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Psycho Duel Chapter 28: Nok'Roshar
🕑 Added 2022-11-20 21:16:51 +0000 UTC*been travelling this weekend but wanted to get a chapter up. sorry for any typos. enjoy!*
Walt could hear Lil Vernon crashing through the brush after him. He ran in the creek, slipping on a wet rock. He caught himself with his hands, the sharp pebbles and debris in the creek bed biting into his palms.
There was a loud splash. The blind newt had crashed into the creek, following his scent.
Back towards the rest area, he saw the red glow of Jacob’s gauntlet shining in the darkness. The Bloodhound was entering the woods. He tossed a card and a cloud of green smoke appeared in front of him.
A goblinoid form materialized out of the cloud.
[Examine]
[Goblin Beastmaster]
Goblin Beastmaster. Minion. Set: Ringmaster’s Menagerie. Rarity: Rare.A cantankerous bull-whip wielding goblinoid who can tame and motivate any species of beast.
War Whoop: Give a random friendly beast on the battleboard +5 Attack and +5 Health Points.
Bull Whip: 4 Attack, Cooldown: 5 seconds
Health Points: 3
Cost: 2 Vigor Stones
The goblin was wearing a stained wifebeater tee and had a scraggly silver beard. He was chomping on a cigar and holding a bullwhip. Aside from the whip, the minion looked like a beleaguered husband from a 1950s sitcom.
He took the cigar out of his mouth with his free hand and spat. “Lil Vernon! You milky little shit! You better not lose the Voidlock’s scent!”
To emphasize his point, he cracked the whip. A spark of energy shot out, flaring in direction of the newt. This was followed by a shrill mewl and the sound of Lil Vernon thrashing in the water.
Shit. The Goblin Beastmaster had just buffed Lil Vernon.
The gong sounded.
Turn 3
Vigor Stones 3/3
03:00
Begin
Draw?
Walt got up and ran down the creek, trying not to splash too much. Then he veered back into the forest, pulling himself onto a bank on the opposite bank from the Bloodhound.
The Blood Mirror had successfully procced because Walt’s health ticked up. Which meant Jacob’s health had ticked down.
Voidlock
Health Points: 97
Bloodhound
Health Points: 98
Walt and Jacob were just tickling each other damage at the moment, but Walt knew things were about to escalate. Pain was about to escalate. He examined his cards.
As much as he wanted to hold onto Desecrate X, he needed to draw into a minion. He had to hold onto the Blood Mirror from the previous hand because it was an essential part of his combo. And he wanted to hold onto the Boots of Nemora because he wanted to don them next turn to give him such needed escape.
So he opted to draw two cards. The cards ejected out of the gauntlet and joined his hand.
Blood Mirror
Boots of Nemora
Levitical Hellfiend
Mortal Tentacle
7-Fingered Ghoul
There it was, the broken Levitical Hellfiend card, made especially more broken in the hands of a Voidlock. He didn’t even think. The play just played itself. He tossed the card into the air.
There was the scent of polished wood, dusty tomes and ancient scrolls. The Levitical Hellfiend appeared in his blue-robe, the limbs hidden within bent at all the wrong angles.
An annoyed inhuman voice came from the cowls of the robe. “For what purpose do you summon me, pulling me away from my hallowed halls of forbidden knowledge?”
“Nice to see you, too,” Walt said. “I expect you’ll be returning back to your books soon. But for now I need you to protect me.”
The Levitical Hellfiend let out a low growl. But it pulled the hefty black tome out of its robes and stood by Walt guarding him.
Then, Walt Soultapped, exchanging his health for a Vigor Stone. He still wasn’t used to the pang of pain, from the feeling of sacrificing part of his essence.
Voidlock
Health Points: 87
But the Soultap counted as a spell, triggering the Levitical Hellfiend’s effect, reducing the cost of the 7-Fingered Ghoul to 1 Vigor Stone. Walt used his new Vigor Stone to summon the minion.
The drunken ghoul materialized before Walt, swaying, already appropriately sloshed. When he spoke, his words slurred together. “The forest? What you doing out here in all this nature? And why’s it so dark?”
The ghoul’s effect not only increased Walt’s card size from five to seven, but it instantly drew another two cards into his hand.
Eldritch Death Summoner
Unholy Tongue Lash
“Quiet,” Walt said. “I’m trying to be sneaky.”
“Schneaky,” the Seven-Fingered Ghoul said. “I’m great at being schneaky.”
“Listen,” Walt said. “I need you to protect me until the next Turn.”
“Protect you?” The Seven-Fingered Ghoul said. He held up his fists and drunkenly shadow-boxed. “I’ll protect you alright. Point me at ‘em!”
“No,” Walt said. “I need you two to play defense until I can get these boots on,” Walt said.
The Seven-Fingered Ghoul blew a raspberry with his lips. “Sounds boring. But you’re the boss.”
“I could be reading right now,” the Levitical Hellfiend said.
That’s when a dark form appeared above the tree cover, a silhouette forming against the moon. Wings flapped in the air.
Jacob must have played his card.
[Examine]
[Grimscale]
Grimscale. Mount. Set: Adventurer Dio’s Wondrous Mounts. Rarity: Legendary. A young wyvern from Lumley’s Aerie, known for their gray scales and insatiable appetite.
Rider Flight Protection: Grants rider +5 Armor while mounted.
Bite: 8 Attack; Cooldown: 5 seconds
Health Points: 15
Cost: 3 Vigor Stones
The Bloodhound was riding Grimscale, his winged mount. It had taken to the air and they were scanning the forest, trying to find Walt.
“Did you really think you could hide from a Bloodhound?” Jacob said, shouting. Grimscale zoomed away in another direction but they circled around again. “We thrive on the thrill of the hunt!”
Walt led his minions into a thick cluster of pine trees. There was a ceiling of branches and they all crouched there, looking up into the sky. Grimscale hadn’t found them yet.
The gong sounded.
Turn 4
Vigor Stones 4/4
03:00
Begin
Draw?
Jacob let out of a grunt of pain in the sky. Walt saw his health tick up again. It was the Blood Mirror proccing.
Voidlock
Health Points: 88
Bloodhound
Health Points: 97
Walt wasted no time. His new hand, buffed to seven cards now thanks to the ghoul, flew out of his gauntlet.
Boots of Nemora
Blood Mirror
Blood Mirror
Unholy Tongue Lash
Eldritch Death Summoner
Blood Worm Bomber
Life Leech
Walt equipped the Boots of Nemora, using all of his Vigor Stones. Now he could vertically stay out of reach from Lil Vernon and the Goblin Beasttamer. And hopefully the boots were fast enough to avoid Grimscale, but for some reason he doubted it.
“Do me a favor,” Walt said. “Ignore his minions if you can.”
“What?” The Seven-Fingered Ghoul said, flabbergasted. “Ignore his minions? Do you have a death wish?”
“Ignore his minions and attack him,” Walt said. “I need both of you to deal as much damage as you can to the Bloodhound himself.”
The Levitical Hellfiend held up his black tome. “He shall feel the weight of knowledge beyond his comprehension.”
From above, there was an electric guitar strum. Like a chord out of a death metal cacophony.
Walt looked up at Grimscale, who was flying in front of the moon. A card was spiral over Jacob’s head. Strobes of light were blasting out of the card. Then it formed into an ornate and wicked bow.
[Examine]
[Nok’Roshar]
Nok’Roshar. Weapon. Set: The Faewild’s Remnants & Relics. Rarity: Rare. Brendan Umber’s infamous bow he used to slay Dreadheart. Always finds its target.
Bloodseeking Arrow: 12 Attack, Cooldown: 1 minute
Charges: 4
Cost 4 Vigor Stones
The Bloodhound grabbed it out of the air. He held it in both hands as Grimscale continued to search through the woods.
Walt heard something barreling through the brush, on this side of the creek. It was Lil Vernon. The newt must have picked up their scent.
“He’s got his scent again!” The Goblin Beastmaster said. He was splashing through the creek, following Lil Vernon. “Over here, master! Follow Lil Vernon!”
The Bloodhound piloted Grimscale and the wyvern swooped in a wide turn and Jacob looked out a head of his newt that had the sniffer of a bloodhound.
“Shit,” Walt said. “Everyone get ready.”
The gong sounded.
Turn 5
Vigor Stones 5/5
03:00
Begin
Draw?
The Blood Mirror hidden in the creek procced again, nipping Jacob’s health and transferring over it to Walt.
Voidlock
Health Points: 89
Bloodhound
Health Points: 96
Walt needed all the cards in his hand except the Eldritch Death Summoner. But it was a minion that could come into play so he felt safe keeping it. He held onto his current hand and just drew one card.
Blood Mirror
Unholy Tongue Lash
Blood Mirror
Eldritch Death Summoner
Blood Worm Bomber
Life Leech
Replicate
He could play both Blood Mirrors, but it would be inefficient, leaving him with one stone. However, he did see a play that would get him value and be efficient.
He Soultapped, gasping. He put a hand on a tree, steadying himself.
Health Points: 78
Vigor Stones: 6/5
Then he crouched and played a Blood Mirror. He hid it in the hollow of a poplar tree. As he placed it, it procced, feeding him another tick of Jacob’s health.
Voidlock
Health Points: 79
Bloodhound
Health Points: 95
Jacob yelled, annoyed. “I’m getting really tired of your cheap Voidlock tricks. That’s what I hate about your class. Your little pinpricks of Lifedrain!”
And that’s when Lil Vernon barreled into the copse of pine trees, spraying corrosive fluid out of its mouth. The liquid hitting Walt and his minions.
Grimscale roared and dove into the forest, straight for Walt.
Jacob cocked back Nok’Roshar. “I told you! You can’t hide from a Bloodhound!”
An arrow the color of blood materialized in between his fingers, cocked back in the bow.
He released the Bloodseeker Arrow and it whistled through the tree branches.
And then Walt’s vision burst red as the arrow pierced one of his eyes.
Comments
Fortunis
Fucking hell. An arrow to the eye? That's one way to fuck up a players day.
Al
Exciting!
