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"Count Matsanda, you have nothing to apologize for and nothing to fear. We have all made mistakes, and will all make more mistakes. That only means we are mortals, as we should be. We are measured not by our results, but by our efforts and intentions."
"Do not worry at having a good hunt, work at being a good man. Honor your word. Do your best. Baron Rudyahm will see you for the great man that you are."
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"Listen to me, Count. There's nothing better to impress someone else than being self-satisfacted. So try and do you best today. I'll be covering your backs and giving you tips. And PLEASE, do not have fear, since you have the best guarding your back" says Darathys to the Count.
Darathys participates in the hunt quite fondly, without forgetting to whisper useful tips in the Counts' hear when the need arises, describing the creatures met by the group as well as the local flora and its properties.
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With Darius scouting from the trees above, the party manages to find a fresh trail and follow it, spotting a giant sloth bear among the trees. Darathys provides tips to the Count as he lines up his shot, describing just where to aim. It pays off as Count Matsanda's shot strikes the massive creature right in the center of the chest, and collapses after a massive roar.
Darius also has a bit of success on the first day of the hunt, as he manages to bag an antelope with the loaned crossbow, impressing the Baron in the process. During the second day of hunting, the porters flush a golden jackal out of the dense undergrowth, which Beckett manages to bring down with a well timed arrow from his bow as it attempts to flee.
On the morning of the hunt’s third day, the smell of wood smoke fills the camp as porters busy themselves tending various cooking fires. Outside the camp, the jungle is alive with the sounds of monkeys, birds, and chirping insects. The smell of food soon attracts the attention of a band of macaques that gather at the edge of the camp. At first they just seem to be trying to figure out what is going on, but soon start to cause trouble by overturning containers, stealing trinkets, and raiding unguarded food supplies. Some of the porters stop what they are doing, and act reverentially toward the monkeys, offering them prayers along with bits of food and water.
The Baron reacts quite differently however, and storms out of his tent. "Oh how I detest monkeys, wretched creatures they are! Reminds me of those charau-ka I fought during the war with the Gorilla King. I don't care how you do it, but get these things out of my camp!"
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At first, Darathys stares at the monkeys wreaking havoc in the camp with an amused smile. "Look at those tiny pests! They know what they're doing, eheh!" he tells to his companions.
As the porters stop their activities and start offering prayers to the monkeys, Darathys' eyes go wide with surprise. "Wait, wha..." He has not even completed his sentence when the Baron storms out of his tent. Darathys listen the man, his eyebrows raised in perplexity. Seems like I misjudged the Baron. I thought he was a tougher man.
"Don't worry, Baron, we'll drive them off" confidently says Darathys before slowly approaching the animals. "If anyone here knows how to convince them to go away before actually harming them, it would be a good thing. Anyone?"
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"I'll see if I can speak to them. Likely they are just curious and playful." approaching close enough to a group of them that they do not immediately flee, I'll call on one of the gifts of my faith and speak to them in their own language, chirping, howling, and making sounds as similar to their normal calls as I can muster.
"Calm my little friends. What is this all about?" Noticing how the locals seem to react to their presence, Beckett likewise offers a few tidbits of rations, "You know, my little friends, there are many dangers here, locked up," pointing at random cases and barrels, "things that could make you very sick, or even worse. It's probably best if you leave them alone, as we wouldn't want you to loose one of your brothers or sisters, right?"
I'll need to make an effort to ask the locals about their traditions later, and make sure I record this.
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With Erastil's blessing, Beckett is able to speak with the horde of monkeys, and determines that they are hungry and all they want is some food. Once given some bits of food, they are fairly easily led away from the camp, some being carried by Ninn, although one does fling some poo at Darius who somehow offended them. The porters seem quite happy with you for not harming the monkeys, and the Baron is pleased as well. "I don't know how you managed that but I thank you. If not for you, I surely would have started firing blindly at those blasted creatures."
Following breakfast and the simian disturbance, the hunting party head off into the jungle for the day's hunt. For most of the morning, they follow the main trail that winds through the trees. All of a sudden, the old elephant panics and begins stamping about wildly, threatening to shake the howdah off its back. You see some of the porters run ahead, and where they begin to surround a large snake, that just misses striking one of the porters. Several hissing sounds are also coming from the bushes right next to the elephant. The Count, holding on for dear life, begins shouting at you. "Help us! Please, get this animal under control or we will all be thrown! You must figure a way to calm it down." The Baron interrupts him however, "Ignore that buffoon! No we will be fine, help the porters! I cannot afford to lose any of them."
Round 1
Red
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Beckett
Darius
Elephant
Makindi
Darathys
Riceak
Ninn
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Orange, Blue, Purple, Yellow
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Darathys quickly reacts to the unexpected danger. "Don't forget we're tasked with protecting the Baron and the Count from the Society. If anyone can stop that elephant, please do it now! I'll deal with the snakes!" And with that said, Darathys moves towards the nearest snake while drawing his greatsword from behind his back. Then the Taldan field agent tries to bring down his weapon on the snake, hoping to deal enough damage to kill the animal with a single attack.
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While the others focus on the cobra, I'll see if I can calm and redirect the elephant, again calling my divine powers to speak to it the best I can.
"A little beast can not harm you, friend. Calm yourself, and we will remove it. You have no need to worry. Put your feet down and simply walk to the right a bit, and it will be dealt with."
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Beckett does his best to try to calm the giant creature, but with the snakes still threatening it, does not have much success. Darius tries to skewer a snake with his lance, but misses and gets leaves instead. The elephant continues to flail about and the mahout gives up trying to control the pachyderm, and jumps from the howdah to cower behind a tree. Darathys swings wildly at one of the small snakes, but Riceak has more luck and cleaves it in two with his polearm. Ninn rushes off towards the large snake to help protect the porters, who begin to scatter and let her deal with the beast. The three remaining baby vipers, all strike out at the elephant, as it stomps its feet in fear. The larger cobra slithers up to Ninn and tries to sink its fangs in, but can't penetrate her thick plate armor.
Round 2
Red
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Beckett
Darius
Elephant
Makindi
Darathys
Riceak
Ninn
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Orange, Blue, Purple, Yellow
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Darathys takes a long breath and closes his eyes for a moment, in concentration. Then his body darts under the elephant’s giant legs. I’m the best one. I’m the best one. I cannot end up stomped on by an elephant. That would be an execrable death. C’mon Darathys, you can do it!, the Pathfinder thinks to himself as he moves just behind the elephant’s belly. In a few seconds it’s all over, and Darathys is on the other side. Phew! That was close! But I knew I could do it. Now let’s get it on!
With an advantageous position, Darathys tightens the grip on his greatsword and swings at one of the snakes . If he hits, then he will try and hit another snake with a lightning fast attack .
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In that post I mentioned "I doubt I could maneuver Ariaan through the rampaging elephant, so I'll start my assault on the snake in the rear."
I wasn't considering the elephant to be an ally, but since you're ruling that it is, I will indeed move up to engage the larger snake.
Darius attempts to spur his steed to get behind the mother snake for a flank...
...but the horse is having none of it. Dodging around the rampaging elephant instead, Darius attempts to skew the large serpent with his lance .
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Beckett fires an arrow at the cobra, but it flies off into the trees instead. Darius has more luck though, plunging his lance into the snake's flesh from atop his trusty steed. Darting under the elephant's legs, Darathys cleaves the head off one of the small vipers, but can't quite connect with a second. Riceak also just barely misses killing another snake, while Ninn moves around behind the large snake, and stomps viciously on its tail. It tries to strike back at the small gnome, but only catches air. The remaining baby vipers continue to agitate the elephant, which thrashes about, as the howdah begins to come lose from its back.
Round 3
Red (-14)
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Beckett
Darius
Elephant
Makindi
Darathys
Riceak
Ninn
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Orange, Blue, Purple, Yellow
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Beckett fires another arrow, but this one strikes the cobra right below it's jaws. Darius tries to land another blow with his lance but misses, however his trust horse has more luck, landing a solid kick. Darathys cuts another snake in half, though Riceak misses his own blow with the polearm. Ninn's karate chop to the cobra's back, manages to crush its spine, putting it down for good. The remaining baby snakes slither away into the dense jungle, sensing their paragon killed. With the threats gone, the elephant calms done, and the Bron is able to get it back under control.
Out of combat!
Count Matsanda seems obviously shaken after the ordeal, pacing back and forth on the jungle path as he regains his composure. "I was not prepared for that. I wish you all would have calmed that elephant sooner, but I thank you for helping eventually. I think perhaps you should scout the trail ahead as we continue, to help prevent this in the future."
All the Baron can do is shake his head at his son-in-laws behavior. "I knew this would be too much for him, but hopefully this adventure will yet make him into a man. I thank you for protecting the porters, without them, this hunt would be all the more difficult, not to mention expensive. I believe we are close to where I had my encounter with the tiger, so let us make haste."
A few hours after their encounter with the snake, the hunting party reachs a place where a small stream crosses the trail. Baron Rudyahm explains that this is the stream he and his friends were following when the tiger ambushed them 5 years ago, and thus this is where they should break off from the trail to find the tiger’s territory. Count Matsanda, still not right after the morning's events, declines to accompany you for this hunt. He and the porters take the elephant half a day farther down the trail to a hunting lodge outpost, where they can wait in safety for the Baron to finish his hunt.
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Darathys shakes his head at Sir Ninn. "I don't believe so. The Count is a coward. Or at least he proved to act like one. And cowardice just obfuscates all other virtues. At least the way I see it..." absentmindedly comments Darathys while trying to bring some order to his thoughts.
"Let's finish this hunt, then" Darathys says after giving the Baron the time to answer. "I'm looking forward to see a true tiger. And to get the better of it, of course”.
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After following the stream for an hour, the group reaches a small clearing. The jungle opens up into a wide grassy clearing bisected by a shallow, burbling stream. In the center of the clearing lies the partially eaten carcass of a gaur. Its throat has been torn open, and the grass all around the dead bison is covered in dried, sticky blood. Searching around the area, you do not find any tiger tracks, just hoofprints which the baron judges to be antelope tracks. He suggests that the antelopes may have fled this area during the hunt, trampling any tiger tracks that were present.
Baron Rudyahm kneels down next to the carcass, and takes a few minutes to inspect it. "This kill is fresh and I'm certain that the tiger was the killer. This clearing is where we should set our ambush."
The aging hunter instructs you all on how to set up machans—a type of portable hunter’s blind—in the trees around the clearing. The machans are mounted 20 feet up in the lower branches of the trees and camouflaged by branches and leaves. "Now we just need to climb up into the machans, and wait for our prey. I do warn you though, that you should avoid descending once night falls, lest you wish to come face to face with the angry tiger in the dark. And of course, no light sources, we don't want to give away our positions." As night falls, the jungle is completely dark. Only the clearing remains dimly lit thanks to the light of the moon.