"Kaze ga anata no teki ni idomu" Shinjuko swipes her blade through the air before her before drawing it closer to her chest, edge facing out and the sword's length pointed upwards. Her free hand executes the somatic gestures of the spell with practiced ease. As she finishes, an undulating haze appears in front of her. It lingers only an instant before fading from view, and the Tian-Min woman begins approaching the raiders on the southern reaches of their camp.
______________________________
Go ahead and keep a Hero Point and I'll mark one off.
Penance lies there, very still, possibly leaving his comrades to fear the worst.
Recasting the spell while hoping for better luck he sends another snowball at the enemy. It seemed luck was kinder to him this time around and the armored enemy not only takes the blow but suffers the full effect of the magic induced cold impact, killing him instantly.
Iliante settles down. His vision narrows to the creatures near Penance. He calmly aims and shoots the mounted rider in the grease. It rocks in the saddle as his round pierces its armor.
Wasting no time, Corridan moves to support the wounded Penance. Unfortunately, however, his own wounds start to catch up with him as both his strikes miss their target.
"Riders to the south! They've penetrated the camp!" Devram shouts as he nears the light and sees the lizard forms creeping along the tents. He rushes among the tents and calls to the mercenaries around him. "Those close, rally to me! Others move to the east and fortify our position there."
Devram steps out in front of the soldiers taking his sinuous stance once again. He levels his blade at the closest lizard. "Dance with me, you bastard. I promise to drown you in your own blood."
Telemakos is taken aback in seeing his elemental’s attack unable to kill another lizard “Keep go-ing! Keep hitting!” he shouts in Terran, withdrawing even more. Krumo smashes the greased lizard, causing the rider to tumble prone into the grease and drop his sword.
Then his attention is caught by the four lizardmen (as in “horsemen”) errupting into the camp from south. Ooh stupid! You should’ve covered that too. Uff. So much running around this beach. A hacking sound and the clash of blade upon shield bring him back to the battle. Oh Gods, I almost forgot. Ok. Ok. Just… “Men! Aspis’ best and bravest! To the southern border, enemies approaching!” I sure hope that is the right lingo… “Look upon the face of the enemy, fear not the darkness! The Gold Coins of the Consortium will provide light for you blades!”
I haven’t used this trick in ages… but this is not something a Krostumolis forgets…
Waving his hands around, more out of showmanship than real need, Telemakos summons four golden lights in the general direction of the attack, bathing the area in soft luminescence.
"Kaze ga anata no teki ni idomu," Shinjuko swipes her blade through the air before her before drawing it closer to her chest, edge facing out and the sword's length pointed upwards. Her free hand executes the somatic gestures of the spell with practiced ease. As she finishes, an undulating haze appears in front of her. It lingers only an instant before fading from view, and the Tian-Min woman begins approaching the raiders on the southern reaches of their camp.
Thanks to the light provided by Telemakos, the guards raise their crossbows fire a volley. Most of their aims are horrible, or deflect off the heavy armor of the riders. The lead rider is the target of choice, raised up above the tops of the tents on the back of his mount. He falls under a hail of bolts.
The riders in the shield wall on the eastern side of the camp push forward to surround the last mounted rider there, hacking at the lizard. It goes down under their blows, tumbling its rider into the sand.
The riders raise their bows and fire at Devram, since he appears to be the leader. He dodges three arrows, and one hits his blurry outline, but the final shaft pierces his shoulder.
____________________________________________
Crit
Miss
Crit
Miss
Crit
Miss
Crit
Miss
Crit
Hit
Hit
Hit
Miss
Devram grimaces at the arrow wounds, but raises his sword to lead the soldiers into battle. "Fine, lads, let's bring the fight to them!" He advances and slashes at the lizard beast with his Dueling Sword. Seeing a mass of soldiers to his west, he flicks his wrist slightly, motioning them to come in flank their opponents as well.
It had been a long time, since Iliante had been in a fight this desperate. Usually, ships struck their colors pretty quickly. There was that one pirate attack a couple of years ago. That damn half-orc captain survived long enough to slaughter almost both entire crews before he finally bought it. They had to tow the pirate's ship, because they did not have enough crew for both ships. That was a long bloody trip.
His tunnel vision only allows Iliante to focus on one target at a time. It improves his shooting. He squeezes off another round piercing the odd armor.
___________________________________
“Keep firing! The Sou… West border of the camp is safe! And North too! Fire, and aim at the lizards!” For a second, Telemakos forgets his usual precaustion and gets closer to the line crossbowmen, inciting them to fire as if it was needed.
Then he sees the charging line of lizard advancing through the tents, and swallows in fear Stupid! Stupid! Say back next time, you imbecile! Stay where it’s safe! “Do-don’t wo-worry men!” his bravado, already fake, now sounds very broken and forced “They won’t get to us through there!” At least I hope… how did that disgusting trick work? Oh, yes “Take this!” a disgustingly-smelling spray of grease arches over the heads of the mercenaries and covers the ground between the tents Hopefully it will slow them down for another salve…
From the other side of the fight comes the deep voice of the earth elemental “Ariki!”
Telemakos turns back “Korerotia, mai ki ahau!”
“E pupuri ana Krumo patu?” asks Krumo.
“Patua ratou te ara katoa! Patua ratou!” exclaims Telemakos.
From the other side of the fight comes the deep voice of the earth elemental “Master!”
Telemakos turns back “Tell me, my soldier!”
“Does Krumo keep hitting?” asks Krumo.
“Hit the all the way! Hit them!” exclaims Telemakos.
Krumo is feeling it. This morning, when he woke up among the Barbaranaka Granite Tunnels, knew this day would bring a chance of doing some good work. “Wā whakangaromanga a te reira!” he screams, a typical battle scream of earth elementals.
That said, he once again buries his stony fist into the face of an enemy – leaving a lasting impression.
________________________
Emerion moves closer to the newest group of enemies, taking the time to voice his point once more as he goes.
"Capture one alive, we will learn far less from the dead."
Switching over to speaking words of magical power as he makes the needed gestures he flicks a web at the enemies that grows to supernatural size. Trapping some and making it difficult for all to move in the space.
Web Reflex DC 17
____________________________________________________________________
Seeing that things are more or less resolved at the eastern part of the camp, Corridan shifts his attention to the south, where the fight is still raging. Wasting no time, the tailor runs to support the combatants at that part of the camp.
Shinjuko nimbly weaves her way through the growing throng of sailors and mercenaries about the camp's interior, attempting to draw ever closer to the row of invaders arrayed beyond. Seeing the riderless form of one of the immense lizard-mounts barring her path, she skids to a halt and draws her tachi alongside her small frame. She remains motionless as she regards the beast, displaying picturesque composure as she maintains a Wind Parts the Clouds stance.
______________________________
>
>
>>
>>
The first minute of the battle feels like it has stretched on for hours. The air is thick with smoke, and the sounds of chaos and death ring across the night time beach. The screams of the wounded and dying mix with the clanks of armor and weapons, and the battle cries of the invaders.
Devram grimaces at his arrow wounds, but raises his sword to lead the soldiers into battle. "Fine, lads, let's bring the fight to them!" He advances and slashes at the lizard beast with his dueling sword. The lizard rears back, with a huge open wound across its chest. Seeing a mass of soldiers to his west, he flicks his wrist slightly, motioning them to come in flank their opponents as well.
It had been a long time, since Iliante had been in a fight this desperate. Usually, ships struck their colors pretty quickly. There was that one pirate attack a couple of years ago. That damn half-orc captain survived long enough to slaughter almost both entire crews before he finally bought it. They had to tow the pirate's ship, because they did not have enough crew for both ships. That was a long bloody trip.
His tunnel vision only allows Iliante to focus on one target at a time. It improves his shooting. He squeezes off another round and puts down the rider who is writhing in the greasy sand. The armored figure twitches a couple of times before lying still in a rapidly widening puddle of its own blood.
“Keep firing! The Sou… West border of the camp is safe! And North too! Fire, and aim at the lizards!” For a second, Telemakos forgets his usual precaustion and gets closer to the line crossbowmen, inciting them to fire as if it was needed.
Then he sees the charging line of lizard advancing through the tents, and swallows in fear Stupid! Stupid! Say back next time, you imbecile! Stay where it’s safe! “Do-don’t wo-worry men!” his bravado, already fake, now sounds very broken and forced “They won’t get to us through there!” [i\At least I hope… how did that disgusting trick work? Oh, yes.[/i] “Take this!” a disgustingly-smelling spray of grease arches over the heads of the mercenaries and covers the ground between the tents. Hopefully it will slow them down for another salvo…
From the other side of the fight comes the deep voice of the earth elemental “Ariki!”
Telemakos turns back “Korerotia, mai ki ahau!”
“E pupuri ana Krumo patu?” asks Krumo.
“Patua ratou te ara katoa! Patua ratou!” exclaims Telemakos.
Telemakos turns back “Tell me, my soldier!”
“Does Krumo keep hitting?” asks Krumo.
“Hit the all the way! Hit them!” exclaims Telemakos.
Krumo is feeling it. This morning, when he woke up among the Barbaranaka Granite Tunnels, knew this day would bring a chance of doing some good work. “Wā whakangaromanga a te reira!” he screams, a typical battle scream of earth elementals.
That said, he once again buries his stony fist into the face of an enemy – leaving a lasting impression. Unfortunately, the blow isn't quite enough to kill the rider, whose face and helmet are now smashed together in a blood mess.
Emerion moves closer to the newest group of enemies, taking the time to voice his point once more as he goes.
"Capture one alive, we will learn far less from the dead."
Switching over to speaking words of magical power as he makes the needed gestures he flicks a web at the enemies that grows to supernatural size. Trapping some and making it difficult for all to move in the space.
Seeing that things are more or less resolved at the eastern part of the camp, Corridan shifts his attention to the south, where the fight is still raging. Wasting no time, the tailor runs to support the combatants at that part of the camp.
Shinjuko nimbly weaves her way through the growing throng of sailors and mercenaries about the camp's interior, attempting to draw ever closer to the row of invaders arrayed beyond. Seeing the riderless form of one of the immense lizard-mounts barring her path, she skids to a halt and draws her tachi alongside her small frame. She remains motionless as she regards the beast, displaying picturesque composure as she maintains a Wind Parts the Clouds stance. She chops the lizard's head off in one smooth blow.
The last remaining free lizard rider is shot down by the hail of crossbow bolts from the guards, and the others are hopelessly entangled in Emerion's web spell. On the eastern side of the camp, the guards step forward and finish Krumo's work, putting down the prone rider.
Penance opens his eyes. The sky above is gray, featureless save for wisps of tattered clouds. It might be dawn. It might be twilight. Hard to tell.
He grits his teeth against pain that doesn't come. Cautiously, he sits up, feeling for the arrows that are no longer there, the bite of the sword.
Movement catches his eye: he looks up to see a familiar figure walking by, unbuckling his armor.
"Georg...?"
Georg One-Tusk turns in his task, gives him a nod and what Penance thinks is a pretty damn cheerful salute given the last he'd seen of the other half-orc was him being cut brutally down.
"Aw... aw hell, I'm dead, aren't I?" Penance says glumly. "Hey, Georg, wait the hell up--"
Georg shakes his head apologetically, and gestures across a vast plain to an endless line of figures. "Sorry, sir, but I've got to be going."
"You can wait for me to get to my feet and join you, at least!"
"I don't think you're dead, sir."
Penance snorts. "That's cuz you didn't see the sword that just took out my kidneys, back... there." Wherever there was.
"Well, no sir, I didn't, but... I still don't think you're quite ready to go line up before Lady Bones."
Penance glowers. It's hard to get back to your feet in full plate, and it's easier to glower. "Why's that, then?"
Georg wordlessly points behind Penance, and Penance looks.
Another familiar face. This time, a tall, well-favored man in golden armor, his face serene and grave, is standing behind him, with an air of patient waiting.
"Aw, COME ON!" Penance says with a plant of his face into his gauntleted hand. "Not you."
Here I thought we were finally coming to a understanding, Penance, says the man in a voice that echoes down into Penance's bones.
This provides enough fuel of aggravation for Penance to get to his feet. He jams a finger into the gleaming golden breastplate.
"We were! Then you let all my men get slaughtered! You're a damned god, you could've intervened!"
But I did. I arranged for you to be there.
Penance's jaw goes slack, then his fists ball up. "That wasn't my damned fault! I did the best I could!"
Abadar clasps his hands loosely before him, unruffled by Penance's anger. You spent what grace I gave you on yourself. You imagine you can shoulder the weight of command, but a true leader understands that he serves his men first. Master your pride and your anger before you seek to master other people.
Penance grits his teeth and waves one big fist in the god's face. "Nobody trained me for this! I was the damn town headsman back in Nex, I'm having to figure this out as I go!"
The god looks unimpressed. Your excuses will not matter to those like Georg. You must learn. I have given you great gifts: be, therefore, a good steward of them.
"You can stuff your gifts into your Abyss-blasted keyhole," the half-orc snarls.
Abadar arches a brow. He gestures towards the unending line of souls standing before Pharasma. If that is truly how you feel, then I release you from my service. You are free to stand judgment. Is that what you desire? Are you ready for the Lady of Graves to pass her eye over your soul? Are you satisfied with the short and violent life you have led, with the manner of your death?
Penance looks to the long, long line of souls in the Boneyard. He looks back to the god.
"...am I really dead?"
You hover at the edge. A breath, a heartbeat from it. Your comrades seek to save you. Will their sacrifices be in vain?
Penance sighs, leans his head back, squints up at the grey sky overhead. "Anyone ever tell you you're a right bastard to negotiate with?"
Abadar smiles, slightly. It is the last thing Penance sees before the Boneyard fades away, and he returns to the land of the living.
Sweat pours down Devram's face and the man's breath is ragged. He clutches his dueling sword more out of habit than energy to do so. "That was too long." he mutters. He moves to disarm the prisoners, nearly stumbling as the tiredness seeps in and makes his feet feel like lead.
He hears shouts from the east and tries to move as fast as he can. He sees the half-orc agent's body slumped over. Blood is soaked into the ground around him. That's way too much blood. Alarm rises in the Aldori's body and he yells to one of the crew. "My tent, now! I have a healing potion in there. Grab it and bring it. Move!"
Iliante holsters his gun with a twirl and rushes to Penances side. He uselessly imitates what he's seen healers do in similar situations.
One of the surviving guards who witnessed Penance's bravery sprints to Devram's tent and grabs the healing potion. He runs back as the other soldiers tie up the prisoners, and tear off their helmets. Under the armor, they are nothing more than hobgoblins. Albeit hobgoblins with an impressive amount of decorative facial scarring and thick iron rings piercing their septums.
Devram administers the potion to unconscious Penance, whose pulse is barely present and fluttering.
While soldiers are lying dead at his feet, Penance inches away from joining them, and Devram’s health seemingly hanging by a thread, Telemakos is unharmed – yet he complains as if he’d taken a spear through the spleen.
“Oooh, that was close. Oh Gods… ” he wipes the sweat from his brow, and tries to compose himself in his clothes. “This felt terribly close to going the wrong way, wasn’t it?” he asks to a mercenary currently holding his arm, clearly broken, trying not to bleed out “Yes, the blessing of Nethys and many, many other Gods shone upon us tonight… and the man of the hour! Krumo! ko koe whakamiharo!”
A crack similar to a smile opens on Krumo’s stony face “Whakawhetai ki a koutou, kaiariki. Ko ratou ngawari. ”
Telemakos gets close to him and wraps an arm around the broad shoulders of the elemental “Kaua e whakaiti koe, kihai i mahi i tata rite ki te pai koutou tauira, a ahi…” he says in a paternal voice.
The cracked smile becomes a grin on Krumo’s face “Ratou kore mahi, ariki. Hiahia tonu koe ki te haere i Roto i te kamaka i te whawhai!”
Telemakos laughs a bit “Ka mahara ahau e, no te pono! Ki te mau tonu koutou a tawhio noa, ka whakauru koe e ahau ki toku kaiāwhina, Arasmes. He haere mai ia ... ”
A crack similar to a smile opens on Krumo’s stony face “Thank you, meatmaster. They were soft after all. ”
Telemakos gets close to him and wraps an arm around the broad shoulders of the elemental “Don't sell yourself short, your fiery counterpart didn't do nearly as well, you know…” he says in a paternal voice.
The cracked smile becomes a grin on Krumo’s face “They never do, master. You always want to go rock in a fight”
Telemakos laughs a bit “I will remember that, for sure! If you stick around, I'll introduce you to my aide, Arasmes. There he comes... ”
In a puff of smoke, Arasmes appears at Telemakos’s side “Good day master! Is it morning already?”
“No, you doof, I just want you to meet… but…” Telemakos looks around “Where… where did it go?” the gnome looks around, looking for Krumo “he was there a second ago, I was sure… did… did he go back to his plane?”
“Master, what happened around here? Did I miss another battle? Are you hurt?” the genie seems apprehensive as he looks over the field of battle.
“Shut up for a second, will you? Where is that little…?” the gnome is still looking for Krumo.
“Master, your allies are hurt. Shouldn’t you be helping them? Uuh, and there are giant lizards!” the genie looks excited “Master, while I’m always away when you fight? Are you hurt?”
“What? Arasmes, please, I’m looking for… no I’m not hurt! Bah, I guess the spell ended. Well then, the battle. Go help tie down the prisoners, will you? Master Nimlaidas’ spell, though very impressive, won’t last forever.”
Telemakos gets then close to the lizards. He smirks, as he remembers a trick who always gave him the upper hand against other animals trainers. He approaches the lizard who seem most unharmed.
“Say” he asks one of the lizards, pointing at the hobgoblins “do your masters treat you well? Or do they starve you, and hit you regularly perhaps? They just led you to your death, they can't be very good masters...” Gods, I sure hope they are better conversationalists than Osirion’s Giant Geckos… those things are dumber than kobolds!
Shinjuko approaches the captured and entangled foes with a bow, trusting that comrades with the means will tend to the fallen adequately where her own inability to do so would offer only hindrance. Noriki no meiyo returns to sheath, though she loosens it slightly in her obi. Her left hand secures it firmly and her right hand hovers within easy reach. It is both a gesture of good will and a warning to their new hostages: she means them no immediate injury, but her sword remains ready to sing again should they refuse to entreat with their captors honorably.
Inclining her head slightly to their recent foes, Shinjuko speaks calmly but loudly to the many persons arrayed behind. "We have an opportunity here to understand our enemy. We should not squander this boon by venting griefs and anger against our defeated guests."
Emerion adjust his lenses as he walks over to those trapped in his web. Gathering uninjured mercenaries as he goes.
"Take them alive, strip them of everything but their loincloths if they have them. Bind their legs and arms behind their backs, blindfold them, and gag them. Then place them in a tent under heavy guard. They are not to be harmed. If they try something subdue them."
They would be no threat once their gear was taken, a few blows from a sap would stop any escape attempts. Patting a mercenary on the shoulder.
"Get a few free men and make some torch post. Enough to light a perimeter around the camp a dozen feet or so away. They won't be sneaking up on us twice."
Once the man is off he looks over the enemy and anything that was retrieved from them. He had spells to gain information but it would help to know what to ask as well.
While soldiers are lying dead at his feet, Penance inches away from joining them, and Devram’s health seemingly hanging by a thread, Telemakos is unharmed – yet he complains as if he’d taken a spear through the spleen.
“Oooh, that was close. Oh Gods… ” he wipes the sweat from his brow, and tries to compose himself in his clothes. “This felt terribly close to going the wrong way, wasn’t it?” he asks to a mercenary currently holding his arm, clearly broken, trying not to bleed out “Yes, the blessing of Nethys and many, many other Gods shone upon us tonight… and the man of the hour! Krumo! ko koe whakamiharo!”
A crack similar to a smile opens on Krumo’s stony face “Whakawhetai ki a koutou, kaiariki. Ko ratou ngawari. ”
Telemakos gets close to him and wraps an arm around the broad shoulders of the elemental “Kaua e whakaiti koe, kihai i mahi i tata rite ki te pai koutou tauira, a ahi…” he says in a paternal voice.
The cracked smile becomes a grin on Krumo’s face “Ratou kore mahi, ariki. Hiahia tonu koe ki te haere i Roto i te kamaka i te whawhai!”
Telemakos laughs a bit “Ka mahara ahau e, no te pono! Ki te mau tonu koutou a tawhio noa, ka whakauru koe e ahau ki toku kaiāwhina, Arasmes. He haere mai ia ... ”** spoiler omitted **
In a...
The lizard blinks a few times before saying, "Masters gives us lots of yummies and warm rocks. Masters are masters."
The men spring into action to follow Emerion's orders. The hobgoblins struggle as they are tied up, but are quickly clubbed into submission. Under their armor they are wearing woven shirts and trousers of some kind of soft plant fiber and soft leather moccasin boots. Once stripped of their garments they stand there naked (having no underclothes). The hobgoblins are grey skinned with red eyes, and are covered in geometric patterns of decorative scarification from their waists up to their foreheads. They all have their heads shaved except for a short tuft of hair at the crown of their heads, which they have tied into a topknot. They have uniformly black hair.
They seem to have no knowledge of the Taldan tongue, and refuse to speak.
Seeing that Penance is breathing a bit easier, but still unconscious, Devram returns to the prisoners. "Does anyone speak Hobgoblin? Or maybe Orc? Or we could try Tian. One of them on the western side spoke that."
He picks up one of the pieces of armor. Hmm, elegant and powerful, though heavy. But perhaps necessary.
With Penance on the mend, Iliante reloads his revolver and bandolier from his stores. Can't have another one of those fights too soon, or I'll burn through the rest of my ammo, he thinks to himself.
With the rest of the group focusing on the prisoners, Iliante follows the tracks to the edge of the jungle without much success. He tries to see if there are any more watching them and to find where they arrived together to identify the direction that they came from. He blazes trees near anything interesting to avoid getting lost or losing valuable information.
The same as last time, the lizard's tracks disappear a short way into the trees. Iliante spots claw marks on some of the trees' bark. The lizards must be capable of moving through the canopy of the jungle and jumping from tree to tree while bearing a rider.
Hands clasped calmly behind his back, Corridan approaches the rest of them as they examine their prisoners. The tailor appears quite composed despite his wounds, yet the beads of perspiration on his face betray the pain he must be feeling.
"I do actually," he states softly in answer to Devram's question. "I speak both the language of goblins and hobgoblins, as well as Tien, quite fluently, if I may say so myself."
Iliante eventually returns to the group and helps organizing the camp, survivors, and dead.
<< | | | >>
All told thirteen mercenaries lost their lives. There are eleven dead riding lizards and fifteen dead hobgoblins (including the two leaders). Penance is still unconscious, though he is stable. The hobgoblin prisoners are placed in one of the empty tents, tied up and under heavy guard.
Shinjuko shakes her head when Devram notes their native language. "They do not use the tongue of Minkai, certainly. Whether it shares any in common with a different region of Tian Xia I cannot say."
"I suppose it does not hurt trying both languages out," Corridan says with a shrug. "I do hope it is not for nothing, however. Goblin does hurt my throat quite a bit."
"How about I simply ask them for their identities and the reason behind the attack to start with, hmm?" Offering his companions a smile, the tailor then turns to their prisoners, the smile still on his face. His expression and tone are both friendly as he asks the same questions in both languages.
When Corridan speaks Tien to them, most of them ignore him. A couple of them look at him with quirked eyebrows but they don't seem to fully understand. When he speaks goblin, all the prisoners turn to look at him in absolute shock.
They begin muttering to themselves in a dialect of goblin that Corridan can understand with difficulty.
"A pale skin that speaks Language?"
"How can it be?"
They seem so awed by the fact that they just sit there for a second. Finally one of them replies to Corridan in his strange goblin, "I am Hyuktaar son of Geeerthugh son of Vythsuug. We are the Iron Fist clan. We attacked you because you are alien devils who have invaded our territory! How is it that you can talk like a Person (goblinoid), you little pink worm?"
“Master! Master!” Arasmes taps Telemakos on his shoulder.
“What, ‘Ras? I’m studying the liz…”
“Master, I think on of your companions is sick.” the genie looks apprehensive.
“Yes, quite a few mercenaries were grievously injured, ‘Ras. That is awful, of course, but I don’t know what…”
“Master! It’s that young orc with the armor and the key! The strong one!”
Telemakos raises an eyebrow “The key? Do you mean… oh Gods everywhere Master Penance! He fell in the battle!”
The gnome runs on his short legs up to Iliante’s tent. “Master Iliante, is he… is all right?”
Seeing Penance’s chest slowly lifting and hearing the heavy breathing, Telemakos clams down a little “Oh, Nethys be praised. Or I guess Pharasma, in this case.” his gaze trails off “Though probably Abadar has a saying in his followers’ fa…”
“Master, he doesn’t look so good!”
Telemakos shakes his head, regaining his focus “Yes, yes of course. I-I can help. I believe.”
“Will you cure him like you cured Parsley from the worms, Master?” inquires Arasmes.
“He’s not a pony, you dimwit! He’s a person. I have scroll that can help.”
“Eeewww, that gross thing with the devil’s blood? It is gross, I don’t want to watch.”
“It’s a scroll. The blood is already been spent in the writing process. Nothing gross about it.” Oh Gods was it ever. I would’ve burnt the quill after scribing this.
Telemakos takes out his scroll, recites it and barely touches Penance’s shoulder. Slowly at first, then faster, the wounds on the half-orc’s body close and his skin regains color.
“There. Done.” Telemakos throws away the consumed scroll as if it was disgusting to hold in hand “He should be better soon. Now, about those lizards…”
“’Ras, keep both eyes on these lizards. Don’t want them to burst out of restrains. Ready should they get aggressive.”
“Of course, Master!” the genie moves near the lizards, relaxed but ready to burst into action.
Telemakos reaches into his pocket to draw a piece of beef jerky “Yummies, ah? These, yum-mies?” with deliberate calm, he eats a piece of jerky Oh, that was smart. It’s not even dawn yet, how would you sleep after eating this? he hides the disgust from his face “What do you like? Would you like a yummy from me?” he gets the jerky close enough for the lizard to smell, but not so close that it can bite at it. “I can be a good master.”
Penance comes to with fire coursing through his veins. Wheezing, he rolls laboriously onto his side in his banged-up armor (it still sports the holes from the arrows punching through it, though fortunately those arrows are no longer in his flesh) and hacks blood onto the just-as-bloody ground. His vision's swimming and he doesn't think there's a bit of him that doesn't hurt.
"Is it too late to choose the 'dying' option?" Penance says weakly, but Abadar doesn't answer him.
Somebody must've healed him, he guesses, as he lies there catching his breath and trying to figure out what's going on. There's no more sounds of battle. That's something, at least. He opens his eyes after a while.... sees Georg's dead body ten feet away. Alright, so Georg's still dead. Figures.
After a while, Penance manages to sit up. He'll have to figure out who healed him, say his thanks, he figures. Mostly he just wants to wrap his hands around the throat of any of their attackers who are left, and squeeze until their eyes pop out of their skulls.
He's wobbly on his feet, dragging his sword behind him, and still covered in blood. He grabs one of the mercenary soldiers and gets told the current situation. And that there are prisoners.
Penance half-staggers into the tent with the prisoners, in time to hear the orcs and Corridan talking, although he doesn't understand the current tongue they're going at it in. 'S fine. He knows they speak his mother tongue.
Penance moves to the nearest of the prisoners and gives in to the fantasy: a still-bloody hand around the hob's throat, Penance leaning down to bare his teeth in the man's face.
What comes out is a version, albeit modified, of the ritual speech he traditionally gave to condemned criminals, back in Nex.
"Answer the questions asked, or I will set each of you before my blade and take compensation in the fashion of my choosing," Penance says, his voice a rasping growl.
“Master! Master!” Arasmes taps Telemakos on his shoulder.
“What, ‘Ras? I’m studying the liz…”
“Master, I think on of your companions is sick.” the genie looks apprehensive.
“Yes, quite a few mercenaries were grievously injured, ‘Ras. That is awful, of course, but I don’t know what…”
“Master! It’s that young orc with the armor and the key! The strong one!”
Telemakos raises an eyebrow “The key? Do you mean… oh Gods everywhere Master Penance! He fell in the battle!”
The gnome runs on his short legs up to Iliante’s tent. “Master Iliante, is he… is all right?”
Seeing Penance’s chest slowly lifting and hearing the heavy breathing, Telemakos clams down a little “Oh, Nethys be praised. Or I guess Pharasma, in this case.” his gaze trails off “Though probably Abadar has a saying in his followers’ fa…”
“Master, he doesn’t look so good!”
Telemakos shakes his head, regaining his focus “Yes, yes of course. I-I can help. I believe.”
“Will you cure him like you cured Parsley from the worms, Master?” inquires Arasmes.
“He’s not a pony, you dimwit! He’s a person. I have scroll that can help.”
“Eeewww, that gross thing with the devil’s blood? It is gross, I don’t want to watch.”
“It’s a scroll. The blood is already been spent in the writing process. Nothing gross about it.” Oh Gods was it ever. I would’ve burnt the quill after scribing this.
Telemakos takes out his scroll, recites it and barely touches Penance’s shoulder. Slowly at first, then faster, the wounds on the half-orc’s body close and his skin regains color.
“There. Done.” Telemakos throws away the consumed scroll as if it was disgusting to hold in hand “He should be better soon. Now, about those lizards…”
...
The lizard tries the jerky, chewing on it unenthusiastically. "This is all old and dry. Not yummy. Taste like cat poop. I want yummies!" The lizard shoves Telemakos back with its big, spike-covered, shovel-shaped head. "Bloody yummies!" it demands.
Penance comes to with fire coursing through his veins. Wheezing, he rolls laboriously onto his side in his banged-up armor (it still sports the holes from the arrows punching through it, though fortunately those arrows are no longer in his flesh) and hacks blood onto the just-as-bloody ground. His vision's swimming and he doesn't think there's a bit of him that doesn't hurt.
"Is it too late to choose the 'dying' option?" Penance says weakly, but Abadar doesn't answer him.
Somebody must've healed him, he guesses, as he lies there catching his breath and trying to figure out what's going on. There's no more sounds of battle. That's something, at least. He opens his eyes after a while.... sees Georg's dead body ten feet away. Alright, so Georg's still dead. Figures.
After a while, Penance manages to sit up. He'll have to figure out who healed him, say his thanks, he figures. Mostly he just wants to wrap his hands around the throat of any of their attackers who are left, and squeeze until their eyes pop out of their skulls.
He's wobbly on his feet, dragging his sword behind him, and still covered in blood. He grabs one of the mercenary soldiers and gets told the current situation. And that there are prisoners.
Penance half-staggers into the tent with the prisoners, in time to hear the orcs and Corridan talking, although he doesn't understand the current tongue they're going at it in. 'S fine. He knows they speak his mother tongue.
Penance moves to the nearest of the prisoners and gives in to the fantasy: a still-bloody hand around the hob's throat, Penance leaning down to bare his teeth in the man's face.
What comes out is a version, albeit modified, of the ritual speech he traditionally gave to condemned criminals, back in Nex.
** spoiler omitted **...
The hobgoblin looks like he doesn't really want to die at the moment. He turns as much as he can to Corridan, then chokes out, "Yuav ua li cas yog no kaus hniav-aub dev tsem txog? Kuv muab, dabtsi yog nws xav los ntawm kuv?" past Penance's grip.
Growling, Penance turns to look at Corridan as well, with a look of 'what the hell is he saying?' on his face.
Oh! This will be harder then. But not by much. “’Ras!” calls Telemakos. Arasmes is ready: he knows his part in the training process. As soon as then lizard shoves away Telemakos, the genie waves his fist in front of the lizard, then punches it in the stomach “Bad!” screams Telemakos to the lizard.
The gnome, still keeping a very calm façade, talks to Arasmes so that the lizard can’t understand Oh this is the gross part “Find a badly dismembered fallen adversary, ‘Ras. Cut off his leg or something and bring it here.”
He has Arasmes holding the severed, bloody leg just far enough from the lizard to smell but, but not to reach it. The other hand of the genie shows a menacing closed fist.
“I can be a generous and good master. Would you like a yummy now? Lower your head if so.” He rips off a piece of flesh and fakes eating it first this is disgusting. Much better with ponies and carrots.
Only if the lizard shows submission, then Telemakos has Arasmes give a tiny piece of bloody meat to the animal.
___________________
The lizards all submit to Telemakos when he feeds them raw hobgoblin chunks.
The fatigue has overcome Devram and he takes a seat near the prisoners, watching as Telemakos and Corridan question the two sets of prisoners. He is quite impressed with the gnome's ability and wonders what the lizards might be able to tell them.
He rises only to greet Penance and then sits back down, his muscles aching from the exertion of the past hour. "They speak Goblin, evidently, Penance. And Tele is over there trying to see what we can learn from the lizards. He winces as Arasmes beats one of them. "Maybe he's not getting very far."
"I think we need to make plans to move the camp. They know we're here now. Several got away. Either that, or we try to track them in the morning. Bring the fight to them."
He hefts one of the weird helmets, showing the half-orc. "What do you think?"
"He asks what it is you want of him," Corridan translates for Penance. "It seems he considers the fact that he surrendered enough, at least for now."
"His name is Hyuktaar son of Geeerthugh son of Vythsuug," he continues, "so... Hyuktaar for short, I suppose. It seems they attacked because they consider us to be alien devils, invaders of their territory."
"Let me try honey instead of vinegar for a moment or two," he finishes. He then turns to the prisoner once again, his expression still calm, his tone still friendly.
"Kuv paub cov lus, Hyuktaar Geeerthugh Vythsuug, tus tub tus tub vim muaj coob tus neeg uas kuv tuaj. Thiab nws tsis tsuas zoo thiab pab tau, tab sis ib qho kev hwm rau cov nyiam ib tug neeg thaum thaum hais ib tug neeg, yog?"
He pauses for a moment before continuing.
"Zam txim rau kuv tus phooj ywg caij, tiam sis nws ho yuav luag tuag, suav. Ntawm peb, peb yuav tsis huam. Qhua, yog muaj. Tshawb, ntug. Thiab kab tias... tej phooj ywg thiab cov phoojywg."
You have 15 sets of broken masterwork full plate armor, 15 composite longbows (str +3), and 15 longswords. You also have 2d20 + 200 ⇒ (5, 17) + 200 = 222 arrows.