Grigor, Danna and Finwik all failed to land a hit upon the still elusive Wisp.
The Wisp faded from view and the group braced for another blast of electricity but nothing came...
Danna moves Striker directly in front of her hoping to protect herself while she stands.
Let's move as a group to the horses and try to get out of here!
Kyras, you know of this creature, do we have a chance to outrun it?
Not wanting to risk provoking another surprise attack, Bjelich readies his morning star once again in preparation to attack the thing the moment it appears again.
Doubtful. It flies, sees in the dark and can move through the trees perfectly. We are slower, are not as agile and will need to put up a giant glowing target to see where we are going. Does that make you more comfortable? Regardless move towards the horses. Kyras growls his rapier ready to lash out at the wisp if it appears again.
Bjelich questioned Kyras and readied his weapon to strike should the Wisp reappear.
Grigor also readied to strike.
Striker moved closer to Danna and tensed ready to pounce. Danna stood up... ...holding her spear at the ready.
Kyras replied that flight was likely improbable and readied himself to continue the fight.
Finwik held out his dagger, ready to defend himself and the others (in that order).
The anticipated attack came from an unexpected direction, as a Wisp materialized in a flash of electricity aimed at Bjelich...
...once again scorching the cleric!
Danna strikes out with her spear at the sight of the wisp.
But again falls short.
Summoning his best morning star technique, the cleric swings hard at the hoovering target solidly connecting with the creature.
But despite his efforts, Bjelich is unable to believe he actually connected with the creature, pulling his attack at the worst possible moment and resulting in only a scratch.
Grigor seems utterly unsurprised by the wisp's latest move. Horses won't help. Keep tight and form into a rectangle, with Kyras and Striker at one end, Finwik with me at the other, Danna and Bjelich in middle. Middle two do nothing except try to stay alive, it's picking on you.
Grigor readies an action to attack the wisp if it materializes within reach, or a standard action Tactition of Swap Places otherwise.
Danna directs Striker to her north flank and Striker waits for the wisp to reappear to move in and strike.
Bjelich landed a glancing blow upon the agile monster, much to his own surprise.
The Wisp easily dodged Danna's spear thrust.
Grigor tried to organize the party's defenses as he himself readied to strike once the Wisp revealed its' location.
Striker obeyed Danna's command and moved to the other side of her, waiting there to lash out should the Wisp become visible.
Kyras, remembering his lore of the Wisp, and that he has a wand of magic missile, drew the wand into his empty hand, readying himself to use it as he stepped closer to Bjelich.
Finwik stepped beside Grigor as requested, still holding his dagger ready to attack the Wisp should it materialize within reach.
Danna and Striker wait for a sign of the wisp before striking.
With the strain of 'battle' starting to take its toll on the cleric, Bjelich moves his morningstar to his shield hand*. Then, taking up the holy symbol, calls upon Erastil's divine might to give him the energy he needs to carry on.
-
As Bjelich takes up his holy symbol of Erastil, it occurs to him that by summoning a burst of healing energy, he may inadvertently hinder the party's efforts in surviving this foe. Frustration wells in the cleric's eyes has he looks at the wounded Druid he can not yet help. This irritation bolsters his will. Speaking Erastil's ancient language a strong wave of healing energy surrounds the cleric.
Damage roll for MM if needed.
Healing Burst: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 6) = 10
Danna once again waited for the Wisp to appear to strike.
Bjelich stepped away from where he last saw the Wisp and channeled positive energy, healing everything around him.
A moment later, yet another arc of electricity leapt for the embattled cleric...
...jolting him just as he finished his prayer.
As the Wisp was now visible, Danna surged forward and attempted to lance it with her spear.
Kyras fired a missile from his and, striking the Wisp.
Grigor and Finwik were too far to reach the Wisp, with one cursing and one giving a thankful sigh. Grigor noticed that this Wisp seemed different somehow, before realization dawned on him. This is a second Wisp!
The Wisp then faded from view once more...
Danna lashes out at the wisp.
but again fails to hit the seemingly intangible creature.
Danna keeps Striker by her side, waiting for the next attack.
Finwik slides his fancy dagger into his sheath and draws a plain dagger, ready to stab out or throw it at the next wisp that appears.
Breaking to some degree from his preceding suggestions, but eager to plunge metal into the elusive foes, Grigor takes a readied action to (as helpfully suggested above) move towards the Wisp when it appears, and if he can attack after doing so, attacking with his sword.
Potential move up to 20', potential readied attack:
Striker, Grigor and Finwik remained poised to strike at the Wisp when it became visible. The last of those three drew a second dagger after realizing the benefits of being armed with two weapons instead of one. It also gave him some added measure of comfort, as well as having something to firmly grasp in each hand, kept them from shaking noticeably.
Looking around him, it is difficult to gauge the health of his comrades. The cleric, thinking only his health is in immediate danger, begins to fear the worst - they are surrounded by at least two seemingly untouchable creatures and he is running out of options. Trying to evade the last seen wisp's attacks, Bjelich moves to his right, seeking shelter amongst the others. As he steps, he changes his weapon to his shield hand hoping to get to his pack before it is too late. There must be something in my pack that can come to my aid...
Kyras holds his wand steady ready to activate at first wisp sight.
Once more, the now familiar flash of electricity surged out of the night sky, this time striking for Kyras...
...jolting the magus, causing him to bite his own tongue.
At the Wisp's appearance, Kyras fired a retaliation blast from his wand , while Danna moved in to stab at it with her spear , with Striker staying by her side . At the same time, Finwik flung his newly drawn dagger at the thing and Grigor rushed to get close to it before it faded once more from view...
Relieved the creature did not come after him again, Bjelich pops the cork on his potion, brings the canister to his lips and downs its contents in one gulp. As the liquid moves down his throat, a feeling of ease flows over him, lifting some of the strain from his body. Dropping the empty vial, Bjelich takes up his morning star in his right hand and prays his comrades drive the thing away.
Danna again seizes the opportunity to strike at the wisp,
but again misses the elusive foe.
Desperate to turn the tide of battle, Finwik calls upon the power of the Staglord's helm to lend strength to his arm.
Grigor says Kyras, drop back beside Bjelich. He pauses until just after Kyras can steady himself from the last discharge of the wand, and either moves 5' into the square E28 if Kyras has vacated it, or stays where he is otherwise, and readies to strike at the wisp when it appears again (moving 5', then, if he needs to and he can).
Grigor's words seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. In reality everyone was preoccupied with finding the Wisp. This invisible creature was a very large thorn in the group's side and we very much wanted it gone. Thankfully the Lord answered our prayers, we had done enough damage to drive the creature away. Rather than spend the rest of the evening camped by the lakeside and risk another visitation, the Guardians packed up and headed inland. No one got much rest. Languished from the strains of battle and lack of sleep, the druid and cleric both suffered for this come morning; not all of our spells were afforded to us.
Pushing further south, we happened upon a small island village in the middle of a river fiord. Even from the shores, we could here the distinct cries of a child in pain. Suddenly, the opportunity to complete our mission was at hand. Approaching the gates, we were confronted by two lizard folk guards. With Bjelich acting as translator, Kyras negotiates with the guards, learning not only that the missing Tig was indeed inside, but also another child and a woman! Kyras learns not all the lizard folk inside agreed with their king's indulgence in torture - they would much rather eat, than play with their food. Kyras also learned of another being residing within, a Willo'Wisp no less! Erastil Help us! Promising to put a stop to their king's lunacy and drive off the Wisp, we gained entrance to the palisade and made our way to confront the king's elusively deadly ally. Grigor devises a plan involving a tanglefoot bag with light cast upon it. Bursting in on the Wisp, the cavalier rushes the Wisp, tagging it with the bag of goo. Now that our foe was visible to us, the party got to work as Danna escorted the child away from the Wisp and the brave Finwik stood watch outside.
Despite robbing the Wisp of its ability to vanish, it was not an easy fight. Only by sheer luck did we manage to cause it any harm, if at all. Kyras expended what few remaining charges were left in his wand of magic missile as Grigor stood toe to toe with the Wisp, nearly bringing the cavalier to knees! As the smell of electricty filled the hut, Bjelich summoned aid in the form of magnificent bow of force and did his best to tend to Grigor. Then, as with the wisps from the night before, the fighting stopped. The Wisp vanished and did not reappear, presumably deciding to flee - we may never know.
The battle was far from over though. As Grigor, Kyras and Bjelich struggled with the Wisp inside the hut, Danna busied herself outside the palisade; rescuing the other child from the river and the clutches of a lone lizard man guard. Finwik kept his eyes peeled and readied his crossbow - the king and his loyal bodyguards were sure to crash the party at any moment. As if on que, the bodyguards arrived. Finwik volleyed several shots over their heads - if this was done purposefully, or accidentally, he will not divulge. The lizard guards responded with javelins, but the brave gnome danced around all of the lizard folks shots. The fearsome bodyguards were just feet from the hut when Kyras burst forth from its wooden door, covering the guards in his patented hues. Two collapsed to the magus' enchantment, the remaining guard stood fast despite the Baron's stern warning. Fortunately for us, not all the lizard folk were set against us. The guards we'd previously persuaded had rallied half of the village to our cause and now approached with reinforcements.
For an all too brief moment, things were looking up for the Guardians. As Kyras' blade slay the bodyguard before him, the King arrived with two giant Cayman, setting their sights on our reinforcements. In a flash, the Cayman struck. The creature in the Cayman's mouth never stood a chance - splattering it like a balloon in its great maw. Seeing the danger heading our way, Kyras retrieves his remaining wand, transforming the very ground beneath the foul beasts into a formidable pit. Clawing at the ground violently, one of the Cayman fell trapped while the other advanced only to meet Kyras' waiting blade. Summoning his arcane powers, the Baron split the beast in two!
Perhaps the sight of the giant creatures was too much, or maybe it was a moment of inspiration. Whatever the case, at this point in the battle, Grigor, having just received the cleric's blessings, fled. With no explanation for the cavalier's rash decision to leave, Bjelich sheathed his morning star in exchange for his trusted bow. Side by side with the gnome, the cleric fired volley after volley at the King while Kyras bravely stood up to the tyrant. How the three managed to fend off both the King and his remaining Cayman, is hard to recall. Bloodied, his arcane strength waning, Kyras was preparing to step into the beyond when Grigor reappeared, mounted on his faithful steed! Charging between the huts, the cavalier lowered his lance forcing the King to delay piercing the magus' flesh one last time with his trident. Deftly stepping out of the way, Grigor's killing blow would have to wait though.
Using the cavalier's sudden reappearance to his advantage, Bjelich fills the air with Erastil's positive energy, allowing the three combatants to jockey for position and fight on.
Danna was next to reappear. Galloping behind Grigor, the druid sent her enchantments into the fray; at last the Guardians could focus their combined efforts. The remaining bodyguards were dispatched before they could cause anyone serious harm. The last Cayman, having thrashed Grigor to the ground, was layed down beside its brother. Finally, entangled by Bjelich's web of vegetation, the King stood before the Guardians. His trident dripping with blood, his huge frame was heroically slashed from three sides. Sensing the King's weakness, Finwik rushed the giant lizard, raising his dagger as he slid between the King's legs. Throughout the village, battle grounds fell silent. Covered in blood, the brave gnome emerged triumphant from underneath the tyrant king's limp form!
And this my friends is where we pick up the adventure. Spent, exhausted from the strains of battle, the Guardians now have to make their way back to the settlement for some much needed rest.
Kyras opens his eyes as the waves of Erastil's grace wash over him. Still breathing heavily from his wounds and the recent battle he Rises to his feet and surveys the scene around him. The blood still pooling from the corpses from the lizard chief and his alligator pets. The bodies of the other lizard people strewn throughout the encampment some dead some still clinging to life. Truly a massacre
A sigh of relief passes his lips when he sees the 2 boys being comforted by Danna. I wonder how deep their injuries will run. At least they have a chance to heal. He pauses when he sees Kressle also rising from where she was healed. His eyes flicker as if a combination of relief and anger wash over him at the same time. Shaking it off he turns to the situation at hand.
Looking towards Finwick still searching the lizard chief. Nice work there Finwick. You may act the scallywag but you have proven yourself a loyal friend today. He clasps his shoulder before moving on to the others.
Using Beleich as a traslator he confers with the still living Lizard people. Kyras thanks them for what they have done and realizes that it was hard for them to rebel. He tells them that they will always have allies in the guardians and if they ever need to reach us to contact Mikmek of the kobold tribe. With that he leaves them to tend their wounded and deal with their dead.
Bjelich thank you and Erastil again for your service. If this keeps up I may have to build a whole city dedicated to Erastil in thanks. With a smile Kyras starts to turn away when he again sees Kressle he turns back to Bjelich. I know you have been packing her gear with us. Bring it to me first then help the Lizards with their wounded. Taking the gear from Bjelich he heads towards Danna to see if this is truly Than and Tig and how they are doing.
After talking to her he finds Grigor. You had me worried there for a moment my friend. I should have never doubted your resolve in the face of the enemy. You arrived just in time! If not I think I would be part of the chiefs stew. Kyras gives him a hearty slap on the back.Thank you again my friend! But now we need to think about our current situation. I think we should stay here for tonight. I think we are far to depleted to risk the woods. At least here we have the barricade to keep us safe and the water to slow an enemies approach. We can return to town tomorrow. Can you find Finwick and help clean up the bodies so it is not such a grisly scene for the children to deal with? After that we can talk about a watch schedule. Good?
After speaking to Grigor Kyras turns to look for his last target of the day. Seeing Kressle off to one side he takes a steadying breath and strides towards her. Kressle. I told you the last time we met that it was the choices you make when faced with hardship that define your character. Then you promptly dropped me in a river after lying about a secret entrance to the fort. I won't ask why you did not let us help you I am sure you had your reasons. What none can deny that you risked your life to save Than and for that you have earned forgiveness in my eyes.Kyras pulls out her equipment and hands it to her. You are free to act and go as you please you can walk out the gate right now no one will stop you. However, I ask that you return with us to our base, and listen to what we can offer you. If you will return and see what we are trying to do and still wish to flee south like Than says then I will help you. I will supply you with a mount, provisions and equipment to go wherever you so desire. If you will join us then I can offer so much more. Think on it and if you wish to talk more you can find me in the center mound. With a nod Kyras turns and walks away to help the others clean up before nightfall.
The minute Kyras mentions camping here Danna cuts in, The children are extremely traumatized. You are suggesting holding them in their prison for another day and night. Not to mention the fact that the wisps are very close and that last one seemed likely to hold a grudge. It will be ready for a fight just as soon as we are and could bring some of its comrades. We have nothing left. I think we should leave immediately.
As the clean up gets under way, Bjelich helps out where he can with anything that might be needed. Other than the kobolds, he has never interacted with lizard folk before. Curious to know their culture, if any, the cleric makes small talk with those around him. Bjelich also takes this time to survey the group of lizard folk. Who will lead them now I wonder? If he gets a chance, the cleric talks about farming with some of the lizard folk. Growing their own supply of meat, such as chickens or other live stock would be beneficial.
Kyras understands listens to Danna's concerns. Light or no light if we run into anything we hardly have the resources to battle let alone bringing three extra people with us. We have too few horses for all of us so we cannot just race back on horseback as several of us will be riding double. I doubt the wisp will return. Those creatures are powerful but tend to be creatures of opportunity. They also do not die of natural causes. Bringing one so close to death is likely to keep it away for more then a couple of days. We have fortifications, ample sight lines to see an enemy approaching and somewhere relatively safe to sleep. I share your concern for the children but keeping them here under our protection one more night will be better then getting ambushed on the road unrested and unprepared for a fight. As well, I might point out that you were willing to leave them with the lizards while we went to get help. We have to camp at least once before we will make it back. We can camp here or in the wilds. If we are lucky we might make it to Bedlam's before nightfall. I trust your wood skills if you still want to go we can.