"If we get it below the tree line, I can try to keep it stunned, or block its ascent with that trick that worked on the flesh-beast. That probably can't keep it down for too long, but hopefully that'll give Gorn time to break a wing."
Tera looks to Varis uneasily at Vanadin's suggestion.
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Gorn finishes with the searching the bodies and nods once, satisfied that this has been a battle well-waged.
"That's a fine plan, Vanadin. Keep it off-balance with your bard's tricks and together we shall slay it with STEEL.
Alright, are we going to stand about bantering the day away or shall we be about it? My sword is wetted and I would not see it dried afore the sun is set."
The Away Party
Moving forward, you reach the clearing Tera spotted. Three large elvers slither through the glade, basking in the ambient magical energy, and atop the altar itself, the manticore reposes. what do you do?
Kezra
four days pursuit, but you've finally caught up with the caravan. You returned home from a (rather successful) hunt, and found the village Burned to the ground, with several bodies. the group is set up a little outside town, with a half dozen cook-fires. This isn't even half the village. What the hell happened?
Grellick, a bastard scion of the Cataaviir estate, is the first to notice your approach. Kezra!, You're alive? We thought... we figured they had caught you unawares. He says Are you okay, injured, what's going on?
Cylus
Hey little guys You hear as Willhem leads you back to the caravan. A young girl, maybe 16, greets you as you arrive. My names Relin, and I'm gonna be the one who gets you two all settled. She leads you over to the campsite proper, and starts introducing you, between introduction explaining So, we need to find a place for you two to sleep.only a ouple families have room in their wagons and tents. Kaylia and Kenan have some space, but I'm not sure they would appreciate another person in their tent. Gorn and Jimmy have some room in their tent, if you can... get past their eccentricities. and Vanadin's got a tent all to himself, mostly cause he's a humna, and a lot of people are scared of Flicker. but he's harmless mostly, you shouldn't be scared of him at all.
Vanadin spends a few moments studying the elvers, thinking over their behavior and tactics.
Tera hands Gorn a belt. It is kind of like swimming. Except you just think about where you want to go.
at the altar
elvers have a decided resemblance to cockatrices in one respect, their bites turn one into a statue. A single bite works slowly, and may be dismissed through magical healing, though multiple bites will greatly speed this process. you also know exactly where the glant they store their poison in is, and could probably extract it, once they are dead.
Gorn, meanwhile, concludes that there is but one solution to the manticore, STEEL! Clearly, wielding his strong blade against the manticore will fell it quickly, and make safe again this forest!
Kezra, this time right
the half elf had directed you to introduce yourself to Tera and Vanadin, that they would talk to you about how this whole thing would work. you made your way to where you knew they were going, past a group of slain spriggans who look like they made some bad choices. and you find the group (a bird-man, a guy with a shimmering light right beside him, and a giant guy with more muscles than a team of Oxen)
They look to be preparing to engage a group of Elver, and a Manticore. What do you do?
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Gorn frowns at the belt Tera handed him like it's a dead worm. The Ogre, as a people, have an innate distrust of magic, hence the rare Ogre-Mage is scene as both an immensely powerful being, and as an outcast from the race, almost a heretic.
But he's not fully an Ogre, and his father had a rather pragmatic few of things, most especially things that can be helpful in the forge, or elsewhere.
Gorn wraps the thing around his lean waist and takes a moment to meditate on it. Indeed, if he allows it, he seems to float in the air.
Immediately a tactic comes to mind. "I shall FLY toward the vile manticore and engage it with STEEL! It shall fall before my mighty blade and then I will fly back and assist you with the skulduggerous elver!
It will be a GLORIOUS battle!
Are you ready my brothers? Hail and kill!"
Gorn starts bouncing on the balls of his feet and working his shoulders, the red rage of bloodlust slowly consuming his every pore.
Tera flaps over next to Gorn and places a talon on his shoulder. Hail and kill, my friend. Hail and kill.
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An elvish woman with sharp golden eyes, wild red hair, and a bow in hand steps silently out of the brush beside you. At her side is a cougar, which purrs in greeting.
"Ho! You three are easier to track than a dozen limping cattle. Looks like I made it just in time too--don't tell me you were going to feed yourselves to that manticore and his plant-eels without me?
"If it's 'Hail and kill' time, prepare to be wowed by the blazing speed of ARROW!"
Kezra grins at the hulking warrior, as she nocks an arrow and raises her bow. "Let's see if I can stun that beast for you before you go ram your head against it."
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Vanadin watches the elvers, waiting for a moment when they are clustered together. "OK, go!" he hisses, before emitting a deep howl. Flicker flashes, and the light in the clearing dims, as a flare erupts in front of the elvers.
When you convince natural lights to bend to
your will, choose one and roll +CHA.
On a 10+, the chosen effect works perfectly.
On a 7-9, it works, but the light is fickle and the effect will not last long - you'll need to hurry to take advantage of it.
On a 6-, the light is sick of being bossed around - the GM chooses one from the list and uses it against
you!
You command the light to attack - temporarily blind or stun a group within Near range.
Tezra's arrow flies through the clearing and smacks the manticore's head backward.
"BAM!", she crows with pride.
Tera rises into the air and flings a throwing dagger in time with Kezra's arrow.
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Cylus places a hand on Willem's shoulder and gives him a congenial nudge to get the oafish young man out of his way. He extends a hand to Relin and puts on a wide smile.
Pleased to meet you, young lady. Relin is it? Relin...Relin...that name rings a bell. Do you hail from Cotswood? Oh never mind, that was Relethin. Silly me!
He lets out a hardy chuckle and walks with her toward the campsite, Willem in tow. As she continues explaining the accommodations, the joy in his voice diminishes significantly.
I see, I see. And these are all the options, yes? No upholstered cart hidden back there with a feather mattress and a cask of wine? No nearby inn with a steaming bath and a lovely bath-maiden just down the road?
He gives Willem a sidelong glance as if to say "This is your fault!", to which Willem shrugs guiltily.
Well I'm sure Vanadin's tent will be adequate for the night. Where will he stay, I wonder? Well no matter. It'll be quite the adventure playing the peasant, won't it lad?
Tera
in your attempts to aid the archer, you alert the beast to your location, the creatures tail moves, almost faster than sight, and unleashed poisonous spikes at you. what do you do?
Kezra
Your arrow saves the ogre a horrific mauling, as the beast reacts slowly to his approach and attack. unfortunately, both you and Lalleath are in the path of spines, as the beast gets off a volley faster than you. What do you do?
Vanadin
The bright light blinds and confuses the elvers, long enough for Gorn to get past, but they rouse quickly (being mostly plant makes them somewhat resistant to sudden lights, maybe?), and dart toward you, though not as fast as the manticore's spines, which are bearing down on your group as well. What do you do?
Gorn
with strong hands, and stronger STEEL, you tear into the beasts flank, spilling its putrid ichor upon the forest floor. the beast barely has strength left, as it moves to face you, making feeble, easily evaded swipes at you. in desperation, it begins to bring its tail up, in an attempt to bring it's venom to bear. How do you answer this challenge, brave warrior?
Cylus
Well, I suspect he'll sleep in the tent. RAelin says, gesturing to the same tent she has put you in. And I guess that means you She gestures to Wilhem, Will bunk with Jimmy and Gorn. Gorn's a little... boistrous, but he's actually a really nice guy, and Jimmy's a good kid. you'll get on, I'm sure.
As she finishes, another figure, you recognize him as a merchant from town, one Oswyn Evyngar, cmes by, arguing with another meber of the caravan. -is an insult to me. I cannot afford to gie you so much for so little.
I know from 4 separate sources that 200 is the price you have given the last 6 caravans you worked with.
Established merchant caravans, with whom I could reasonably expect to do further business. You are vagrants, I must charge you the full price, and that is 270
that price is, in fact, highway robberery, and everyone knows it, but he is also the only merchant in town with enough stock to supply a caravan. do you intervene?
Tera raises his shield, hoping the spines will not pierce through.
Kezra shouts "Dive!" to her cougar Lalleath, and they attempt to dive as one behind a nearby boulder. As she doe, Kezra attempts to keep her bow trained on the Manticore.
Vanadin dives in the opposite direction from Kezra, as Flicker tries to shield him from some of the spines.
Vanadin successfully dodges most of them, and Flicker blocks the last one, but manticore venom apparently interacts with...whatever Flicker is. The light can't seem to shift out of its protective form.
Vanadin comes out of his roll and charges the nearest elver; he barely has time to realize what's happening and draw his staff before he's reached the serpent-plant, and he lays into it.
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"Blood and Glory! Honor and STEEL!" Gorn bellows, uncharacteristically flying while swinging his massive blade. As the monster brings is envenowmed spikes into play, Gorn reacts to it as he does to most threats--by trying to CLEAVE IT IN TWAIN!
Alas, he has not yet grown used enough to the odd sensation of flight and his balance is greatly thrown off by the lack of ground beneath his feet.
Willem looks crestfallen, but nods quickly casting his eyes to the ground. Cylus flashes Raelin a pained grin.
Very well, very well!
As Cylus prods Willem to gather up their belongings, he listens intently to the conversation with Oswyn. Trade being one of Cylus's self-proclaimed specialties, he makes his way over and claps the merchant on the back. They're barely acquaintances, Oswyn and Cylus, but he has a sharp memory for faces and names.
Ho ho, good friend Oswyn Evyngar! What an unexpected surprise! Tell me how is Lindy? Still a ravishing beauty I'd wager. And the children? I remain convinced that the god of light delivered them to your door, angels that they are.
What brings you to our humble caravan? Perhaps you are here to donate to our humanitarian cause? A little altruism to start the day, yes?
Cylus is boisterous and full of mirth as he fast-talks the greedy merchant. Sure Lindy is many leagues from ravishing and Oswyn's children are as average as white paint, but as they say, perception is reality.
Tera
Your shield absorbs the impact of the spines, sparing you the impalment. however, one of them still knicks you, enough to deliver a dose of the venom.
Manticore venom draws people deeper into the feywild, while simultaneously tearing away their protections. when one is under the effects of manticor venom, deal an addition d4 damage when they deal damage. extremely high doses have been known to draw one fully into the eccentric and dangerous world of the fey.
Kezra
The wide, dense spread of the spines forces you to use a different roll than usual. in the middle of your roll, you feel your quiver lose hold of its contents, spilling them onto the forest floor. youstill have the arrow you held knocked, but the rest are out of cover, a meter and a half away. what do you do?
Vanadin
your staff impacts hard on the elvers skull, setting it back, and drawing quite a bit of green blood. The elvers are shrugging off the light, and recovering. you'll be surrounded soon, what do you do?
GORN!
Faced with your STEEL, the coward-beast has no choice but to resort to poison and ranged attacks, throwing a spike at you without bringing it's tail within range of you STEEL! the spike bites deep, and you feel the poison clawing into your veins!
Cylus
Evyngar is visibly taken aback when you mention his family, apparently surprised you would remember them after a brief introduction. he recovers quickly, however. Cylus, right? I remember you. I'm just here on business, as it happens. perhaps you could help me explain the situation for this young lady. I am offering her three weeks provisions for 30 people at 400 coin, however, she insists that I give better deals to other caravans, quoting 3 weeks at 200, not taking into account that most caravans are smaller, and they are reliable customers. he sighs, looking toward you, expecting an ally in this. Our? he asks, suddenly noticing a word are you travelling back to the city with this village then?
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Ah! Observant as ever, Oswyn. You tricky goose! As it happens, I am travelling with this group. Call it wanderlust, a sense of adventure, a mid-life crisis.
Willem audible smirks at Cylus's comment, but quickly recovers when Cylus catches him out of the corner of his eye.
As for the price of your provisions, you must forgive my traveling companion here. I told her weeks ago that if a merchant should offer you a copper north of 200 coin, to take a deep breath, fill your lungs to the brim, and laugh heartily and loudly until you simply cannot laugh anymore. Surely a merchant like that is putting on a comedic performance and would appreciate an enthusiastic audience.
And yet here she is, not an ounce of mirth to share. The young never listen, do they Oswyn? Let us talk, you and I, and negotiate a fair price for these provisions.
Cylus walks the man off, talking his ear off about economic theory, pricing models, market elasticity, customer satisfaction, and other drivel.
Noticing Gorn's confusion with flying, Tera moves in to provide support.
Vanadin presses his attack, while trying to keep his back to the rest of the party and the elvers in front of him.
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"Cowardly hedge-born scrounger!" Gorn cries as he rips the envenomed spike from his chest and throws it to the ground! "I shall your spine from your feeble back and spill thy entrails upon the ground! I am the soul descendant of the fire and the rage! I was wrought upon the earth, born to rule and battle wage!" the flying half-orge cries as he arcs smoothly and dives at the beast, his mirrored blade leading the way!
Tera follows Gorn with ease, wary for strikes that might penetrate the fighter's defenses.
"Dammit!" the ranger spits as she sees the precious contents of her quiver spilt on the ground.
Despite her frustration, her shot rings true, hitting the manticore in the face for the second time. "Haha! Let the glory and beauty of Kezra's BOW be known throughout this fair land."
in the glade
gorn's mighty blade bores into the beast, spraying acrid blood onto the altar, though not before it can tear into him with claw and tooth, desperation driving it to ferocity . but the final blow goes to Kezra, who puts an arrow between the Manticor's eyes, and relegates it to the Psychopomps
meanwhile, Vanadin finishes one elver, but finds himself penned in by the two who remain, while Flicker still struggles to dismiss the fey magic. what does everyone do?
Cylus
Tera deftly moves his shield to block the bulk of the manticoe's strike. As it falls, he draws another dagger and flings it at one of the Elvers.
The owlman dives after his dagger, drawing his sword in the process and following through with a slice down the thing's spine.
Glancing with dismay at her spilled arrows, Kezra draws her sword and hustles up behind Vanadin, attempting to sever a snake's head.
Turning to her cougar she says, "Ready...now!"
Lalleath spooks one of the elvers, driving it right toward Kezra's blade.
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Gorn roars in pain as in its death throes that terrible monster RAKES his chest with its razor sharp claws, only Tera's quick action saving him from an appalling wound.
"Yes! Yes! Let the blow comes swift and the blood run red! The beast has fallen to the power of STEEL! Let us descend unto its lowly cronys and make this verdant green safe for good men evermore!"
Gorn circles in midair, a surreal gravity-defying move for one so big, and DIVES down, swinging at the first eldar elver that should be unfortunate enough to cross his path!
Gorn completes his attack, swinging the Blade of the Aquilonian Kings in a grand, sweeping arc, apparently showing off. For a moment nothing happens as he stands in a picturesque pose. Then a nearby tree falls, improbably coming down and CRUSHING an attacking elver!
Vanadin focuses on using his staff to keep the Elvers at bay until the rest of the group arrives.
Kezra breaks out in a belly laugh at Gorn's comment. "The steel was a most appreciated assist, but did you happen to notice the Manticore fell to an ARROW through it's skull? If you want to get technical, I suppose you could praise FLINT too."
As Vanadin whacks an elver away from her shin, Kezra adds, "And speaking of assists, thanks Vanadin. I imagine a bite from one of those would be unpleasant."
Cylus is in his element, spinning Oswyn's words this way and that. He hints plainly that merchants who expect long term success, and the respect of their peers, know how to recognize an opportunity when it comes before them.
Kezra groans. Turning to Vanadin she asks, "He can see the arrow sticking out of it's forehead, right?"
Vanadin waves off the thanks. "Pretty sure we're even on that front. As far as Gorn...I think he can see the arrow, I just don't think he cares."
The glade
You definitely kill the elvers... at this point, you've done enough damage to kill them about 3 times over. It is to you lot to sort out who the kills belong to.
On the altar is a ring, made of 4 interwoven bands (silver, cobalt, Iron, and copper). Probably the result of the ritual that got this site overrun.
Cylus
Damn me Oswyn says I suppose you won't stop this until I lower my prices? Very well, the supplies could, I suppose, be sold for 300. Is that acceptable?
Cylus laughs and grins widely.
You know me all too well. We're like brothers, you and I. Comrades in coin! How about this. We settle at 250, not a coin more.
He pauses for effect, reading the inevitable protestations on Oswyn's face. Just as Oswyn is about to speak.
Oh I know what you're about to say. I'd be a fool to allow such a deal. Not just a fool, the king of all fools! I might as well gives these supplies away. But my good and dear friend, Oswyn, I have what the humans call "icing on the cake".
You see trade with my people is, well, difficult. So many rules and traditions, not to mention the tariffs! Not since the days of Emperor Tosswobble have our laws been so utterly convoluted. Cylus places a hand to his chest and bows his head. Gods rest his soul.
A brief moment of silence later, he launches back into it.
Lucky for you, you've stumbled across a guide. An oracle. A veritable artist in the opaque ways of my people. Normally my services would cost a pretty penny, but...well...I suppose I could put in a good word next time I visit the ol' homeland, maybe push through some of that pesky paperwork. What say you, wise Oswyn?!
Kezra rolls her eyes at the muscled warrior. She collects her arrows, refilling her quiver, and then walks over toward the altar.
As she does, she turns to the company she finds herself in. "Well, I heard someone was out to hunt unnatural dangers. I'm glad I caught up in time to share in the glory. Not to mention"--she grins at Gorn--"keeping you from getting yourself killed."
She dusts her hands off on her camouflaged leathers and offers a hand to the crew.
Lalleath comes over and nuzzles his head against her hip.
"Anyway, I'm Kezra Tern. Best hunter in twenty leagues. Who exactly are you, and what brings you here?"