Hedran casts his spell and easily climbs up the side of the cliff. Peeking his head over the ledge he doesn't see any immediate threats, but finds they are coming up just to the south of an old road running east and west across the island. He drops the rope for the other and it is only a matter of time before everyone climbs back up the cliffs.
Back down the road the group can see the town where they had been previously up on the hill at the highest point in the island. The road gradual slopes down from there to where you are and continues to the east There are dense woods just north of the road and you know that the crater is somewhere to the northeast of your current position. Sam looks down the road as she notes "Zincher setup his camp down that way, if that is where we are going."
Waiting was always the worst, Cameron paced nervously as Sarai scouted ahead. "She's OK right?" he said to the others after a few minutes. Of course they knew little more than he did about how she was getting on.
Sarai admires the magic. "I need to get me one of those. I have one to help me swim like a fish, but not climb like that!"
"I think I have another scroll of those - you can take a look at it later"
Waiting was always the worst, Cameron paced nervously as Sarai scouted ahead. "She's OK right?" he said to the others after a few minutes. Of course they knew little more than he did about how she was getting on.
"She'll be fine..." - Hedran stood staring in the direction Sarai went off, arms crossed over his chest.
Sarai scouts about 100 feet ahead of the group, just a short run away if any trouble pops up. About 2 miles into the trek Sarai can hear noises coming from not too far off in the woods to the north. It sounds like several decently sized things are moving around.
Nessa walked with the others until they rant out of path and then climbed the cliff. It wasn't a good time for her, being a city girl and all, and she was most definitely not used to physical exertion....well this kind anyway. She very much wanted to complain, loudly, about what she was suffering through but she knew that if she did it might bring those things down on them so, with that in mind, Nessa kept quiet and pushed through as best as she could.
When they heard the message from Sarai about what was ahead she became much more wary. "Well this could be interesting," she said in a voice dripping with sarcasm, "it's probably more of those," her tone became very condescending and disgusted, "things."
Sarai moves off the road and into the woods. She moves through the underbrush like she is on with the wilds and eventually reaches a clearing. Ahead she sees three large, devilish looking boars routing around for food. They haven't noticed her approach.
"Try to find a way around Sarai - you know if we move in, they will surely hear us" - Hedran whispers back to his companion through the spell.
Cameron paced back and forwards and paced some more. He knew Sari was much better suited for scouting, but the thought of one of them putting their neck on the line while the rest sat around didn't sit well with the young Desnan.
He gave the others a helpless look before sitting down to polish his boots.
"Let us know immediately if needed" - the half-orc grunts at the tiefling under his breath.
Sarai looks about for a bit. The group of vicious looking boar is not too far off the road. If the others came and were too noisy it would definitely draw the animals attention. The only other two options are to climb back down the cliff and swim further east before climbing up again or circle around in the forest with any of its potential dangers.
"We will join you" - Hedran replies resolute, then turns to the others - "Ready to go?"
"We may need to dispatch those boars." replied Cameron grimly, "Boars like to charge don't they? Well if I'm towards the front I can set my spear and make em pay for that. Also those with bows can maybe get a couple of free shots in."
Thyra nods in agreement. "Hedran and I can cover the front. Cameron stays behind with his spear. Sarai and Nessa can attack from the rear, or as needed."
Nessa nodded in agreement and said, "That makes sense to me."
The group continues forward while Sarai stays put where she can hopefully sneak up behind their enemies. As the group grows closer to Sarai's position they hear noise ahead and it isn't long before the boar notice them as well.
Ready for what was about to descend upon them Nessa prepared a spell and worked to time her casting so that it would end right before they could attack Cameron when they charged.
Action at last! Bursting with nervous energy Cameron, superstitiously rubbed his butterfly pendant and whispered, "Great Dreamer! Please! Send us a little luck..."
He then advanced towards Sari and set his spear in the ground ready for them to charge.
Thyra positions herself near to Cameron to help cover him, but giving him room to maneuver, attacking whatever comes close.
Hedran draws his longspear and moves side by side with Thyra and Cameron.
Hedran, Thyra and Cameron ready themselves in the front line as the boars turn their attention to them. Nessa stays behind them working on a spell to be ready to cast if they should approach, while Sarai stays hidden in the underbrush to the side.
The trio of boar huff and stomp their hoofs in the dirt before charging at the group threatening their domain. Just as they get where Nessa wants them she unleashes her spell.
They keep their momentum going even though now they can't see, wildly swinging their tusks at Tyra, Cameron, and Hedran.
While two of the boars just swing their tusks into empty air one nearly hits Thyra, glancing off her armor. However, Thyra has just as much luck, missing the wild boar that charges her. Sarai takes a shot from her hiding spot but the boars lashing around wildly cause her to miss.
As the boars charged, Cameron lashed out with a lightning quick series of thrusts. He couldn't afford the luxury of a careful aim and had to attack as fast as he could.
He then took a step backwards and thrust powerfully at the boar which had attacked him, putting his full weight behind the point of the spear!
Turning her attention to the boar, Thyra tries to bring her hammer down on it's head.
"If they are all blind, we can just run off?" - Hedran grunts.
Nessa shook her head at Hedran's question and said, "No, there's no telling how long they will stay blinded, we have less than a minute at most!" With that she chanted, gestured, and sent two bolts of raw magic slamming into one of the boars.
The group works together quite effectively, between Cameron's attacks as they charge, Sarai's well placed shot, the solid blows from Hedran and Thyra and finally Nessa's magic the group makes quick work of the boars, putting them down promptly.
After having dealt with the boars the group gets back on task heading back to the main road and splitting up once again for Sarai to scout ahead. Not to much further down the road Sarai sees a massive column of white smoke above the treeline ahead. Getting closer she sees that there is a camp in a wide forest clearing just off the western side of the trail and about 200 feet south of two partially collapsed buildings. One massive tent dominates this encampment, with three lesser olive-green tents to the south and a line of relatively small canvas tents along the north end. Ahead of the massive tent and between the lines of the others slowly burns a huge bonfire, creating a tremendous plume of white smoke. Sections of high palisade walls offer minimal protection around the edges of the camp, although stacked tree trunks and lines of narrow, deep trenches indicate the palisade is meant to eventually engulf the entire camp.
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Sarai looks ahead at the camp. "I don't see anyone here--I better check it out," she says. "I wonder if someone is trying to defend against those creatures. Let's hope they're friendly," she adds.
Padding off ahead quietly, she looks for signs of who is building the camp.
Scouting protocol, 100' ahead
Cameron wasn't glad to be waiting again while Sarai walked into danger but she was much better at sneaking than he'd ever be. Still he was pleased with how the last combat had gone. Nessa he remarked, "Your spell really did a number on those boars. Did you see the size of those tusks? Could have been nasty..."
Sarai sneaks up to get a closer look and as she does she spots four men, two sitting near the bonfire, while another two are patrolling on the other side of the camp, but are walking toward her direction.
"Yep, that was very well done, and gave us a decisive advantage" - Hedran nods in agreement with Cameron, but his eyes are on Sarai as she moves into the darkness again.
Thyra nods to the men, draping her arms over her haft of her hammer in rest. "Our experience together has been paying off. We're working together much better than before."
Cameron nodded, it was true. Leaning on his spear like a walking stick he waited for Sarai's return.
The men on patrol make a circuit around the camp and then head to the campfire swapping out with the two men there. Sarai hasn't seen these men before and they have nothing that directly identifies them.
Nessa breathed a sigh of relief when the boars went down and was quite glad she learned that spell. She gave Cameron a smile when he compliment her on her spell and said, "You can show your appreciation tonight if you like Cameron," her tone was honeyed, and rather hungry sounding, as she twirled her hair around one finger as her eyes looked over him hungrily not watching Sarai take off to scout some more.
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Sarai decides to return to her companions, thinking she could always sneak back up to the camp if she needed to.
"I haven't seen any of them before, but there are four humans. I can't tell what they are doing, except making a camp and potentially defending it. I hate to hurt them if they're friendly. Perhaps we should parley."