Rainbow Lake(#2713RJ)
Long and narrow, the lake stretches a mile to the north and south, right at the heart of the woodland. Tall, silver beech trunks mix with the even taller evergreens and dominate the mountain valley. Where the canopy has been broken by a fallen tree, a riot of brambles and nettles have erupted, clinging to anything and everything and fighting for light among the thick forest. Underfoot there is a deep bed of mulch and last year's leaves, muffling any footfall.
Other plants have found a foothold where the beeches make way for the line of water. The edges of the lake are overhung by a wall of dark myrtle, their scent hanging sweet and heavy in the air, giving the place a dreamlike quality. The waters of the lake itself are a clear, unruffled indigo, dropping into bottomless darkness, with otherworldly reflections of the sky floating above the depths. Rainbow flashes of light play about the reeds and weeds that break the surface here and there, throwing colors into the air.
Part of the valley around the lakeside to the south is clear of trees, and often here in the brush and grass a small herd of three woods buffalo can be seen.
Contents:
Aubrey
Sepdet(#4138PVceq$)
Obvious exits:
West SouthEast

The afternoon of the big day, Sepdet has sent word by mouth or owl or arcane means to come to Salmon's lake by circuitous routes and join her before battle. In contrast to the horror just a few miles away, the lake lies untroubled and sparkling between pristine forested hills. A ripple down by the eastern side of the shore proves to be the Strider herself, in for a final cold dip before the battle to come.

It's a grim and somber group that emerges from the treeline onto the shore of the lake. Tobin stands beside Brigid and points out the ripple in the water that indicates the Strider. He steps out onto the beach and starts towards Sepdet. Aubrey emerges shortly thereafter, with Kristine after her, throwing nervous glances over her shoulder now and then.

Sepdet spots the arrivals and angles for shore, hauling herself up on the slanting bare trunk of a tree that toppled into the shallows long ago. Running along it dripping, she hops onto the bank, shakes herself vigorously, and then moves towards them with a bright smile. ~Thank you for coming,~ she says formally. ~Salmon is preparing herself on the other side of the Mirror. Little Bear may, I fear, be uneasy about outsider help, but you have my heartfelt thanks for your bravery tonight.~

Alright, nobody's following us..let's check those shadows one more time. Good. Kristine rejoins the bulk of the group, chuclking a bit at Sepdet, as if she had her own little secrets and thoughts about the Wendigo. "Hey, I couldn't let you do this by yourself, Sepdet. What kind'a student'd make me?"

Aubrey lets her hair fall now to her shoulders as she places the hair band on her wrist. The Fianna looks along the shore of the lake, one of the few glimses of nature that she has seen in the last few months. Aubrey breaths in deeply, taking in the clear air itself. Finally she turns her head to the Strider, nodding her head silently.

Sepdet folds her arms. ~Well, that's part of the problem. I can't be there.~ She looks westward. ~Andrea's going against that /thing/, and Gaia knows whether she or any of them will return. She needs a few trusted people to help her guard the Purity spirit. I want to be with my pack, my totem, but my place is on the front lines, at Bitter-cup's side. So I do the next best thing. I ask theurges I trust to take my place here.~

Tobin bows formally to Sepdet, cheered a bit to see the Strider Elder smile like that, especially on such a day as this. "Cameron should be with us soon as well," he says when he straightens, then smirks uncharacteristically. "And if the Wendigo is nervous," he says with a familiar Russian accent, "He can stand aside and let us 'Wyrmcomers' show him how it's done." The smirk and the ghost fade after this statement is made, leaving Tobin looking like nothing happened.

Brigid offers a smile, even if it's somewhat tense, and bobs her head in a nod to the Strider. "It's a pleasure to be able to help, and an honor to be so trusted." She leaves off there and looks towards the water a moment, smile getting a little wider at the glimpse of unsullied nature.

Sepdet shakes her head at Tobin. ~Don't bait him tonight, I beg you, Sasha,~ she says with a faint smile. ~We can wrangle over tribal pride and knock chips off shoulders once the battle's won. So. You understand what's at stake here? The Dancers do their rite to defile the caern, and needs must do it in the caern heart. If Salmon can raise the waters by several feet, they'll be swimming. But she cannot do it all in a moment. It's more like the rising waters of a river from heavy rains. She must get close to the caern, and she must stay still and concentrate to do it. While she's there, she'll be helpless.~

Not familiar to Kristine, who gives the newly Cliathed Fang a jab in the side, "Hey, watch it. Leonard's good people." She shakes her head, and glances towards Sepdet, "Hey, I gotta earn my keep here again, might as well do it helping lifelong friends." She blinks a bit, and peers at Tobin, "Sasha.." She blinks again and then gives a sage-like, "Oh, Sorry."

Tobin peers quizically at Sepdet when she calls him Sasha, then scowls at the ground and nods. To Kristine he mutters, "I'll tell you later." He looks back up at Sepdet and asks, "Is there anything you can tell us about the terrain we'll be fighting in, Rhya?"

Brigid curls her arms over her chest and alternates between watching the water and keeping an ear to things. The lake has a calming effect on the black-clad Fang, a bit of her tension easing out of her shoulders.

Kristine arches a brow at Tobin, shakes her head, then looks back to Sepdet, "You have my thoughts, Sepdet. And any information, any at all, about what we're facing, would be a bonus."

Leonard seemingly materializes out of the forest, silent and grim, and looks to his alpha attentively.

Sepdet outlines what little she can tell them. ~Silverscale will aim for the stream southeast of the caern, just inside the bawn's perimeter; it feeds the waterfall. I don't know if you were ever there in the umbra; it flows through the woods, so there are trees, and the banks are high in places. We thinned the ranks of the enemy spirits patrolling the bawn, but I'm sure there are some left. Expect glass banes and scrags like we saw before. Be on your guard with the Scrags. They can press against your mind until rage takes you.~

Leonard nods, speaking quietly. ~ I know the stream. There is a good place to avoid amush, but it is far inside the bawn. ~

Reggie arrives out of the forest with more fuss and snapping branches.

Kristine nods, listening to Sepdet, then gives a nod to Leonard as he arrives. She reaches into her pocket, and pulls out a small jar, and looks to Aubrey, "Here, you might like some of this." And she hands the jar out to her. Within it is nice blue stuff. Yay.

Tobin glances at Leonard and gives a short bow to the Wendigo, looking over his new war paint with approval. He frowns in thought when Sepdet mentions the various banes. "What I wouldn't give for a good earth elemental to use against those crystal banes," he says somewhat wistfully.

Leonard suggests helpfully, "Plenty of rocks in the river."

"I know that stream as well, I spent quite a bit of time there. It is a good place, indeed." Brigid says quietly, dropping her hands and tucking them with some effort into her pockets. She also gives Leonard's paint an appreciative look and nods slowly.

Some of the tension in the Strider's shoulders eases as her packmate arrives. ~I will leave that to your judgement and Salmon's,~ she says confidently. ~Little Bear, you lead in my stead...~ she pauses with a peculiar smile, then goes on. ~Note that I've begged Silverscale to save some of her power, just in case. She is not a fighter, but she is a survivor, and she can dissipate and flee if she must. She will not do so willingly, though, I think. She is also a stubborn totem.~

Aubrey takes the jar from Kristine and peers at it with intrest. "Oh, yes." the Fianna suddenly smiles. Then she looks to Sepdet, "Do we have any bane arrows handing and would they do anything agaist the banes you have mentioned?" she asks suddenly. Then she turns to Kristine, "I'll make sure to paint myself properly in a little bit."

Leonard glances at Brigid as she speaks, and does a doubletake, arching an eyebrow. "We've got a distraction, at least." He turns and nods to Sepdet. "She won't fall. She might get a little bloody, but she won't fall." He sounds confident. Almost cocky.

Reggie examines Leonard's use of war paint as he joins the group, and looks around, measuring familiar faces against those not quite as familiar.

"Just make sure you save me some." Kristine tells to Aubrey, before looking forward to Sepdet, nodding at Leonard's words. She doesn't really have much to add at the moment, so she crosses her arms and waits.

Sepdet shakes her head. ~I'm afraid not, Aubrey, unless someone made them without telling me.~

Tobin nods at Leonard. "Picking up a rock and smashing ones' foe is all well and good, I agree, but if the rock can walk and smash on its own, so much the better," he says with a grin and that mad-scientist gleam in his eyes.

Brigid's mouth curls into a smirk at Leonard's remark, but she doesn't respond to it. Instead, she takes to flexing her right hand slowly, as if limbering it up for the evening.

*** I left to go home from work at this point. ***

Kristine reaches down to snag some of the woad at Aubrey's feet, and begins to put some of it on her face, a little in her hair, though that's accidentally. She jsut watches everyone, for the most part, quiet, contemplative..

Leonard nods to Sepdet, offering her a small smile, almost invisible under the paint. Then he turns at Reggie's 'page' and says, "Yah? Who?"

Sepdet raises her hand for their attention. ~It's time for me to go. I leave matters in your hands. Tonight,~ she says, ~Is probably the greatest thing any of us will ever do: help to wrest a caern from the Wyrm's jaws. Living or dying, there is no greater glory. Make it a night to be remembered in song. I know my faith in you is well-placed. I will see you again in the caern.~

Reggie points Leonard at Aubrey. "This girl doesn't know you. Can't say as I blame her, you're all set up to scare them away."

Leonard nods to Sepdet, giving a sharp, weird cry that ends in three quick staccato shrieks as she goes. He then turns to Reggie as if there was absolutely nothing odd about doing that, and says, "M'Leonard Salish, Brings the Buffalo Home, talesinger of the Wendigo."

Aubrey reaches over Kristine and dips her finger into the woad. The woman is still paying attention to Reggie as she looks over to the others. A blue finger rises into the air. "Scare me away?" the Fianna asks. "Aubrey Bennett, Spirit's Touch, shaman of the Fianna."

Tobin rises from where he was meditating by the shore, looking calm enough considering events. He eyes the woad for a moment, then evidently decides not to partake.

Leonard takes Aubrey in with a grunt, narrowing his eyes at the 'paint.' "Hey. Hope you fight well."

Kristine apparently has many Fianna habits she needs to get rid of, for she's quite blue right now. She then cracks her knuckles, "Alright, let's go guard us a cool fish."

Brigid opens her eyes after a bit of breathing, letting out a long breath and resting her hands at her sides. Looking to Kris, she smiles and leans her head to one side, "Indeed. Good to be side by side with you again, sis. Don't think I'd said that since you got back."

Reggie observes the blue paint, and asks, "Can I borrow some of that? I'm feeling rather plain at the moment."

A white glimmer beneath the lake appears to be a reflection of the moon that's gone for a spin, until, with a splash, the red and glittering totem leaps into view. She hovers for an unnaturally long moment before dropping beneath the surface and swimming to the shallows beside them, to start them on the journey.

Yi follows after Leonard, gazing down into the depths of Rainbow Lake and wading through the Gauntlet to the other side. Once there, waiting for the rest, she shifts to her crinos form. The bats remain, but are somewhat dwarfed by her warform.

Reggie borrows the woad, puts on pretty stripes on his face, then goes Umbral when the group finishes girding their loins. Taking a wild guess that the fish must be the famed Salmon, he gives a ceremonial bow towards her and introduces himself. "I will defend you along with your Children."

Kristine slips Umbrally, her face painted pretty blue, and she shifts up a stage. She remains close to Brigid, but at the sight of the Totem, she gives a respectful bow towards it, but is quiet, her eyes darting about continuously, like the paranoid little Fang she is.

Leonard stays in homid, explaining that he'll often be unseen. "If the scouts can go ahead, stick to the river. In it, if you can. Traps everywhere once we hit the bawn."

With the former Guardian, Brigid, leading the way, the group of Fang and Fianna Theurges stick close to each other once on the other side of the Gauntlet. They cast wary glances at the trees and shadows as they follow the Salmon spirit along the river.

Aubrey follows along with the rest of the group. She, too, is dresses traditionally in woad. Traditional Cetic markings are seen on her face and along her arms. Out of habit, Aubrey keeps up with the group of Silver Fangs.

The group follows the salmon spirit around and about. The journey is uneventful, and the Garou reach the edge of the bawn after half an hour of travelling. The caern itself is likely some distance away still.

Shortly into the journey, a second Fianna joins them, catching up from the direction of the lake. Cameron falls in with Tobin and Aubrey.

Silverscale glides along, mostly keeping to the streams, although obviously more out of instinct than need; she hangs above it from time to time. She slows as they draw near the bawns edge, a quick leap to get her bearings, trying to feel the tug of the caern's waterfall.

Reggie keeps to the ground besides the streams, as he marches to keep pace with the fish.

Silverscale continues to lead them on, tireless and fearless in the darkening umbra as she crosses what was once the outer Wards. She shows no signs of slacking yet. *Closer* she tells them, in words all can hear. *Must reach the river's pulse.* Leonard sticks to the left bank. He's got his bow out, but not yet nocked. His ears swivel in all directions and he appears hyperalert, sliding in and out of view as he makes his way through the spirit forest. Yi, in crinos, carries on with a determined flat look on her wolven face. The bats swing little as she holds them, following at a flank to Leonard. Reggie does the same, following the fish closely.

Brigid has taken to Crinos and Kristine to Hispo not far away. The Trio of Aubrey, Cameron and Tobin have all shifted to Hispo as well and follow quietly along behind the two elder Theurges.

The group travels to within about a mile of the caern finally, still having gone unopposed. Those in lupus with exceptional hearing can barely catch the distant sounds of battle somewhere south of the caern itself. The night air is pregnant with a forboding air. From the east, about three dozen far off Wyld spirits of various natures can be seen flying at a high rate of speed towards the caern, coordinating their own attacks.

Silverscale finally stops, leaps again and spins. *Here. The waters sing.* Yi nods her furry head, looking to Leonard for direction. Three-Blades cocks an ear at the sound, and secretly hopes the others will kill those bastards hard enough to prevent any reincarnation. Shifting into crinos, Rags uses the extra height of the form to alertly inspect the terrain. The sight of the Wyld spirits off to battle has him heartened, and he pumps an arm wildly. Leonard nods as the fish confirms the spot, gives it a once-over, calls Kristine and Brigid over for consultation, then states, "Alright. Scouts, up in the trees." He points to Tobin and his group. "You three, out in front, under Yi and Brigid. Look scared, and give us warning if you see anything coming." He turns to Reggie. "You stay by me, I'll give arrow cover if anyone comes in range." He looks at Kristine. "Can you guard our backs?"

Kris, at being called over, listens to the plan the Wendigo, and nods. "Right." She moves in for a Guarding-Back position, and shifts up to Crinos, needing the hieghtened senses to do the job. Tobin listens to the plan from Leonard then confers briefly with Cameron and Aubrey. The three of them take positions up front as instructed, nervous but alert. StarEyed's hackles are up as she prowls along, but her attention is still centered on the path before them and any obstacles that might come up from any side.

Nodding at the plan, StarEyed jumps to reach the limbs of the nearest tree, scrambling up into its cover with sound of pain that keeps itself to an abrupt set of grunts. Settling there, she perches and eyes the surrounding forest warily.

Three-Blades combines the two bats into one hand, saying a quiet apology to the tree spirit in her head before she climbs up her chosen trunk. The nails on the bats helps a little bit. Once up in the branches, her form blurs silently.

Silverscale drops back into the stream and turns her head towards the current. Hanging there against the force of the water with slow movements of fins, she begins to glow faintly.

Leonard invokes his tribe's gift, fading from view on the bank just to the left of the fish. His bow, at last sight, is ready.

Silverscale puts a magical hair clog in the distant caern's plumbing. Someone'll probably notice fairly soon. Minutes tick by one after another. The Wyld spirit attack group divides, most continuing towards the caern, but about a dozen move on a more northernly approach, placing themselves between the Garou and the caern--then drop down out of sight about half a mile ahead of the group. Sounds of a tremendously fierce battle in the nearby forest carry through the woods well enough that even a human could hear the unearthly cries, screams, howls, yells, and unidentifiable noises. It's over in a minute and the forest returns to its earlier silence. None of the Wyld spirits re-emerge.

Above the caern, Wyld and Wyrm spirits engage in an aerial battle that would be beautiful if it weren't for the fact that spirits were dropping left and right--and most of them Wyld ones.

Stands-Proud's ears swivel, waiting for any sign that an attack is immentent, especially from behind. Her eyes turn to the Totem, noting the glow, and that makes her be even more on guard, if that's even possible at the moment. The chaos with the sounds, and then the following silence causes her hackles to rise, as she waits with baited breath for the attack she knows is going to happen. StarEyed balances on her chosen branch, watching and waiting expectantly for something, anything. Her eyes take in the spirit battle with a mixture of sadness and thankfulness before she refocuses her attention groundward. Tobin, Aubrey and Cameron all line up under Brigit and Yi. One or two of them looks suspiciously at Leonards plan, but they say nothing. Aubrey's ears flicker as she hears distant battle, her gaze nor ears staying long in one place. The Trio stands ready to fall back to lure the banes underneath Brigid and Yi.

Silverscale holds her position, focused on the work at hand as her scales continue to glow. Yi pings her gaze around the forest, doing her best to ignore the sounds of battle while watching and listening for intruders. Rags measures the flow and ebb of battle, both above and unseen, and isn't quite as heartened but keeps a stark vigilance. He stands by Leonard, guarding Silverscale's side. Little Bear keeps his eyes peeled for any enemies, spirits or otherwise, to intrude upon his selected turf.

Finally, motion ahead. Part bat, part spider, part Borg, all evil. A thing--which is just about the only word that can be used to accurately describe this nameless horror--smoothly, silently glides forwards towards the obvious targets--Tobin, Aubrey, and Cameron. Thing hovers a foot above the ground, easily 15 feet tall. Thing glides effortlessly and rapidly towards the three Garou and Silverscale, followed by a billowing fog so dense you could cut it into sections. Any forces behind Thing are totally obscured by the smoke screen. Six arms rise fluidly from Thing's sides, each a twisted combination of flesh and metal and ending in circular bone saws. Silver saws. All six power up at once. *whirrrrrrrrrrrrr!* Anyone who's ever been to the dentist immediately gets indescribable chills racing up and down their spine.

The powering up of the saws cannot help but draw Stands' attention to the forefront of the Battle. Her expression pretty much relays the 'Holy fuck' feeling. That is so not going to feel good should someone get wacked by it. Yet, she turns her attention back to the back of the group, trying to see if anything is going to decide to come up behind them. Claws convulsively sink into the trunk of the tree beside StarEyed as she does, indeed, get chills that translate into sharp pains along her back. She reluctantly keeps to her place until either the...thing...or anything following it comes into range enough to drop onto, claws first. Cameron snarls and his claws dig at the earth when he catches sight of the thing. ~You didn't bring enough saws, mate,~ he taunts. Golden-Eyes suddenly tenses as she sees the evil-creature creep towards them. Her eyes look up to those waiting in the trees. ~You had ought to be ready,~ she says in a strained voice. Then the Fianna bulks as she watches the wyrm thing. *Over here, motherfucker,* she says as she tries to divert it from wandering off towards the salmon spirit. God, she hopes this works. Tobin's own claws dig into the earth as he paws it with nervousness and anger. He takes a cautious step back, Cameron and Aubrey doing the same when he does. *Come hence monster, so we may rend thee,* he says to it in his own taunt.

Little Bear doesn't even hesitate to start shooting the thing with arrows, steadily, from his camouflaged hiding place. Yi tenses all too much when the thing comes into view. Saws? Her golden eyes widen at the sight of the creature, and she waits above for a good time to strike. The Gnawer hopes anyone on the ground knows well enough to steer clear of those saws.'. Silverscale holds her ground, still doing her job. Jolted by the sound, Rags stares at the arriving bane in reluctant admiration of a killing machine, then he brings himself back to his position, and he warns Leonard with, ~I'm Shrouding. Put these arrows in that, not in me~, and he steps in front of Salmon, casting the darkness to hide him and the fish spirit from view.

Thing continues its advance, pivoting slightly to one side and then the other, saws out in every direction. It has no front nor back. Merely an up and a down, and even that looks like it might be interchangeable. Leo's first arrow sinks into flesh, though seems to do little if any damage. The second bounces off a piece of metal plating. True to its path, it continues towards Salmon despite the darkness that blinds Salmon, the Uktena that created it, and anyone entering it. Thing passing a mere 7 yards from Yi's tree and 8 yards from Brigid's. The billowing fog creeps in right behind it. Thing will enter the Shrouded area in just a few heartbeats.

Salmon's form is still lost within the Shroud of the Uktena, powering with the sense of urgency but still focused on her part of the battle. She sinks to the deepest part of the river, still swimming against the current. Rags and the river fade back into view as the gift of darkness is dispelled, the Uktena ahroun holding his ground and bracing for impact. The Thing will have to go through him to reach Salmon. Leonard's command barks from his hiding spot. ~Jump it!~ Yi lifts back her lips in silent snarl when the Thing approaches, buzzsaws whirring in her head. She remembers buzzing. Pain of silver. Those will be inevitable, but not before she rips that thing apart. She gets ready to jump.

Great, it's dark. Yet, Stands-Proud remains ever vigilant, guarding the Spirit. The buzzing of saws unsettles her, knowing her friends, her kin, are out there about ready to take it on. It's going to get messy soon, she just knows it.

StarEyed pulls her claws from the tree and launches herself towards the saw-bearing ugly full-bore, a white-furred package of claws and rage flying from the tree. As soon as StarEyed leaps, the Trio of Hispo Theurges launch themselves towards Thing with eyes wide and great jaws agape. They each blur with Rage, biting and slashing at Thing's legs and limbs while trying to take care to duck under those deadly shining saws.

Little Bear realizes neither arrows nor should is doing a tinker's damn, and drops his bow, snarling, ~ Jump it, now! Harry and fall back! Go for the legs! Drop! Take out those saws! Kris, guard the fish! ~ He invokes his rage, blurring as he runs right for the thing with an unearthly howl and starts shredding the nearest leg.

Rallied by the Wendigo's cry, Rags charges at the scary looking thing, to find out if it's as tough as it looks.

Three-Blades jumps towards the thing, nailbats driving downwards towards a fleshy parts. If they stick, she lets go and snarls, ready to dodge the saws.

Thing wades into the Garou and attacks with absolute clinical detachment. Brigid miraculously makes a leap from the tree onto Thing, making the most graceless landing imaginable and sheer force of will the only thing keeping her from falling off. Clawing, other than that which is giving her a purchase on Thing, is not an option unless she's willing to fall. Yi's leap is also graceless, but she manages to club it with one bat before falling prone to the ground on her back. An arm sweeps at her, buzz saw bending upwards as pincers unfold to grapple her. The Trio charges in, dodging a variety of coordinated circular saws, but not all of them. One drill slices a one inch deep cut across Tobin's back, making a deeper, sickening, grinding noise as it lighty chews across his spinal column--but fortunately doesn't paralyze him in the process. The Trio's attack results in only Aubrey landing a fair blow and the two males of the pack missing or scraping claws ineffectively over metal plating. Leo and Reggie rush in, also dodging incoming saws, and land a blow each. Only Reggie is hit in the process as a saw attempts to partially open up his breast bone. Thing looks lightly damaged after Leo and Reggie's attack.

Howling noisily at the impact of the saw, Rags makes no bones of the pain of it, and he shoves at the bane. ~Fall! Go fall down!~, he demands.

Okay, that didn't sound too good, here's hopign that the thing was detained. Stands tries to check on the progress of Salmon, yet, still trying to keep on guard, ears twitching with the sounds around her, claws flexing in desire to be with her comrades in battle, but knows that this is her place--for now.

Silverscale shivers, but stays flattened against the bottom like a catfish. Let the water build as long as possible...

Calls-Spirits snarls in pain and shifts up to Crinos, and growls at Cameron, ~Take that arm off!~ Once more into the breach as he attempts to dodge around the saw that cut him so deeply and grab it. Cameron waits for a chance to rush in and claw the arm off while Tobin pulls. Blood spatters the ground thickly where Tobin steps and from the permanent snarl on his lips it's obvious he's in great pain.

Little Bear sees Yi take a fall an starts towards her, snarling, running directly under the thing. He starts clawing at its (hopefully soft) underbelly like a madman, howling fit to wake the dead.

StarEyed scrabbles frantically for purchase with her claws on all four limbs, digging in hard to be able land some good solid blows on the damned thing. Growling in spirit-tongue at the thing, she desperately claws her way to even a vaguely secure hold. *Hold still so I can kick your ass, dammit.*

Three-Blades coughs as she lands on her back. There is little time for her act, but those saws and pincers closing in make her almost fly up to all fours. She scrabbles, shifting as she does, to get under the flying beast.

Golden-Eyes shifts to crinos midway through her jump once she is back up on her feet again. Her attempts to dodge her way around the machinary of the monster. She waits for a good time to make a purchase on the legs of the spindly creature.

Yi scrambles directly beneath the bane and it floats inches over her. Leo dives under with Yi and begins clawing. The "underbelly" of the thing isn't soft at all, and the bane decides to deal with the irritants by simply descending on them. Yi and Leo both roll to get out, but Leo's pinkie and ring finger make a *crunch* sound as they are crushed flat by the massive bane. Reggie's gift-enhanced shove pushes the huge bane, now rising slightly, backwards a few yards, making it wobble, but it doesn't fall down. It buys the Garou a few more seconds before it can get back on course towards the Salmon spirit, though. The grapple intended for Yi diverts towards the pushy ahroun and clamps solidly over his right arm, lifting him up off the ground. A saw moving towards him diverts as Tobin and Cameron capture another arm and begin damaging it. A third saw joins in. Rapid slashes quickly begin cutting the two crinos into ribbons, one nearly taking Cameron's left leg off just above the knee. Brigid claws at the bane from her vantage point and scores deep furrows in it with her claws while a saw does the same to her side, slicing through four ribs before she's able to dodge it. Golden-Eyes discovers the machine-thing has no legs--it simply floats. But she manages to get another swipe in just before a saw buzzes through most of her right shoulder blade.

Thing looks to be somewhat injured at this point, and the fog--smog, rather--that was following it rolls into the area, causing the garou to begin choking and feel nauseated.

The Carnage is witnessed with a Rage-filled wide eyed expression, but the Elder Theurge does not leave her spot. She turns, to look at the Fishy in the Water, to see how it's doing, and to make sure no threats from within the river are going to gnaw at it, then she goes back to looking around. Even with the smog, which causes Stands to cough violently, doesn't sway her position. She's going to Guard this Fish, damn it!

Little Bear snarls in pain and rage, eyes reddening, and he latches onto the floating bag of putresence as it floats back from Reggie's command, clawing his way up to the nearest saw as quick as his Rage-fueled damaged hand can take him. He proceeds to try to bite the thing off.

Golden-Eyes growls out with pain just before she clamps down her muzzle and ducks away from the whirling blade of metal. Fuck this, the Fianna thinks to herself as she scouts for a peice of metal plating or rip it off the bane to use it against it's rotating saws.

Three-Blades rolls up to her paws, snorting and coughing through the smog. Yeah, something like Hong Kong weather, this thing is spewing. While the Thing is distracted with the others and somewhat closer to the ground, she gathers herself to shift back to her warform. The Gnawer jumps for the hindmost right side saw arm to grab it at the joint, trying to manipulate it to turn inward and grind at the bane's own armor.

Calls-Spirits gives a choking howl of pain, abruptly cut off as he starts to slump to the ground, blood pouring from deep cuts all over his body. He catches himself as suddenly his cuts heal over somewhat. Cameron snarls as his left leg is nearly taken off, but he and Tobin manage to lean on each other while scrambling back out of reach of the saws, towards Kristine. ~This is /not/ fucking working!~ Cameron declares, and Tobin nods fervent, pained agreement.

Hacking hard from the smog, Rags feels like he's back in the city, surrounded by gasoline fumes and factory exhausts. He determines that this thing must let go of him, and he agitatedly rakes the shiny sharp claws of his free arm at the grapple.

Howling in pain, StarEyed channels the agony into Rage and uses her hold to unleash her fury on the limb wielding the saw that cuts into her. All of her strength and determination goes into removing the saw from its wielder with claws and teeth.

Silverscale continues to hang on determinedly.

Leo's bites score deep and begins to do significant damage to one of the arms. It bends back over and simultaneously begins scoring deep into the Wendigo's hip, passing through flesh like butter and chewing deep into bone. Aubrey grabs the closest hunk of metal and yanks hard, pulling it free. She attempts to block an incoming saw at the last second and it slices off half of each of her four exposed fingers holding the impromptue shield up. The saw whines ear-piercingly as it bites into metal after going through flesh. Yi manages to grapple one arm, but fails to redirect it at the bane. She does, however, redirect it into the ground right by Tobin and Cameron's feet--its intended targets. The duo manages to get out of range, though the billow smog threatens to engulf them still. Rags easily scores a sound hit into the arm holding him. A second saw whirls over and starts sawing a circular path around his skull. Brigid unleashes a fury of rage on the saw arm attacking her and rips it off with rapid, repeated blows. The saw falls onto the ground and sputters electrically a few times before growing silent.

Not working? No shit. It was only meant to be a delay so the Fishy could do Fishy stuff. An arm reaches out, while Stands takes a step forward, slapping a mighty paw upon Tobin's shoulder. ~We need to hold it off a little longer!~ And then, with a slight glow, she bestows a healing touch upon her Tribe Mate. Once that's done, she pulls Cameron with her so she can go back to her Guarding. Unfortunately, the others are still too far away from her to get to them, and not leave Salmon unprotected.

Three-Blades howls with her effort to Hold That Bane! As long as it's got this limb, it can't move on. Her massive weight goes into her attack of jumping onto the buzzsaw arm the Wrong Way, to break it off or at least render it unusable.

Little Bear gives a high-pitched whine through his teeth, gritting them and worrying the savaged arm like a dog would a rat. This arm WILL. COME. OFF. He digs his claws into its body for leverage and more damage.

StarEyed snarls in brief accomplisment and turns her claws on whatever is closest to her, be it the bane itself, one of its limbs, or anything else that comes after her from her claw-held position on the ugly.

Screaming fit to match the whining of the saws, Rags defies the saw circling his skull by concentrating his rage to heal up the damage being done by it.

From the southwest, further into the bawn, comes first the sound of galloping hooves getting closer. Then a black unicorn, its horn a sharp spiral of ivory, bursts into the clearing with what looks like a large form wearing glowing armor atop it. The shape leaps off the unicorn and onto the large bane. From this distance, the armor looks semi-transparent, showing the familiar shape of a Gaian athro ahroun within that starts slashing at the bane in a blur of motion.

Calls-Spirits's wounds heal a bit more just as he starts to pass out from the choking smog and drags himself to his feet, looking around and spotting the vehicle of his next scheme. He starts to run up the bank but stops when Peacekeeper arrives. He blinks then sags a bit in relief. He turns and starts shaking the tree loose from its roots, just in case.

Golden-Eyes boils up with anger, dispite the ripped one shoulder and the grouping of finger missing. She scrambles past Brigid, ripping off a portion of her tattered shirt as she picks up the dead limb lying on the ground with the cloth wrapped around her hand. Somehow she is going to make this work. Picking up the metal, she goes after the creature, hoping to attack it correctly with it's own sawed off limb.

Yi keeps hold of the one arm, immobilizing it. But hold it back? Like a toddler plaing tug of war with a football player, she is pulled across the ground as it advances towards the salmon spirit not too far off now. Little Bear continues rending at another arm and it finally comes off. The saw working on his hip bone disappears inside him as it finally passes through the bone and wrecks havoc on the Wendigo's internal organs, pumbing through the depths of his bowels and intestines from the inside. The saw busy slicing off the top of Reggie's head like a can opener whirring around an aluminum can of baked beans nearly completes its circuit when Robert's blurred form pounds into the huge bane, severing the limb that's opening up Reggie's head and scoring deep wounds between two metal plates on Thing's body. Two saws descend on him, one of which is dodge completely, the other slices open the ahroun's mouth from lip all the way back to an ear. Tobin, weak from damage despite rage healing and the Mother's Touch, takes nearly all his effort to even reach the tree by the bank. Golden-Eyes picks up the severed saw, now inactive, and throws it at the bane. It sinks slightly into the creature's flesh where she pulled the metal plate off earlier. No saws are left to attack her, though.

The creature looks to be fairly damaged at this point.

There is no greater sight than the Calvary showing up. While coughing though, she does notice more carnage happening. Damn. She ain't got enough to heal everyone, and well..damn. She can't leave though. Not yet. Just a little bit longer.

Silverscale shudders visibly, redness beginning to seep into the waters flowing past her.

Little Bear falls like a rag doll with the saw arm he's gnawed off, landing with a sickening thump on the ground below the wounded bane.

Calls-Spirits finds he's too weak from his wounds to shake the tree loose like he planned and insteads heads back down to grab Leonard and drag the Wendigo away as well as he's able to. He's not sure if Leonard is alive or dead, but he does it anyway.

Peacekeeper grabs at the saw that attacked him, trying to pull it off and render the creature more defenseless.

Three-Blades roars when she sees Little Bear fall. Her jaws open, and the ragabash bites deep as deep can be for the bend of the saw-arm she's holding. Regardless of what might happen, her neck muscles flail back and forth as she jerks and tears away at this arm, body shaking wildly in a desperation born from seeing her packmate dying. Maybe this will be like chewing into the leg of an electronic killer-lobster.

In no condition to wield off saws anymore, Rags dangles like a rag doll being prepared for a brain transplant.

Damaged isn't good enough for StarEyed, and she works at beating the bane into something equating either submission or death, whichever comes first. The former Guardian is nothing if not determined in her pummeling, unless someone orders her to stop. Stands-Proud keeps back enough to continue guarding Silverscale and heal those that are able to get within reach for healing or are subsequently dragged there.

The last leg dangles there as Golden-Eyes sees that the others are to preoccupied or out of comission to take care of it. Following Yi and Robert's example, she attacks after the leg left to render into just a shell without any mobil limbs.

Tobin drags Leonard out of harm's way as best he can in his mauled condition. The Wendigo sports burns from the silver and all kinds of gore, blood, and whatever he had for lunch oozes out of him through the hole that was burrowed straight through his hip bone and deep into his innards. Robert's years of experience guide his hands and *snap!* breaks an arm, then rends the broken limb from the creature with a twisting yank of snapping sinews, ligaments, and electrical wiring. Yi bites into the arm she's holding like a young kid might tear into a corn cob. A frenzied kid, though. She nearly gnaws straight through it. Brigid simply wails on the bane with claws, scoring deeply now that she's not being harried by things trying to dissect her while still kicking. The arm holding Reggie releases him, letting the Uktena fall to the ground. The grappling arm moves back towards Yi. Golden Eyes, however, slows the arm down and beats on it, buying Yi a second or so to continue her gnawings. The bane is looking as if it's on its last legs, and all its limbs are tied up.

Three-Blades jerks her jaws free, the saw on the arm going dead. Blazing eyes turn to the grappling arm. The Gnawer flicks her wrist, starting the saw-arm back up as it whirrs around like a one-ended nunchuck. Grappling arm be damned, the ragabash turns and brings the centrifugal motion of the saw down towards a spot in between two metal plates of armor. ~EAT SILVER!~ she howls in a very loud, very strangely accented version of the Garou tongue. Eastern Garou.

Golden-Eyes clambers towards it's arm as she sinks her teeth into it and gives a shake a dog might to a piece of cloth. The Fianna will see the fall of this horrible creature and watch it roll about like a long-leg spider without any limbs. At the same time she takes hold of the saw that was set in it's skin and presses against it deeply to hack it off.

Darting in to help Tobin haul the Wendigo further out of the way, Stands pauses only long enough to send healing into him before continuing to get him back from things. StarEyed hasn't heard any call to stop kicking the bane into bits, so she keeps wailing on it methodically, playing ginsu with claws and feet.

Peacekeeper scrambles off the bane and kneels beside Rags, who has collapsed nearby. A soft golden glow surrounds his hands as he puts them on the Uktena's skull.

And through it all, the fish just clings like a stone to the streambed, the redness seeping into the waters all around it. It lessens somewhat as Kristine kneels to touch the Wendigo.

Rendered unable to attack, the Garou continue pummeling, gouging, clawing, and biting the monstrosity for a good ten seconds, but it finally goes down under their collective blows. All the while, even when it has no means of attacking further, it continues pushing forwards towards Silverscale--but it never makes it. The bane disolves into a cloud of fetid vapors and ozone, which drifts upwards as it dissipates into the night, leaving nothing behind but the Garou, an assortment of fingers, and a lot of blood. Peacekeeper breathes life back into the fallen Uktena ahroun with a gift that helps to heal his near-lobotomization.

Three-Blades snarls as the bane finally dissipates into the Umbral air. ~And don't come back!~ she spits on the ground, before turning to gather in the injuries. When she sees Robert crouched over the Uktena, her golden eyes blaze still, hackles poofed like a reddish brown mane. The Gnawer, for the most part, is miraculously... untouched. At least on the outside. Her injuries evidence themselves with a hacking cough.

StarEyed hits the ground with a thud and a subsequent sharp whine as the bane dissolves underneath her claws. Just resting on her hands and knees for a moment, she coughs and holds one hand to her ribs for the moment. ~Good riddance. Ow.~

Silverscale continues operating its flood charm, affecting the distant caern, until it expends a great deal of power. Spirits continue to rage against one another over the caern, allies falling every second that is wasted.

Calls-Spirits drags himself up the bank to where Cameron is and collapses there. He gives a grateful salute to Peacekeeper and just rests for the moment.

Little Bear stops leaking as Kris lays hands on him, but still looks like raw hamburger from the waist down to one hip.

Three-Blades goes to retrieve her twin nail-bats. They didn't come in too handy this round, but the caern's heart is still waiting. One look at Little Bear, and she goes to kneel on one knee beside the Wendigo, bat propped as a fourth leg. Her eyes flicker from Kris, to her packmate, then back away to the river. ~Hang on,~ she whispers to the galliard.

Little Bear opens his eyes, actually still conscious. He blinks a few times to focus, then tells her, ~ Go on. I'll be fine. Take the hearts for me. ~ He bares his teeth in a grin that quickly turns into a grimace of pain.

Silverscale finally flares brightly and rises to the surface, turning in slow ripples. *Gratitude* the rather laconic spirit says faintly. *Waters rise.* With that, she leaps high in the air, and vanishes.

Three-Blades looks up and over as Silverscale leaps. Her howl of parting is again, defiant. ~Thank You Silverscale! Heal Well!~ She gets up to her feet, towering over the Wendigo. A dip of her muzzle is her affirmation. She'll rip every heart out with her own claws if she can.

Little Bear hears the fish announce its success and sighs, closing his eyes.

Calls-Spirits levers himself to his feet and helps Cameron up as well, both still in Crinos. The young Fang Theurge also sighs in relief as the Salmon departs to a safer place. He watches Peacekeeper heal Reggie, and looks at the Athro Gaian with a half-hopeful expression. It's clear he wants to go on.

Golden-Eyes sits down right where she is at. A deep sigh being forced out of her tense muscles. As the spirit of the salmon dispates and leaves the area, the Fianna realizes that they had completed what task they were set out to do tonight.

Three-Blades thunks a bat into the Umbral grass. She will wait for those who feel they still can press on, and run with them onward.

Peacekeeper walks over to Leonard and kneels down, his hands suffused with a golden glow again. As the Wendigo's wounds start to close, the Gaian stands up again. ~We need to continue soon. Who else can come along?~

Three-Blades lifts a bat in reply, her cough and spit still indicative that she's only received minor injuries. Wow, she's got all her limbs.

Calls-Spirits shakes his head at Peacekeeper. ~Nearly all of us Crescents are too wounded to go on. We would be more a burden than an asset. We will go back to Rainbow Lake and await word there.~ He nods his head respectfully at the Gaian and adds, ~And thank you, Rhya, for your timely intervention.~ With that he turns to go, he and Cameron leaning on each other as they limp back up the stream.

Peacekeeper nods back to the cliath. ~I wish I could have been here earlier. I'll go in with the ones who can continue. Iustus,~ he adds, with a nod to the black unicorn, ~will accompany those who go back.~

Little Bear pages to the room: I will NEVER RAG ON THE UNICORN HUGGERS AGAIN.