Finding that the feeling of fear has subsided enough for him to stop trying to flee, Jonas curses under his breath and quickly moves to return to the fight and support the rest of his companions. To that end, as soon as he is near enough, he draws and fires his bow, his targer the nearest of the ugly beasts.
Hanz moves into position to provide support for Elxurian, bringing his hammer down towards the Krenshar, which quickly dodges from the oncoming blow. However, that same dodge puts it right into the swinging arc of the paladin's greatsword, which chops down into the beast's body and rips cleanly through its spine. It gives a pained yelp before falling still. Quarick moves to attack one of the cats, but manages to step into the writhing vines that make up the area of Penka's spell, getting himself stuck in the process. Distracted by the grasping vegetation, his swipe at the Krenshar goes wide. Tree flails its arms at the beast engaged with it, but fails to land a solid blow yet again, the smaller and more nimble Krenshar dodging back and forth gracefully. Jonas, shaking off the effects of the skull-faced Krenshar, moves up and fires an arrow towards the beast engaged with Tree. The projectile connects with the creature and it gives a howl in response. Tsura strikes out again at the beast with her dagger, the keen edge of the blade tearing a horrible wound across its side and nearly gutting it with one slice.
The remaining two Krenshar look dubious about their position, but continue the attack, the mad hunger driving them on. The one viciously wounded by Tsura turns its full attention to her and lashes out, but fails to connect with any of its attacks. The creature on Tree manages to sneak in a single attack with its claw, the nails raking against the bark of the eidolon and causing minor damage.
"Tree! Finish it quickly!"
Tree slams the Krenshar twice more.
From the relative safety distance affords him, Jon fires another arrow. This time, however, his aim proves to be less than true.
Hanz, seeing Elxurian split the Krenshar open, nods grimly to her and turns. Seeing Tsura beset, the dwarf takes off toward her, barreling down on the wild cat!
Unfortunately, his foot skids on an outlying vine, and his swing goes wide...
Quarick, despite being entangled and bleeding attempts to finish off the big cat next to him. The attack lands and slashes a wound on the creature. The wounded gnome's spirits raise a bit at the prospect of survival.
"You will regret the day when you tried to hurt innocents!!" Tree seemed to be hitting her monster pretty good, so she worried more with the one in front of Tsura and Quarick. The gnome was already hurt, and the plants seemed to be holding him, which put the guy in a serious position.
She moved to get closer to the monster, but the plants grabbed a hold of the heavy warrior immediately, what didn't prevent her from ending up the suffering of the devil kitty.
!
!
Tree takes a moment to completely brutalize its opponent, clubbing and slamming with its branches, pounding the Krenshar to the ground just as the errant arrow from Johan sails past, missing the beast by a wide margin and vanishing unto the woods. Quarick, held fast with nowhere to turn, slashes out at the creature facing him, managing to get in a strike while Hanz chops at the beast, failing to connect. Surging forward to assist the gnome, Elxurian finds herself trapped as well, but that makes little difference as she brings her greastsword in a mighty upward sweeping arc, parting the Krenshar's head from its neck in a fearsome display of martial prowess.
"Whew! Those things were mean!"
Penka will take a moment to pull out her wand of lesser rejuvenate eidolon and cast it on Tree.
Quarick, bleeding a bit, manages to ask, "Do you think they were just natural hunters or....connected with our larger problems? Also, excellent work Exlurian. You are handy in a fight."
"Yes, good job indeed," Jonas agrees. "At least one of us knows how to swing a weapon. And a big one at that." There is no bitterness in his tone, though there is a hint of annoyance at being less than effective in the fight.
She nods in return to Quarick. "Thanks. You were very brave too." She waits patiently until the magic wears off, to avoid moving too much and bleeding from her wound. "I have studied these creatures before. Krenshars, or skullface hunters, as some call them. They eat carrion and hunt as a pack, scaring a victim away from its group so other members could hunt it into the woods. That's why I asked you not to go running." It seems she was too focused on the enemy to see Jonas running on the other side of the battlefield. She was staring at the other direction by then.
"In any case, I don't think we actually have a current problem. This charm is probably not related to the events at the auction, nor are these... beasts. That's what I think."
Tsura wipes her blade clean on some tall grass and stows it back in her jacket. "They may or may not be related to the attack at the auction, but we do not exactly have anyone to interrogate. Let's be more cautious and continue to the centaur tribe."
The remainder of the day passes uneventfully, as the party makes their way to the base of the Kortos Mounts and begins traveling through the pass. At dusk the group sets up camp and busies themselves with various tasks, the adrenaline of the fight long since fleeing their bodies and the ache of the day's march taking its toll. Night passes without incident and the morning brings a steady rain, which makes breaking camp and slogging on somewhat miserable. As the weather continues, mud begins to form along the trail and the group finds themselves somewhat hindered during their travels.
As the sun begins to set, noises can be heard from either side of the trail. In a few short moments, a large creature with the body of a horse and the torso of a human male emerges from the cover of the vegetation surrounding the path. He wears well-made brigandine armor that is decorated with feathers and braids of hair. In his hands, a rather long spear with similar decorations around the head. His hair is shaved close to his head and his face is marked with several tattoos of varying geometric shapes.
"Halt two-legs," the centaur says in perfectly clear common, "You have entered tribal lands, and are forbidden from proceeding." As a part of his challenge, he levels his spear towards the ground in your direction, not in an overly threatening manner, but making the point that he is ready to put it to use if need be.
"Hail, warrior," Hanz says in a hard voice, gripping his reloaded crossbow tightly. "I mislike this show of force. We have peaceful words for Nashota Bloodhoof--you would be best to allow us passage."
Jonas moves a little, getting himself closer to the front, hands held high to show he is wielding no weapons. "Greetings," he calls out with a smile and the best non-threatening expression he can muster. "You are wise to be prepared, as well as wary. Not all travelers are peaceful. Yet, that we are. As my friend here has already said, we have been sent to talk with Chieftain Bloodhoof, leader of the Cangarit centaur tribe. There is an item of great interest to her that we seek to return."
He shakes his head, the smile still present. "We seek no violence and no harm, proud guard. But we understand your caution."
Quarick groans at Hanz's clumsy tone. He sounds aggressive and annoyed. The gnome quickly jumps in, plumed hat waving.
"Greetings, honored warrior. We are entering your lands for the express reason of meeting with Nashota Bloodhoof."
"Oh my, mister centaur, we're just here to talk! Please don't point your weapon at us! Can we talk to Chief Bloodhoof please?"
Penka also makes sure to show off her connection to nature in her relationship with Tree, patting him on the bark.
Not usually so diplomatic, Elxurian keeps her demeanor cool and does not mind the spear. She would do the same in his place, and although she leaves the talking to the others, you should be grateful because she didn't spoil any diplomacy the party tried. This time. Still, the paladin stares at him for a long time, detecting signs of a corrupted soul.
The centaur straightens a bit at the mention of Nashota and says, "You will follow us, put away your weapons." A moment later he barks out something in a strange language and several more of his kind emerge from the surrounding cover, two from the way you just came, and three from up ahead. The newly revealed centaur all are garbed in a similar manner, however two of them hold massively large bows in their hands instead of spears. They quickly fall in line with the party, four in the front and two to the rear, and begin a brisk walk to the north, deeper into the pass. The towering mountains that make up the range in the center of the Isle of Kortos loom overhead, their peaks still dabbed with white.
Shortly after meeting the centaur patrol the rains stop and the sun emerges from the clouds, warming your skin and making the miserable trek a little less bothersome. After a little less than an hour you come to point in the pass with a clearing to the west. The centaur in the lead heads in that direction and through a thick copse of trees which thin out and eventually give way to a sizable meadow. In the center of this field are dozens of large tents, most surrounding an area cleared of debris in which a large fire put has been built. A spit stands over the pit which holds some sort of beast, slowly roasting over the fire. "You will wait here," the centaur in the lead demands, as he breaks away from the group and into one of the larger tents in the clearing.
As you have a moment to take in the scene, you see many other centaur scattered around the area. Some tend to commonplace tasks, while other work on weapons and armor, honing or cleaning various pieces of gear. Further to the west you can see many centaur running through the field, going through what appear to be mock drills and battle simulations. Several also appear to be practicing weapon skills on straw and wooden targets not far off from the main field.
After a short wait, the centaur that first greeted you emerges from the tent, followed by a female centaur of impressive size. In her hand is a wicked looking spear decorated with feathers and hair, as you have seen before with the others you encountered, but it also sports a longer, jagged blade with a skull affixed to the base. Her hair is adorned with an array of feathers and she wears a red patch of cloth over her right eye. She moves forward towards the party with an easy stride, stopping close by and nodding to your group. "Greetings two-legs from the city. It pleases me to see your kind again. It has been some time since we've had visitors." Turning to the centaur that you first met she says, "Kanuk, bring drink and meat for our guests." The centaur nods briskly and moves to the center of the camp where he, and several others, begin gathering wineskins and a platter of meat from the camp kitchen.
"So, Kanuk tells me you have something I've been looking for?"
"Mighty Nashota, we've come to deliver a necklace to you, in the hopes that we may trade it for a pair of gloves you've recently come into possession of."
As Penka speaks, Quarick reveals the sack and, with a flourish displays the sparkling necklace. He remains on guard though wary fo getting caught up in Steele's machinations.
The centaur, obviously not one for grand or dramatic gestures, smirks slightly as the agile gnome brandishes the necklace with grace and style. However, once her eyes take in the item a broad smile crosses her face and she looks more than pleased at its appearance. "It would seem the old man came through, I'm impressed." She motions for one of the other centaurs nearby and has a word in private with him. A few moments later he returns with a polished ebonwood box with silver inlay and hinges. "As promised, here is the item we discussed." and she holds out the box for the party to accept.
The formal exchange over, she speaks, "There is one other thing I would ask you. I find myself in a strange position that requires the assistance of outsiders." She moves around the fire pit, speaking in more hushed tones, "Six days ago I sent a group of scouts to reconnoiter an area not far from here. In full disclosure, the area is within the borders of a rival clan. The group has not checked in and I have grown concerned about their absence." She flicks her tail in annoyance and continues, "Because of certain...agreements, I cannot send others to look for them and determine the reason they have not yet returned. You however, are under no such limitations, and would be free to perform the search on our behalf."
Letting the request sink in for a moment, Nashota adds, "Should you agree to this, and complete the task set before you, a fine reward I can offer in exchange for your services."
Elxurian keeps the focus on the current mission, and although she feels the urge to help them, they shouldn't delay long, since they had business to attend to at the capital. "Forgive me to ask more questions, lady, but why did you want to study the area? Was there anything special about it? Also, how far away are we talking about?"
The gnome is uneasy. He is all for a rescue mission, centaurs or not it is the Right Thing to Do. But what if they got caught up in a tribal war? That would not be very good for a bunch of gnomes and humans to get caught up in a general battle between centaurs. This little mission could step on some toes.
"Are you prepared to bring outsiders into centaur conflicts? This action may...escalate things." Quarick adds delicately. A big part of him did want to go off adventuring though. Would be exciting...
"I hope you understand our trepidation. What is the rival clan likely to do if they find us in their territory? What would the rival clan likely do if they found your scouting party? Was there anything of particular interest in the area? I believe we are likely to help if we know that we are not going to stick our heads in a wasp nest."
Nashota nods, obviously expecting the questions, as she listens to each in turn. "Several of our hunters claimed to have spotted humans in the area. After our recent difficulties with the two-legs from the city, we have been careful to make note of any of your kind traveling through our lands. The area is about a half day's walk from here, so for your kind, maybe a day at most." Turning to the gnome the warrior-woman says, "You misunderstand, we don't seek additional conflict, which is why we ask you to go. If you are captured or questioned it would be simple enough to claim ignorance, adventurers from the city, out for a bit of exploration." Nodding at Tsura's question, Nashota says, "As long as you pay your proper respects, I would not fear for your safety. All of our kind have made strides to maintain the peace with the two-legs from the city. It would not do well for conflict to arise over a misunderstanding of clan borders. However, if they found our scouts we would have already been made aware of such a thing, rather swiftly I'm afraid, so we know that is not the case."
Elxurian pays attention to the female centaur, be she does not notice anything evil about her. "Would you allow me and my comrades to discuss the subject between ourselves for a second?"
When they are alone, Elxurian once again shows her intent to help the needed. "Our task here is done. We've got some extra time, since we arrived here faster than expected. I think we should help them, first because they need it, then because we could prevent a war between the two clans. Furthermore, if there is something hidden in the woods, it is certainly something evil. Things that hide in the woods are certainly not the good kind, and I think we should eliminate it, whatever it is. I understand we are a group now, so I cannot impose my will over you, but rather explain that I would like to help. What would you like to do?"
"It does sound like fun, or at least interesting enough to consider," Jonas offers nonchalantly, a shrug of his shoulders complementing his tone. "And Nashota and her centaurs have been courteous and have been hospitable, however brief our time here. We may as well return the favor." And then he adds with a rather obvious glint in his amber eyes, "Not to mention that there does seem to be a reward involved."
Quickly turning to Elxurian, he says with a somewhat apologetic look, "Not that that is my main and only incentive, dear lady. Certainly not."
The gnome's eyes gleam. "Seems to be the heroic thing to do, yes? I agree that we help, but we should be careful.....Imagine, a gnome saying to be careful!". He laughs and does a cartwheel.
"I concur with the group, we can do this for you, oh great warrior." Penka gives a solemn bow, and Tree mimicks the motion, which promptly plops poor Penka onto the ground, as she was sitting on his shoulder. She stands up, red-faced from embarrassment, and backhands Tree's trunk, which he obviously doesn't even feel.
Elxurian smiles - a rare sight - at Penka's disaster. "Four favoring it, then." She looks at the two who didn't say anything yet. "Unless you've got great problems with that, we have a new temporary job then..."
Hanz snorts. "I wish to return to Absalom as soon as possible, myself," he says, "But it seems that these four-legged ones need help, and I have no objection to helping them prevent chaos."
Elxurian gave some time so Tsura could manifest her will, but it doesn't seem she has anything to add regarding the job, so they go back to give their answer to the Centaur. After all the answers to Tsura's questions were all enough, she thought. "We've reached an agreement to help you. Please tell us the name and description of your scouts, and anything you know that serves as a reference of either territory."
Tsura nods in silent agreement.
Nodding to the paladin and giving a brief smile, Nashota explains the details of the clan's request, "Odakota and Kangee set out following this path..." The centaur (centaura!) kneels on her front two legs and leans forward, tracing a crude map into the soft earth. She shows the path the scouts would have taken, whom she explains were both male, further describing their features and dress as needed. She points out several methods the group can use to determine her clan from another.
After a several minutes of going over their possible whereabouts, Nashota stands once more and pulls a strange medallion affixed with several blue feathers from a pouch around her body. "When you find them, present this, it will show you to be allies of the clan." she says as she offers the token. "You are welcome to rest here for the evening and break at first light, or leave now if you so choose. My clan will await your return."
"Let's bed down here for the night, and get to know our new four-legged friends!"
Elxurian nods to Penka. "Understood." See takes a sip from her waterskin and realizes Quarick is still hurt from the last battle. Thus she approaches the little guy.
"I've been learning some healing techniques that are not yet fully mastered, but perhaps I may be of use. Would you allow me to try to heal you?"
Hanz nods slowly as he looks over the map. "I am no great tracker in forests, but we shall do our best to bring back your scouts, dead or alive," he says gravely to Nashota.
"Tree and I know forests! Don't we, Tree?"
You hear a slow rush of air escaping the "mouth" of tree, barely audible, as if he were simply breathing out very slowly. Apparently, that is how Tree communicates with Penka. It seems like it would be very time-consuming.
"I'm not a fan of forests. I might be allergic to nature or something. I don't know. Just all those shadows, and leaves, and... stuff. I'm happy to help find the missing scouts, but I do wish they had gone missing in an alley instead of the wilderness." Tsura said as she betrayed her origins as born and bred in Absalom.
Seeing Quarick waver to accept assistance, Elxurian decides to heal her own wounds, giving him some more time to decide about it. She places a hand over the bite and summoned a prayer, conjuring some warm white light which made her skin and muscle brand new! She stands there, inspecting the result and kinda impressed by it.
Then she turns to Tsura, then. "I tend to agree with you. The woods hide evils within, but fortunately we're here to help. Whatever is in there, if it's evil, it's going to be destroyed."