<div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">As a note, for the next few fights I'm going to be trying something - namely, giving even the most minor of NPCs some sort of nutrion. Those nutrions will be minor in the extreme (Like..+1 tumble), but they can add up over time...sorta. They will not stack, and will be somewhat based on the race in question - you might end up getting four or five +1 tumbles from devouring the same character type, with which none of them will stack. Of course, I might mix it up a little bit, too. This is purely experimental, and if I end up not liking it, I'll nix it - the nutrions WILL carry over, however.<br/><br/>PCs will also have these nutrions. Just, it’s not ‘useable’. Just something that each species has inherently.<br/><br/>I also forgot to toss in the bonus EXP for Sherani's new pictures! I meant to do that when they were posted, but I guess I overlooked it. &gt;_&lt; That is added in below.<br/><br/>The game should finally start clipping along at a decent pace again, now that I've gotten at least this portion of my story re-written (Oy, I have NO idea what I did with my D&amp;D notebook. There goes my tabletop game, AND this one. XD ). That being said, thanks for being patient - especially to Kotoko! I know watching me get her intro'd has been like watching old people screw - slow and sloppy.<br/><br/>Finally, without further ado, I'd like to welcome in our newest member - Kotoko. This is her intro - sorta. After thinking about it a bit, it's been rewritten. Sorry for the big post - alot of stuff going on.</div></div></div><br/><br/>The morning's excitement finally complete, once again the party gets back under way - with a new addition. Rafe. A mysterious wolf who'd just so happened to end up in the wrong place at the right time.<br/><br/>Another overland trek just like the day before - this time, though, it is actually somewhat enjoyable. The cool morning air blew through hair and fur with determination, as if promising it was not going to relinquish it's early-day coolness to the more uncomfortable midday sun. Possibly even more welcoming was the lack of dead creatures the size of horses, especially those who's exact method of death were unknown.<br/><br/>That is not to say the morning was uneventful.<br/><br/>Within thirty minutes of breaking camp and starting to move, the party realises it's being followed - gnolls. Worse than any bandits, and nearly worse than the Gorvax tribe, the local gnollish tribes were both cunning, and quite brutal. Thankfully, their numbers were somewhat small - small enough to not constantly be a problem - but even so, to small parties and merchant caravans, they were a constant threat.<br/><br/>Fortunantly, it only seemed to be a single gnoll following them now. A scout, by the looks of it. No doubt a larger hunting party was nearby, but though the scout will dissappear for a half-hour to an hour at a time, it's unlikely that he was doing anything more than keeping tabs on them. When the group reaches the eastern edge of the Falteen forest, the gnoll seems to decide that easier prey could be had, and dissappears altogether.<br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Attempts to chase down the gnoll or otherwise halt him end with failure. Noone is fast enough to catch him, judging by land speed, he never gets closer than five hundred feet. Still, he is there semi-constantly, and where there is one gnoll...there's bound to be a half-dozen to a dozen more.</div></div></div><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"> A note on gnolls...</span><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Gnolls, in this world, are not the big, dumb, brutish, smelly and inherantly evil creatures that the monster manual portrays them as. More or less, they are anthro hyenas. Whilst most of them are very tribal or group-based, much like any other race, there are individuals who break from that lifestyle. That being said, most gnolls are still incredibly predatory, and being captured alive by a group is little more than a death sentence - in one way or another. Some are savage, some are gentle - just like any of the other races can be.</div></div></div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"> Sherani </span><br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Due to Sherani living in and around the Falteen forest for a good portion of her life, she's somewhat familiar with gnolls. The plainland gnolls are a toughened lot, though have a surprisingly deep sort of tribal community. Druids and shamans are incredibly common in their tribes, as are typical hunters - a great deal of respect is given to the 'bread winners' so to speak. However, artists and those who specialise in music are also given a great deal honor in their surprisingly complex tribal system.<br/><br/>They are still quite violent to those outside then communities - sentient creatures are normally stripped of all they own, and devoured on the spot. Raids by gnolls are frequent, and while none of them are so foolhardy as to openly attack the shifter camps, they are still a constant threat to smaller groups. Merchants and traders are especially wary of gnoll parties, and will oftentimes barter for safe passage through gnoll-controlled territories. How long those promises are kept is according to the gnoll tribe - some honor their deals, whilst others will backstab as soon as possible.<br/><br/>There are two prominent tribes near Falteen - the 'Arinua' and 'Mellan'. Of the two, the Arinua is the most dangerous, and by far larger. The Mellan are smaller, and a bit more trustworthy. Both, though, frequently raid outlying farms and settlements, taking dozens and dozens of individuals back to their 'dens' as slaves, toys, and food.</div></div></div><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"> Along the eastern edge of the Falteen forest, heading north - to the Hevex camp... </span><br/><br/>To those unfamiliar with the Falteen forest, it is like something out of a storybook. Where it had just looked like little more than a mass of trees at a distance, once that distance had been closed enough to allow a good view of the finer details - it was enough to leave one speechless. Tiny, bubbling brooks criss-crossed the crisp, green grass like spiderwebs, cool and clean to the taste. Elder Lillies and Cattails lined the banks, offering a quick little snack to those with enough nature know-how to know what was edible and what wasn't. Whilst there were no larger animals to be found, more than a dozen squirrels, groundhogs, and even one armadillo was seen in the course of just one out - ALL of which Rak, of course, had to chase.<br/><br/>Even the armadillo proved to be too worthy of an adversary, and after chasing the pudgy, armored creature for nearly five minutes, Rak finally gave up with a derisive snort - as if he could have REALLY captured it, if he'd wanted to.<br/><br/>With the plainlands widening up to the east, and the forest only growing thicker, more dense to the west, it was likely the first time in the last day the party had felt truely safe. If the gnollish scout (Who had not been seen in nearly two hours, now), decided to attack from the east, the trees provided more than ample cover against attack, and provided an excellent place to evade, hide, and counterattack. If they were attacked from the forest, the plains offered a great deal of manuvreability and space - the perfect area to lure opponents out into the open. Fortunantly, though, neither scenario comes to pass - instead, the small party is allowed to enjoy a bit of time to themselves, enjoying the crisp, clean smell of the forest, the cool grass crunching underfoot, and the soft whispering of the seemingly countless brooks that wind their way through the grass, providing a quick drink of cool water for those that are thirsty.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Sherani </span><br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Sherani knows that the brooks are linked to numerous springs and lakes scattered about Falteen - 13 that she has personally seen. Her father and mother have counted as many as nineteen total, and no doubt there are still more deeper into the more uncharted parts of Falteen. <br/><br/>Some of the lakes and rivers are certainly worth steering clear of - fey prey upon creatures that come in for a drink (Sherani has encountered the 'unruley' fey once before - a dangerous lot!). Thankfully, none of those dangerous rivers or lakes are in the party's immediate path northward.</div></div></div><br/><br/>Thankfully, the travel is not completely serene - Rak manages to make a fool out of himself more than once. The fox's survival ability in a natural setting was pathetic, despite being quite a bit larger than others of his kind. Whilst he was quick, the numerous little creatures that he chased always proved to be a step ahead. A squirrel that made him run head-first into a tree. A fish that jumped out of one of the little brooks at the exact same time Rak jumped in, earning him a slap on the muzzle by the fish's tail. Yet, the goofy fox never seemed to lose that almost charming 'grin' on his muzzle, never seemed to be downcast in the least when he narrowly missed catching whatever it is he wanted to catch.<br/><br/>It was something Lilium had seen a thousand times before...and likely would see a thousand times again. He was just a bit too happy and carefree to care if he caught anything. It just didn't keep him from trying.<br/><br/>It looked like it was about time for him to try again...<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">~And now, the mighty predator steps forwards, staring down his terrified and trembling prey...~</span>Lilium heard her companion's voice in her head, giving a play-by-play of just how things were going...even though he was little more than a few steps in front of the party. His opponent this time? A rabbit, by the looks of it - MAYBE five pounds of fur and wide eyes a hundred feet ahead.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">~ ...The prey suddenly loses sight of the predator!! Oh noes! Where has he gone?!!? ~</span>Suddenly, Rak goes chest-down in the tall, green grass. It SHOULD have hidden him from sight...except that, like a shark fin in the waves, his butt remained perked high in the air, his tail swishing back and forth excitedly. With all the grace of a pregnant elephant, Rak creeps his way through the grass, stepping on every dry twig, every cluster of rocks, and every loose clump of dirt he could possibly find, it seemed. And the sight of his rear sticking a full head over the grass hardly helped his stealth.<br/><br/>Even in Lilium's head, the commentary given by her loving companion seems to drop to little more than a whisper, as if the 'unsuspecting rabbit' (which had been watching the fox-rear creep closer for the last two minutes), could sense his thoughts<span style="font-style: italic">~ Little does the prey know that Rak the Mighty has it in his sights. None has ever escaped his iron jaws! His wits know no bounds! His speed and strength is spoken of in story and song! Today...is the last day of the poor, unsuspecting rabbit's life!! Rak steadies himself....and...!!!!~</span><br/><br/>Before Rak has even moved, the rabbit is off like a bolt of lightning, leaving the stunned fox in the dust<span style="font-style: italic">~ Awww....no fair...come back here, bunny!!! ~</span>.<br/><br/>His energy seemingly infalliable (Now that he's actually awake), Rak takes off after the fleeing lapine, chasing it in wide, winding paths through the tall green grass. Surprisingly enough, the quick, spry fox actually seems to be gaining, little by little. The chase goes on for nearly a minute, and finally..Rak gets close enough to bite at the little rabbit, pulling a tiny mouthful of hair out of it's fluffy backside. Victory was almost in his grasps...<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">~ AH! CLOSE! GONNAGETCHAGONNAGETCHAGONNAGETCHA!! You'll RUE THE DAY!! DO YOU RUE IT?!?!~</span><br/><br/>So close...soooo close....<br/><br/>Rak pounces high above the grass, and comes down head-first, jaw's wide....<br/><br/>And hits right on-mark. Yet, he seems to get stuck...in something. His hind legs, rear, and a good portion of his belly were visible over the grass, sticking straight up into the air, his tail flicking about wildly and his back feet kicking at the air. When the four traveling companions finally get close enough to discover what had happened, they see Rak buried up to his shoulders in a hole - no doubt, the rabbit's burrow. His head and shoulders are plugged firmly inside, leaving him from the chest-back practically straight up in the air over the hole.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">~ Rak the Mighty has decided to spare his prey, this day. But it should know, he'll be back! Next time, his gentle heart might not find it so fitting to spare such a delicious morsel! Um...Lilium?~</span>His voice changes to a sort of soft little whine, his hind paws kicking uselessly at the air<span style="font-style: italic">~Rak the Mighty is suck in a hole. ~</span><br/><br/>Well...it was a good attempt, at least.<br/><br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">This is sorta a 'test post' in a sense. There will be a handful of over-land travel sequences, and I'm trying to add enough fluff to make it somewhat enjoyable, beyond just having a handful of encounters here and there. Not to mention, a bit of that fluff will actually provide insight to the main story, and different ways of going about things!</div></div></div><br/><br/>Another fine performance by 'Rak the Mighty'...<br/><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;">*KAAATHOOOOM!*</span></span><br/><br/>The relative stillness and silliness of the situation is broken by a sudden explosion from somewhere to the north - and it sounded very, VERY closeby. As eyes swivel northwards, the outline of wooden shrapnel can be seen flying through the trees, and what looks like a single wagon wheel rolling, flaming, across the ground a couple of dozen feet before it rolls lazily to a halt and tilts over, small tendrils of black smoke roiling off it's wooden surface. Birds in the trees call out shrill cries and whirl into the sky, the enormous explosion upsetting their late-morning calls.<br/><br/>And just audible over the sound of the explosion is a single voice.. "Thor be praised! BANDITS IN THE FOREST!"<br/><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"> Less than a hundred yards to the north, in a small clearing amidst a cluster of trees...</span><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"> Kotoko </span><br/><br/>"Thor be praised! BANDITS IN THE FOREST!"<br/><br/>Sarysa's voice rang across the otherwise still forest and plain, the pumping of her blood through her body sounding like the beat of a warhammer in her ears. This was it - the first time this entire trip that something non-animal had the nerve to attack the well-armed group. Finally, something worthy of her combat expertise. Bandits!<br/><br/>The sound of her voice stirred up the beehive...<br/><br/>Thomas and Veyin's surprised gaze peeked around from the backside of the wagon, their eyes wide as Sarysa's voice rang out through the otherwise-still air "Bandits? Surly no-" The weasel-mage's eyes widen as she, too, saw the rat. Too little, too late.<br/><br/>Just as the shimmering blue protective shield appears in front of Sarysa - before it even has time to fade away - the trap is sprung.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Sarysa</span><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Sarysa did not manage to identify the spell being cast, but because she DID see the ambush, she is able to react and dodge the effects of the spell with a successful save. Those who did not notice it (Surprisingly enough...every. O.o), will not be so lucky.</div></div></div><br/><br/>A tiny, glowing ball of reddish light appears from the foliage some hundred feet away, speeding towards the wagon. Noone, save for Sarysa, even sees it coming. At least, not until it hits.<br/><br/>The resulting fireball engulfs the wagon nearly in it's entirety, the concussive force of the explosion sending shards of wood flying in all directions. Sarysa's thick, protective armor prevents one of the larger shards from finding it's way into her lung - though she now has a five-inch hunk of wood sticking out of the right side of her breastplate.<br/><br/>The flames and concussive blast roar around Sarysa, engulfing her in heat and nearly knocking her off her feet...<br/><br/>[Fireball, DC<span style="font-weight: bold">17</span>reflex save, or take<span style="font-weight: bold">29</span>damage. Save for 14]<br/><br/>Thomas takes the full brunt of the flames straight to his face, the blast nearly knocking him clear off of his feet. Veyin, who had been riding on the back of the wagon, is shot like an arrow from a bow, her charred body rolling along the soft, green grass for nearly five feet before she finally rolls to a halt, coughing and choking, trying to intake a breath with seared lungs.<br/><br/>Even the merchant - who only seems to have been hit by the 'edges' of the blast, ends up flying forwards off of his seat and into the path of the oxen, who begin to panic, rearing and throwing their heads back and forth in a frenzy.<br/><br/><br/>Then, all hell breaks loose.<br/><br/><br/>"NOOOOOOOOW!!!!! NOONE SURVIVES!!" comes a thickly-accented male voice, his yell rising over the sound of burning wood, and Veyin's desperate coughs for air.<br/><br/>Flashes of white and red dart through the forest, nimbly dodging through foliage as if it were little more than open road. Within a matter of seconds, Sarysa's lightly-armored (Or entirely unarmored) opponents begin to pour out of the trees from seemingly all directions. One...two...seven...eleven?! Eleven total - they were outnumbered better than two to one...<br/><br/>Truely, a fight worthy of a follower of Thor!!<br/><br/>Shifters, all of them by the looks of it - and likely in their own territory. Shifters were dangerous by themselves - yet when they had a home-field advantage, strength in numbers, and had already taken the wagon by surprise...<br/><br/>This would be difficult.<br/><br/><br/>(( Time for Initiative! More description of the battlestuffs shall come with the next post. This was, in essence, the 'surprise' round....so, a single action or single move is all that is able to be taken.))<br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Whew! I know it's been a long, LONG time in getting this up...but, it's finally here! Sorry for the wait, everyone. The next fight is an ambition one - I'm controlling 17 NPCs - and I wanted to make darn-sure I didn't get this all buggered up. Also figured out that Cartographer 3 does not like making battle-maps...so I had to search around for some way to get a map of this up. Finally discovered 'Maptool'...and it was an uphill battle from there. Finally...FINALLY...I figured it out. Expect a nice map, additional combat descriptions, and all that good/juicy stuff next post! Thanks for the patience, and welcome aboard, Kotoko!</div></div></div><br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Note! Bonus EXP awarded next post. And my apologies for the enormous post.</div></div></div>