A Stroll Through the Valley: All Players
Those precious few seconds that had been purchased by funneling the horde into a single point passed in a heartbeat, then chaos washed over the group. The battlefield was awash in magics, screaming beasts and howling winds. A pack of the beasts scurried over the wall and set upon Aurland, but then time rolled back and the grievous wounds they inflicted on the mage vanished and they reappeared back atop the wall in a daze at their sudden change. They didn't have the chance to recover their senses as they were shredded by magical attacks by the defenders. It went almost unnoticed that Steorra suddenly was now bleeding from a number of bites and gashes which had appeared across his body at that same time.
At the overflowing choke point black tendrils suddenly sprang up from the ground to snap around the hordes ankles and wrists and pull them to the ground. This made it a simple matter for Arzin and Vallen at the front line to dispatch them in a shower of steel and lightning. Arzin was a blurred specter of sharp edged death, the few that made it to him found it difficult to punch through his armor and also a layer of shifting magics that one of the mages had laid across him. Despite being in the middle of the throng, he was left with only minor scrapes. (-2 HP Arzin) Some of that spillover managed to reach Malleus and he felt a sharp pain and looked down to find one of the creatures had bit onto his left forearm, it sharp teeth drawing blood as it clung on tenaciously. (-2 HP Malleus) Prying it off was a bloody and painful affair.
The whole battlefield was left in a strobing white light as flashes of crackling power rolled off Vallen. It might the fight proceed in flashes. Leaping creatures in one flash. Smoking bodies in the next. Between flashes wounds appeared upon Vallen as some of those beasts managed to reach him, but he was giving far worse than he was receiving based upon the number of crackling bodies lying at his feet. He was certainly dispelling the notion that mages were frail and harmless creatures who blanched at the first sign of violence. Another wall had appeared, this time its appearance managing to catch those small foes under and between it leaving them flattened. Still others fell to bolts fired off by the miraculously untouched Aurland.
The battle raged for only a few bloody moments and with the winds howling and adrenaline pumping it took a long moment for the mages to realize none of the beasts were still on their feet. A preternatural gloom had descended upon the battlefield and what had previously been a bright and sunny afternoon now was a deep twilight. The valley floor was littered with bodies and a miasma now swirled about their boots and they the smell of charred flesh hung in the air. It was a brutal exchange, but they had all survived and come away with something vital. Information. They had an enemy. Someone out there meant them harm. This was supposed to be an untouched world waiting to be shaped, but instead they had found crashed ships, feral spirits, and fortresses grown from trees. Now there were apologetic visitors leaving monsters at their doorstep. The mysteries of this world would not be content to lie idly, ignoring that fact invited further peril. The only question now was; what was to be done?
From Hardship Comes Growth
Choose one of the following rewards. These are exclusive rewards and claimed on a first come first serve basis.
My Mind Expands: Delving into the mixtures of magics in this new world, you start to fully grasp how these powers work and are better able to wield the full array of your powers.
Stat Increase: Add a Spell Slot to your spell book, allowing you to take more spells on an adventure.
My Scars Tell the Tales: Though you're less than you once were, you feel yourself growing more hale and hardy, your vigor returning slowly and steadily. Perhaps not as flashy as your old spells, it is still reassuring.
Stat Increase: +2 to max HP.
Apocalypse Now: With a horde of ravenous creatures laying at your feet it is clear that sometimes violence cannot be avoided. Weaving your magics into an array of destruction, you can ensure that if such a battle falls upon you again that you'll be properly armed.
New Spell: Wave of Destruction - You slay 5 Lesser Foes. (Or deal 1 damage to up to 5 enemies)
Deeper Mysteries: Near the foot of the grim totem that Noal had left was another trinket it seemed he had left behind, aside from a multitude of horrors. A small stone disc, roughly the size of a coin, lay there on the grass. Chiseled into the gray stone was an image of a bleeding eye. The edges were rough and serrated, as though it were intended to be slotted into something. With a bit of magic, this could be traced and perhaps provide a lead.
Adventure Thread: Social & Exploration - This adventure will (Most likely) involve little direct action and will present more social opportunities and chances to explore the world. If a player selects this they'll be able to choose two rewards from the adventure instead of the typical one.
Heed My Call: These creatures had been pulled from another place, whether that was another realm, or a dimension, or plane. Traces of the magic that had summoned them hung in the air and you could learn to mimic that power. Next time, the swarm need not be nipping at your own heels.
Spell: Summon Ravenous - You call up Ravenous, summon 2 per point of Potency. They'll attack whatever you aim them at, though once their primary target is defeated they'll run wild till the spell ends.
In a Shroud of Night: These beasts had drained the light from the air, their blood seemed to still drink it up. This effect could likely be enhanced through the power utilization of alchemic and mystic manipulation.
Enchantment: Shroud of Darkness - Cover yourself or another target in a shroud of darkness making them more difficult to see and target. It lasts for the adventure unless dispelled earlier, once dispelled it cannot be recast that adventure.
My Strength Returns: Trials and hardship breed strength, this was true whether in Aleteros or in a harsh and hostile world. This battle has tempered you and returned some of the strength you've lost.
Stat Increase: Add +1 to the stat of your choice.
Know Your Enemy: Facing an enemy for a first time is always an arduous experience, you never know what to expect of them, their strength, their speed, their tactics. However, now that you've stared down the tide of these beasts, you will not be taken off guard again.
Passive: Favored Foe - Ravenous: When facing the Ravenous you are particularly adept. All your actions against them are more effective and you're treated as also having the Attack specialization when facing them (Or doubling the effect if you have it already.)