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Korag frowns. "Words are worth little, as you know." His eyes dart towards the fire.
"Go and make yourselves useful in the camp. Come back to me for afternoon-feeding."
He steps outside the tent and ushers you out with sweeps of his muscled arms.
He speaks quickly in Sylvan, in an accent that makes it harder for Elbrynn to follow, but the gist is "These two legs want to prove themselves. They say they mean no harm. They are not as strong as centaurs, but give them tasks a foal can do. Cleaning latrines, sweeping, gathering logs, and so forth. Farrok, Shal, Gelgas, you will report." Two sturdy centaur women and an elder centaur male (Gelgas, you reckon) nod immediately.
The three centaurs lead you to a pile of tools--large flat shovels, axes, rakes and the like.
"Magic is allowed as well, witch," says Gelgas to Yrja, somewhere in the realm between hissing and kindness. It's a bit hard to tell as Gelgas has a few broken teeth.
Latrine Duty
Wood gathering
Fetch Water
Lay down Pine Needles over mud
Fire tending (not main fire)
Making Snares
Foraging for Berries/Mushrooms etc
Tent Mending
You can use Athletics, Survival, Kn Nature, Crafting, and Fort Saves, and/or magical abilities if appropriate. Make two rolls--they can be of the same skill or different.
Orik is a little flustered by the reaction of the centaurs but starts making snares and foraging for the centaur. Despite his distraction, his superior skills in the matter come through, and he's somewhat successful, letting his hands complete the tasks, somewhat on auto-pilot - with a serviceable result, if nothing spectacular.
Oh, chores she could do! Not so different than under Mahb's instruction, perhaps with less yelling. Yrja is happy to gather some deadfall and mend the tents. Her stitching is masterful, and she even adds a few elements of embroidery here and there with motifs she saw in the leader's own tent.
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A crowd starts to gather to watch Orik make his snares, commenting rapidly in Sylvan. Some appreciation and of course, joking back and forth, with a few guffaws and shoves, the kind that would probably break even a half-orc's ribs, among the onlookers.
They are further impressed as Orik brings in clusters of oyster mushrooms and morels and snowberries, dripping with snowmelt and glittering even in the dull grey of the day.
Yrja adds some excellent finery to the centaurs' tents and other items to be mended, causing the foals to buck around with delight, with a few sharp words from the mare-women, who comment and clearly complain to their mates about the general lack of filigree and beading on their garments.
Dez tries to use the opportunity to entertain the foals, even at risk of making himself look a little ridiculous. He moves acrobatically around the fires and and thrusts with panache to keep the fires lit. At a moment when a number of foals are watching, he uses his extract of long arm to tend the fires from a distance.
At quieter moments, he takes the chance while fire tending to observe the centaur camp, with fascination.
Almost all children and most adults like sweets, so Elbrynn watches the team get to their tasks and decides finding berries might be the one things that both he AND Rising Star could help with. His friend would likely be able to smell them long before Elbrynn would, which made him think. There would have to be other birds who already knew where they could find berries.
Elbrynn casts Commune with Birds & Speak with Animals so that he and Rising Star can ask the local avians where there might be some excellent berries growing; places where it might be very difficult for centaurs to reach.
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The centaurs give a murmur almost of horror when the devilish looking tiefling extends his arms--then race to follow him, shouting and cheering as he lights a number of fires about the camp, banking the logs and setting them with the greatest of ease. At the end of it all, they carry him back to the main fire, cheering loudly.
Elbrynn gains a following of centaurs, astounded as he speaks with the birds, who bring him berries and even chunks of honeycomb, dripping with golden goodness.
By the time the heroes have regathered, there's no need for Gelgas, Shal, or Farrok to report anything to Korak Kaag. He has long since watched the merry bands of centaurs following the two-legs about, transforming the camp in what seemed like a blink of an eye--although, to be fair, it was actually a few hours of sweaty work.
He shakes his head, a very equine and human motion at the same time, grins, and clears his throat.
Speaking in crude Taldan, he issues a loud proclamation. ""
The centaurs raise up on two legs, rearing like the hugest destriers you have ever seen, howling and hooting. A few stay up on two legs, balancing for as long as they can, pretending to be each of you, casting spells or making long arms or talking to birds, to great uproarious laughter. The young man-taur who imitates Yrja well gets some of the biggest laughs as he totters from tent to tent, pretending to sew with a mock-shy face.
Korak turns back to all of you, who by now have large drinking horns of kvass in your hands.
"Is witchcraft, yes, but good witchcraft that you do. You may stay here, and I have a guide for you. Erdija, come." A tall and muscled mare-woman clops up, already with two drinking horns, shoving an eager man-taur out of her way effortlessly, and stands at attention.
"I come to realize," says Korak thoughtfully, "That not knowing enough about Ar-tross-sah is a liability for my hoof clan. Therefore, Erdija, an excellent ranger, will guide you, and will return stories to me about what you find. She and her family know the place better than most, and she is good in a fight. Don't get on her backside," he says with a chuckle. (you take this to mean 'bad side'...or any other connotations...)
Erdija salutes you with both drinking horns with a serious look, then gives a smile as one sloshes a bit on to her arm. "Unlike this giant side of beef, I speak Taldane," she says in Iobarian accented, but clear Common. "I look forward to working with you, two-legs."
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Although his countenance remains calm, Dezső is very moved by the centaurs' enthusiastic reception to his efforts to entertain. Following Korak's declaration and introduction, Dez thanks Korak most formally and then takes a mighty gulp of kvass and raises the horn in salute to Korak and the Voaldyn. He bows deeply and formally to Erdija and salutes her with another big gulp from the horn. "I am honored to meet you Erdija and thank you for your guidance. You can trust that we will follow your lead and fight fiercely by your side."
Dezső will spend the night in revelry, letting his guard down more than usual, after the warm reception from the centaurs -- such warmth and acceptance being so unfamiliar to him. Even before the drink, he hardly feels the cold , and he again muses to himself that his natural comfort in the cold is perhaps a sign that his true home is in the colder climates of recent weeks.
Dez will look for opportunities to bond with Erdija and Korak in the revelry, and do more tricks for the foals and any others. For fun, he will use his tail to hold his horn of kvass. If he overdoes it, as seems likely, he will make fun of himself and flatter the fortitude of the hosts (finding someone to help translate): (slurring)"I ... am but a puny two-legs... a skinny one at that ... how can I drink kvass like the mighty Vaoldyn?" But he promises Erdija he will be a capable traveling companion, despite his inability to handle large quantities of kvass...
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The large celebration is a new experience for Yrja, so the young witch mostly sticks with her companions, helping translate where needed. She seems very excited about Erdija travelling with them, and asks the warrior mare-woman a dozen questions about the area, the tribe and so forth. Aside from a polite gulp of kvass, she avoids drinking and spends most of her time lurking on the periphery of groups, her eyes drinking in the patterns and decorations on their clothing.
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Elbrynn takes a moment to gaze at his hunting brother, and to say a prayer of thanks to Ketephys for the bounty of their 'hunt' today. While most of the result was probably predictable, the fascination of the centaurs was not. He had been immersed in elven culture and surrounded by magic for so much of his life, it was hard to imagine the clan would be so amazed.
Elbrynn smiles at Erdija, taking just a sip of kvass until he realizes that it is like a very very very ancient elven beverage also made using natural fermentation. He drinks deeply as he remembers a life long ago.
"Today I learned a lesson, which in itself is rarer and rarer as I get older, and yet rarer still given its origin."
He looks over and smiles again, at Rising Star
"As we spoke of the clan, and the differences of our people's, Rising Star laughed in the way birds laugh and said, "2 legs, 4 legs, 8 legs ... to us an elf, a centaur, an anadi are all the same. No-Wings." I will admit, I had never looked at culture through his eyes."
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"Ha! No-Wings!" A young buck laughs uproariously, having clearly imbibed a bit of kvass already, and perhaps other things, and swings to clap Elbrynn on the back, fortunately missing. Several centaurs try flapping their arms to no avail and laugh as well. "Like hippogriff!" says one, this comment releasing more guffaws.
Erdija holds a quiet chat with Yrja, Dez occasionally listening in. "I haven't been inside--none of us have. Centaurs, you know--we don't like stairs, and close quarters." She chuckles and waves to some friends who pass by, then returns with a serious stare at the two tieflings. "However, I will guide you, and follow even, for as far as you'll let me." She looks towards Korak Kaag. "It's in our best interests to understand threats here, and Artrosa is a threat."
She listens with great intent to your tales of Taldor and the winter portal of Irrisen. It's clear that she is taking unwritten notes on all the threats you list...including a few queries about your own abilities.
Orik is busily engaged in a rather tipsy game of shooting arrows at distant targets with one eye covered when Dez rides by, or rather, passes in front of the archers, carried around by one of the mare-women in a muscly embrace. Orik's archer companions complain loudly, but Dez and his companion are soon out of sight.
Erdija gives more information to Yrja: The Voaldyn are the first line of defense among the Rashalka for the Tsolnyva centaurs to the North. They had also heard of Baba Yaga's Irriseni curse, and didn't like the idea of an already cold Iobaria becoming another place of eternal winter. She tells of how there are four clans in the Rashalka: Phelor to the south, and in the more difficult north, Voaldyn, Tsurvom, and Kraask. Interestingly, Korak Kaag shares power with Aglaya Kurdst, a mare-woman chieftain. She rules over part of the clan still in their city, Vurnirn, a former Cyclopes ruin that is a bustling centaur settlement. While the city dwellers can stay in one place, scarce resources mean that the centaurs rotate throughout the Hoofwood nomadically, via the Hoofpaths.
Eventually she shouts at Farrok, who drags Dez' abductor back to the main fire and makes her drop Dez'. A brief chastisement in Sylvan follows.
You are offered to share a spacious tent with Erdija, who shoos various drunken centaurs away. The tent is not in the innermost ring of clan tents, but it's well put together, with a warm fire and fresh pine needles for bedding. There's a basket of food--centaurs like to snack--and a whisk and a brush and some curved metal implements whose purpose becomes clear as your hostess uses them to clean the frogs of her hooves, and files a bit, checking for any stones or stuck twigs.
"Don't mind me," Erdija says with a chuckle. "I will stand and nap, and occasionally lie down to sleep. Yes, like a horse. Unlike a horse, I will use the latrines. You do the same," she says, wagging a finger especially at Dez and Orik, who look a little unsteady.
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The tent feels very homely and cozy, and Yrja is immediately excited by it; she explores all the furnishings and trappings, watching Erdija as she cleans her hooves.
"Would you like me to brush any bits that you can't reach yourself?" she offers, nodding at the brush.
On his back foot because of their earlier interaction, Orik takes advantage of their hospitality but does not revel in it. Normally fairly serious, he does not particularly relent in his attitude, and though he does participate in a target-shooting contest, he mostly listens to their others as they revel, and tries to keep his head down. He will heal and provide solace to those centaurs who are injured or tired, and bless the people and their camp, muttering prayers.
When Erija offers them a place to sleep, he grunts thankfully, ”we spent a great deal of time in the cold wilds - one more day would not have hurt, but the gesture is appreciated.” He speaks to Erdija with Yrja as a translator,”we have heard fell things about this land. My faith preserves me, but I am worried. There is said to be disease - should we prepare for this?”-
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Erdija chuckles and bends, looking something like an Ustalavian sausage with legs, all the way to brush her own tail. "We are big, but we are flexible. However, it is customary among my people to braid each other's hair." She wiggles her fingers towards Yrja's own raven mane, should she accept mutual beautification.
Orik comes in a little later than the rest, tired from healing a few foals lamed from stonefoot and one with a nasty cut on a fetlock. Erdija nods soberly at his question.
"We Rashalka and other tribes are immune...two-legs, not so much. It's not a good disease, to get the Dvezda Plague. However...it's very rare indeed. You have only an extremely slim chance of getting it. Only if you were to stay here a year would there be much of a chance, and even then it's rare. Did you know--it not only killed off the two-legs, but it also killed off the dragons? It also killed off many centaur clans," she concludes darkly. "We paid for our resistance to this plague dearly."
She brightens for a moment. "Oh, of course there is one dragon, to the north, a real rivok. He's too stubborn to die. But I heard that the big two-legs--taiga giants, are thinking of moving against him. We heard the dragon is talking to the Tsolniva centaurs, and they're a bunch of rivok as well." She waves a hand. "All those things--angry centaurs, giants, and that jerk of a dragon--they are north of us and north of Artrosa. Cold places. We don't have to go there and I don't plan to," she says with a laugh.
Yrja responds to the offer of mutual hair-braiding with enthusiasm. "Oh, I'd love to! I've been thinking of trying this pattern where you braid three braids together."
She is braiding Erdija's mane as Orik comes in, and she frowns at the centaur's answer. "If it is so rare to get the plague, how did it kill off the two-legs?" she wonders, more to herself than actually expecting an answer.
Dez half listens from his bed of pine needles as the room spins around him, feeling both a little over-tipsy but also pleased at the night of revelry -- he was perfectly happy to be carried along on the tide of the centaurs' enthusiasm. He tries to pay attention to the information being exchanged, but eventually falls asleep/passes out. If there's to be a watch, it won't be Dez watching...
Orik's mouth is as thin of a line as possible, given the two large incisors sticking up from his jaw. "Alright, well, then we shouldn't stay too long. I can keep myself healthy, but there are limits. Estig takes care of as many as he can, but I would not test his patience long. The gods may have a reason for abandoning Iobaria - this place may not be for two-legs. I am not in the habit of testing their patience," he grumbles, then excuses himself gruffly, "sorry. Anyway."
He extends a hand, "I know my way around the wilds, but we'd be glad for company and help, if you can, and if you wish to. It's good to learn about threats, learn how to fight monsters and such - Artrosa may be a proving ground for you." He rubs his temple, "for my part, I'm going to sleep. I hope nobody kills us, goodnight." He nods, and pats Yrja on the back before leaning against some sacks, grabbing a hat, and putting it over his head.
"It lives in cities, the plague does, I think." Erdija says, brushing Yrja's hair. "The humans lived there, and died there."
***
Soon after braiding and chatting time, you all bed down in the tent. Erdija, true to her word, naps standing up, and then settles down on the pine needle bed, occasionally snorting in her sleep.
You are all in peaceful slumber when the sound of snuffling disturbs your sleep, and the smell of something seedy and burnt itches your nostrils.
Rising in alarm, you can see three bluish humanoids with upper bodies like giant apes and lower hindquarters like goats, in the process of entering your tent!
Night Terrors, Round 1!
Erdija
Elbrynn
Dez
Yrja
Creatures
Orik
Erdija retrieves her bow and quiver smoothly and releases arrows at the first beast.
For a moment it looks like her first arrow hits a vital spot, but the creature grins and shrugs it off, and says something in a language that enrages Erdija.
[spoiler=Jotun] "Pathetic female."
All but Orik are up! 1 move action to grab weapon if needed.
Dez shakes the fog from his head and is still reeling in confusion about what is happening, but seeing Erdija spring into action and the unfamiliar figures in the tent, he realizes the danger and instinctively grabs his flaming rapier and drinks his mutagen (+4 to DEX; +2 to natural armor; -2 WIS for 50 min), using his tail to pull the bottle out of his handy haversack.
Yrja awakens in a daze, trying to get her bearings in an unfamiliar place. Sadly, the situation of being ambushed in their sleep was becoming rather familiar, so the witch is quick to gather her wits and try to hex the closest creature.
Elbrynn had his bow nearby as well, and quickly gets an arrow off, even as he calls out to Rising Star to return to the tent to harry their assailants.
The hex settles upon the first creature like a cold, slimy glaze. Right afterward, it takes an arrow to its shoulder, to no visible effect.
The first creature rushes at Dez. Erdija drops her bow and knocks at the creature with her sword.
It fails to attack Dez, blocked by the centaur.
The second one rushes at Orik.
The third creature aims at Erdija.
Erdija 54/69 hp
Elbrynn
Dez
Yrja
Creature A Hexed 9 rounds, -4 HP, Creature B, Creature C
Orik, awaiting AoO and attack.
Orik is up!
Orik snaps at one of the enemies as it passes, and then retrieves his bow before stepping back slightly and firing one of his durable arrows at the enemy.
Unfortunately, he's not very accurate. He grits his teeth, "this'll go badly for us if we aren't careful."
Dez nods in thanks to Erdija for blocking the attack.
He makes a knowledge check (a free action in PF1e) to identify these creatures and any important info about them, such as weaknesses or particularly dangerous attacks:
He then studies the creature in front of him as a move action (studied combat) and strikes like a viper with his fiery rapier, a wild look in his eyes:
Orik stops the creature's slam in its tracks, but fails to even draw blood. It sneers at him, uttering something in Jotun.
"Weakling. You bite like a toothless old crone."
Dez identifies the creatures.
These thuggish ape-goat creatures are Andrazku, known as 'misogyny demons'. Summoned from the Abyss, they use strength and tracking skills to hunt down weaker prey and destroy them. They are resisting your attacks unless you use cold iron or good-aligned weapons or spells, and are resistant to a degree to a host of things: fire, cold, electricity, and spells...but...if you break through their resistance to fire, they are then vulnerable to any further damage, if that helps. In short, they are tough fighters, and you're certain they have other tricks up their sleeve. You note that Yrja hexed one easily and suspect their wills are weak, as they are dull-witted and gullible.
Erdija is furious at the creatures, screaming at them in heavily accented Sylvan and Iobarian. You can't fully follow it, but it's something like
"Sons of dog-harlots!...stick your faces up each others'...and make gruel from your bones!"
She then gallops over the creatures. The one near Dez escapes damage, but the other two...
Again, the creature near Orik is missed by her flashing hooves, but the middle creature is struck twice by her flight from the tent. She rushes outside and wheels around, eyes glittering.
Dez is like a viper with his rapier, unerringly sticking the ape-goat with his blade. It grunts in surprise.
Round 2
Erdija 54/69 hp, acted
Elbrynn
Dez, acted
Yrja
Creature A Hexed 9 rounds, -8 HP, Creature B, -14 HP, Creature C
Orik
Elbrynn, Yrja are up!
Yrja whoops and cheers as Erdija stomps a few of these creatures. "They are saying very rude things. I don't think I like them very much."
Focusing on the one who had been affected by her first hex, she layers another one.
The creature snarls and shakes its head like a bull tormented by a fly--it nearly throws off the hex, but it is indeed Misfortuned.
Elbrynn can feel his friend Star outside, agitated; Elbrynn takes a moment before his shot to make sure his friend can understand him
"Make all the noise you can my friend! Wake the other no-wings! Their camp is under attack!!"
Elbrynn makes the shot true, but the hexed demon ignores the arrow as if nothing touched it.
Star begins to keen and call, and you can soon hear grumbling from centaur tents.
The demons fight back in earnest. The one near Dez swings its massive arms at the tiefling, still smarting at the hexes affecting it.
The one nearest the tent flap opens its mouth and breathes an icy cold cone of freezing mist at Yrja. "Witch," it growls in extremely poor Taldane, and continues in Jotun, uttering a series of rather disgusting slurs against women in general.
The one next to Orik bares huge fangs and bites at the half-orc.
The hexed demon looks like it might connect with Dez once...but fate is aligned against it, and both powerful swings miss the Ustalavian.
The second demon's breath, foul and cold, reaches Yrja.
Orik is well and truly gored by the third demon's tusks, leaving bloody holes in his shoulder.
Round 2
Erdija 54/69 hp, acted
Elbrynn, acted
Dez, acted
Yrja, needs DC17 Reflex roll
Creature A Hexed 9 rounds, -8 HP, Creature B, -14 HP, Creature C
Orik, 49/56 hp (5 from teeth, 1 from cold (minus DR), 1 from bleed)
Orik the Bloody is up!
Orik steps away, and glances at everyone, summoning divine magic to power up all of their weapons.
He doesn’t seem to take notice of his bleeding, but he frowns at the demon angrily.
Orik's spell reaches Erdija as well, and she grins as the magic touches her bow.
While her second shot does not fly true, the first one does, feathering the demon between Elbrynn and Yrja.
[/b]Rest of the party is up![/b]
"I don't like these one bit," declares Yrja as she glares at the creatures who a) disturbed her sleep, b) are attacking her and her friends, and c) are using some very, very rude language.
All three demons groan as they fall under the curtain of despair that Yrja draws upon them.
Dez again strikes like a viper with his rapier.
With his move action, he will make a step to better shield Yrja from the foul creatures.
As a Brightness Seeker, Elbrynn proves once again that all of his former lives were NOT spent in cultures of archers ...
Round 3
Erdija 54/69 hp, acted
Elbrynn, acted
Dez, acted
Yrja 39/45 hp
Creature A Hexed 8 rounds, -33 HP, Creature B, -25 HP, Creature C
Orik, 49/56 hp (5 from teeth, 1 from cold (minus DR), 1 from bleed)
The clumsy and bloodied demon swings at Dez...Dez notes that the fire burnt it more now that Orik has stripped it of many a resistance.
Despite being doubly hexed and dealt a blow with crushing despair, the demon manages to land one measly blow on the Ustalavan tiefling.
The second demon wisely avoids Yrja, and unleashes a terrific flurry of strikes...all of them connecting with Elbrynn!
dice=Slam 1]1d20+8[/dice]
In contrast, the third demon's attacks fail to even come close to Orik.
Orik up again!
Orik snaps at the closest one, and then steps away, firing arrows at the most injured.
Orik snaps at the nearer andrazku, but he misses, his tusk goring the air instead.
His arrows land in the demon near Dez, though, and both strike deep. It sneers at Orik in Jotun. "Sympathizer. Half-woman." It doesn't look incredibly vitalized, though, and its insults land with less weight than before.
Erdija unleashes two arrows as well, and issues another cry to alert the camp, yelling in Sylvan. You can hear the sounds of clomping hooves as centaurs emerge from their tents.
One arrow goes wide, but the first shot lands on the middle andrazku's flank. It hisses and glances behind at the relatively distant centaur. "She-mare! I'll hobble you for this..." It continues to list some truly cruel equine torture scenarios in Jotunspeech.
Round 4
Erdija 54/69 hp, acted
Elbrynn -15 hp, bleed a-comin'
Dez, -3hp
Yrja, -6 hp
Creature A Hexed 8 rounds, -45 HP, Creature B, -20 HP, Creature C
Orik, 48/56 hp (1 from bleed)
Everyone is up!
Dez stoically takes the hit from the creature and strikes again, hoping to bring the foul thing down so he can turn to another. With a flash of fire he drives his rapier through the demon's throat.
3 of those are fire; the rest are piercing. Dez's rapier has weapons against evil on it. The creature cannot take any AoO this next round (sapping offensive).
If that kills the creature, then Dez will use his move action to move to engage creature B. Otherwise, he will hold his position blocking access to Yrja.
A sharp intake of breath signals that Yrja understands what these demons are saying and does not approve of it one bit. In fact, the witch seems angry, uncharacteristically so.
"I was going to put you to sleep."
She considers her options. She could do some painful things to them, but one version of that risked setting Erdija's tent on fire, so no.
"Fill them full of arrows."
She then smirks at the demons, speaking in Jotun. "You are so pathetic, it will be a relief for you for my friends to end your miserable existence."
Dezső's rapier spits the demon like a shrimp on a cocktail skewer, and it drops to the tent floor. Its form grows still and begins to grow hazy and indistinct, as the mixture of evil souls that forms its essence leaks back to the Abyss like grease sluicing out of a dirty pan.
Yrja turns to the demon near Orik, and easily loops a hex over it, causing it to howl with alarm.
Outside, you can hear the sounds of battle--shouts by centaurs, and snarls by other fell creatures.
Elbrynn is up!
Elbrynn fires again, hopeful that he will not expire before speaking to Rising Star on more time ...
Elbrynn does a solid hit on the demon nearest to him.
Round 4
Erdija 54/69 hp, acted
Elbrynn -15 hp,
Dez, -3hp
Yrja, -6 hp
Demon A-DEAD, Demon B, -33 HP, Misfortuned, Demon C
Orik, 48/56 hp (1 from bleed)
The aforementioned demon screams at Elbrynn in a rage and flails at him.
Every attack misses, due to Yrja's Misfortune Hex!
The other demon steps away and begins muttering to itself in a foul mixture of arcane speech and Abyssal. It sounds truly horrible to the ear.
A shape begins to form, mistily...and then dissipates. The demon has failed to bring another of its brethren!
Orik is up!
Orik is hasted, and so grimly sets to peppering the remaining demons with his now vaguely good-aligned arrows.
He then steps up to try and bite one!