>>5330900>14This being’s strength is… Prodigious, unexpected. Unable or unwilling to hold back, Junior throws himself at you with all the savagery of actual battle. You are pounced upon and, despite attempting to maintain your footing and force your opponent into a hold, you find yourself driven onto your back. You are slashed and gouged by claws at the creature shrieks and whoops above you, and you shield your face. You force the Junior Novice back as you stand by repeatedly sending small sparks of mana to the Ring of Protection on your hand to force it back with the protective bubble thus manifested.
“Not bad…” you note, rubbing your face. You sort of wish you’d brought your helm.
The Junior Novice chatters and shrieks, but you sense the defiant roar of a dragon somewhere inside it—challenge in the tone. It sinks low, and circles again, and you see a desperate need to please and prove in the Junior Novice’s eyes turn to a realization (however mistaken) that if he could BEST you, HE would be top-of-the-food-chain.
Ah, the draconic need to dominate. You recognize some of yourself in those eyes.
What do you do?
>Attempt to best it fairly, through skill and strength [victory will boost Fisticuffs; highest DC]>Activate your amulet, and defeat it through intimidation and augmented physiology [lower DC]>Commend the mutated being; throw it some meat, and attempt to soothe and clam it>Call upon the Novice and Glowie for aid, and reshackle the thing before it can escape or hurt anyone—or get any more big ideas [lowest DC, will lessen your relationship with the Junior Novice]>Use the very last of your mana to cast a spell [which one?]>Write in 