#You Could Get Hit By A Boulder 🎵

[thschei]

Re: the tags on this post I feel like I should say 2 things

Sorry if that example of abuse sounds too cartoony? I have . many examples . from my family . but I didn't want to put specific/graphic details in the tags for OP/other ppl to have to see and/or be triggered by, so I decided to make it vague and gender neutral. For whatever its worth, the whole jealousy -> physical abuse -> apology with flowers sequence Is something that happened, and might come across as cartoony bc our society doesn't take abuse seriously & makes it a frequent punchline

I'm not the kind of person to be like "😢 But guys we need to remember and acknowledge that X Character did something bad, otherwise we're Liking Fiction Wrong!" and I don't intend to make it a habit. But outside of the who lock of super, I'm not usually into popular things? So I thought it was worthwhile to say at least one time that I'm not the kind of ankn enjoyer to sit here pitying him, I'm the kind to be like "He is such a petulant annoying manipulative little shitstain and his canon love interests deserve better (affectionately, while pointing and laughing)", the same way I am when I'm laughing about the master turning the human race into cannibal murder spheres. It's pretty self-evident in how I talk and act, but... I keep getting recommended re/ader x ankn blogs who portray him as a sad, tortured dom and not, like, a gangly jackass one bad day away from committing war crimes even Before he completely fell. [Ta/tooine massacre, there's a scene in TCW where he suggests smth and Obwn is like "That's Terrorism . "] So like I said, it felt worth it to at least say once that he has Flaws and Was In Charge Of His Own Decisions. The tags I put on this post apply here, and to all of my favorite characters; generally speaking, I exclusively like characters who range from Asshole to Medical Malpractice/Unethical Scientists to War Criminal, not in spite of those things but because they're interesting and fun to me. They say a lot about human nature, the same way that real people with those traits/actions do, without any real people getting hurt from me watching an episode of doccy who

[3d10fire-damage]

Colors That Run Highlights 41

WELL.

The group arrived at Old Fuero, where there was a bustle of activity-- namely construction. The group witnessed an interaction between some of the workers and surveyors before they were approached by a man and explained they were here to assist in building.

After some banter about construction tools, Calypso and Kattie noticed someone familiar on a nearby roof. Calypso nudged Slim and said his boyfriend was up there, and when Slim spotted the man, he recognized him to be Earl, taking a nap.

Slim went over and tossed a few pebbles up there to wake him up, but missed with each one. Calypso laughed and said Slim couldn’t throw for shit, and then also threw a pebble. The pebble pinged off the gutter and smacked Calypso right in the forehead.

(nat 1s that make you cackle and cheer)

Finally the group did get Earl’s attention. He hopped down and greeted them, then offered to buy them drinks so they could sit down and talk. At the town’s tavern Earl explained he had been on a mission to take down this very dangerous creature nearby. He hadn’t been able to handle it on his own, and had petitioned for some help with it from the Rangers, though they hadn’t responded thus far.

Calypso gave Earl some shit (playfully) for not being able to bring the creature down, and that he was a bit of a weenie for running away from it. Regardless, the group agreed to help Earl fight this creature, in the interest of keeping Old Fuero safe.

There was also some banter about tieflings using their tails during sex, which had apparently never occurred to Valor. Which either means Valor is weird, or Calypso (and possibly also Earl) is just a freak.

The party + Earl eventually made their way (🎵) to a place a safe distance from Old Fuero. There, Earl said he would summon the creature so that he and the others could fight it. Once everyone was in place and prepared for battle, Earl let a bit of his blood fall to the ground... and shortly, there was a shaking from beneath the earth.

A gigantic, metal worm emerged from the ground, filling the air with a very loud almost machine-like screeching. Luckily, the group got a surprise round on the creature, allowing Bless to be cast and some damage to be done immediately, but overall this combat was Brutal. And, strangely, this worm appeared to Fea to be Abyssal in nature somehow...

The worm utilized its overwhelming presence to Frighten half the group. Calypso took a little damage every time she landed a hit on the worm, just from its seemingly-impenetrable metal scales. Those who remained frightened of the worm took their shots at disadvantage (and there were Many bad rolls during this encounter). Earl, while not officially frightened, was still rather worried, even if Calypso tried sharing her confidence.

Kattie used Animate Objects to weaponize some of the boulders in the area, surrounding the worm (kinda like the little rock dudes from Breath of the Wild, which btw are apparently called pebblits). Once the worm was able to attack, it struck Calypso for like 50 damage in one attack, tearing into her with a maw full of razor sharp blades that dripped with some sort of poison (also the worm’s screeching was so loud it almost entirely drowned out the Soul Coin voices). Earl also took a lot of damage-- plus, at one point he hit the worm with his scimitar and the blade got stuck in the worm’s metallic hide, and had to be pulled back out. This went for Fea’s rapier and dagger too. So many strength saves.

On the worm’s second strike against Calypso, the monk spat out blood and fell to the ground unconscious. That meant that her Bless was snuffed out as well. Once it was Valor’s turn, she cast Healing Spirit to revive Calypso (with a lil magic kiss, as the spirit took the form of the Queen of Air and Darkness). With a gasp Calypso woke back up and promptly looked to Earl to tell him that she took back what she said about him in the tavern. Also, attempted bribery.

Awake again but seriously hurt, Calypso hit Fea with an Inflict Wounds to deal some healing damage and nimbly (but limping) moved away from the worm. Slim, still frightened, made a semi-circle around the worm without moving closer, calling for Earl and Calypso to come to him for healing. Kattie hit the worm with her Psychic Lance... but the worm was immune to psychic damage. But hey, at least it was incapacitated-- and took a little thunder damage.

The worm then summoned four of these horrible machine-spiders, which spread out and began attacking the group. I hated these goddamn spiders. Not only could they trap things with their webs (which they did to Kattie) but upon a failed save the targets of their attacks were poked full of metal barbs which would do damage each turn unless they were removed with a full action (and a successful save).

Slim dealt out some of his Boy on Cow healing and finally overcame his fear of the worm. Egg assisted Kattie in escaping the spider’s metal webbing. Valor, having been shooting magic arrows from a distance and with the cover of a boulder, was accosted by a spider or two, and she failed to save from the worm’s Frightened condition for several more turns. It was not Valor’s day.

After taking a healing potion, Calypso returned to the front line to help Fea fight the worm, and both Fea and Earl got their weapons lodged in the worm’s side at least once. Slim, exasperated with his bad attack rolls, tossed his shotgun to Earl and told him to use that in place of his out of reach scimitar. Poor Sven got one-shot by the worm. Between everyone taking damage each turn and the spiders complicating things, once the worm (momentarily) went back underground, the group considered retreating.

Slim felt they should leave, try to regroup and come back later. But theoretically, I could lead the worm to Old Fuero, which would endanger the people living there. Not to mention that TBC (+ Earl) were probably the most qualified for this fight that was available. It’s not like the worm would be weaker later. And Eve wouldn’t be able to help that much, since she was expending her energy on the teleportation circle in town.

Before long, the worm burst from the ground again, and it summoned five more spiders. The fighting began again, and things were starting to get more tense than they already were. However, Valor, after dealing with More spiders, FINALLY overcame her fear and stepped out from behind her cover. She was wounded and her clothes had become torn, leaving one of her tiddies out.

Finally, Calypso managed to stun the worm, and then deal the final blow. There was a resounding clang of fist on metal, followed by a series of explosions within the worm’s body, until it kind of came apart and stopped moving. But... there were still multiple spiders. And Fea was looking pretty haggard. Taking a lot of damage, still full of barbs.

(One of the spiders was even still at full health. We had been there for forty days and forty nights and it was still fucking raining.)

Another spider took down Valor. Then Fea took one last bit of damage and dropped too. It was an oh shit moment. Calypso, acting fast and desperate, told the others to help Valor, then cast Toll the Dead on Fea to try and keep her on this side of the line. Granted, for the moment, Fea was just unconscious, at 0 HP. So maybe healing her back from the brink would prevent her from going berserk like she had in Gilsa. Then Calypso put some distance between her and the ongoing combat (she was in the single digits for HP).

Kattie, with assistance from Egg, got a healing potion into Valor’s mouth, reviving her. Valor got to her feet and healed herself a bit more, hearing the others’ calls to get away from Fea.

Then it was Fea’s turn. It was a gamble-- a single death saving throw to see if she would wake up as herself, or if she were to descend into Abyssal madness. And... she made the save! Fea came to, standing up and preparing to get out of harm’s way. ...But she still had those metal barbs. She took more damage simply by moving... and dropped again. The dice giveth and the dice taketh away.

(14 was the EXACT amount of healing Calypso had done on her turn with Toll the Dead. goddamn)

Calypso cast Toll the Dead again, hoping and praying for that good outcome again. Kattie cast Thunderwave to take out the spiders surrounding her... but then those fucking barbs dealt enough damage to drop her. Valor managed to destroy the last remaining spider, meanwhile Slim and Earl grouped up, waiting for what Fea would do.

This time... Fea did not awaken as herself. She stood and black mist began spilling out from behind her mask, forming a cloud around her. She pulled her weapons from the worm and turned to the party.

Calypso moved closer to her teammates to heal Kattie and Slim with her Channel Divinity, and used her last spell slot to use Healing Word on Kattie as well (because at such low HP, the barbs presented the threat of knocking her out again.) Kattie finally removed her barbs, and both she and Calypso moved further from Fea.

Slim came up with a plan, which was to ride on Xio and outpace Fea, firing at her until she dropped again and thus became harmless. Valor joined him in this endeavor, flying around on a re-summoned Sven. Meanwhile, Kattie, Calypso, and Earl started back towards town, too injured to safely fight Fea.

A little ways out, however, Calypso stopped, and Kattie joined her not long after, silently. They watched as Slim and Valor brought Fea back down, then secure her onto Xio to bring her back to Old Fuero.

...but hey, no one perma-died! that’s actually kinda impressive. next time’s gonna be emo tho

addendum (discussing leaving Fea behind to deal with the spiders and finding her later after a long rest):