Editing The Rustwing

''Historian: Caleb. Date: 03/24/2025. Season Finale.''

'''TLDR''' – We fight the Rustwing. The pixie makes things interesting. Astranna gets the killing blow on the Rustwing, roasting it, but as it dies, it calls upon its ancestor, Kalagrax, to avenge it. The corpse of the other dragon rises, and everyone’s absolutely panicking, until Jericho asks the Augury how to survive and finds out it’s weak to spirit damage – anything that tampers with the soul. Gwyn drinks the mystery potion and gets an instant level-up, taking Phantasm of Woe. Anja gets the killing blow, and she sends out tendrils that rip Kalagrax apart. Combat ends, and we find out our coats have gained some new tatters.

* Date: 6 Lionnir 777 AR.
* Jamie gives the recap!

==== Combat Begins ====

* Order: Jericho → Newton → Anja → Astranna → Rustwing → Gwyn → Pixie → Alphie (→ Kalagrax).

'''Round 1'''

* Jericho quick draws and shoots at the Rustwing, aiming for the eyes. The bullet bounces off of the side, but it focuses on him. He hides behind a skull and tries to shoot a stalactite above it (2 dmg), but is unable to shake it loose. He gives Alphie Chosen’s Blessing.
* Newton tries to run away, but metal shoots up from the bottom of the cave, blocking him in. He cries out to us that he can’t get out. Anja hexes the Rustwing (2 dmg – sp), but it’s shunted to the side. She puts Command on him.
** “A witch, I see. I do like witch bones.”
* Astranna uses her action to discern its weaknesses, and finds that it’s generally weak – all of its skills, stamina, health, speed, etc. are decreased. It has no resistances, but also no specific weaknesses. She tries to move away, straying closer to the treasure.
** “Trying to take my treasure? Pathetic creature!”
* The dragon tail attacks her, taking a health block, and her movement speed is reduced by -20ft. It then does a blast attack at Gwyn, Alphie, and Jericho. Alphie blocks Gwyn from the attack (+1 hp), and tries to draw in the heat. They draw in 20 points of the dmg, and set their cold to -2. Gwyn attacks with her sword (12 dmg – sp).
** “I don’t recognize your scent. Mm. Though perhaps I could add you to my hoard.”
* The pixie turns invisible on its turn. Alphie uses their action to stand up from prone, and offhand attacks with their elder-blood dagger. It doesn’t do shit, but they get the ire of the Rustwing.
** “What is that magic? I need it for the hoard.”

'''Round 2'''

* Jericho shoots the Rustwing for 2 dmg (sp). Newton takes the guard action and goes prone, trying to hide. Anja does another 2 dmg (sp). Astranna hits it for 12 dmg (1 hb), impacting it directly in the mouth with fire, and it coughs up cinders and ashes, glaring at her with hatred. She tries to give it the On Fire condition, but it’s immune. She scurries further away, using her bg action to ignore her movement penalty.
* The Rustwing attacks Gwyn(?), which she dodges, but the bitch has Cleave, and so it hits Alphie (1 hb – D3 on next roll). Gwyn attacks it, and it asks why she rushes to her end so quickly. In response, she uses quick feet on herself to run away. Alphie hits the dragon with Cryomancer’s Grasp, but it does less damage, because Alphie warmed themself up.

'''Round 3'''

* Jericho does 6 dmg (1 hb) and scorches an eye. It looks like it’s starting to regenerate, but he has its ire… He gives Chosen’s Blessing to Astranna. Anja uses Curse of the Blighting Hex again (4 dmg – 1 hb), and she makes her curse look like dark shapes of coins and gems, trying to rip off scales. Some of the innards begin to show, and the dragon howls out in pain, more ravenous and more angry.
* Astranna attacks… only to find out the pixie has reduced her dmg to 1. The Rustwing uses its fire breath on Alphie (save – 0 dmg) and Gwyn (10 dmg – 1 ab), and does a tail attack at Anja. Gwyn deals 8 dmg (1 hb), and slams her blade into the underside, drawing a deep line of blood. She gains its ire.
** “I see, little one, so you do desire death. I shall stop holding back.”
* The pixie appears in front of Jericho and tries to touch him (phys save – 1 success). He gets a half-success, so he gets the option of being poisoned or teleported. It teleports him next to the Rustwing, before flying down and going prone behind the chest for cover. Alphie tries to stab the Rustwing with their special dagger again, and gets 1 success (4 dmg – sp). They give their bg action to Jericho.
** “I shall take this from you, then.”

'''Round 4'''

* Jericho shoots the Rustwing for another health block, firing into the eye again and blowing a hole in the side of its face. He gives his bg action to Anja, who attacks for 2 dmg (1 hb). Her magic continues to rip off scales, exhausting it from the onslaught. She uses Command on him.
** “Think you might want to give up?”
** “I’m still fighting, young one.”
* The Rustwing consumes its ire and teleports to some of the treasure in its lair, erupting next to Gwyn and going in for a bite (1 hb – tired condition), then makes a claw attack (sp). On her turn, she does 4 dmg (1 hb), and lops off one of its front limbs, spraying blood into the air. She then quick feets to get away. The pixie crawls up onto the chest, glowing with otherworldly chromatic light, and as it does, the Rustwing’s wound begins to cauterize. What exactly it’s doing, we don’t know.
* Alphie attacks again, and they think they’ve got him, but as the chromatic light comes over him… he has a shield rating of 5 now. They’re stuck next to him with no sp or movement.

'''Round 5'''

* Jericho attacks the pixie (sp), and calls out to the Rustwing.
** “How’s it feel, that you have to be guarded by something that’s two inches tall?”
** “It serves me, worm!”
* He gives his bg action to Anja. Newton continues to hide. Anja attacks the pixie (6 dmg – sp), and it begins to chuckle and throw different spells. Astranna attacks the Rustwing for the final blow, her flames trailing toward it and consuming it from the bottom up, and it lists its head to the sky.
** “No! Ancestors, avenge me!”
* As the flames begin to curl up and around it, the bones that it died on begin to glow. Gwyn sees the head start to twitch and tries to run, but before she can, a spirit begins to manifest, bits of bone and metal forming together into a great shape as the dead dragon begins to rise.
** “Slain is my kin. I shall devour thee, pyromancer, for I am the Skullwing, Kalagrax. I shall avenge my bloodline.”
* As the dragon begins to scream, something within Astranna begins to shake and quake, her very soul responding to the call of this great and terrible spirit. She tries to tell Kalagrax that it was a mistake, and she didn’t mean to kill him.
** “Then your mistake shall be met with death.”
* Gwyn runs to Astranna, and gives quick feet to Alphie so they can make some distance. The pixie decides this practical joke is at its end, and flies up to the top of the cavern and clings to the rock, trying to hide. It doesn’t want any of this. Alphie tries to increase their Tor, but can only make themself a little colder (though they do regain +5 sp for the increase).
* The Skullwing rises up, firing necrotic energy at Astranna. She fails her spirit save, and becomes prone, cold (-40 movement), and staggered. Anja uses an armor block, and is prone and cold, but not staggered. It turns on Jericho.
** “What are you, creature?”
** “I… am an orc.”
** “Will you give me your soul?”
** “I’d rather not part with it.”
** “Then you will die.”
* It makes a bite attack at Jericho (135 dmg – 1 ab). Jericho’s hands partially go through Kalagrax. For its final action, it builds its soul energy.

'''Round 6'''

* Jericho uses Augury and asks how we make it out of here alive. A vision strikes him of a thin tether of a soul connected into this space. This thing is ancient, its spirit barely hanging on… attacking his spirit or disrupting its tie causes flickers and visions of it disappearing. Jericho scurries 50 feet away.
** “Guys, we just gotta fight it! If any of you got anti-soul magic, now would be the time to pull it out!”
* Anja uses her Blighting Hex against Kalagrax (4 successes – Sheer II – 3 hb). Spirit dmg of any kind is revealed to be a weakness.
** “Your kin should’ve never crossed paths with the Tattercoat Knights.” 
* Kalagrax asks who the Tattercoat Knights are.
** “The beings you’re locked in a room with right now.”
** “All I see is prey.”
** “Get your eyes checked.”
* She gets +1 hp. Gwyn panics and drinks the golden elixir, gaining a level – she takes Phantasm of Woe, using it immediately. Spiritual energy that looks like electricity shoots out of her, headed straight for the dragon. As it strikes the dragon, part of it flies off with an explosion. Anja, Jericho, and Alphie make phys checks; Alphie passes and is taken into side 1.
* The pixie turns invisible and does pixie things. Alphie tells it that if it doesn’t help us, we’re turning on it, then uses the Aid action on Gwyn, shimmying up and pointing at the dragon.
** “I think there’s some kind of core. I saw something. Try to aim for that spiritual core.”
* Gwyn and Anja have to make spirit saves. Both take 75 dmg (1 hb each), and are prone, frozen, and staggered. Anja takes Det 3, and Gwyn gets B1 against her – a hole is torn in her chest, and her circuitry is revealed, her mirage of living life taken away. She has protocols, and shouldn’t be conscious right now; important systems of hers are destroyed. It shouldn’t be possible.
* Gwyn makes a mental save (0 successes) as it consumes its spiritual energy. Something enters her mind, and she gets visions of a dragon chasing her. She keeps running and running… as Astranna looks over, she sees her eyes have gone completely black – she’s locked in a mental prison. Kalagrax moves to attack Jericho, fucking up his leg.
** “Is this what you can throw against a being such as I, orc? Pathetic. I shall have you as my first meal.”

'''Round 7'''

* Jericho spends 4 psionics points to stack his psionic attack, but fails his mental check – no stacking, he just does 1 dmg. He gives his bg action to Anja, and she gets 1 success on her attack. She sends forth a sharp, dark, very low magic, intending to rip, break, tear this spirit, and destroy its hold on the mortal realm. The dragon rockets down for another bite into Jericho, but stops as her tendrils run through its body, one after another after another. It tries to break out of the hold, but her tendrils dig deeper and deeper, ripping apart the spiritual flesh and bone, until it’s rendered asunder. With every rip, more of its body becomes translucent, disappearing.
** “I shall have revenge! I am the–”
* And its voice disappears on the wind, gone without another trace. Anja falls onto her back. It’s over.

==== Combat Ends ====

* As the magic around begins to die, Anja looks down at her coat… it has some new tatters, and is beginning to glow. In fact, all of our coats are glowing. New surges of power rush through all of us. They have evolved into their next stage, as we have beaten two dragons.
* Session officially ends here. Alphie’s Tor becomes 3 – it increases after every season finale. They roll for influence, and get +1 influence. We find out that every time we defeat a legendary creature, our coats will evolve. If we hunt a Quasit, levels go up. For other quests, we get patches or hero points.