"Thank you, friend Tybalt. These foul creatures' claws hit hard, and their perversion of cooperation through fear instead of community in anethema to my god." She draws another silver arrow and steps to one side, shooting at the creature singing this time.
Eliva’s arrow strikes the werewolf squarely in the throat. It collapses with a sickly gurgle.
Tannis approaches the werewolf bard with his sword at the ready.
The other werewolf claws at Leandro.
Darra unleashes another pair of magic missiles at the bard.
Andrzej is up.
Quick as a flash, Andrjez slashes at the hamstrings of the werewolf. But this is all taking too long. The slice isn't fast enough by half!
Tybalts sardonic humour resonates with the werewolf, putting him off his stride.
With the boons bestowed by his comrades, Andrzej's sword strikes true, deeply wounding the snarling lycanthrope.
The singing werewolf steps away from Tannis and regards the ranger with a sneer. "Are you having fun yet?" he says in growling voice.
Tannis resists the werewolf's magic and redoubles his resolve against his foes.
Leandro
Tybalt
Anuqa
Eliva
Res
Tannis
Werewolf 3 (baned, inspire courage)
Darra
Andrzej
Werewolf 4
Leandro, miffed that the Mangy Cur of Evil is still on its feet, muscles up, sending the silver sword singing through the air at the creature's throat.
"Fangs fur the warm-up, but you are a lunatic if you believe you are better than I." the comedian challenges. "Stand up, pack-up and let the professionals work. You are an amateur without the skalding wit you need."
"In fact in a battle of the wits, I don't fight against unarmed men." Tybalt mocks the creature derisively hoping to sap the will and hope, he's seen what these creatures can do. Chest aching, he looks into the amber eyes of the werewolf.
Tybalts knees nearly buckle at what he sees there, though he uses it to pick up the whip from where he dropped it.
Anuqa's hand steadfastly glows blue...
Leandro just manages to strike the werewolf, who appears to be nearly dead at this point. The creature snarls with rage.
The werewolf bard looks defiantly at Tybalt, but then begins to laugh, slowly at first and then in a shrill howl.
Eliva
Res
Tannis
Werewolf 3 (baned, inspire courage)
Darra
Andrzej
Werewolf 4 (hideous laughter)
Leandro
Tybalt
Anuqa
Res deftly slides into the location left empty by Leandro and continues to the press the attack with his silver greatsword on the third werewolf. ,
The magus inspects his scimitar briefly to see if there is something wrog there. A bad workman blames his tools, start slicing. Then the graceful dancer takes over and Andrzej begins to move left and right looking for the right moment to strike.
Andrzej calls on his innate magical powers to enact the same as before but this time he relies on his movement to keep him out of trouble while he concentrates on the spellcasting.
Eliva steps up to gain a better shot and shoots the laughing creature.
Res fails to strike the werewolf, but Eliva's arrow strikes the bard squarely.
The cornered werewolf strikes at Andrzej with both of his clawed hands before backing away from his well-armed opponents.
Tannis moves to flank the bard and swings with his sword, wounding the creature with his silvered blade.
Darra sends a bolt of frost at the beleaguered werewolf near Andrzej.
The werewolf bard tries to shake the hideous laughter but cannot do so. He continues to whoop horribly.
Leandro
Tybalt
Anuqa
Eliva
Res
Tannis
Werewolf 3 (baned, inspire courage)
Darra
Andrzej
Werewolf 4 (hideous laughter)
Grateful for the Vistani's flank, Leandro does his level best to strike the howling beast-man in two.
"Laugh it up fuzzball." Tybalt growls in a low voice at the howling bard, he keeps his focus on the creature. The slight wheezing in his chest doesn't help with a fearsome persona, his visage is too open and honest.
Sensing Tybalt's inspiration beginning to wane, Res tries to end the confrontation quickly. He shouts to his comrades, "These abominations have lived too long. It is time to remove them from this world!" With that, Res steps forward and takes another powerful swing at the werewolf with his silver greatsword.
,
Unfortunately, he stumbles as he moves into attack, and he misses the werewolf again.
With a mighty blow, Leandro cuts down the leader of the werewolf gang. The creature of the night falls to the ground, soaking the grass with his blood.
Res's attack fails to strike the remaining werewolf.
Leery of using her arrows now that the fight seems won, Eliva draws and nocks another, but readies her action to only let fly if the creature tries to flee.
Anuqa stretches out his frost-encrusted hand and lays it upon the remaining werewolf. The creature shudders as ice creeps along its fur. It falls to the ground, lifeless and perfectly still.
Although unhurt, inside Andrzej is mentally drained by his lack of skill in such a crucial situation. He wipes his face then stands back up to see how the others fared.
Rarely has he seemed so clumsy and unsure to anyone else.
Tybalts shoulders sag and his knee's buckle, nearly falling to the earth with the emotional turmoil of it all. His hand sinks into the soft loam and he gasps; "We should probably move on quickly, the rest of the pack? They might be coming."
His words even to him seem paranoid, but as his chest rises and falls as he tries to composes himself.
"Yes."
Quickening while the others take stock, Andrzej rifles through the first werewolf and on to the next. Searching for anything useful.
Tybalt looks away, the thought of even touching the creatures turns his stomach. Though slowly he stands; "Anyone injured by them?" he asks fervently hoping that Eliva's wounds aren't too bad. "No-one was bitten?" he adds hollowly.
Eliva looks down at her half healed wounds and winces. "Well, other than me, anyway, I hope not. Thank you for the healing, Tybalt, those creatures' claws and teeth could tear through flesh and armor easily."
Leandro pants with exertion, relaxing as the last werewolf falls and the goddess's magic slips away.
"Clawed... not bitten... I think," he gasps in reply to Tybalt's query, as he pulls up swatches of grass and wipes his blade clean before sheathing it, "Anything of interest there, friend Andrzej?" He moves to help the Vistani in examining the corpses, starting with the one he bisected.
"Ick."
Shying away from where Andrzej and Leandro are with the were-beasts, Tybalt moves towards Eliva. A soft look crosses his troubled face; "It's all right, my pleasure." he adds bashfully. "You weren't bitten? Were you?" the tone becoming more concerned.
Andrzej finds nothing of interest on the three werewolf pack members, but the bard who led them has some interesting trinkets:
A masterwork flute made of gold. The instrument is worth easily 500 gp.
A masterwork longsword.
A headband of alluring charisma +2
A set of bracers of the glib entertainer
A pouch containing 180 gp.
Darra agrees with Tybalt. "We should not tarry longer than necessary. We should make for the Mists. If there are more wolves on their way, they will not follow us there. With some good fortune, we may pass quickly and unnoticed through the Misty Realms and into Souraigne."
Exhaling softly at the words good fortune, Tybalt makes a superstitious symbol. "There's no good fortune where those creatures are around." he says with a haunted look in his eyes.
He starts to move forward towards the mists, however with a cautious glance to Darra; "How do these work? I've heard they take us away, but how do we avoid being scattered to the winds like leaves in a storm?"
Leandro bows to Darra. "We trust your guidance in this matter, lovely lady. Please lead on and we will follow with all haste, obeying your instructions so we all remain together. I think some of our friends here have been through the mists. I, myself, have not and I share good Tybalt's concern."
"We must stay close," Darra says. "Link hands, even, since the Mists have a way of obscuring even the person beside you."
She quickly leads the way across the grassy vale to the gentle rise on the far side. A faint howl echos through the starlit night, but it is at some distance. Before you rises an undulating curtain of thick gray mist through which you can see nothing.
"Are you ready?" she asks.
Leandro bows again to Darra and extends his hands to his neighbors, then hesitates. "Lady, these mists... is there danger within them? Should those of us with sharp weapons keep one in hand and take hold of a guide with our free hand? Or is it more dangerous to bear arms where we cannot see?"
Looking nervously around the group, Tybalt holds out his hands to Eliva and Res. He looks down ahis waist and checks that his equipment has been safely stowed. 'It's only mist, it isn't going to flay the flesh from your bones and leave them for the monsters it contains.... hopefully.' he thinks silently, not wishing to alarm the group further with the erroneous folk-tales he's heard.
'I thought these traveller came here one through them... maybe it's a way to travel to their lands.' the thought comes unbidden. Though he knows that his duty is to cleanse and help his realm, there's a part of him that wants to escape the darkness and insanity. However instead he prepares to stride straight into it.
"There can be dangerous forces in the Mists. We must be on our guard," Darra says. "But the greater risk is getting separated. Let us hope that weapons are unnecessary."
Tybalt feels his heart speed up. Then he adds; "Could we tie ourselves together? I have some string. Or would that be completely excessive."
The rapier against his leg makes him feel a bit better, gives him confidence as they approach the mists. To get away from the slaughter-fields and the lupine aggressors, more important than the dangers of the unknown.
"I agree with Tybalt."
Darra considers the proposal. "That should work," she says, "but stay close to one another all the same."
"Well I still think we should hold hands too." he glances to the pair next to him; "The twine isn't that strong." There's a hint of nervousness to his voice.
He gets out the ball from his backpack, starting to unreal a length and tie peoples wrists and fore-arms together - if they are amenable.
Your twine sounds perfect, Tybalt," says Res. He continues, "It is strong enough that it will maintain our link together in the mist, but not so strong that we cannot easily pull free and grab our weapons in the event of trouble. He allows Tybalt to bind one of his arms to Eliva and the other to Tybalt's arm.
Andrzej nods and helps. When finished he makes a point to speak, "thank you for the adventures and if we lose each other in the Mists then know that I will search for you."
"You are a good man, Andrzej." 'If not too reassuring.' Tybalt says as he helps ensure evryone is connected by the twine. Once that is done he looks to the others and awaits Darra's command to enter the mist.
As you make your preparations, Tannis's eyes scan the valley behind you. Another thin howl pierces the night and the ranger shudders visibly.
Once you are ready, Darra steps forward through the Misty curtain. Single file as you are, each party member is faced with that undulating wall of vapor which you must enter blindly, following the lead of the twine ahead of you.
Tybalt starts at the howl and moves into the mists as it's his turn.
This causes him to more into the mists with less fear from them as he would usually have heard. After all his readings of the different worlds in the mists, or how the dangers contained within are enough to drive a man mad, Tybalts' almost glad of the scouring terror.
He reaches out for the hand of his friends, Res & Anuqua. 'We were meant to be hold hands as we entered...' he thinks before his thoughts slip further; 'And I was meant to be holding Eliva's hand.' his lips quirk stupidly at the thought of the powerful lady.'A strong woman is good, but I think that'll be the last thing on her mind.'
Then his thoughts slip back to the cloying mist that has enveloped him, dulling his senses.
The length of twine seems to pull you onward as Darra leads you on an inscrutable route through the Misty wastes. What you can see of the landscape scarcely changes. Withered wisps of short grass crunch beneath your feet, dotted with stones and pebbles. Swirls of chilly fog drift around your feet and stretch out to brush your face. Faint, indistinct sounds seem to travel across the void to your ears from every direction at once.
Memories of his last trip through the mist rush back to the forefront of Res's mind. He recalls the spider that caught him its web. He keeps an eye out for another such danger.
The mists seem to close in on Leandro, stifling his vision and hearing.