The boggard seems gratified by Taranis' offer of "truce," but is having difficulty understanding Taranis's gesture to the others in his party. The boggard lowers his hands cautiously. "Me, boggard," he croaks, gesturing at the surrounding bog. "You, go."
"You boggard. We friend." Taranis will toss him a bit of food. "Friend."
"We walk around. No fight."
I detect evil. And then good. And then neutral.
The boggard cautiously inspects the food, then stuffs it in his pants. "You, go," he repeats. Then again: "You. Go."
”Me, fix?” And I point to his mangled hand. ”New potential friend Boggard hand is hurt. Me, fix?”
"I tried that friend. I think Marc's got the right of it. We need to speak his tongue before we entreat."
Taranis looks about at the surrounding area.
"I agree unfortunately."
The company bids the boggard a peaceful farewell and retreats from his 'territory,' heading every further into the southern reaches of the Narlmarches. It is late in the day when you enter a clearing, in the center of which is an open pit.
From within the pit comes a series of quick, yelping barks.
Can I determine the source of the barks? or
As they leave the boggard's realm, Unrak looks back, puzzled. I thought boggards were nasty buggers who ate their young regularly. Why did we leave that one alive again?
Taranis cannot place the noise, but it does sound familiar...
Sounds like barking of a single creature to Marc, based on the consistent pitch.
As Marc approaches the edge of the pit, the soil gives way! He tumbles twenty feet to the hard dirt below!
A snarling feline creature immediately snaps at him and, though disoriented, Marc can finally recognize the creature: a brush thylacine!
+2 if Surprise
Round I
1. Marc (11/16 hp, prone), Zed, Augrym, Unrak
2. Thylacine
3. Taranis
Unrak nocks & fires one of his fancy new arrows
The arrow slides through the creature like a lance through warm butter, and nearly pins the animal to the ground. Even Unrak is surprised by its effectiveness.
Round I
1. Marc (11/16 hp, prone), Zed, Augrym, Unrak
2. Thylacine (16 dmg)
3. Taranis
Augrym throws his 50ft rope into the hole.
”The poor creature probably just fell in this hole and does not deserve to die. Grab the rope clumsy friend Marc and find your freedom.”
Is there anything close by I could tether this rope to? Ideally I would climb down afterwards to heal and save the creature that was crying for help a moment ago before we decided to kill it.
Zed flings a forcebolt at the creature, which yelps more in surprise than hurt. Marc curls into a ball, hoping this is all a dream, but his nightmare gets worse as the hungry marsupial bites him in the ass.
HIT
Round I
1. Marc (5/16 hp, prone), Zed, Augrym, Unrak
2. Thylacine (18 dmg)
3. Taranis
Round II
1. Marc (5/16 hp, prone), Zed, Augrym, Unrak
2. Thylacine (18 dmg)
3. Taranis
Taranis can plainly see that if Marc takes the fight to the creature, he's got the upper hand. So, the druid opts for a simple stone from his sling, hoping to put the creature out of its misery. , but the stone goes wide.
Without a command, Toth simply growls into the pit.
Unrak drops his bow (since he's not a great shot, and the scrum of melee will hamper his arrow), draws his sword, and rushes toward the pit, intent on making a jumping attack onto the beast to end the threat to Marc's ass.
Taranis and his pet offer little assistance to their besieged friend.
Round II
1. Marc (5/16 hp, prone), Zed, Augrym, Unrak
2. Thylacine (18 dmg)
3. Taranis
I’m standing by my action waiting to see if the rope gets taken.
sorry, post got eaten.
Unrak LEAPS down, blade leading...
...and tries to roll onto his feet.
"tries" being the operative word...
Zed tries to open a lane for the others to get down into the pit with a bit more aplomb, casting Expeditious Excavation at the edge of the pit, trying to make a chute so people can get down more easily than Unrak.
Unrak flings himself into the pit after Marc, just as Zed would have made it easier on him. His flailing swing sails over the thylacine and there is an audible *crack* as his ankle gives way on the fall.
and land prone
Undeterred by the new arrivals and still desperate for a meal, the creature concentrates on Marc, but he squirms just enough to avoid a bite to the other cheek.
MISS
Round II
1. Marc (5/16 hp, prone), Zed, Augrym, Unrak (25/28 hp, prone)
2. Thylacine (18 dmg)
3. Taranis
Round III
1. Marc (5/16 hp, prone), Zed, Augrym, Unrak (25/28 hp, prone)
2. Thylacine (18 dmg)
3. Taranis
Taranis keeps up with the sling, hoping to get lucky:
HA
for
"Toth, get him. we shall eat well."
RRRRRAGH!"
for
Tiger and trainer hurry to end the threat, and the thylacine is finally put to rest.
"Time to climb up my friend. And if you don't mind eating marsupials, we'll eat well tonight!"
Once the wounded take care of themselves, Taranis prepares a meal and sets out planning the mapping of the hex.
The location makes an acceptable campsite, so the Huntsmen stake out their bedrolls and prepare a fire. Sometime after midnight, you all bolt awake after a shout from Augrym standing his lonely vigil.
"Don't get up or the orcblood dies!" a growl announces from somewhere to the south. "Hey greenskin, put that blade down and collect everybody's purses! Quick now!"
You're being robbed!
+2 if Surprise
"Seek. Quietly my friend."
Hearing his brother’s command to Toth, Unrak indulges his desire to threaten their assailants to also cover Toth. He shouts out why don’t you yellow rats come over here and collect my foot up your cowardly arse??
He reaches for his sword while taunting the thieves
”Only my mother calls me greenskin new enemy stranger. And I’m pretty sure she earned it. But, if it my turn to die, then I shall bring some of you with me into the afterlife.”
|
"Aug! what did I tell you about falling asleep during watch? If I've told you once, i've told you 100 times! Now, I've got to pay with fool. Third time this month!"
As Marc does this, he bends down with his back to the voice and rummages around in his pack. "I should have put my purse closer to the top of my pack, friend. One moment, don't do anything foolish."
During this, Marc, sure his dagger is in easy reach.
"Aug, don't you move. You have already done too much tonight, Or not enough as it turns out."
Marc slower collects a small sum from each party member, all the while berating the Orc.
Marc tries to determine how many bandits there are:
"Now that I have this. Where do you want it?" Marc states to the voice to the south.
Quiet as a mouse, Toth manages to slink off into the darkness. "Your funeral, bud--" the voice starts, but stops when Marc starts berating Augrym...
Taranis whispers, "You better know what you're doing." and hands it over.
It being dark and surrounded by foliage, Marc has a difficult time assessing the number of bandits. There is at least one.
That one shouts at Marc. "Hey! I said all the purses, not just one! Hurry up or we're makin' a pincushion outta your friend here!"
If he thinks he can get away with it without being revealed, Zed will cast Unseen Servant. For the time being, Zed will require the dweomer to position itself just out of the firefight in the woods.
He will also request Aurora to help him locate the party's interlocutor if possible.