More yelping is heard from the back of the group and it sounds like another, even larger pack of dogs is approaching. The dogs can't be seen yet but their yelping is matched by the pack in front of them as more than one dog raises its muzzle towards the sun and howls away a maddening bark.

Mendi scanned the area above. So, it was too late for arguing about the wisdom of leaving those animals alone. The elf swiftly switched into a mental half trance where he sought to forecast what the psionic beast would do in the next seconds.

MINDSCAPE

The elf's silhouette flashed briefly when he entered the mindscape. Immediately afterward, dunes appeared where the brilliant figure had stood... obviously, the peddler didn't want to see his mental defenses fall once more... At the same time, Mendi gathered his mental strength for the fight to come. A desert snake appeared out of nowhere, and quickly darted towards the nearest psionic zhacal, one of the ones surrounding Rayne psionic form.

The snake coiled itself around the zhacal's neck, and bit into the its neck. The desperate mutt twisted savagely trying to rid itself of the reptile to no avail. The snake slowly slithered away leaving a downed dog in its wake (DM note: Mind opened).

Heeding the warnings of his companions, Koreth closed his eyes and reached down into his nexus. In the mindscape, the noble warrior's dull form began to glow brighter as he summoned his will. The desert around him began to shake, as mud brick walls arose all round him. A noble's fortified estate rose up around him from out of the earth itself, enclosing him and protecting him.

Koreth opened his eyes and gripped his spear tightly. His companions were already beginning to engage the canines in combat, both in the mindscape and physically. <If that lack witted, half-sorcerer and his under fed cat ever drag me into a useless battle again...blood and ashes!>

"Taste my spear, you bloody bastards!" Koreth raced across the jumbled landscape to where his foes waited. He held out the spear before him, hoping to use the strength of his charge to impale one of the wicked dogs. Koreth's spear ripped into the side of one of the beasts, sinking down to the tines before it caught on the creature's ribs. The dog yelped in pain, its blood already beginning to soak its hide. He quickly tossed aside his lengthy spear, unslinging his shield. He drew his sword, wondering if his new shield will help him in this battle. Even though he could not see it, the surface of his shield had changed the dragon upon it shielding its body with its wings, a pair of dogs growling before it. The mutt belched up some blood and died impaled on the warrior's spear.

MINDSCAPE

Rayne and her large cat defender had their hands full with the three canines in front of them. The adult tagster lashed out with her claws, striking two of the canines, scattering them head over heels back towards the rest of the pack. Rayne struck out at the other two with her obsidian sword, each blow with the sword struck like thunder, shaking the ground and weakening the dog's stand against her. One of the dogs is caught by the shiny sword and the strong mul wielding it, the dog is cut in half and its form quickly disappears from the mindscape (DM note: Mind opened).

Tak' sat on the top of the dune, observing the action. Another hunt in the eternal cycle of predator and prey was being played out - yet his companions were playing poorly. Not that they would be defeated - Tak' respected their abilities much too much to think the physically diminutive Zhackals would triumph - but they had decided to become involved at all.

Whisper, the hunter at heart had much to learn - also with his keeper, Elric. Nothing would be achieved here. As the distant howls of additional Zhackals rang in from over the sandy dunes, Tak' stood up, his steely gaze sweeping the battlefield. He would end this debacle.

MINDSCAPE
The forests of home sprung around Tak'. But not the tranquil forests of his meditative mind but the forest around Tak' was like a living suit of armor, filled with predators and pitfalls. Only the most determined or powerful attacks would touch the halfling while he maintained this duplicate of his homeland.

Secure in his own position, Tak' surveyed the rest of the mind battlefield. Whisper, Rayne and Mendi all looked to battle on this plane - yet they struck at the wrong opponents. The Zhackals were responding to a threat to their food - the dying emotions of the Aprig. The animalistic survival instincts of the Zhackal would mean they would fight over their meal. With their meal gone, Tak' hoped the Zhackals would leave - rather than face overwhelming odds.

The Aprig was deathly wounded in body - but not so much in the mind. Its glowing silhouette moved sluggishly, as it tried to escape its predator. Tak' needed to capture his prey first - and what better way to do this than emulating the masters of such a craft - the Kirre - supreme among forest hunters.

The great cat sprung into existence, its six legs tipped with sharp claws - its tail barbed with spikes. He had seen his companions use such a form as they battled in the mind - yet Tak's was somehow ... different. While the Schools of the Mind could teach some things - only a face to face encounter could really allow a mental form to inspire as much terror and effect as its real-life equivalent. With a powerful leap, the Kirre was away - after the Aprig.

(DM Note: I am sorry but I accidentally deleted John's post so here goes my recollection of it.)

The warlock was shocked at the site of the hounds and pulled out his two swords. He approached one of the canines and struck out with his blades. One of the blades barely misses the dog while the other strikes deep into the animal's body. The dog yelps out its pain and dies from the deep cut.

Back in the mindscape, Whisper receives help from his two more tagster who slowly approach the large dog in front of them. All of the sudden, the aprig is nowhere to be seen as it is taken away by the large kirre into the forest jungle that Tak had brought into existence.

Back in the real world, Tak' was wave his arms around and make loud screeches. The distant yaps and yelps cease to exist and the leader of the dog pack turns high tail and runs away from the scene followed by whatever zhacal was left standing. The whole pack leaves with the exception of those wounded or killed.

The area is quiet, deathly quiet as the bitch that Elric had wounded succumbs to the arrow wound leaving two dead zhacals, a dead aprig and a very confused tagster on the scrubplains.

Your actions…

OUT OF CHARACTER

HEALTH STATUS

Remember the scale:

Healthy (H) 100% hitpoints remaining

Slightly Wounded (SiW) 75% to 100% hitpoints remaining

Wounded (W) 50% to 75% hitpoints remaining

Seriously Wounded (SeW) 25% to 50% hitpoints remaining

Mortally Wounded (MW) 0% to 25% hitpoints remaining

Gaigin (W)

Koreth (SiW)

Ayrus (SiW)

Tak (H)

Rayne (H), (SiW)

Mendi (SiW)

Elric (H)

Whisper (H), (SeW)

GENERAL

Questions, comments, and suggestions please.

L8r,

Fabian