Nsizi understood a little of the man's request - some tribes the Bas'o traded with held similar beliefs.
Looking to Zeljka, he said, "This man wishes to die with honour in a fight. If he agrees to help us first, will you fight him?"
Tag Bufi the Mjusi slayer.
Zeljka nods solemnly. "If he wishes to die with honour, I will grant him that request by fighting him."
Turning back to the Mjusi man, Nsizi said, "My friend here will grant your wish and fight you. After you answer some questions for us. Do you agree?"
Tag
The mjusi nodded, "I will tell you what I know."
He then retrieved his serrated sword and sized up the half-orc.
After the last lizardfolk felt, Evalina covered her wounds with her hands while retrieving her arrows. Unfortunately, two of her arrows have been snapped when the lizarfolk and the giant lizard felt atop them, and her blunt one was lost in the night, probably long gone inside the tar. The only one she was able to recover was the one deeply inside the dead lizard head. With some effort she pulled it and put it back on her quiver after cleaning the blood from it. She then approached Zeljka, "So... I think we should come upon with a language for just the two of us..." she smiles to the half-orc, "You are pretty good with that falchion, you know?"
When Nsizi heals her wounds, Evalina thanks him while she inspects her wounds, "Thank you very much, Nsizi! And to be honest I'm not really tough..." she then shows her empty vial of healing magic, "I had to cheat a little, you know? The lizard was faster than I had expected. To be honest, I'm as surprise as you are for me to still be alive!" she then turns to the Halfling, "And also thank you, Oz... I think that if you hadn't send one of your ice bolts at the lizard, I think it would not have let me go... well, you also stepped on that twig and alerted them, so in the end I think we are even!" she laughed to show him she was obviously joking.
While the others were talking, Evalina joined Zeljka while searching the camp and took one of the healing ones, putting it in her bandolier, "It is always handy to have some of these when a giant lizard tries to eat you!"
Osbun looked a little embarrassed but nods when accused of stepping on the twig. "Too many twigs to avoid through there. And I thought we were scouting and not closing with the lizard guys. I guess I was just following you. No need for either of us to get that close really, since we can't understand them. But I had to come to your aid. I was afraid that thing was gonna swallow you hole."
When the discussion turned to an honorable fight Oz was slightly appalled. "Zeljka no, you do not have to risk your life so. We already beat these guys." he protested.
The mjusi nodded, "I will tell you what I know."
Min repeated her question. "Why do you say you are cursed?"
She had absolutely no worries that the injured lizardfolk posed a serious danger to Zeljka.
The mjusi nodded, "I will tell you what I know."Min repeated her question. "Why do you say you are cursed?"
She had absolutely no worries that the injured lizardfolk posed a serious danger to Zeljka.
He looked at the woman and her hat, "We are cursed because we broke tradition. We had a disagreement with our tribe leader and were exiled. We now wait to join the bones of our ancestors."
"Oh, excellent," Min remarked in Common. "They're out here to die because they disagreed with the leader of their tribe. I mean, not excellent for them, clearly. Or, I suppose, for us, since we just killed a bunch of lizardfolk who may well have been on our side. Nsizi, could you check on the rest of them?"
She turned her attention back to the lizardfolk and continued in Polyglot. "We disagree with your leader as well -- at least with the decision to attack the human colony. Why has your leader declared war against our kind?"
Nsizi asked, "Are your tribe leaders the ones killing humans, and blaming the vidogo? We have had much trouble in the human colony, and are trying understand. Some of your folk were involved in the storm a few nights ago also, calling lightning to the town. Do you know of this?"
tag
"Wait, no," Min said firmly, interposing herself between the lizardfolk and Zeljka before they could begin. "At least tell us who the Swamp-Speaker is and where to find him."
Zeljka knew that the others wouldn't be able to delay their duel forever. The half-orc understood the desire to die with honour in battle and was ready for whenever the others allowed it to go ahead.
The lizardman pushed the wizard to the side, who fell fell heavily on her butt.
The mjusi looked at Zelkja, "What's the matter? No more questions. We fight."
The half-orc sighs and nods. She may not understand his words but she could understand his intent. To the others she says, "He's not going to answer any more questions. You better give us room."
Zeljka readies her weapon and and studies her opponent. She doesn't have to wait long before the lizardman moves in to attack. She moves to the side while bringing her falchion down on its arm.
She paused slightly and took note of how her attack had affected the mjusi before once again readying her weapon.
The mjusi got his wish and was barely able to raise his blade before the half[orc ran him through.
He died with a peaceful face.
"So... I think we should come upon with a language for just the two of us..." she smiles to the half-orc, "You are pretty good with that falchion, you know?"
Zeljka grunted in amusement. "There's always hand signals for when we hunt together. The others would understand those as much as we can tell what they're saying." The half-orc deflects the compliment regarding her skill with her blade. She shrugs, "I guess I'm as good with my blade as you are with your bow. Nice shooting earlier."
tag?
"It is always handy to have some of these when a giant lizard tries to eat you!"
Zeljka says jokingly, or at least jokingly for her, "It's even better if you don't let them eat you to begin with. But you are right, these will be useful."
tag?
The mjusi got his wish and was barely able to raise his blade before the half-orc ran him through.
He died with a peaceful face.
Zeljka wiped her blade off. A somber mood descended on the half-orc. Be at peace. If only you hadn't reached for your weapons. Things could have gone much differently.
The wizard got back to her feet angrily. "You could have insisted he tell us more about this Swamp-Speaker," she pointed out, "or asked where the rest of the tribe was so we didn't have to just wander around hoping to stumble across them."
"I don't speak his language," Zeljka growled. "Besides, you insisted and you wound up on your rear so we all know how well that worked."
tag?
When Nsizi heals her wounds, Evalina thanks him while she inspects her wounds, "Thank you very much, Nsizi! And to be honest I'm not really tough..." she then shows her empty vial of healing magic, "I had to cheat a little, you know? The lizard was faster than I had expected. To be honest, I'm as surprise as you are for me to still be alive!"
Nsizi smiled. "Luck and planning are as important as toughness."
"I don't speak his language," Zeljka growled. "Besides, you insisted and you wound up on your rear so we all know how well that worked."
"Peace, Bufi, peace, Mina," Nsizi pronounced the endearment Meenah, "the mjusi had said all he intended to say. We have a name, and maybe a direction," he gestured over the strange bridge. "Which is more than we earned, considering that we struck first."
The Bas'o went back to where he had dropped his crossbow. It took some hunting to find it - it had sunk quite deep into a patch of mire. Pulling the muddy and sodden weapon out, he shook the smelly mud off it distastefully. "Bufi, when we camp tonight, I will need your help to make this weapon...less nasty."
Osbun was happy that the lizard person had not hurt Zeljka further and that the fight was over. He had no comment about the information gained or not gained from the creature. When Zelkja spotted the trap he noted "Good eye there Zelkja. Can we set it off from a distance?"
The half-orc grunted as she considered the trap. "I can try."
Nsizi put a hand on her shoulder, and asked the spirits to guide her hands. "For luck."
Zeljka studied the mechanism that triggered the trap and did her best to disable it without setting it off.
As Zeljka worked on the trap, Nsizi thought of what he could do to help. If the darts were coming from a ways away, perhaps a bit of wind would deflect them. Calling upon the spirits for help, Nsizi stirred up a stiff breeze, blowing perpendicular to the direction the darts would be travelling. With luck, if the darts were triggered, they would blow off course and not hit them.
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
, miss
Implications of what he was seeing, and what would happen if they interfered with the fight, and if they didn't, raced through Nsizi's mind. After a moment of thought he said, "I think we must help this lizardfolk...she can possibly give us more information. But we must be prepared to fight her next, whether she is willing to speak to us or not."
Motioning the others forward, he said, "Either way, let us not be split up this time."
"She will take offense if we interfere". Osbun deduced. "But say the word and I shall wait her".
"If we help her, will we not be cheating her of her 'death with honor?'" Min asked sardonically. "Either way, we're likely to have to fight both of them. Why not let it play out? If the ankylosaur wins, you can try to stabilize her while the dinosaur attacks us; if she wins, we can bargain again for Zeljka to fight her in exchange for answers to our questions -- all of them, this time."
Motioning the others forward, he said, "Either way, let us not be split up this time."
"Agreed," the half-orc uttered. "We stay near each other this time."
"Either way, we're likely to have to fight both of them. Why not let it play out? If the ankylosaur wins, you can try to stabilize her while the dinosaur attacks us; if she wins, we can bargain again for Zeljka to fight her in exchange for answers to our questions -- all of them, this time."
Zeljka looked sideways at the would-be bureaucrat. "Nice to know that we are willing to gamble with my life but only if we get all the answers."
tag ?
Min shrugged. "My way, you fight a weakened lizardfolk. Nsizi's way, you fight an angry dinosaur and a lizardfolk," she pointed out.
So it sounds like we will let them fight and root for the lizardman so you can later question him.
I intend to recap later today.
Questions?
Game on!
Agreeing not to interfere, Osbun stood ready but held his shot.
Even if she would rather not gamble on the lizardfolk's life, Evalina shrugged as the decision was made but, just in case, she reached for an arrow and readied her bow, aiming at the dinosaur. "I'm also rooting for the lizardman but I think the dinosaur will get the better out of this fight and when it does, I'll make sure to send an arrow in the middle of its eyes..."
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Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
, hit
, fail
, hit
"I'll help her!" Nsizi yelled, already running towards the fallen warrior. "You guys keep that thing off me."
Nsizi sprinted to the bleeding mjusi. Small rocks and bones rattled under his boots, and wind whipped the edges of his neswambi around his legs. Despite the urgency of his mission, he couldn't help but rejoice in the easy and pain-free ability to run again.
Reaching the mjusi, Nsizi slid to his knees and put his hands on the prone warrior. "Steady, my friend," he said in polyglot, "we are not ready for you to die yet. We will not cheat you of your honourable death, but I am afraid you need to wait a few minutes more."
Evalina wasted no time after the first arrow left her bow and was already aiming carefully with her next arrow. Once the arrow as already flying towards the creature, Evalina stepped back, remarking to the others, "I'm not sure if you feel the same, but I'm not keen on being hit by that tail... I hope I can draw its attention with my arrows but if any of you could block it from reaching me, I'd be reaaaally greateful!"
Zeljka was already running forward with her falchion readied as Evalina and Nsizi made their requests for someone to keep the dinosaur occupied.
Min twisted the ring on her finger and sent another arcane bullet flying unerringly at the charging ankylosaurus.
Osbun clearly saw what the creature was capable of and wanted nothing to do with it. So instead of attacking he moved up behind Zeljka and used his Ice Slick ability to try to slow the creature and maybe get it to fall prone.
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
, fail
As Evalina released her third arrow, she could not stop herself from admiring the big creature, "I've never fought such a tough beast before... if this one is an aged and dying exemplar, I think I'll not want to face a healthy and young one..."
Zeljka continued running towards the dinosaur and was winded when she finally reached it. She brought her blade down on its tough hide, unsure if it would penetrate or not.
Nsizi kept his hands on the warrior's body, willing her to keep fighting, not to let go. The worst of the bleeding slowed to a trickle. She wasn't healed, but she wasn't going to bleed out either. The Bas'o considered healing her, but decided to wait, and see how she reacted to the turn of events.
Happy that his ice had prevented one round of attacks from the creature Osbun moved as needed for a clear shot and fired another cold bolt at the enemy.
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Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
, hit
, ouch
, Nsizi
, hit
, ouch