The storm splits open ahead, revealing a radiant pillar rising from the clouds. Its golden brilliance marks the finish, though the wind still claws at True Dave's bruised shoulder and numb arm.
Astraya circles nearby, wings beating hard against the thinning vapor. Beneath the finish pillar, a young aasimar woman descends on black-feathered wings, golden curls streaming around her ember-red eyes.
The winged aasimar levels a glaive across the direct ascent, its blade catching the pillar's light. She holds position between True Dave and the final mark, commanding the safest-looking passage below.
The Winged Aasimar
The race ends where I permit it. Descend, traveler, and leave the radiant path unchallenged.
Astraya Orlaith
Dyanara, must you turn every contest into a trial of wills? The finish is plainly ahead.
The winged aasimar's red gaze shifts toward Astraya, but her glaive does not lower. The storm funnels around her, making the narrow opening beneath her guard seem perilously calm.
Astraya Orlaith
Stray star, choose carefully. Her patience is shorter than the distance to that pillar.
✓ Quest Accepted
Get past the winged aasimar
“I mock Dyanara for turning this race into a fight, then I drag her towards me with the force and slice her with my light sabers.”
Missed — the winged aasimar struck back for 4 damage
True Dave
You turn every race into a fight, Dyanara? Fine. Let us see how well you fare when the course pulls you along.
True Dave thrusts out his hand. The Force catches Dyanara and drags her through the storm toward him, her black wings beating furiously as the glaive swings wide.
Pain flares through True Dave's bruised shoulder and numb arm, but he closes the gap and ignites both light sabers. Their bright blades sweep across Dyanara's guard.
The strike fails to cut her. Dyanara twists with startling precision, untouched, and the radiant pillar gleams behind her through the torn clouds.
The Winged Aasimar
Your blades are bright, traveler, but brightness is not victory.
Her glaive haft drives into True Dave's side and knocks the breath from him. He reels in the thin air, suffering a hard new pain, yet remains airborne and able to act.
Astraya Orlaith
Enough fencing! The finish waits ahead, and I refuse to lose the race while you two argue in the clouds.
“I shoot her with force lightning!”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +0)
True Dave raises his hand through the pain. Blue-white Force lightning erupts across the cloud gap, branching toward Dyanara as the storm recoils from its violent brilliance.
The lightning strikes Dyanara squarely. Her black wings convulse, her glaive drops from her grasp, and the current drives her downward through the vapor before fading.
The Winged Aasimar
A forbidden storm... You wield it without hesitation.
Dyanara catches herself beneath the radiant pillar, wings spread unevenly. Disarmed and stunned, she no longer blocks the direct ascent to the finish.
Astraya Orlaith
That settles the trial! Fly, stray star, before she remembers how to argue!
Astraya surges toward the finish, white wings flashing. The golden pillar stands open ahead, while True Dave's shoulder burns from the Force he has just unleashed.
The final mark lies clear above the clouds, its radiant boundary waiting for True Dave to cross.
Quest Complete
Get past the winged aasimar