Chapter 3.21: The Plane In Between

“Bruq!” Mero shouts. “Where are you going?”
He sees his furry friend run for a couple of yards before he turns around. Bruq’s eyes are wide with panic and he points at the gazer with a trembling hand. He tries to say something, but he can’t even produce a single sound.
(Arcana 11)
Mero looks to what he’s pointing at. He can clearly see a form of magic around the gazer’s eyestalk, but he can’t really place what kind of spell it’s producing. It doesn’t matter. He needs to kill it and hope that will remove its effect on his friend.
He raises his hand and points three fingers at the gazer. While a purple energy starts to swirl around his fingertips, another automaton comes his way with haste. If he shifts his attack to the nearing threat, who knows what could happen to Bruq. But if he doesn’t, he’s going to take a hit himself.
He closes his eyes and raises his other hand. He is pulled back shortly to the white light he saw in his mind, how he split the ray of frost in two. He can feel a power grow inside of him, a power that wants to come out. His other hand becomes encased in purple energy as well and he release three projectiles to each gazer. The magic missiles crash on their metal skin, leaving holes behind, and sever some of their eyestalks.
(20 versus AC)
Lyssa looks at the battlefield. Pieces of the original spectator lie scattered everywhere and her allies are being chased by the pesky constructs. Bruq ran away, but he looks like he has calmed down a bit. She can still see traces of the panic that holds him. She sees Dargothoth fight off the metal monsters, while Mero and Oslando rely on their magical capabilities. It’s fascinating to see someone learn so quickly and perform them so well. She wants that too.
The siren picks up a metal shard and presses it against hot barrel of her blunderbuss.
Cyrzana told her that melting metal is always easier when you have the right components.
“Just hold a piece of iron against something hot”, she said to her, “and then cast your spell.”
She inhales deeply and whistles loudly. The high-pitched sound echoes faintly around them and seems to travel from her to the gazer closest to her. Its brown and grey metal glows and turns bright orange. Parts of him melt and drop on the ground, sizzling.
Bruq, his glaive out of reach, removes his bow from his back and pulls an arrow out of his quiver. He pulls back the string, but his trembling hand makes it impossible for him to even try to take a shot. He lowers his bow and closes his eyes. Deep breath in. Deep breath out.
(13 versus dexterity 15) (17 versus AC)
When the satyr opens his eyes again, he sees Dargothoth swinging wildly with his sceptre, missing his small enemy completely.
Oslando is more lucky or, at least, more precise. His flaming blade splits his foe in two. As the metal falls to the ground and the green crystal stops glowing, the magical blue glow around his sword disappears.
(DC 12 versus strength 8) (DC 12 versus dexterity 8) (DC 12 versus wisdom 15) (DC 12 versus dexterity 9)
The half-elf draws the attention of two gazers. Although their faces don’t show emotions, he gets the feeling they will avenge their fallen brother. He is right.
They both turn one of their eyestalks in his direction and unleash their energy. A ray of frost crashes into him. It feels colder than the last one that hit him. His spell has wavered. He is launched thirty feet away by the telekinetic power of the other gazer.
They turn their other eyestalk to allies of the half-elf. An orange-yellow ray travels Bruq’s way, but his fogged mind has cleared up enough to spot the attack from far away.
Another blue ray is fired, this one directed at Mero. The crackling sound of this beam is loud, louder than the other ones that have been fired this combat. It hits him, hard.
“Guys”, the puppet says with a trembling voice, “I don’t feel so good.”