Greyston takes out a potion and downs it healing his wounds. He then looks up hearing the fighting going on.
HP-43/46
Corum grimaces and holds on to the wall as the wave of sound fills his head with a buzzing pain. For a moment it seems like his brain will explode and then it passes as suddenly as it hit. He swears again and continues to climb.
climb
He finally gets to the top and hauls himself out.
Her teeth grind together as she feels the waves of sounds hammering across her body, before she redoubles her efforts to end the fey creature causing her so much pain.
Immune to magic you might be, I can still use magic to power my blade...
Infuriated by the terrible sonic boom, Sapphire cuts the Dawn Piper down with a series of rapid thrusts. As soon as their mistress falls the elementals crumble into small piles of rubble and dirt.
Corum raises his axe and shouts "Yes! Nice work Sapphire!"
He turns to look down into the pit where Greyston is cut and bloodied. "Grey needs help. I could pull him out but he'll get cut badly. Sapphire, can you fly down there?"
He walks the perimeter of the clearing to make sure there are no other fey around and then moves to search the dawn piper's body.
perception
Elleross watches the fey fall before sapphires blade and strolls forward.
The churning orb of watee continues to swirl as the elementals collapse and become nothing more than piles of rubble and soil.
the pit won't last long Corum, he will then rose to the surface without further harm he says as he nears the warrior
Greyston! The pit will not last very long, a minute or so and then you will rise up.
Are you ok? he shouts down into the pit
After a few moments, the pit does indeed begin to rise until it bottoms out back on the surface.
Corum picks through the Dawn Piper's belongings and finds:
A +1 Rapier
A masterwork flute
Pair of bracers of armor +2
As the pit rises up Greyston looks around. "Looks like you didn't need me after all, i'm ok few cuts but i've healed most of the damage." He moves to treat any wounds. "Is everyone ok? This place keeps getting more and more crazy why do you think she wanted the hunt? It must be really powerful. "
Sapphire staggers even as her blade runs the Dawn Piper through, she drags her sword free of the body and sits down heavily upon the stone plinth.
I have the biggest headache...
She stands as Corum requests help with Greyston, her face a mask of concern, but even before she is able to take to the air again, the magic of the pit lapses and Greyston returns. As he notes about not being needed Sapphire shakes her head
We all help in all the ways we can, my sword would be useless without my hand to wield it, and that hand could not wield it without your assistance. That thing was slain by all of us together.
Her eyes are bloodshot and her muscles still tremble slightly from being right in the middle of the fae's magic.
If you could offer healing that would be good
she smiles hopefully.
So we should press on, limited magic and all that!
I'm not feeling a pull in any specific direction, let's go north then...
She strides off in that direction if there is no disagreement.
Corum takes a potion from his pack and drains it before following Sapphire North.
Greyston moves to treat Sapphires wounds, bounding up the worst of the cuts and offering her a potion. "Good job Sapphire, take this and it will help."
Greyston then focuses again on the path ahead as they set off north.
Nasrin casts a healing spell on herself and follows the rest of the pack. Growling at the ineffectiveness of the spell, she casts it again.
taking the bracers he buckles them into place beneath his furs .
if no one objects I'll make use of these he says as the others tend to their wounds.
the sword is a magically enhanced blade if anyone has a use for it he says as he examines the slender rapier
When they are ready to go he re adjusts his pack and follows the party as they head deeper into the woods
Pressing on, the party trudges through the snow, hearing it crunch loudly beneath their feet.
The path narrows through the trees initially but then opens out once more to a wider clearing. Often they need to remind themselves that they are not in the wilderness but in the middle of the capital.
There is a sudden fluttering of wings from the trees west of you. Elleros, the cold seeping into his old joints, is the only one who doesn't notice as two massive, horrific bird-like creatures erupt out of the high branches.
These creatures have a stag's body, a hawk's wings and talons, and the head of a slavering wolf with a rack of sharp antlers on its brow.
The creatures swoop up into the air, their shadows falling over Elleros and Del at the back of the party. The cruciform shape melds and shifts and it looks as though their shadows merge with those of the wizard and crossbowman!
My perception is +8 :)
Nature
As they cross the clearing Corum catches a slight movement in his peripheral vision. He glances up to see the two bird like creatures. Both born of nightmares. He knows they are vulnerable out in the open. "Get under the trees. Make them come at us from the ground."
He pushes Elleross toward the nearest trees. "Come on old man. I've got your back."
Though she knows her magic could take her within reach to strike against the creatures, Sapphire grits her teeth and stands her ground. No sense fighting the battle on her own and being overwhelmed, far better to meet the foe as a team, no matter how impatient she feels to remove the threat.
Geyston looks up as the creatures burst out of the trees. Hearing Corums shouts he quickly steps to the tree line trying to figure out what they are
These are perytons. Savage creatures of nightmare, perytons combine the features of stags, wolves, and great birds of prey. Though vicious beasts, perytons possess all the intelligence of a human. Perytons hunt any creature weaker than themselves, but prefer humanoid prey, as they particularly relish the taste of such creatures' still-beating hearts.
Their antlers are especially deadly and can cause horrific wounds (threaten a critical on 18-20) often killing their prey and ripping out their hearts in one fell motion. As a free action they can mark their prey with thei Shadow Mark ability which merges their own shadow with that of the victim, making them far easier for the peryton to track and kill (think of it like a Ranger Favoured Enemy but they can choose who they do it on as a free action). Any creature attacked who bears a Shadow Mark must make a save or become frightened
Greyston shouts out the information he knows. "Protect Elleross and Del! Their marked and the Perytons will go for them!"
Not having heard of perytons before, Del trusts Greyston's assessment with a wild arch of his eyebrows. "Me? Marked? Whatever for?" His tone carries a cheery, joking incredulity to it as he complains, "But- but I didn't even do anything!" He then snaps off a pair of bolts from Ruby as if to remedy this.
HP: 25/36
AC: 19 (15 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 19
F/R/W: +7/+10/+6
Grit remaining: 1/2
Hero Points remaining: 2
Regular bolts remaining: 65/80
Cold Iron bolts: 37/40
Tanglebolts: 3/5
Ongoing Effects
Vigilant Loading
Gunslinger Initiative
Nasrin and jagar also dash to the relative safety of the trees even as Del raises and looses two bolts from Ruby's cradle. The first flies wide but the second punches a hole straight through the thin wing of the peryton.
Hit
Hit
Did not confirm
The two bird-like creatures lower their heads and swoop down onto the party. Both catch their prey with their wicked antlers, gouging deep wounds in Elleros' and Del's flesh before swooping back up and out of reach of the party.
Nasrin moves close to Elleros and sets her spear against the next swooping attack of the peryton.
Jagar hops about in excitement, it would look playful except the wicked teeth showing in his maw.
Grayston steps forward pulling out a tiny brown bag. "They will keep that up! We need to be ready for when they come in! I'm going to try and bring one down." He then readys himself to hit one of them with his tanglefoot bag.
Gres
A tanglefoot bag is a small sack filled with tar, resin, and other sticky substances. When you throw a tanglefoot bag at a creature (as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 10 feet), the bag comes apart and goo bursts out, entangling the target and then becoming tough and resilient upon exposure to air. An entangled creature takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls and a –4 penalty to Dexterity and must make a DC 15 Reflex save or be glued to the floor, unable to move. Even on a successful save, it can move only at half speed. Huge or larger creatures are unaffected by a tanglefoot bag. A flying creature is not stuck to the floor, but it must make a DC 15 Reflex save or be unable to fly (assuming it uses its wings to fly) and fall to the ground. A tanglefoot bag does not function underwater.
Del winces briefly as the peryton's antler catches his left shoulder, but he turns with the blow and only suffers a minor gash. Whispering softly to Ruby and begging her to find her marks, he shoots Greyston a nod and quips, "Good idea!" as he brings his trusted crossbow to bear once more.
HP: 21/36
AC: 19 (15 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 19
F/R/W: +7/+10/+6
Grit remaining: 1/2
Hero Points remaining: 2
Regular bolts remaining: 65/80
Cold Iron bolts: 37/40
Tanglebolts: 1/5
Ongoing Effects
Vigilant Loading
Gunslinger Initiative
Success
Success
He finds himself bundled through the snow by the bulk of Corum and for a second he is totally bemused as to what is going on.
Looking up he sees the predators above them and he thanks the warrior
thank the gods for the eyes of the young. They miss very little. Thank you Corum
suddenly the creature plummets from the sky, hurtling toward him and he Cries out in pain as the creatures antlers tear into his shoulder.
Cursing he turns away from the woods and waits for them to attack again.
Drawing out a scroll he holds it ready , hoping they fly within range.
Sapphire takes to the air, her sword leading the way as she soars in to an attack position behind the bird creatures.
Corum drops his axe and stands in the open, arms outstretched. He taunts the flying beasts and readies himself to attempt to catch one if it charges him.
"Come on then! Try me!"
Fail
One of the perytons is struck by the bag of sticky glue and flaps awkwardly once or twice before crashing to the ground.
The other is cut badly by Sapphire and rounds on her with it's own assault.
Miss
Hit
Miss
Corum rushes the entangled Peryton and dives on it. He wraps his mighty arms around it, further pinning it's arms and wings and clamps his hands together. He lets his anger boil over and snarls. "Nasrin. Skewer this thing!"
Grapple
Miss
With one peryton down and enjoying the loving embrace of Corum, Del fixes his attention on the one still aloft and tangling with Sapphire. He snaps off another pair of bolts, hoping to help the swordswoman bring the creature down the hard way.
HP: 21/36
AC: 19 (15 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 19
F/R/W: +7/+10/+6
Grit remaining: 1/2
Hero Points remaining: 2
Regular bolts remaining: 65/80
Cold Iron bolts: 37/40
Tanglebolts: 1/5
Ongoing Effects
Vigilant Loading
Gunslinger Initiative
deadly aim: -2/+4
Sapphire glances down in irritation at the hoofprint on her armor, narrowing her eyes she lashes out with spell and sword.
Greyston turns and lobs a glass vial at the peryton attacking Sapphire.
Del's bolts knock the peryton out of the sky, sending it crashing to the ground in a plume of snow and feathers.
Sapphire then charges down to the grappled bird, slicing across it's breast with her magical blade whilst Greyston tosses an alchemist fire and scorched it badly.
Hardly needing an invitation, Nasrin dashes forward, keeping low to the ground and then delivering a powerful thrust with the Spear of Manhunting.
She drives the tips of the spear into the bird#s flank and then pushes it home until the thing stops screeching once and for all.
Greyston lets out a long sigh as the last of the perytons are silenced. He puts away his his vial and heads over to Elleross. "Are you ok? old man." He says smiling checking over his wounds.
Del shoulders Ruby and cheerily smiles. "Well! That was invigorating! I don't suppose anyone knows what that thing did to my shadow, do they?" He casts a worried lance down at his constant companion then looks back to the others once more with a shrug.
less of the old thank you GReyston he replies smiling at the young elf
I'm fine,thank you. The wound isn't too deep. I was lucky the peryton missed its strike. A few inches lower and it might have been a different story
Moving to the bowman he looks at his shadow
worry not Dell it did not do anything permanent, just its way of showing it liked the look of you.
you should be flattered he says with a smile they obviously had good taste, choosing the two prime cuts amongst this group.
Come, We should press on. the sooner we reach the hut the better he says as he puts away his scroll and rubs at his Injured shoulder.