Hank grins as his plan unfolds. He'd never made a plan before. But he's ready to send in Cammy as soon as his turn arrives...
Phedran's shot flies into the grass, and his target hurls his axe at his attacker before drawing a javelin.
However, his shot goes wide of his target.
One of the other orcs takes another swing at Karthurg.
Belliken fires his crossbow and hits the orc in the throat, but it's still on its feet.
Karthurg takes the hit hard to his shoulder. I have only fought one orc at a time and when I have, I had ambushed them to escape. I am not sure I can handle this. One more blow like that and everything will be for not. Breath Karthurg. Remember your study of bulls. Controlled strength. Focus. Never give up.
Karthurg seems to mimic a bulls stance of waiting to swing for the right moment and when it comes, ruthless strength. He swings his mighty earth breaker at the same enemy as before.
Hank gives Cammy the signal, and the vicious beast springs into action.
"Get 'im, Cammy!"
As usual, the signal is a "Guidance" delivered by a smack on the rump. Hank basically has to jump like a basketball player to do this.
He then scampers forward 20 ft toward combat.
Cammy charges the orcs, attempting to get himself right into the thick of things.
"MWOOOONK!"
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Seeing the smaller orc take a devastating axe blow, something stirs in Phedran. The enemy of my enemy, and all that.. he thinks to himself. He grasps at the hilt of his rapier, and the buckler hanging from the sword's scabbard. To wade into a raucous melee... I must be swift and keep my senses about - I'll not survive such savagery if I'm not vigilant.
Cammy's attack drops one of the orcs, and Karthurg's earthbreaker hits with a crunch, and that orc crumples to the ground. The remaining one makes a last-ditch attack against Cammy.
The blade of his axe snags in the thick, shaggy hide. He manages to wrench it out, but is unable to wound the camel.
Seeing the tide of this battle shift so quickly, he thinks it best to reiterate his plee. Strangers, I am not your enemy. I am an enemy of the orcs and saw an opportunity. Please don't attack me!
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Phedran drops his bow, draws his sword and buckler, and sprints toward the scuffle, overhearing the half-orc’s plea amongst the sound of beast and blade.
… the enemy of my enemy…
Phedran comes to the aid of Cammy, and raises his buckler in his offhand, sliding the slender rapier across the rim and toward the last orc standing.
Brisk as a wasp-sting, in and out!
Phedran's rapier slips into a chink in the orc's armour. At this point, it seems to be barely conscious, but conscious enough to stumble towards the cave door and swing its axe at Phedran.
However, he easily steps out of the way of the clumsy blow.
Karthurg moves around to flank the last enemy.
Normal Initiative
Karthurg
Orc A [dead]
Phedran
Orc B [dead or C is dead]
Orc C [probs in ferocity mode and nearly done]
Belliken
Hank and Cammy
Belliken moves forward behind Phedran as far as his little legs will take him and goes to cast a spell, but thinks better of it. You fellas got a handle on this last guy there?
He prepares to cast sleep if things go sour.
Cammy decides to finish off the one that seems to be wavering before moving on to the crazy one who is trying to smash his kin.
Hank, though, has heard Karthurg's appeals for at least a parley, and tries to calm down his bloodstained beast.
"Whoa there Cammy, yer doin' just awesome, but we aren't gonna eat this last one, so you just settle on down and be a nice camely camel now, why don't ya?"
Cammy looks fondly at the weedy little halfling, and consents to hold off on eating the last one for a while. He signals his consent by not moving to bite Karthurg.
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Phedran eyes the stranger over, but elects to keep his blade drawn. "Yes, this last one is an outlier.... Dear stranger, be now known to us, would you? A name, perhaps?"
He eyes the brutish half-man over, noticing his features aren't as rugged and porcine as the orcs he and the rest of the party have come across in recent struggles.
"I am Phedran den-Aadesh, purveyor of potions and poisons alike. These are my compatriots, Masters Belliken, Henry and..."
He pauses for a moment, then elects not to reveal Sofia's whereabouts for the time being. No need to tip our hand in case something goes awry...
"... and... this is Cammy. An exotic and extravagant beast, faithful battle-tested companion, and loyal to the end." he allows himself something of a small bow, a common courtesy in more urban and civilized areas.
Cammy fells the last orc before it is able to enter the cave.
Up until Phedran introduces himself, Karthrug maintained a defensive position, hoping these new people don't take him as an enemy. He eases his posture when Phedran begins talking but keeps his earth breaker in hand.
I am Karthurg. I live in these woods. I am not like these people we just defeated, as I am sure you can see. I am half of your kind, and tainted with half of theirs. He turns to the others in the group and nods as a way of recognition. When he gets to Cammy he smiles. Where did you get such a magnificent beast. It sure doesn't look natural to this area and I have never seen one before. I know a lot about animals.
Karthurg approaches the camel and tries to introduce himself in the way you can only do with animals. He knows getting a animal in the group to trust him makes it easier for the rest to trust him
A ranger can improve the initial attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person (see Using Skills). The ranger rolls 1d20 and adds his ranger level and his Charisma bonus to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, the ranger and the animal must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
His pets and soothing words seemed calm down the exotic animal. He thinks he may of started a friendship, though he knows Cammy's allegiance is with the new comers.
"Nice ta meecha, Karthurg. Call me Hank. Picked up Cammy when a trader from the south ditched him up in Sandpoint, and Big C was too nasty for anyone but me to handle. Seems to not hate you, though, that's pretty weird but I like to hope he's gettin' older and wiser.
Hank had been prepared for Cammy to light into this guy, but somehow, Cammy seems not nearly as upset about his latest victim's reprieve than he usually would be.
Cammy looks down at this stranger. This one smashed that other greenling, and they did it together. Clearly powerful. Cammy respects power. He looks at the newcomer from behind his long desert lashes and realizes that the greenling seems to be admiring his, Cammy's, own power. Yes. This one knows. Could be useful. Cammy snorts approval, while wandering over to Belliken, nudging his friend's casting hand for a post-combat cleanup. Sorry, Belliken, but after that first Prestidigitation, Cammy's going to be seriously addicted to cleanliness. On the plus side, you've risen in his esteem.
"MWOOONK," he grunts.
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"Your help in dealing with these orcs has certainly proved you to be a worthy ally..." says Phedran as he wipes the orc blood from his blade with a handkerchief. "... but what aims do you have, travelling in these treacherous woods?"
Phedran slides his rapier back home into its scabbard, then folds his arms in an inquisitive manner.
Oi the names Belliken. We're on our way from Sandpoint looking fer some more trouble. Belliken turns towards his camel buddy.
Need another clean up there Cammy. I'll have you spiff in a jiffy and he begins to cast a clean up on Cammy.
Karthurg pets the camel again, as he listens to the story of how Hank got him. Well it seems like you have trained Cammy well. He seems to like me.
To Phedran he says yes, I would not of been able to win with out your help. And these treturous woods are me home actually. I live here and off the land. It has some good hunting. I am not sure my goals. I have never been in sandpoint. I have been raised by these orcs. Civilization doesn't take well to a orc raised half orc. So I have been out finding what I should be doing. That's when I found you.
He looks at Belliken. If trouble is what you seek, this is the right area for you!
"I reck the trouble is in that cave. Let's go on in, folks."
Unfortunately, the cave mouth is only a few feet across. It seems like you could only go one abreast, and Cammy would be very cramped.
Hank looks distrustfully at the narrow aperture of the cave. His friends might chuckle to see that Cammy, standing directly behind him, has the exact same expression on his face as the two of them peer into the dark, with Cammy's camel beard just inches above Hank's head.
"Now I like a hole much as any hobbit but I like 'em with warm fires and bookshelves and the smell of fresh muffins pourin' forth from 'em. I reck we'd best check and see if there's room for Cammy in past the entrance, wouldn't want to get him wedged in there and then hafta try to back him out. Mayhaps we can do a scout run without him, and I'll just scamper back to grab him if there's space in there. So if no one minds, I'll take up the rear at least 'till we make sure there's camel clearance."
Karthurg looks over at his bleeding shoulder. Hey fellas, how about we make a deal. I will help you in this gave with whatever it is you are doing, but can any of you fix up this shoulder? I am not sure I will be much use the way it is.
He looks over the group with a disappointment when no one seems to be wearing a holy symbol (that he recognizes) or looks to be a shaman.
"Let ol' Hank take a look at that." He whistles at the sight of still-flowing blood. "Get ya patched right up."
"That should keep ya goin', and I'll be right there to add a whack of wand if you take more hits."
Karthurg feels the weird magic flow throw his shoulder, mending his flesh back together. He looks down at it and what was a giant wound is now a small cut. That is some powerful stuff you got there. If I took a hit like that on my own, chances are I would of died out here. To repay you for using your magic, I will help clear this cave of your enemies. We can discuss my future after.
Karthurg walks to the front of the group ready to lead. He still looks down in amazement at the healing power of Hank. Maybe there is advantages to traveling with friends.
Well i'll take up the rear then. Here's to hoping it don't become the front when something comes up behind eh?
As you squeeze through the opening in the cliff face, it winds left and right. Just as it seems to be opening up, Karthurg feels a sudden lurch.
As he is walking, his foot plummets through a tarp, throwing up a layer of dirt and dust that had concealed it, causing him to fall into a pit in the floor.
The walls of the pit are about 20 feet high, and while not exactly smooth, they do seem like they could present a challenging climb.
I am so foolish. My new friends will see me as bad luck, not as a friend.
Karthurg looks around at the walls. Did anyone think to pack some rope? I did not.
He will attempt to climb up with or without rope.
"I got some in Cammy's pack!"
Hank runs back to the camel's saddlebags, and returns with 50 ft of silk rope in a coil. I figure between the three of us, we get our guy out of that hole. If so, Hank recoils the rope and hands it to his new friend.
"You hang on to that rope, if ya want, Karthurg. Looks like you got room to carry it and we might need it again."
Hank pulls out the party's wand of Cure Light and gives K another dose of the good stuff.
Karthurg is able to climb out of the hole with the help of the rope thrown down by the others. The passageway curving away to the left seems to be wider than the previous tunnel.
For the second time in his life and today, Karthurg feels the cold flow of positive energy fixing his wounds. It his legs no longer hurt, bones are back in place, but what is most surprising is the should cut even shrinks. Your stick, or wand as you called it earlier, is some powerful stuff. My legs are completely fixed from my fall and shoulder is almost completely healed. Once you get used to the cold feeling, it is incredible stuff. I appreciate your help. I will try to be more cautious. These orcs are tricky. I am not use to that type of behavior from them.
"No problem, Karthurg. That's why we got the thing in the first place. Great for keeping us goin' forward. And I think I see what you mean 'bout them orcs. They just swing axes lots of the time. Maybe they are not alone in this.
Hank feels a sense of foreboding as he peers deeper into the cave.
Orcs got me right outsized, scary hulking things, parden my sayin'. You don't seem to share their temperament at least, and good thing that. They don't seem too keen on talkin' nothin' out. Ain't no problem with the hole, most likely any one of us would a missed it, in the dark here.
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You're more than right, Belliken... thought Phedran. If I took that fall, I'd have certainly broken an ankle or something worse.
Phedran helps pull Karthurg from the pit, and is relieved to see that the use of magical healing requires no input from his chirurgeon training. No bones to set, no mending of flesh with needle and thread... hell, no skin off my back...
Letting the half-orc lead on to lead them through the mire of danger and combat, Phedran feels a sense of protection, much like when Sofia would plod on ahead from the protection of her shield. I certainly hope nothing has befallen Miss Sofia, he thinks. No, she'll be okay. I know it.
Seeing that the walls of the tunnel are widening up with every step that party advances, Phedran sheathes his knife, and takes up his shortbow once again.
As you continue down the passageway, you see several wooden stakes, about five feet high, hammered into the ground, with rope strung between them. They cordon off an area to the side, and the reason why becomes all too clear as a large boar stamps its feet and snorts aggressively.
Woah there piggy that's a nice little pig. How abouts we take a nappy, your looking awful tired.
Belliken attempts to put the boar to sleep with a spell.
Before it can charge, the boar suddenly lies down and goes to sleep.
Karthurg looks to Belliken and whispers And I thought I was good with wild animals. How long will he be out for? Should we take him out while he sleeps?
Karthurg, not being the most familiar with the magic used, will move closer to the boar as quiet as he can. He hopes the movement won't wake the guy. As he moves he draws his earth breaker in case his friends ask him to crush the sleeping beasts skull.
"Wow, nice shot Bellie. That ol' hog was gonna CHOOMP us fer sure. It'd be a shame to kill such a pretty pig, but so long as we try to bring 'im back to town and feed the folk there, I'm not 'gainst it. Or we could hog-tie 'im, put 'im in his lil pigpen there, and take him on our way back out, I reck. Bet we could train him up to be a nice boar for ridin' or for a guard pig. Your call, Karthurg, won't think less of you if you take him out. Clean way to go, hammer to the dome while sleepin'."
Hank has a soft spot for farm animals--after all, he got into adventuring when his sheep were murdered. But he can tell this boar is no mere pet pig--and vicious hogs are bad students, though they make good eating. Maybe he and Karthurg could collaborate on training the boar later, though, if they had enough time.