Realizing his stupidity, Braegan switches to a position in the group more toward the middle. He grins sheepishly at the group’s wilderness experts. ”Guess I should let the experts expert, huh?”
At the crest, he, too, pauses to consider what’s next, searching the frozen terrain for threats or clues as Aska—hidden in a tree ahead—does the same.
He looks sideways at Dezso, "Even if your purpose is to march across the frozen-ass wilderness looking for things that want nothing more than to skin your butt and eat it?" He gives a half-grin, "I mean, it's heroic as hell, but right about now, I'd love to have a warm tavern and a lively crowd."
He looks at the two, "But I'm glad you both are with us."
Chiquq doesn't mind the chilling air-- this is home-temperatures to her, though she accepts it's likely more dangerous for the southern born, unused to such weather.
She pays little heed to the tieflings and the firesinger talking, scanning the icy field ahead for anything of interest... or danger. She keeps one hand on Ila's thick fur, for comfort as much as anything else.
Coming to the top of the rise, Imendri looks energized, happy. "Dis is good weather. De cold makes yuu strong. Dis air? Eet's good air." he says, taking a deep breath in and exhaling a plume of steam.
He squints his eyes and puts a hand over his brow, taking point with Chiquq and then tromps a few strides further ahead.
Our intrepid wanderers scan the winter landscape, and nothing seems out of place. The sky continues to look somehow wrong, of course, as if all the winters in the world are emanating from somewhere up ahead.
The snow erupts in an explosion of white as a pair of enormous eyes and sharp fangs, connected to an almost serpentine body emerge from the cover of the drifts. Teeth bared, the beast attacks Imendri.
However, the attack falls short. You can see from the head and body, now revealed, that this is the giant weasel that was wounded by, and then made an end of, Dryden Kepp.
Round 1 - Duke Weaselton! Fight!
Brae
Chiquq & Ila
Dez
Imendri
Weasel
Caelum
Yrja
Bold may post!
Braegan whirls on the sudden explosion of white fur from the snow, but he holds his ground for now, seeing what the fighters of the group can do before stepping up.
Chiquq blinks in surprise at the appearance of the furred monster. "--that's a valuable skin!" she calls. Gah, and they're going to have to cut it all up in defending themselves, aren't they. Raising her bow as she moves forward, she looses a shot.
"Ila! Attack!"
The mammoth lumbers forward, big head lowered.
Dez eyes widen as the weasel emerges, but he quickly springs into action and lets loose an arrow at the weasel.
He then drops the bow in the snow and starts to maneuver around the weasel while drawing his sword and making sure to stay out of the weasel's reach.
Startled by the sudden melee, Imendri flies into a rage and leans into a vicious swing.
The Kellid hunter and barbarian both miss as they strike out at the weasel, and the Ustalavian's aim is no better, but the mammoth's tusks hit home, goring the side of the weasel, causing it to yowl in pain.
The weasel snaps at Ila, but its jaws close only on air.
Round 1 - Duke Weaselton! Fight!
Brae
Chiquq & Ila
Dez
Imendri
Weasel -8 HP
Caelum
Yrja
Bold may post!
Caelum moves up to challenge the weasel.
"You furry murderer!" Yrja cries as she strides forward, cursing the giant weasel with all her heart. She was getting thoroughly sick of this wintry mystery and strange magicks, finally here was a foe on which she could take out her frustration. Just a big, dumb animal, a bloodthirsty straightforward thing.
Braegan continues to hold his position, knowing he'd only be in the way if he closed.
Dezső closes in on the weasel in a flanking position with Ila (it looks on the map like Imendri is 5 feet back) and swings at the beast, the tieflings calm demeanor and silent attack in marked contrast to Imendri's raging 10 feet away.
Round 2 - Duke Weaselton! Fight!
Brae
Chiquq & Ila
Dez
Imendri
Weasel -8 HP
Caelum
Yrja
Bold may post!
Yrja can't tell if the weasel has a reach-y strike, but it certainly hasn't used it yet...
The weasel shudders under the effects of the hex; Yrja can tell that it has sunk into the creature and has brought it dire misfortune.
Her tiefling brethren has no such luck; Dez' strike fails to connect.
Encouraged by Momma's cheer when she strikes the weasel, the little mammoth tries again, helped by Dezso distracting on the other side.
Chiquq meanwhile moves forward through the snow to get a clear shot.... standing nearly within arm's reach of it, perhaps under the notion that at this range she can't possibly miss.
Her logic seems to bear fruit!
Braegan WHOOPS at the team's attacks, but stands ready to step in should something still go wrong.
Imendri uses the momentum of his missed swing to circle right back around and dig his heavy pig iron sword into the snarling, hideous animal.
.
Ila displays some true grit for Momma Chiquq, smacking into the weasel with wooly side and ivory tusk. The weasel screams in rage, and not in any small amount of pain.
Momma Chiquq's arrow materializes, quivering, in the weasel's flank.
The weasel lashes out at Ila with its claws.
One claw slashes Ila right on the face and trunk!
The snow is sprayed with the blood of both beasts, as the battle rages on.
Round 2 - Duke Weaselton! Fight!
Brae
Chiquq Ila 12/18 HP
Dez
Imendri
Weasel -23 HP
Caelum
Yrja
Bold may post, and yeah, you can post on into next round...
Caelum reaches the weasel and swings with this warhammer.
Encouraged by the success of her witchery, Yrja shouts as she whirls her sling around: "Hit it while it's weak!"
Braegan circles the fight, cutting off its easy escape route as he draws his morningstar.
Dezső strikes again, trying to press the group's advantage:
And he connects (), adding to the injuries that have piled upon the beast.
Dezső chops at the weasel with intellectual precision, dealing the beast another wound. Blood froths from its mouth, but the weasel continues to stand, glaring at its combatants.
Round 3 - Weasel Overcome, Someday
Chiquq and Imendri, post and see if you can finish this!
Weasel -28 HP
Ila bellows in pain as a weasel claw catches her! She retaliates with animal fury.
Chiquq's angry shout at Ila being struck is almost indistiguishable from the mammoth's bellow. She drops her bow in the snow and draws her spear, stabbing at the flank of the white weasel with both hands tight on the spear's haft.
Battered by the fury of hunter and mammoth, the giant weasel expires at last.
Braegan stands looking at the crimson-stained snow, then the defeated creature. "I wonder what weasel tastes like, anyway." He grins up at the group, "Well done. I think there's a good tavern song in there somewhere."
"Everyone alright?" he finally says, looking at the bloodied mammoth.
Dezső watches Chiquq and Ila finish off the weasel and gives a satisfied nod. "Better look around."
You are being watched. There's something in the tree across the creek, about 55' directly north of Chiquq's position. It looks icy blue. It's very well hidden. You can't tell if it has noticed that you've seen it, but it has certainly seen you.
Chiquq rushes to Ila's side, checking the brutal claw marks. "I have no more prayers to ease you," she murmurs to her mammoth. "I am sorry. Tomorrow, dear one."
Ila whines in pain, headbutting Momma's shoulder.
"Caelum," Chiquq says with a little throat-clearing. "You have already healed her once today, I cannot and do not ask for more. But if you have more prayers from your god that you can afford to spare I would not turn it down. Otherwise I shall pack her cuts with snow and wrap them with strips from my blanket, at least."
To Braegan she says: "Weasel tastes terrible. It is very gamy."
Braegan looks from Chiquq to Caelum to Ila, his usual bravado replaced by uncertainty. ”I could remove her injuries, but it might be …” he hesitates before continuing, ”… unpleasantly warm for her.”
Imendri watches the exchange between Chiquq and Ila, and then Braegan's response, and catches his breath before walking over.
Still huffing a little, steam trailing from his nose and mouth as he speaks, he says happily "No det's fine. I can do dis right now. Safe your magics for us, fire man!"
Approaching Ila patiently and comfortably, the big mixed-Kellid raises his hands and speaks a prayer in the same made up sounds he often mumbles to himself, laying them on Ila's flank.
Dezső walks nonchalantly towards the group surrounding the mammoth, looking at creature who fought so fiercely on the group's behalf. He does not know if the dwarf can understand, but he says quietly to the group in Hallit, "We are being watched. There's something in the tree across the creek, about 50-50 feet north of Chiquq. It looks icy blue and it's very well hidden. It is definitely watching us. I'm not sure if it knows I saw it."
Braegan frowns, but keeps from looking in the creature's direction. "What the hells is Aska doing? Taking a nap? She was supposed to be watching."
He bends down over the weasel carcass, pretending to inspect it further while he considers. "You think we can draw it out?" he whispers, reaching out to touch the white fur, "Maybe skin this thing and walk away? Making a show of being proud of getting revenge for our fellow slain villager?"
Caelum switches his attention from Ila to Braegan after seeing the mammoth receive its healing.
"What are we drawing out? What's going on?", he says quietly to Braegen.
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"Blue? Did you see anything more?" Taking a cue from Braegan, Yrja draws a knife and pretends to size up the giant weasel for skinning, while trying to watch the trees surreptitiously. "Do you think it is another ice creature? Or something worse?"
She is glad that almost all her companions are versed in healing magic. Mahb had taught her poultices and healing spells, of course, but somehow.... they did not come easy to her. Often, she worries that what the people say about people like her is true, that she is tainted with bad blood and predisposed to evil. She does not feel particularly evil, but how else can you explain that good magic is so hard for her, while bad magic... ah, so easy.
Chiquq briefly rests a hand on the brawny shoulder of her taller kinsman, smiling. "Thank you. Ila also thanks you," she says in their native tongue, before looking up at Dezso's warning. "Eh?"
Chiquq shades her eyes against the snow glare, positioning herself with Ila between her and the possible threat so that the memmoth's hairy body gives her some cover to throw a surreptitious glance from behind.
Neither Chiquq nor Yrja can make out the carefully hidden...thingy.
"Unless someone has a better idea,' Braegan finishes, still looking down at the weasel carcass. "Imendri, help me skin this thing. Dez and Chiquq, when I send you scouting, initially head back towards town, but then double back and see if you can get into a position to ambush the blue thing. We'll work for a while, giving you time o get out of sight and begin working your way back around, then we'll stand up, make a show of being super proud of our work, then we'll head back towards the village. Shadow us from stealth. Hopefully either it'll get brave enough to try to ambush me and Imendri, or you two can catch it while it tries to follow us."
He looks around, offering his blade to Immendri—to begin carving the beast up, "Sound good?"
"You guys head back. We got the big murdering critter. We'll catch up once we get its skin."
"I'm fine with whatever you all decide. Should Callum and Yrja come with us too?"
"Good call. That'll make us look like easier targets."
"Uh, alright, but... I'm not good at being sneaky." Yrja's tail swishes nervously and she keeps glancing at the treeline. "And... and what if you are easy targets for - for whatever is out there? I can't lea- ..." She seems about to say one thing, then visibly changes her mind. "I can't let you butcher this beautiful pelt, just look at it! The things I could do with a fur this size, in good condition!"
"If you have a better idea, I'm all ears. Besides, Immendri looks like he knows his way around field-stripping an animal. Surely he can get the fur off more-or-less intact."
Chiquq and Caelum are alerted by the sound of whirling wind. They can see something like a legless, vaguely humanoid figure made of swirling snow and air currents, hanging in the air about 15' feet above the snow drifts, pulling bits of ice and snow into its 'body.
Near it hovers a sprite, who waves and grins evilly. "You're surrounded," it squeaks.
The bluish creature moves in the tree, revealing a hooked face. It looks like a fey of some sort, but it's hard to tell. It certainly looks ugly.
Braegan, trying to figure out what's going on, mutters to Yrja, "Is that summoned creature real? Or an illusion? And what is it?"