Unrak's sword feels heavy. His swing is lower than intended, and succeeds only in scraping the kobold's boiled leather.
Round III
1. Zed, Augrym, Unrak (9/16hp), Taranis
2. Kobold
3. Marc
”You are still alive, which impresses me cold-blood. But not for much longer.’
Indeed, Augrym's words are barely out of his mouth when his blade cuts short the kobolds life. The radishes are yours for the taking!
The kobold's pitiful belongings include four sets of leather armor, four spears, and four slings, all sized for a small creature.
Gathering up the baskets does not take long, allowing you to return to exploring. By the time the sun begins to set, you think you have explored about half of the immediate area.
The company selects a camp site in the shadow of a rocky outcropping in which to settle for the night. Augrym starts gathering his fire-making tools while the others collect deadfall for fuel.
Unrak fashions a small spit, on which Taranis spears a jackrabbit Toth caught just outside the campsite, and everyone is eager for a bit of fresh-cooked meat to add to the evening meal. However, after twenty minutes, the meat appears as raw as it was before it went over the fire.
"Storm and Salt!" Taranis stabs the husk. "Someone has done us a bamboozle. This rabbit burned."
Taranis has an idea, "Magic and mischief." ...
DV60
and LLV Scent
LLV
The druid's musings are interrupted by a low growl from just outside the campsite. Taranis looks up just in time to spot a feline-like creature, about the size of a dog but with heavy whiskers and a long tail swishing behind its striped back, slinking through the darkened woods and preparing itself to spring.
Surprise!
1. Zed, Taranis
2. Creature
3. Marc
Round I
1. Zed, Unrak (9/16hp), Taranis
2. Creature
3. Marc, Augrym
"A brush thylacine!"
"Toth! Sneak! Gozreh, grant Toth jaws of acid!"
First round actions:
Studied Target (move action)
Move in between creature and party (move action)
Wise to Toth's coat, the thylacine is not fooled.
Surprise!
1. Zed, Taranis
2. Thylacine
3. Marc
Round I
1. Zed, Unrak (9/16hp), Taranis
2. Thylacine
3. Marc, Augrym [will move]
- Round the Unexpected!
- Current HPs: 8/8
1. What is this thing's most likely natural predator?
2. What sort of creature might trigger "flight" vice "fight" if it saw one?
If I get a definitive answer, Zed will try to cast Silent Image of whatever might make this little guy a-scared.
If not... I'll re-evaluate.
Zed creates a Silent Image of a terrifyingly large carnivorous predator shaped like a wolf downwind of the Thylacine, but within its line of sight. The image appears to be couching motionless in an attitude of barely contained violence. The thing is eerily silent, but then again, it would be as it appears to be ready to pounce on the poor skinny Thylacine!
Edit: Is it possible to get Aurora to react fearfully to the image? Is that a bluff check? Is that even a thing?
Instead of moving, would I be able to offer it some food?
”I feel like Erastil is testing us...”
Zed sets up an elaborate display... behind the thylacine. Finding itself between a larger and food, it chooses food. It bounds, rather awkwardly actually, toward what it perceives to be the easiest kill, teeth mere inches from wounded Unrak!
Surprise!
1. Zed, Taranis
2. Thylacine
3. Marc
Round I
1. Zed, Unrak (9/16hp), Taranis
2. Thylacine
3. Marc, Augrym [will move]
"Toth! Attack!" Taranis tries to harry the animal.
, but is still rather inept with the scimitar.
Toth lurches forward, tooth and fang ready.
5' Step
for and
MISS
for
- Round the First
- Current HPs: 8/8
Zed decides to introduce an additional combatant to the fray, and his Summon Monster I begins to draw magical energies from another plane of existence to bring forth a dog to fight this canine attacker!
Aurora wheels overhead with her black eyes scouring the surrounding area for any additional threats.
ROUND 1
The bloodrager was not paying close attention, having more eyes for the cooking meat than outside threats. It took him a couple beats to fully understand the danger.
Now, with the large cat nipping at his face, he moves in front of Marc (muttering "sorry priest") to flank with Toth. With some regret at being forced to kill a starving animal he's not hunting, he calls upon his inner barbarian--as well as his destiny, draws his blade, and makes a mighty swing.
Quickly understanding the threat, Toth and Unrak team up to bring the starving creature within an inch of its life while Zed magicks behind them. Cornered and starving, it acts with desperation and latches sharp teeth deep and tight into the redbeard's leg. Only the fire in his eyes keeps him upright and prevents the creature from dragging him away.
HIT
Marc's justice is swift , and the creature's misery finished. Augrym grunts discontentedly, shoving the food he was about to offer back into his pack.
"Gozreh provides! Marc, in honor of your kill, I'll skin the animal for you. We can then feast!"
Taranis settles in for a relaxed night.
First, Taranis takes the scroll of CLW he knows his brother has, to heal the dying guy...
Anyone have any spells of healing to spare?
The brush thylacine's meat proves lean and tough, but nevertheless is a welcome addition to dinner and makes up for the burnt jackrabbit. There is even enough for tomorrow.
The remainder of the night passes uneventfully, although Marc is awoken the next morning by a prodigious flock of birds pecking at him. Around his sleep area, and indeed scattered on his bedroll, is a large quantity of seeds and acorns.
3rd Pharast is overcast and gloomy, but you make the best of it and finish exploring the immediate area in this stretch of the Narlmarches.
The group settles in for another night in the forest and feasts on the last of the thylacine meat. After everyone else has gone to bed...
"I suspect there's something, or some one trying to toy with us... I have a hunch, but little more. Meanwhile, we've got enough food to keep exploring. I suggest we NOT go deeper into the wood. Instead I say we strike NW. After we explore and map that area, we can head back with these radishes and supply for a longer trip."
"We've been... teased by fey. They can make our lives a pain if we antagonize them. If we leave them a gift, we could see a large return on the effort."
Before the group continues, Unrak tries his trailcraft to determine the bandits’ back trail...alas, this is not his strength!
”Tracking is something I am good at, friend Unrak. Allow me to show you how I do it so that you might learn.”
Looking for this fey that is tricking us that Taranis was talking about.
"I hate to say this my friend, but I think that amulet might make a good gift. In the long run, I think it'll more than pay for itself."
”I have no attachment to it. If you think it would be a worthy gift, so be it.”
"I hope that it is. I hope that it is." Taranis finishes buffing it, and prepares.
Zed nods his assent.
|
Marc does the duties given to him this day. He laughs at the birds. "Erastil smiles on me this day!" he takes it as a good omen.
He spends the afternoon foraging to keep up our stores of food.
As he's out looking for food, he takes a look at the shape of the clouds and the direction of the wind. He wonders what tomorrow's weather will be.
Taranis leaves a note in the ground with the jewelry. for our fey friends, the rabbit was a good prank. I hope we become good friends. For now, accept our welcoming present. -your new neighbors.
I'll also read it out loud
This light, off in the distance, what is it? It is moving! But what could it be...
...
I hate to do this but, I should wake up my compatriots.
“Taranis, please wake.”
Taranis leaves the note and the amulet on an exposed rock after read the note aloud. The evening passes slowly, as Augrym goes over map and Unrak picks at his wounds. Eventually all but the half-orc fall asleep.
Taranis is awakened in the middle of the night, shaken from his slumber by the half-orc pointed at a flickering light in the woods. However, as soon as he sits up to stare at it, the light vanishes.
The rest of Augyrm's watch is uneasy. Every sound in the forest is a footstep, or a cough, or a bowstring growing taut, every flicker of moonlight the glint of steel in the trees. After five tense hours, the dawn comes again.
The amulet, and the accompanying note, are gone.
The company breaks camp and shoulders their packs to strike northwest. After just two hours' ride, the trees thin and the company enters the open plain once more. The open landscape is easier to traverse and to document, with only a few scattered woods that require dismounting and more intense navigation.
It is during these briefer excursions that you notice your packs cutting into your shoulders, and the day seems long and hot. The air feels heavy and humid. Taking a break for a short lunch, Zed fumbles around in his backpack for some food when his hand catches on a large rock.
And then several other large rocks.
Which he definitely did not put in there.
The others all empty their packs to discover the same -- with the sole exception of Taranis. Emptied of their hidden cargoes, the afternoon passes much easier.
The company concludes their exploration of this area in the early morning, leaving plenty of time to return to Oleg's.
Zed laughs uproarioisly!
In the language of the Fey "An excellent prank friends! Well played indeed! I offer you this in exchange!"
Zed casts his Silent Image spell, of an enourmous image of himself struggling with a comically oversized pack, rocks jutting out of every pouch and pocket of the pack. With an utterance of magic, and a wiggling of his fingers he casts his Color Spray spell on the image's outline of a head to give it a psychedelic luminescence for a few moments.
With a belly laugh, he unloads his burden of rocks and sprinkles 5 go over the small pile in "thanks."
ha. ha. very funny.
Unrak looks through his pack, hoping to find something he might gift the fey...
Zed performs his stunt at the edge of the Narlmarches, just close enough to hear faint giggling in the distance.
The company turns east. Oleg's Trading Post heaves into sight with the sun hanging low in the sky behind you. Riding in through the open gate, you are greeting warmly by Svetlana.
"Welcome back! Look! Our promised soldiers have arrived!" She points at a pair of military-style tents pitched along the south wall by the stables. "A member of House Garess, no less! Kesten is his name, and he brought three Restov soldiers with 'im. They're practicing just outside the walls yonder at the moment, if you'd like to say hello." She positively beams at the news.
Svetlana beams even more when you show her the radishes. She quickly takes the sacks inside and returns with a coinpurse
Oleg comes out of the main hall and notices you, coming over to greet your return. "Back again? Got plenty more supplies if you need 'em."
"Oh, and some priest fella came a couple days ago. Been asking 'bout you, actually. He's in the guesthouse."
Why are these radishes that valuable?!
<- Zed tells the party what he knows as soon as Svetlana is out of earshot.
”Friend Oleg, I am happy to hear that business fairs better and that soldiers have arrived. You have my word that these bandits will be vanquished when we find them. Now, you say a priest has been asking for us. Do you know which god this priest worships?”
Taranis takes the time to say hello to each person he sees, not just the Leveton couple. He thanks Svetlana and disperses the reward.
He then waits to get the low-down from Zed and a response to Augrym's question.
"Huh? Oh, Old Deadeye, I think he said," Oleg replies.
"Well that's good to hear. We have a couple of their faithful with us. Let us meet this man!"