Jemini's evening is mostly spent in the company of Svetlana - along with a shared (and very hot) bath. The onset of the rain serves as a picturesque emphasis of the early night, the girl talk mixing with some more serious considerations of the future of Oleg's place.
The morning sun rises with the last bit of overnight rain disappearing with the clouds. Breakfast is hearty and delicious. The practice is making Svetlana's cooking better and better, as is Ilyana's help. Svetlana sits down with the group as they share breakfast, grinning at them. "I have a favor to ask of you all. The food stores are running low, and I'm worried that I don't have enough for tomorrow. Can you guys go into the woods and catch a few deer, just to make sure we'll have enough? Oh, and maybe pick some radishes if you can find any? Oleg's going to be grumpy with all these people here, and I'd like to give him a little of his favorite soup to make him more pleasant for everyone!"
Corwin is tearing into his breakfast with gusto.
Fine by me. A few hours work is little enough given the quality of the cooking. Tho' this he waves at his axe isn't exactly designed for hunting. Perhaps I could scare one to death .. or borrow a spear.
'I'll do what I can. Where are these radishes to be found again?' Tandlara asks as she comes over to join in breakfast. She sits up on a bench, legs crossed underneath her, feeding Riddleskin little bits as she eats.
"Moon radish?" Jemini's good mood visibly perks up even more, "I'll look forward to that! Are there some patches not-too-far off that we can look for?"
Berrin shrugs between moutfulls, "Sure, I'd be happy to go. Where was the patch again? A days ride south-west wasn't it?"
Svetlana cheerfully answers Berrin's question. "They're not necessarily that far. Maybe a few hours out? I hate to drag you away from the planning." She looks over to Verik, who is currently exasperatedly looking like he wants to tear his hair out dealing with the soldiers as they build the makeshift structures. "It looks like so much fun."
"Yeah! Give me a chance to work on my archery without risk of hitting people in combat. That'd be fantastic! I'll help for sure."
Following Svetlana's gaze Berrin blinks a few times before shrugging and turning back to his food. "He's in his element I suppose, past the whining I'm sure he's all fired up about planning and stuff. He might want to check the rigging for the dunk tank. It's too stiff by my rekoning, it'll hardly release even on a direct hit."
Alexius smiles at Corwin. "I'm afraid you would not have much success with spear either, at least not hunting dear. A bow, on the other hand, may be of some use." Than, he turns to Svetlana. "Madam, this fare is excellent!"
Taisper nods. "I won't speak for everyone else, but Svetlana's cooking is pretty much my number one reason for why I love coming back here. It's just the best."
Following Svetlana's gaze Berrin blinks a few times before shrugging and turning back to his food. "He's in his element I suppose, past the whining I'm sure he's all fired up about planning and stuff. He might want to check the rigging for the dunk tank. It's too stiff by my rekoning, it'll hardly release even on a direct hit."
"Oh," Jemini blushes a little, "I think that might be my fault, he convinced me to participate - so I agreed to seat it for an hour, but I told him I needed it hard and firm, because I didn't want to ruin my whites with too much water. He coughed a lot and moved off in a hurry, I think he might have come down with something. The rain last night, no doubt."
"oh.." Berrin pauses as the image presented runs through his mind. "That explains it then." he mutters into his bowl, resolving to check the rigging personally and then take a toss at it when the time comes. Clearing his throat he gets up from the table. "Time's a wasting. Let's get ready for the ride, I'm going to see if Oleg has a spare longbow and a spear hanging about. It would take forever for me to be reloading my crossbow during the hunt." With that he heads off to find Oleg.
"Oleg. Just the man I wanted to see. Svetlana asked us to head out to see if we could catch soem deer for the fest. I'm hoping you've got a longbow sutable for me and maybee a boar spear that I could buy off you?"
Alexius smiles at Corwin. "I'm afraid you would not have much success with spear either, at least not hunting dear. A bow, on the other hand, may be of some use." Than, he turns to Svetlana. "Madam, this fare is excellent!"
Corwin can't seem to decide whether Alexius is making fun of him. Never was much good with a bow, fiddly thing. I'd have about as much chance throwing the axe at it.
I'll make myself useful dressing anything you manage to bag. That I can do.
Oleg looks at Berrin quizzically. "I have a few regular spears. Didn't think to dedicate them specifically to one animal." He opens up a crate and pulls out a few spears of various lengths. Most of them are wooden-hafted, though a few are entirely composed of metal. "Take your pick. As for longbows, I've got a few but none that can maximize the pull based on your strength. I can ask a weapons dealer I know in Restov, if you want."
Alexius takes one spear and tries it for balance and sturdiness. "Now I see that the longbow could be of use, although I am at a loss how much would one cost - one that would not break under my pull."
The expedition makes its way out of the trading post, with Verik watching them sadly as they exit the gates. Berrin and Valnir make their way to the front of the group, as the horse seems to move with a new easy confidence. The five members of the original expedition move together easily, having learned each others' habits and riding styles over the last few weeks. The two new members sort of awkwardly ride alongside, trying not to disrupt the group's riding dynamic.
Zander points to a set of tracks as they enter the woods to the southeast. "Looks like a deer came through here recently. We should move on foot. The sound of the horses will spook off our quarry." He easily slides off his mount and begins to tie it to a nearby tree. "You guys coming?" He takes out his bow and nocks an arrow, though he doesn't pull it back.
Corwin looks happy to be off his horse, casually looking at the deer tracks.
Breeze is coming from the west. Circle around?
"Oh, it's not so much dedicated to the one animal as it is common for use in hunting it. It's just a regular spear with a cross-piece to prevent the raging beast to plow itself down the haft and sink it's tusks in ya." Berrin explains as he selects a bow and a quiver of arrows from Oleg's selection. Taking a regular spear as well he pays the man and heads off to prepare his gear and Valnir for the journey.
Donning his studded leather he straps on his weapons and shield but fits his spear and longbow on the saddle.
Dismounting Valnir Berrin just drops the reins, confident the horse can keep itself out of trouble. "Stay here." he says to him as he goes to check Zander's traks with his footprint book in hand.
"Yup, we have a winner here." he says, using a phrase from his days as an enforcer in the gambling halls of New Stetven. "Just let me get my stuff." he says and shoulder his bow and arrows, taking his spear in hand. "Ready."
Taisper only glances at the tracks, not bothering to double-check. He knows enough to trust Zander and Berrin. He, too, readies his bow and moves forward after the others.
With Zander in the lead, the group makes its way after the deer tracks. Corwin's advice proves sound, as they look over a fallen tree to see an elk in a clearing, apparently unaware of their presence. Zander silently pulls the arrow back in his bowstring, putting the elk's magnificent antlers in his sights.
Zander fires a single arrow. It is very slightly off-target, hitting the deer but not quite killing it instantly. Zander grimaces, upset that his sloppy shot is causing the animal any pain. "Damn it. Let's go put it out of its misery." As the group walks through the clearing, Zander stops at the fallen log and looks around. He turns his head quizzically at something off to the south. Taisper follows suit, his paranoia working in his favor for once, while Tandlara's keen elven senses hear a twig snapping a few yards into the woods. As they scan the woods for the source of their unease, it comes to them in the form of a cruel voice.
"Attack!"
Zander moves faster than the bandits, nocking another arrow as soon as the words are out of the leader's mouth. He brings the longbow up, ready to fire upon the ambushers, but there is no good shot. His eye briefly flicker upwards to ensure that no birds are going to interrupt his aim, then launches a volley of arrows into the trees.
As one of the bandits rises from his hiding spot behind a nearby tree, Zander launches a pair of arrows at him. His view is obscured by the foliage, but the second of the pair catches the bandit in the stomach. The man cries out in pain, moaning as he tries to pull the shaft out. The leader of the group of bandits, a cruel-looking man with numerous piercings and tattoos, seems sadistically amused by the injury.
Tandlara hisses at the sight of the enemies and turns quickly to face them, her hands grasping at the hair she begins an utterance, trails of arcane light flickering into runic shapes that orbit her wrists as she grabs the band of leather at her wrist, sheathing herself in a witch's immaterial armor, she steps backwards, readying yet another spell, this one mightier and more aggressive.
Taisper gathers divine energy of Abadar around him in a protective shield, feeling the magical energy of the Lawgiver all around him. His mission is one of destiny. The weapons of his enemies, men who care nothing for law and civilization, will do no harm to him.
Their cruel-looking leader shouts to his men. "Show them what the Stag Lord has in store for them!" He starts, throwing a small sack through the air at Zander. Despite the distance of the throw, it arcs perfectly and breaks apart at his feet. Some sort of gooey substance oozes out onto Zander's feet. The archer moves quickly, not letting it congeal around his boots, but it still sticks to him.
Zander shouts a warning to the others. "Tanglefoot bags!"
The rest of his bandits are not nearly as skilled throwing the unwieldy sacks. The tanglefoot bags shatter on the ground, spilling in all directions as they miss Alexius and Corwin. The one that Zander shot half-heartedly throws his bag, but appears distracted by the arrow protruding from his stomach. It explodes in his hand, covering half his body in the sticky substance. The bandits too far to throw their bags simply move forward into position, their longswords not quite gleaming in the morning light.
A creature that is glued to the floor (or unable to fly) can break free by making a DC 17 Strength check or by dealing 15 points of damage to the goo with a slashing weapon. A creature trying to scrape goo off itself, or another creature assisting, does not need to make an attack roll; hitting the goo is automatic, after which the creature that hit makes a damage roll to see how much of the goo was scraped off. Once free, the creature can move (including flying) at half speed. If the entangled creature attempts to cast a spell, it must make concentration check with a DC of 15 + the spell's level or be unable to cast the spell. The goo becomes brittle and fragile after 2d4 rounds, cracking apart and losing its effectiveness. An application of universal solvent to a stuck creature dissolves the alchemical goo immediately.
Zander tries to shift as the tanglefoot bag's contents dry on him, but he finds it difficult at best. He launches a pair of arrows at the man who threw the bag at him, but both arrows veer off without hitting him. Between the man's speed, the cover of the foliage, and the aggravation of the sticky resin, the shot is difficult even for him. 'First that damned bird, now this? Am I ever going to get a clear shot?'
Taisper continues to gather divine energy about him as he looks coolly about himself, surveying the scene, registering the nearby chaos. these ones are not men these ones are all dead look at 'em you look
"Ic yrel binly jaohy
Il a qhavel bun zuon pucell
Yrel Salyeln afaiyl fiyr a celf vayahuw cospeln
Bun sel yu telhijeln"
The teen's eyes flash gold as the leader bellows from his position. He spits out a brief spell in Celestial and suddenly a strange tension exists in the air now between himself and the bandit leader; a divine tie of some sort. "I'm going after the leader." he says to no one in particular. "I'm gonna make him talk." The inquisitor hefts his shield and prepares to set out. A faint golden aura surrounds him.
Suddenly the spiritual turbulence of the forest snaps into certainty, Jemini looks up to notice the bandits on their flank. Five, no six of them. Why is all the muscle on this side? Need to hurry! She rushes towards the vulnerable rear. As she passes Taisper, she sees the certainty in his eyes and the faint glow that surrounds him. She grins, dependable, and adds aloud: "Okay, go get him Taisper! I'll cover our rear, then come in to help if he proves tough." Seeing Zander struggle she shouts encouragement, "Drop the one in front of you! I'll get the one hiding at the tree!"
So much happened at once. The crys of ambush and attack, the bags sailing through the air, bandits emerging from the bushes, Taisper and Jemini rushing forward. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. Taking in the scene from behind the broad backs of of their new companions Berrin sees Tandlara standing in the open, fragile Tandlara, elven bones weren't known for sturdyness.
Making up his mind he hefts his spear and hurls it at a bandits leering face emerging from the bushes, but his aim is way off and tha spear sails well over head. As the spear flies off Berrin is already striding toward Tandlara, hefting his shield as he goes. "Guard the west flank. I'll protect the spellcaster." he mutters to Corwin and Alexius as he passes them.
Tandlara sees the man leading the bandits and marks him well as he directs an attack on her Dear Ones, even on their new friends. Her face takes on a rictus snarl as she spins to face him and is framed in horrible light as her eyes glow a blue-tinged white, runes of the smae tone spinning in to existence in two lines around her wrists as she intones a terrible utterance, and curses the the man, his eyes too begin to glow and he lets loose a horrible shout as the glow retreats leaving his eyes purely white, and unseeing. He is rendered blind forever by the elf's curse.
"I hate ambushes", grumbles Alexius. "At least when I am the ambushed one." He laughs and throws his spear at the same bandit that Berrin attacked.
Seeing that his spear went wide from its intended target, Signifier draws his blade from its sheath and quickly moves in front of the elf, murmuring "And I hate hunting as well."
Taisper nods as Jemini goes by. "Sounds like a plan." he intones.
He is standing right next to Tandlara as her face freezes in a mask of animal ferocity and her curse sends arcane power crackling out at the bandit leader. The inquisitor isn't completely sure what just happened, but looking at the maggot-white eyes of the shocked enemy, he figures he can make an educated guess. He looks sidelong at his otherworldly companion and gives a short, slow nod of approval.
"Reckon that should make things easier. Nice shot, Tandlara."
"Don't let him get away!"
Corwin instinctively sways aside as the bag launches at him but he needn't have bothered. He locks eyes with the bandit. Bad mistake friend. If you were going to throw something at me, you should have made sure you hit.
He skirts the nearby tree, drawing his axe and letting the rage fall over him. Casually batting aside the bandits weak attempt at a block, he cuts a deep wound to the man's left arm although the strike has less power than he would like and the hit is merely serious rather than immobilizing.
The leader of the bandits stumbles backwards, howling in indignation. He trips and falls as he fails to navigate the thick undergrowth. His voice is filled with hate and a terrible anger, almost elemental in its vitriol. "B$~@#! I'll cut your f*~%ing eyes out and feed them to my f*&#ing dogs!" He pulls out a sharp looking rapier, swiping at the air blindly. "Get the elf b$$!%! I want her dead!"
The ambush is not going well for the bandits. First they failed to get their quarry immobilized so that they would have superior mobility, then their leader was blinded by Tandlara. One of them attacks the raging Corwin with a rather feeble swing of his longsword but is taken aback when he savagely bats it out of the way. One of his comrades runs to get behind Corwin, making the guard unable to effectively defend against both simultaneously. (Not that he really bothers to defend himself while in the grip of his anger.)
As most of the expedition bunches up together, one of the bandits launches forward to attack Berrin. He brings the sword in a powerful thrust, but the masterful armor that Berrin now wears deflects it harmlessly around him. The burly warrior smirks a bit as he looks down at the bandit, who is woefully overextended in his attack. The one nearest Zander moves around the archer to follow the orders of their blinded leader, coming up behind Tandlara from around the fallen tree. He speaks to her in a rough, uneducated tongue. "Here, pretty li'l elf girl. Gonna brin' yo' back tah Dovan, so dun put up a fight."
The wounded bandit who spilled his tanglefoot bag on himself looks absolutely horrified by the situation. He merely tries to free himself from the hardened resin, while looking up panicked at the fight between the ambushers and the expedition.
Zander, still slowed by the tanglefoot bag's contents, follows the bandit that avoided him to get to Tandlara. As he rounds the tree, he hears the bandit's threat towards her and takes aim with his bow. This time, however, he takes the sticky substance into account. He breathes in and takes his time, releasing the arrow as he breathes out. The arrow flies straight into the bandit's back, with the man crying out in pain as it pierces his flesh. He pulls out another arrow, ready to finish the job.
I need to put you guys up against tougher opponents.
Jemini glances back for a moment, she's worried for Tandlara, but sees that Zander, Berrin, Taisper, and the new guy, are there to help out. That new guy... "Alexius"... there is trouble with that one. She moves up the short distance to the entangled bandit, striking with swift and flawless accuracy - though her distraction leaves her attack weak, barely enough to bloody the man some more.
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As Jemini cuts into the nearly helpless bandit, he drops his sword. With a frightened look between Jemini and the blinded leader, he silently puts his hands in the air in a sign of surrender.
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Jemini smiles at the fearful bandit, "Good boy."
Fully caught up in the heady exultation of his enraged state, Corwin seems unconcerned by the flanking bandits, keeping them back with wide and measured sweeps of his greataxe. He spares just a glance for the rest of the battle. Abruptly he alters his momentum, stepping forward and reversing the direction of his swing. The axe cleaves directly into the wounded bandits belly sending him crashing to the ground in a fountain of blood and viscera.
Corwin turns to face the other bandit with something approaching a smile.
Tandlara spins to face the approaching man, and leaps back from him to stand between her various defenders. She takes a fetish from her belt of bones as she does, raising a strange ratting trio of squirell skulls and crow feathers, and rattling it as she sings a curse in an ancient half-forgotten tongue. The curse settles on the bandit and he feels it infusing him, sees his bane in every move, making it hard for him to dodge the true attacks on his person.
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Taisper is striding past Tandlara when he hears the bandit rush up behind her, speaking his murderous and filthy words. you look you look i told you you take that tongue of his and put it to good use you put it in the dirt they ain't men they ain't but meat The inquisitor barely glances over his shoulder long enough to register the man's sloppy approach and exposed chin; his mouth, to Taisper's eyes, is a big sloppy maw of meat words and saliva, lascivious juices that course and flop around and wet the good ground with their stain. The inquisitor's focus is absolute as he draws his morningstar and swings it all in one motion.
The spiked head of his magicked weapon whistles mere inches from Tandlara's head en route to connecting with the bandit's jaw, shattering it and severing his tongue, sending fragments of bone and cartilage flying. He angles the stroke so shards of bone fly back into the man's head, dropping him like a stone. It is a merciless swing, intended only to kill.
Taisper looks at Tandlara and smiles warmly, his face full of concern for her well-being. "Gosh, hey, that was close, huh? You okay Tandlara? Reckon a guy like that wouldn't ever rattle you but I don't like seeing 'em get that close."
Blood drips steadily from the head of his morningstar. A flap of skin is still impaled on one of the spikes.
Taisper slowly lowers his weapon back into a ready state, not bothering to remove the fragment of the now-unconscious and dying bandit's face from its new home on a spike. He calls out to the blind and prone bandit leader. "HEY! You! Stag lord leader guy. I have this great joke about ducks, you want to hear it?"
Taisper's good humor is genuine.