Prazil pats Spike approvingly then looks at Kereek. "You am not for sleeping for long, long time now, huh?"
Agnar will silently tend to the wounded, checking for signs of poison on the animals first, treating them when discovered. Once the spider bodies are dragged out of camp he'll use his channeling to heal wounds on person and animal alike.
Kereek glares at Prazil and idly rolls a small flicker of flame around his fingers. "Kereek am staying awake, yes. Kereek need to keep watch, for safety of tribe." He attempts to look selfless and noble, but then the dead spider twitches and Kereek fries it with burning hands, spoiling his noble image.
"Is that all of them?" Jon asks retorically once the battle is finished.
HP 7/15
"My horse doesn't look so well, but he should live at least." Jon says with a sigh as he looks the steed over.
"That is all", Treshiell says. The witch looks at the members of the party each in turn and walks up to Orin. "Hold still", she tells the ranger and fixes his head between her hands. She hold his head in place and and chants something that sounds like a rhyme. Treshiell retrives some dirt from one of her belt pouches and spits into her palm. She rubs her hands together to mix the soil and then uses it to draw a line across Orin's forehead, finishing the hex. "You are now warden", she says and walks back to the fireplace. "I trust you will inform me if more arrive", the witch says and drags her bedroll over her and goes back to sleep.
"He'll be fine, Jon. Might want to distribute your saddle bags to others for a day or two until the venom works its way out and he gets his strength back though."
Kereek stays awake the rest of the night, watching the shadows, jumping if anything even sounds like a skitter...
"He'll be fine, Jon. Might want to distribute your saddle bags to others for a day or two until the venom works its way out and he gets his strength back though."
Despite his sleepiness, Prazil remains up the rest of the night with Kereek.
In the morning, when Prazil sees that Jon's horse is still the worse for wear, he offers, "Spike can help for to pull wagon today if Jon's horse am sick."
Orin will wipe the ichor off his blade on the grass before returning it to it's scabard. After Treshiell's "ceremony" Orin will watch her walk away bemusedly before turning to the others and saying "What was that all about?"
Orin wil go over to Jon's horse and examine the wounds, before venturing out into the woods to gather herbs. When he returns he mixes the herbs with a couple of handfuls of mud to create a poultice, which he applies to the wound. He will then spend the rest of the night and morning tending the wounded animal.
Heal check Long Term Care (DC:15):
The rest of the night passes uneventfully, though you get a very late start the next day as you give Jon's horse time to recover.
Still, in spite of the horrific night, the forest seems lovely as you explore, the short day seeming to pass even more quickly than you would have expected.
That night is far more peaceful and the next day dawns bright and early.
The second day of exploring the area seems to be going as quickly as the first when you spot a massive maned cat, about the size of a horse, sleeping in the shade of a hollow tree near a game path you're following.
"Ooooo... big cat!" Prazil slides down off of Spike and starts to approach the feline cautiously, but then thinks better of it and stays next to Spike.
Kereek peers at the big cat from atop Jon's wagon, watching it curiously. Realizing it doesn't seem to be draconic, he shrugs, sighs and lays back down in the back of the wagon.
Orin will dismount Windswift and, with Shi'Ra at his side, approach the sleeping animal speaking in a calm and steady voice "Hey there big fella. We mean you no harm, we just want to pass by without any trouble. So what say you and us keep it that way, eh?" Orin will continue to move toward the cat with his arms outstretched in plain view.
Wild Empathy:
Hearing Orin making the universal sleeping cat noises for 'big tasty treat here, wake up and eat me', Kereek pokes his head up and keeps an eye out in case he needs to help in the recovery of the Warden's body.
Agnar shakes his head, looking over at the big cat and the potential meal Orin might make if he gets any closer. He summons a bit of Erastil's spirit and speaks to the beast.
The cat opens one eye and gives you a look, before yawning, gaping jaws showing off long, white teeth.
Shi'Ra, hackles bristling, hisses a warning so that even Orin recognizes the shift in the big cats mood. Slowly he shifts his outstretched hand toward his sword's hilt protruding over his shoulder.
"Are we fighting?" Treshiell says from her horse as she notices Orin reaching for his sword. "Scaring it off or just riding past seems easier."
As Orin approaches the massive cat, he suddenly notices some movement about 20 feet away in the woods.
An older man, with wild white hair, suddenly speaks as Orin looks at him. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Cat's not that fond of people he don't know."
Agnar:
Jon:
Kereek:
Orin:
Prazil:
Treshiell:
Prazil whispers to Kereek, albeit too loudly again, "Oh! Him am look like Agnar! Am you thinking they am for being from same clutch?"
"Shhhh! You am talking too loud again! Agnar no look like him!" Kereek chides his clutchmate. Then in only a tiny bit less loud voice: "Oh yes, him and Agnar definitely from same clutch!"
"I'll remember this when the two of you are toothless and your scales are falling out from old age. Then it will be my turn to tease you."
"Just trying to make our way past. The cat's a friend of yours, I take it?"
"He looks insane", Treshiell comments in a neutral tone. "One of Erastil's, or is he more feral?"
"Aye, he's a friend of mine, that's for sure. Most of nature's animals are, I suppose."
"Who you? Me am Kereek!" Kereek smiles broadly at Agnar's cousin.
The man pauses for a moment and shrugs. "I find names aren't that important out here, to be honest."
Kereek nods. "Kereek will call you Tim. Tim, what is you and Cat doing in woods?"
"This is where we live, of course. What are you doing in the woods?"
"Kereek and him friends is Big Heroes! We am exploring the woods, finding treasure and killing bad bad peoples and monsters. Is you am Bad Tim or Nice Tim?"
"I am like nature itself, little kobold. Many see a fire that rages through the forest as a force of evil, but without it, the trees would be overgrown and nothing below them could grow. And you? You say you kill bad peoples and monsters, but wouldn't some say that makes you bad?" Oddly, he seems to almost giggle a little at his final question.
Prazil scratches his chin thoughtfully at the man's question as he considers the answer. "Prazil am not understand question. You am think big heroes am not hero-y but bad like bandit or wispy willows? How am that? Hero am hero. Right am good, wrong am bad. Right am not bad and wrong am not good, how am hero bandit then?"
"Fire is a force of nature and by itself is neither good nor evil. Good and evil is in the intent of the user." Orin pauses and looks the old man in the eyes "we merely wish to pass by without incident or harm. So, what is your intent?"
The old man comes up and stands opposite the path from the cat, which bounds to his feet, but then stands still as the man holds out his open hand toward it.
He gives a little laugh at the animal's antics.
"It is safe to pass now."
Orin will stand his ground between the old man and the rest of his party until they are all safely past, then he will remount Windswift and follow the rest of the group out of the clearing.
Prazil waves cheerily at the man-with-no-name-who-doesn't-answer-questions as they ride by.
"Him am strange," he remarks to anyone listening as he pats Spike affectionately. "Spike am good! Him am not bothered by big cat. Good Spike!"
In an aside to the others, once we're past:
"The wilds are a fine place, but a body spends too long in them without the company of others and they often go a bit crazy."
Surprise; Top of Round 1
The others ride past without incident, but as Orin gets ready to follow, the man suddenly cackles madly and, pulling a short sword, leaps toward Orin. He plunges the blade into the surprised half-elf side, striking toward vital organs, before pulling it free and slamming it into the ranger a second time.
The lion follows suit, ripping with vicious fangs at Shi'Ra, and grabbing on to the smaller feline and disembowling it. The leopard gives a startled cry of pain before collapsing into unconsciousness, her broken body clearly close to death
Initiatives
Old man:
Bite:
Rake:
Rake:
Old man crit confirm:
Kereek lets out a bark of surprise, completely taken aback by the sudden and vicious assault. He jumps down from the wagon and races to the water's edge, pointing his finger at the old man. "BAD MAN! BAD CRAZY OLD AGNAR COUSIN!"
Round #1:
Initiative: 4
Hit points: 6/41
AC: 20; T: 13; FF: 18
CMD: 20
Condition: Power Attack
Shi'Ra stabilization check (DC:10):
Staggered, Orin falls to his knees he shouts as he draws his sword and slices at the old man standing behind him.
Attack roll:
Damage:
The stream does not prevent charges.
As for diagonals: When measuring distance, the first diagonal counts as 1 square, the second counts as 2 squares, the third counts as 1, the fourth as 2, and so on.
"I like your cat", Treshiell tells the man when riding by.
Treshiell reacts swiftly and almost melts off her horse, smooth motions like running water. The witch grabs a handful of dirt and throws it against the skirmish. The cloud of dirt gathers eerily around the attackers and bursts into brilliant light as Treshiell gives the command.
Round 1
Wheeling Spike around at Orin's cry, Prazil's face darkens as he sees the strange no-name man cackling with a bloodied sword in hand.
Unable to spur Spike on to close the total distance to Orin, he instead positions Spike for a valiant charge. "Orin! Spike and Prazil am coming! Hey, Big-Cat! You am leave Shi'Ra alone and fight Prazil!"
--Prazil--
HP: 30/30
AC: 24 (14 T / 21 FF)
CMD: 19
F/R/W: +4/+5/+2
Cavalier's Challenge uses remaining: 1/2
Tactician uses remaining: 1/1
-Ongoing Effects-
Cavalier's Challenge: Lion
--Spike--
HP: 28/28
AC: 21 (13T / 18 FF)
CMD: 17 (21 vs trip)
F/R/W: +5/+6(evasion)/+2
Agnar dismounts, grasps his holy symbol and looses a wave of energy, blocking the crazy old man and his cat from the effects.
Treshiell: 21
Prazil: 16
Kereek: 15
Agnar: 11
Jon: 7
Orin: 4
Antagonists
With the crazed man too close to Orin for Treshiell's spell, she targets the cat instead, which yowls in pain as it's suddenly covered with glittering golden dust.
Prazil spins Spike and starts the dinosaur running toward the combat, followed closely by Jon, who leaps off the wagon and pulls his sword as he charges to help.
Agnar also gallops toward the fight, channeling his god's energy to heal his friends.
Kereek shoots a blast of light toward the old man, who screams in pain as it hits him. Orin, bleeding badly from his wounds, whips his sword from its sheath, just catching his assailant and sending another spray of blood across the nearby trees.
The hermit seems undaunted, though and leaps forward again moments later, cackling in glee as his blade slides between the ribs of the badly wounded half-elf for a third time. "Yeehahaha! Die die die! Are you happy now? Are you?!"
The lion creeps forward, clearly sniffing through the air before seeming to find Orin, and sinking its fangs into his back , grabbing on to his body as he sinks into unconsciousness and blinking the dust from its eyes.
Lion save:
Attack:
Confirm:
Lion attack:
Grab?
Will save:
Man: 33
Lion:
Kereek lets out a kobold battlecry as the man stabs Orin, then gasps as the cat takes him down. He points his finger at the Old Man, snarling in draconic. "אתה זקן רע רע. אתה תישרף בגיהינום גמד רע לוהט עכשיו!"
Round 2
Prazil spurs Spike into a blazing charge at the nasty sparkly-cat!
"OOOOOOOORIIIIIIIN!"
--Prazil--
HP: 30/30
AC: 24 (14 T / 21 FF) (22/12/19 for the old stabby man)
CMD: 19
F/R/W: +4/+5/+2
Cavalier's Challenge uses remaining: 1/2
Tactician uses remaining: 1/1
-Ongoing Effects-
Cavalier's Challenge: Lion
--Spike--
HP: 28/28
AC: 19 (11T / 16 FF) (includes -2 for charge)
CMD: 17 (21 vs trip)
F/R/W: +5/+6(evasion)/+2
Orin stabilization check (DC:10):
Orin stable at -2 HP's
Shi'Ra stable at -6 HP's