Though the Tiefling's breathing was labored, it appeared to have stabled.
[Fiila (22)
Havarus (21) (Dying)
Zandu (16)
Gnawl (8)
Manduzi (7.01)
Greenish Humanoids (4) (All Dazzled and Staggered)
Uriel (4) (Dying)
Fiila (22)
Havarus (21) (Dying)
Zandu (16)
Gnawl (8)
Manduzi (7.01)
Greenish Humanoids (4) (All Dazzled and Staggered, except Orange and Purple)
Uriel (4) (Dying)
Zandu bared its teeth toward the orc in front of his master and moved to bite it, though the orc learned from past experience and stepped back. Gnawl stepped several feet to the side for a clear shot and enveloped within his hand a swirling bolt of fire. He thrusted his hand forth and sent it flying, striking true, the fire pierced through the shoulder of the orc and singed the surrounding skin.
The surrounding battle continued with careful strikes and quick reflexes.
Fillia was about to command her charmed orc once more when she realized that he wasn't really there. She walked up to the form and then through it with a laugh. "We've been duped, they aren't real. She walks through the charmed illusion a then steps over her "unconscious" friends, and walks through two more orcs, standing in the middle of the one in front of Manduzi and sticking her arms out of it's chest and waving at him. [b]"These are some masterful illusions, and they forced us to waste effort against them that could have been used more effectively against a different threat."
From the void, distant and faint, the Tiefling could hear Fiila and Gnawl calling out, saying the orcs were not real.
As Fiila walks through each orc, she slips through them with ease, stopping at the last one of the four to prove a point. With this realization, the orcs seem surreal, their bodies were tangible-looking, yet a slight distortion is seen around their "silhouettes".
With this, its deduced that these aren't real. Once this is realized, the orcs vanish before your very eyes. Havarus and Uriel are still unconscious.
Manduzi quickly rushed toward Uriel, now having snapped from the shocking reality of the illusion, and helped his unharmed body up to a standing position.
Gnawl walked toward Havarus, shaking him lightly with a red scaly claw, telling him of the illusions.
Slowly but surely the Varisian man saw the orc's that the group had encountered fade away from his vision.
" iluzii dracului ..."
He practically spit the words out in his native tongue, then moved quickly to rouse the injured paladin.
Zandu did his part, playfully licking at his new friend's cheek till he oprned his eyes.
" Wake up Uriel, twas just a dream..or something akin to it." Manduzi said with a smirk.
Gnawl squinted as the illusions vanished before him, before looking at the others and moving towards Havarus. Leaning down, he tried to pull the Tiefling to his feet, hoping to shake him awake. "They may have been illusions... but they certainly hit like the real thing."
"Is everyone alright? Any injuries remaining?" he asked, looking to the others before frowning up the path. "...one thing troubles me: where did they come from? And... why?"
Havarus snapped awake as Gnawl tried to awaken him. With a flick of his wrist, the Tiefling produces a dagger from under his sleeve and held it to the little Kobold's neck for but an instant. Almost immediately, the Rogue came to his senses and pulled the blade back. A mixed look of horror and remorse on his face, he apologetically said, "I...I'm sorry Gnawl, I don't know what came over me. Did I hurt you?"
Fiila watches the wounds disappear from her friends, "Well, we can only hope that it'll be that easy to heal in the future. I wonder how the illusion got triggered? I'd think it's simply because we entered the area or something."
Gnawl blinked and reeled back slightly as the dagger came to his throat, claws up. As Havarus backed away, he finally had a chance to process what he thought he saw, standing up and offering a hand to the tiefling. "I am fine. I did not mean to startle you. Do not trouble yourself."
As Havarus gets to his feet, the kobold grimaced a little. ...I believe I understand why he is so concerned. Apsu grant me the strength and knowledge to help rebuild him... if I can. His little eyes droop slightly to the pendant he'd given him earlier. It would take more than that to aid Havarus... the question was, could Gnawl figure it out in time?
"But why? Was it a deliberate trap...?" The kobold started to root through the nearby bushes... perhaps something hidden in them was the source. An artifact of some kind, maybe?
"What in the..." Uriel coughs a few times, sitting up in the grass and underbrush as Manduzi revives him. "A dream? You mean to say that these orcs are... were... illusions of some sort? Their blades felt real enough." He slowly stands, taking up his sword again. "Sir Dramott would have my head for that, such a rookie mistake. We will not be so lucky to fight apparitions in the future, I would guess."
A troubled look on his face, and a slightly dazed glint in his eye, Havarus retrieved his dagger that he had thrown prior to losing consciousness. Slowly, the Tiefling began recalling what had transpired between his father and.... Apsu? The Rogue looked at the Kobold while his hand went for the scale about his neck without thinking. I'll have to talk to him about that later. He thought as he rejoined the group.
The sounds of the forest seem to return with elegance. The wind blew through the trees and the birds chirp happily while they fly through the branches.
While Havarus attempted to assist in the search for the illusion origin, his focus was disrupted by a brief glimpse at Fiila, which was soon accompanied by lustful thoughts. Shaking his head, the Tiefling quickly looked off in some other direction.
Gnawl's snout wiggles as it sniffs at the air, following a strange scent he thought he picked up. "Wait... I think I caught something..." His yellow eyes squint as he moves towards a bush he thought was rustling. "I don't recognize the scent... but I think it was this way... I think. A little help? Does anyone else smell that...?"
If he can't find it, Gnawl simply lets the matter go for now. For all he knew, it could've been an old trap set up by one of the kobold tribes and forgotten. Such things were unfortunately common for his kind...
As you rummage through the underbrush, you find no trace of anyone or anything being here.
In the aftermath of the fight Fiila looked around for any trace of the source of the illusion but comes up with nothing of substance mostly because she catches a glimpse of Havarus looking at her and gives him a smile before he turns away. Alain, on the other hand, easily catches a strange smell and flies over in front of Fiila where he back wings to hove before her "ਅਜੀਬ ਸਮੋਕ ਵੀ ਬਹੁਤ ਹੈ, ਪੁਰਾਣੇ ਲੋਕ ਵਰਗੇ ਹੋਮ ਪੱਤੇ ਸਿਗਰਟ."
Fiila nods and holds her hand out for Alain who lands on it then hops up her shoulder. "Alain says there is the smell of pipe smoke, not sure how recently though. Shall we push on?"
You travel most of the day in peace, noticing the sunlight beginning to fade and the cold wind starting to rattle through the leafless forest.
There is now no sign of civilization in sight.
After some time, howling wolves seem to be nearby until things become eerily silent.
Havarus had been silent for most of the trip after the battle with the unreal orcs. His mind was trying to process what he had seen while unconscious. Why would Apsu take an interest in a demon spawn? It was something he would have to ask Gnawl when he had the chance.
Despite his distracted mind, the Tiefling's eyes caught sight of a fairly decent campsite. Pointing it out to the others, he helped setup camp.
Havarus volunteered for second watch, since he had the capability to see in the dark, one of the few benefits to his heritage.
Gnawl followed along, keeping an eye out now that he knew things weren't going to be so simple. Once camp had been set up, Gnawl conjured some water to quench any thirst, before sitting down and pulling out things from his pack. Chief among these are a book on mechanics, a religious text of Iomedae, and some parchment, ink and a quill.
Gnawl's ears perk up as he hears the surrounding forest makes it's noise. And him with no trap magic... blast. He'd simply have to be alert, as most kobolds were. "...I will take the first watch. I have some work I need to do anyways, I can keep a look out."
As Gnawl wrote and realized his shift was ending, he looked over at the waking Havarus and eyed the pendant. "Well met, Havarus. Is it your watch already?" The kobold yawned a bit, stretching before looking back to the tiefling. "...if I may ask, has your sleep been any better? I'd like to know for my notes... as I'm effectively inventing our church as I go along, every bit helps."
With a campsite already found Tillia quickly curls up after dinner and quickly drops off to sleep. Since no one had asked her to sit watch, and she needs her sleep so she can prepare her spells again, Tillia stays asleep until such time as dawn comes or some one wakes her up.
"Well honestly, I don't remember much of last night, I was pretty distraught. However, there is something else I think you should know...." From than point, Havarus described his father's tortures and Apsu's arrival.
Gnawl's fringes perk up at Havarus explaining his dreams... before going wide-eyed at the mention that Apsu himself showed up. "...are.. are you serious? By the talons... that's... wait a minute!" Gnawl grabbed his parchment and quill, furiously scribbling the details down.
Panting as he finished his writing, he placed the quill down and studied it fervently, before looking back up at Havarus. "Th..that's... incredible! To think Apsu himself would..." Gnawl looked down at his notes again before rolling them up. "...I confess, Havarus, I... don't know what would prompt his holiness to intervene. But it's fascinating, to say the least. Perhaps..."
Gnawl looked up at what night sky he could see, before scratching one of his fringes. "...this is just a guess... but Apsu is the Great Maker. I could not begin to comprehend his designs... but it may be that you are one piece of a bigger machination. Like the spring lock in a tunnel jaw trap. Perhaps..." Gnawl stood up and moved to his bedroll. "But, if Apsu is watching over you personally, your dreams should be a little more peaceful. Be sure to hold onto that pendant... it will keep you connected to him... hopefully."
"If it will help, then I certainly will. You best get some rest, maybe it will be much clearer in the morning." Havarus said.
After Gnawl left, the Tiefling walked about the camp. Several times, he stopped in front Filla's tent, his lustful thoughts just refusing to go away. Once, and only once, the Rogue reached for the tent flap, then he heard a whispering in the back of his mind. Go on, submit to your urges. Shaking his head, he pulled back and finished his shift.
"Take a rest, friend. I can finish off the night." Uriel claps a hand on the tiefling's shoulder gently, his mail rattling as he walked. "I've slept long enough, I can keep us safe the rest of the night." He scraped out a patch of dirt with his boot, making a more comfortable place to sit. "Sleep well. I'll wake you when the sun rises."
"Thank you Daniel. I'll see you then." Havarus answered. As the Tiefling headed back to his tent, his eyes wandered back towards Fiila's tent once more. Quickly, he shut his eyes and pushed the ever growing lustful thoughts aside. Reaching his tent, he laid upon his bedroll, trying not to think of the attractive woman he was travelling with. Eventually, he fell asleep.
The night seems to last for a long time for those who are awake. Several rustling of bushes break the sheer silence, the howling of the wolves long past in the night.
Initiative Round 1
Turn order: manduzi, Havarus, Gnawl, Uriel, Wolves, Fiila, Zandu
Fiila continued to sleep soundly as did Alain, both tucked into their tent and content, unaware of the events about to transpire outside their cozy little place.
Havarus dreamed peacefully.