"Guys, there's something darting about, feathered creature I don't recognize." Cyniq speaks softly under her breath and backs up to keep one of the statues at her back.
As the party continues to mill about, you hear a long, shrill whistle come from the direction of the parapet. Shortly after you begin to hear low, growling squaks coming from both sides of you. Suddenly you see two bird-things coming out from the shrubbery towards you.
"Be careful!" shouts Zirt. "The birds say they aren't birds! I mean the other birds... they say the bird-looking things aren't birds! That is..."
She frowns and starts chirping again.
The little gnome frowns and throws up her hands. "I don't know what to make of it... the little birds say that the big birds aren't really birds, I think." She looks at the larger beast-bird things intently.
"Now's as good a time..." Cyniq casts mage armor on herself.
Upon hearing that a threat is approaching, Dovak draws his lucerne hammer and moves to protect the group.
The gnome panics and squeaks out a word in another language. She gestures at the closer bird-not-bird, and a bright light bursts in front of it.
The bird-thing nearest the party seems to have been staring right at the party when Zirt let off her burst of arcane light, as it appears to be having trouble zeroing in on the party.
Hiram draws his sword and shield, "Be careful of their gaze if you do not wish to join the statuary here!" He calls out to the others.
As the group prepare for battle the bird-things close in on the party. The nearest creature comes at Dovak, beak gnashing, but fails to bite the Paladin. The second creature clumsily flaps it wings and attempts to surround the party.
Zirt looks around uncertainly and snaps her fingers at the other bird with a command.
Dovak drops his polearm and draws his longsword; he swings at the creature and then, noting Hiram's warning, closes his eyes.
Hiram moves to block the path of the second bird, trying to avoid its gaze as well as he lashes out with his falcata.
The second bird-thing stumbles apparently seeing motes in it's eyes from Zirt's spell.
"Not looking at them certainly makes this a bit more exciting!" [i]Go find a book, who said anything about getting turned to stone? Thought those were just bard tales...[/]
Cyniq manages to keep her wits about her as she averts her gaze, keeping watch on the creatures feet. "I'm sorry I have to do this, but you need to stop!" Cyniq flicks out her hand and fires off a bolt of pure energy.
"Not looking at them certainly makes this a bit more exciting!" Go find a book, who said anything about getting turned to stone? Thought those were just bard tales...
Cyniq manages to keep her wits about her as she averts her gaze, keeping watch on the creatures feet. "I'm sorry I have to do this, but you need to stop!" Cyniq flicks out her hand and fires off a bolt of pure energy.
"Hah! I over looked it earlier, but these are juveniles! You can tell by the coloration around their... Regardless, they do not possess the stone gaze yet. We need to hurry up and subdue them before an adult shows up!" Hiram called out to Dovak and he worked to keep his shield between him and the bird.
Cyniq's missile of arcane energy strike home on the cockatrice near Zirt.
The bird near Dovak lashes out with it's beak and bites down on the paladins arm, though it does not break through the protective armor.
The other bird moves toward Zirt and snaps its beak, soundly biting the gnome.
"Ouch!" squeaks Zirt.
"Ow! Darned birds! Leggo!" Dovak yells as the feathered menace bites down on his armored arm. "Get OFF!" he continues as he swipes at the creature with his longsword.
After the cockatrice bites Zirt, the party notices that she abruptly stops moving and her body stiffens. She is not responsive to your calls.
Hiram moves to engage the other cockatrice and slashes at it, not bothering to try and hide his eyes and trying to prevent it from harming Zirt anymore.
Dovak tries to survey the battle as it is, but the bird-beast in front of him is taking all his attention just to keep the thing from biting him harder. Iomedae why do you send me to such places? runs through his head as it so often does when Dovak finds himself "Paladin-ing" instead of "squire-ing."
"Zirt, Zirt! She turning to stone?" Fearing that Dovak's information may be wrong, she blasts the same bird with another magic missile.
Hiram steps forward and slashes at the young cockatrice, nearly beheading it with his falcata. Cyniq summons a missile of arcane energy that streaks toward the ailing bird and puts it down. Dovak's swing at the other bird misses, the cockatrice flapping out of the way at the last minute.
The remaining cockatrice snaps it's beak at Dovak again, and again the paladin proves to have Iomedae's blessing as the beak snaps nothing but air.
Party is up!
Zirt suddenly twitches and looks around, panicked. "Eep! Is everybody okay? What just happened?! I couldn't move, and I thought you said these couldn't turn you to stone but I was sure that's what had happened to me, and I was so scared..."
Seeing that there's still a bird attacking, she looks around frantically at the others. "What do I do?!"
"Talk to it!" Cyniq draws her dagger and will try to move around behind the other bird, if only to draw it's attention.
The gnome looks worried. "I can try, but they didn't answer before, and I'm not sure that I can!"
She starts squeaking some more.
After a few moments, she shakes her head in despair. "It's no use... it either doesn't understand me or won't talk."
"Iomedae clearly put me here for a reason, let it be to destroy this foul creature!" Dovak calls out as he swings again.
Hiram follows suit, moving up next to Dovak and adding his sword to the melee.
Zirt squeaks as the men swing their swords at the bird. She gulps and pulls her bow from her back, drawing an arrow at the same time. Her big eyes blink a few times, and she looks scared as she draws her bow back and sends an arrow flying toward the bird-like thing.
She sighs in audible relief as her arrow goes wide.
Dovak's sword slices through the air toward the cockatrice, but misses by a hairs breadth. Hiram steps up to aid the paladin, but his sword misses as well. Zirt's arrow flies wide, whistling past Dovak's ear.
My post has already been made for the current turn.
Drew dagger, moved to flank, defensive posture.
My post has already been made for the current turn.
Drew dagger, moved to flank, defensive posture.
The cockatrice rears back and snaps it beak at Hiram. It's sharp beak pinches down on the arm of the fighter, most likely leaving an angry bruise.
"Hey!! Stop that! Mr. Dovak, are you okay?!" cries the little gnome, trying to fit another arrow to the string. Her hands tremble, but she manages to accomplish the task, and hesitates only a moment longer before sending it flying.
Fortunately for the bird, the gnome's aim has suffered significantly from her fearful trembling.
"I'm fine, but unfortunately so is this bird!" Dovak calls back as he takes another swing.
"I'm beginning to wonder if Iomedae's protection isn't leaking out a bit or something... If I hadn't dropped my hammer..."
Zirt's arrow misses again, while Hiram nearly decapitates this cockatrice too. Dovak's swing misses as the cockatrice recoils from Hiram's slash.
Dovak prepares himself, taking a deep breath and concentrating even in the heat of battle so as to make sure his next swing counts. His sword slices through the air at the bird; a spatter of blood follows the blade as it comes to rest near his leg.
Cyniq continues to flank the bird's blind side, adding to the it's threats from the front. The bird snaps out at Hiram, the one who injured it. It catches the fighter's leg in it's vise like beak.
Seeing an opening, Dovak's longsword snakes forwand and puts an end to the bird.