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Cuddles is carrying a pair of barrels in the opposite direction. He sees nothing wrong with a bird half his size wandering about in the courtyard. Especially one that seems so happy!
Duška eyes Ra'hl with her almond fey eyes;
"I hear your words Drakblood. I see them made true in heart and spirit. I see your claws will be reddened and I stand beside you in this."
At Akiros' thoughts the ranger muses;
"Those that kneel will be heard. Those that fight silenced. This will be the way of it yes?"
Duška nods for Ra'hl to take the helm and the head if needbe.
"Come let us show the forlorn and ill-fated what we have done this day..."
She then notches another arrow to her bow and turns to the stairs...
Ra'hl shakes his head, the helm is yours, keep it. Wear it with pride and show the world how far you've come. He keeps the head in hand for now, giving Duska time to put the helm on before he made his way up the stairs and into the courtyard.
Duška nods and takes the helm and dons it, adjusting as necessary to her own head, before continuing onward and upward.
Turning his head towards the sound of the chirping, Fergus drops his load in shock at the sight of the giant bird. Taking cautious steps backward he quickly finds the best cover available.
Anton, flicking through a book as he half-watches Cuddles, nearly walks into a wall.
Duska dons the helmet and adjusts it. Like the bandit lord of a few moments ago the top half of her face now is covered by the bony visage of skeleton while the skulls lower jaw is replaced with her own.
Ra'hl with head in hand and the other two in tow moves back up the stairs and back through the barracks room.
Fergus, still quite sharp despite his days of servitude and tormenting sleep schedule sees something that he knows is not right as the owlbear ambles to the stables. Dropping the heavy rocks he is tasked with the shaman moves hurriedly to a nearby debris pile to take cover.
One of the bandits on the walkway yells out after Fergus, Oy! What do you think you are doing?! The other yells out as he sees Ra'hl sep out into the courtyard from the barracks side, Gods above he killed the Stag!
For all the shocked turning and murmuring nothing quite so punctuates the scene as the scream of a horse as the owlbear finishes its journey and starts to attack the stables. The other horses kick and scream in fear but all remain trapped in their stalls.
Duška readies her bow, holding the shot at the first to rush forward or draw weapon Ra'hl, Akiros or herself:
:
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Ra'hl will address the crowd since the bandit was kind enough to draw attention to him anyways. "You're lord is dead. Lay down your arms and face justice. Choose to fight or flee and no mercy shall be shown to you."
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Cuddles puts his barrels down and shouts up at Ra'hl, HI! YOU KILL STAG! GOOD JOB! He then starts clapping. Alone.
Matt standing in the doorway still, begins drawing forth green hued magical energies as the silhouettes of a Rat, Dog, Dolphin, Eagle, and several other creatures of nature start to rapidly appear and disappear about him..
Gathering his energy, Fergus MacRoach prepares to unleash the misfortune of the Tuatha dé Danann on one of the foes before him.
"They what?!" Anton asks, all semblance of colour draining from his already pale face. His eyes narrow as he begins muttersing curses, running a finger across a page in his spellbook, his free hand, reaching to his belt pouch for a strip of leather.
The owlbear does its work noisily, tearing apart the horse with powerful beak and claws and chirrups in contentment as the horse whines and screams in terror. The other horses continue to beat against their stalls in fear.
Matt and Anton involve themselves in casting spells while Fergus also prepares to use what little power he has to aid him if things turn sour.
Akiros for his part roars after Ra'hl and Cuddles, Drop your weapons and you there, the white haired man points to the bandit pair on the overlook, Close that GATE.
The pair of jokey bandits seem unsure but move to drop the door. Of the 3 bandits in the courtyard, 1 moves to fight and is promptly stabbed by another who can be heard saying something along the lines of "I'll not die because of you. The last one runs, beating the gate's closure by a hair.
The guard who was at the storeroom door and is standing practically in the middle of the chaos simple drops his poelarm and shoots his arms up into the air.
Dovan is nowhere to be seen.
For just a moment an eyebrow raises in respect to Akiros's leadership before resettling back to the task at hand.
"Dovan, Auches, and Kressel, where are they?" Ra'hl asks in a quick hard tone.
Duška continues to train her bow in overwatch, silent for now...
One of the two bandits on the gate shrugs at Ra'hl, Ah...my..er lord? Dovan was in the courtyard but I don't see him....but he is a master theif sir. HE may have left by other means? Auchs is out there, I can see him moving some stone. Kressel...well..she...uh
At this point the other guard chimes in, She saw the gate close. Shes running hard this way with about 6 in tow...sir.
The owlbear finally manages to outright kill its prey but the other horses continue to make considerable noise. Otherwise all the remaining bandits seem to stay where they are and now its the prisoners who are sort of milling about moving towards Ra'hl with dubious interest
Matt growls in frustration at the owl bear as he completes his incantation, sending a fearsome Fire Beetle after the Owlbear to try and draw it away from the remaining horses.
The beetle glows in tantalizing fashion, momentarily puzzled with no clear enemy to fight.
Looking to Akiros Ra'hl will state flately, "You sound as though you have hope Kressel will lay down her arms. Go and speak with her before battle starts. I shall go find Dovan."
Duška eyes Ea'hl warily as she maintains her readied stance;
"This Doven is a shadow yes? How will you find such a man Drakblood?"
Ra'hl gives an unsure shrug and quietly answers, "My hope is that I will be too tempting a target for a thief to pass by. If Akiros is right, he will want revenge for the stag as well. Hopefully both will work in my favor."
Matt asks the beetle to amble up to the owlbear, first as a distraction . The lare bug complies and lights itself with its ability and the owlbear seems proplerly entranced. Gorged on horse flesh and covered in blood the owlbear once more seems supernaturally calm as it follow the beetle out of the horse pen and into the wider courtyard. The remaining horses calm down a fair bit with the exit of the creature but are still clearly anxious due to the ample smell of death in the stable.
Uneasily a number of the prisoners cast a wary eye at the large creature but move ever closer to Ra'hl. Many of them are overly thin and covered in muck all murumuring thanks and reaching out hoping to be unchained...
Akiros bounds up the steps and to the platform overlooking the gate. A shouted conversation can be heard though the responses to him are much more difficult to make out. Akiros seems to lay out the circumstances and then almost guffaws at whatever Kressel says in return but turns and shouts down to the group, She wants to talk under a white flag like this is some bloody battle of nations.
Oh yes, it is now visible to all.
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Ra'hl's eyes shift from the crimson pools to the golden dragon's eyes as he gives himself to the rage he has fought to supress. He lets the image of the injured Aleria guide his attacks as he moves to the creature. His hand reaches in guided practice to his sword, but instinct overrides and his claw swings at the owlbear.
"Ra'hl, wait a second! It isn't behaving like most creatures of that type do!"
Matt rushes forward doing his best to try and intervene, drawing his sword as he moves just in case.
Seeing Ra'hl's reaction, Duška too attempts to stop him. She grabs at the bloodrager before gets involved;
"Drakblood hold. Mattrim knows The Wild and its ways... The Sovamedvěd... "Owl bear" is a mighty creature, untamed in its fury... Yet the hunter has its measure... Let him guide the beast yes?"
AKiros' question hangs in the air a moment as Ra'hl suddenly springs ready to defend his allies and the prisoners. Matt issues a word of calming but protects himself just in case while Dusk urges patience.
The owlbear for its part ambles along after the beetle for a few more seconds who then dissapears. The large feather covered creature seems almost delighted at its sudden departure and then looks around with its large glassy eyes at Mattrim, seemingly looking for its next diversion.
Meanwhile Akiros cannot help but clear his throat loudly toward the courtyard and any who look at him see he hitches a thumb over his shoulder to indicate that Kressel is still outside.
Hearing Mattrim and Duska's words, Ra'hl suppresses the rage he was about to let loose and moves towards Kressel to begin their treat with her.
Duška smiles, then nods to Akiros before she too moves with Ra'hl toward where Kressel and those loyal to her await.
Akiros gestures to Ra'hl and Duska to come up on the platform as he waves to the group on the outside. Kressel, a tall lean woman with an outfit that looks like a mix of ranger leathers and rogue fabrics saunters forward with her hands empty. Her face is nearly broken in half by the wide smirk on her face.
Standings about 30' away in front of the gate she gestures to Akiros, I leave for five minutes and you let this lot just take over?
Akiros rolls his eyes and yells back, I took advantage of the moment. You would do right to do the same. This man, Ra'hl, and his companion Duska killed the stag. Their allies are their equal in strength. It was fast Kressel. Faster than you...you should listen.
The woman run her tongue over her teeth and nods in a humored way, Yea yea I should listen. Okay then "Raal" and "Dooska" whats your little coup mean for me and mine?
Matt, smiles at Duska and Ra'hl in thanks to both before summoning another beetle and attempts to get the Owlbear someplace where it will be out of the way and can be secured (preferably with no horses).
He, for the moment occupies making sure the creature is safe and not going to cause any more harm either at this point (if such a place exists, if not he will try and coax it back to it's original cage).
If that all goes well, Matt will return to observe the happenings in the courtyard.
Matt ultimately realizes that the original cage is probably best until he can figure out what to do with the oddly mannered owlbear. Unsurprisingly given its nature up until now the owlbear follows the beetle with a mix of pleasure and curious fun and then doesn't really argue when Matt resecures the cage.
Fergus is able to make his way up to the guard platform as no one seems to really be paying attention to the prisoners at the moment.
Duška watches the woman's bravado with interest.
She saunters toward where they look down toward Kressel and her assembled cohorts;
"Our little coup..."
The fey-touched ranger picks forth two of her Harrow cards, looks at them, then giggles coldly before continuing;
"The Crows and The Owl. Death, murder and love lost... and the harsh wisdom of The Wild, the natural order of all things... What to mean? To you and yours yes?"
Duška holds the cards aloft;
"I see a flock of little birds uncaged... I see them with a whole sky now to fly in yes? Will they stay and make a nest or will flock elsewhere? Or will they be a hunters brace... Little birds must decide."
:
Stuck with confusion, amusement, and frustration with himself at the strange events of the day and the 'accidental' loss of horse life. Matt heads back to the main courtyard to survey the happenings at the moment, staying away from the front, his eyes finding themselves on Kressel, the woman's previous smirking fanning his irritation with himself.
Cuddles pays no mind to the goings on at the gate. His friends were there, and until someone started screaming or fighting he was going to assume everything was hunky-dory. He pays the other slaves who stopped working no mind and continues with doing the work of four men and a horse all by himself.
Kressel's face slackens some as she seem suddenly quite rattled by the half elf in stag's head offering such strange tidings. It is plain to see she is tensing in though and perhaps ready to act and it is Akiros who yells out next, They promisw us a chance Kressel. They were sent by the Swordlords but are not of them.
The woman practically sneers at the white haired man but it is plain she is thinking on the matter, We will stay. We will see what you come up with in the wake of the Stag Lord's demise. IF it seems worth our time we'll help. If not you let us leave. I think that a good price for no fight now?
Cuddles continues moving staggering amounts of rubble.
Calling out in the deepest voice he can muster, Stag Slayer, Dovan the one who is missing is sneaking in the shadows around the stables, he looks as though to ambush, prepare yourself.
:
Duška continues to focus on Kressel and the group at her back, to the exclusivity of everything else.
At the female bandit's words she nods slowly and looks to Ra'hl before delivering her thoughts;
"If we deliver then perhaps you find a new reason to live. Yes? If we do not, then you walk..."
She draws and points an arrow toward the group before continuing:
"However if you make trouble, seek to stand against us, undermine us. We will end you all and leave your flesh for The Wild to pick over. This I vow..."
Duska puts her finishing touches on her vow when one of the prisoners yells out that there is an impending ambush...
Cuddles looks where the prisoner is pointing and roars like only an Orc can. He charges the sneak-theif, leaving the two boulders he was carrying to crash and shatter upon the hard ground.