Torden whispers to the group.
There are perhaps 4 or 5 figures sitting around the fire....You can hear a shuffling noise, indicating an animal nearby....You take all this in silently, looking about for guards. You suddenly spot two, sitting on a guard platform, 10 feet above the jungle floor on stilts. They haven't spotted you yet, but they seem vigilant.
Jonagher takes in as much detail about the campsite as he can afford. Luckily, his half-elven eyes function a bit more sharply in the waning light than some of his companions. After a few moments of study, he draws back from the small hill and gathers everyone together in a circle, motioning for them to be quiet.
"Just listen to me for a minute," he whispers when he has their attention, obviously trying to minimize any noise their conversation might create, "Only one person talk at a time so they won't hear us."
He glances back at the hill and then pulls a dagger from his boot so he can scratch out a plan in the dirt. "I count seven of them in plain view," he says, "Two up here in the guard tower keeping watch. And five more here in the center of their little village gathered by the fire. If these men are Chelish castaways, odds are most of them are human. That means they won't see in the dark as well me, Isandril, and Torden here. Those gathered around the fire will be particularly blind to what's going on at the edges of camp, because it'll take a few moments for their eyes to adjust if they look our way."
He then traces out the square buildings and circular lighthouse. "Now what bothers me the most are these structures. We don't know how many more might be in here and here...or up in that lighthouse. I'm guessing at least as many as we can see right now. So, that's more than twice our number. And, judging by those animal sounds, they might have themselves a pet or something. I'm sure they don't let wild animals creep up that close to their camp. And it doesn't sound like livestock. After all, we already have our suspicions about what they eat. Part of me shudders to think who that might be they're gnawing on right now. Maybe another survivor from the Jenivere..."
"Look, let's not pretend this is going to be easy. Or accomplished in one fell swoop," he shares, "But this is a golden opportunity to strike at these people before they try and abduct someone else from our camp. It's unlikely we'll get this close this easily again. So we should take advantage of it and eliminate as many of them as we can."
He glances around the circle of faces as pointedly as he can. "This isn't a civilized place. It's kill or be killed...and worse...eaten. These natives won't offer us any quarter. They wouldn't call us out for a fair fight. And I'm not going to give them one either. We need to hurt them. Reduce their numbers. Then fall back to reassess how many of them come rushing out to defend their camp...just like ants from an anthill."
"Here's what I have in mind. I want to give them a distraction. A fire, basically. We set fire to a couple of their huts...starting with that big one in front of the guard tower. If we can get that one to burn, we'll give those sentries something more to worry about than us. I'll sneak in and set it. Isandril? You and Torden can cover me. When the alarm goes up, the three of us will rain arrows on those gathered by the bonfire. Try and target the same savage with every shot so we make sure we bring down as many of them as we can in the short time we'll have."
"Origen? Any spellcraft you and Yuuwa can add to the confusion is more than welcome...whether it's to damage them, impede their ability to close with us, or help us get away. Basically, we eliminate as many of those who might respond to the fire as possible. And, we keep firing until we see how many people are actually living in this place and what kind of response our attack provokes."
"Okay, here's the important part. Once we're satisfied we've killed as many of them as we can...and the risk gets too great that they'll rush our position...we'll fade back into the jungle. Hopefully, most of them will be too busy trying to save that big hut we set on fire. And, away from this place, they'll have a hard time following us in the dark."
"Isandril? You'll take the lead and get everyone back to safety. Head for that ruin we saw off in the distance if you have to. I'll bring up the rear and act as a vanguard for us. Torden? As short as your legs are, you need to be running as fast as you can. Meanwhile, if anyone's foolish enough to come after us, I should be able to see them clearly and take them out with a stealthy counterattack. I'll find my way back to you after I lead them off in the wrong direction. Out here, I'm more in my element than even they will be. So, I don't expect I'll have trouble avoiding them. The rest of you, though...you need to get as far away as you can, as quickly as you can. So, don't look back. Keep going."
"Look, this plan isn't without some risk," he asserts, "But it's well worth the reward of securing our safety and the safety of those counting on us back at the beach. These savages have gone native. No one's going to come rescue them off this island and they likely don't even want to leave anymore. This is all they know. And they're going to be a continued threat to us no matter what we do. So, better to strike now while we can. If we weaken them significantly enough, it should make it easier to defend ourselves when and if they strike our camp...or when we come back to finish them."
"Okay. That's my plan. Now, one at a time...let's hear what you think and what you can add to it so we succeed. Origen? You go first. Then Yuuwa and Torden. What kind of magic can each of you bring to bear to push the odds more in our favor? Cayden Cailean favors the bold. But Pharasma also favors the prepared. So let's hear what you've got."
He glances around the circle of faces as pointedly as he can. "This isn't a civilized place. It's kill or be killed...and worse...eaten. These natives won't offer us any quarter. They wouldn't call us out for a fair fight. And I'm not going to give them one either. . . ."
"Fine. They attacked us twice without cause. And they're diabolist cannibals."
"Okay. That's my plan. Now, one at a time...let's hear what you think and what you can add to it so we succeed. Origen? You go first. . . . So let's hear what you've got."
"I can make it harder for them to hit you or affect you with magic. It might help if they detect you. I can also make you hard to grab, as I did with Bran."
"I can also make the path slippery, which could buy us some time to escape. I'd probably wait till the fire starts, though."
"If they get close or if we need a distraction, I can try to stun them with magic. Hopefully, it won't come to that."
"And I can make someone larger and better at fighting. It's not useful for stealth or archery, though."
Origen silently hands his crossbow and bolts to Isandril.
"Also, we can use my ioun torch to light the way if we have to flee. I won't take it out now, but it would make it easier for Yuuwa and me to see the path. We could put it away when we get far enough ahead."
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Yuuwa listens intently to Jonagher, then Origen. She taps her chin briefly. "Jonagher, I feel I must play a devils advocate for these diabolical Cannibals." She looks around for receptive audience for the attempted humor, finding none, she clears her throat and continues..."If they have taken prisoners, they may be held within one of the buildings you might torch. And thus far we haven't seen women, much less children. So we don't know if there are non-combatants. Do we allow for mercy or escapees? She sighs, obviously pausing to collect her thoughts.
"As for tactics, well, here is what I bring to the table.
As you noticed, I am partial to tossing icicles and small arcs of lightning. Most of my spells are geared towards keeping us healthy and functional on this tropical island paradise. I do, however, have the ability to bring some cover for our event tonight. I can start with a localized obscuring mist around the lighthouse, blocking the view to the ground, then summon a giant centipede for the beast near the path. A natural distraction that may get a couple of guards separated to investigate and possibly even take out the animal. An alarm may sound and we could see what tactics they employ. As guards investigate, we may be able to bring them to us, in managable waves vs walking into an ambush. If nothing else, I can cast fog cloud (which is much thicker than obscuring mist)to cover our retreat."
Torden listens to the others. Yuuwa’s joke is lost on him, as he only heard a few of the words she spoke. He scratches his beard and occasionally shifts his gaze toward the cannibals and back the way they came.
“I am with Yuuwa in my fear of what may be inside the huts. However, as to waiting here and raining arrows down upon these fiends is more than acceptable . . . though I do not carry a weapon for doing so. And believe me, when the call to flee goes up, I will move quickly.”
Yuuwa listens intently to Jonagher, then Origen. She taps her chin briefly. "If they have taken prisoners, they may be held within one of the buildings you might torch. And thus far we haven't seen women, much less children. So we don't know if there are non-combatants. Do we allow for mercy or escapees?
“I am with Yuuwa in my fear of what may be inside the huts. . . ."
"That's prudent. We don't want to kill any innocents: no children and no prisoners. But I think Jonagher just meant that we would attack without warning them or trying diplomacy first."
At least I hope so.
"Jonagher, I feel I must play a devils advocate for these diabolical Cannibals." She looks around for receptive audience for the attempted humor, finding none, she clears her throat and continues..."If they have taken prisoners, they may be held within one of the buildings you might torch. And thus far we haven't seen women, much less children. So we don't know if there are non-combatants. Do we allow for mercy or escapees?
"That's a fair concern," Jonagher concedes, "Although, I think it's unlikely you'll find any innocents among any women here. If they've become eaters of flesh, they'll be just as devoted to adding us to their stew pot as the men. Children, on the other hand...well, there's always hope that they could still be innocent enough to save and redeem."
"I'll make every effort to assure myself there are no captives or children in any building I ultimately torch," he concedes, "Odds are it'll be more of a distraction than a killing fire anyway. I just want to make sure they have something more compelling to fight than simply following after us when we run. That...and your covering fog...should be sufficient to see us carry off this attack and safely away."
"It would seem we have our plan then, courtesy of our resident half-elf," Isandril remarks simply as he accepts Origen's crossbow with a nod.
"I much prefer close combat, but the circumstances certainly do not favor such a confrontation. If, however, it does come to that," he continues as he turns to the mage, "I think turning me larger would not help all that much. I rely mostly on finesse and agility rather than brute strength. Besides, I have spent whole decades training among humans; I should think it will serve me well when we fight these cannibals, be it from a distance or up close."
"And I will be sure to get us to a safer and more defensible position when the time comes," he agrees.
"So, on to the fun part then?" The words are accompanied by a smile and the loading of Origen's crossbow.
"So, on to the fun part then?" The words are accompanied by a smile and the loading of Origen's crossbow.
"With a slight variation to my original plan," Jonagher interjects, "If Torden has no bow or crossbow, he should focus on whatever spells or inspiration he can bring us. Perhaps his drumming alone will disquiet the night and unsettle these savages? Or, failing that, just hit them with some magic."
"Origen? And Yuuwa? I've seen you both hurl lightning, acid, and cold. Stand ready to aid Isandril and I when we fire on those gathered around the bonfire. You may need to cover me, as well, to make sure I get back out of there before they can close on me."
"Origen? And Yuuwa? I've seen you both hurl lightning, acid, and cold. Stand ready to aid Isandril and I when we fire on those gathered around the bonfire. You may need to cover me, as well, to make sure I get back out of there before they can close on me."
Origen replies, "Unfortunately, the fire is too far away for me to cast my better spells. I'll try to save most of my magic for laying grease on the trail behind us when we retreat. But even so, I'll do what I can if they mob you."
". . . And thus far we haven't seen women . . . . So we don't know if there are non-combatants."That's a fair concern," Jonagher concedes, "Although, I think it's unlikely you'll find any innocents among any women here. . . ."
Origen mutters, "Women as innocent non-combatants? Yuuwa must not have had an older sister."
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Yuuwa rolls her eyes and gestures to her breasts,"What am I chopped liver? Making an observation that there has yet to be seen any women, children or decrepit folk. I am not obligated to heal, as the tenets of Gozreh is to let nature take its course; however once I assume guardian either by providing care or Gozreh's blessings I will do my utmost to shield them from further harm. Granted, the likely outcome with interacting with these cannibals who speak infernal will result in death, dismemberment or grevious wounds; there will still be survivors. I can condone a mercy of a quick dispatch to those likely to suffer and die slowly. Now that you know where I stand, my question remains: What will be done to the non-combatants if any are discovered.?"
Clearly, there is something about Yuuwa's posture that indicates a willingness to not participate in this raid until this is resolved.
"Well," Isandril says softly, "I can only assume that the answer to that question is 'nothing'. I doubt we are going to be putting to the sword every man, woman and child in that settlement. The idea is not to exterminate them and I, for one, am not going to be killing those unable to defend themselves. Mind you, that does not apply to anyone, man or woman, who comes at me intending to show the world what my insides look like."
He pauses for a moment before continuing. "That said, however, this preemptive strike is not exactly without provocation. I very much doubt the ones that tried to take Bran did so with the intention of showing him the sights of this island. And I do not believe I have to go into detail about what will happen if, or rather when, a tribe of cannibals falls upon, say, an unsuspecting encampment of castaways, yes?"
Torden's stress increases as the conversation continues. He is sure their presence will soon be revealed, either by the animal ahead or some sort of sentry or scout.
"I say we do it now if we're going to do it. Jonagher, please try to make sure there are no innocents in the huts before you set fire to them, and we will all use our best judgment as to who is a threat to us and those left back at the camp."
As he talks, his voice slowly gets louder and louder. Upon recognizing his own volume he returns to a whisper.
You all seem to be well-trained in combat, and can use less lethal forms of attack should an opponent warrant such mercy. But please, let us get moving."
Yuuwa rolls her eyes and gestures to her breasts,"What am I, chopped liver?"
"No. You're an example of why we can't rely on women being non-combatants."
Origen looks over at the guards on the crude watchtower. Haven't heard us yet . . . I hope.
"Now that you know where I stand, my question remains: What will be done to the non-combatants if any are discovered?"
Origen replies, "Yuuwa, we'll attack some of the warriors, then run, just like Jonagher said. We're not savages. No one wants to kill children or the helpless."
"I say we do it now if we're going to do it. . . ."
"Torden's right. Every minute we're here talking increases the risk. We should go in, or we should fall back."
"We go in," Jonagher states as simply and definitively as he can, "Or, more appropriately, I go in. All of you wait here and be prepared for when I come running back after setting the fire and launching a few arrows. After that, we won't have the luxury of taking prisoners or rescuing any non-combatants. I daresay we won't even be able to rescue any prisoners they might have captured. Not now, at least. They'd only slow us down."
"Keep in mind," he streses, "This is just a feint. We're drawing these natives out so we can see how many we're facing on this island. We're measuring their strength, both in numbers and how well they're organized. Hopefully, we trim their numbers a bit and give them something to worry about rather than just sitting back and passively waiting for them to abduct another of us."
With that, he nods simply to Origen, enduring the sorcerer's spells in preparation for the task at hand. Even so, he cringes when the grease settles over him. As much as it might ensure the natives won't be able to grapple him very effectively, it still feels cloying and uncomfortable on his skin.
'Just think of it as war paint,' he reminds himself.
Noting the half-elf's discomfort, Isandril quips in a soft voice, barely suppressing a chuckle, "Well, if it makes you feel any better, you look rather fetching in... err, with... under that."
Origen says the final word of the incantantion. A blue-black rune manifests on Jonagher's forehead for a moment before fading away. "All set, Jonagher. Good fortune."
After Jonagher leaves, Origen waits for whatever will happen next, his eyes fixed on the camp and the watchtower.
But the darkness and his physical discomfort make it hard for him to see what's happening.
"I can see okay, but all of this foliage hinders my sight a bit."
Torden then prepares to cast a sleep spell on the first sign of discovery by the watchmen.
Borrowed crossbow loaded and ready, Isandril simply waits along with the rest of them for Jonagher to do his part, his eyes and attention aimed at the cannibals' camp.
Jonagher gives everyone a silent nod.
'Well, here goes nothing...' he mentally tells himself. There's no denying his heart beats a little faster knowing that he's walking straight into a cannibal encampment. 'I sure hope you're smiling, Desna. And hopefully, Cayden watches over me, too.'
Then, the half-elf slips from the hillside and out of the treeline to quickly dart across the distance to the large hut. As he goes, he readies one of his last tindertwigs salvaged from the equipment they brought with them from Absalom.
Origen peers through the darkness after Jonagher. Already can't see him. Either he's getting better at sneaking, or my night vision is worse than I thought.
I know it's only been a second, but somehow, it seems much longer.
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Yuuwa looks nervously around, wondering what Jonagher's signal will be for the assault to begin, realizing it didn't really matter. She casts Guidance upon her crewmembers, lightly touching each in turn before casting once more upon her person. She readies Summon MonsterII (1d3 celestial eagles), watching and targeting the lighthouse lookouts.
And she waits...
Jonagher ghosts forward, creeping forward like a mist upon the ground. He moves closer to the edge of the small cliff, staying low and watching for more guards. He makes it closer to the guards, crouching in some shoulder high ferns and grasses. He gets a better look at the camp and freezes, holding each muscle still, and breathing shallowly to avoid detection.
Jonagher peers into the gloom created by the firelight bouncing off the trees, and spots the beast he did previously. He creeps forward, passing near the guard shack, and approaches the large hut from the east. [near V6]
As he crouches next to the wall, the shuffling and snuffling grows to a loud grunting.
The guards yammer something in their infernal language, and call out. The cannibals sitting around the fire notice, and come over to investigate.
They walk within 5 feet of Jonagher, investigating something in the woods across from him, the source of the snuffling and grunting. They pass by him, paying no attention to him whatsoever...Jonagher melts back into the shadows as they approach and pass by.
The cannibals stop, looking at the bushes where the noise is coming from, and then turn and face directly at Jonagher. They peer into the shadows, raising weapons and getting ready for a fight.
Sensing nothing...they pause, then lower their weapons, make some rude gestures at the noisy bushes, some more yammering in that language, and then move back to the fire.
Jonagher moves about the hut, and pears into some of the cracks in the walls. It is dark inside, but he sees several hammocks hung about, with four sleeping cannibals in them. Owning to the fact that the inhabitants are mostly naked, Jonagher can detect no females in the group that he can see. It seems to be some sort of barracks for the men.
He works methodically, lighting several sections of the roof on fire. He makes it back to the group as the fire catches, and starts building quickly. He shares his information quickly as the flames build higher.
The guards look quickly to each other, deciding on what to do.
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Yuuwa grins mischievously and makes a subtle adjustment to her readied spell "Summon Monster II." She casts, and a small fire elemental bursts into existence 30' away, near the thatched building already catching flame. She directs it to "Have fun" and embrace as many of the wooden buildings as it can while avoiding combat. (3 rounds of a small fire elemental zipping hither and yon, leaving scorched trails.)
Origen waits, ready to follow his companions if they move closer to the camp. He focuses on the first syllable of a spell.
Focused on his own preparations, he doesn't recognize the summoning spell that Yuuwa casts.
Crossbow at the ready, Isandril positions himself as best he can in order to at least not make a target of himself and stands ready to fire at the first cannibal that gets in range, his intention to both cover Jonagher's escape and thin the enemy ranks a little.
Jonagher hustles back to his friends, but pauses to turn back and target one of the barbarians.
He sights down an enemy, then draws and fires.
Yuuwa conjures up a little friend to assist with the mayhem.
The small fire elemental jumps and dances, materializing out of the heat waves as the thatched roof of the large barracks building bursts into flames. It cackles in glee, and bursts forward, blazing a trail through the foliage, and dances around the guard shack. It jumps up and grasp at one of the guards loincloth, scorching it. The guard drops the signaling horn he was putting to his lips and bats at his loincloth, putting out any flames before they could set his garment alight.
Isandril readies the crossbow, prepared to attack any cannibal that comes at them.
Jonagher draws an arrow on his shortbow, and fires it smoothly at the guard putting the flames out on his loincloth. The arrow sprouts from his throat, and he drops as his death scream ends in a gurgle.
Origen prepares to cast his spells.
The first guard screams, and attacks the fire elemental with a broken and ragged scimitar. His attention is distracted by the arrow that suddenly sprouts from his associate. He fidgets and starts to look about frantically.
As Jonagher is still well in front of his friends, Origen moves next to Isandril.
Just in case he needs the help . . . .
He tries not to make noise or to alert the guards as he moves.
After all the build up and anticipation, the sudden burst of action sets Torden back on his heels. Upon recovering he notes the success of the fire elemental on the guard post and shifts his attention to the trail. He prepares his sleep spell, ready to cast it on the first thing coming down the path that is not friendly.
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Yuuwa advances along the waters edge, up to Jonaghers position; Stealth?
If the opportunity presents itself (within range), she will attempt a range touch (30') electric arc attack dmg and direct the fire elemental to attack the guard for a round, unless it wants to play fire with the other buildings.
Whispered to Jonagher "These fire elementals are so difficult to keep leashed, so much easier to let them run amok!" She smirks at her own joke.
Whispered to Jonagher "These fire elementals are so difficult to keep leashed, so much easier to let them run amok!" She smirks at her own joke.
"If I'd have known you could do that, I wouldn't have risked my neck lighting that thing on fire..." he responds, nocking another arrow and searching for his next target, "But it's a most welcome addition to the plan. That ought to give them something to worry about for a little while. In the meantime, we pick off as many as we can before they realize what's happening."
Origen whispers to Isandril and Torden, "The watchbeast next."
He advances further up the trail as quietly as he can.
Origen creeps forward with magic on his lips.
Torden readies an ancient tune that he knows, one liable to cause a sudden and deep slumber.
Isandril's crossbow twangs, as his bolt flies true. The other guard on the platform, suddenly sprouts a bolt from his chest. Stealing his breath, as he tries to scream from the injury and the devilish glance from the fire elemental.
The group hears some more snuffling, and the slight popping sound of ropes or vines being stretched to the limit.
For the cover of the jungle, just after the path curves out of sight, comes lumbering some larger-than-normal lizard...perhaps 8 feet long, and possibly 200 to 250 pounds. This immense lizard moves with a slow but relentless gait. Its feet end in large talons, and ropes of drool hang from its toothy maw. It sniffs at the air and ground, as if searching for someone or something. Around its neck is tied a vine trailing off behind him into the jungle, as if this was some pet...or guardian.
Yuuwa moves up alongside Jonagher. She can see the lone guard on the platform, but he seems to be just out of her reach...the fire elemental on the other hand seems to be much closer to the helpless guard. She can see the giant lizard, which is in range. She calls out to Gozreh, and a bolt of electricity springs from her outstretched fingers to slam into the Lizard, alerting it to her presence.
The fire elemental, hearing the siren call of her Mistress, laughs at he wounded guard and moves for the guard. The guard pivots on his feet, throwing himself backward, and starts to run away, falling off the platform and dropping prone at the bottom of the platform. There is a loud crunch, and the elemental reports that the silly human is laying down on the job with his neck bent at an impossibly funny angle. It moves on to other pursuits. It runs along the roof, moving toward the front of the hut. It is still barely in sight, as it starts to dance on the roof, igniting the thatch beneath its feet.
Seeing the beast, Origen prepares to surprise it with a spell when it approaches.
I know that I've heard of something like this somewhere . . . . Not for the first time, Origen wishes that he'd spent more time on the Jenivere studying Torden's Sargavan bestiary.
Knowledge (Nature, untrained):
A flash of worry crosses Jonagher's face as Yuuwa's lightning illuminates their position. "Rejoin the others," he urges, "They'll need your help more." With that, he steps away from her and into the undergrowth, lining up a shot on the newly-appeared lizard before it can sight him again.
Once he has the lizard where he wants it, Jonagher draws another arrow and lets fly.
Isandril moves to stand next to Origen and reloads the light crossbow, ready to defend the mage if need be.
"Do not forget, we are not here to engage them directly, so do not move too far towards their camp," the elf says. "In fact, given the fire and the commotion, I think the time we start falling back into the jungle is fast approaching, so be ready."
"Do not forget, we are not here to engage them directly, so do not move too far towards their camp," the elf says. "In fact, given the fire and the commotion, I think the time we start falling back into the jungle is fast approaching, so be ready."
Origen nods. "I'll be ready. But I'd like to kill the lizard first, if we can."
Torden flinches at the sounds of the chaos erupting down in the village and the snuffling of the lizard so close by.
He fights to keep his concentration as his legs attempt to get him moving and his throat struggles to push out the words, let’s go, let’s go.
He remains firm, standing by his companions, ready to accept whatever challenge emerges from the jungle.
Isandril moves forward, reloading the crossbow, and prepares to defend the others if needs be, but is ready to follow the previously established plan.
Jonagher steps further into the brush after warning Yuuwa, and fires another shot off at the lizard. The arrow slams into the lizard as it hissed at Yuuwa, catching it in the front shoulder.
The fire that Jonagher started spreads a bit more, eating more and more of the barracks house that he found. Shouting can be heard inside.
Origen moves forward, and readies himself to cast quickly.
Torden stands his ground, again ready to cast his spell if anything should come at them.
The Lizard hisses and charges forward at Yuuwa, coming up short suddenly as the thick vine snaps taut.
As the lizard comes around the bend, both Origen and Torden start casting. Origen's blast of color radiates out, catching the lizard right in the face. It blinks and yelps, but then seems stunned from the sudden cacophony of light. It seems to shrug off the effects of the sleep spell, however.
Taking careful aim at the large lizard, Isandril lets a bolt fly and then proceeds to reload the light crossbow, ready for one more shot if needed.
DM Berwick:
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Yuuwa acknowledges the withdrawal comment with trepidation. She is getting a bad feeling about this. She sends another electrical arc towards the beast.
Afterwards she'll raise her shield and trident, makes low threatening noises at the beast to distract it from Jonagher, while withdrawing down the path. She directs the her fire elemental to finish burning the building from the inside, bids it thanks and goodbye for this last round of formenting chaos.
With both Yuuwa and Isandril targeting the lizard, Jonagher withholds from adding to its misery, trusting his companions to eliminate the beast while he keeps the cannibals pinned down. The half-elf quickly crosses the dirt path and ducks into the foliage on the other side, lining up a shot on one of the tribesmen at the fire. Even as he draws the bow, a part of him can't help but appreciate how well the bonfire and the hut's raging inferno perfectly illuminate and outline his targets.