Letting the scraps of transformation energy burn off from her staff, Katya grabs hold of the sparks of fire left from her first spell and yells out "Valignat mrith wer ixen!" as a scorching ray bursts from the tip of her staff again.
Zlotii smiles when he sees Havrin draw his blade.
Ah. I believe this works out well. Your bowels are in their proper place.
He reaches over and touches another wound before Havrin can run off and do something foolish.
Round 4 (ongoing):
The smell of frying bacon and burning hair fills the small clearing as Katya's scorching ray sears into the boar. If there was any chance that Tuskgutter was going to notice Havrin's surreptitious arming, it's gone now.
Initiative order:
Havrin-roused
Katya-completed spell; scorching ray
Zlotii-more healing
Adam-
Edvard-cackled and defensive
Bea/Tuskgutter-
Bea's face shows a moment of surprise as she suddenly finds herself looking down at the giant boar. She grins at the change in fortune and swings again at the beast.
Bea is lining up her blow, but the downside of the transformation is that it slows her down just enough that the boar is able to attack her before she can act. Spurting blood from its many wounds and clearly operating only on blind rage, it launches itself at the paladin with a snorting roar.
But it misses, and then Bea cuts its head off. You're out of combat.
The head has barely hit the ground when Bea drops her sword (instantly shrinking back to its previous size) and reaches down to scoop Havrin up in her oversized hands like a doll. "Havrin! Oh gods, I thought the worst when I saw you fall! I'm so glad you're ok!" She pulls him close and holds him tight (too tight, given their size and strength difference at the moment) before realizing what she's doing and embarrassedly sets him back down. "Uh...sorry..." she manages to mumble while she looks around nervously while waiting to return to normal size.
Zlotii carefully levers the staff from under the giant ham. His mouth waters in anticipation as he passes the staff up into the tree.
He raises an eyebrow at Big-Bea and Havrin, then frowns, then looks around helplessly. Finally, an expression of uncertainty settles on his face. Ahh. Hmm. How...touching?
Trying, wholly unsuccessfully, to hide his confused state, Zlotii decides to draw his dagger and begin to gut Tuskgutter. His initial effort splays entrails over a wide swath. He seems to notice something interesting in the gore, and sits cross-legged to stare at whatever it is.
Edvard, these people sound like the group the priest of Erastil at the trading post told you about.
Doktor Medvyed pokes expertly at the fascinating entrails with a stick he picked up somewhere.
The interplay (that is totally taking place despite temporary silence from some of the players) is interrupted again by the sound of hoofbeats in the distance. It's a merchant and one guard, both wounded, who are survivors of a bandit attack not far to the south. They're headed for the trading post, and will take the boar's head back there for you if you like. (They're also pretty sure that they're being followed.)
Regardless of how much interaction is going on, Zlotii speaks with no one. He finishes up his inspection of the pig guts, and drops his pointy stick. He mumbles to no one in particular, Most interesting.
The Doktor takes no special notice of Edvard, seemingly accepting him without comment. He appears to be as at ease with the man as with anyone else in the group, which is to say, not very.
Ah, hmm. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Zlotii gives an awkward wave to the merchants. How far behind you are these followers, would you say? Would there be time to partake of a ham supper, do you think, before they pass us by? Upon further reflection, he adds, Take the head, but leave the trotters, if you would be so kind.
"Dozens! Well, maybe four or five. There were more, but my other two guards didn't make it easy for them. Damn those bandits...."
Bea drops her sword (instantly shrinking back to its previous size) and reaches down to scoop Havrin up in her oversized hands like a doll. "Havrin! Oh gods, I thought the worst when I saw you fall! I'm so glad you're ok!"
"Umph!" Havrin exhales as Bea picks him up from the ground. "That's what I get for rushing off and trying to copy Jacyn's style of fighting. I'm just grateful I have you... have you all... to save me from my folly," the normally stoic ranger's face reddens a bit as he catches himself.
She pulls him close and holds him tight (too tight, given their size and strength difference at the moment) before realizing what she's doing and embarrassedly sets him back down. "Uh...sorry..." she manages to mumble while she looks around nervously while waiting to return to normal size.
"Um... no problem..." Havrin replies, his face turning even redder as he glances about, yet feeling even better than he did before Bea picked him up from the ground.
Still yet perched within the tree, the half-elf in weatherbeaten travelling clothes looks down upon the assemblance of personages below him - and their familiarity with one another. Leaning back against the tree-trunk he calls "Well met travellers... and I give thanks for your aid." pointing towards a black and white staff that lies smothered half-under the porcine bulk "Could you see to returning my staff? - then I can make my way to ground."
"Of course, friend. I believe we found your horse as well," Havrin calls back to Edvard as Zlotii passes the staff up to the man in the tree. "My name is Havrin, and my companions are Bea, Adam, Katya, and Doktor Zlotii," he indicates each of his companions in turn as he introduces them. "What brings you so far out into the Narlmarches alone?"
"Fallen, at best. Word is that they've stopped taking prisoners unless someone's fast with a ransom offer; certainly this lot didn't call for surrender. That's a new thing. I've been robbed a couple of times here before, and most of the Stag Lord's band would just take your goods if you surrendered. Some would rough you up a bit, and there was a woman up north you didn't want to cross, but by and large they'd let you go unharmed. I don't think I'll chance this run again until the Stag Lord's dealt with. Left three fine guards and a partner back there, and it'll take all the goods I have left to pay their families." He shakes his head.
Adam gradually returns from the underbrush he had hidden in
"Ah, yes.... I'm glad to meet you, sir." He is holding his gored side very carefully in an effort not to open the wound and begin bleeding again.
Seeing Adam's wound, Zlotii absently puts his hand on it and makes it disappear.
Ahh. I am willing to play your crippled lamb. The risk does not concern me. If we are to be justified in killing these bandits, we must witness their criminality first hand. We then follow their tracks back to the Stag Lord.
"Sounds like a plan, but I'm afraid Adam and I may require a bit more healing to be fit enough to help execute such a scheme," the still-battered Havrin says with a pained wince.
Katya sets her staff down and settles it over her lap as she surveys the area for a moment. A look of tightly compacted frustration fills her face as she paces a bit closer to the large boar. Dismissing the enlargement spell on Bea with a wave of her hand, Katya listens to the back and forth of the conversation before interjecting, "The bandits crimes have been witnessed before this day, any bandit in service to the Stag Lord is guilty by association. I have used much of my stronger skills already dealing with that boar but if the bandits are no longer showing mercy to those they steal from, I say we show no mercy to them either."
The Doktor administers one more curative spell to Havrin, and one to Adam.
But Katya, how do we know that they are bandits, unless they demonstrate their intent to commit banditry? I sincerely doubt that they wear identification badges.
Katya shakes her head, "Out here, intent is made known with steel and often we don't have time to label every person we come across. Better our health be insured than risk it needlessly."
Once she finishes her response, Katya's eyes stray to the boar and she looks over the creature intently. Katya soon pulls out a book from her pack while the conversation continues, flipping through the pages quickly to find what she is looking for.
The merchant looks exasperated (though that may have more to do with what he's just gone through). "We're going to keep moving back to the trading post. How about you watch our backtrail, and see what happens when they spot you? If a tenth of what I've heard about you folks is true they won't be much of a threat to you."
Zlotii nods to the merchants. May fate grant you a safe journey to the trading post.
He turns to Edvard. An ambush of sorts. I'm afraid I cannot concur with Ms. Volkv's opinion. I will therefore pose as a lone traveler, while the rest of the group takes concealment before the men following the merchants arrive. If I am waylaid, their intentions will be clear, and you may initiate a surprise assault against them.
Katya shakes her head and raises up her staff once again and pulls a small bit of fleece from her spell pouch, "If we must do this, we will at least do this competently. Ssej trilvol!"
Streams of whisper thin light stream from her staff and swirl into a complete clone of Doktor Zlotii standing in the clearing, though he moves realistically, the image does not make a sound as Katya directs it around to imitate movement. "There, now all of us can take concealment and the bandits will not realize they are duped until it is far too late. Will this suffice Doktor?"
Katya ends with a bit of a biting tone as she keeps eye contact with the image for the moment.
Doktor Medvyed nods happily, seemingly oblivious to Katya's tone. Hmm. Yes. That will do nicely.
The party members conceal themselves as the merchant and guard depart (with the boar's head packed away). The illusion Katya created sits on a fallen tree, occasionally rising and walking around as the conjuress directs.
It is not long before a clatter of hoofbeats is heard in the distance, rapidly growing louder and closer. A quartet of riders bursts into the clearing; they pull up short as they see the illusory doctor, and appear to be convinced of its reality. Katya directs it to react to their presence, standing up and backing away slowly, empty hands held up.
All four of the riders laugh...not a particularly humorous laugh. The rider in front makes a curt hand motion, and two of the others draw bows and prepare to fire at the illusion.
It is at that moment that Bea's horse elects to whinny, causing all four of the riders to start and look over towards the party. The one in front calls out, "Who's there? Show yourselves!"
Round 1:
Initiative order:
Bandits-delaying
Havrin
Zlotii
Bea
Adam
Edvard/Katya
Round 1 (ongoing):
Initiative order:
Bandits-acted
Havrin-acted
Zlotii
Bea
Adam
Edvard/Katya
Havrin fires from concealment on one of the bandits, narrowly missing him. The quartet returns fire; three obviously have no idea where he is, but the leader manages to hit him.
Zlotii also fires from concealment, aiming at the leader. His normally vacant expression comes into competent focus as he fires.
Round 1 (ongoing):
Initiative order:
Bandits-acted
Havrin-acted
Zlotii-acted
Bea
Adam
Edvard/Katya
Zlotii's crossbow bolt inflicts a shallow wound on one of the bandits. "More of 'em out there!"
Katya lifts her staff and points it downward, angled towards the ground under the bandit's horses, the words "Wielg ekess wer ordah!" escape her lips and a stream of grease flies from her staff, puddling around the bandits and their horses in an instant.
Katya's spell slicks the ground under two of the horses, who stumble a bit but keep their footing. Both riders easily manage to keep their seats as the horses unexpectedly stumble. However, the spell effect remains, and if the horses are directed to move they'll have to save again.
Bea follows up Zlotii's shot with one of her own to the same bandit, leaving him bleeding but still up. He looks panicky, though.
Adam touches Bea and inspires her.