[VIDEO] 9 April [SEELIE] A Call to Arms [OPEN]

[waterbearer]

[ The video is aimed largely past the speaker, to the twichting-writhing forms of three snake-like horned-creatures, the crackles of electricity still racing across their scales as they move. The locket is likely proper up on a rock or tree somewhere, as the speaker is turned to face the worms, his arms up and tattoos glowing electricity crackles from his hands. He is standing on land near a small river-stream near farmsteads. ]

Attention.

I am Kaldur’ahm, recently brought here with the rest of you. I was exploring the rivers and streams nearby and found that several had been blocked by these creatures, and that they were attacking the farms homesteads.

[ One of the worms seems to recover from the temporary paralysis, and lunges towards Kaldur, who leaps away and grasps two devices firmly in his hands. He jumps up again slams downwards on its tail with a water-formed spiked mace, inadvertently severing part of the tip from the worm. He bats the rest of the worm back further away and continues. ]

I am requesting assistance. Several of the civilians have been bitten, and are displaying signs of being in a critical condition due to the creature’s venom. I have been attempting to combat these worms for a few hours, and they grow more resistant to my electric paralyzation with each attempt I try.

[ The severed tail-end starts wriggling violently, and he forms a sledgehammer to knock it back several yards, closer to the still-paralyzed worms. ]

They are quick to regenerate from severed pieces, like echinoderms.

I need those who can help me combat these creatures and those who can help transport the injured to the castle, as well as individuals to help care for those injured by the worms.



{{ooc: The four first comments titled as "Alpha Squad", "Beta Squad", "Gamma Squad" and "Support Team" are for the 'action' part. (Where I will also attempt to GM as worms if people so desire). Feel free to answer the comm itself before immediately jumping into action, or to handwave being assigned to the team you are on and head straight for the action, as well as forming your own little threadlines!

They are more for organization purposes and keeping your squad-mates straight than anything else, and any number of threads can be started below the heading!

NOTE: IC'ly, the Squad assignations are happening on the spot.}}

Comments

GAMMA SQUAD

[waterbearer]

kili | ota

[kilimanjaro]

[Kili'd been in a bit of a hurry and there hadn't been time to find a bow before joining the fray. Armed only with a single dagger, not at all his weapon of choice or fighting style of expertise, the young dwarf charges into battle with a whoop and a shout of du bekar!

Mahal, he's always wanted to say that.]

[somethingprecious]

[Ideally this isn't where Bilbo wants to be. He isn't a warrior by any definition of the word, but here he is somehow. Kili is to blame for this definitely.

At least he still has Sting (and his ring, tucked away safely in his pocket if- when he'll need it) and he follows closely behind Kili, gripping the hilt of his Elvish dagger tightly.]

[kilimanjaro]

[Kili is always to blame for this. Not to mention it had started out as a challenge, goading Bilbo and teasing him about his little letter opener of a sword.

Not that he has much to fight with at the moment, just a dagger that he's fairly certain was Fili's to begin with. He grins back at Bilbo, his eyes bright and glittering with something dangerous and rather fey, teeth bared. There's blood on his dagger already, splattered across his face, but he doesn't seem to care.]

I told you it would be fun.

[somethingprecious]

This is not my idea of fun! [At least Sting isn't a dag... Well.]

If you injure yourself again I will never let you hear the end of it, is that understood? [Of course Bilbo has a higher chance of getting hurt than Kili, which he is well aware of.]

[walkingarsenal]

[If there was still any doubt in Fili's mind that Kili is fine to be on his feet and moving around enough to put some strain on his leg, it doesn't stand much of a chance in the face of Kili's restored enthusiasm. Nonetheless, Fili is close on Kili's heels with his own dagger at the ready, although he flashes his brother a smile and makes sure to yell out a battle cry himself as he turns to the task at hand.

Just in time, too. The worm they face uncoils and darts in, bared fangs glinting.]

[kilimanjaro]

[Kili lets out a gasp of surprise at how quick the worm moves. Startled, he jabs instinctively, dagger flashing.

Mahal, he wishes he'd practiced combat with just a dagger more. He feels a bit unprepared.]

[walkingarsenal]

[Meanwhile, Fili feels underprepared and wishes that they had a few more blades, preferably ones that would let them attack without the need to move in too close. These daggers take them right against the worm's body, where they have to pierce its scales or get at a softer part of its underside before they do any real damage, all before the creature gets to them first.]

Kili! [He calls out a warning, narrowly leaping out of the way when the worm seems intent on catching them between its teeth.]

bilbo baggins | ota

[somethingprecious]

[His hand has slipped into his pocket more than five times now and five times now he has almost slipped on the ring and become invisible. It would be handy to fight with it on he knows, but he resists the temptation for now.

... At least until he's out of sight. It would be troublesome to explain how he can do such a thing especially in a situation like this.

He throws himself into a lunge at one of the worms, burying his blade into its side before it can reach its intended victim. An odd sight for anyone who may happen to catch it in action.]

[fizzlesfolly]

[Garth tripped and fell backwards, he wasn't a graceful man. The worm was close, and he fumbles for his gun, if not to kill it, then to give him time to escape. The gun isn't needed though, when a smaller man, with rather large feet, shoves their blade into the worms side.

Blood sprays him, and he quickly gets to his feet, wiping his face as he goes. He moves away from the worm, just in case it isn't dead yet. Garth knows they are in battle and there isn't the time to spare for niceties, but he leans over anyways, extending his hand, in gratitude, to be shaken.]

You saved my life. Thank you.

apologies for this being so late

[somethingprecious]

[He'll never be used to the feeling of blood on his skin and hair and it sends a chill down his spine that he hates. Truly he was not meant for battle, but things didn't always work out in his favor. He only hoped he could be more of a help than a hindrance to those who really could fight.

So when he saves someone's life there is a small bubble of relief that rises in his chest. He knows better now than to pull Sting out, knowing that the worm will just heal over the wound so he holds out one hand back to Garth belatedly, wiping away the blood as best he can off on his coat.]

Pl- Please, it was nothing. You are alright, yes?

[It's hard trying to cut a worm in two with such a small blade like Sting, but Bilbo tries his best.]

[vazyol]

[ Dany's horse rears back, but she calms it, even if her own expression betrays her fear in widened eyes. This man has saved my life, small as he may be, and she won't allow him to fight alone. ]

Drogon. [ A dragon the size of small dog, red and black, dives, aiming for the eyes of the beast. Dany continues to shout above the skirmish. ] If you can open wounds, my dragons can cauterize them!

[somethingprecious]

[Dragon.

That was definitely a dragon - right? It was so much smaller than... than Smaug... Oh dear.

But the worm's screeching brings him back to the present and he tears his gaze away from the young dragon and back to his current target. Either he'd die by dragon fire or be eaten alive by this foul creature, but he could at least spare himself the latter.]

R-Right! [He moves almost blindly, only knowing enough about sword fighting to know that the pointy end goes first and that's just what he tries to do to the best of his abilities. Being so small and quick on his feet he maneuvers somewhat easily around the worm's writhing body, stabbing and slashing where he can before he's struck down by its tail.]

[walkingarsenal]

[After Bilbo's bravery stepping in to defend Thorin against an orc, against Azog, the sight now just earns him a smile from Fili at the next available opportunity -- that is, as soon as they're afforded a moment that won't be interrupted by shrieking, venomous worms. But first, Fili rushes in to back up Bilbo's efforts, driving his dagger's blade past thick scales and wrenching it along as far as he can to leave a deep gash.]

Having fun yet, Bilbo?

[somethingprecious]

Is that a joke? [He raises his voice to be heard over the sounds of fighting, but his annoyance is clear as the expression on his face. Already he's covered in blood and worm guts and he looks none too pleased by it and just a little more exasperated. How did he get dragged into doing this again??

Oh right, Kili.

Bilbo takes another stab at the worm, trying his best to leave deep wounds to keep it from healing so quickly.]

Garth - OTA

[fizzlesfolly]

[Garth smashed through the trees, not one to hold back in a fight, and came out by a stream. He was the type to give it his all, even if it wasn't enough to do real damage. Kaldur had sent him to join Gamma squad, and judging by the directions and details he'd been given, he had found them.

So far, two fighters of smallish size were making quick work of a worm, tearing through it like it was nothing.

Garth shot his gun, aiming for the head, and hit his target. It stunned the worm, slowing it, but didn't kill it. He pulled his knife out, and one weapon in each hand, ran forward to help the other members of the gamma squad.]

[waterbearer]

[ Hacking at the worm is all well and good, but if they hack too much, the creature will regenerate from the pieces and they will increase in their number, not deplete in it. After the worm is slowed, Kaldur brings a mace down heavily on the creatures head, bashing it against the ground. This should halt it, at least temporarily, until it regenerates past whatever skull fragmentation has occurred.

He joins up at Garth's side, the mace smoothing liquidly into twin swords. ]

Do you have methods to supply the wounds with fire? A quick fire-cauterization of the wounds prevents healing.

[fizzlesfolly]

[Garth lept back, giving the other man ample space to attack. He couldn't help but feel impressed at the ease in which Kaldur smashes the mace into the worms skull. While Garth is familiar with those who have supernatural abilities, he hasn't been exposed to the type of powers that, for lack of a better way of putting it, the other man has. He isn't afraid, but yet again, impressed.

There are worms all around them, but none directly in their path, giving Garth time to answer his question.]

Fire? I don't have any way to make it, as in the way that you have powers. But I can start a fire from scratch, then use it to make a torch.

[He stopped to catch his breath, shoulders heaving from the exertion of fighting.]

But all that would be time consuming, ten minutes or more.

[walkingarsenal]

[There is a strange sort of sound, perhaps the blast of a small explosion, but Fili can glance in the direction it came from for barely a second before his attention returns to the worm. After that sound, it had jerked back, but it hasn't been deterred from its attacks. Still, he sees that a new face has joined the fight, a Man carrying an odd thing in one hand, a more obviously useful thing in the other.

Later, he notices the fire. By then he's heard the plan, and he tries to do his part to support it, hastening to get felled worms burnt to keep them down, hopefully for good.]

[fizzlesfolly]

[As Garth attacked the worms, slicing and burning the best he could, he couldn't help but notice the other fighters around him. This one, while considerably shorter, was one hundred times the fighter that he was. His size was noted once, and then forgotten, as Garth didn't care about those sort of things.

Garth rushed forward, a branch that he'd lit on fire in his hand. He extended it towards the man.]

Here, this could help.

Pascal // OTA

[shotstaff]

[ anyone who so unfortunately happens to be in the line of fire will suddenly feel a powerful — almost painful — gust of wind charged with green energy blow past them, aimed for any nearby worms. if they turn to the source, they may be able to catch a glimpse of a small swordsman with wings disappear into the approaching woman. once she's close enough, she says something along the lines of: ] Sorry t' keep you waiting! Pascal's here to save the day! [ before releasing her staff to... allow it to float in midair?! ]

"Lend me power, my friend!" [ as she chants her incantation, her staff becomes engulfed in flames, starting from the bottom and swirling towards the glowing globe up top. ] "Enflame!"

[ she grabs her staff, giving it a spin before tucking it under her arm like a rifle and firing away, all of her attacks (and her staff) now ablaze with fire eleth. ]

[walkingarsenal]

[He feels air rush by, strong enough to prompt him to take a step out of the way. Although it doesn't upset his balance as he prepares to slice at a worm, his braids swing into his face and for a moment, that throws him off.

Luckily the worm is distracted by those bursts of flame. Taking advantage of that, Fili attacks. When he yanks his dagger back out of the thing's exposed underside, it writhes and shrieks.]

dany | ota

[vazyol]

[ Her dragons attack from above, diving like birds and spitting flame every time she calls out "Dracarys." Otherwise, they fly high enough to avoid the worms, frantically flapping their wings and shrieking. Similarly, Dany keeps her distance. Unarmed as she is, though on horseback, she's not foolish enough to ride directly into the fray. ]

[walkingarsenal]

[On the one hand, Fili isn't sure what to make of these particular allies, but as long as those flames are breathed only at the worms, he won't question their help. Neither he nor Kili had the time to stop by the armory before they headed out, and Fili's dagger is but one more small blade against creatures that are proving as tough as they were said to be. It's with relief that he notes that fire seems to be making a more lasting difference; unlike the worms, he and the other fighters don't have endless reserves of energy.

It doesn't really help matters that these beasts let out a screech to make a person wish for a few earless moments. One worm twists along the ground and does just that, poised to strike. Fili plans to get clear and then charge in from the side to aim for a spot close to where its throat should be, but something keeps his feet from moving then, keeps him staring up at the worm.]

super late becase of hiatus; feel free to drop or hit me up to handwave ♥

[vazyol]

[ When Dany sees Fili stop, she starts. Her dragons move on her command. With a gesture and word, the black and red dives towards the worms eyes, all talons and fangs. It will not be enough to kill it, for the worms must sustain considerable damage to burn, but it will delay its strike. Quickly, she approaches, shouting above the battle. ]

Brave fighter, you must not stop! My dragons will not harm you, but I cannot say the same of the foul worms.