"I see it too but...what is it?"
Caveth, the water is muddied and dark you can,t see anything clearly other than that it seems roughly the size of your boat, and it's moving slowly towards the second river gate...
"It's heading for the other gate!" he cries in alarm. "We've got to stop it!"
The threat posed by Roland and his troop is overshadowed by the mysterious creature in the river. Caveth dashes a few steps towards the far gate and closer to the bank then looses an arrow into the water. Perhaps he can distract it from bashing open the barrier between it and the city.
Caveth's arrow dives beneath the muddy surface, lost from view almost immediately... but it was noticed.
The shape beneath the water turns, slowly, moving back away from the gate and towards the bank, still not surfacing. You all begin to feel something growing in your chests and heads and bones, an uncomfortable feeling of resonance, as if you're nothing but tuning forks in the aftermath of a strike - but you can hear no corresponding sound.
Roland's mouth twists into a feral-looking grin at Joseph's challenge, but his attention - though not his musket - is diverted to the gates and then the shoreline as Kay spots something. Roland doesn't waste time with hesitation or uncertainty, he turns and starts barking commands at the other watchstanders. "Tandus, watch the infected. If he becomes hostile, kill him. Otherwise, I want you at range helping us with whatever we're dealing with now. I'm your secondary. I'll try to keep an eye on you, but if you run into any trouble, get my attention. The rest of you, we're all better from a distance, use that to our advantage. Spread out, ten foot intervals minimum, twenty feet from the water. Notch your arrows and make ready your weapons. It looks like we're in for a fight." As he says his last bit, Roland turns completely and resets his stance to square off against whatever might be coming out of the water.
Swords slide from their scabbards with a rasp as Harbek looks to the water.
"I got a bad feeling about this. Look! There's something under the water."
She looks to Silas, " Our compassion may yet be our downfall, though we have done the right thing I'm sure. I think She followed Moffrey. "
" To late to worry about that now. I thought these things couldn't do water? "
Silas backs away from the bank, his crossbow raised. Once past his allies of the moment he chants strange words in some ancient tongue, his left hand flickering in strange gestures, trusting his allies gaze will be as locked on the swirling whitewater as his own.
Skadi climbs out of her jar, over the boat and into the river.
"Over here, you ugly goatwhore!" Caveth shouts and fires another arrow into the churning water. Anything to keep it away from the gate and the city beyond.
, as it moves a little closer to you the light from the lanterns pierces the water for a moment - you get the impression of a humanoid shape, larger than you by several feet, wearing what looks like armour.
When the attack comes, it's not from where you expected it.
Your boat is launched from the water, spinning end over end and shedding passengers and cargo before it impacts with whatever barrier is holding back the downpour outside, rebounding and landing upside down in the mud of the riverside.
Two shapes rise from the churning river, muddied water dripping from and through them as they stand. They are large, almost twelve feet tall, suits of twisted iron-and-rust armour containing nothing, no flesh or features save a baleful glow. As you watch they turn, scanning those assembled within the 'safety' of the river gate enclosure, hefting bastard swords and tower shields in their empty gauntlets as they step up and out of the river towards you.
You feel a wave of sorrow and loss rolling over you as you glimpse that light shining through the chinks in their armour, so strong as to be debilitating.
Safe up on the shore Silas aims for the front of the chest piece of the armour.
Watching his bolt fly harmlessly over the top of the shadow as his hands shake he muses
I'm terrified beyond the capacity for rational thought
Then runs for cover to start reloading
Skadi is in her element - the water. The raging current reminds her of her first memories, swimming through the bloodstream of a dying man. This is far easier than that though; the current is almost steady, rather than pulsing, and she does not need to fear being crushed in an aorta.
She cuts through the river faster than a man can jog, latching on to the paralyzed Atterleigh's head. Desperately she thrashes now, trying to keep his head above water.
The sight of the lumbering armour grips Caveth's heart with a cold fist. The sound of their steps as they plunge through the water reminiscent of a guillotine blade slicing the air before coming to a sudden, wet halt. He quavers, thoughts involuntarily turning to that most horrible of days in his past, but he had witnessed Atterleigh flung into the river by the attack that shattered the barge; the company man, still paralyzed, will drown if unaided.
Leaving the gatekeepers to deal with the animated suits, Caveth admonishes himself, "What's done is done, don't dwell in the past. Atterleigh needs you here and now!"
Anyone not transfixed by the shapes rising out of the water might note a woman at Caveth's side for a split second. Those who have seen her before would recognize her as his matron, Milani. She puts a reassuring arm over his shoulder, gives him an amiable squeeze and then is gone.
"Well that's new." Roland shivers as a feeling like solid ice takes hold of his body as his enemies approach. He audibly growls as he takes aim at the leading enemy and pulls the trigger.
The loud retort of musket fire is immediately followed by Roland's voice calling out, "LET'S TAKE 'EM DOWN!" Giving voice to his aggression allows him to shed the grip of terror that the creatures had ensnared him in and his hands moved in swift but deliberate movements to reload his weapon.
Silas has fired and missed,
Skadi is trying to drag Atterleigh, with Caveth having the same idea,
and Roland has struck a blow against the right-most armour.
Joseph raises an eyebrow, and then heads for the left hand armour, drawing his blade. To the particularly sharp eyed, it seems to have a strange glow as he swings it at his foe.
”What?” says Kay, clearly stunned. ”The Durajhan? Surely not. I never thought I’d live to see the Durajhan walk the earth."
Loudly, to everyone present, "These guys are the Durajhan out of local legend, protectors of forest shrines and remnants of an ancient martial culture. I wonder if they’re on our side? Hold your fire, though defend yourselves and watch for other enemies.”
She strides towards one, her flail lowered in respect. ”Hail to the Mighty Darajhan, Protectors of the Forest. We have no quarrel with you, and know of none that you have with us, though we will defend ourselves when surprised. We seek to parley with you this day, as we have a common enemy that must be dealt with, a deadly plague for which we seek a cure.”
, your blade glances of of the durajhan's armoured body, missing what looks to be a weak point by mere inches.
And ... your words are true and honest but the actions of your compassions are not entirely convincing, surprised and defensive or no... But the armored form you address does halt for a moment as it moves to engage you - maybe it hasn't listened, but it did hear.
.
Harbek stands between Caveth and Kay.
" Darajhan, not the plague creatures then. "
Harbek says, his swords held ready he waits to see what the iron men do.
"Look at the rust, and the gash in the armour - that can't be natural!"
As the Durajhan moves, you realize that Joseph may well be right - the left-most on strides over the ruins of the boat and picks up the recumbent form of your prisoner, cradling him in one arm and holding the sword out to guard itself with the other.
A rain of arrows and shot strikes the right-most Durajhan as it steps out of the river, trailing mud and river-weed, seemingly unconcerned by the chips and dents left in its armoured torso and extremities by the assault. It focuses on you, , swinging elegantly and with absurd strength...
... and turning the blade, ensuring that the unlucky dwarf is knocked flat on his back and straight into unconciousness rather than cut in two. As the dwarf falls the figure points toward Moffrey, the poor man standing transfixed with shock under his tarpaulin, and it speaks.
”Oh, Mr Toruun!” says Kay, clearly stunned.
She strides towards the creature, a determined look on her face, her flail swinging in her hands.
Conditions: nil
Rage: total rounds = 5, rounds used today = 1
Str 14
Dex 16 (20)
Con 13
Hp: Max 28, Current 12
AC 17 (19)
Touch 14 (16)
Flat 14
Base armour class (3 studded leather armour, 1 size, 3 Dex)
The Durajhan sufficiently occupied, Caveth keeps his eyes on Atterleigh's still form, preparing to enter the river in time to intercept the man. He stows his weapon and watches, carefully timing the current.
EDIT: Bugger, and I moved it right next to you on the combat map too without thinking. The glory of GM oversight - You definitely get your attack as it hits you, yes. :)
Seeing the animated armor fell the dwarf, flat of the blade or no, banished any lingering doubts inspired by the newcomers' recognition of the creatures. Roland took aim at the nearest creature and snarled in exultation as a second bullet pierced the creature.
"Did anybody understand what the damn thing said?"
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Silas, still cowering taking cover calls out tremulously
"இல்லை கோழைகள் அதே நேரத்தில் நாங்கள் உன் அழிவு பெற வேண்டாம். எங்களுக்கு பதிலாக போராட்டத்தை விட பேசலாம்
ஏன் கலை அவர்கள் நோக்கி: நீ உன் சகோதரர்கள் ஆண்கள்? இந்த Hawcroft ஆண்கள். அவர்கள் ஆக்கியுள்ளேன் மாற்றம், நீ என்ன தோஸ்த்?"
Whilst not cowards we do not seek thy destruction. Let us talk rather than fight
Why art they men of thou and thine brothers? These are Hawcroft men. Of the change wrought in them, what dost thou know?
Whoever would have thought I'd be using this dead language in conversation?
, neither of the Durahjans seems to be focusing on you - probably a good time to get the slowly drifting Atterleigh.
, your shot flies true - it pierces the armour of the right-most figure that Silas is addressing, and as it speaks again it turns slowly toward you.
'நாம் கடமைப்பட்டுள்ளோம். சேவை. தேர்வு இல்லாமல். நாம் உடம்பு சரியில்லை. வலிக்கிறது. தவறாக. ஆனால் எதையும் விட, நாங்கள் எங்கள் வார்த்தை விசுவாசமாக இருக்கிறோம் - நம் வார்த்தை வழங்கப்படுகிறது. எங்கள் வழியில் நிற்க, நாம் குறைக்க முடியும். நீங்கள் எங்களுக்கு புதிய உறவினர்களின் எடுக்க முடியாது.'
Joseph takes another swipe with his blade, this time aiming for the crack in the armour.
Cavern slips into the water and paddles as quietly as possible in the gentle current, hoping the Durajhan remain unperturbed long enough for him to reach the paralyzed man.
As he draws closer, he notes Atterleigh is unusually buoyant but does not question the man's good fortune as he tows him to safety on the opposite side of the river where the wolfhound prances anxiously back and forth.
"They are bound, without choice, to service. I don't think they want to hurt us, but they will if we stop them gathering their new kin... I think... I think they're infected."
It seemed like a simple task when he endeavoured to rescue the man but Caveth finds himself struggling to stay above water with Atterleigh. He coughs and sputters and does his best to get to the far side but does not make much progress. Instead he drifts downriver, behind the Durajhan and towards the closed gate.
, as Harbek falls beside you and Caveth struggles to breathe you step forward - you've just seen blade effortlessly turned aside, and are determined not to make the same mistake.
You can't completely avoid the blade that swings in your direction - it catches you with little more than a glancing blow, but still enough to knock you almost senseless for a moment. However, with that the creature has left itself open...
, you find the river harder to navigate than expected - the combination of churned mud, ankle-snaring weeds and a day of fear and privation are taking their toll...
The creature that picked your prisoner up is moving toward Moffrey, who stands shocked-still like a rabbit in lantern-light, his pale face gazing at the ancient monstrosity moving ponderously toward him.
Roland, while reloading from his last shot shouts at Silas without turning away from his target, "Are we killing the bloody things or not?? Where will they go if we don't try to stop them here?"
"I... I don't know. I think they're infected... Let me talk to them..." Silas is obviously flustered. "Ms Towerweed - do you know anything more of these creatures?"
Caveth finally manages to latch onto Atterleigh and make his way to the far shore with the paralyzed man. The half elf drags him out of the water and checks his vital signs before returning his attention to the chaotic scene across the river where Kay and Harbek are both still on the ground. The sheer size and power of the creatures seems to be overwhelming the group.
Unsure of the plan at this point, Caveth forgoes attacking to see if Silas has any success speaking to Durahjan and looks for a way to traverse the river that does not involve swimming back.