Boomer calmly reloads.
Isaac notes the flash in the beast's eyes just as Galdor strikes it down. That was unusual...
With the last kobold dead, Isaac inspects the troops. Is everyone alright? Felisin, how is your cheek?
Soris rolls his eyes. They wondered why he had no taste for so called holy men.
"Geez man its bearly a bruise. Do you plan on helping the tied up people over there or should we call a doctor for the girl's horrid cheek injury. After all kobolds are known for their fair dealings with prisoners or maybe they count as food. Anyone know?"
As if in answer to Soris' comment, a groan is heard from the three prisoners
Isaac looks at Soris with indignation. How can you say that? One of our members is injured. We don't even know who these people are. They could be enemies just the same as the beasts. Despite his argument, Isaac's glare softens. He turns to the prisoners and begins to look them over for injuries without remark. He does not untie them or question them.
It is clear that they are adventurers from Cross, as they are carring a map and invitation to the contest. They are all stablized, but at negative hit points.
All these people are unconscious. They obviously bit off more than they could chew. The question now is, what do we do with them? We can't leave them here, but if we drag them back to Cross, we will surely run out of time and fail our mission. I have the ability to return them to a state in which they can return themselves, but I would rather not tire myself for their sake. Especially considering the fact that they are our competition. Do any of you have a suggestion?
Discusted with his inefficiantcy, Darius detatches and sheaths his blades, walks over and begins to untie the prisoners. While doing so he begins to mutter under his breath.
Felisin began to reply to Isaac before Soris interrupts her "It stings but ...." she glares at Soris, I could have got a 'get well' peck. Before moving off to search for any arrows that may have survived and anything else useful.
Oh I forgot about the prisoners. She rushes "Issac How are they will they live"
Galder wipes the blade of his katana on the clothes of one of the dead Kobolds, then sheathes it. I propose that we cut them free and baring any danger of imminent death, try to hide them with a bit of vegetation, then continue on and leave them to awaken on their own. They are as Issac said, our competition.
"What th' he'll d' they teach you kids these days?" Boomer said incredulously.
"Issac, yer a frickin' holyman! Heal one o' them an' wake 'im up. Look fer one tha's carryin' a holy symbol. Hopefully he'll b' able t' heal 'is buddies. Ain't no way in hell we're leavin' 'em unconscious under some branches surrounded by dead lizards. They might be competition but they're still f!*+ing people!"
"Darius, gimme a hand scavangin' fer anythin' we c'n use while th' healers wake someone up. Th' rest o' ye, start haulin' bodies int' the fire."
Soris just rolls his eyes. They were not priest, they were children. All he knew was that when one of them really got hurt, his greatest concern would be trying not to break a rib holding in his amusement. What did they think this was, people died in this contest.
"Leaving them, even hidden, wont stop a animal from finding them sense they work off scent. If they wont die then just heal one enough so he can choose to take his comrades back, protect them until they come to, or leave them to rot. Also dont worry about competition, if a few kobolds got them then they were never really in the running."
Soris starts looking thru the kobold camp and them. Seeing if anything was useful or worth taking.
"By the way, any of you know if kobold meat is safe to eat?"
Perception
Isaac is startled by Boomer's ferocity. I cannot sacrifice the well-being of this team just so that we can help these people that we don't even know. The best I can do is say a prayer over them and hope for Praetor's blessing on them until they awaken. They understood the ramifications of their actions when they assented to this competition. Just because I serve the Lord does not mean that I am required to assist every foolhardy victim I encounter. The greater good must be considered.
Fine. I will waste resources on these fools. I pray that they are grateful to Praetor.
Isaac channels positive energy over himself, any injured party members, and the prisoners.
Holding his banner high in the air, Isaac says Praetor, bless our souls and bodies. The silver eagle atop the flagpole glows bright, and washes over all the injured.
Boomer looks at Soris and nods his approval.
Ah knew ah had a feelin' 'bout that one.
Felisin feels the wound on her cheek close and the pain dissipates. She smiles sweetly at Isaac "Thankyou." Before kneeling down to help the prisoners up. "Are you ok? How did you get captured by those lizards?"
Getting caught in Isaac's blast of holy light, Darius attempts to steel himself.
Breathes a sigh of relief when nothing happens.
All three of the adventurers being to stir and one even begins to open his eyes. He appears to be a rather old dwarf. He looks around at the assembled group and breaths a sigh of relief.
"Thank Woden's light! I thought we were goners there! Thought maybe I could still adventure at my age, but I'm afraid I very nearly got my group killed" The old dwarf frowns and tries to get up. "Not sure what they wanted, they just captured us, beat us, and tried to get us to drink this weird concotion. I think I've had enough for this contest. Might as well try to take these kids back to Cross!" He geastures down to his companions, who are both younger humans. They slowly begin to stir but are still not waking. The dwarf bends down and prays queitly over top of each of them.
The young humans begin to stir and the old dwarf helps them up "Come on kids, lets get you back home" The old dwarf nods to Isaac and the rest "I appreciate the resuce, I unfortunantly do not have anything to paid you back with. But if you make it back to Cross, I promise to buy you all a round of drinks!"
Can't quite make out what the old dwarf is doing.
Darius' dower mood brightens at the sound of free drinks. "You can count on me to collect on that debt, friend."
"Hey there's some gold over here, and what appears to be some bottles of..... I don't know what."
Soris spotted the loot. The bottles were likely potions.
"Well seems like we have some goodies. The potions and gold are the only useful thing for me. I would leave what we don't need sense traveling light is best. Anyone need the armor?"
Quickly turning away once it is clear the resuced party is alright, Galdor looks around the kobold's "camp."
Perception
Finding nothing himself Galdor adresses the party.We should most definetly take the potions and gold. The armor may not do anything for us, but as long as it does not slow us down, we might as well take it. We can sell it later and if it does need to be dropped it can be
Soris looks between the boar and kobolds.
"Well sense we have the boar I guess we don't need the kobold meat. We have a campfire so should we break for lunch and cook the boar or just pack up its meat?"
"Ye take care o' yerself now, old timer." Boomer soberly says to the old dwarf. "Ye make it back t' Cross an' ah'll hold ye t' tha' drink."
Dragging a kobold body to the fire, Boomer kicks the embers and then stops, raising an eyebrow. Kicking a bit more he uncovers the corner of a soot-covered leather case and pulls it free.
Opening and eyeing the glowing red vials inside, he opens one, sniffs it, pours a few drops onto the leather of his bracers to watch the reaction.
As much as I would like to take this equipment and sell it, I cannot carry much more comfortably. I would rather wait and see what there is to be found later.
Soris, I would like to proceed to our destination as quickly as possible, but I am also famished. I would take a moment and eat.
Please be careful Boomer. I do not have infinite healing ability. Oh. What is that symbol? It appears to be a religious motif, but it is not of Praetor. What other God is there to serve?
"Oh, there's a few others out there. This one seems t' be 'bout blood an' the sun. Might be th' symbol fer whoever these kobolds called God. Next time we run inta one, ye c'n ask 'em."
Boomer frowns at the substance's reaction.
"Hmm. Gonna need more tests."
Soris is about to say something about the body burning then the dwarf finds something.
"Well first off do not burn the bodies, that will stink for miles and burning meat will attract alot of nasty things out here. So what did you find?"
He pushes the kobold body away from the fire. He looks over the item. Hearing the priest he shakes his head.
"Well Boomer I don't know if you noticed but those kobolds seemed to have something wrong with them. That stuff may be some sort of drug or poison. It could have made them more aggressive, after all kobolds are not known for their courage."
He starts to set up the boar for cooking.
"Yeah you dont help you dont eat."
To Boomer, Isaac says Perhaps you should try some of that potion. I would be more than happy to restrain you should it have some sort of mind-altering effect. Isaac is a little unfamiliar with the fine art of sarcasm, so his remark probably comes off a bit too earnestly.
I have no problem with hard work. Isaac sits down next to the fire and does whatever looks like it might help. He is worse at cooking than he is at sarcasm, so he ends up getting in the way, but he tries.
"Yeh, ah was thinkin' 'bout addin' it t' mah roast pig. Ye want some too?" Boomer says with equal earnestness.
Isaac, now confused at Boomer's response says Err, no. But thank you.
Maybe I have misjudged this dwarf. Perhaps is just a simpleton, and not a complete ruffian.
Soris lets out a sigh.
"Boomer stop picking on the priest. Even a dwarf if not foolish enough to drink something a kobold was on."
Rips off a chunk of raw meat and states, "Each to his own boys, there's plenty for all. I like mine raw." Squeezes the bit of meat so that blood starts to ooze out between his fingers, then chomps down.
Boomer gives a sidelong look to Soris and smirks behind his beard.
"Ye sure ye don' want none, lad? Whatever this is, it might 'ave a differn't effect on dwarves than it would on humans. If we're gonna try it, we should a' least be thorough. Meybe we should give some t' yer elfy girlfriend too? Git the full spectrum o' results."
I sugest that we make a very swift meal and then depart. We have yet to reach the ruins and we still need to find some artifact. Lets eat pack up and depart. These potions might very well be useful. I sugest Darius and myself should each carry one, but if any one has a better idea, I am open to it. We should also take these strange vials. Who knows what they might be. Galdor packs up 20lbs worth of armor and weapons that make up the loot, as well as the strange vials.
Before packing up the vials, he casts detect magic.
Waves his hand at Galdor, "Bah, you're going to need it more than I, take them both."
Isaac ignores Boomer's last remark, his cheeks still burning red from when Soris revealed his faux pas.
"No offense but I dont think anyone on the front lines should carry an unknown substance in a vial on them. One lucky hit and who knows what will happen."
"Yeh, ah wasn't plannin' on lettin' 'im take that. Ah'm carryin' about a dozen volatile substances on me already. One more ain't gonna hurt. The lot o' ye jus' keep clear if'n ah catch fire."
Galdor hands the unknown vials to Soris.Carry them then if you would. These should not be left behind.Galdor turns to Darius.Very well, Darius, if you are not interested in one, I will hold one of the potions. Would anyone else like to hold one of the potions?
I can take care of my own well being, thanks you.
"I will have one. As for these I think transfering a few to some iron vials I happen to have should keep them safe."
He takes the potion if no one objects and transfers 4 vials of the substance to 3 iron vials. Giving the rest to Boomer.
"That way we wont lose them all in one blow so to speak should the worst happen."
Boomer takes a moment to put the rest into a thin metal case containing a few other sealed chemical samples, pulls out a massive serrated knife and hacks off a large chunk of meat and spears it, and then starts heading toward the road.
"C'mon. We've lost enough time."
Felisin listens to the conversation quietly feeling completely out of her element. A small unnoticeable tear runs down her cheek as she realises that she has killed Stop been stupid girl. They had captives they would have killed them or worse if we didn't come along.
She wipes the tear away "Yes I agree with Boomer we should leave." She turns to the once captives "Be careful on your way back to Cross." With that she reattaches her bow across her back and waits patiently to begin the trek again.
Isaac says I will take the lead this time.
You are able to get your bearings, but you get quickly turned around. However, using another hour of time, you stumble upon the entrance to a cave system. Consorting your map, you are now quite sure you have arrived at your proper destination. Looking at the sun, you figure it is now three hours after midday.
Aah! We've wasted so much time!
It looks like we're not the first ones here. There is torchlight inside the cave. Shall I go first?