Bishnu is riding the front critter. At the sign of the arrow hitting the ground in front of him, he will call a halt with a raised hand, and dismount. Speaking fairly quietly "Ok, Velden has seen trouble up ahead. Jack, Aannra, Ida, and I will go check it out. The rest of you keep the mounts from bolting. " Once again he will take point and start heading forward on foot.
Her clothing changes to matching Camo, then Following behind she slinks along, her Air gun out.
Velden and Elo both don't see anyone. The other four dismount and begin walking forward some stealthily others just walking.
General description of present locations:
fallen log
30 feet
Elo and Velden
30 feet
Jack, Aannra, Ida, and Jack
30 feet
Mounts.
Velden will keep a bow drawn, and keep watching from the greenhorns to the fallen log, and back. It's possible the log fell on it's own. But he doubts it. It's a little weird having another person with him, he's used to sniping on his own. But theoretically two scouts are better than one, as long as they're both sneaky. And Elo seems to be sneaky so far.
While watching, he calculates the escape routes for himself, Elo, the advancing party, and the greenhorns. Letting Elo watch the log, he focuses his attention on the greenhorns, concerned that someone may ambush them while the main party advances.
He fingers his arrows quietly, making sure he knows which are which by touch. The blunt tips vs the razor edged vs the whistlers. If something attacks the greenhorns, he'll fire a Whistler at it to alert the main force. He wishes he had some way to communicate and tell Bishnu to leave someone with the green horns.
Velden you still see no one, you do smell the tobacco smoke and think it is fresh. You see an area about 25 feet off into the forest on the right side that the smoke is originating from, though no creature.
Perception check for the four walking up.
The four of you walk forward not seeing Velden or Elo, though now you see a fallen log, about 3 or 4 feet thick (thus now 4 feet tall). This log is 30 feet ahead of you.
What do you do?
Fallen log
30 feet
(Elo and Velden - hidden) Jack, Aannra, Ida, and Jack
60 feet
Mounts.
Taking a look around, he doesn't see much in the way of a threat, though he does notice Velden and Elo under cover. He will proceed towards the fallen log carefully.
Velden will split his time between watching the clearing to see if anything moves (including between it and the log), and watching the greenhorns.
Bishnu once you are 10 feet away from the log, suddenly a trio of snarling humanoids leaps up from behind the log, all greenish skin and fearsome tusks, bellowing vulgar challenges.
Velden
Bishnu
Aannra
Elo
Ida
Jack
Orcs
*Round 1*
22 Aannra
21 Velden
18 Elo
13 Bishnu
11 Jack
9 Ida
8 Orcs
When it gets around to his turn, he will rage, and move up to smack an orc using power attack. He apparently is fully convinced they are real.
Seeing it's only 3, Velden will assume that Bishnu could probably take them by himself, much less him and the big catfolk. He will turn his attention to the greenhorns and watch them. He'll ready an action to fire a whistling arrow at anything that attacks the main party, and let the lead group deal with the 3 cannon fodders.
Jack is unsure of what will happen with these creatures those decides it is best to be prepared regardless. Not wanting to pressure his resources so early in the day he doesn't use magic before approaching and swinging his weapon.
Elo smothers a curse as the orcs appear; swiftly creating her bow, she fires a warning shot deftly at one of the orcs, aiming only to brush past and not to wound.
The replicants mind looks at the forms, working at full tactical speed
It in a few micro seconds runs an analysis.
things where off, shadows wrong, Sound a fraction of a second out of sink, she knows what they really are.
Wile the other go to attack Aannra calls out.
She stands and scans around to see who's projecting them, 3ed eye open,
"Scanning"
"Aannra, get back to the rest of the party, with the animals." Velden snaps, breaking cover, when she says the orcs are Holograms. "Somethings trying separate us. You lot! Weapons drawn! Defensive Positions!" He yells at the greenhorns.
The greenhorns have already drawn their weapons, well except for Selvanna and she still does not draw a weapon after the yell.
Jack moves forward and one of the orcs is sliced in half.
Bishnu hits but his blow is deflected off the bones which act as armor for the orc.
On Bishnu,
greataxe attack, damage
On Jack,
greataxe attack, damage
Confirming critical: greataxe attack, damage
Bishnu gets hit hard, with an open wound on his shoulder.
On Veldens words, Aannra stops scanning and full moves back to the animals.
**Round 2**
Go!
Whatever is running the holograms is nearby, but he can't see it from his vantage spot, so Velden drops to the ground and begins sneaking through the woods toward the clearing he spotted earlier.
"Well it sure has hell hits hard for a Hologram. "
Aannra runs to the three kids,
"get yourselves armed and backs to the mounts, keep a look out for movement, we do not move from here unless called, or task is to protect the mounts and stop them from bolting"
She then scans around to see what is close
but finds it hard to hear anything with me mounts making so much sound ad the Holograms screaming.
Elo quickly runs through the forest, searching for the projector. "Destroy their sightlines if you can! Smoke, fog, anything!"
Creatures encountering an illusion usually do not receive saving throws to recognize it as illusory until they study it carefully or interact with it in some fashion.
A successful saving throw against an illusion reveals it to be false, but a figment or phantasm remains as a translucent outline.
A failed saving throw indicates that a character fails to notice something is amiss. A character faced with proof that an illusion isn't real needs no saving throw. If any viewer successfully disbelieves an illusion and communicates this fact to others, each such viewer gains a saving throw with a +4 bonus.
Ida checks the status of Bishnu as a swift action, and if he's actually damaged, manifests Vigor with 3 Power Points, targeting Bishnu through the collective and giving him 15 Temporary Hit Points.
Aannra unclips an orb like object from her belt, she bends down and places it on the floor.
::"scout out, find what's doing this"::
The orb like thing sports legs and scuttles off into the undergrowth.
Velden you get to the spot though don't see anything. You smell the smoke that much more though.
Bishnu smashes another orc to the ground leaving one left.
Jack attacks the last orc with his greatsword with his great reach.
attack, damage:
Though he misses so the last orc swings at Bishnu.
On Bishnu,
attack, damage:
It misses as well.
*round 3*
Jack attacks the last orc with his greatsword with his great reach finishes off the last orc with any other help that comes his way.
attack, damage:
The three bodies of the orcs just disappear. Any wounds that you got for them disappear as well.
Ida checks on the status of Bishnu, and, finding nothing wrong with him, despite seeing him take a fairly painful-looking hit, says, rather confusedly, "Congratulations, I guess. We beat..... Nothing? There were certainly never orcs there, and you never actually had any wounds, but I'm not sure where they came from."
Velden searches around, including looking at the ground for tracks.
Then he finally returns. "I couldn't find the originator of the holograms or illusions, whatever they were. I found a clearing that smelled of pipe smoke, so whoever did it was there smoking and waiting for us." He turns to the townsfolk kids. "Anyone want to stop you lot from gaining passage? Or any people around who'd just want to attack and steal your belongings?" He holds up a hand. "I know bandits would, I mean someone with the wherewithal to use illusions or holograms capable of inflicting what seems like real damage."
Velden turns to Aannra. "Anything in those papers you looked at about people who could pull something like this off, or plans to do so?" He asks, knowing the replicant might as well be the next best thing to a xerox copier.
He looks at Bishnu finally. "Damn old man, you're slowing down in your retirement. Letting fictitious creatures cut you and your armor up."
You search that spot and find some tracks.
"Well this is a right of passage, and we have heard of people of the town setting traps and other things to challenge those who take the path." One of them says. "We on our own likely could have handled those 'orcs', Thank you for being here for us.
Looking around there is nothing to collect.
_________________________
Assuming you head out...
You are able to travel for most of the day in peace. Following the map is relatively easy, let alone having Aannra point the right direction.
If you want to get to know any of the greehorns feel free to interact with them and learn about them.
After the you have followed the map for most of the day, the sunlight begins to fade and a cold wind begins to rattle through the leafless forest. There is now no sign of civilization in sight.
Establishing a safe camp is the first order of business. Finding a suitable site requires a DC 10 Survival check, which Aannra finds with ease. She locates a nice level spot, surrounded on three sides by a thicket of bushes.
There is plenty of dry wood to be found to start a fire which the greenhorns find after securing the mounts. Swan offers to cook a fine stew if she can get each of you to contribute a ration.
As the you are sitting around the camp...
_______________
"Now you might get the idea of why I was retiring. Fighting is for when you are young and dumb enough to think you are invulnerable. Though at least no matter what I thought at the time, neither me or my armor actually took any damage. That's some screwy tech there. "
He will toss a ration to Swan when she asks for a contribution "Gotta be better than anything I can throw together, and these rations are nothing much better than edible as is. "
he appears to be mostly watching the fire thinking. Am I really that off? Some damned hologram practically offed me? Yeah, I did retire for a reason. "
Velden nods. "I see." He turns to the forest. "Whoever is smoking the pipe and setting tests, you might want to reconsider. Bishnu, Aannra, and I would all feel bad if we got one of the kids back in town just in time for their parent's funerals because you did something to look hostile." He warns out loud, then shrugs and talks in a normal voice. "Understand the concept, but what stupidity doesn't warn the combat veterans accompanying them I just don't understand. Suicidal."
----------
Later
----------
Veldan contributes an MRE. Then after dinner, he nods at Selvanna. "So, you in training or just hoping you spontaneously shove a fireball down someone's throat when you get angry?" He asks the girl, sounding curious. "I suggest the training, not the spontaneous fireball thing. Could cause you problems with trials and courts and prison. People with talent and no training are dangerous."
----------
More Later
----------
In a conversational tone. "Everyone be very very calm, and no sudden movements. Hey Bishnu, did you forget to tell us about your new doggie?" He nods in a very minimal way toward the scag. "Everyone very slowly and very calmly draw your weapons. We heard multiple howls earlier, and now we have a visible animal. Lot's of animals hunt in packs, and send one out to draw everything's attention while they attack from the other direction. Aannra and Corhash, you watch the scag to the east. Bishnu, you and Arlington take north. Jack, Selvana, West. Ida, Doug, South. Elo, Swan, you're with me in the center, cover anyone who needs help with ranged attacks."
Aannra finds the spot for them she looks around, fire would and level, with a killing ground, if they set up camp well.
She dis not seem to feel the cold, still dressed in her traveling jump suit.
Once they get to work, she finds a high tree over looking the can and send that small drone up it to perch and keep look out.
She then gives each of the green horns a signal whistle wile talking to them assessing combat skills and abilities.
"keep this with you, get lost are separated you can use it, to call us, but only if you have no other option, it may call other things as well"
She then gives some food to the pot, checks her gun and wile it's still light sites cross legged and enters trance sleep mode.
Then later as Velden talks.
The drone makes 3 shape beeping rounds.
Aannras eyes flick open, she rolls to the right in one move and comes up crouching holding her airgun.
Eyes looking out into the darkness.
She brings up her internal Armor.
::"report"::
The small drone makes some beeping and twittering sounds.
"the one Velden informed of single target right, k9 type large, informed of possible pack note others now tracking"
Perception DC 22
Aannra makes the same kind of sounds back, almost mechanical.
"Keep scanning and inform if new targets arrive "
"You know my soft spot for strays Velden. " he replies as surreptitiously drawing his kukri from its sheath and making sure his shield is ready. Then, he scans his designated quadrant ready if something comes in, while getting his feet under him so he is crouching, not sitting.
Jack talks to some of the greenhorns over the course of the journey but doesn't get too cozy with them. Knowing that they might die on this journey seeing that many of them haven't seen the worst that a fight has to offer. Perhaps if they survive this he will warm up to them a little more.
Jack keeps his sword close and wonders if there will be some actual dangers on this path, if the way only contains more like the 'orcs' then they have nothing to worry about. However this howl has him wondering what else is up ahead.
Jack doesn't see the Scags but trusts that Velden has spotted something. If the scags are real perhaps now is a time to take up his full load out. He draws his sword slowly then grows in size to be towering over the rest of the group. Jack unfurls his tentacles taking his position north of the group and prepares his sword with offensive magic. Having readied himself he waits till any signal is given to attack or until one of the scags decides to come charging at him.
In response to Velden, Selvanna looks like a startled deer. "Umm, training for what? A fireball? What?!?" She seems completely confused.
______________
Half our later --- in response to Velden's commands
Jack
Bishnu
Aannra
Velden
Ida
Elo
greenhorns
Scag
*Round 1*
Everyone but Bishnu
Scag
Bishnu
Go!
Velden looks at the girl. "Hmm, thought you'd felt the fever already." He casts prestidigitation to make a translucent image of her in the air, about 12 inches tall. Inside that image, it looks like there's something pulsing along her nerveways. "You've got potential, not sure what type without some testing. Sorcery, Divinity, Psionics, something. You need to either tap it and learn to control it, or get someone to nip it in the bud for you, otherwise it might explode out of you one day in an uncontrolled manner. Dangerous."
---------
Fight
---------
Velden puts two arrows into the scag in less than a second. The first hits his mouth directly, the second sticks in the hard armor of his jaw as the mouth snaps shut.
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Bishnu sits waiting patiently for his initiative while Girl from Ipanema plays in his head.
Then when the elevator stops and it's his turn to go:
This will be a thrown kukri if necessary. Apply appropriate range increment if so (and subtract 2 damage, and 1 to hit).
She looks to see 1st if there pack is around, if she spots them she will shoot at them, if not the main one.
Fires a shot at its head, her airgun makes a low hissing sound, and a bolt shoots out at blinding speed.
the barbed bolt slams into it's hide.
before the round hits the wolf jerks it's head out of the way, as two arrow wack into it, and it flys past missing.
Jack waits patiently for the first scag to reach him then lashes out with a strike.
attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
damage: 3d6 + 18 ⇒ (5, 2, 3) + 18 = 28
Ida holds her action for now.
Velden does damage with one of his hits, but then the scag just runs off into the forest. Howling in pain on its way.
Round 2
Does anyone give chase?