"Hold on, Augrym!" Tessaria shouts, rushing forward to bring forth more magic to help the half-orc. This time the spell she weaves is a glamer. When it settles over Augrym, he seems to shift in place, making it harder to know his true location.
Bytor moves closer and lifts his inspirational words to his companions to keep their courage running high!
"There is a source within all of you that you must tap into. When you are at one with it, you are nigh unstoppable!"
With the echo of his own words, Bytor takes aim with his bow at Red and lets the arrow fire!
Unrak cuts down the first zombie, his weapon only just snapping through the giant's splintered spine. Taranis orders Toth forward; the cat ducks an axe to dig deep with his teeth.
MISS
Bytor sends in an arrow, and Tess a spell. Augrym gets in two quick strikes before retreating a step.
Round II
1. Bytor, Unrak, Marc, Taranis (62/65 hp, Toth 36/54 hp), Tess, Augrym (5/78 hp), John
2. Zombies (red @ 70 dmg, purple @ 16 dmg)
Augrym's wounds begin to close!
Round II
1. Bytor, Unrak, Marc, Taranis (62/65 hp, Toth 36/54 hp), Tess, Augrym (24/78 hp), John
2. Zombies (red @ 70 dmg, purple @ 16 dmg)
- Round the Second
- Current HPs: 60/60
- Inspired
- Hasted
- Prayered
John nods appreciation for the high praise,, but remains focused on his role. He looses a volley at the red tinged foe! (If it drops, shift to purple for subsequent attacks)
RANGED
First Attack:
for damage (+1 Attack & Damage if target w/in 30')
Second Attack:
for damage (+1 Attack & Damage if target w/in 30')
Rapid Shot:
for damage (+1 Attack & Damage if target w/in 30')
Haste Attack:
for damage (+1 Attack & Damage if target w/in 30')
John's fine shooting brings down another behemoth! He quickly switches to his next target, landing another shut, but last pair sails wide.
The two zombies left each step and take a mighty, sweeping swing with the axe. The first axe plows through Toth and is stopped by Augrym. The second cuts through Tess, and then through Augrym, and finally buries itself in Unrak's heaving ribs.
HIT
MISS
HIT
HIT HIT
THREAT CONFIRMED
Blood flows quickly from the company's many wounds, splashing among the scattered rocks at the defile's edge.
Round II
1. Bytor, Unrak (56*/95* hp), Marc, Taranis (62/65 hp, Toth 19/54 hp), Tess (33/49 hp), Augrym (8/78 hp), John
2. Zombies (purple @ 38 dmg)
Taranis completes his spell and a pair of leopards appear. They pounce on undead to which they have a clear path. Meanwhile, Taranis summons a pair of lightning orbs underneath the injured zombie-thing.
Pounce!
MISS
for
for
for
for
for
FAIL, SUCCESS
Taranis slings magic in a hurry. Two leopards rip into the zombie by Tess, while a ball of lightning zaps the one by Toth.
Round II
1. Bytor, Unrak (56*/95* hp), Marc, Taranis (62/65 hp, Toth 19/54 hp), Tess (33/49 hp), Augrym (8/78 hp), John
2. Zombies (grey @ 66 dmg, purple @ 44 dmg)
Toth savagely attacks the foe before him, fighting through blood and pain:
MISS
for
for
MISS
current conditions: haste, inspire, prayer. +4 hit, +3 damage
Unrak is drowning in violence, gore, and blood. He celebrates the only way he knows how--with MOAR violence, gore, and blood.
Target the arrow-ridden zombie first.
<--THREAT
Tessaria winces from the cut, but nevertheless steps in swinging her greatsword. "Two to go! Keep at it!"
As a swift action, Augrym whisper a word to gain a Second Wind.
Taking a 5ft step back, he activates his Stag Helm (free action), and aims his wrist launcher at the one with the leopards on it. He studies this flat footed target he’s about to attack sneakily (immediate action) and attacks (standard).
Bytor maintains his inspiriation and then moves in to help Augrym by casting Cure Serious Wounds on him.
"Let your wounds be closed, my friend!"
Tess cannot penetrate the zombies' defenses, even after such a wild swing, and neither can Augrym. Fortunately, Toth and Unrak more than make up for it, and put the last pair down with ease.
A dark, winding stair leads west into the mountains, towered over by ominous cliffs on either side. A dread wind blows softly in your face from the unwelcome scar on in the rock.
Taranis: Toth 27/54 hp
Tess 41/49 hp
Unrak: 65/88 hp
Augrym: 52/78 hp
John is gravely concerned for his new companions and before recovering what arrows he can, offers his unskilled aid to tend to the wounded.
”Unrak, your skill in battle never ceases to amaze me. I have never met your equal. Indeed, you all bring great talents to this fellowship and I am honored to be a part of it.”
Bytor goes around and offers the use of his wand of cure light wounds to the wounded.
"May that not presage the struggle within."
Taranis looks around at the terrain, "We should heal up as best we can, but save the rest of that wand. Let's keep it for when we are low on magical strength."
As the others tend to Toth's terrible wounds, the druid gives him a scratch before looking around the immediate area. "John, you're still hale, help me look about."
Each of the dead carried a well-made (masterwork, large) battle-axe. Taranis and Tooth find naught else in the area. There is only the gloomy stair, leading west.
After 5 charges:
Taranis: 65/65
Toth 27/54 hp
Tess 41/49 hp
Unrak: 77/88 hp
Augrym: 68/78 hp
Humble John hurries to assist, and earnestly says "Yes sir" as he doffs his cap in deference. He does his very best and hopes it is helpful...
He looks at the stairs with an uneasy feeling and wonders if atop them some answers to his family's disappeance might lie.
Seeing the wisdom in Taranis’ suggestion, Bytor begins using his healing spells to restore the party to health.
”I hope your great cat knows that I am just casting heal spells on him.”
"Thank you Bytor. You've become an integral part of the Hunters in short order. Now, let's see where those stairs go."
"Master Bytor, from what the Baron said, can I infer you are new to the group also?" John inquires in a hushed voice as the group prepares to mount the stairs.
The stairs lead up into the mountains... and go on for hours. At lenght, the stairs become a simple mountain path. Taranis is about to call a halt as the sun reaches its zenith, for even Toth is starting to slow down.
Then, turning a corner by a tall stone bluff, you come upon a river bank. To the north, a jagged limestone cliff hems in the scene; a mighty waterfall rushes over the edge into a wide pool of black, frothing water. In the center of the black pool stands a massive, hundred-foot-tall limestone pillar of weathered stone -- the last, lonely sentinel marking where the cliff’s edge once stood in an age long past. At various points on the island’s top, plumes of black smoke waft up into the sky.
Humble John hurries to assist, and earnestly says "Yes sir" as he doffs his cap in deference. He does his very best and hopes it is helpful...
Unrak smiles at John's amenable nature.
It's good to see you don't grumble, John!
Unrak, your skill in battle never ceases to amaze me. I have never met your equal. Indeed, you all bring great talents to this fellowship and I am honored to be a part of it.
Heh! Let's hope we don't meet my equal together. If we do, it'll be a short meeting!!
At the top of their long trek, Unrak looks about, noting the smoke. We're not alone here.
"Indeed brother, we are not."
Baron Redleaf begins searching about for either tracks, or for signs of habitual passage. He exhorts the others to do the same.
Sniff Sniff
In the soft mud by the river bank, Taranis and Toth find a number of tracks, but need a bit of help making sense of them.
John breathlessly wonders at the natural beauty of the waterfall, "Gods I hope to show something like this to my Reykala and the boys someday... Erasten especially would marvel at it."
He pushes down a lump in his throat and saves his worry for a less pressing time.
John hunkers down to examine the muddy river bank and respectfully points out a few telltale signs he spots to the Hunters.
The Huntsmen spread out on the riverbank. Taranis and Toth find a set of very recent prints, from an unshod horse, perhaps less than a week old. John spots several older prints from a large, shoe-less humanoid; he surmises that there were perhaps several of these that passed through here.
Marc is able to find the oldest set of prints, hidden among the others: those of a booted humanoid, likely months old and preserved only by caking of the riverbank after a flood.
The site is too confused, and many of the tracks too old, to make clear sense of the direction each was traveling.
"Master Bytor, from what the Baron said, can I infer you are new to the group also?"
"Yes, it is true. I hope it is not too obvious.". Bytor. replies with a quick laugh. "I have been with these huntsmen for a short time now but I am quickly learning their strengths and figuring out how to support these remarkable folk. I am glad to have you join us as well. Please let me know what I can do for you."
Taranis keeps his eyes on the island, but knows that Gorzeh keeps sacred secrets behind water falls. He follows along the shore to the edge of the bluff, looking to see if there is a hollow between water and earth.
So violent are the falls that naught but mist and foam can be seen... from the shoreline.
"Gentlemen. Get yourselves to the island. I'll catch up. Now, if you're worried, you'll have to carry your armor and suit up on the island." Once they're ready, Taranis taps each of his companions with a charge from his wand of Monkey Fish. He then winks before jumping into the water.
Just as he hits the water, he turns into a bull shark!
Taranis plunges into the pool and swims towards the rushing water. Behind the falls, he finds naught but stone.
The others fare better. At the island's southeastern foot, where a narrow beach meets the limestone scarp, a dark opening in the stone beckons, partially obscured by creepers and dangling foliage.
Gods I hope to show something like this to my Reykala and the boys someday... Erasten especially would marvel at it.
Unrak wordlessly puts his hand on John's shoulder. You will.
He then winks before jumping into the water.
Just as he hits the water, he turns into a bull shark!
The big man snorts briefly. Pssst. Showoff!
He doffs his armor, packs it to carry, and swims to the island, then immediately dons it again.
Taranis then swims over to the others. Hopefully they recognize him...
"Yes, it is true. I hope it is not too obvious.". Bytor. replies with a quick laugh. "I have been with these huntsmen for a short time now but I am quickly learning their strengths and figuring out how to support these remarkable folk. I am glad to have you join us as well. Please let me know what I can do for you."
"I'll ask for nothing of you kind sir but your friendship and your patience as I try to make my way with you. Where do you hail from? I'm not good with accents and I haven't traveled far from here since settling down, or far from my native Rostland in my 33 winters, excepting a journey to New Stetven once to visit my wife's family with our boys."
”I am not knowing why, but this dark opening is beckoning to me. Perhaps we should explore deeper. What say you?”
Marc moves into the aperture. The darkened passageway is hewn from the limestone into an arched tunnel that reaches 15 feet at its apex. The
passageway is decorated to the north and south with alcoves. Thick dust carpets the flagstone floor just a few feet past the opening.
Midway down the hall, just before the second set of alcoves is a grand archway carved in the stone. Upon its lintel are various runes and symbols. The northern alcove just beyond this arch holds an ancient amphora that has broken open, spilling its contents into the corridor.
At the end of the hall, the passage turns sharply north.
"I can take lead, looking for traps. Unless someone else would prefer."