"Gorax hurry and get your ass up here, or leave me all the glory." Then turning the goblins "Now it is time for you to die!" With word his voice turns into an ear piecing scream over the barrier.
Then he crouches behind the log barrier shield up, waiting for support to arrive.
Perception
By either seeing that Gorax is likely out of postion to support Andrei, or not seeing him at all, Stellan exposes himself to assist Andrei. He steps into the open and moves to some light woods to close further. He starts casting, pulling some powder or sand from his pouch and tossing it toward the goblins.
Stellan waits to see how it all comes out.
|
Gorax emerges from the thick forest, to see Andrei already fighting, goblins. He shouts, "Be ready to die green skins. The sword of death will skin you and leave you for dog meat." The smell of terror is in the air, Time to do some killing. He smiles and raising his longsword and shield before him, makes his way towards the action.
Imon cursed, he wasn't doing anyone any good at this range. He decided the only help for it was to get closer. He held the bow out in front so he wouldn't trip over it, and then ran with his head tucked close to his chest. It wasn't easy with all the brush in the way, but he managed.
Warren joins the charge to the barricade. He rushes to the stack of logs and sees no targets, so he desperately heaves at the top two logs trying to dislodge them.
The shards from Andrei's spell cascade upon the goblin and bugbear as they crouch behind the log barrier. Glancing up just in time to see the magic forming, the bugbear manages to duck away an avoid the damage. The poor little goblin is shredded by the metallic magic causing the creatures corpse to drop to the ground in several pieces.
Anwel's arrow strikes directly through the goblins heart. With a look of surprise it clutches at the arrow, staggers and falls off of the platform. The bleeding corpse lands with a thump at Andrei's feet.
The breath of a cold, icy winter night slips across the area near the southwest platform. Unaware of the magic drifting around them, the bugbear, and two other goblins both shiver and slump to the ground falling fast asleep. Feint traces of frost line the victims hair and clothing.
Warren rushes the barricade and attempts to force the logs loose. A first little happens, but with a renewed effort his muscles bulge and a hiss of breath escapes his lips. Finally, the log captured in his grip begins to move and slide a little to the side, although not enough to bring the barrier down...yet.
Gorax emerges from the dense depths of the forest. The warrior's blade is raised and ready to rain the furies of the nine hells upon his enemies only to discover that all the nearby goblins and the bugbear have succumbed to the efforts of the others.
Thad moves up and sends an arrow flying toward the far platform, but it sails wide of the target.
Still struggling through the forest, Imon moves forward. Suddenly he is showered with a flurry of cold rain drops as something large moves in the canopy almost directly overhead. Before he can react further the detective is quickly enveloped in a mass of sticky webbing as the giant spider its goblin rider slide menacingly down out of the treetops. The goblin fires a small arrow that sticks Imon in the leg, but only causes a superficial wound.
The two fleeing goblins continue to run down the eastern path and then disappear into the mist and trees. The other two on the northeastern platform are made of much sterner stuff. Shrugging off Anwel's illusions and the sudden collapse of their fierce leader, the two return to their position at the dart thrower and wait for a target to emerge.
Imon instinctively threw his arms over his head when he felt the water fall on him. It made it easier to tear the webbing away after he realized what had happened. He quickly turned and looked up, firing at the spider as soon as he saw it.
Anwel is surprised at how easily the goblin on the platform falls to his shot. Until he had fired the bow, he had not been sure he would remember how. Though he had carried a weapon since coming to these lands, he had not actually fired one since the war. There had been no call for one in the debate halls of Isarn, and his mistress had not let him have one. It was probably for the best that the goblin had fallen: had he not, Anwel is pretty sure that Stellan's spell would have left at least one of them standing. The spellbook in which he had recorded the slumber spell had been taken from him years ago, and his mistress had not let him record it again, but Anwel thinks he remembers how it works.
There are soon, however, more pressing concerns demanding Anwel's attention. says Anwel calmly, projecting his voice so the others can hear his report. With his free hand, Anwel reaches out to touch Imon's shoulder blade, where the white, clinging webbing is thin and full of gaps.
"I will stay with you until they come," he says, quiet and grim. "Though it really would have been smarter to run." He drops his bow from his other hand and draws his wand from his sash. He hesitates a second before using it, wondering if the trees would catch light, but dismisses the possibility. The plants were alive and succulent. Last night's rain and today's mist would protect them and prevent a forest fire that could trap Anwel and his friends here.
His mind made up, Anwel points the wand accusingly at the goblin and spider and hisses something intelligible in the language of his magic. Dark red flames that seem to shed very little light erupt from the wand and wrap rider and mount in their embrace. he shouts over the crackling of the fire, in the hope that both spider-riders will hear him.
Move action to draw wand of burning hands.
Standard action to cast burning hands from the wand at G11 and his spider mount.
|
|
Grimly Gorax surveys the scene, seeing no enemies showing themselves, letting out a sigh, I am too late, they have cleared the enemy already. Then a voice is heard behind him, a friends voice, Anwel's voice. He turns and starts moving quickly in the direction he heard the voice, his arms pumping and his legs moving as quickly as his legs can carry him. "My sword is your protection Anwel, I come." he calls out to reassure the dark shadowy magic user.
"Hazzar! Good work! "Thad tie up the bugbear and goblins, Stellan you better go help with the spiders. I'll deal with the rest here."
Climbing on to barrier he stares for a moment at he goblins still holding their post the jumps down and charges towards them sword help high yelling inarticulately.
Imon struggled in vain against the web, sparing a moment to smile bitterly at Anwel. "You are probably right, but I can't worry about that too much. No four words will unravel the world like 'If I knew then."
Warren dismisses his entangle
He then moves to help his eagle on the platform, he uses his talons and beak to climb rapidly.
Stellan looks at the results of the his spell, surprised at its effectiveness. "That was more than I expected, but it will last moments only, be quick. At Andrei suggestion Stellan shakes his head. "One of our number has fallen already, I must go to Monty and see if I can help him."
Perception Looking to find Monty and any trouble that might be along the way. I think we still have a goblin or two to deal with.
Stellam moves towards the platform with Monty on it. He closes on Warren's postion either getting to on the platform next to Warren or just by him on the ground. Two move actions.
"Let me see him, Warren, I can help."
The swirling tangle of grasses, vines, and branches swiftly returns to its more natural state as Warren releases the magic animating the forest vegetation. At the same time both he and Stellan climb up to the platform the find Monty. A small pool of blood surrounds the unconscious eagle, but after a closer look it seems the bird is still holding on to life.
Andrei charges across the rickety bridge and barely avoids a spray of iron darts as the goblins still holding the northeast platform fire another of the tube shaped weapons. Fortunately for the bard, the creature's aim was off and the darts shred the grass and dirt just a few paces to his right. The missed attack, combined with the fall of their leader, is too much for the formerly brave goblins. The two quickly scuttle their weapon, then race down the ropes and start retreating into the forest.
Purple fire erupts from Anwels wand, but the spider manages to avoid much of the damage as it ducks behind a tree only to emerge that much closer to Imon who still struggles against the sticky webs. Taking advantage of the detectives entanglement, the spider slips in and lands a solid bite from its poisoned jaws. At the same time, the goblin lands another small arrow into Imon's armor, buts its tip doesn't penetrat his armor.
Gorax's charge back to Anwel and Imon is quickly interrupted as the second spider dashes through the forest canopy and then sends its own burst of webbing at the big warrior who suddenly finds himself wrapped up in a mass of sticky webbing. As he struggles against the webbing, Gorax feels the sting of a small arrow striking his thigh as the goblin rider lands a hit of his own.
With a wave to Andrei, Thad races over to the bugbear and other sleeping goblin where he pulls out a length of rope and begins to bind the sleeping prisoners.
Anwel scowls. Nothing seems to go right for him today. Warren had forced the group into combat by dragging them to the camp before they were ready and then breaking off the negotiations. Now the goblins were obstinately refusing to surrender when they were clearly beaten. Anwel levels his wand at the spider and goblin menacing Imon, but is surprised by the appearance of Gorax and another spider-rider attacking him. He acts without thinking, flailing with the wand and pouring his frustration into it. When the glare of the fire dims, Anwel grimaces at the result. Judging by the scorch marks, it looks like he's caught Gorax in the blast.
I'm hoping the fire gets rid of the webbing, and that Gorax can tank the damage.
Move to Q15.
|
|
Gorax bursts through the sticky spiders web wiping the sticky substance from his face he shouts, "Yuck, what was that! Now you will pay." He tries to clean the blade of his longsword, by puncturing the big black arachnid facing him. Yet the traces of web still attached to the man, make it impossible to freely swing and he misses the creature.
Imon gritted his teeth from the spider's bite; he could feel the strength draining from his arms from the venom. Still, rage seemed to make an acceptable substitude, as he was able to rip through the web. He took the moment to prioritize the spider as the greater threat, and thought about trying to stab it's eyes out, but decided the bow would be a better choice, even so close. He quickly fired two shots.
Andrei grins as the goblins start to flee and stops his charge. "The day is almost our push our advantage friends!"
Turning he sees three of his companions entangled in spider webs and start running back towards them.
"Warren, Monty doesn't know me well and will be upset, be ready to calm him."
Stellan reaches down to touch the fallen comrade. Working his unique craft he casts his hex on Monty, saying shorts words and white breath coming from him and the cold sealing the wounds healing the injured bird.
Cast Healing Hex:
Stellan will also check to see if there is anything further he can do for Monty. He lets Warren handle him.
Healing
Warren reaches the injured bird in time to hold it up to Stellan. As the healing magic rushes into the bird, Warren cries tears of relief.
"Monty knows you Stellan, I have told him to trust you as he would me. You may need that healing magic for me soon."
Warren sends Tuney swooping down to attack the spiders, and follows shortly after, climbing down using his new claws.
Tuney attack
"Telling him is just the start, though, it will be months at least for him to trust me half as much as he loves you. All he knows right now is that he was hurt - still not the time for this." Stellan looks about.
Perception
"Warren, you are the only one of us that can catch the fleeing goblins, if they report, we may face greater problems. Please, just keep that in mind." Stellan heads for the spider battle, if there are no other adversaries that he can see. If the spiders are it, he'll move up to near Warren square V15 and "Evil Eye" the goblin rider of the spider GS9 to reduce its armor roll by 2.
Stellan follows Warren and stands behind him, looking balefully at the goblin riding the fell spider, his left eye growing larger and seeming to almost pop-out of his head while frosting over. White breath pours out of Stellan's mouth and heads for the goblin casting all the fears and doubts of a harsh winter in its mind. "I've made it easier to attack the goblin riding the nearest spider. Best if you can take him out."
,
Anwel sends more purple fire blazing toward the second spider who guesses wrong in its dodge and end up direct center of the blast. Gorax, caught in the path of the burning magical fire feels his hair singe hair and a few blisters erupt on his skin, but the flames do burn away the remaining bits of webbing that had hindered his initial strike.
Imon finally breaks free of the webbing, but can feel the spiders poison starting to enter his body. Firing off two quick shots, the detective sinks the first shaft deep into the arachnids body causing a putrid mustard colored ichor to seep from the wound. Reacting the the first arrow, the spider manages to slip away from the second avoiding any further damage.
Reversing course, Andrei dashes back to the barrier. However, his second attempt to scale the piled logs is not as elegant as his first. His foot slips about half way over causing the bard to slip and drop back down to the ground near where Thad spends the next few seconds securing the bugbear and the other sleeping goblin.
On the platform Stellan and Warren tend to the wounded eagle who seems to recover quickly and little the worse for wear once the icy healing magic finishes its work. With his companion seen to, Warren turns his attention to the attacking spiders. The druid climbs down from the platform as he sends Tuney on the offensive. Diving to attack, the bird simply misjudges the angle and sweeps harmlessly past both spider and goblin.
The goblins on the far side of the camp continue to dash down the opposite trail and will soon disappear into the forest.
Tendrils of smoke still rise from the spider nearest Gorax as the creature lunges in toward the big warrior. Venom coated jaws sink deep into the mans chest, rending armor, but fortunately misses anything vital. The goblin rider, turns his attention to the elven mage wielding the wand and sends an arrow in Anwel's direction. Although his protective magics have nearly run their course, there is still enough power to force the arrow aside, causing it to land harmlessly among the trees.
The first spider continues to strike at Imon. Landing another bite, the creature sends more poison coursing into the man's veins. The atop the spider back shoots again at Imon, but this time the arrow simply glances off of his armor.
Anwel flashes a look of contempt at the goblin who had shot at him, then ducks around Gorax to where he had dropped his bow. He could feel the wand was almost spent, and wanted to get the best use possible out of it before then. Despite Stellan's intervention, Gorax's spider seemed more vital than ever. Imon's made the better target, and the detective would have a harder time defending himself against it than the warrior. One last time, he points the baton, speaks the speech to bring it to life, and spits purple flames at his enemy.
Andrei climbs over the barrier and moves quickly back to his friends. As he runs he yells "Hang in there Imon, soon they will be triumphant."
|
|
Gorax feels the poison injected into his broken bloody and exposed flesh burn painfully, as he weakens every so slightly. As if time stands still, he watches the purple black liquid soak into his body, "Damn you and your poison." he shouts at the spider as he tries once more to strike and end its pitiful life. Putting all his strength behind the blow and thrusting deep into its cephalothorax.
Round 10
Warren moves to flank the spider (or the goblin if the spider has fallen) with the revatilized Montey. Montey circles around to the north of the forward spider/goblin combo to deliver a vicious bite.
Imon was tired of being attacked, and he decided to do something about it. He reached into his pouch for something, and pulled his hand out with what looked like butter dabbed on his finger. When he finished the spell, he pointed at the spider, and the butter on his finger seemed to melt away.
With a bit more focus and concentration, Andrei easily scales the barrier and then quickly moves to help the rest of the struggling party. As he does so, Imon attempts to tap into his magical bag of tricks only to get distracted as the spider starts to move in for another attack. With his magic quickly collapsing, the detective steadies himself for another strike from the spider only to watch as the creature and its rider are engulfed in another set of magical purple fire. This time the two cannot escape as Anwel's blast hits them dead center. With a pair or piercing squeals the spider and its rider both collapse to the ground with faint wisps of smoke rising from their seared flesh.
Warren moves in to engage the second spider harassing Gorax only to have it side step his attack. The goblin rider is less lucky as Monty exacts a little revenge by lashing his claws into the beast's back. With a surprised shout the goblin throws its hands over its head to try and ward off the big eagle. However this offers little protection as Stellan's magic suddenly bores into his mind limiting his ability to dodge further blows.
Suddenly there is a great shout followed by the Thwack! of metal striking flesh and a Thump as the spiders head is removed by Gorax. The decapitated body dances for a second and then collapses to the ground oozing a pool of blood and sickly yellow ichor from the ghastly wound.
With the collapse of his mount the little goblin looses all heart. Tossing his bow aside he leaps from the spiders back as it collapses and then quickly scampers up the nearest tree. Fleet of foot and clearly a natural climber, the goblin looks to be heading for the cover of the canopy and possibly using the large branches as a path to escape.
The goblins on the far side of the camp disappear at a full run down the path and into the forest.
Monty and Tuney hunt the goblin in the canopy, quite unsuccessfully.
Anwel throws the spent and smoking wand down at his feet. It nestles snugly into the damp forest floor, hissing slightly as its internal fires are quenched. He can hear the last of Vrag's goblins scampering through the trees. "No," he deadpans, frowning at the charred remains of rider and mount, then turning his head to look directly at the retreating goblin. "You had your chance."
The goblin's shadow, deepened by the clouds above them and dappled by the foliage around them, seems to take on a life of its own. It picks itself up from the trunk of the tree and launches itself at the goblin, seeming to wrap its arms around the goblin's neck and its legs around the goblin's hips. Anwel takes in the scene dispassionately, kneels to pick up his bow, and leans on it like a staff. He does not much care if the goblin can throw off his shadow or not. Four goblins had already escaped; one more would make no difference. But Anwel anticipates another round of debate once the fight is well and truly over, and his past, powers, and motives would probably come up again. He wants the others to have seen this power before he has to explain it.
Stellan is relieved when the last spider is down. The he sees Anwel bind the goblin rider as he attempts to flee, as Warren sends his eagle friends to attack. A little puzzled Stellan says, "It make little sense to stop this goblin unless we intendt to track and kill the others that have fled, one more will make no real difference. Unless you see somthing different than I." Switching topics Stellan continues, "Is anyone seriously hurt? I can try to treat, or use my healing on you, if so." Stellan as usual continues looking aournd for more trouble as he speaks.
Perception
"This goblin can provide much more detailed intelligence than the other survivors."
Warren will pursue if necessary, but has his eagles continue the hunt. Used to hunting together, they come at the goblin from two sides.
Andrei stands silently and watches for a moment before turning and walking back towards Thad to check the restrained goblins and bugbear.
At about the same moment that Anwel's magic engulfs the goblin in an entangling mass of wraith like energy formed from the beast's own shadow, Warren's eagle dive from the canopy to attack. Monty swoops in and knocks the little creature back and is quickly followed by Tuney who lands a solid hit with his talons. Staggered and unable to control his footing the goblin is forced back only to find nothing but air beneath its feet. With a loud screech it falls to the forest floor, landing like a sack of wet flour.
Suddenly the forest is quiet again with only the sound of a light breeze drifting through the trees followed shortly by the dripping of multitudes of heavy water drops cascading from the drizzle coated branches.
Warren's hands and face return to normal, but he is still fueled by adrenaling and his face is flushed. Warren reluctantly breaks the strange and awkward silence to rush to Stellan and embrace him in a huge bearhug (after his hands and face return to normal). "That was a fine display of magic and healing. The fair Tityanna could do no better. You turned the battle decisively in our favor and restored Montey. You have my, I mean our, gratitude."
Looking around Warren nods approvingly. "We did well and overcame a strong foe. This is fine defensive works. They can be improved too. We will stay here and fortify until we are at full strength. I will yield the forest floor now to Andrei for the inevitable dissenting opinion."
Stellan surveys the collapse of the goblin and all resistance with grim acceptance. Then Warren surprises him with a bearhug and extravagant praise. "Ooph, easy there Warren, I didn't do anything I wouldn't do for anyone. All for one and one for all, and all that! And, lucky for us, the camp's chieftain was weak in his spirit and fell to my casting. Everyone contributed, Anwel's initial spell bought invaluable time. Though I suspect our master of shadows was more deceitful than un-deadly." Stellan says the last with a broad smile. At Gorax's disappointment Stellan says, helpfully, "Thad should've secured the bugbear chieftain by now, that's better than any trophy, and you could check the camp for booty, I suppose."
"We were very lucky," says Anwel, emerging from the forest. The way he leans on his unstrung bow you could swear he had seen three hundred winters or more. Blood from the wounds on his arms begins to seep through his thick black sleeves, lubricating the tiny metal darts so that they fall to the ground amid the scarlet splatters. "And the thing about luck, even good luck, is that it cannot be trusted." Anwel plucks one of the darts out, examines it critically, and flicks it into the brush. "Let me tell you a story. It was 4622, the middle of the civil war, and I was part of Baron Ennoras Cherlorne's battalion. Anadhon, our company's commander since we left Kyonin, thought him a worthy leader. We had raided a diabolist supply train west of the Stormflood River, and needed to escape into the Boarwood on the other side before they could track us. Cherlorne force marched the battalion to the river and told us to cross. Anadhon was unsure that we were taking the best route, but the Baron said to trust him; he had made the crossing a dozen times. We were up to our necks when Cherlorne was sucked under. A few of his men went after him, but their packs were too heavy for them to swim. Anadhon turned us around and got the rest of us out safely. The last thing I remember him saying before ordering us upstream was how lucky we were to have escaped.
"One thing Anadhon used to do," continues Anwel, "was gather the company together after a skirmish or battle and talk about what went right and what went wrong with our objectives, strategies, and tactics. I think we could benefit from such a discussion so we do not have to rely on luck next time."
"You are correct, Warren, Stellan," says Anwel, inclining his head at the witch and smiling a small smile to thank him for the praise and to show he appreciates the joke. "We each employed effective tactics at one time or another. We all contributed, but I would ask, to what end? We went into this fight with an ill-defined goal. Because we had no goal, we had no strategy, so we rushed into things. Because we rushed into things, we lacked coordination.
"Even now, we lack a clear goal," he says, turning to look at Warren, "and that muddies our thinking. In my opinion, we are here to find a path to Arrowhead Butte, to learn about the Bone Ravens, and to make our first impression on them. We never agreed on these objectives, but they can form a basis for discussion. Holding the camp does not accomplish any of these goals. Our conduct in combat did, however, accomplish some of them. We can search for the path and we have prisoners to question. On the other hand, we could not have made a worse impression. We broke parley. Two of the goblins that retreated saw our faces, so the other Bone Ravens will know not to trust us if we show ourselves. We can earn some credit with the prisoners, and by extension anybody to whom they tell their story, by treating them well and showing mercy, but I believe the damage is done.
"The next time we are permitted to plan an assault," says Anwel, his voice deepening toward a conclusion, "We need to set clear goals for ourselves and keep them in mind throughout the ensuing combat. Warren, you have a point that discussion can meander without resolution, so we should appoint an arbitrator who can decide on a course of action after hearing our opinions. Until we know each other better, I suggest drawing lots to determine leadership every week or so." Anwel does not wish to be seen as making a bid for power, especially since his last command ended with him as the only remaining member of the company. Until this morning, he would have supported Andrei for leadership, but after the discussion on the trail he is no longer so sure. "As for coordination, I will prepare the communication spell in the future. That makes four of us who can cast it: Andrei, me, Imon, and Stellan. If we split up again, at least one of us should be with each group.
"Speaking of messages," he says, the thought just having struck him, "someone needs to find Tam and bring him and the horses here." Anwel lets down his pack and begins taking out his surveying equipment. "And before the Bone Ravens wake up and I have to translate the interrogation I want to see if I can get a read on this camp's position through the clouds. If we know its latitude at least, we can avoid having to seize it again by simply staying to its north or south." He raises the sextant to his eye and begins looking for the sun. It should be near the zenith, a little off to the east. "Keep talking, by all means," he says. "I am listening."
Warren speaks "Despite the confusion, I did start the assault and accomplished all my goals. With a lack of group goals, I had to make the best call on the spot, and continue with the overall charter-holder goals set forth and accomplish those. So the lack of ill-defined goals was probably a deficiency in my part in not explaining them to you."
Warren continues, "Your suggestion of picking a leader by drawing lots is quite....unique. I must admit it has never been tried by anyone I know, but why don't we actually try to pick someone that will make the best leader. And rather than switching after he learns his new job every week and put someone else in the job, let's let him keep the job and get continually better."
"Discussions can continue after resolution, as was the case here. When the group reaches a consensus and time is critical, and the discussion continues, that is when I have a problem."
"Finally, Anwel, we were looking to set up an actual organized government as charter-holders. If you think you are better qualified to serve as general of the military forces than I am, or serve as a better ruler of this land than Thad, please let me know."
"And, as Thad has mentioned stepping aside if a better ruler was found, it may be time to consider Andrei or Imon for the position of ruler. Imon and Andrei have shown that they would be quite comfortable in the social trappings of the office. Imon is a law enforcement officer from Brevoy, so he has some experience."
Warren recovers Tam and the horses and shows Tam how to help him begin moving the easternmost barricade to block the passage over the river to consolidate the defensive position. Warren begins to gather natural brush to further conceal the upper platforms on the west side of the river from sight.
Andrei seeks a little shelter and listens quietly to the others before replying "Warren would you be alright with sending Tuney to tell Tam to bring the horses up, I'm pretty sure he'll get there quicker and more safely than any of us and the rest of us should be around when the goblins and bugbear wake up. On that topic they should be separated, I don't like the idea of the bugbear intimidating the goblins into making our job harder. He turns to walk towards the captives then stops and turns back. "Do you mind coming along that way Thad can be part of the conversation and I separate the captives and talk at the same time"
Andrei starts walking back to the fortifications but stops if anyone is not following. "I don't think we should spend much time improving this place. I think we are too few in numbers to defend a fort of this size and when we leave we are going to have destroy it or recapture it."
"Anwel makes an excellent point, while I disagreed with his plan to negotiate with the goblins I would have been happy to pursue it had it been the agreed plan. Instead we all had different ideas of what we were trying to achieve combined with splitting ourselves up before the fight which was asking for disaster. Thank you Stellan for getting us out of that disaster." Andrei pauses to climb over the barrier and thinks about who could bring the two halves of the group together before continuing "While I am in agreement for the need of leadership I don't like idea of drawing lots or changing leadership on a weekly basis. I would suggest Thad, if he is good enough for a God to speak to he is good enough for me to follow."
Andrei looks at the captive and carefully picks up one of the goblins ”Thad could you check if the bugbear has one of those devices for compelling him attached?” He then starts to carry the goblin towards the camp fire. On the way back he says "The first thing our leader needs to decide is if staying to collect strength or pushing on is a better idea. We will have to wait a little anyway to question the captives. However after that I would also counsel us to press on as the four goblins that got away will report back and hurry the rest in their search. But I am in no place to talk about waiting for full strength, my magic was not significantly taxed and even if it was I have my skill with the blade to fall back on. The only people who can really push for resting are those that rely solely on their magic. Stellan and Anwel do you need to rest or are you alright to press on?"
"I will be fine," says Anwel, putting the sextant down. He marks "52°19'N, 7°34'E" on his map next to the icon representing the camp, making sure to magick the blood out of his sleeves before it can mar the parchment. It has begun seeping again, however, by the time he takes his hands away. "My shade and I retain enough strength for another such fight, or possibly two, though the subtler magics are beyond me now. You will have to make do with overpowering imaginary shades and colors instead of friendly companies of imagined soldiers. Even were that not the case, however," he says, sounding a little offended, "I would not ask that you stay here for my sake. It is too risky to remain here long, and the Seed is too important to risk ceding." Anwel chuckles slightly at the unintended pun, but his heart is not in it.
"I proposed drawing lots so we would not start bickering over position and status," he explains. "Given, however, that no one actually seems to be claiming supreme leadership for themselves but instead advancing others, that concern seems unwarranted. If you want my opinion," he sighs, knowing full well that no one probably does at this point, "I trust Andrei to lead most prudently and with the greatest consideration towards our wellbeing." As an aside, Anwel address Andrei directly. "You stood between me and that dead thing when you did not have to. I do not forget." He then looks over the whole group in turn. "Whomever we do elevate," he says, pausing a little longer on Warren, "I would ask that they keep some perspective. There is a vast gulf between a band of killers carrying a letter of marque and the government of a nation, particularly as the only nation in these lands worthy of the name is the Bone Ravens." Of them all, Anwel feels his experience in government best qualifies him to make such a statement. Not to mention that, given Warren's stated philosophy of command, he feels that Vinur would make a better general.
"Oh, and Andrei," he says, trying to change the subject, "it might be a good idea to let Vrag - the bugbear - see us talking to one of the goblins as he wakes up. Let him think we know more than we do; if we can convince him of that, he may be less reticent." Anwel takes a few steps toward the nearest bound goblin.
"If we are to take a vote, I suppose I will have to. . .abstain. I apologize, I do not know enough about any of you, and have not been travelling with anyone long enough to suggest one over another." That was not entirely true, but it was more convenient than complete honesty. In truth, if Imon had to choose whose orders to follow, it would be Warren. He held his tongue because he wasn't yet sure if that was out of appreciation that Warren had offered him a full stake in this expedition, when he had no real reason to, or if it was because his and Warren's views on the creatures they faced seemed to match pretty well, or if he favored Warren simply because he felt the druid would make a more effective leader.
Imon knew that Anwel would not appreciate his opinion. The elf seemed decent enough, but Imon couldn't help but wonder where all this talk of making peace with monsters and bandits came from. Regardless, the constant debates about philosophy needed to end. If the group couldn't come to some common agreement as far as methods and motivation were concerned, then they would all die out here, each of them alone, and with that, an idea.
"Since we aren't going anywhere for a little while at least, I propose a declaration of intent from each of us, if only to know once and for all where each of us stand. I am no lawman. I was, but I resigned my post when I left Restov. I left because I was tired of hearing stories of travelers being accosted and robbed or killed by bandits and worse, and the authorities were spread to thin in Brevoy to do a thing about it. So I left my post, I gathered up my possessions and came out here, hoping to even the scales, and dispense some real justice on the bandits out here, the kind that doesn't involve being clothed and fed at the public's expense. I had only the faintest notions of the charters being sent out here, and certainly didn't expect to join one. But here I am, and I intend to slay murderers and monsters." He looked around the group, wondering if anyone else would play along, and if so, who would go next.
|
|
Gorax is confused by all this conversation. "The charter gives us no leader, all men are equal." says an emotionless Gorax. "'Tis easy these creatures we fought act just as bandits, the charter says to remove their threat. That's what the lords want. They want the edge of the sword here, not the end of a tongue." He shrugs and continues to speak, not caring if the others are offended or not. "Intent, it is written in the charter to clear the lands of threats to the lords, such they can do what they will. You who know these lords may have you orders above those in the charter. But I know nothing of that, you are all of noble blood and speak well, I will pay my due once we have done our duty." Gorax wipes his ichor splattered hands on his shirt, removing the liquid that would make grasping his sword more difficult. He spits on the floor, then on his hands, rubbing them together.
Looking up and over the camp, he wanders to one of the platforms, where he climbs up the rope, hand over hand, sweat glistens on his brow as he strain and pulls himself up. He see the bodies of his foes, which he unceremoniously picks up, by the hair, by the arm any part of the body he can get a grip on. He heaves them to the side of the platform and dumps them over, letting the dull thud as the bodies hit the ground grow a smile on his face. he looks down at the pile, "You won't threaten us now. I'll be down to burn you later." He throws his head back, before lying out on the platform, and taking in the rays of the sun as it warms his flesh. "Let the lords worry about this, just so long as their not leading us to our deaths."
Warren nods at Gorax's words and continues:
"All but one of us do not want a random leader while some of us do not want a leader at all. That puts us back to our original ent-like command structure. As I follow my original plans to make the land safe for the settlers, I am happy with the blow struck here today. Although I wanted to bypass this very spot, I consider it a worthwhile target of opportunity. If there is no need for an official general, I will continue to do what makes the most from a military perspective."
"Andrei, your disdain for me is plain. I made it clear I do not trust those who keep secrets, and it is obvious that you did not like that. We are far from a band of killers because we did not negotiate with bugbears and goblins. To have a parley, you need someone with the authority to parley. Without a command structure, any discussions we have cannot be considered a parley. We can barely parley amongst ourselves."
Before returning to supervising Tam to consolidate the outpost to just the west side of the river, Warren adds: "Now, leaving this position is not prudent. It can be improved and held against better numbers and provides excellent fields of fire. Rushing out into the unexplored land now and leaving these defenses is something not even Anwel's Baron Cheliax would do. I am not commanding anyone to help me, but I would appreciate it if we worked together to make this location secure while we interrogate these prisoners."
"But fortifying this place does not make sense from a military perspective," says Anwel, whirling around to face the druid again. His body is shaking with frustration. "It would be a total waste of effort. We have already seen that this position, complete with artillery and cavalry, can fall to a force half the size of the defenders'." Anwel steps slowly in towards Warren, til their faces are inches apart. "It was magic that turned the tide, and the Bone Ravens know that. If they have magi among them, they will bring them here when they come to reclaim this outpost, negating our only advantage. Not to mention that we will have to move on eventually. When we do, we will have to cede any improvements we make to the Bone Ravens. If we are to make any changes here, we should pull the platforms out of the trees and send the cannons drifting downstream. Make it less fortified, not more.
"But your concerns are not for the mission." he says accusingly, his voice as quiet as the first falling snowflake that touches off an avalanche. "The mission requires speed, that we find the path to Arrowhead Butte and follow it as quickly as we can. Nor are they for our safety. To stay here is to invite reprisal, while if we fly from this place we have a chance of avoiding it. No, this is about you and me. You are going to play contrary to everything I say unless I do what you want. Very well. You shall have my story. You shall also regret it.
"I am a slave," says Anwel bluntly. "My mistress is the Shadowcountess Dima of the Umbral Court of Nidal. The markings on my arms say I belong to her for those who can read them," he says, with a nod at Stellan. "It was from her I learned my magic, and it was she who sent me here. Far to the south of here is a place where the Shadow Plane bleeds into the mortal realm, and the lands for hundreds of miles around host groups studying the magic of that plane. I was sent here to bring as many of these groups under the sway of the Umbral Court as possible. My mistress thought Restov's project provided a convenient alibi. I saw my time with her as penance for parting from Darl after the fall of the Council, and never finding him again. I see the Restovites' project as another chance to do what I failed to do in Galt. I wish it to succeed. I do not wish it to fall under the Umbral Court's heel, and though my penance is not yet complete I wish to escape that heel myself.
"I said you will regret hearing this, and here is why," he says, turning slowly on the spot with an apologetic look on his face. "My mistress can monitor me from her home in Nisroch. She may know I told you this; I avoided telling you til now so she would not have the opportunity to see me doing so. She can also travel here rapidly through the shadows, to reclaim me and destroy you if she believes I have wavered in my loyalty. It is how she brought me to Restov. No power we now possess can stop her from doing so. Only by hiding my treachery - by not speaking of it, and by appearing to carry out her orders - can I hope to delay her. Only by establishing the settlement on secure foundations can I hope to deter her. And only by allying with as many local powers as possible - the Bone Ravens, repentant bandits, and, if I can ever find them, the shadow magi I am supposed to be seeking for my mistress - can I hope to defeat her."
Anwel's arms fall to his sides, and his shoulders hunch. He looks exhausted, but he no longer shakes. "I have no more secrets. You do not know my whole biography, but my time in Galt and Nidal is more important than my short time at sea or growing up in Kyonin. And you know I need help. I had hoped to prove myself too useful to cast out or to develop a sure means of foiling scrying before telling you any of this, but you had to push. Now I suppose I must ask for your mercy," he says, holding out his wrists to Andrei as if asking to be bound. He hopes by this action to indicate his continued preference for the swordsman as their leader (), as well as to give him the opportunity to exercise judgment.
Andrei looks as if he was going to reply to Imon but pauses when Anwel starts speaking and stands quietly, growing more worried as Anwel's story continues. When Anwel offers him his wrists he pushes them away saying "We have no time for noble sacrifices now, maybe later you can offer yourself up for trial. Now we have a new threat to deal with, one that only you can give us the keys to defeat."
Andrei takes a nervous look around "If this shadowcountess is as powerful as you say we have to assume she is not listening now as if she was there is nothing we could do. So must deal with this quick and avoid talking about again. Firstly lets refer to her by another name so a casual spy on us will not alert her, I suggest Natala." Andrei takes a quick look around the group looking for confirmation and remembers Gorax has gone and calls to him "Gorax, this is important you might want to come and hear."
"Can anyone confirm the power of Natala? If she is as powerful as you say we have little choice but to help Anwel in the hope that one day we can work out a way to deal with her. In the short term however nothing changes, we cannot give a clue of our new knowledge. If anyone has any questions about Natala, ask them now and quickly. My question first, how does she observe you? Does she see what you see and hear or could the spell for passing messages escape her notice or perhaps could you writing messages where you cannot see them yourself escape notice?"
Andrei looks around again now a little more confidently "After any questions we are going to need to pick a leader. We can no longer afford to be disunited, we can give advice and disagree but certain things need to decided and we all need to all unite behind those decisions."
|
|
A call comes from the top of the platform, "I heard, all that slave stuff, but I don't see no chains. Bah! Umpty Courts and what not, sounds like a fairy story gone wrong to me, like what my mum told us when I was a kid." A sound of the man rising on the wood is heard as he feet pad over taking him to the edge of the platform. He looks down, eying Anwel with suspicion, "No damn lady in some far off place is gonna scare me, she's not here is she, what ever you call her. Nata? what was that?" He spits once more over the edge of the platform, takes his waterskin and drinks a long deep draft of pure water.
Confused by the talk of who is to lead, Gorax looks at each of the companions on the expedition, shaking his head from side to side, a look of resignation on it. "So, who is this Captain then?" he asks questioningly. He looks to Warren, and shrugs.
After turning his back about to take his position on the wooden platform once more, he suddenly turns a a gleam in his eye, one of expectation, "So what about a bite to eat?" he asks as though its obvious, after a fight you regain your strength and replenish your energy. "then we'll clean up?"
As he listened to Anwel's story, Imon went from concerned, to worried, to wrathful. His hand went to the dagger at his side, though he managed to keep it sheathed. "You are a spy for the. . ." He had almost said Umbral Court, but paused as he remembered Andrei's suggestion. Imon would be the first to admit that he didn't know much about Nidal or their ways, but he would happily counter that knowing they served the Midnight Lord was enough. "them?! And you mean to tell me that this woman could be here at a moment's notice? As if monsters and bandits were not enough, you threaten to bring the might of an entire nation down on us, witting or not! How can I offer you the tiniest trust, knowing that you are just a puppet on a string?"
Imon paused for a moment, apparently composing himself. When he spoke again, his tone was flat, and his hand was removed from the weapon. "I vote that Warren should lead us. His motives are clear, reasonable, and he has not yet revealed himself as a noose around our neck."
Vinur comes out to join Stellan as the danger ends. Stellan listens to the debates on leadership, ruling, and to camp or go. He opens his mouth to speak when Anwel explodes. Stellan finds himself without words for a second as his various ideas and suspicions coalesce with the new revelations. After more bickering Stellan's temper flares a bit. "Call yourself kings to be, yet disclosure of danger bothers you? Our rivals for this land would die of laughter. I had some ideas about what was going on though not so deeply. I did not - do not care. I never did. There will be an endless amount of hidden agendas, true friends with false faces, false friends with true faces, and more intrigue than you can imagine. I, a country bumpkin, however oddly raised, knew that coming in. This bickering will get us killed, and well deserved. My past brought you danger, more than I even know, so does his." Stellan's hand indicates Anwel. "This land is rich in every way, with resources both mundane and mystic. It will be coveted by the virtuous and the vile. Only a fool would expect otherwise. As to monsters in the land, what is a monster? Someone, something that comes to take your land, steal your work, kill your charges, your kin, and your children. By that standard we are the monsters. That is why I'd like to try peace with someone here, to be better than a raider. I doubt it will succeed though, as I think the 'kill'em all' attitude most of you have is held by most tribes here."
Stellan to to Anwel, "When I examined your scars, I knew that it was a most painful torture, and I can see that bonds of a shattered spirit are stronger than any steel. I thank you for that strength you show in moving against those bonds." With a wry smile, "Though your timing could have been better, I was planning to see if a place in the hills held a cave proof against any scrying I know of, to ask a few questions I did have."
Stellan stops and draws breath. "I was raised with secrets, my true birth, my mother's true origin, and many others. I'll assume people have good reason for it until proven otherwise. As for leadership, one needs desire, trust, flexibility, and insight. Thad has the best of that but I think his focus lies elsewhere, given that, I put forth Andrei for the post now, though I ask he, at a better time, will allow me to explain my postion. Imon is too judgemental, Warren too imperious, Gorax too humble, Anwel too untrusted, Thad too committed elsewhere, so Andrei it is and sorry if it seems by default, because it is." Stellan turns and looks at Andrei, "My only problem is that you burn with ambition to my eyes, that could be dangerous too. But that make you no different than a hundred contenders for this land. Perhaps I judge you falsely." Turning to Imon, "We are all yoked together Imon, body and neck, all the time. This changes nothing, just make you more aware of it."
Stellan resumes his rant. "Let us refresh ourselves, question the captives, and leave here. I don't want to waste half a day, and I don't want to defend a camp with six that cannot be held by more than a dozen."