"I told you dirty Uslavian pimps that business was all settled! Leave a man alone for once! By the GODS you've really gone too far this time! How can this possibly be profitable to you?!?!?"
Stephen's words are met with silence...perhaps a faint chuckle on the breeze.
After prayer or during breakfast Cyna will ask Rando about the Pin from the day before . Yesterday was rather eventful so she held off on her questions.
"It was entirely consensual on both our parts ...we were both, well, rather confused ...have pity on a poor fallen saint." Stephen goes back to the hotel sulkily.
In praparation for what should be an interesting day to say the least, and still tired from their recovery, Aurelea goes to bed soon after the others turn in.
Usually a late sleeper, Harakhty awoke at a reasonable hour. Looking around the room, he saw most of his companions, large and small. The mysterious Drago, the proper Aurelia, and the muscular Skaar all slept yet. Notably gone was Cyna.
He took a long stretch, then packed his things tightly into his bag. Fastening his crossbow to his back via his holding strap, he donned his belt and reagent pouch. Everything else he was not wearing went in his pack - making it rather full. He adjusted it on his back until the balance felt right for jumping; though it was not too heavy, the volume manifested a cumbersome, round shape. Though hard to squeeze through narrow spaces, he would be fine for most movement.
Moving out into the common area, Harakhty sat near Rando or his crewmate, preferring the former if both were available, and partook of whatever foodstuffs were there.
Skaar wakes with a rumble, rubbing his eyes and scratching himself. After briefly taking inventory of those still present in the bedroom he got dressed, strapped on his harness, and packed up his things. Another day, another destiny...
After sending Harakhty and Cyna a nod of greeting, he grabbed a hunk of the now cold beef from the night before and began to gnaw on it.
"When we leavin'?" he asked aloud. "We shud be movin' 'fore 'da sun gets too high."
"Thank you and good morning to you as well Harakhty. There are many ways to find strength within ones self, for me it is not just my faith but the goal that drives me. There is quite alot riding on our shoulders now and we need to be ready for it. she takes a moment to pass some food to harakhy. "Although i've never been in a jungle before i am confident that I can keep us from losing anyone to the quicksand, but bandits are another issue entirely. I have no idea what their tactics are weapons they use or their numbers, I can only hope we don't run into any as we are traveling"
Harakhty nods to Skaar's advice. "The trees will keep out the light, but the heat and humidity will be thick."
He accepts the food from Cyna with thanks. "Bandits are not something I have much experience with, but if you keep your ears open, you should do well in the jungle." Harakhty decided to learn more about their benefactor. "Tell me - why serve Sarenrae? What drew you to her over the other gods?" His fateful birth had drawn him to Nethys, but her? He knew not of the lure.
Cyna takes a bite and uses the time to ponder the question. "When I was much younger than I am now I met a very kind old woman. She was a mostly retired priestess of the Dawnflower, this woman took me off the street she probably saved me from becoming like most of my kind. I spent alot of time assisting her in her duties and although I wasn't obligated to follow her teachings it just came naturally to me. Seeing the people we were helping their hope and gratitude was uplifting and it helped me overcome a dificult time in my life, and her teachings still help me today."
Skaar listens in silence as Cyna and the vanara chat - the only sounds he makes are those that came from noisily breaking his fast.
Growing up a demonspawn must have been rough. People tend to look down on them almost as much as they do us greenskins. We're not so different.
Aurelea awakens with a strong sense of destiny and the ghost of a dream she cannot quite remember. Nodding to the others, she sits quietly for an hour, studying her spellbook in preparation for what could be a challenging day.
Once complete she joins the rest of the group, listening to the exchange of stories.
Drago's eyes open to see most of the others already awake and gone.
"See how they abandon you?" his mother started.
Drago closed his eyes and pushed her away, "Not this morning." he whispered.
He got up, put on his clothes and boots, grabbed his pack and joined the others for breakfast.
"Good morning, how did everyone sleep?"
Rando takes the pin from Cyna and strokes it gently. "T'were Sersel's. Rydii gave that t' 'er when Rydii joined th' crew, said it were a good luck charm."
The halfling frowns slightly. "Per'aps Sersel thought it fit t' give t' ye. Or yer horse, she were fond o' them."
Rando snickers a little at his last comment and heads to the room to wake the other crew members.
*******************************************************************
Once the crew is assembled, leftovers are served along with fresh fruit. Rando chews on an orange while pondering Harakhty's question. "I appreciate yer sentiment and none o' us coulda done anything 'bout what happened. Can't say I know Deshur that well. Ol' Stabby was born there, but we didn't meet there. Guess I'll let 'im answer, 'less 'is tongue got too fat with th' drink last night."
The vishkanya looks quite tired. "No, Captain, it's fine. Deshur is my hometown. It is a large settlement, not quite like your Cabernaum though. There is a sizeable marketplace, many merchants hire adventurers for various tasks. It is one of the few places in Jin Zhao to have a temple to Amanurata, the Twice-Scorned. As visitors, you won't have to worry about the caste system."
Stahvi's countenance changes to something dark, as if he is recalling something troubling. He changes his demeanor quickly and resumes eating.
"Then we should head out before it gets too hot." If there is no objection, the Vanara stands up, grabs one last piece of food, and follows the lead of one which knew their direction.
Not knowing much about the area, Skaar found he had little choice but to follow the lead of someone that looked to have strong survival skills (Cyna?). The big orc checked his few meager possessions one last time before hefting a pack full of supplies across his broad thickly muscled back. He grunted impatiently.
”Lil’ ‘Nara is right. ‘Nuff time wasted already. Let’s go.”
" No objections from me, as soon as everyones ready... Cyna quickly finishes her meal and leaves to pack her things and gear up.
Taking a swig of something stinky, Stephen hollers, "I was born ready!"
Finishing his food, Drago swung his pack over his shoulder and said, "Let's not keep the adventure waiting."
"Ugh, such a disappointment."
Aurelea finishes her meal, gear already prepared. "Ready whenever you are."
You gather your belongings and begin your trek. As you pass by the remainder of Ramanuja, the village gives way to a foreboding jungle. The foliage is thick on both sides and you hear growls and hisses surrounding you. Stahvi, Zahira and Rando take the lead while the rest of the crew stays behind you. You march for four hours without any notable occurrence before stopping for a small meal. Robaldi prepares some food for everyone and the crew rests their feet for a moment.
As you are eating, you hear rustling from up ahead and six lanky youths emerge from the trees with bows and swords, three ahead of you and three behind you. "अपने जीवन के अपने पैसे."
"They mean to rob and kill us," Stahvi translates.
"Th' 'ell they will!" Rando declares. "Ye take th' ones ahead o' us. We'll grab th' ones in the rear."
You gather your weapons and go to meet the bandits ahead of you.
Initiative:
Harakhty:
Skaar:
Cyna:
Drago:
Stephen:
Aurelea:
Bandits:
Roll-off:
Cyna:
Bandits:
Round 1: Stephen, Skaar, Cyna, Bandits, Harakhty, Drago, Aurelia
Stephen thinks to talk to the bandits to calm them, but the words ...they come out pretty wrong.
Skaar allowed his thoughts to drift as the group traversed the dense jungle terrain. It had been a long time since he’d traveled with a group of this size and he began to think fondly of his early days in the military. Those were good times.
The greenskin is first surprised and then enraged as the bandits make their appearance and issue their threats. Suddenly fueled by adrenaline, Skaar’s massive sinews began to twitch with excitement. The big orc’s rising fury is slowed only a second by the Doctor’s sudden fit of tongues.
What the hell did he just say?
With a bellowing roar, the hulking brawler rushed forward (to F5) and lunged for the closest thug with his gnarled mitts.
Cyna gives a quick glance at stephen wondering why he speaking so strangly before quickly jumping into action. She moves into the trees (F7) quickly grabbing a Chakram from her holster and lets it fly (Bandit D6). Then just as quiclky draws her sword.
Stephen's bolt flies wide, missing the bandit he was aiming for. The second bandit takes a hit from Cyna's chakram, sending his head snapping back. Skaar grabs the third bandit in his meaty paws.
The bandit that Cyna hit fires an arrow at her (+2 for partial cover).
Attack: ; damage:
The bandit struggling against Skaar attempts to drive his sword into the orc's side.
Attack:;
The remaining bandit takes a 5' step and fires at Aurelea.
Attack:, confirm: , damage:
Round 1: Stephen, Skaar, Cyna, bandits, Harakhty, Drago, Aurelea
The bolt punching into her stomach with blinding pain, Aurelea staggers to a halt.
One lucky shot and it's almost over before it starts.
Quickly she reaches into her potion belt and retrieves one of them, quickly drinking the draught.
As the magic does its work, she feels the wound closing, forcing the arrow out as she drars her blade, eyes spewing hate at the man who had shot her.
Enjoying the journey so far, Harakhty's experience took a turn for the worse with the arrival of the bandits. How common are they? It seemed they couldn't be that rare of an occurrence with their guide's suggestion as to their motives...
Like the others, the Vanara drew his weapon, the small crossbow leveled at the bandit directly across the quicksand in front of him . He did not want to fight at all, but after seeing the others jump into the fray, his options seemed minimal. He leveled the weapon at their aggressor and fired.
Drago was lost in thought when the bandits appeared. He reached for his dagger, then he had a better idea. Stepping in front of Aurelea and raising his hand in front of him, the sorcerer flexed his fingers, causing electrical sparks to flare in his hand. A wicked grin crossed his face as he looked at the bandit furthest back, and launched at him.
B1 hp: 10
B2 hp: 5
B3 hp: 11
Harakhty's shot misses its target, but Drago successfully injures one of the bandits.
Round 2: Stephen, Skaar, Cyna, Bandits, Harakhty, Drago, Aurelea
Skaar growled at the sound of an arrow burying itself in flesh and Aurelia’s cry of pain. He tightened his grip on his current victim, took a long stride forward, and pulled bulldogging his opponent into the ground. As his foe hit the dirt, the massive orc fell with him, crushing the bandit under his bodyweight.
Cyna hisses as the arrow soars past her shield and pierces her side. She will then switch her sword to her shield hand and draw a second charkram and toss it at the same target as before. Cyna drops herself to the ground prone afteward.
Stephen casts his prayer along with the prerequisite cussing and filling his allies with divine courage. Skaar takes his opponent to the ground, the bandit's skull cracking satisfactorily under the orc's weight. Cyna's chakram flies and catches the bandit squarely in the chest, causing him to collapse with blood flowing from his mouth.
The remaining bandit assesses the situation. "अपने दोस्तों के लिए!"
He notches an arrow and fires at Skaar.
Attack:;
Round 2: Stephen, Skaar, Cyna, Bandit, Harakhty, Drago, Aurelea
Acrobatics
Aurelea explodes into action running directly at the archer and launching herself into a wild leap to clear the patch of quicksand before moving in, black blade scything forward at the man's gut as she utters a shriek of rage.
Seeing the last bandit go down, caused his mother to appear.
"That's it! Let the hunger flow through you. FEED!"
Drago took a deep breath, closed his eyes and let out a long exhale.
Harakhty's deft fingers work from memory, the drilling he did becoming useful. As he primed his crossbow, his eyes took in the wounds susatined so far. And for what? Some coin? As his second shot flew towards its target, he wished there had been some other way around this.
The Vanara slung his crossbow one again, rushing to the nearest living body on the ground.
"We can still save some of them!" Harakhty was no lover of bloodshed, and while the colder hearts of the clergy saw little difference in life or death, a captive could have valuables - information not least of all. The Suntooth tried his best to halt the bleeding and sustain their breathing, but stopped short of using his limited divine gifts to help them; their own group may need them.
Fort Save:
Harakhty still misses the bandit. While Drago and Aurelea inflict some damage on the bandit, the bloodied youth still manages to stand with whatever energy he has left.
Round 3: Stephen,Skaar,Cyna, Bandit, Harakhty, Drago, Aurelea
Moving with fearsome momentum, Skaar closes on the last bandit. He gives the youth a moment to reflect on the errors he's made in his life before rearing back with a ham-sized fist and throwing a vicious hook.
Stephen attempts another shot.
Stephen shoots wide again, sobriety getting the best of him. Skaar makes his move and puts the bandit down with a powerful punch.
Harakhty goes to check on the bandits and find that none are alive. Turning around, he sees that the captain and his group have dispatched their three as well, save one who is now bound to a tree.
"Captain! This boy tried to kill us and take our possessions. I understand your sentiment..." Stahvi protests.
"If ye understand m' sentiment, Stabby, ye'd best shut yer hole and let me decide whether he lives or not," Rando counters.
"Their markings...they are part of gang. If we let him go, he'll just bring more of his friends," the vishkanya says, his annoyance visible.
"It's one thing t' kill 'n self-defense, but he surrendered and I'll not stain m' soul by killin' 'im," Rando concludes.
Cyna removes the arrow and applys pressure to her wound with a cringe. "Forgot how much that hurts. We can leave him tied. It should by us time until he frees himself or his friends come" Cyna suggests. "Maybe ask him about this gang first see if we can avoid any patrols or ambushes in the future." She says. Aproaching the caputed offender.
"मैं आपको कुछ नहीं बता देंगे.शिव की जय हो!" the youth cries, spitting in front of him to make his point.
"He says he will not tell us anything," Stahvi says. "He understands Common well enough, but he's a part of the Eyes of Shiva. They believe speaking Common degrades them. But that's hardly what makes him so dangerous."
Stahvi turns the youth roughly to show a tattoo of two eyes above six crossed swords etched on his shoulder. "They're religious fanatics who believe they honor their goddess by destroying other faiths."
"तुम मेरी घृणा और दुख के स्रोत हैं," Stahvi says before walking away from the bandit.
As the last bandit crumpled before him, Skaar cast his wounded allies a glance.
"You okay?"
When the crew of the returned with their victim in tow, the hulking greenskin began flipping the fallen over and searching them for valuables. He stayed silent until the captain started going on about sparing the prisoner. With an unhappy frown on his crude features, the big orc stopped his work and intervened.
"They were fool 'nuff to attack us once. They'll do it again. Lemme snap 'is neck and be done with it", he said as he cracked the knuckles on his mammoth fists.