Euphemia gives a surprised-smile-quickly-turned-to-gloating as the beetle decides something else is food for now.
See, Frank? Everything is under control. She reasserts, tilting her head and Gerard's expression.
"Well, then... I'm not packing any with me. We need to get back to the battlefield..." she murmurs. "-Where it can make meat..."
Even Gerard can probably sense hedgehoggy exasperation.
Seeing a massive bug bearing down on them and having no 'meat' at hand to give over. He considers the other unconscious giant. NO. He was not dead yet.
Daniel brandishes his weapon and runs to what remained on the half bitten giant, trying to draw it's attention.
Iomedae's Grace
The legs. Feed it the dead one's legs!
Gerard kneels to speak to the hedgehog.
She means well, Frank... Just a bit clumsy. But, I suppose that's part of her charm. Now go to her, before she gets herself killed.
And I promise, I won't let you be the... meat.
The bug is perfectly pacified as it gets the carrion. The jinkins direct Orsin to get the group to cut up chucks of the dead to feed him on the way. They pin a large chuck of flesh to the wire and they show you how to lead the beetle using the lead.
Andrea will help get an arm or leg or...other dangley bit to distract the bug as they attach a piece of meat to the wire so they can lead the beetle away.
Andrea will also channel once they are away from any unconscious foes in order to heal the giant,beetle and any wounded allies.
3/6
Just cut near the bone where the connective tissue is in order to twist the leg free easily..no! bad Andrea stop thinking like that.
A tad surprising of a phrase to hear uttered from those same lips.
Frank blinks at Gerard and shuffles over to Euphemia, wobbling to the right ever so slightly.
Euphemia scoops up her familiar and gets to work helping with the leading of the beetle, trying rather hard not to casually vomit at the butchery that it entrails (arg! entails! ENTAILS!).
"Thanks for being close, Gerard, and for your healing, too, Andrea."
We have to stick together, sometimes it seems that all we have is each other.
"Well, then, we'd best not jinx it.. er.. no pun intended."
The witch straightens up despite the fact they are leading a disgusting bug through a detestable swamp to save a loathsome woman. "Or was there?
Frank does an appropriately-timed dramatic turn.
Andrea offers refreshment with fizzy drinks and little mints.
As the bug is being fed, (the thought of which was turning Daniel's stomach but the half orc accepted as necessary to keep it from attacking his friends) Daniel asks Andrea, quietly: shall we attempt to revive the other giant?
He has to use his sword to cleave the limbs off the bodies, too large to move otherwise. [ooc] Another Sin I will have to attain for. Were Iomedae not a WAR god, she may have already turned from me. Forgive me Goddess, I pray the dead care not what happen to their remains and if not this bug, some other creature would feast and the battle would not be aided.[/i]
Andrea pauses as she gives their 'new friend' a nice bandage and the remains of the mead they got from the previous ambush and moves away a bit before she replies to replies to him in Infernal.
Daniel replies in the Infernal tongue
Gerard walks amicably beside Frank, providing him with an audience should he need one.
Wink... Don't stray. Physically or mentally. Wanted you to have the bow so you could avoid melee. Provide tactical ranged support. You pull through and there's a job waiting for you. Good pay, flexible... up to you.
Phem, that was good going with that Hex thing... Tell me more about that.
Wink spits and nods. He moves over to the fallen archer's bow and picks it up. "Nice bow, you all mind?" As he tests the draw.
How about everyone who can use a bow, take one... Even an opening volley can help.
Gerard you find several items: leather pouch that has coins in it, 3 rings (R1 gold with green gem; R2 isis bluish silver; R3 is metallic iron), and a gold bracelet.
Using some water from his waterskin Gerard washes the items thoroughly as he walks. Can someone help identify these?
Let us do that later! After we are done with the council forces, we don't know how long we can kep this bug occupied.
Anyone else? Andrea called meat dangling.
"Gerard's got it right, if the rings are at all magical, they could be of use to us."
Orsin, trying to free his mind of the troubles that beset them, focuses on the rings.
Orsin, still a little new to the role of Pathfinder, likely can't make heads or tails of the first two rings, but feels fairly certain he knows what the last one is (does?).
Orsin realizes two of the rings are magical, the third is simply a nice gold and gem ring. The last ring that you look at is a minor ring of inner fortitude.
A minor ring of fortitude reduces ability damage or temporary ability penalties the wearer takes by 2 points and ability drain by 1 point. If an effect targets multiple ability scores (for example, exhaustion, fatigue, or touch of idiocy), the ring reduces the damage, drain, or penalty for all ability scores.
Orsin nods appreciatively at the ring's abilities, relaying its magical properties to the others. He holds the unidentified ring to Euphemia for a second opinion. "Any clue what this one might do?" Not having spoken with either the rogue or the witch at any considerable length, he keeps their exchanges short, but pleasant.
Gerard borrows a +2 composite bow and 10 arrows.
Andrea takes a moment from her bug wrangling to look over the ring
"Those hex thingies? You already knew what they were called, or did I let that slip, too? Well... they are direct manifestations of arcane ...stuff... from the being that grants me power. They are shaped by my desire at the time of the power's conception. Usually, I just wish for a creature to miss."
She turns red, unable to properly communicate the process without simplifying it.
---
"I'll give that other ring a crack." Euphemia offers, expertly sizing up the remaining magic item.
I assume you used detect magic in conjunction with your spellcraft check. You shrug, not really knowing what it is.
It's a ring of water walking.
"Ah. This is a ring of Water Walking." Euphemia points out.
By the time the group trudges and makes it's way back to the out road it's past midnight.
We are going to need light. Andrea conjures a small globe of light in her hand. Normally, I would suggest attacking at dawn but we can't camp out with the bug, and we need to meet up with Dogtongue.[b]
Andrea pauses and looks into the forest. [b]Since there are shadowbeasts on their side, I will be using the Morrowfall. It casts light in a wide area and can weaken them since it is magical light.
Everyone ready?
"Hm... Just one thing I have to do first." Euphemia answers, emitting a garbled phrase as she pricks her thumb on on of Frank's spikes. It bleeds momentarily and then seals.
"One of the only necromancy spells worth knowing, I'd say."
I wish you'd get a proper, sanitary pricking tool, Mistress. One of these days you're going to get Draconic Yellow Swamp Aching Fever.
With all due respect, dear Frank, that cannot be a real thing.
Gerard had almost opened his mouth to say something... But, after your statement he narrows his eyes reflexively and increases the short distance between you, ever so slightly.
Dearest Euphemia, are you suggesting... nearly accusing me of artifice? Hardly. Witches and hexes go hand in hand. Now... how these hexes work, what can be done with them, how long they endure and what powers are drawn upon to affect them... Those things fall under the category of specialized or arcane knowledge.
I ask for two reasons, both selfish. Knowing what you can do helps with strategy and tactics. And, there's well... In your explaining, I may get to know you.
Euphemia blinks in surprise, especially at the last statement, still beet red. The cadence of her breath increases.
"Er, well, the accusation was not my intention! It was nearly a self-admonishment of a tendency that Frank has warned me to quell time and time again. I... have a tendency to say far too much about my abilities once the proverbial channel has been let. Sooner or later, that's going to come back to me."
"Um.. also, it's harder to predict how long these abilities last, but most of them have a set number of uses."
She stares into Gerard's eyes for a second and then shakes her head back to reality. "The hexes, I mean! For the tactics! They last longer now if unresisted, because I think I've more experience, but some are more of a single-time thing, like what I did to the bug. As for what I can do... that's... there's some minor summoning, the healing hex, the ability to brew potions in a portable cauldron, and two that impede a subject's fortune. Then, there's the one with my hair. Um... it's flexible."
Gerard gets the distinct impression that she realizes the implication of the last sentence only after it has been uttered.
Before stepping forward, a realization hits Euphemia.
"Oh! Wink! I was going to give this to the jinkins, but I never really got the chance. You might have a better use for it."
She proffers her old ring of protection +1.
The hedgehog winces, murmuring more to himself than Euphemia with a few clicking sounds.
Those hormones are doing you ill, Mistress. You are normally so eloquent, but I can't even begin to dissect your mistakes this go-around.
Relax... You'll be fine, I'll never use what you share against you. I see, now. Or at least begin to. Thank you.
The hair bit, well need to be careful with. It's a weakness of mine, but out here we're... safe.