After the wolves are dropped Brezik goes to retrieve his hammer. As he turns back around he's surprised to see Qina there. He gives her a smile and a wink ... Haha they' were ugly, but not very tough huh. I kinda feel bad for em though. Only thing they did wrong was be born to close to that thing.. Brezik looks up indicating the cloud and continues on in a more contemplative tone. If it weren't for that they'd prolly be regular wolves... huh... maybe they still are.. Brezik helps gather the bodies and then heads out with his friends.
———
Brezik nods in acknowledgment of Vivians orders... I'll take point and keep an eye out for trouble. Gad you want to make sure none of these guys step in a hole? If you guys get any trouble, cast light and I'll come running.. Brezik takes a few steps and stops. He pauses and seems to take a moment to think before addressing Allister. Al.. can you keep an eye on Qina please? Without waiting for an answer he walks away.
Putting away the sack of roasted almonds he had been snacking on the dwarf disappears into the shadows.
Smiling at Brezik's unwavering enthusiasm and bravery, Gad nods and turns to the rest of the group.
"Of course! Everybody step where I step, and do NOT stray. Mother Dragon? Speak up if you need help keeping up or need a break. We do this together or not at all!"
Trying to ignore the blackness overhead, Gad pushes himself to ignore the situation and focus on ground and surroundings ahead of the group.
"Keep your lights well behind me! Otherwise it may spoil my dark-vision! Keep up!"
The darkness is oppressive and feels far more tangible than a regular night. The dark energy blasts come down harder and stronger, and though you can't see them you can feel their presence, as though a wrathful god were trying to smite you. One bolt strikes far too close for comfort and captures Qina in its blast of negative energy.
Up ahead, Brezik hears something extremely large crashing through the underbrush and growth along the path. Despite the night he sees an enormous monster, covered in armor plates with an enormous maw. It has a large dorsal-fin type plate upon its back raising to the sky.
"Aaaaaahhhhhhooooowwwww" Qina almost howled as the negative energy ran through her body. The sapping pain reminded her of the crypt and the shadow. This hurt more but didn't leave her nearly as weak. Still, at least she could fight back against the shadow. What could she do against lightning?
Even from far away she could tell what is was. Few land creatures were as big, or as dangerous. It helped that one had once eaten her mother's father's sister's cousin's nephew son a few years back. Well, helped Qina anyway.
"Land shark!" she shouted.
Worried the little halfling was hurt badly, Gad realizes she's will be ok when she calls out. He draws his sword and prepares himself for a fight, looking into the darkness for a target.
"Land Shark? What's THAT?"
Belathorian fidgets with his raven figurine in a pocketas they trudge through the darkness, ready to release it to warn Brezik at a moments notice.
When the shout goes out Bel grabs his bone wand and evokes it's power.
"What's happening Qina? I don't see anything"
Hearing his allies shouts and casting Brezik realizes that it is too late to try to circumnavigate the strange ceature.
He takes as quiet a step as he can, ducking next to a likely tree, and prepares to attack the creature as soon as it is between him and his allies.
The Bulette lets out a feral roar as it hears the group.
Taking Vivan's advice, Gad settles himself to charge the enemy directly, his sword leading the way!
"HiiiyyaahhhhHHHHH!"
Knowing full well what the Land shark was capable of, or at least the stories her family used to tell, Qina reached out and shielded her friend fully expecting him to run off and try to wrestle the beast.
Gad'larr's charge catches the monstrous beast unaware and allows him to avoid its thick plates with his sword, doing real damage to it.
It roars its fury, causing the trees around you to tremble and even drowning out the near constant lightning and thunder. It claws at Gad'larr and tries to tear him apart with its powerful jaws.
Lucky for Gad, only one claw manages to make its way through the barrier of force Qina put on him, though it creates large wounds just the same.
Brezik smiles to himself waiting for the Landshark to approach the party so that he can jump it from behind....
This is going to be so good...
Then Gad goes running towards the Landshark at break neck speed... by himself. The dwarf emerges from his hiding spot and moves forward drawing a hammer and tossing it as he moves.
Gad... why are you charging the creature alone?
Hearing the sound of Gad fighting Bel pulls the glowing bird figurine from his pocket and breaks into a run heading into the darkness towards his best guess as to where the fighting is happening.
Coming out from behind a giant tree the sound of the fight is on his right he can dimly see Gad tussling with a colossal creature some 60ft away,
Hang in there Gad
With blood spilled on both sides, Gad had a measure of the beast, whatever it was. It was flesh and blood, and he could kill it! This time he switches it up and lays into the creature with spinning fist and feet!
+ Stunning Fist attempt!
-Includes Dragon Style!
+ Flurry!
-Includes Dragon Style!
+ Flurry!
-Includes Dragon Style!
Brezik's hammer spins forward and slams against the landshark, but its plates protect it from serious harm. Gad'larr is able to land two more solid hits and make it roar once more.
Qina rushed after Allister and drew her force wand as she moved. Crouching behind the brave knight she launched two force missiles into the bulette's side.
The landshark's stomping and fury continue to shake the earth with each heavy step. With Gad'larr in front of it though, it only focuses on him rather than the other nuisances so close by.
The beast uses its claws and jaws to hem Gad'larr in and rake its powerful claws across him once again.
Breaking into a charge Bel drops his figurine and leaps at the last minute, brining his scythe down on the beasts flank as he calls upon Pharasma's wrath.
Brezik joins in the general charge with all of his friends...
FOR THE EVERFLAME!!!
The headlong rush of the entire group swiftly brings the beast down, mortally wounded. It keens, though it does not last long with the unnatural storm above you.
Sweating and bleeding, Gad'larr drives his sword into the beast's head one last time, to make sure it does not move again.
"We should move on soon! We could easily get hit again by more black lighting the longer we stay out here!"
Qina stared at the body of the slain beast, wondering to herself why it attacked. She couldn't tell if it was already injured before it attacked. Maybe they had stumbled into its home. She had heard that some animals were territorial. Maybe the cultist had purposefully lead them here. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the beast. She hoped it didn't have family that would miss it.
With a little more seriousness than she was accustomed to, she agreed with Gad. "He's right. Let's go before something else comes along."
Another three hours and you begin feeling the strains and stresses of the day, though you make another six or so miles by best estimates. The rain does not let up, but it also does not get any harder. You find another campsite, though this looks like the remains of a battlefield.
Nine more Razmiri corpses lay scattered about in the open, interspersed with what appears to be three dozen black-scaled, reptilian humanoids with morningstars and heavy wooden shields.
As the rest of the party catches up to Brezik he staring at the carnage a look of dumbfounded horror on his face. For the first time since touching his feet to the island Brezik is clearly distraught. He turns towards hi friends as they emerge into the campsite area.
They, they're all dead...
|
"Well, we caught up with them." Vivian shrugs to Brezik and puts a hand on his back.
She paces around the scene and studies the skirmish. "This was semi-recent, yesterday sometime.. Such a mess. We're really walking into something here guys, can anyone tell where they went? What are these things?" She nudges a reptilian humanoids with her toe.
Avogadro takes in the scene, the bodies are fresh, he crouches and spots something in the dust
"They split... Razmirans that way, lizard-things that way..."
Gad'larr wipes rain off his face, staggers a bit and sits.
"We can take a quick break...but should we continue? This storm is never-ending! However, we ARE catching up to our enemies. If we get to them before they reach the city, then we can stop them and never have to enter! That would be a good outcome in any book."
|
Allister is utterly confused by this place, and is no help with the bodies or searching for tracks. He paces around and wonders if people actually live on this island.
However, when he sees Brezik clearly distraught he does his best to cheer him up.
"Life can be pretty cruel, huh? But there's lots of nice things, too. You remember that albino squirrel we saw in the forest? Or how about those bubble orcs? Heh..." The paladin shows a genuine smile. "We won't end up like them. We still have nice things ahead."
"I'd rather push on and be tired than try to sleep in this...place" Qina said as her eyes wandered the landscape around them.
"I'd rather be somewhere else as quickly as we can. I can always sleep later." Qina walked up and stood next to Brezik, slipping her own tiny hand into one of his big mitts.
With his allies rallying around him Brezik up at the sky drops of rain falling onto his face. He shakes his head and looking at his friends he nods.
I'm Sorry, we have a job to do.
Giving Qina's hand a squeeze he lets go and heads towards the bodies quickly searching them for clues, and or resources.
With that task done Brezik looks up at the other members of the band.
Shall we continue the chase then?
Hisses and shrieks suddenly pierce the air as a group of black lizard-like humanoids bursts from the nearby trees, waving morningstars and javelins. Only Belathorian seems to be caught off guard by the ambush, perhaps remembering something from a past life.
With the appearance of the foes Brezik's face becomes stern. He pulls and quickly tosses a hammer.
The water on his weapon foils the throw however causing the weapon to release early and fly in a high arc falling well short of his target.
Be careful the rain makes things slippery.