Aleksara quickly gives up on stealth and moves to try and get a clear shot at the closest enemy with her Coin Shot spell, but she not expecting to hit at such long range.
These bandits are operating as intended though :)
Arim continues to hurtle towards the Bandits at the camp, now just a few step away
Aleksara's coin shot flies wide and ricochets off the monolith and into the night.
As Arim continues to charge, Jerrik stays on his horse and rides forward as well.
Alfentinius looks at the William struggling with the horses... and tries to lend the goat a hand but finds himself being dragged along by the larger horses...
William moves along with the horses and once again tries to steer them away from the fight with little success...
As Wendell puts an arrows into the lone bandit, Alfentinius and William start having trouble with the horses.
With Chet and Arim closing in on two of the men, they choose to drop their bows and pull out short swords. The man shot by Wendell looses an arrow at Jerrik as the Ulfen rides bravely forward. All of their attempts miss horribly as the darkness and grass interferes.
To get into closer range with the worst target, Aleksara takes off at a run!
Arim crouches under the thrust from the oncoming bandit, making the move look clumsy. Turning on his heel with almost impossible grace he puts his greatsword into his foes shins, using the bandits own momentum to make the blow count...
Running in, Aleksara nears Arim right as he detaches the legs of the vulnerably overextended man who falls unconscious as he hits the ground. Off in the distance everyone hears the large cat's warrior screams, making it easy to imagine a tiger drastically different than the one you all really know. The man shrieks in terror beneath Chett, his sanity as frayed as his flesh and clinging to waking life.
With the situation seemingly in hand, Jerrik reared his horse back towards Alfentinius. "YAH, Jasper!" The big stallion rose up, almost turning in place before charging off the opposite way they had been heading. As they closed in on the frantic horse, Jerrik leaned out and tried to grab the reigns. "Got yeah, there now. Easy big guy. Calm down."
As Jerrik returns his horse to the equine grouping, he is able to calm the animals and build a herd around Alfentinius. Wendell, William, and Alfentinius are then able to take advantage of more opportunities.
Alfentinius feeling things get out of hand is relieved when Jerrik turns to help him and shows such a commanding presence towards the horses.
Jerrik you're a born leader you know that...
Alentinius then tries to help get the horses under control...... With little success.
William also to help with the animals...
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Wendell continues to move forward towards the cart, then casts Gravity Bow on himself. He draws an arrow from the quiver as if it were heavy as a hammer and notches it on his bowstring.
When he hears the growling and the screams he knows Chett has become a wild beast. His friend, the soft companion he uses for a pillow on cold nights is buried somewhere deep within under all that animal instinct and anger.
"Poor sonofab!!!%..."
The hunter knows his tiger companion will not relent when the bandit cries mercy or goes limp. He shudders at the thought. The horrible sounds when Chett sets to mauling prey have haunted Wendell in many dreams before - sometimes it is Wendell feeling helpless under tooth and claw.
The better off archer shoots at Aleksara as she is closing in on him, thinking if her friend could swing like that then there's no telling what she can do with her menacing sword. His aim is inspired but not as deadly as he had hoped.
While falling beneath Chett, the shaken man draws his shortsword and slashes at the tiger to no gain.
The two men around the cart can be seen by Arim, Aleksara, and Chett dismounting and focusing on the ground around it.
Ignoring the superficial cur on her cheek from the bandit's arrow, Aleksara charges her would-be archer!
"Bleed for me me!"
Arim doesn't like the look of the bandit's attention on the wagon, he follows through on his attack, breaking into a run.
Leaping over the dogs he nears the wagon. Feinting to one side to draw the attention of the guard...
...he jumps onto the drivers seat...
...and stands, sword raised, ready to smite the first bandit to rush him.
Chett mauls the man who collapses underneath the tiger. Aleksara charges the archer, his eyes go wide as her katana gleams with magical energy and she strikes him to the ground!
As Arim expertly bounds through the camp and jumps into the drivers seat he is almost too caught up to notice, but the realization and smell hit him as he proudly takes the drivers seat.
Getting frustrated Alfentinius resorts to yelling at and lying to the horses...
Listen you stupid horses I need you all to get together and work with me here... come on I think I have some carrots...
Go help the others Jerrik... I think Billy and I got this...
And William manages to help... runnin off to head off the last wandering horse an redirect it towards Alfentinius.
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The plodding Dwarf mumbles to himself as he continues to move towards the cart and notices the two bandits. "Why in the hells ain't those two in the fight'?"
Sensing something sinister in the work at the cart, Wendell places the beast whistle to his lips and gives two quick blasts to get the tiger's attention and uses two fingers to direct him to the bandits near the cart. Chett perks up, his whiskers and face wet with red blood.
The tiger's eyes follow Wendell's fingers to the bandits near the cart and springs to his feet, the dying bandit beneath him immediately forgotten.
Wendell then draws back the bowstring and lets loose his heavy arrow at bandit #5.
"Arim, what the f%~# is goin' on up there?"
"****! Lamp oil! You ***s!... Chett, no! Shoo!"
Jerrik nodded to Alfentinius before turning Jasper back towards the wagon and the bandits. Jasper galloped back across the open plains carrying the Ulfen man as he drew out his bec de corbin. He gripped the pole arm tightly as the stallion carried him across the field.
Chett gives Arim a curious sideways head tilt, adorable if not for the blood stained muzzle.
As Alfent and William are able to corral the last of the horses, Jerrik rides back into the disputed camp site. Wendell looses a finely drawn arrow into the only man visible from his vantage. The man is surprised and stumbles but maintains his footing. Arim can hear him swear, "F*$#! Oh that's bad, Tommy I don't know if I'll make it.."
"Just run Stan!" Yells back the man, presumably Tommy. He then strikes a tindertwig and drops it into the cart.
As Stan begins to run Arim is caught off guard by the retreat rather than advance and the wounded man evades the swipe of his sword. The arsonist turns and starts running off into the darkening night as well.
"NO! You will NOT get away that easily!"
Aleksara charges again at the nearest enemy!
Arim tries to kick the tindertwig away as it falls, before it can touch the oil...
...His toe clips the small piece of wood and it spins in he air, time slows and Arim watches in horror as the twig snaps in two, the lit half falling to the oil sodden cart bellow...
Jerrik pulled hard on the reigns to steer Jasper closer to Arim and the wagon. Dropping his bec de corbin, he reached out with one hand, trying to grab Arim and pull him off of the cart.
Aleksara and Chett give chase to the fleeing bandits, Chett swiping at one and successfully nicking the back of his leg with a claw. As Arim tries to kick the match away it miraculously evades him! As the flames spread around the surface of the oil Jerrik swings his horse around and reaches for Arim's hand to pull him off the cart. As his fist closes on Arims sweating arm Jerrik's grip slips, making the Bloodrager only stumble sightly as the flames start to lick up his legs.
"STOP or DIE!!"
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With his master's attention on the cart, the tiger ferociously attacks the fleeing bandit. Chett knows no pity or remorse, and continues to attack after some of the other group members become uncomfortable.
Once Chett has the fleshy man on the ground, he goes for the throat, only stopping once his prey is still and silent.
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Now close enough to the cart, Wendell casts Create Water, pouring 4 gallons of water onto the cart each time in an attempt to extinguish the flames.
He will continue to use the spell until all the flames are extinguished. Only then does he realize Chett furiously tearing at the bandit.
"Chett! STOP! Damned psycho!" Realizing Chett is not listening, Wendell blows a long sharp blast into his beast whistle and casts Create Water over the tiger's head.
With a bloody hiss the animal jumps into the air then disappears into the night.
Arim leaps from the cart and begins to roll on the ground, trying to put out the fires that have caught all over his clothing.
As the water finally stops Arim is a forlorn, sorry figure, laying on his back in an oily puddle, steam rising from his singed leather armour.
"...thanks Wendell... Tell me we got one of the ***s alive?"
Along with William's help Alfentinius keeps the horses under control and away from the fighting and fire.
Chett tears the man down, then picks the body up like a toy in his mouth and carries him proudly like a trophy. Aleksara shoots a coin into the darkness but the man keeps running and appears to have escaped.
After Wendell floods the cart for almost a minute the fire is undeniably out. A simple inspection shows that the cart itself and the gear within is hardly damaged. Thanks to the quick reactions the oil was barely able to completely but, let alone start burning the actual cart and materials held inside. Thus, the surface of the wood and tools are just superficially seared black from the heat with only the rope looking to have seen better days. Luckily your tents, food, and backpacks were out of the cart or on your person.
Clapping Wendell hard on the back, Jerrik smiled. "Well done my friend. Quick thinking. Arim needed a bath, and may yet need another one."
Jerrik stared hard into the darkness in the direction the last bandit ran off in. "Can we track him? We cannot afford for him to alert the Stag Lord, and criminals should not run free when we can prevent it. He must be brought to justice."
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Wendell nods. "Y' read my mind, Jerrik. Let's mount up 'n get after him. He can't be far."
Before they go, Wendell will cast Light on Jerrik's weapon, then cast Guidance on himself, Jerrik, and anyone else who intends to search for the bandit.
Wendell peers into the darkness in search of the bandit, scans the ground for tracks, then calls for Chett to come along.
However, the tiger is nowhere to be found.
Alfentinius looks at the rest of the group.
I think William and I are going to stay here and see if any of the bandits here are just unconscious and not dead.
Alfentinius will then begin checking the 4 bandits who have been downed for life signs and try to stabilize any who need it.
+2 for Williams help makes 20
+2 for Williams help makes 21