Keildrithe nods at his friend, then kneels among the toxic plants, using his gloved hands to keep them away from his face. He hopes they will provide sufficient concealment to keep both his sight and scent hidden from the beast man.
"Ehlonna be with you, Laithe," he whispers.
Nicholai mutters the words of a prayer he had almost forgotten as the door shudders once more under the terrific impact. He looks up and almost gives a very unmanly yelp at discovering Kajetan crouching next to him. He gives the spellcaster a smile that is far more confident than he actually feels.
Laithe, you're fairly confident that you can find a suitable path. Light may be a problem, the sun has set and there is a light mist; however the moon is full and very bright.
Given that you were conversing with Keildrithe, I have you over near his position for now.
Keildrithe, in round two you are hiding; anything else?
Nicolai, action for round 2? I'll need a stealth check if you are hiding.
Kajetan, any further action in round 1? What is the plan for round 2?
Nicholai tries to hide behind his bush, but he is a city boy, used to playing hide-and-seek in the ruins of old building and back alleys. Thinking he is hidden nevertheless, he follows the bard's example and plucks some wolvesbane from the bush. Seeing the stain the fresh sap leaves on his gloves, he wrinkles his nose in distaste, but this is no time to be concerned with his wardrobe,...
Chastising himself for his selfishness, he runs through a prayer in his mind. A prayer he finds useful using as a focus for his protective magics.
There is another mighty crash at the door. There is a loud cracking sound, but the door appears to hold.
Question 1: Has it been longer than 4 hours since the start of the ogre fight, if not then I at least have false life still running.
Round 1: Kajetan shudders each time the door crashes and racks his brains for a way to help his companions, removing his back pack he grins at Nicolai, only his teeth showing beneath his hood, "don't want this slowing me down if I have to run." Opening the pack he removes one of the ceramic tablets and casts a light spell, trying to shield as much as the light as he can. "kind of defeats the idea of hiding" he states as he illuminates the hiding place.
Round 2: Kajetan starts muttering the arcane words of power, tracing the shapes carved into the tablet with his fingers. The cold ground leaching the warmth from him.
Laithe watches the door intently, prepared to act the moment it gives way.
Keildrithe grits his teeth and flinches with every blow to the door, but continues to couch patiently in the patch of wolfsbane.
Alton hurries on, hastened by the sound of the door cracking. He opens the door of the shed and looks frantically around the room for anything of use.
Question 1: Has it been longer than 4 hours since the start of the ogre fight, if not then I at least have false life still running.
Alton throws open the door to the shack. The shack houses a latrine, with a small, deep hole at the back, and two wooden buckets of water and a stack of soft leaves to the side.
Stacked against the wall on the other side of the shack are about half a dozen lengths of cut lumber, each about three feet long. A small hatchet, a hammer and a leather bag hang from hooks on the wall above the lumber.
1st, I was holding off on casting Prot/Evil as it's not THAT long of a duration, also, I'm not certain that a werewolf is technically 'evil' any more than a wolf is. (Although Nicholai probably wouldn't know that, and I don't want to metagame!)
2nd- bringing back an idea I wanted to try before. Casting Floating Disk over the doorway. :) But upon reading the new(est) spell description, it seems like I can direct it if I want to, (It definitely follows me otherwise) but not cause it to change from it's horizontal position. (?)
I'm just trying to think of anything to try and keep this doggie in it's box! :)
Nicholai peers through the brush he's hiding behind. (badly) And his hands twitch as he runs through his options. He can feel the power of his inheritance coursing through his veins, the adrenaline causing him to feel as if he's burning with power. But to direct that power against his friend? Should he? Could he, if it came to that? Even to protect his own life? Or those of his newer but no less dear friends? He glances at Kajetan crouching next to him, slowly but surely chanting to control the power he's conjuring. Frustrated, His hands tighten so much that he crushes the sprig of Wolvesbane in his grip, releasing a pungent scent that reaches his nose even through the adrenaline. He gazes at it in surprise, then mutters a soft oath.
"Of course! How foolish! Keildrithe! How much do were-creatures hate this bush?!?" he cries, his cry of sudden release of tension only slightly tinged by the looming panic beneath.
Without waiting for an answer, he clambers to his knees and begins pulling on the bush, as if trying to rip it from the ground.
There is another crash at the door of the cottage – but the abused timbers still manage to hold.
Nicolai:
Based on the spell description of Floating Disk I will rule that it must remain horizontal.
Alton takes in all with a glance, and dashes forward to take hammer, leather bag (looking to see if it contains nails as he hopes it does) and as much of the lumber as he can carry without impeding his movement. That done he starts to move back outside the shack.
Yes, the bag contains several dozen long iron nails.
Laithe continues to hold, though he starts to wonder as he watches the actions of his friends closer to the house, worried the were wolf will not make for him if it spies closer prey. He mumbles a prayer to Ehlonna, praying for strenth during the coming encounter.
Kajetan, if you prefer I will allow you to delay the spell completion – basically hold that last syllable as a readied action to complete the spell at a time of your choosing.
I will take that option.
All of a sudden, Keildrithe feels himself overcome by pangs of guilt as he watches Alton make his way alone towards the front of the cabin. The bard rushes from his patch of wolfsbane and races as fast as he can to join the halfling.
Nicholai jumps as Keildrithe leaps from his hiding spot and races for the cabin. He looks at the bundle of wolvesbane in his hand, and back up.
"Cover us!" He hisses to Kajetan as he also jumps up and dashes towards the cabin door. Kajetan sees Nicholai's crossbow lying on the ground where he left it, still loaded.
Alton grabs the bag of nails and as many lengths of timber as he can carry and hurries back towards the front of the cabin
Kajetan pauses in his spell-casting, the mystic syllables that he needs to complete the summoning ritual waiting just on the tip of his tongue for the right moment.
Keildrithe and Nicolai, their minds strangely in sync, gather up handfuls of toxic plant and race towards the cabin door.
The two men jog towards the cottage door through the twilight fog, but when they are still a few feet away, there is an air-splitting crash, and the door flies off its hinges, pushed from within by a great force.
Lying, dazed in the remains of the door and frame on the threshold, struggling to stand, shaking its great shaggy head, is the largest wolf any of you have ever seen. The size of a bear, the dark haired beast has a shaggy, almost primeval look. As it tries to clear its head it opens its mouth in a wide yawn or whine, revealing a cavernous mouth and gums filled with murderously sharp teeth.
Kajetan is up, can complete his spell plus take this round’s actions. Alton and Laithe are also up.
Seeing first Nicolai, then Keildrithe dash from cover, and the door splinter open leaving them caught out in the open, Laithe knows there is now little chance of luring the wolf away.
"Throw the wolfbane and fall back to the bush by the shed, behind Alton!" he yells out, formulating another plan in his mind. He then lowers his hands to the ground, whispering a prayer in his native Karandic tongue to call the plants to rise up and aid in the coming battle.
Alton gasps as he hears the door shatter. Hearing Laithes call he starts to back peddle toward the shed.
Nicholai draws up short, sliding to a stop next to Keildrithe. He simply stares at the great beast as it slowly shakes itself off and rises to its feet.
"Oh. Crud." He mutters, strangely calm, staring at the daddy of all wolves.
Laithe's shout snaps him out of his daze. He backs up a step, then another, then turns and runs around the house, following the surprisingly swift form of Alton.
Keildrithe feels a warm liquid run down his legs... but he has no time for shame, and bolts straight towards the well, screaming like a baby!
Kajetan completes the last few lines of the spell and points his hand towards the cottage door. Where he gestures a small spider springs into existence, it swells and grows rapidly until its brown bulbous body is as big as fat sow, its spindly multi-jointed legs defying logic that it can support its weight.
The spider springs into action, raising its hind quarters into the air it deftly weaves an intricate net of webbing and with a flick of its rear four legs launches it at the shaggy wolf.
Special Attack web (+5 ranged, DC 12, hp 2)
The web flies true, entangling the wolf beast, and the spider quickly scurries to close the distance, its fangs clicking threateningly.
Kajetan sighs in relief that he has at least brought his companions time and then racks his brain for his next coarse of action.
Kajetan’s spell summons forth a bizarre but strangely beautiful giant spider form the celestial realms. The oversized arachnid scurries forward and launches its web at the great wolf, entirely entangling the beast in the sticky silken net.
As soon as Keildrithe, Nicolai and Alton have run out of the way, Laithe casts his spell. The grass, bushes and shrubs in an area just north of the cottage begin to ripple and writhe weirdly in the mist, this ripple beginning to spread out rapidly in a circle that encompasses the cottage. Two of the staked sheep that have not yet managed to pull their bonds and flee are caught by the active vegetation and held tightly, bleating and straining.
The area of writhing vegetation rapidly reaches the cottage – snaking up the walls and trying to worm tendrils through the gaps in the cottage timbers – and Kajetan’s summoned spider.
Tendrils and leaves also reach for the wolf on the stone threshold, not quite reaching the beast through the tangled webs that cover it.
The waving, grasping vegetation stops mere feet away from Keildrithe, Alton and Nicolai.
The great wolf writhes and snaps its jaws within the web. After a few seconds it manages to stand, bursting apart the webbing that held it fast! The great beast raises its head and howls at the moon, strands of webbing streaming from its shaggy fur.
"Holyee,..." Nicholai mutters as he whips his head furiously about, trying to keep an eye on the great beast and look for a safe(r) place to be! His eyes go up,...
"Roof! The roof!" He hisses to Alton. He throws his palm out with a flicker of will, and a flat, barely visible shimmering disk appears.
"OnOnGetOn! UpUp!" Nicholai usually precise speech slurred in near panic. Following his own instructions he hops up on the disk and reaches out a hand to help Alton up.