Homestead Survival

<15 August 2024, GRAND MESA OF SUMMER , A+>
[Theo]
Theo was spamming his Taunt over and over. He could see the bracelet flashing with each use of the skill. He started channeling as the rest of the gathered force lunged for him.

The whole time he counted to himself, he continued to spam his Taunt skill. Even as the Storm Giant slowly moved through the Crowd, Theo slammed his foot down, knocking those already taunted away. Theo moved after him, taking blows over and over; he continued.

Theo knew that Universal translation was still active when he heard the Storm Giant swear. "Fuck."

Finally, after nearly fifty uses of the Taunt, the bracelet crumbled. Theo smiled and Taunted once more, and the Storm Giant turned to Theo and began to whale on him over and over.

Theo braced, and after five seconds, he felt the axe turn over again. He also felt his body crying out in pain. Theo grit his teeth and bore it. Counting to himself.

"Ten... Eleven... Twelve... Thirteen..."

[Angram Cloudborn]
Angram was striking out at the human, forced by the Taunt to do this rather than what he wanted.

"Spamming a skill enough to burn the uses of the protection item. That is madness!" Angram was about to let up as he felt the skill ending when he received a blow from the fist of the human that knocked him down. Angram climbed to his feet as he watched the human lay waste to those around him with the axe he wielded.

"This Human is nothing if not mad." Angram said, deciding to use the last charge of a ring that granted him the Call for Aid skill. He channeled the skill for a moment and then let out a long and loud roar of anger before being Taunted once more and laying into the human as the rest of the Horde charged to help.

[Julia]
Julia was layering wards where she could, trying to secure their base of operations once more. She watched as Theo did his best, burning time until she could layer more wards down.

She looked at Theo and saw that he was bleeding; he looked somewhat haggard even with Warmth of the Hearth active on him. She pulled the Rod of Lesser Healing out and used one of its three charges on Theo.

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As she watched, he stood taller, minor wounds closed, and Theo continued his battle. Being whaled on over and over. Julia kept an eye out and wondered if they would make it.

<15 August 2024, ????, ????>
[The Unwanted God]
Durn the Unwanted was ecstatic. "Yes! Yes Angram! Prove your worth and kill those worms!"

He dug into a bucket of raw meat that held a sickly hue, tossing chunks of it into his mouth. He watched the battle through a crystal held by a servant. He smiled as the male struggled against the remains of the Horde. With each massive blow that Angram landed on the human, Durn smiled wider.

In the distance, Durn saw the female watching the fight, using an item that healed the male. The first time was slightly disappointing. After a few minutes, the female used it again. And then a few minutes more passed, and a third use was expended. Durn watched the female look worried, and the rod she had been using disappeared.

Durn smiled. "Time to die, humans."

<15 August 2024, GRAND MESA OF SUMMER , A+>
[Theo and Julia]
Theo felt the last charge of the Rod of Healing be used on him. At the same time, he felt the axe turn over for the eleventh time. "Eleven percent damage reduction and one hundred and ten percent damage given increase."

He finished channeling the most recent Penitent Strike and slammed his foot down, killing many of the beings around him.

There were only ten now. But he was tired. Even though he was being healed, being beaten, slashed, stabbed, poked, and prodded over and over and over took a toll.

Theo heard Julia cry out. "Theo! Come back here!"

Without missing a beat, he took off at a run for the cabin, jumping across the layers of temporary wards. He leaned over, hands on knees, and panted hard, letting Julia's skill heal him.

Angram Cloudborn stepped up to the barrier of the runes. And spoke. "You still persist. Why?"

Theo smiled, "Why not? Why would I just give up? Especially to some sick fuck like this god you worship."

Julia shivered and chimed in. "The God of cannibals. Who would ever want to side with him?"

Several of the ten members of the Horde that stood behind Angram looked sheepish and could not meet anyone's eyes. Angram looked at Theo and Julia, then nodded. "You are right; we did not choose this willingly. At least most of us did not."

The four remaining elementals had wide grins that indicated they chose this. Angram ignored them and continued. "While we may have eaten of our own willingly, it is usually in extreme cases. We are forced by Durn the Unwanted to follow him."

"Before the System..." Angram was about to say something that Theo felt would be quite revealing when the air about fifty feet to the left of Angram shimmered; the power that pulsed there drew the attention of everyone on the Overlook.

Reality twisted, and a shimmering blue portal opened up. Out of it stepped a horned young woman, and a system notice appeared.

>Local Message: A Messenger is present. Hostility against the Messenger shall not be permitted. Temporary peace is requested.

The horned woman stepped up and bowed slightly. "Hello, I am Aflara Karzun. Here on behalf of Patriarch Karzun. Who is Theo Sorrenson and Julia Brahmin?"

Theo and Julia looked at each other in shock before raising their hands.