: "There... there must be something important there!"
Aribar downs two Green Potions... "Like a demon from the ninth layer of Hell?"
Tetra: "Or a clue!"
Aribar: "Let's keep moving before worse things than skeletons and zombies come." *He continues down the path.*
Tetra: "One of us should go back. With the symbol."
Garrick Fy`aar keeps walking as well, looking to Tetra.
Metal Man (GM): You're now at a run-down shack, which has unearthly glowing stuff in the windows.
Tetra: "There must be something there..."
Garrick Fy`aar: "Just dead spirits."
Metal Man (GM): Do you just walk past it?
Julian Sawyer: "Tetra, just stop while you're ahead."
Metal Man (GM): Or do you check out what's in there?
Julian Sawyer: "Better yet, go check out that cabin."
Tetra: "There is no way I'm going in there."
Aribar just walks past it...
Tetra: "I... my arm hurts... Like... it burns..."
Aribar stops and turns around...
Metal Man (GM): You'd notice that Tetra was bitten by one of the undead.
Aribar: "Hrm... Cure!" *The elf casts Minor Healing on Tetra for 20%.*
Metal Man (GM): The poison remains. The wound does not.
Julian Sawyer: "...Dammit! Why did you have to go and get bit?"
Aribar: "That's the best I can do for you... Hopefully you won't become one of Them."
Tetra: "It still hurts. Oh my God, I'm gonna die and turn into a zombie! Make it stop! I don't want to be a zombie!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "Tetra, calm down..."
Metal Man (GM): So then, anyone up for entering the spooky house?
Garrick Fy`aar: "Dex, scan him. What's up?"
Smash Dex: "Poison from zombie saliva will slowly kill the victim. Once they are dead, they will become a zombie too. That is why there are so many zombies here. Victims eaten by zombies become walking skeletons."
Garrick Fy`aar: "You'll be fine..."
Julian Sawyer: "..."
Tetra: "What are you talking about! It just said...!"
Garrick Fy`aar draws into his pack and pulls out a Able Juice "Drink this."
Tetra: "Uhh..."
Garrick Fy`aar: "Just drink it."
Tetra drinks the able juice.
Metal Man (GM): You are cured of poison.
Garrick Fy`aar: "There, no worries."
Metal Man (GM): Now then. Do you guys walk past the weird shack or check it out?
Garrick Fy`aar gets to his feet and checks out that shack "...what do you guys think?"
Tetra gets up.
Aribar just walks past it...
Tetra: "I... um... I think I want to go home..."
Metal Man (GM): ...When you go to the door, it flings open, and a purple echidna dressed in black robes and a witch hat comes out.
Julian Sawyer: "I'll do it... I'm the one with the holy symbol. AHH!"
Witch: "Ehehehehahaha! More victims for my stew of immortality!"
Metal Man (GM): The witch hurls a fireball at Julian. Instant 25 fire damage to him.
Tetra: "AHH! It's an ugly person!"
Witch: "You're one to talk, little boy. I think I'll make you into ribs..."
Tetra: "Ee! Um... no, I taste really bad! Really!"
Julian Sawyer: "..."
Aribar: "...You like fire, eh? Then let's kick it up a notch! Pyroclasm!" *The elf fires a Fire Elemental Blast at... The cabin.*
Metal Man (GM): Now then. Who flees, and who fights?
Garrick Fy`aar: "Oh great... what is it with this place and the dark stuff."
Julian Sawyer: "Well, it's a forest of DOOM. You'd expect evil to be here."
Witch: "It's the forest of doom! Didn't those tasty echidnas tell you?"
Garrick Fy`aar: "Oh, shut up! The pair of you!"
Metal Man (GM): The witch's shack is now on fire.
Aribar stays to fight...
Tetra: "Uh... I don't suppose the rest of this forest is much safer..."
Witch: "What? Curse you! I'll melt you into porridge!"
Tetra stays to fight, but hiding behind Garrick.
Julian Sawyer: "Kill her." *Gets the Holy Symbol out again.*
Garrick Fy`aar thinks that this counts as a insta-hit moment. He draws the Einhammer and BLASTS the witch with three instant hit 66 dmg shots.
Witch: "Ooohoo! A symbol for me to corrupt!"
Aribar: "Just wondering... Have you been tormenting the other Ech... Ech... Other people in that village down the road?"
Witch: "Give me that, and I'll leave you alone!"
Aribar: "With deadly lightning I mean. ... "
Witch: "No. I only blow up people who attack my shack... with FIRE, not lightning!"
Tetra: "I think they'd know the difference between a demon and a witch, elf guy."
Witch: "Now then. Hand over the symbol or I'll roast you all alive!"
Metal Man (GM): The Einhammer fails to hurt the witch... for no reason.
Julian Sawyer: "Hold up. Is there anything evil and such past your shack?"
Garrick Fy`aar: "Jeez..."
Witch: "It gets more evil, the further down the road you go! Some people say hell itself is at the end of this road!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "Then do you know who COULD hurt the village with lightning?"
Witch: "Hehehehehee! No. Even I am afraid of the stuff down there!"
Tetra: "And... are you the one who destroyed the village a ways back?"
Metal Man (GM): The witch takes this time to put out the fire with more magic.
Julian Sawyer: "...Right, I'll be keeping the symbol then."
Witch: "No. The trees of unholiness grew around it!"
Aribar: "...Maybe we should just get going."
Witch: "They slowly sucked the life out of them... no good person can survive here for more than three days!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "...good idea."
Tetra: "So the forest did close in around the village. This is impossible. There's no such thing as ghosts and demons!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "Let's get moving. Sorry to trouble you, ma'am."
Witch: "Get out of my sight, if you don't want to fight. I have stew to cook!"
Julian Sawyer: "Thanks for the info."
Garrick Fy`aar grabs Tetra by the shoulder and drags him down the path.
Metal Man (GM): The Witch baps Garrick with a wand, then goes inside.
Tetra: "Ack!"
Julian Sawyer: "Have a nice... er... evil day. or whatever."
Tetra is drug by Garrick.
Julian Sawyer: *Moves on down the path.*
Metal Man (GM): Up ahead, things get even creepier.
Tetra: "Hey, draggy guy, could you let me go? I can walk, you know..."
Garrick Fy`aar: "Just keep your mouth shut."
Metal Man (GM): There's a small bridge made of bones that crosses a river of blood.
Aribar follows the others...
Garrick Fy`aar lets Tetra go, then glances to the bridge... "...jeez, she wasn't kidding..."
Tetra gets up.
Aribar: "..."
Tetra: "Okay, that's gross."
Julian Sawyer: "...Jebus..."
Tetra: "Where is that blood coming from?"
Metal Man (GM): You hear some evil laughing off in the distance.
Julian Sawyer: "Who knows, who cares, let's just cross the path..."
Tetra jumps. "Gah! Laughing!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "...let's move quickly. I'm wanting to get this over with."
Tetra slowly moves toward the bridge.
Garrick Fy`aar makes to cross the bridge.
Metal Man (GM): The bridge, despite being icky, works just fine. You hear moaning and groaning from the river as you cross it.
Julian Sawyer: *Keeps crossing...*
Aribar quickly tries to cross the bridge.
Metal Man (GM): Welp. Things keep on getting weirder.
Garrick Fy`aar crosses the bridge quickly and keeps moving. "...Ari, do you think you can supercharge that cross?"
Metal Man (GM): It's so dark, lanterns made of skulls with blue fire in their mouths illuminate the way.
Aribar: "...Ummm... Maybe."
Garrick Fy`aar: "Try it."
Julian Sawyer: "...Well, at least it's not Baby Dracula..."
Tetra: "Or adult Dracula... Or creepy vampire guy from the other day."
Garrick Fy`aar: "Shut up with the Dracula."
Julian Sawyer: *Points the holy symbol towards Ari...*
Garrick Fy`aar: "I REALLY don't want to deal with him right about now."
Aribar extends his hand towards the holy symbol and... Tries to imbue it with more holy strength. (Any kind of checks?)
Metal Man (GM): You pass by a few crucifixes, where various dead skeletons lay. You supercharge it... but that doesn't seem to be liked by the light fixtures. They breathe fire at Aribar! Aribar: SPD check.
Julian Sawyer: *Waves the thing towards the lanterns* "You stop that! Stop it right now!"
Metal Man (GM): Aribar leaps under the fire.
Aribar: "Woah!"
Metal Man (GM): And now... welcome to the next area. Up ahead... there's a ruined church. It's now evil, of course.
Tetra moves on, trying to stay near the holy symbol.
Metal Man (GM): The church bell rings with an unholy noise.
Garrick Fy`aar glances to see if there's a path beyond the church...
Metal Man (GM): You may walk to the right of the church, through a graveyard.
Julian Sawyer: "...Dammit, I hate this place."
Tetra: "Let's NOT take the graveyard route."
Garrick Fy`aar looks to see what's left of the church...
Metal Man (GM): There's several pews, and... whoa. You just notice all sorts of grim-reaper guys floating around inside.
Aribar: .oO(Didn't I see that one guy last week when I died? ... Hrm...)
Metal Man (GM): No wonder why they kept on calling it 'The forest of doom'
Julian Sawyer: "..."
Metal Man (GM): It's either that or the peaceful graveyard.
Aribar starts towards the graveyard... "I think this is the best way."
Garrick Fy`aar: "...what's the call? I say graveyard..."
Tetra: "The peaceful looking way always has the most monsters..."
Garrick Fy`aar does the same "Good, I need a good fight."
Julian Sawyer: "Graveyard it is..." *Moves on.*
Tetra reluctantly follows toward the graveyard.
Metal Man (GM): ...Suddenly, hundreds of skulls fly out of the ground, spinning.
Tetra: "I knew this was a bad idea!"
Julian Sawyer: "...DAMNIT!" *Ward 'n stuff!*
Metal Man (GM): They begin flying around you in a circle. They don't do anything bad yet.
Tetra stands near Julian. "Um... I suppose you skulls wouldn't mind telling us who's been bothering the echidna village, would you?"
???: "Death..."
???2: "PAIN!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "...move quickly."
???3: "America Online..."
Metal Man (GM): j/k
Aribar: "Let us just get through here as calmly and quickly as possible..." *The elf says this slowly while walking down the pathway.*
Tetra: "Um... okay..."
Garrick Fy`aar does the same, looking cautiously around....
Julian Sawyer: *Tries hitting one with the holy symbol as he follows the others.*
Metal Man (GM): All they do is haunt you... you get through, and are now in an open area.
Tetra follows, staying as close as possible to the guy with the holy icon.
Metal Man (GM): Julian killed one of the skulls with the holy thing ..There's a huge tree here.
Julian Sawyer: "... Please don't be alive..."
Metal Man (GM): *BAM* Lightning strikes it.
Tetra: "This reminds me of that Kokiri Forest place I heard of. GAH!!!"
Garrick Fy`aar immediately draws weaponry as he looks for the source of the lightning...
Metal Man (GM): ...It now has a face and eyes... and skulls hanging from its branches... ...It tears itself out of the ground, and fires a bolt of lightning to the right of everybody.
Julian Sawyer: "..."
Metal Man (GM): BOSS: ELECTREE!
Julian Sawyer: "Well, that's probably the thing that's attacking the village..."
Tetra: "Or something created by the thing that's attacking the village."
Metal Man (GM): http://www.vgmusic.com/new-files/TheLetterP.mid
Garrick Fy`aar: "Let's just beat this thing and finish it up."
Aribar: "Earthquake!" *The elf unleashes three Earth Elemental Blasts at the Electree... 105% Earth each.*
Metal Man (GM): The tree is healed three times.
Aribar: "...Okay... Wrong spell."
Garrick Fy`aar: "I'd say hit it with holy magic or fire magic."
Julian Sawyer: "Or this holy symbol thing."
Garrick Fy`aar tries to use a free turn to scan it...
Smash Dex: "Scanning..."
Metal Man (GM): One sec.
Smash Dex: "DING!"
Electree
HP: 0/1500%
STR: 20
SPD: 20
INT: 50
AC: 15
Attacks: 3
Special: Healed by Earth and Electric damage, weak against holy and fire damage.
Lightning: 70 electric damage.
Flames of Doom: SPD check, DC 20. 20 + 10 damage per number below DC fire damage and poison.
Thunder Wave: Instant stun and paralysis to one target.
PsychoKinesis: One person loses their turn next round.
Earthquake: DC 16 STR check for all. 100 damage to those who fail.
Summon Undead: Summons one undead.
Body Slam: d20+5, 120 damage.
Smash Dex: "End of data."
Tetra: "That thing sure is smart for a tree."
Garrick Fy`aar: "It's magically based. Ari, hit with as much fire as you can."
Aribar: "Will do."
Garrick Fy`aar starts off his official turn by busting it with one round of STAT shots. The scan said nothing about it being immune to status effects...
Metal Man (GM): Hit crit miss, hit. However, for the crit miss... you shoot yourself in the arm! I think he should stay out for this one... it's close to being finished. Now then. Here's what the tree does. It attacks Aribar with the flames of doom, then blasts Tetra with a lightning bolt. Tetra takes an instant 70 electric damage... Aribar: SPD check.
Tetra is flash fried and drops to the ground. "I'm... okay...!"
Metal Man (GM): Aribar takes 70 fire damage and is poisoned.
Garrick Fy`aar blasts the tree with a host of armor piercing regular shots to finish it off.
Aribar: "Gah!"
Metal Man (GM): Well, everything hits.
Aribar survives the fire... Barely.
Metal Man (GM): Confusion wears off. Make that tree into french fries!
Julian Sawyer: *Checks to see if the Supercharged Holy Symbol can fire a projectile or something. Like a Holy Beam or something. Or if he just has to whack the tree with it.*
Metal Man (GM): Whacking the tree with it is suggested. It can be used as a weapon. STR mod to hit with it.
Julian Sawyer: *Goes on a tree-whacking rampage then.*
Metal Man (GM): Hit hit and hit. Plus side: You deal 150 holy damage to it. Negative side: You cure it of all status effects.
Tetra uses his first turn to fire off his triple missile at the tree.
Metal Man (GM): *Double damage due to fire.*
Tetra fires another salvo of missiles at the tree for 108 more damage.
Metal Man (GM): Number of questions asked that were already addressed in SSQ 101: 12.
Aribar uses a Green Potion and casts two Fire Elemental Blasts on the tree... 105% Fire damage, 420% total.
Garrick Fy`aar decides to forego the STAT hits and just blast it with a series of dumdum shots.
Metal Man (GM): Miss miss hit miss mis hit.
Garrick Fy`aar finishes up with a blast of fire grenades from his Einhammer.
Metal Man (GM): Hit. The tree uses PsychoKinesis, causing Aribar to miss his turn next round. It then fires a thunder wave into Garrick, stunning and paralyzing him.
Garrick Fy`aar is instantly cured after it hits, thanks to his suit.
Metal Man (GM): Then it summons a skeleton into battle!
Garrick Fy`aar: "Don't deal with the skeleton just now, just bust the tree!"
Julian Sawyer: *ATTACK THE TREE!*
Metal Man (GM): Hit hit miss. 100 damage.
Tetra drinks a Royal Syrup and attacks with another salvo of missiles for another 108%.
Metal Man (GM): The Skeleton decides to summon more buddies. 1 more Skeleton appears.
Garrick Fy`aar first fires a Implode from his Einhammer, cutting his HP down to 113 HP left. He then fires a pair of Destroys, doing 132 damage and finishing the thing off.
Metal Man (GM): It... barely... survives... It uses all three rounds to summon undead on you ...7 skeletons appear out of the ground.
Julian Sawyer: *Does NOT attack tree. Attacks three skeletons instead.*
Metal Man (GM): Two skeletons take 50 damage; the third dies.
Garrick Fy`aar: "Finish that blasted tree, Tetra."
Tetra fires a barrage of photon shots at the tree for his first action.
Metal Man (GM): All hit. However... that crit miss.... You hit Garrick in the foot with a shot. Oh... go ahead. Ok. They all hit. *Rolls the tree's vitality roll* The tree crumbles... And 2 skeletons are created out of the bones it drops.
Garrick Fy`aar: "Right... now, we deal with these things..."
Metal Man (GM): There's 10 skeletons, now.
Tetra uses his next action to blast one of the skeletons Julian hit.
Metal Man (GM): All hit. That skeleton is killed. The Skeletons go ahead and summon more of themselves. 22 more skeletons join the fray.
Garrick Fy`aar: "Jeez..."
Aribar: "..."
Garrick Fy`aar: "...we need something big, Ari..."
Tetra: "GAH! There's more of them! I don't suppose anyone has a nuclear bomb."
Aribar: "Turn Undead!" *The elf casts Destroy Undead twice on one undead, and once on the weakened one.*
Metal Man (GM): Two undead destroyed. http://www.vgmusic.com/new-files/pmttyd_cortezbattle.mid It appears the tree was merely host to hundreds of annoying skeletons.
Garrick Fy`aar: "Alright then... let's bust these things and get back to the village..."
Skeletons: "Maaaster... destroy..."
Garrick Fy`aar cocks his gun, switching over to Machine gun mode. He makes SURE the armor piercers are on, then activates his suit to enject an Energizer into him. He gains 10 extra damage for the rest of the fight. Then, he has at them with two actions of machine gun fire.
Metal Man (GM): 1... 2... 3 crit misses in there. Those shots cause the skeletons to increase. Five more skeletons appear. Well, that roll effects all but those five, let's see.... 20 of them are hit for normal damage. The skeletons now have bullet holes in them.
Garrick Fy`aar probably should have done that...
Julian Sawyer: *DEX'D.*
Skeleton
HP: 110/100% 100/100% 100/100% 100/100% 23/100% 23/100% 23/100% 23/100% 23/100% 23/100% 23/100% 23/100% 23/100% 23/100% 23/100% 23/100% 23/100% 23/100% 23/100% 23/100% 23/100% 23/100% 23/100% 23/100% 0/100% 0/100% 0/100% 0/100% 0/100% 0/100% 0/100% 0/100% 0/100% 0/100% 0/100% 0/100% 0/100% 0/100%
STR: 15
SPD: 15
INT: 15
AC: 12
Attacks: 1
Bone Bonk: d20+2, 15 damage.
Summon: Summons d3 skeletons.
Smash Dex: "Note: Their summoning amount is abnormally high due to the location you are in: A graveyard."
Julian Sawyer: "Holy bejesus... ...I'm thinking we should run."
Garrick Fy`aar: "...if we can get them to follow us, then we can take them out outside the graveyard. Let's move."
Aribar: "What would that do?"
Julian Sawyer: "Run, you fool! But run slowly."
Metal Man (GM): Julian: You running?
Tetra: "Who cares? These guys are cannon fodder? Might as well get some target practice in!"
Julian Sawyer: "So they can follow."
Garrick Fy`aar: "If we're overrun, then WE'LL be cannon fodder."
Julian Sawyer: "Yeah, but if they keep summoning 10 of themselves, WE'LL be cannon fodder."
Garrick Fy`aar: "Just go! I'll give you cover."
Tetra: "I didn't mean stay here. If we can get outside the cemetery gates we can bottleneck them."
Garrick Fy`aar: "Then let's do it!"
Metal Man (GM): Remember, you have to go by turns, you you have to wait for your respective turns to move.
Garrick Fy`aar: "Julian, throw me that cross!"
Julian Sawyer: *Hands the cross to Garrick* "I'd like that back when we're done with this."
Garrick Fy`aar smirks "I could cross it with your gloves, if you'd like."
Julian Sawyer: "That's exactly what I was thinking."
Garrick Fy`aar: "Good man. Now, let's move!" *He hopes the Ari gets his butt outta there...*
Metal Man (GM): Julian: Using your last action to run?
Julian Sawyer: "Good luck, man." *Whoosh!*
Metal Man (GM): Tetra: Your turn.
Tetra just fires four shots at one of the weakened skeletons then takes his last action to run for the gates.
Metal Man (GM): All hit. No death, unfortunately. The skeletons are ANGRY at Garrick. The 34 skeletons mob him.
Garrick Fy`aar has that cross!
Metal Man (GM): They don't care that he has the cross.
Garrick Fy`aar LEAPS up above all of them, backflipping away from every last one.
Metal Man (GM): However, they fail to even hit him.
Garrick Fy`aar: "You are all TOO SLOW!"
Aribar has died from the poison he forgot. He gets back up, drinks a Green Potion, and casts Destroy Undead on a damaged skeleton.
Metal Man (GM): Damaged skeleton: Dead. Total dead Skeletons: 5 Total Live Skeletons: 33
Garrick Fy`aar should just stay here...
Julian Sawyer: "RUN FOR IT!"
Metal Man (GM): So then. Garrick can go ahead and do what he wants.
Garrick Fy`aar uses his turn to do three actions of machine gun fire.
Metal Man (GM): One crit miss. And..... 30 Skeletons take one hit each.
Julian Sawyer: *Has made a break for the exit.*
Metal Man (GM): The skeletons aren't following him, so he can just run out of battle... which he does.
Tetra fires two actions worth of shots, both at different wounded skeletons.
Metal Man (GM): All hit... that skeleton is dead. All hit... skeleton dead. The Skeletons continue to futilely attack Garrick. Two of them crit Garrick for 30 total damage.
Garrick Fy`aar dodges all but those two. He growls, grunting as bruises form under his armor "I would appreciate if you'd guys would RUN!"
Tetra: "What? And let you have the fun?" *He has apparently recovered from his cowardice.*
Garrick Fy`aar: "...good point. Let's finish this these bunch off and get out of here."
Aribar has decide to stay... The elf raises the Wand of Wonder into the air and razor-sharp gusts of wind rake the area... And nine skeletons (Preferably the nine most damaged). 24% Wind damage each. "Hurricane! ... Gonna stay here!"
Garrick Fy`aar rakes the area with machine gun shots again.
Metal Man (GM): 1 more skeleton appears... as 32 skeletons are hit.
Tetra fires off another two barrages of photon shots, again targeting two different wounded skeletons.
Metal Man (GM): All hit; two skeletons die. The remaining skeletons start glowing.
Skeletons: "Leave this place if you value your liiiiivesss..."
Metal Man (GM): They then attack Garrick. But it looks like they're gonna charge up for something creepy next round. And they all miss Garrick.
Garrick Fy`aar dodges all of those. Not one crit.
Metal Man (GM): Okay, then.... Aribar, first, kills... He kills seven of them, to start.
Garrick Fy`aar fires one last time to hopefully kill off enough of them to make a difference.
Metal Man (GM): 3 more skeletons appear. Oops! Missed another crit miss. Another one appears. Another three on top of that. Of course, even though that wipes out what Ari did, let's see.... 27 skeletons hit; one of the shots is wasted, because you hit all of the skeletons before more appeared. 2 skeletons dead. Many of them are almost dead. Ironically, you created more than you destroyed.
Skeletons: "If you do not leave, you will be doooomed..."
Tetra fires off two more barrages, attacking a different skeleton with each shot.
Metal Man (GM): One crit miss... Okay. All hit, dealing... how much damage per hit? 8 skeletons die from that barrage.
Skeletons: "Foooools... you are now dooooomed!!!!"
Metal Man (GM): The skeletons all fall into pieces.
Tetra: "Okay..."
Garrick Fy`aar: "...move... MOVE!"
Metal Man (GM): Then the pieces begin building... a monolithic monster!
Tetra: "Son of a..."
Garrick Fy`aar: "...whoa whoa WHOA!!"
Tetra: "I think we can take it."
Metal Man (GM): It's like a 130 foot tall human.
Garrick Fy`aar: "...D... D... Dex? Scan..."
Metal Man (GM): With a shield, and a sword.
Smash Dex: "...Creature building in progress. Standby for statistics."
Metal Man (GM): Before we begin... EXP time. 600 EXP for defeating the ugly tree. 270 EXP from the slaughter of the skeletons. Julian only got 50 EXP from the skeleton death. The skeletons dropped a total of 1000 coins for each person. Now, this is all good and all, but you've now got a 130 foot tall monster building itself.
Editor's Note: I was trying to get them to learn when to run. But it's counter-acted by all the EXP, so... past me really was sending some mixed messages there.
Tetra levels up, being instantly healed and having all MP restored. Yay!
Metal Man (GM): If that gets to the village, destruction will be terrible!
Garrick Fy`aar: "Dex, is it finished?"
Smash Dex: "Almost."
Julian Sawyer: *Heads back to the fight* "Where were you guys? I though the plan was to-HOLY CRAP!"
Tetra: "No, we never intended to holy crap."
Garrick Fy`aar: "Nope, we sure as hell never intended for that."
Julian Sawyer: "Shut up."
Garrick Fy`aar chuckles, looking to the others "You think you guys have enough juice left in you to take down a 130 foot tall monster from the black abyss?"
Smash Dex: "...DING!"
King Skeleton
HP: 0/2300%
STR: 80
SPD: 12
INT: 15
AC: 11
Attacks: 2
Sword Swipe: affects all. SPD save, DC 25. 50 damage if fail.
Stomp: SPD save, DC 30. 150 damage if fail.
Hurl of Death: ...Three opposed STR checks. If fail, instant death.
Special: Immune to status effects.
Metal Man (GM): You have a choice. Run and try to block its path.... Or fight it. This way, any and all 'cheapness' you encounter will be solely your choice. You can split up, too. No. It's too huge. And I warn you, it's too huge to be affected by several things which might seem like the magic fix. Okay... back to the game! http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/Nintendo/Gamecube/mp2d_Parasite.mid
Garrick Fy`aar: "...okay, here's the plan..."
King Skeleton: "All hail the unholy lord of the forest of Doom! The Skeleton King!!!"
Metal Man (GM): His evil voice echoes everywhere. He stabs and destroys the ruined cathedral in one hit.
Garrick Fy`aar: "I'm the fastest, so I can avoid it better."
Metal Man (GM): Debris flies over your head as he kicks a tree over the horizon.
Garrick Fy`aar: "Tetra, Julian. Get to that bridge. Get to the other side and get ready to blow it up."
Skeleton King: "I shall destroy all who invade my forest!"
Tetra: "What about you?"
Garrick Fy`aar: "I'll keep him distracted."
Metal Man (GM): He slices the top off of a mountain and hurls it randomly at another mountain.
Tetra: "...You're insane. Let's go!"
Skeleton King: "And now... to crush these invaders!"
Metal Man (GM): Tetra et Julian are able to flee.
Garrick Fy`aar bops on the balls of his toes, holstering his weaponry and slinging the cross onto his back.
Metal Man (GM): *SUPER-DUPER BOSS BATTLE* Garrick vs. King Skeleton
Garrick Fy`aar: "Heaven help me..."
King Skeleton: "I could probably stab heaven from here!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "HEY! BIG GUY! YOUR MAMMA SKELETON WEARS COMBAT BOOTS!"
Metal Man (GM): He stabs a cloud high up into the air.
Garrick Fy`aar unslings the Einhammer and unloads three Implodes at it, right after the other.
King Skeleton: "That ant is saying something! I should squash it into jam!"
Tetra runs as fast as he can back to the bridge, making sure to ready a salvo of missiles on the way.
Metal Man (GM): ...The implodes bounce off of it like rubber.
King Skeleton: "Your pathetic stinger does not hurt me!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "Lord... he's just too big..."
Metal Man (GM): Aribar: You have a choice. Fight a 130 foot tall skeleton or flee. King Skeleton walks forward, trying to stomp Garrick. SPD check for Garrick. *SMASH* The entire area shakes like an Earthquake as Garrick takes 150 damage.
Garrick Fy`aar dies, coming back to life and down to two lives.
Julian Sawyer: *Has fled.*
Garrick Fy`aar: "OWWW!!!!"
Metal Man (GM): *IN-between turn* ...Valhalla appears over the horizon... and enters combat with it.
Doopliss: "Hey! You! Gigantic and ugly! Die!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "...oh my god..."
Skeleton King: "I shall crush you!"
Metal Man (GM): He is actually large enough to attack Valhalla. For the rest of his turn, the Skeleton King slashes Valhalla twice.
Garrick Fy`aar: "...Dex... erm... is there anything at Quester HQ that I could use?"
Doopliss: "Gah... this is impossible! You're actually hitting my shields!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "Like... an old ship?"
Smash Dex: "Out of range... unfortunately."
Garrick Fy`aar: "Okay, what about Nova?"
Smash Dex: "...I'll get back to you on that. There's a weird reading here..."
Garrick Fy`aar: "What kind of reading?" *He is currently under cover behind a tree, hiding for now...*
Smash Dex: "Some sort of energy related to the forest and the Skeleton King."
Metal Man (GM): Valhalla fires missiles at the Skeleton King.
Garrick Fy`aar: "The forest... that might be it."
Metal Man (GM): ...They bounce off too!
Skeleton King: "Ha ha ha ha! You cannot hurt me!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "Bring up a dual comm. One with Tetra, the other with Valhalla."
Metal Man (GM): The Skeleton King then grabs the ship and begins shaking it. Tetra: Your Dex beeps.
Aribar appears to back Garrick up. "Hey! Sorry for the wait... Gonna help you fight it..."
Tetra answers the dex. "Hello?"
Julian Sawyer: *Is at the bridge with Tetra.*
Doopliss: "...Hello-o-o-o-o Garrick-k-k-k. Things are-are-are re-e-e-ealy sha-a-a-a-aking u-u-p-p he-e-e-r-r-e-!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "Tetra! Get your ass back to the village and ask Knuckles how fond they are of this village! FAST!"
Skeleton King: "You have invaded my forest, evil bug. I shall shake you to death!"
Tetra: "Alright."
Garrick Fy`aar: "MOVE!"
Tetra shuts off the dex. "Come on, guy!" *He grabs Julian's arm and runs back to Knuckles' village.*
Metal Man (GM): You two run towards the village.
Julian Sawyer: "This isn't gonna end well... HEY! I can run myself, y'know." *Heads for the village.*
Garrick Fy`aar: "Doopliss! I need you to target the forest with as much FIRE power as you can!"
Metal Man (GM): Meanwhile, the Skeleton King continues damaging Valhalla.
Doopliss: "...Yes sir!"
Julian Sawyer: *Heads for the cathedral.*
Skeleton King: "Die, puny... ahhhhhhhhh!!!!"
Metal Man (GM): The forest suddenly takes heavy fire.
Skeleton King: "How dare you damage my beautiful forest! DIE!"
Metal Man (GM): The Skeleton King just powers up!
Garrick Fy`aar: "Dex, rescan! ...oh, CRAP!"
Metal Man (GM): He stabs Valhalla, causing it to fly off... smoking.
Doopliss: "I've lost control of the engines! You're on your own!"
Skeleton King: "Do you not know that attacking my forest makes me stronger?"
Garrick Fy`aar: "Ari... do YOU have any ideas?"
Metal Man (GM): Ari: Your turn.
Tetra looks for Knuckles at the village.
Aribar: "...Divine Might!" *The elf spends his first action casting Destroy Undead on Mr. King.*
Garrick Fy`aar: "Tetra! Nix that, it isn't working!"
Metal Man (GM): Tetra: I'll deal with your part after Aribar does his thing.
Julian Sawyer: *Has headed for the cathedral.*
Tetra: "Gah! Make up your mind, would you?"
Metal Man (GM): Aribar: Your attack bounces off of the Skeleton.
Tetra: "Should I go back to the bridge then?"
Garrick Fy`aar: *Comm* "We need some BIIIIIIIG holy magic now!"
Skeleton King: "What was that? A tickle?"
Tetra: "I don't have any of that..."
Skeleton King: "Get out of my forest!"
Metal Man (GM): Tetra and Julian's 'parts' Julian reaches the cathedral.
Aribar: "Holy Might!" *The elf casts two Holy Elemental Blasts at the beast... 53 Holy Damage each.*
Julian Sawyer: *Enters.*
Metal Man (GM): The beast takes minor damage at best.
Tetra: "I have an idea!"
Elder: "The Skeleton King has been awakened!"
Tetra heads after Julian.
Elder: "The end of the world has begun!"
Julian Sawyer: "I know!"
Elder: "All is lost!"
Tetra: "Yeah, we saw that. We need some help." *shakes the Elder.*
Julian Sawyer: "Would it be possible for you guys to evacuate or something?"
Elder: "The Skeleton King is summoned by people who disrespect his land!"
Tetra shakes the Elder. "Listen to me, you old coot!"
Elder: "Stop shaking me! I'll be dead soon enough!"
Julian Sawyer: "Again, can you guys evacuate?"
Tetra: "If you care about your village and your lives, then I need you to tell me how we can get big holy magic!"
Elder: "The Skeleton King will kill us, no matter what we do. It's only a matter of time anyway! We have nothing... Knuckles has gone off to get Tails, but even technology fails against it!"
Tetra: "Can't you pray to your god or something? Isn't that why you have a cathedral?"
Garrick Fy`aar: *Beep.*
Elder: "Our God went nuts and destroyed our entire civilization ages ago!"
Julian Sawyer: "Look, you guys NEED to get out of the village!"
Elder: "We have nothing!"
Metal Man (GM): The Elder points to a mural of Chaos destroying all of the Echidna villages.
Tetra: "That can't be true..."
Elder: "At best, he'd destroy everything again!"
Julian Sawyer: "...Hey, that was that water guy Veeg made in the kitchen!"
Elder: "...Did he get any chaos emeralds?"
Garrick Fy`aar: *Beep.*
Tetra: "In the forest we saw a holy symbol, like one from this church, that still glowed with holy power."
Elder: "We don't have enough holy symbols to destroy that! It's 13 stories tall!"
Julian Sawyer: "I think he has two... And then he used our warp room to head into the desert." *Answers his Dex* "Hello?"
Elder: "...Oh no! Double destruction!" *Heard on Dex* "The skeleton King and Chaos will destroy us all!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "Julian! I have an idea to beat this thing!"
Elder: "Ahhhhhhh!!!!" *Runs around screaming.*
Garrick Fy`aar: "Are you at the village?"
Tetra: "Ugh, this is hopeless."
Julian Sawyer: "Yeah..."
Garrick Fy`aar: "Get me the elder!"
Elder: "...Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!"
Tetra looks over Julian's shoulder. "Forget him. He's too busy running and screaming."
Julian Sawyer: *Grabs the elder as he runs by and hands him the Dex* "It's for you."
Garrick Fy`aar: "...ugh, fine. I'll do this blind then."
Elder: "What... what is it? You've got the eclipse cannon pointed at us next?"
Garrick Fy`aar: "Elder! The Skeleton King is tied to the forest, right? If the forest is hurt, it grows stronger, right?"
Elder: "Yes... he is raised by those who attack his land..."
Garrick Fy`aar: "Well, what if we HELPED the forest?"
Elder: "...Now that I think of it, that evil demon was summoned after we cut down the trees for land... Too late... it's on fire. You need to weaken him somehow! He's connected to the forest..."
Garrick Fy`aar: "What if we got it to rain? Put out the fire, heal the forest!"
Aribar mumbles, "Rain? ... Hrm..."
Elder: "That would be good, but he's already angry. You need to weaken him so that he crumbles back into the forest! ...But you're on the right track. ...Chaos causes rain... but he's in the desert! We're doomed! Doomed to total destruction!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "Don't worry about the rain. I've got that covered. But I need more info! What else can weaken him??"
Elder: "...The holy scripture says that he is invincible and unstoppable!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "Then HOW was he put down before???"
Elder: "Chaos's destruction of our civilization also destroyed those pages..."
Aribar: "...Hrm..." *He mumbles,* "Positive energy... Negative... Ah!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "UGH! You're an elder! Don't you know anything yourself???"
Elder: "We're doomed!"
Aribar downs a Green Potion and casts Revive on that... THING.
Skeleton King: "Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "...WHOA! ...Nova! Come in!"
Metal Man (GM): The Skeleton King takes plenty of damage... but is still standing.
Skeleton King: "...You shall be thrown to your doom for that!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "Do that again, Ari! NOVA! COME! IN!"
Nova: "...We hear you loud and clear."
Metal Man (GM): You see Aribar get flung... over the horizon.
Garrick Fy`aar: "Nova, I need you to access your weather control unit! Make it rain HARD over my location!"
Skeleton King: "Now... to destroy that village that took over half my land!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "Do that for 20 seconds, then give me full sunlight!"
Metal Man (GM): Skeleton King begins marching towards the village.
Julian Sawyer: "Elder! You guys can fly, right."
Nova: "...Yes."
Garrick Fy`aar is racing back toward the village, talking as he goes.
Elder: "...It's called gliding, and... sort of yes."
Garrick Fy`aar: "HURRY!"
Metal Man (GM): It starts raining.
Garrick Fy`aar: "I need the rain wide spread! Over the whole forest!"
Skeleton King: "Hahahahaha! With this rain, my trees of darkness can take over much more land!"
Julian Sawyer: "Good. Can you guys 'glide' over the canyon?"
Elder: "All is doomed! Escape will only delay the inevitable!"
Metal Man (GM): The rain keeps on pouring down....
Tetra hits the elder to knock him out.
Metal Man (GM): The skeleton King stops at the bloody river.
Julian Sawyer: "WELL AT LEAST IT'LL DELAY IT!"
Garrick Fy`aar is on the other side of the river, looking up at him...
Elder: "All is---" *KONK* "Pretty rainbows..." *KO'd.*
Julian Sawyer: "..."
Tetra: "What?"
Julian Sawyer: "Tetra, WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DO THAT?"
Garrick Fy`aar: "...sunlight! Now!"
Skeleton King: "Mwahahahahahahahahaha!"
Metal Man (GM): The sunlight goes out.... The Skeleton King powers up some more.
Tetra: "To shut him up."
Metal Man (GM): I mean that the sunlight is shining on the forest.
Aribar wonders where he fell and went splat at...
Skeleton King: "A shame that you had to enrage me, then heal me... but I must reclaim my territory!"
Garrick Fy`aar quickly blasts the bridge!
Metal Man (GM): Aribar, meanwhile, flew into Phendrana Ocean and exploded.
Julian Sawyer: "...He leads the freaking village! How are we supposed to help them if this guy can't tell them what to do?!"
Metal Man (GM): The Skeleton King strides over the river in one step.
Garrick Fy`aar: "Weaken him... weaken him... Hyrule... damn it..."
Tetra: "And you think he could take the time out of his insane ranting to tell them anything?"
Metal Man (GM): He's now almost at the village... ..*Glow* Kuja appears... in the village.
Tetra: "We have to stop him!"
Julian Sawyer: "WE CAN'T!"
Metal Man (GM): Tetra and Julian would see Kuja outside the citadel.
Julian Sawyer: "...What the?"
Aribar: "Ow... Let's try this again..."
Kuja Tribal: "At last... I can show the world how good I am!"
Tetra: "Then you might want to start praying, before---hey, what the... what is HE doing here?"
Garrick Fy`aar: "NOVA! Hit the Skeleton with all the sunlight you can muster!"
Skeleton King: "What is that, a shiny ant? I better destroy it!"
Aribar hrms... The elf tries to cast two Revives on that beast where he stands... If possible.
Metal Man (GM): The sunlight does nothing to the beast. Even the revives have stopped working..... Kuja, however, floats up. Everyone can see him.
Garrick Fy`aar: "DAHH!! This is hopeless--oh god..."
Tetra: "No! We can't let Kuja stop it!"
Aribar: "...Not good..."
Metal Man (GM): The Skeleton King tries to stab him... the sword actually breaks off of him.
Tetra: "Even if it means losing the village... Kuja CAN'T save the day!"
Julian Sawyer: "What else do you want us to do? Let the Skeleton King play Godzilla?!"
Kuja Tribal: "Foolish monster. I am no ant... I am... KUJA!"
Metal Man (GM): A Flare Star nails the skeleton.
Skeleton King: "Ahhhhh!!!!"
Metal Man (GM): He's blasted backwards.
Garrick Fy`aar: "Enough of this! With all my shots... I have plenty of power to OVERDRIVE!!"
Metal Man (GM): He begins fleeing... only taking Thundagas, a Holy, and then another Flare Star.
Tetra: "I don't care! Don't you get it? This is a game of popularity! If this keeps up, everyone will think KUJA is the good guy!"
Kuja Tribal: "Yes! Now the world shall see that the Questers summon unholy monsters, and that I destroy them!"
Julian Sawyer: "And if the village is destroyed, that makes us look like BAD GUYS!"
Tetra: "Either way... we have to stop Kuja!"
Kuja Tribal: "ULTIMA!"
Tetra fires a barrage of shots at Kuja.
Metal Man (GM): The Skeleton King... just explodes. I mean, he turns green and then disintegrates. The shots hit Kuja... he merely frowns.
Garrick Fy`aar: "...this is not good..."
Aribar: "We're dead..."
Tetra: "Damn it..."
Kuja Tribal: "Behold, villagers! The Quester-summoned monster has been defeated by me, Kuja Tribal!"
Julian Sawyer: *Shoves Tetra out into the open and heads back inside the cathedral.*
Aribar: "If Kuja doesn't kill us... Nintendus will."
Tetra drops to his knees. "I can't believe it... we lost."
Kuja Tribal: "The Questers are now trying to attack me... for saving you from their deadly monster!"
Tetra: "Kuja won't kill us. There's no need now, is there?"
Garrick Fy`aar: "Mewtwo, come in. We need immediate warp out."
Mewtwo: "Affirmative."
Metal Man (GM): You warp out... but the scene continues.
Kuja Tribal: "The Questers, and even Nova failed to save you from that monster. If you truly wish to be safe... follow my lead, instead of theirs!"
Metal Man (GM): The crowd of Echidnas actually cheer....
Kuja Tribal: "I shall make this former dead place good again! All who have unrightfully died by the monsters shall be whole!"
Metal Man (GM): Holy energy flows through the forest... several trees are cut down. Shacks are rebuilt. The evil stuff is exploded. People are revived, fully healed, even though they were dead for years.... And the elder, left unconscious, is also healed. The ruined cathedral is also rebuilt. From above, the town looks like it increased in size. The Elder actually walks up and shakes Kuja's hand.
Elder: "Thank you... those... amateurs... attacked me and summoned our destruction. They let Chaos loose, and that Skeleton King nearly killed us all!"
Metal Man (GM): The bridge is rebuilt, but it's a normal bridge. All of the bridges are rebuilt.
Kuja Tribal: "Do not fear. Join my side, and you shall be safe from them... forever. I have already claimed a nearby suburban area in my name. Most of the people there hated the Questers, too."
Elder: "I shall let you rule over my nation, seeing as you are fit to both defend and protect us."
Kuja Tribal: "Raise the flag!"
Metal Man (GM): A flag, showing the... Peace Symbol? is raised up.
Kuja Tribal: "There shall be everlasting peace for all nations which carry this flag. All who refuse will not be harmed... but I doubt you want The Questers to summon monsters at you."
Metal Man (GM): ...And we go back to the Questers, who are in R&R, watching this on TV. +300 more EXP for the Skeleton thing.
Tetra is still sitting alone.
Metal Man (GM): And 2000 coins for doing the mission.
Julian Sawyer: "...You just HAD to knock him out..."
Tetra: "I... I'm sorry. I think... what if we really ARE the bad guys?"
Editor's Note: Not specifically this season, but there is a season where that is true.
Garrick Fy`aar: "..." *He just stands there, leaning against the wall.*
Tetra: "Everyone hates us. Everyone."
Aribar: "...There. ...There's nothing we can do."
Julian Sawyer: "If we had followed the original plan, we wouldn't have summmoned the Skeleton King."
Garrick Fy`aar: "Julian, enough."
Tetra: "Kuja is absolutely right. WE summoned that monster. WE were powerless against it."
Aribar: "If we act against Kuja, we'll be hated even more... If we try to help, people will be too scared to thank us or anything."
Tetra: "He stopped it and saved everyone."
Garrick Fy`aar: "...I'm going out for a drink."
Tetra: "And what did I do? I was careless and helped start this. I attacked an innocent civilian. I even attacked Kuja."
Garrick Fy`aar: "I'm sure there's a bar somewhere on this rock where people won't hate me for doing my job."
Julian Sawyer: "The only thing that could have been worse is if the village got destroyed."
Tetra: "Did I pick the wrong side?"
Garrick Fy`aar lets them argue. What does it matter... he tells the computer to find the closest pub, bar, tavern, whatever. Some place that has whiskey, and take him there.
Metal Man (GM): The TV stuff then cycles into almost universal acclaim for Kuja.
Aribar: "..."
Metal Man (GM): ...With both some regret on Doopliss failing to kill the monster, and chastising the Questers.
Tetra: "I... Just forget it."
Aribar: "SIMBER, Where's Mewtwo?"
Metal Man (GM): Garrick: The 'Stadium' bar has everything.
Tetra goes to look for Metal.
SIMBER: "In the Big Room, as always."
Aribar shuffles to the Big Room...
SIMBER: "Metal is currently... off on business."
Tetra: "Damn... on business..."
Metal Man (GM): Garrick: The closest, NON Kuja controlled place is the Eisnaught bar and restaurant.
Aribar: "Mewtwo? ... Have you just heard what happened?"
Garrick Fy`aar warps there.
Mewtwo: "I know what has happened. Unfortunately, I can't think of anything we can do yet."
Pat walks into the room, having just returned from a trip of his own.
Tetra goes and sits in his room.
Metal Man (GM): Garrick: It's an ordinary bar, nobody seems to notice you.
Pat: "Hey guys, what's going on?"
Metal Man (GM): Pat: You notice TV programs chastising the Questers, praising Kuja, and showing a 13 story tall Skeleton guy.
Aribar: "...What can we do? Anything we try and do backfires... I almost wonder if it would be worth it to just disband the Questers."
Julian Sawyer: "...Who are you?"
Pat: "Who are you?"
Mewtwo: "If you give Kuja that much credit, then it would be."
Tetra lays down, staring at the ceiling. "I have no choice. I have to leave the Questers."
Mewtwo: "This is merely his machinations... he was gone all that time to let the negative PR on him die down."
Julian Sawyer: "I asked first."
Mewtwo: "He'll use it for evil, I'm sure of that. Then we strike."
Pat: "Ok. I am Me. Who are you?"
Aribar: "...How much of Nintendus does he 'control'?"
Mewtwo: "And if he's good, then what bad can that be? Two cities. That... Echidna place and suburbs."
Tetra: "Maybe I misjudged Kuja. He did destroy Eisnaught, but..."
Julian Sawyer: "Julian Sawyer."
Pat: "I'm Pat V. ...Now who is Kuja?"
Tetra: "Either way, the Questers can't do anything right. That much is obvious. No wonder everyone hates them. They're not evil, just... so... powerless. Just like me. Powerless, so I end up screwing everything up. Maybe if I join with Kuja I can change that. He did save those echidnas. He seems to be on the side of right."
Julian Sawyer: "Go check the library."
Tetra gets up and heads to the foyer of Quester HQ.
Garrick Fy`aar has warped to Eisnaught and has stepped into the place, sitting down at the bar...
Pat: "If I wanted to search through a library and then through a bunch of books, I'd be writing one of my own. Give me the short short version."
Aribar sighs and heads to his room to sleep... And think.
Julian Sawyer: "Evil wizard from another dimension or whatever. I dunno. So why haven't I seen you before?"
Metal Man (GM): Garrick: It's normal enough... until you see Metal. Who appears to have a mischievous grin on his face.
Garrick Fy`aar moves and sits beside Metal, who he's guessing is at the bar, and looks to him.
Tetra stands in the foyer for a while, trying to decide what to do.
Metal Man: "Heh heh heh... I'll have yet some more Metal Cola, sir."
Garrick Fy`aar: "What are you doing here, Metal? I wouldn't have guessed you for a drinker... oh, whiskey, on the rocks."
Metal Man: "...I don't drink. But..."
Pat: "I'm sort of a Part-Timer. I'm also a full-time employee at the SSS, so I kind of drift between here and there."
Metal Man: "Let's just say Kuja is gonna viciously attack the UND."
Garrick Fy`aar: "I take it you heard the news?"
Julian Sawyer: "SSS? You mean the stadium?"
Metal Man: "Heard the news? I actually engineered part of it."
Garrick Fy`aar arches an eyebrow "I mean about that Skeleton King fiasco."
Pat: "In a matter of speaking. They're related, but it's sort of a different place."
Metal Man: "Planned it out that way."
Garrick Fy`aar: "..."
Julian Sawyer: "...Huh."
Metal Man: "While I was away, you see, I spied on Kuja."
Garrick Fy`aar takes his drink and gulps some of it.
Metal Man: "I set it up so that you guys would appear bad... heck, I talked to Doopliss and paid him to attack. ...Kuja takes over... UND are lead to think Kuja is gonna destroy the village..."
Garrick Fy`aar: "...answer me something, Metal."
Metal Man: "What's that, Mister?"
Garrick Fy`aar: "...why do you never... EVER... tell us about these plans of yours?"
Metal Man: "Woulda spoiled it. Heck, I can't tell you what will happen next, either. UND will attack Kuja. That's it. No location specified."
Garrick Fy`aar: "So, you're manipulating us."
Metal Man: "The end result will be... very, very bad for Kuja. Oh yes... ha ha ha ha ha..."
Garrick Fy`aar: "...and what of us?"
Metal Man: "Well, this is to directly counter Kuja's manipulation. So you'll be the people who trick him. I'm crazy, Kuja's not. Kuja didn't expect me to cause you guys to summon the Skeleton King so quickly."
Garrick Fy`aar: "...you are a horrible human being." *He swigs his drink again.*
Editor's Note: Garrick would unapologetically decide to work with this very 'horrible' being in CONFRONTATION, when given a choice that included NOT working with him.
Metal Man: "I have to do these things... Kuja would have had you all killed by now if it wasn't for me."
Garrick Fy`aar: "Oh, great grand Metal, then?"
Metal Man: "You're the horrible human being, sir. I counted on you to mindlessly summon the skeleton King by attacking sacred ground."
Tetra takes out his dex and starts to contact Kuja, then stops and attempts to contact the UND instead.
Metal Man: "I'm not grand, but I'm currently setting up Kuja, by making him think he's winning."
Garrick Fy`aar: "...then what? Who will kill Kuja? You? The UND? And then what?"
Charles Magellean (GM): No frequency match. It's like they're either ignoring you, blocking you, or they don't even exist.
Tetra: "Hmm..."
Metal Man: "I can't say anything."
Garrick Fy`aar: "We just hang around, waiting for the NEXT horrible person to come and destroy everything, kill countless people?"
Metal Man: "However, the next plan will throw Kuja for a loop. Even better!"
Garrick Fy`aar: "Just so you can make some plan behind our backs and manipulate us into doing it for you?"
Tetra tries to contact Kuja instead.
Metal Man: "What'd you prefer? Surviving... or being killed by Kuja?"
Kuja Tribal: "Who wishes to talk to me, ruler of the Promised People? Oh. Yes. You. The one who summoned the unholy king of Skeletons."
Tetra: "A Quester... soon to be ex-Quester."
Garrick Fy`aar: "I prefer working TOGETHER instead of being manipulated."
Editor's Note: Also a lie; when given that chance, he chose to try to manipulate things like Illian did.
Metal Man: "He prefers us working together too, Garrick. He counts on us to work together up until we accidentally work together in a way that helps him."
Garrick Fy`aar: "Did you know that Tetra was worried he joined the wrong team?"
Tetra: "I'm sorry. I... I don't have any excuse for what we did. The Questers are weak and ignorant. I understand that, Kuja. I wanted to know if I could... join you."
Metal Man: "He can do what he wants. He'll find out the answer eventually."
Garrick Fy`aar: "That Julian was blaming us for everything?"
Kuja Tribal: "Very interesting. Defecting to the true side."
Garrick Fy`aar: "You know, if you don't watch it, the Questers will be no more."
Tetra merely nods.
Kuja Tribal: "Come to the town which you previously threatened. I will be there."
Pat pauses outside Tetra's room...