Duel:Encinal v Reginald Slugginton III, Round One Agitation Monster Tournament
Part of the Agitation Arc
Duelists: Encinal vs. Reginald Slugginton III, Reginae's clueless and lazy pet snail (played by Reginae). Duel: Traditional 3 attacks and defenses each. 15 minute posting limit. Stakes: Advancement into Round Two of the Agitation Monster Tournament. Judges: Kang & Linn
Town Well (Xalious)
Just south of the Xalious Village rests the town's well. At it's bottom is crisp and pure water, filtered through the rocky mountains by the many hydromancers who come to study at the Mage's Guild. It is the sole water source for the entire village as well as those within the Tower, and as such is protected by a plethora of arcane defences. Many of the villagers spend their days here, discussing various aspects of their lives, as well as keeping an eye on the multitude of visitors who frequent this town; more so now that the foul smell which once came from it has been expelled by the mages. It is whispered that beneath it lays deep tunnels which link up to other wells in Hollow, and perhaps even the Underdark, but no villagers are brave enough to learn the truth, content enough they are knowing they're well protected. The northern road leads back into town, to the east is the entrance to a grand park. South is the magnificent Xalious Tree, restored once again to its former splendour. And to the west is an ancient guard tower which houses the few guards who ensure peace is kept in the village.
The grounds around the Town well were severely damaged, evident to anyone who had ever seen it before it became inhabited by it's current resident; Reginald Slugginton III. His mithril platted eye stalked peaked up from the bottom of the well, giving him the chance at a pre-emptive strike against whatever fool decided to travel to this part of Xalious. The air surrounding was clouded, almost foggy, with an odorless musk of that famous poison the black ooze had a nasty habit of creating. Prior to his infection, Reginald had been the dim witted bicep sized slug content to lay anywhere it was placed, unresponsive to any stimuli. Now, however, the black ooze had changed him. Made him violent and terribly quick (as far as snails are concerned). When Encinal comes into view, the ground beneath his feet will rattle and shake, causing trees nearby to splinter from the ground up and rain flecks of wood down from the skies. Reginald did not like to be disturbed! Like a slimey rocket, his sludge coated body would slide down through the bottom of the well to burrow into the ground beneath the druid. Tremble mortal, he might had said if speech was in his range of intelligence. Instead, the snail just dug it's way to the surface with a frightening speed. Dust, fumes, and toxic slime erupting from the earthen maw to rain down on anything within a quarter mile radius.
Encinal was coming back down from the Xalious Mountains, his search for an ancient dragon never over, and Encinal had been aware of the rumors. A darkness over the village and in his haphazard foolishness, he decided to pace through town. The pale skin elf walked elegantly near the town well, the hairs on the back of his neck already standing on end as those elegant blue eyes observed the air, “My, what a trap.” His tongue pushed into the side of his cheek, fingers brushing through the atmosphere while he observed the lingering poison, grateful that it was a druid, trained in the art of negating poison that had walked into this. Soft words came out of those beautiful lips, his hand making a few ritualistic gestures as he started to dispel the poison for other travellers when the slug caught him by surprise. The vibrations in the earth had gone unnoticed, the erupting trees causing the male to turn to observe what would happen, his legs working those quick reflexes as he attempted to slide from the attack. The dodge was not perfect though, slivers of wood piercing through the cloak he was wearing, droplets of blood staining the fabric. Encinal landed, two feet on the ground and a hand catching him from falling forward as he winced from the pain. The hand being placed on the earth betrayed the slug’s position though, the vibrations allowing Encinal to track the position of Sir Reginald Slugginton III. Ever quick on his feet, the crafty half-elf reached down, lifting the cloak and pulling a sliver from his leg to let the blood flow more freely. Using his vitae as paint, the druid started to paint symbols on the ground, working quickly to perform a ritual. The ground beneath him started to shift, the dirt changing as the heat in the earth fluctuated, drawing upon the natural power of Hollow, the ground of Xalious slowly started to turn into Obsidian, the hardened rock made to protect Encinal from the slug burrowing through the earth. Further down, the obsidian was still forming, the dirt converting to magma and the molten rock continued to race down towards the monster, shame that no one would think Barbecue slug sounded delicious.
It seemed the snail would be deterred from his path and forced the breech the dirt that was still dirt before it turned into obsidian and caked his tail in it's relentless grasp. Not even a snail of Reginald Slugginton III's size or skill could unthread itself from this particularly prickly situation. His body thrashed around violently as he tried to free himself, quick to crush any structure or person in range. An abandoned wagon was the first victim. A stray dog the second. Both were crushed into unrecognizable piles of matter against his cheerful yellow body. Colorless eyes sat atop mithril laced stalks glared at Encinal with unfathomable rage. A sickening belch-like sound made the snail tremble beneath his shell before the moist sound of ripping flesh echoed back into the fountain's clearing. Reginald had ripped himself free from the Obsidian below by severing his own tail.Then a humid sour odor filled the air. This time it was not poison that Reginald was spewing all over the poor innocents of Xalious. Oh no. This time it was his own blood and slime, oozing out from the back half of his body, which he was waving around wildly in mid-charge. The snail's target was, of course the only thing to defend itself since his arrival. Encinal would be face to very tall face with the snail in a few moments time if he didn't dodge. If the druid found himself caught in even the slightest bit of the snails slime, his clothes and skin would dissolve in a grotesque display akin to acid being poured onto him.
Encinal had never intended to catch the slug in such a manner, but who was he to deny himself good fortune? A list of spells ran through his head quickly, debating what the slug would or would not be resistant to, and in the end the half-elf knew that he was going to need something beside himself to fend off the creature. Back to work the half elf went, the smooth, obsidian rock easy to paint over with his blood, a wide summoning circle being drawn to the specifications he remembered from the dryads of Rynvale. Breaths were starting to be heave as he rushed the ritual, “Please work, please work, please…” The druid was worried as he kneeled in the middle of the circle, hands pushing together as he recited words quickly and smacked the summoning circle with both palms. A pale green light erupted from the ground, power being drawn forth as a basilisk slowly rose from the ground, a wall now forming between the druid and the slug. Claws extended forth as the beast in Encinal’s command would dig those back claws into the ground. The serpent king’s scales absorbed the acid, the diamond like material resistant to the blood of the sluglord, but that did not stop droplets from raining down elsewhere. Encinal had to remain seated, forced to channel such a summon and the first drop of blood hit the back of his palm. Teeth gritted as the pretty elf slowly became deformed, the acid eating through his skin as he yelled loudly. This was no position for Encinal to hold, more blood was dropping down and he had to think quick, the druid’s head turning to search for an escape, an attack, anything he could use to defeat the slug.
Reginald Slugginton III would have roared if he were a more noble beast. As he met with the force of the Basilisk, he heaved and grunted like a heavily congested obese man after shifting positions on a sofa. The snail's tail continued to whip through the air, draining itself of it's slimmed poisons and chomping at the basilisk before him with his tiny dagger sized teeth. The mouth was tiny in comparison to the rest of the furious beast who pushed, slimed, and nipped his way towards the victory point of destroying the summoning and getting at the pretty little elf just out of reach. He's fit perfectly in Reginald's tiny little maw so the snail had to try! The basilisk didn't seem to be set on doing much beyond containing Reginald so he backed away a few steps and tried to slink his way underneath the perfect creation standing between Reginald and this delicious d'oeuvre. The fat of the snail's flesh bulged and slide through the tight wedge of the Basilisk's hind legs before trying to throw his little arsenal of teeth in Encinal's direction. Acidic saliva dripped from the tips of each tooth, falling onto the obsidian surface beneath them with an ominous hiss and sizzle.
Encinal had it hit him all at once, what was he thinking? The druid felt so foolish that it had not been the first thought to try with the slug. Reginald was lunging towards him, the Basilisk only able to play goalkeeper for so long in separating the two so the half elf would have to act fast. Sir Reginald was trapped between the back legs of the summon when Encinal used his power over the beast to get it to turn and spin. The move would deflect the slug from going straight forward, allowing Encinal to sprint up and away, leaping from the maw of Lord Slugginton to head towards the well. Alchemy was not his forte, so he needed a reaction, he needed to use nature itself to fight the slug. Hands scooped up dirt, tossing it into the well like a madman and it would look crazy to anyone who was not Encinal at that exact point. However, lips were chanting frantically, knowing that at any moment the slug was going to turn and barrel his way and he had to act quick. The water of the town well started to bubble, heating up as the dirt mixed with the minerals of the water and the druid really, really hoped that salt was one of the things created. The heated water started to erupt from the well, springing up like a geyser, creating a wall to block any stray sprays of acid from the monster of the Well. The makeshift geyser was used as a vehicle for Encinal’s master plan, because if he knew anything, he knew how cruel it was to place salt on a slug. The mist of Xalious well, forever more to be known as old faithful, carried the dangerous substance through the air, fighting fire with fire as Lord Reginald would feel his body start to shrivel and scream, just like Encinal’s hand when the liquid made contact.
Reginald shuffled underneath the basilisk until it's summoner abandoned the circle it was using. The creature vanished about the snail and gave him a few dazed moments to try and relocate his target. His eyes bobbled atop the armored stalked all around the immediate area, finding Encinal on accident when he was set to give up the fight and head back to his comfortable new home inside the well. The snail took a double take, watching the druid throw in fist fulls of dirt into the precious water below. The sludge from his tail was still leaking slowly, pulling back the pace that Reginald used to advance on elf. He was a third of the way to his opponent before a salt shower rained down from the erupted well, droplets striking the snail's skin and sucking it dry of life giving moisture. His skin boiled and wrinkled under the assault, and without further thought, the snail pulled it's sizzling body back into it's oversized shell to prevent more salt from stinking his precious innards. The shell before Encinal would wobble and shake; the mithril platting on his eye stalks jerking free and landing, unhinged, on the ground before his shell. Reginald was doing everything in his power to back into the smallest corners of his mobile home, with a single tiny snail hope that he would survive this encounter.
Encinal wins.