Bulvi trudges through the undergrowth.
Bulvi charges towards the nearest troll, still adjusting to his new heavier armour for now Quasit is out of reach.
As Bulvi closes the distance the only active troll (pink) begins to move away from the forest while it keeps hold of Quasit.
As it does so, its fellow in the middle blinks its eyes - now able to see its predicament but unable to do anything to respond (blue, no longer blinded. stunned this round). Yellow remains on the ground, but Tezuzu can see that its wound from Yang has partially closed.
Round Two: Party up.
Maka moved forward as the troll holding Quasit moved away. Having seen the troll move Quasit in front of one of Fin's arrows, the fire monk was hesitant to use ranged attacks with her flames. Stopping in front of the other trolls, Maka roared out a gout of flames. As much an act of frustration as one of attack.
Both trolls are bathed in the flames and it is clear to Tezuzu, who is closest to the near death troll that there will be no recovering from these burns.
Round Two: Bulvi, Fidurel, Sakitu, Tezuzu, and Qausit are up (in no particular order).
The arrow finds its mark, the ice troll's eyes darting about - unable to do anything to halt the onslaught.
Round Two: Bulvi, Sakitu, Tezuzu, and Qausit are up (in no particular order).
Tezuzu and Yang glide past Maka’s fire blast their movements graceful and completely in sync with each other invigorated by the battle and blood being spilt. ”Filthy trolls! Hang on Quasit!” he shouts as he and Yang unleashes another storm of claws, pecks, and fangs against the closest living enemy.
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Though Tezuzu's hits aren't quite enough to finish off the ice troll, Yang is more than capable of finishing the job and making sure that the thing doesn't have a chance to heal. It frantically blinks before stilling it's eyes and being forced to the ground by the power of Yang's bite. Meanwhile Quasit wiggles free.
Round Two: Bulvi and Sakitu are up (in no particular order).
Bulvi continues trudging through the undergrowth in his heavy armour...
The remaining ice troll does not look encouraged by Bulvi's approach.
Round Two: Sakitu is up.
The ice troll isn't sure what it is seeing. As it's eyes widen it decides they are dangerous when they are suddenly hooting over a battle axe.. it's battle axe. It' looks with great concern toward the forest and then turns to flee.
Round three: Party up.
Maka somersaulted forward, leaving a trail of fire as she went. As she came to the arc of her momentum, her legs thrust forward, shooting the fire at the fleeing troll.
The ice troll falls to the ground beneath the trio of arrows and then is quickly burn to a crisp.
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Quasit continues to look wide-eyed bewilderment at the strange murder of monkeys cavorting violently over the dead troll, and has her arms drawn up tensely against her front.
"Where in the Seven Hells did THEY come from?!" she asks the world in a loud insistent voice. "Did the creepy magic forest make them?"
But then she notices the arrow in her tummy again. "Ow!" she says, looking down at it like she's scolding it. She turns to Findurel.
"Fin! You shot me!"
Then she bursts out laughing, though her belly laugh is necessarily interrupted frequently by winces and winges as her laughing abdomen contracts with an arrow sticking out of it.
"Ow! Haahhaha! Mmph! You should have seen your face! Haha-Ow! Nasty old troll!"
She gestures for him to come over. "Come on, let's get this thing out of me before the blood ruins my pants. You got that healing wand on you? And stay away from those monkeys, I think they bite."
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After making sure no more foes were coming, Fin walks somberly to Quasit, kneels by her, fighting back tears. "Q, I'm sorry I shot you...no excuse for it. I owe you a blood debt. I'll tend your wounds."
He removes the arrow tenderly, then angrily breaks it before sanitizing and healing the sound...
Fin taps her twice with the wand.
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Quasit can easily see the remorse and guilt in her friend's eyes, and she smiles at him, grabbing up his hand in hers and squeezing it.
"Hey, come on, none of that. How could you know that stinker was going to grab me and use me as a shield? The plan was to hit them hard when the wand went off, and that's exactly what you did. The plan worked -- the spell got two of them, and we took them down quick. One stray arrow isn't a big deal; I didn't lose an eye or anything."
"You know I'm still feeling like crap about that boy yesterday, right? Well, when that arrow hit me, all I could think was 'Desna is paying me back in kind'. In a way, it makes me feel a little better, oddly enough. I mean, except that it hurts like hell-fire."
"I'll be fine Fin. I'm not mad, and I'm not that badly hurt. So don't sweat it, ok?"
Bulvi sighs "Sorry Quasit, I'm still adjusting. I'm mean it would take someone really foolish to take an evil witch tyrant who rules over a country with hordes of fey and trolls under their command without full plate on. Just common sense." A smile cracks across his face.
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Fin smiles sadly. "Q, thanks...you don't know how much that means to me...but what...what if that arrow had been like the one I hit the dragon with? You'd be dead, we'd be rudderless, and I'd be inconsolable.
"I am so glad you're not dead...but the blood debt stands. My Father always taught me that when the arrow leaves your bow, you are responsible for where it lands. If you ever have anything you need, or any task you need performed, let me know and I'll get it done..."
Fin walks over by the pink troll's corpse, kicks it weakly, and sits on it, holding his head in his hands. Izzy shuffles over by him and Fin reaches down and absent mindedly scratches between his eyes...
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"Fin I'm not the marksman you are but I know my way around the bow and that was not an easy shot by any measure. I don't think that was the first time it used someone as a humanoid shield."
The path ahead continues forward while also giving way to openings on the left and right. Trees and thick undergrowth make clear that beyond these paths, there is no simple way to get through the strange forest.
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Fin smiles sadly. "Q, thanks...you don't know how much that means to me...but what...what if that arrow had been like the one I hit the dragon with? You'd be dead, we'd be rudderless, and I'd be inconsolable.
"I am so glad you're not dead...but the blood debt stands. My Father always taught me that when the arrow leaves your bow, you are responsible for where it lands. If you ever have anything you need, or any task you need performed, let me know and I'll get it done..."
Fin walks over by the pink troll's corpse, kicks it weakly, and sits on it, holding his head in his hands. Izzy shuffles over by him and Fin reaches down and absent mindedly scratches between his eyes...
Healed now, Quasit listens sympathetically to Findurel as he expresses his sense of guilt. She comes over and sits next to Findurel on the troll's face.
"I'm glad I'm not dead too. I really would have been mad then. And Tezuzu would have tried to bring me back as a pelican-girl or a flamingo-girl or something. Blech."
"Look, if you want, I can jab you with my sword and we can call it even?" she offers sweetly, half-hiding a smirk.
"You know, actually, there is something you can do for me. But now's not the time to talk about it. We'll talk later. For now, we have a job to do. Don't let the alligator see you cry. You know what sentimental creatures they are."
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Fin's eyes clear and he nods as Quasit talks and even let's a slight smile escape from his lips at her joke. When she mentions that there is something he can do, his eyes light up. "There is? Really? When the time is right, just tell me and I will do it..."
The ranger rises. "You're right, of course, we have a job to do...I can scout ahead, if you wish, and see what awaits us..."
With a new sense of purpose, and a little less guilt, Fin grabs his bow and, when his friends are ready, he'll tell Izzy to stay with Maka, and then scout ahead just a bit ahead of the party, using the shadows near the trees for cover...
He'll get to good vantage point where he can see in all directions...
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Maka joined the others in fretting over Quasit's arrow wound. "I'm just glad I didn't blast you with my fire."
If you ever have anything you need, or any task you need performed, let me know and I'll get it done..."
You know, actually, there is something you can do for me. But now's not the time to talk about it. We'll talk later.
Maka gave Quasit a toothy grin as Fin skulked away. "Smart, he's good with his hands." Leaning down, Maka gave Izzy some chin scratches and a fresh fireball hovering over the reptile. Once finished the fire monk got in to position to continue on.
"More cities should have big forests in the middle of them."
A pool of strange silvery water stands in a clearing here. On the pool's surface, ripples begin at its outermost edges and rush inward to a single point, where drops of water full up toward the sky. The entire pool rains skyward while snowflakes flow down between the droplets. A brisk wind rustles through the trees. Paths continue to the north out of the clearing in addition to going back east from where you came. Two humanoid figures stand near the pool. One has strangely colored hair on its head like a torch, and gleaming white teeth shine from its grin. The creature cradles a pipe in its long graceful fingers. The other has flecks of saliva dripping from the corners of its filthy and ill-smelling exterior, and its large pointed ears twitch at the sound of your approach.
Tezuzu breathes out a hard sigh claws still covered in troll blood he spits a bit of said blood out of his mouth shaking his head "Eghhh trolls are so disgusting" He will begin to pull out his wand to address Quasit's wound before pausing seeing the look on Findurel's face and stowing it letting the elf make up for his own mistake with his own hand.
"I'm glad I'm not dead too. I really would have been mad then. And Tezuzu would have tried to bring me back as a pelican-girl or a flamingo-girl or something. Blech."
As he washes his claws and beak clean of blood neurotically he overhears Quasit and stiffing a chuckle he quips back.
"I take offense to that! I would hate to bring you back in anything other than your adorable spunky little monkey form. You are nearly perfect the way you are." he coughs mockingly "Although you could stand to be a bit taller. I could work on a solution for that if you'd want."
"And anyways do I look like the kind of person who would bring a soul back into a body they did not consent to be in?" the towering expressionless black bird-man cleaning copious amounts of troll blood off his talons asks with an aura of quasi-menace.
After some time he finishes washing his hands he looks up with genuine curiosity "Do humanoid flamingo girls even exist?"
Tezuzu will cast touch of fatigue into his hand before moving towards the clearing. He will size up the creatures as the party approaches.
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"I'm just glad I didn't blast you with my fire."
"Well, the day is still young!" laughs Quasit. She reaches out and gives the monk's hair a playful little yank. "Fortunately, I've got nine lives."
Maka gave Quasit a toothy grin as Fin skulked away. "Smart, he's good with his hands."
Quasit's smile fades and she looks off toward Findurel. "Yeah, he's a good person." she says in a vaguely neutral voice. She actually blushes a little and chews her lip for a moment, like she does when she's plotting.
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"I take offense to that! I would hate to bring you back in anything other than your adorable spunky little monkey form. You are nearly perfect the way you are." he coughs mockingly "Although you could stand to be a bit taller. I could work on a solution for that if you'd want."
Quasit grins and snorts. "Ha! Can it, Feathers." Then she realizes something he just said. "Wait, you could make me taller?" she says, a little hopefully.
"And speaking of monkeys, where did they come from? And where did they go? Did one of you cast a monkey spell?" Her eyes flit between Tezuzu and Sakitu.
After some time he finishes washing his hands he looks up with genuine curiosity "Do humanoid flamingo girls even exist?"
"Ew. I hope not." says Quasit. "Don't get your hopes up, Feathers. Though I could stand on one leg occasionally, if you like?"
She demonstrates, pulling up one leg and standing in a serene dancer pose, neck arced back slightly and arms gracefully akimbo. Then she spoils it by trilling in the way she imagines a flamingo-girl would, a sound not unlike a thoughtful pigeon.
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Fin waves his friends forward to his position, pointing out the pool and the beings, whispering, ”What’d’ya make of that? An odd pool...and I’m guessing fey...very peculiar, it is...”
Quasit moves up quietly and cautiously to Findurel's side. Once she sets eyes on the outlandish pair, she can only shake her head.
"Yeah. Peculiar. And probably about zero chance they'd be friendly. But maybe it's worth a try talking to them? Maybe they could tell us about the forest? And how to find the Hut?" She considers things. "Or they might just murder the first thing that speaks to them. They might not even speak Common. Still, I hate just attacking them without knowing anything about them."
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Sakitu jumps with glee when the monkeys swarm all over the deal troll. After several more seconds they fade out of existence. She runs up to the group. "Did you see that? All those monkeys? I did that! Can you believe it? I mean, it just kind of came to me last night. Like something in my blood just twisted and turned or something. It was like 'Hey girl, if you just move this way, and make these sounds...' So, well, I did that. And wow!"
Sakitu is oblivious to Quasit's injury or Fin's attitude until she sees the arrow sticking out of her friend's stomach.
"What is that?!" she shouts. "Did the trolls have bows? I didn't see that." Then Fin explains that he shot her. Sakitu scowls at him a bit but then seeing that Quasit is all healed, she lets it drop.
The people standing near the pool look strange and raise the hair on the back of Sakitu's neck.
"Yeah. Peculiar. And probably about zero chance they'd be friendly. But maybe it's worth a try talking to them? Maybe they could tell us about the forest? And how to find the Hut?" She considers things. "Or they might just murder the first thing that speaks to them. They might not even speak Common. Still, I hate just attacking them without knowing anything about them."
"Maybe we can tell them that we're lost and ask for directions."
The pair examine you all in return. Tezuzu seems to have gathered more about the red haired humanoid who stands in the middle of the water, but no one is quite sure what to make of the slobbering fellow who quickly scampers into the trees and out of sight.
Tezuzu will blow on his claws pleased with the cleaner work he's done this morning, scrubbing them clean.
"Wait, you could make me taller?" she says, a little hopefully.
With a kind tone he chirps "Well we can certainly work on it."
"Ew. I hope not." says Quasit. "Don't get your hopes up, Feathers. Though I could stand on one leg occasionally, if you like?"
She demonstrates, pulling up one leg and standing in a serene dancer pose, neck arced back slightly and arms gracefully akimbo. Then she spoils it by trilling in the way she imagines a flamingo-girl would, a sound not unlike a thoughtful pigeon.
Tezuzu stares blankly for a decently average moment before nodding with amusement and replying "That was an impressive impression. You have my permission and full support to do that as often as you like."
Crossing his arms as the rest of the party moves to Findurel he will examine the majestic nature of the wild forest that's grown through the urban center. "As foreboding as it is....it is kind of pretty, actually." he mutters to know-one in particular.
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Tezuzu will remark on the fey "Well I have run into a few fey that didn't try to kill me. They are not exactly predictable. Except in two ways, first that they are unpredictable, and second that I will find them irritating."
He nods in agreement with Sakitu "I do not suppose asking would hurt." before quickly adding "Or we can just completely ignore them and try and walk past them like we belong here. Maybe they will not care."
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Quasit moves up quietly and cautiously to Findurel's side. Once she sets eyes on the outlandish pair, she can only shake her head.
"Yeah. Peculiar. And probably about zero chance they'd be friendly. But maybe it's worth a try talking to them? Maybe they could tell us about the forest? And how to find the Hut?" She considers things. "Or they might just murder the first thing that speaks to them. They might not even speak Common. Still, I hate just attacking them without knowing anything about them."
Fin nods. ”You’re right Q...doesn’t feel right to attack without knowing what’s going on...they’re fey...might speak Common or Sylvan...perhaps even Elven...so what do you think? They know we’re here, the stinky one hid somewhere. Maybe try to communicate...but be set up to fight if that fails?”
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"Well, I think they spotted us, and they haven't attacked. So I guess we give peace a chance."
Quasit puts her sword away and steps out into the open and takes a couple steps toward the strange fey creatures.
"Hello. Nice forest you have here. Everyone out in the city is wondering how it sprung up and what its purpose is. Do you happen to know?"
"It is a good place to wait.
The creature regards Quasit with a degree of disdain that it is unable to mask even given its pleasant surprise at being approached so thoughtfully.