Time slowed down for a moment as everyone converged on the Cuda. Tharr was the first to get their shot off, nocking an arrow dipped in toxin and firing it off. The arrows were also still imbued with the essence of saltspider webs, and it flew straight and true over the rustling waves, through the twilight, and into one of its eyes. The Cuda let out a shrill shriek, and claws at its eye with one claw. The baleful yellow eye was closed, and already oozing pus and some kind of webbingYou gave the poor thing conjunctivitis. :(.
Tharr's arrow was followed by a much larger one; the last harpoon that the outrider had on it. It flew somewhat less true, and ricocheted off one of the beast's scarsRoll: 1, 2 3, 5.. The harpoon then flew directly at the Argos, where it wedged itself perpendicularly in one of the the ship's twin longjaws. Tolliver had just gotten the Argos into a good firing position, and suddenly found that their starboard longjaw was no longer fully functional, courtesy of the large pointed stick wedged into it from the side. Tolliver could no longer do anything but go in circles, unless he pushed the engines to overdrive (which would require a brief trip belowdecks to turn that on for the starboard longjaw), and then he risked damaging the mechanism due to how the harpoon was wedged. Alternatively, he could go over , lower himself down the side, and try to yank the harpoon out himself.
Fortunately, the Argos had already landed Park in a good position to take a shot. The storm-rail fired, thunder echoing as lightning ripped through the air. The bolt slammed into the Cuda with enough forceHigh-impact volt damage! that it actually went airborne for a brief moment, nearly slamming into the outrider Needle. As it scrabbled to regain purchase on the leaves, its tail lashed out, knocking Tharr's harpoonist friend on the head and sending him flying out into the leaves.
Tharr now stood alone on the deck of the harpoon-less outrider, holding his bow. A moment later he realized that the thing's engine was still on, and that no one was driving.
While the Cuda was subjected to attacks from all sides, Atus ran Biff like never before, running up the raised treeline ridge with enough speed to become airborneI like the Study idea, so I went with Study + Instinct and rolled 1, 4, 6. That's more than enough speed to get you up there. itself. In a microcosm of the storm-rail, a second bolt of lightning arcedHunt Roll to Hit in Combat: 5. from Atus and hit the flailing Cuda.
It turned its attention to Atus, and breathed out. A sprayIron + Brace Roll to avoid damage: 2, 2, 3, 4. This inflicts one damage, which has been marked on Tempered Anchor for a very specific reason. of spittle and noxious odors enveloped Biff and Atus, who were both now falling towards the Cuda's head. The toxins in its spray flowed over and through the ironbound, but there was something else in that spray that caused Atus' spirit, that soul that they still did not fully understand yet, to feel distant and detached. Then they actually looked down at themselves, their consciousness quite literally detached from their body. They still controlled themselves, but they had a much better view from ten feet up. They wondered what another spray would do; would their tether to their physical form snap altogether? They hoped they would not find out.
Biff's arc carried them over the Cuda, and he landed on the other side, where Atus promptly began to turn the skiff around.
The Cuda looked somewhere between furious and drunk, and it lashed out at Needle with a clawTilt Roll to Dodge: 2, 2, 3, 3. Nope.. Tharr leapt to the control to try and steer it away, and then saw that the blow was unavoidable and leapt off the side instead. The Cuda's claw broke the outrider in half, and Tharr, thankfully, landed on a a bough sticking above the waves at the edge of the treeline ridge. Their position still afforded them a decent shot at the beast, and it did not seem to notice him there, especially with its bad eye.