Dorick keeps his eyes flitting from left to right, hoping to see the worgs should they approach.
Initiative:
Francoix spots an unnatural movement among the tall grass to the left, and he readies himself as the worgs spring their attack.
Kalig's quick eyes in the dark also note a similar movement from the right, and she recognizes that this is a pincer attack.
"Wolfish. Big. Mean. Smart."
Kalig follows Dorick's lead and stands in front of the wounded, drawing her flail and shield.
"Oh so one of these things then?"
He said to no one in particular as he drew and threw a dagger at the attacking creature.
"They're trying to flank us! She shouts.
She casts expeditious excavation where she sees the one moving in from the right.
Francoix
Valentina
Kalig
Worgs, Blue+Purple
Dorick
Mia
Fendir
Worgs, Red+Orange
Soraya+Lucias
The benighted plains, centered upon the rocky outcropping, erupts into sound and fury as the worgs lunge from the tall grass - two from each side.
On the left, one of the beasts yelps in pain as Francoix's dagger plunges into its eye.
On the right, another growls in frustration as it crashes into Kalig's pit, magically opening before its paws.
A worg slips through the rocks at the foot of the crag and latches its jaws upon Fendir, desiring only the taste of hobgoblin flesh. With a painful grip upon his leg, the beast drags the hobgoblin leader to the ground.
Another worg clenches its jaws upon Sir Dorick, but its teeth cannot best the knight's steel and his armor protects him.
Meanwhile, the dagger embedded in its eye disrupts the last worg's would-be attack on Francoix, sparing the roguish cook entirely from its maw.
With a cry bigger than her frame would suggest, Valentina steps to the side in order to start getting around the wolf attacking Fendir. She thrusts her rapier in towards it.
The Worgs refusal to die and the fact it almost took a hunk out of him put real fear into the young man. For some reason the idea of being the beasts meal didnt set well with him at all. He thrust wildly at it with his rapier even while drawing out his second dagger and stabbing down into the huge creature.
"Oh gods oh god OHGODS!"
He began calling out despite his second daggers strike
The Worg finds Fendir to be a poor meal, far too tough.
Kalig steps toward the nearest worg, the one attacking Fendir, and swings her flail at it.
"Your pack'd do better hunting elsewhere," she comments to the beast.
Trying not to hit Fendir by accident, her swing goes wide and misses the creature.
Francoix's second dagger finds purchase in the worg's neck, and owing to the beast's reckless charge, he is even able to pierce its flank with his rapier.
His attacks leave the predator bleeding profusely and panting for breath.
Valentina's rapier almost finds a deadly home as it stabs into the attacking worg, but the creature's thick hide saves it from the worst of the thrust.
The fallen worg rights itself and bounds out of the pit, glaring at its potential prey.
The worg attacking Fendir secures its jaws firmly upon the hobgoblin's leg and, enduring a barrage of opportunistic attacks from Valentina and Kalig, it begins to drag him away.
Fendir steps away from the Worg who tripped him, then summons earth to smash into the same Worg.
In a flash, a quiet night becomes a whirl of combat.
And Dorick responds with a clear voice.
"Fear not the beasts! Strike them, to *their* last breath!"
He then turns towards the worg attacking Francoix. Caragus stomps at its face with hoof and teeth before Dorick gets him to move back slightly. To lance range.
"Face me, beast! HA!"
Challenge (Ex):
Once per day, a cavalier can challenge a foe to combat. As a swift action, the cavalier chooses one target within sight to challenge. The cavalier’s melee attacks deal extra damage whenever the attacks are made against the target of his challenge. This extra damage is equal to the cavalier’s level 2. The cavalier can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day for every three levels beyond 1st, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level.
Challenging a foe requires much of the cavalier’s concentration. The cavalier takes a –2 penalty to his Armor Class, except against attacks made by the target of his challenge.
The challenge remains in effect until the target is dead or unconscious or until the combat ends. Each cavalier’s challenge also includes another effect which is listed in the section describing the cavalier’s order.
Challenge: Whenever an order of the lion cavalier issues a challenge, he receives a +1 dodge bonus to his AC against attacks made by the target of his challenge. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels the cavalier possesses.
As Dorick spurs his allies to greater heroism versus the lupine foes, his steed utterly tramples the wounded worg - leaving it little more than a pile of bloody fur.
Mia draws upon the energies running through the land beneath her and conjures a floating ball of flame between her palms.
Fendir breaks free from the worg's hold, avoiding its teeth and claws as he rolls away and stands.
Clapping his hands together, he buffets the worg from either side with lumps of earth and stones magically ripped from the ground.
The worg attacking Sir Dorick bites again and gets a better grip, beginning to crush the cavalier's left leg between its teeth.
All the worse, despite his horsemanship, Dorick finds himself also ripped from Caragus' saddle and pulled to the ground.
Dorick feels a moment of shining triumph, as the worg is smashed beneath Caragus' hooves. Then pain, and a fall, and a crash.
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Soraya directs Lucias to fly above and look for any more beasts that may be hiding in the grass. Meanwhile, she waves her hand and shakes her dagger at the worg threatening Francois.
Still shaking slightly from the brush with death of the charging worg he let the rush of battle fill him. He moved about the other worg there fighting him and the horse, and well its rider flanking behind it. With a deep breath he stabbed it.
Fendir will move back in line with Kalig and then blast the worst injured of blue or purple.
Kalig steps down toward her pit (so it's harder for two to stand next to her) and attacks the bluish-furred worg again.
She unbalances herself trying to strike too hard and entirely misses.
Total Damage: 15
Lucias begins to sweep the night sky, but his keen eyes detect no additional creeping dangers.
On the ground, cast in the dancing glow of Mia's flames, Soraya's magic seeps through the worg's hunger and malice, lulling it to sleep.
Francoix stands over the suddenly slumbering worg and, like planting a spade into the earth, he thrusts his thin sword through the beast's neck.
With a growl that gurgles with blood, the worg stirs again, breaking free from the grasp of Soraya's spell.
Valentina picks her way through the small rocks at the foot of the crag, keeping her rapier trained on the worg ahead, should it approach her or the rescued hunters.
Kalig's attack is foiled as she strives to avoid falling into her own pit.
Of the worgs on the right, one of them retreats behind the crag, while the other snaps its jaws at Kalig's legs.
Its teeth sink deeply into her leg, and it pulls her to the ground - seemingly intent on dragging her into the opened pit.
Fendir pelts the worg attacking Kalig with another barrage of earth and stones, wounding it and hopefully driving it from the prone Kalig.
With no time to lose, Dorick drops his lance onto the earth.
The metal and leather gauntlet around his right forearm will hopefully suffice to end this beast.
His thoughts then focus on the blow he has thrown at the worg.
Caragus also lashes out at the worg, his hooves still reddened from bringing an end to its packmate.
Dorick's heavy swing pummels the side of the worg's head, rattling its already reeling brain.
Another furious barrage of hooves and teeth from Caragus spells the end for another of the beasts.
Mia jogs to the far side of the pit, draws a glob of flame from the burning ball between her hands, and lobs it at the worg on the other side - burning away much of its fur and charring the flesh beneath.
Soraya moves to get into position to help her wounded friends, but first, she shakes her dagger at the nearby wolf (blue).
He glanced torwards the other side where the others were fighting off the worgs that had attacked from that side and he scowled. No sense in trying to push through only to throw himself into danger. He sheathed his dagger then reached over and pulled his other dagger free from the dead worg.
Kalig, remaining on the ground, tries to whap the worg on the nose with the haft of her weapon. She is mostly trying to defend herself.
Soraya's magic remains effective, and the worg slumps onto its side in slumber.
Valentina slides forward, moving between the stones, and delivers a killing blow to the sleeping worg with her rapier.
The last of the worgs, previously intending to flank the group and pounce from atop the crag, realizes its packmates have met their end and decides this ill-fated meal is not worth his life.
He turns and flees, retreating with startling speed into the dark plains.
Axxa's hunting party has fully recovered, catching their breath and steeling their nerves from the original ordeal.
Although their pride seems hurt, they are eager to return to the wagon train's camp.
Dorick gets to his feet and then up onto Caragus.
"Let us get back. This night has been long enough."
Fendir tends to Axxa in a somewhat tender manner, speaking to her quietly and with apparent kindness. Once sure that she is okay, he groups up with the others preparing to return to camp.
Soraya raises her hand as Fendir comes back by. "Please, allow me to help with that wound." She waves her dagger in the air.
"Every one else doing okay?" she asks.
"A worg downed me momentarily. I would not refuse healing."
"Of course."
"My thanks. Is everyone ready to move?"
"I dont suppose one of you hunter sorts knows how to skin a beast? These large beasts could make a nice cloak or something, would be a shame to just let them rot here eh? Its not disrespectful or anything is it? I wouldnt ask if it were."
He began cleaning off the daggers and his rapier.
Axxa's hunters eye the dead worgs warily, but their expressions soon turn to proud disdain, and they eagerly haul the carcasses along back to camp to help make trophies of the beasts.
The settlers are relieved to see everyone return safely, and the story of the twilight battle leaves them riveted through dinner.
Dorick keeps a keen eye out during the return trip, recalling the one worg who got away.
"Hatha the butcher or Conletie the tanner might know, though I imagine at least some of our warriors would also have such experience. I certainly do not though."
During dinner, Dorick tells tales of the search, the battle, and the tense but triumphant return trip, looking more jovial than usual.
Kalig picks herself up and brushes herself off. "I am fine, but for my pride. I've let myself get rusty, and that's a foolish thing to do."
She offers goodberries to those who need their health shored up if Soraya is unable to get to them (), and eats one of them herself to stave off the worst of the bleeding bite. If Soraya is really out of healing and there are still badly wounded hobgoblins (or party members) she will cast cure light wounds on the one the most worst off.
"I dont suppose one of you hunter sorts knows how to skin a beast? These large beasts could make a nice cloak or something, would be a shame to just let them rot here eh? Its not disrespectful or anything is it? I wouldnt ask if it were."
Kalig shrugs. "Though they were not demonstrating it here, worgs are smart enough to be able to speak. I know many folk who draw the line at wearing the skin of those they can have a conversation with. If you have no such qualms--well, they are dead and food for the scavengers anyway. When I lived among the orcs they had no problem taking trophies from a tough creature like a worg if they were foolish enough to attack."
And indeed when the hobgoblins take the creatures to take trophies, she merely shrugs. She bandages her bite when she returns, and then tends to her donkey, now working on (she grumbles as Matilda butts her as she gets too close) the command "stay."
Soraya still has a good bit of healing left for those who need it.
Although she's not sure about using a worg skin for clothing, ya know, it might just make a nice blanket.
"Among my people, such a cloak is considered a mark of respect." says Fendir, who will encourage Axxa to take one.
"I will not object to others taking them."
"My thanks Kalig. A good night's sleep should finish the job. Thankfully Caragus was not injured."
"You fought well, Dorick, as did all of you. Rest well."