The orc knocks away Ariael's dagger with his blade and grins.
If he can, Alder moves to just within 30 feet from the armored orc, and fires another arrow. He keeps up his song, a menacing, half-whistling chant of the Uthgardt cursing and mocking their ancient orcish foes.
Alder draws and fires an arrow that gets past the orc's defense. Anasth issues a low sound that sends his wolf charging at the orc while laying a hand on Alder that spreads healing energy into Alder's body. The wolf clamps down on the orc's arm and drags him to the ground.
Wolf attack
Status:
Jaxon is up.
Rushing to take advantage of the opportunity, Cal rushes forward, leaps directly over the orc, whips around and thrusts with his spear.
Jaxon moves to flank and stabs at the great orc but the tip bounces off its breastplate. The orc stands up and swings his great sword at the wolf with a great scream. The orc's blade sends some fur flying but no harm comes to Anasth's wolf.
Rolls
Status:
Start round 5: everyone is up!
Anasth regards the orc cruelly.
"If you surrender, I imagine I can convince my comrades to not kill you. But it will take some talking."
After getting his wolf to heel, Anasth tries to talk to the orc. The orc just looks at Anasth and utters something in his gutteral language.
Alder regards the orc coolly,and tries addressing it in Common, Iluskan, and Chondathan. If he seems to be understood in any of these, he continues:
Friend, it's over for you. If the wolf doesn't get you, we will. My people have no love for yours, but we respect a warrior. There is no shame in staying alive, to bloody your sword in other battles, on other days. So I give you a last chance, warrior to warrior. Surrender and you will live. Fight on, and you shall surely die.
He pauses, and smiles.
At the hands of an elf, most likely. Do you wish to stand before your god and ancestors and say how you fell, alone, defeated? Or will you wait another battle, a chance for glory? It is up to you, but speak now, or die, with no slain enemy to drive before you to the halls of Gruumsh.
The orc pauses lowering his stance ever so slightly. "Where are the gnomes?" he adds in broken common as he steps out from between Jaxon andt the wolf.
Alder inclines his head slightly in the orc's direction, acknowledging his lowered blade.
What business do you have with them? They are under our protection at the moment.
"The root snappers stole something and we want it back" The orc looks back into the fog and sniffs the air. "They were here recently."
They are not ours to command, and they come and go as they will, we have learned. But if you tell us what you are looking for, we shall see what we can do.
Anasth shrugs. "What was stolen?" He doesn't seem particularly interested in the conversation.
Cal starts moving to the fallen orcs, checking for vital signs. "Big guy, you're friends are bleeding out on the ground. How about you put down the weapon so we can lower ours, and then we all see what we can do about saving who we can? We can talk while we bandage."
The orc growls at Jaxon "The weapon goes when I am the only living thing here." He spits at Anasth, "A talisman it is. If you stand in my way then you die." He starts to back into the mist.
Anasth looks to Alder. "He's not being entirely cooperative."
Alder nods to Anasth.
"A talisman. If you'll agree to move away with my companions, I shall see if I can find our gnomes and this talisman you say they have. But, understand, if you make a move to attack, your life is forfeit.
The orc ignores Alder and disappears into the deep fog.
Anasth will ready and fire an arrow at the orc if he can, before the orc disappears.
for
But he crosses the wire in his haste to fire, and fumbles the attack, dropping the arrow onto the ground in front of him.
Anasth looks down at the arrow, a half-smile crossing his features.
"Of course. That would be the case."
Ariael charges into the fog, after the orc "This is what one gets, trying to talk to a blasted Orc."
Ariael charges into the deep fog after the orc after Anasth fires a wide shot. Ariael is quickly lost in the fog.
Jaxon looks down at the dying bodies, purses his lips and then shrugs. "I'm sure you were all special flowers plucked before your time."
Looking towards the mist he sighs. "I'm not going in there with that orc. Those gnomes don't pay me for this stuff."
Taking cover behind the tree the elf had been in, he reloaded his pistol and waited.
Anasth wonders if the fog is strange or unusual in some way. It seems to have come up very quickly.
Alder lifts his bow and readies an arrow, moving to the edge of the fog, (readying an action to fire if the orc becomes visible), and strains his senses to hear or see anything.
Perception:
Everyone scans the fog for the orc to no avail. Anasth begins searching the tracks but loses the orc's boots. After several minutes, it appears that the orc has escaped as the fog begins to thin a little. Within the fog a little off the road, you see the gnomes and their wagons. They wave to you all with crossbows scanning the fog.
Glimly approaches all of you. "I see that you took care of the orcs. You all don't look the worse for wear." He smiles meekly, "Shall be get moving in case there are more of them?"
Anasth heals Ariael with a few healing touches.
Alder looks at Glimly.
"Yes. We should be going."
Feeling that now is not the time to bring up the talisman, Alder nevertheless resolves to confront Glimly about it upon their reaching a safe campsite.
Edit: Sorry for the confusing post with the wrong name and avatar
The remainder of the day is spent searching the fog for more orcs. The night comes as you camp north of the community of Hawk's Nest.
Kythorn 5, Year of Wild Magic
The day begins early with the fog still thick about the hills. After a cold breakfast, you all rush along the road making good time. By mid-afternoon, a strong wind blows the fog away and you get a good look to the Nether Mountains to the south and the Rauvin Mountains to the north.
Despite your vigil, there is no more orc sign but there are sure to be more in the mountains off in the distance. The wind continues into the night as you set camp.
Kythorn 6, Year of Wild Magic
The winds continue to blow with increasing chill as the sun rises. A light snow begins to blow making it a near blizzard. It is a difficult time but the caravan pushes on with great difficulty.
Anasth trudges on through the snow as it piles up along the road, occasionally using his bow to brush it aside.
Cal spends most of his time with the gnomes, eventually finding the nerve to ask "What gives with all the ugly folks trying to kill you two? If this is going to be consistent we're going to have to renegotiate my contract."
Alder likewise seeks out a chance to speak with Glimly. He makes an effort to be diplomatic, not mentioning the talisman himself unless Glimly refuses to offer any other information, but if Glimly is tight-lipped as usual, Alder says:
"Glimly, we are friends of all peaceful people in the North, and we will protect you insofar as we are able. But if something you are carrying is putting you in danger, we need to know of it, for that endangers us, too, and we have our own mission to answer for. So, in the name of the friendship and union that the Silver Marches are meant to represent, be honest with us. I swear I will keep your secret unless doing so might put innocents in danger."
Diplomacy:
Weather Survival:
DC 15 to gain +2 to Fort saves
Fort Saves: Jaxon, Alder, Ariael, Anasth, Anasth's wolf
Rather than have you roll a fort save every hour with increasing difficulty, I'm going to have the one saving throw and if you failed the dc 15 save, then you lose all your grace points and are fatigued. You can't recover the grace points until the temperature rises or you find suitable shelter and warm up.
The cold is hard on you all. While Alder and Anasth seem to brave it, Jaxon and Ariael suffer. Anasth's faithful companion comes slurking out of the hills to walk at his master's side and wine at the cold. It is a hard day and the night is approaching.
You set camp as best you can agains the wind and snow. As you all huddle together as best you can, Alder and Jaxon press the gnomes about the recent events. Alder's words seem to melt the heart of Glimly a little.
With a sigh Glimly begins, "I know the lot of ya have risked much in protecting us these past few days and truely we should be making better time than we have." Glimly pauses, "May the Cloakshadow not strike. I found something when I first came to these lands. It was an old trinket that I came across in an old ruin in Luskan. Didn't look like no one had been using it or laid claim to it in ages. By the Cloakshadow, it was even masked in an illusion. No surer sign than that that me god wanted me to have it."
Glimly takes a long pull of some strong drink and passes it around. "I don't rightly know what it does or even how to make it work all the time. Sometimes it's like we're in a heavy fog or where in the same place but different but no one can touch us that was there a second ago." Glimly makes a sign to ward off evil, "My people have a secret community in the woods near the desert. We've got orcs all around us, hobgoblins to the south, kobolds to the north, and all of the evil fo the desert to contend with. I'm taking it to my people to help protect them along with all this alchemist powder."
Glimly waits to gauge your reactions, "I don't know how or why these biggins keep coming after us."
"Why the hell didn't anyone mention the weather in this forsaken place?" Jaxon complained edging closer to the fire and taking a drink of some kind of strong-smelling alcohol. "You two have any cold weather gear in the wagon?"
Alder doesn't press the point with Glimly, only nods and thanks him for telling what he's told. He sleeps little, the cold a constant pain, but he makes an effort to betray no sign of weakness.
Anasth uses his healing techniques on the others to help keep the cold damage at bay. He wraps warm moist scraps of cloth around areas of high circulation (arms and legs), and keeps the cloths warm as possible.