Kazmuk moves around the work, trying to give Gird a chance to flank his hated foe. He then attacks.
Allyo moves to flank with Gird, and in his movement he drops the bow and pull his duelist sword. He adopts his fighting stance, entering the crane style and fighting defensively.
Rillka moves to get and mounts her riding dog Lucca.
:: Sarenith 5 - Morning - On the Plains ::
Kazmuk, Gird, and Allyo fall upon the lone orc, with Allyo scoring a hit along its shoulder.
As Rillka moves and mounts Lucca, Andreas slams his blade into the archers shoulder easily cutting into the lung. The archer drops like a rock.
Roaring in anger the surrounded orc steps back and swings its flachino is a wide sweeping arc toward Allyo. Allyo deflects the blade into the ground, stopping an otherwise devastating blow in its tracks.
The three fleeing humans seem to be looking around hastily, but continue their flight, not running full out yet as they look for danger.
The other orc steps forward, chopping at Andreas and missing.
Allyo does a sidestep and readies to attack the enemy again once his companions get back into flanking position. He is still fighting defensively in his usual style.
Kazmuk continus fighting the orc.
Seeing that archer fall brings a smile to the knights face.
Good girl...Just one ugly Orc left and then we ride down the others.
Urging his mount to attack and then to adjust her position, brings the enemy in line for Andreas' attack. He again places his shield between him and the Orc.
He glances over at the battle as in rages around them.
Rillka is still worried about the the fleeing messengers and charts a course that she believes will put her out in front of them. She takes Lucca at a run and moves off into the night, praying the others follow the messengers soon.
:: Sarenith 5 - Morning - On the Plains ::
Kazmuk, Allyo, and Gird lay into the orc, bloodying him up pretty good, but not killing him yet.
Andreas and Daisy land incredible blows against the orc and it looks near dead.
Rillka rides off after the humans at full speed.
You can see the three humans about 170 feet away from the red dot and yourself after their next movement
You lose sight of the three humans over the rolling hills, but the orcs keep you distracted. The orc surrounded by Gird, Allyo, and Kazmuk swings wildly at Gird and Kazmuk in a wide sweep. The blade slices through armour, skin and muscle as it swings through the air.
The orc by Andreas slashes at him, missing quiet badly.
Again Andreas adjust his mount to keep the orc behind his shield.
Allyo five-foot-steps to flank, and again attacks in his usual defensive manner. This time, however, he's able to flurry with his dueling sword.
With the terrible wound, Kazmuk steps back and asks the Father for a blessing, to heal Gird's wounds.
Rillka rides off through the grasses.
:: Sarenith 5 - Morning - On the Plains ::
The two remaining orcs are slain as Rillka continues to ride after the humans.
Trying to keep some hills between you and the humans to stay out of sight of them, you continue trying to cut them off. They seem to be able to run faster in some areas where the hills are lower or they go around some smaller ones. By your best guess you are 130 to 140 feet away from them, though you realize that you might lose them if you try to keep far enough away they can't see you.
.
As the last two orcs are slain, you look around and notice that both Rillka and the fleeing humans are out of sight. You realize that with the rolling hills and the breeze blowing the grasses on the plains it will be hard to follow anyone that is keeping low and trying to stay out of sight.
Allyo sheathes and, without saying a word, rushes towards his mount. He's absolutely focused, and baffled that they lost the halfling from their sight.
Plus any benefit from the map.
Go and get mounted up, I will move ahead. I can make enough noise that you will be able to find me.
With that said Andreas nudges Daisey to follow the path that he knew the enemy took up the hill. At some point he adjust his shield to better cover himself.
if needed
:: Sarenith 5 - Morning - On the Plains ::
Looking over your map, you find the quickest way from where you are to a place that should be well out ahead of the fleeing humans and push off in that direction.
You spend about a minute pushing to get ahead, and when you go about checking, you find yourself a few hundred feet out in front of them.
You canter to the top of the hill, shouting for Devon and the other to surrender. Looking back you can see Kazmuk, Allyo, and Gird running for their mounts, though it will take a few moments for them to reach them. Out over the plains you can't see any sign of the humans or Rillka, though by now they would have had the chance to run at least a few hundred feet way... in some direction.
Andreas canters to the top of the hill, shouting out at the fleeing humans to surrender.
As you reach your mounts, you can hear the orc captive mumbling... something and moving around a bit. He seems to have woken.
Across the plains you can see Andreas, but even from atop the hill you can't see Rillka or the humans.
You guys can likely reach the halfling, and I'm sure Andreas can defend himself and be as useful as he is loud. - he said, looking at the captive - I will deal with him and will ride after.
With that said, if his colleagues agreed, Allyo would move towards the captive orc and hit him with the back of his sword.
Andreas looks back at the others as the prepare themselves for the next part of this encounter. He notices that Rillka is not there...
That child will be the death of me
Trying to find the path that they bandits took, Andreas continues onward. Every now and then he purposely cuts the branches on the nearby bushes or makes Daisey paw at the ground as the move in order to leave a trail for the others to pick up.
:: Sarenith 5 - Morning - On the Plains ::
Allyo and Kazmuk strike the orc, who quickly loses unconsciousness. As Allyo and Kazmuk strike the orc, Gird mounts up and rides after Andreas.
Kazmuk mounts up, and heads after Rillka, while Allyo jumps on his mount.
As Gird and Kazmuk ride away, you can see that they are going different directions, that likely won't intersect.
You ride forward down the hill, watching Gird follow after Andreas. You head to location where you last saw Rillka and quickly find her trail. You set off down it, able to go at a normal speed, but quickly loosing sight of anyone else. At first Rillka's trail seems to parallel the fleeing humans, but then it diverges quite a bit and sticks largely to the hill bottoms, which would prevent Rillka from seeing the humans or the humans from seeing Rillka.
Gird rides off, easily following the trail left by Andreas. After a minute Gird catches Andreas.
The trail Andreas has been following is fleeting to him, and he has been forced to travel slowly to keep watch on it, though he is certain that he is headed in the right direction.
Kazmuk continues to follow Rillka's trail, while also asking the Forgefather for a healing blessing.
Andreas turns to watch Gird catch up to him.
I am trying to follow the trail that Devon and company left as they fled. I am having a hard time following it, any help woulds be appreciated.
Andreas continues to follow the trail while still marking his own trail.
:: Sarenith 5 - Morning - On the Plains ::
Allyo takes off after Kazmuk, orc draped across his mount. With a bit of effort Allyo catches Kazmuk after a few minutes. You head to location where you last saw Rillka and quickly find her trail. You set off down it, able to go at a normal speed, but quickly loosing sight of anyone else. At first Rillka's trail seems to parallel the fleeing humans, but then it diverges quite a bit and sticks largely to the hill bottoms, which would prevent Rillka from seeing the humans or the humans from seeing Rillka.
Kazmuk casts a healing spell on himself as you both continue following Rillka's trail. After another minute or so, you hear the baying of hounds in the distance, coming from the direction Rillka had headed in.
Following the trail, you continue onward. You can find the trail fairly easily, but from the tracks you are finding they are likely going faster than you while to keep trying to follow them.
After another minute or so, you hear hounds baying far off in the distance, a little south of where it looks like the fleeing humans were headed.
Out in front of the fleeing bandits, and a bit to their south, you urge Lucca to bark, casting prestidigitation to amplify the sounds into the baying of hounds approaching them from the front.
As the sound first echoes out across the plains, you can see the bandits freeze, stopping and looking about while reloading their cross bows.
Andreas tilts his head towards the south.
Not sure what that is about...
Looking back the way the came Andreas pauses for a few seconds.
I guess it is just you and I as the others would have caught up to us by now if they were following.
Let us continue on the path of the bandits.
With that said he continues to follow the trail.
Allyo shakes his head in agreement with the Dwarf, and pushes his horse towards the direction the hounds were barking - carefully holding the unconscious prisoner.
:: Sarenith 5 - Morning - On the Plains ::
Allyo and Kazmuk spur their mounts onward. The barking continues and you follow the sound, noticing bits or Rillka's trail here and there.
A short time later you near the crest of a hill and can see over it. To the north you see the three humans running north, to your north east you can see Rillka on her dog Lucca, now obviously the source of all the barking, though it seems amplified beyond what one dog should be able to produce.
After a couple moments hesitation, the humans break northward fleeing both the sound of the barking and the direction that the others would be coming from if they followed the humans trail.
While continuing to cause Luccas's barks to be amplified, you notice two figures appear behind a hill to your southwest. A quick moment of inspection shows that Kazmuk and Allyo have followed your trail, they look to have rushed here as quick as they could.
You continue following the trail, and it gets a bit easier to notice occasionally, though you can't seem to travel at full speed without losing sight of it.
You crest a ridge and Gird can see three groups of people out in the distance. A bit south of east of you is Rillka, body showing just along a ridge line, Lucca barking like mad though the sound is obviously amplified if you can hear it so well.
Further south of Rillka and a bit closer to yourselves, Gird can see Kazmuk and Allyo, they followed Rillka's trail and are maybe 500 feet from her.
Due north of Kazmuk and Allyo you can see the three humans fleeing north away from the sounds of barking and from yourselves, in the only direction they have left to run.
there they are...and there are the others. Let us see if we can get out in front of the bandits shall we.
Andreas looks from gird to the fleeing bandits.
If we are able to keep them in between us and the others it will limit where they can go. Now that we have them in sight we can move a hell of a lot faster. You may even be able to land a few shots on one or two before we have to engage...may even give them pause.
Kazmuk then changes his course, trying to intercept the fleeing bandits.
Allyo shakes his head in agreement with Kazmuk, and from afar gestures to Rillka to show they understood her. The duelist then taps his mount to run North in pursuit.
:: Sarenith 5 - Morning - On the Plains ::
With Rillka's ruse paying off, everyone else takes off in pursuit. Able to keep them in sight and not wanting to tire the horses too much, it takes about ten minutes to corral the fleeing bandits. You all group back together and stop about a hundred feet from the bandits. You and the bandits are on separate hills tops, with a gentle twenty foot slope between you.
One of the bandits shouts, all three of them aiming cross bows at you.
Bringing his horse to a halt, Andreas looks at the bandits.
One of the bandits shouts, all three of them aiming cross bows at you.
Andreas turns his horse sideways so that the bandits can see him sheath his weapon.
Nor do I but life can be filled with such disappointments.Starters...for you to drop your weapons.
He looks off into the distance around the group.
You are surrounded and my men may take offense to weapons aimed my way. As a courtesy to you and your desire not to die, I beseech thee to disarm now. Pull those triggers and you will die. You have three shots to take me down...I have many archers, soldiers, not to mention the dogs and of course there is us to contend with.
He raises his hand away from his sheathed weapon in a gesture of non aggression.
In return I will talk with you in good faith. The Stag Lord's reign is soon to be at an end. You now have a chance to chose a different path. One that could lead to a better life than what you have now.
He looks to the orcs. His voice is calm and respectful.
I am disappointed to find your group still in these lands. You were to leave the River Kingdoms and never return. Would you care to explain why you ignored our offer and remained in these lands?