<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;">Hah! Thanks Kitts. The unforgiving lawman/vigilante archetype (Dredd, Punisher, etc.) is totally Theron's inspiration, heh. With a lot less firepower and a lot more nomming, of course...</div></div></div><br/><br/><blockquote><div><cite>NocturneWolf wrote:</cite>With a short running start, the boy managed to snag the lower railing of the deck before planting his feet against the steel walls...</div></blockquote><br/><br/>Theron briefly diverted his gaze to the human's attempt at fleeing, mind working, wondering if he should count that as making his escape or not. He quickly came to the conclusion that it would only matter if Tau tried to continue assisting his foes, and that was unlikely to continue as a quick glance told him Eruin and Rea had already finished off the ambushers - keeping them from acting in their role, reducing both crew size and morale. With Alyssa in combat with the armored tiger, it seemed likely that the pair would seek out and destroy the human and cougar regardless, making the whole question a mute point.<br/><br/>He quickly filed the matter away as resolved. Brion now had his full attention.<br/><br/><blockquote class="uncited"><div>Theron could feel the malice of his words through the lupine’s gold luminescent glare. “I have news for you, pup. We’re all monsters, and you better get used to how we play.”</div></blockquote><br/><br/>Theron snorted with laughter, his steely expression breaking as he grinned, grey eyes shining with amusement. "I have no pretenses about not being a monster. I am merely a monster that hunts monsters. Both justice and the city itself call me to this task - your kind of lawlessness is a threat to the structure of civilization. And the city does not take such a threat lying down, no, it has entrusted in me a certain degree of power..."<br/><br/>He made a short, swift movement with his blades, sweeping down across his body.<span style="font-style: italic">"Urbs Tergum!"</span>he said quickly, the magical weight of the words almost self-evident where the changes the spell wrought were far less so. Theron's fur hid the slow transition of his hide into something thicker, more resilient to strikes like Brion's last. Thick enough to turn away blade and fang and yet entirely incapable of impeding his movement.<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;">Theron uses one of his 3 2nd level spell slots to cast <span style="font-style: italic">Barkskin</span>, gaining +3 AC (+2 base +1 for being 3 levels about 3rd), making his new AC 20</div></div></div><br/><br/>Theron's ears flicked a bit as he heard the feline musician change songs not far behind him. He found himself liking this one a lot more, the fast paced beat getting his blood pumping, even more so than it already had been! It was incredible, he didn't feel like he could possibly lose, not by any stretch. Theron knew he'd have to thank her after all this was said and done...<br/><br/>Brion lunged at him then and Theron wasn't quite able to move out of the way once more, but it turned out to be less of a real attack and more of another attempt to get him into a compromising position. Theron's grin widened to degrees which mad him look positively mad, seeing yet another hole in Brion's defenses to be exploited as he made the move. This time, however, he did not plan to be so lenient as to let Brion get away with a chest wound. His stomach<span style="font-style: italic">was</span>rather empty, and Eruin and Rea had made him rather envious, reminding him how a full, wriggling belly felt - and Brion would prove quite the filling meal.<br/><br/>He lunged forward with fangs bared, he could turn things around quickly, his fangs to just had to hit home...<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;">Theron uses the AoA to make a bite attack on Brion:<br/><br/>Base +12 + 6 from song  = +18 (yowch!)<br/><br/>AoA on Brion (1d20 + 18): 4 + 18 = 22 (Of course I roll so low I nearly blow it, haha)<br/><br/>Hit!<br/><br/>Base: +4 to damage due to strength, +6 from song = +10<br/><br/>AoA on Brion (1d6 + 10): 4 + 10 = 14</div></div></div><br/><br/>Theron's technique was flawless compared to the similar attack Brion had tried on him, swift and smooth - so much so that the wolf couldn't evade and his thin armor offered even less protection than the last time. The Shepard had slipped within his defenses and sunk his teeth into the pirate leader's shoulder. Rich, warm blood bubbled up into his jaws as he felt the wolf's hide armor and then Brion's own hide give way. Theron's predatory instincts flared, blood and music goading him on to use the full of his strength in his jaws, coming together with such force that must have felt to Brion as if he were a being bitten by a machine rather than something of flesh and blood, flesh providing as much protection as wet cardboard, and his collarbone protesting audibly under the pressure, muffled cracks hinting at the damage as the bone splintered and broke. That was the first bit, now he just had to shift his body just right, lock himself around his prey....<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;">Theron attempts to start a grapple with Improved Chomp, preventing an  AoA from Brion unless he has Close Quarters Combat<br/><br/>Grapple on Brion (1d20 + 12): 18 + 12 = 30 (Nice!)<br/><br/>Brion must succeed on an opposing grapple check or escape artist check or be grappled</div></div></div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">If the grapple is successful:</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;">It was a grievous wound, and it was either luck or skill that had kept those powerful fangs from ripping into an artery and consigning Brion to bleeding to death. Theron however, had a much more lingering and ignominious end planned for the wolf. The Shepard's arms locked around Brion tightly as if a giving him a rather compressing hug, the sharp blades pressing into his back just enough to make squirming that way feel like a very poor idea. He yanked his head from Brion's shoulder, the rough motion making the wounds a fair bit more ragged and sending another spike of pain into Brion's form. Theron grinned wickedly, the blood was hardly visible on the dark fur of his muzzle aside from the obvious wetness - but showed in stark, scarlet detail on his fangs, which soon began to open, giving Brion a glimpse of the humid, pink maw that lay beyond...</div></div></div><br/><br/>In spite of his successful bite, entwining himself so fully with Brion<span style="font-style: italic">had</span>given the wolf some leverage that he had neglected to lock up fully. He could feel the pirate flex his powerful muscles, trying to utilize that to his full advantage. Brion was strong, obscenely so, and surely about as strong as Theron. He just had to be stronger somehow, beat the strength in those limbs and keep himself upright, his opening maw closed, the canine gritting his teeth as they struggled...<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;">Strength check to resist trip:<br/><br/>STR check (1d20 + 4): 11 + 4 = 15<br/><br/>Success! Trip resisted.</div></div></div><br/><br/>"Nice try," Theron huffed, hot breath rolling over Brion's face, it'd been a close one - Theron had felt his balance begin to tip just a bit before he righted himself and utterly nullified the attempt to send him onto his back. "But you're the only taking a 'trip', scum."