Zethyris slides off his horse and quietly slips his rapier from its sheath, holding it in a non-threatening yet ready state, point-down at his side.
As he waits to judge the man's response to Isham, he takes a quick look at the cart, seeing if he can spot the girl underneath it, silently hoping that she is unharmed.
Sunfire gives a whinny that almost sounds like the equine equivalent of boasting as he proves himself better than the elks. Rutilux lowers his lance and prepares to fight when...
"Hold there, please. We have no wish to cross blades. Will you talk with us, that we may all grow wiser?"
And he actually has to restrain himself from giving the man an incredulous look How many smoking beings can there be roaming around? This must be Smokie Joe, I thought think, but fine, we hold back battle and maybe ask a few questions while we search for the young maid, her safety must come first.
"Are you the one called Smokie Joe?" He inquires firmly of the odd being.
"I am a girl with impure thoughts that would like to have a party with you, Joe!"
Ana says in Ulfen with a clearly threatening undertone.
Julian attempts to dismount before approaching quietly and hidden.
Initiative
Ana says in Ulfen with a clearly threatening undertone, "I am a girl with impure thoughts that would like to have a party with you, Joe!"
"Whoa, what the hell did she just say? That sounds kinda hot, but is that some kind of Irrisen taunt? I am not sure it came out well. . . . Hope Jediah still has my uncles axe with him. This thing looks like it may be fae or something."
"Give us back the girl."
"Is she contained inside him? Is the smoke consuming her like bees swarming the beekeeper?"
Where is the girl? Under the sleigh? It would be just our luck to have killed her in the crash.
Perception
With a heavy and thick spit in everyone's general direction he wipes his mouth with his dirt sleeve, "You dun wish a fight, yet that twit," pointing at Rutilux with his axe, "runs me and my sleigh over like a maniac. If you lot have a whole deal of nerve.""Smokie Joe? Haven't heard that name in years, why?" as he makes no attempt to hide his inspection, "I'm sure you are but I've not no interest in old hags."
Old hag? Did he just call me an old hag?!
Ana bristles with anger.
She doesn't pay any attention to her surroundings as she struggles to find the right words to respond to impolite Joe.
"I can't really tell from here, but one of those sacks looks large enough to fit a person in," Zethyris whispers to his allies. "The smaller one looks stuffed with something... hard, maybe pointed."
Spells Prepared (CL 4):
Level 2 (2+1/day)
Bull’s Strength (used)
Spiritual Weapon (used)
Zone of Truth (DC 15 / Domain)
Level 1 (3+1/day)
Shield of Faith (used)
Sanctuary
Murderous Command (used)
Divine Favor (Used / Turned to CLW)
Level 0 (4 at will)
Spark
Detect Magic
Guidance (+1 Attack / Saving / Skill)
Domains
Ferocity
3-Rage
6-Bull's Strength, Mass
Glory
1-Shield of Faith
2-Bless Weapon
2-Zone of Truth
Special Qualities
Aura
Cleric Channel Positive Energy 2d6 (6/6 per day) (DC 16 Sacred Conduit)
Spontaneous Casting
Touch of Glory (6/day)
You can cause your hand to shimmer with divine radiance, allowing you to touch a creature as a standard action and give it a bonus equal to your cleric level on a single Charisma-based skill check or Charisma ability check. This ability lasts for 1 hour or until the creature touched elects to apply the bonus to a roll. You can use this ability to grant the bonus a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Special Attacks
Ferocious Strike (+2) (6/6 per day)
Whenever you make a melee attack, you can designate that attack as a ferocious strike. If the attack hits, it deals additional damage equal to 1/2 your cleric level (minimum +1). You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
/
Skallangbiorn nods to Zethyris' comments, taking a step forward towards the large man. What sort of apparition are you? You show no concern over us, perhaps due to your nature...but therein may lay our advantage...
"What manner of filth steals children in the night? Leave the girl you stole, scum. Depart now and there will be no conflict." The Ulfen cleric states flatly. "Do it not, I swear by the blades of Gorum we will end you."
"You dun wish a fight, yet that twit," pointing at Rutilux with his axe, "runs me and my sleigh over like a maniac. If you lot have a whole deal of nerve."(insert Rutilux's question)"Smokie Joe? Haven't heard that name in years, why?"
"I can't really tell from here, but one of those sacks looks large enough to fit a person in," Zethyris whispers to his allies. "The smaller one looks stuffed with something... hard, maybe pointed."
Rutilux nods at what's heard, and what he sees for himself, and then answers Smokie Joe, "Because we believe you have someone who was in our charge." And he rides to the large of the bags to pick it up, "Probably in here."
to the bag he asks, "Are you okay in there."
"As my friend here says, we believe you have a young lady that was in our charge. We take such a responsibility very seriously, and very personally. If you have the girl and return her to us unharmed, we will thank you for your time, and help you gather your team. We will both go on our way. If you demonstrate that you do not have the girl, we will offer our humblest apologies. In both instances, we will help you gather your team and put your sledge to rights."
With a nod to Skallangbiorn, "If, on the other hand, you have the girl and do not return her to us freely, we will... insist. Again, not an outcome we are seeking. We would regret any conflict."
"The young lady we're looking for has had a very difficult day..." Isham winds into an oratory performance, detailing the young lady's day, the party's encounter with the trolls, and the party's intention to settle the children with relatives.
Oh damn I can't believe he called her a hag. I hope that she doesn't over react. I think as a raven Skallangbiorn is going to have to be worked up to that one.
Sense motive.
Well said Isham . . . Heh, I almost don't want to dismember this guy anymore, but this guy has to have been the one that carried the girl off. He must be a druid or something since he is using elk and doesn't leave footprints, but what's with the smoke? I hope the girl is still left alive. . . I wonder if this is some kind of kidnapping of an orphan to make more Druids or something?
This guy is mighty cool despite being confronted by so many.
Thorvald takes a few seconds to look around hoping to make sure there isn't an ambush or something.
Geez, I am getting jumpy lately . . . With good reason that is.
"what I have is my own business..." his voice starts to trail off as he starts being lulled in my Isham's story but with a sharp shake he snaps back to reality, "That wasn't very nice, and neither is this!" as he hurls his axe at Isham. The weapon spins end over end and Isham is confronted with a disturbing sight as the weapon literally passed right through his armour. Beneath the metal his skin feels the bite of the blade as well as a deep chill as if the weapon had been submerged in a frozen lake before contacting him.
Just as everyone recovers and turns back to the man you see the axe reappear in his hand as he laughs low and deep, sloshing his beer across the ground.
Zethyris grits his teeth. What sort of creature IS this?
He rushes the man, tumbling behind him . He waits for an ally to draw the man-creature's attention before striking.
Jediah will charge the blurry, smokey, man.
Wow, that's a new one, an axe that passes through metal"
Ana dismounts her horse and fires two magic missiles at Joe.
Spells Prepared (CL 4):
Level 2 (2+1/day)
Bull’s Strength (used)
Spiritual Weapon (used)
Zone of Truth (DC 15 / Domain)
Level 1 (3+1/day)
Shield of Faith (used)
Sanctuary
Murderous Command (used)
Divine Favor (Used / Turned to CLW)
Level 0 (4 at will)
Spark
Detect Magic
Guidance (+1 Attack / Saving / Skill)
Domains
Ferocity
3-Rage
6-Bull's Strength, Mass
Glory
1-Shield of Faith
2-Bless Weapon
2-Zone of Truth
Special Qualities
Aura
Cleric Channel Positive Energy 2d6 (6/6 per day) (DC 16 Sacred Conduit)
Spontaneous Casting
Touch of Glory (6/day)
You can cause your hand to shimmer with divine radiance, allowing you to touch a creature as a standard action and give it a bonus equal to your cleric level on a single Charisma-based skill check or Charisma ability check. This ability lasts for 1 hour or until the creature touched elects to apply the bonus to a roll. You can use this ability to grant the bonus a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Special Attacks
Ferocious Strike (+2) (5/6 per day)
Whenever you make a melee attack, you can designate that attack as a ferocious strike. If the attack hits, it deals additional damage equal to 1/2 your cleric level (minimum +1). You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Skallangbiorn grits his teeth and leaps into the fray, knowing they would have to put this foe on the ground quickly. His greatsword of grayflame bared, the ulfen calls out to his god, causing ths blade to burst into flames.
"For Gorum!!"
...
Julian pops up out of a snowbank yet again and fires two poisoned arrows at the weird guy.
Rutilux, already close to 'joe' brings his flail to bear against the fellow.
"That was exceptionally rude. Though we regret the necessity, this is the course you've chosen."
Thorvald, you big dumb fool. Well here goes nothing!
Thorvald makes a mad dash around the melee in an attempt to to grab the sack he thinks may contain the girl.
Yeah, this is probably gonna hurt.
Zethyris moves in cautiously, but is unable to get behind the heavy man with his back to the sleigh, and takes position to his left and waits for someone to distract him. Ana lets fly a pair of bolts of force that slam into the man. Skallagbiorn noticing Zethyris' tactic moves to the mans other side slashing with his great sword as he takes position. Despite the strike hitting a god spot the hit feels wrong. It's missing most of the reverberation from the impact. Zethyris strikes seconds afterwards, his blade slipping in under his sleeve but despite good it it feels as if he missed, merely scratching skin instead of piercing vitals. Rutilux inches Sunfire the last few inches and strikes with his flail. The three heads sweep through his shoulder scattering some of the smoke but clearly not moving the man. In a mad attempt to secure the girl Thorvald rushes headlong past the man, taking a chilling cut across his side for the act , and then grabbing again when he grabs hold of the sack he is hit again . Snarling obscenities through his teeth, "Arrogant little brats, let the cinders take the lot of ya!", the man sloshes his beer across everyone nearby and then takes a deep breath, blowing out flaming cinders that rush out across everyone nearby . Isham dismounts and moves towards the fray as he begins rallying everyone and encouraging everyone not to falter. Jediah steps up and stabs his glaive deeply into the mans belly but stumbles a half inch after contacting no resistance. Julian pops out from behind some frozen bushes and lets two arrows fly. Both manage to hit his targets but pass right though as they shatter on the sleigh immediately behind him.
Skallangbiorn howls in rage at both the ineffectiveness of his greyflame blade to cut deeply and the pain of the enemy's blast. The cleric calls down the blessing of his god, seeking to heal his group.
Skall shouts to Jediah. "Pevnosť, zničiť diabla zbraň!"
Sparks raining all around them Skallangbiorn feels the raw pain from the fiery attack and roars another challenge to their foe. "Gorum will not see us fall before a cowardly abductor of children!"
Jediah nods to Skall and tries to do that with his long-handled glaive.
Alas, his glaive goes flying.
DC 16 to halve damage
DC 14 to avoid catching on . . .
"Sunfire, get clear," Rutilux leaps off his horse as he sees Thorvald get the girl,"And carry the girl home if you..." Even as his horse draws back, ready to take on the girl or Thorvald and the girl, flames engulf outward and the cavalier catches the brunt of it!
The flames not only catch Rutilux square, he begins to burn.
Thorvald taps into the spirit of the Kodiak to grant him extra strength in order to either throw or carry the sack clear. He looks to see if there is a way to avoid Joe's axe, over the back of the sleigh perhaps?!
I pray that I have not doomed my friends by not joining the fray. I just wanted to save the child. It is too late to change course now or my death will be for nothing.
Ana's mind races as she watches that everybody else trying in vain to hit the smokey man - and then being engulfed in fire.
fight or flee? fight or flee? fight or flee? fight or flee? I can't kill him with my missiles alone. What should I do? I might just escape together with Sunfire and the girl, if I leave now. He's going to kill Thorvald - but on the positive side, looks like he's going to kill Jediah as well. Speaking of Jediah - what is he trying to do there with his glaive, anyway? Oh, of course, the tankard!
Ana fires another pair of missiles, the first one aimed at Joe's tankard.
The second one she lets circle around Joe, until she sees whether the first has hit its mark. If the first missile hit but didn't do enough damage to break it, she lets the second one impact on the tankard as well, otherwise she lets it impact on Joe himself.
Unsure as how to proceed, Julian studies Joe.
Zethyris adroitly ducks under the gout of flame, avoiding injury.
He retaliates with another jab. He can't be made completely out of smoke, can he?
Seeing Thorvald pulling the sack clear, Zethyris tumbles over to give him a hand. He just ran right past Smokie Joe, and if those axes go through armor he might be badly injured.
"Allow me to handle the sack. No need to have you injured further trying to get by."
Smoothly and with coordinated precision, Isham steps immediately into the space vacated by Zethyris. He maintains a steady litany of tactical advice and direction, inspiring his compatriots to greater effort.
Dismayed at the loss of his glaive, Jediah doesn't bother trying to recover it but instead lashes out with his spiked gauntlet.
Now that he's close to the sack, Zethyris checks to see if there is actually a person inside (or at least if it's a possibility - just looking from outside for now, not opening).
Rutilux is burning, but for now he focuses on striking Smokey Joe and buying time to get the girl away.
As soon as Zethryis ducks under the flaming breath he comes back with his rapier leading. Again the blade should strike through but the feeling of impact isn't there. Ana in a near panic after seeing the effectiveness of her allies attacks is nearly frozen in hesitation before she decides to attack the man/creatures mug in hopes of preventing further strange breath attacks. The mug shatters, showing the man and those nearby with the last dregs of the cups contents while he second bolt strikes him again. Skallagbiorn takes the breath attack in full but manages to keep his cloths from igniting. Calling upon his god, divine energy mends and binds everyone's wounds slightly. Sunfire manages to avoid the attack but Rutilux takes it in full and somehow manages to ignite his under padding on fire so he spends the round putting out the flames. Thorvald as well takes the full might of the flames but keeps his clothes from burning as he calls on his primal fury as tries to rush back out, away from the man with the girl. Clutching the girl tightly as using his own body as cover leaves his back open to retaliation as the man/creatures axe buries itself in his back, passing through his protective armour as he passes by. The man swings his axe and buries it in Skallagbiorn's chest as it passes through his armour but Skallagbiorn reels back and avoids the backswing. Isham moves forward and swings his axe but it passes harmlessly through the man. Jediah attempts to sunder the mans axe but but his technique is turned around on him as his glaive goes flying. Julian sits and watches looking for an opening or something that will give him a clue on how to kill this man.
Zethyris takes the girl in the sack from Thorvald.
"I've got her. Take out our friend with the axes."
He carries the girl away from Smokie Joe, using his quick feet to avoid any retaliating swings.
The cleric sees Zethyris' gambit and maneuvers himself to draw attention. Blood and frost line his wounds, nearly staggering the cleric as he attempts to keep his sword aloft. He calls down more power from his god to keep his comrades in the fight. "For the North and glory!! Send this foul demon to the abyss!!!"
...points back to those in range
Skallangbiorn spits blood, roaring in triumph as he feels the holy energies of Gorum permeate his flesh and bone. "I may fall you filthy thief of children, but I'll go to my god knowing your end is not far behind!!"
When the snow helps quench the flames, Rutilux comes up, and he's quite angry, "My name is Rutilux Talonn, I am in service to the Kodiakborne, and I defy you and your theft of young maidens!"
He brings his flail forward, hoping to scatter this monster in man's form like ashes being swept from a fireplace.
He adds, "Zeth, if you and the girl need to ride Sunfire, do so, he trusts you and he's quick"
Impressed by the men's display of bravery, Ana decides to first unload all the magic she has left on Joe before fleeing.
She sticks close to her horse and fires another pair of missiles.
Jediah keeps punching!
Isham continues a methodical assault. His advice and inspiration to his colleagues is direct, practical, and avoids the soaring rhetoric and ringing challenges echoing around him. Instead, Isham provides the bass line that drives the improvisational song of battle.
Thorvald took his licks, but managed to carry the girl in the sack out and away from harm. He knew he had taken some grevious wounds from the spectral axe of the entity that was attacking them. He pondered that Smoking Joe might be some sort of spirit, but it struck him odd that a spirit would employ flesh and blood elk to transport him about. He was well aware that after another hit like the ones he had just taken would mean incapacitation after he burned through his fighting spirit.
He inwardly bemoaned the fact that he might fall without ever having pulled his weapon, but he had saved the girl and that was what mattered. He looked about for Sunfire hoping that he could secure the girl to the warhorse. Rutilux's animal was cannier than most and the knight had said that the horse would carry the girl to safety.
Then Thorvald felt deft hands assisting him. He pulled his eyes away from Rutilux dousing himself in the snow and turned to see who it was that was helping him.
Zethyris was there trying to take the girl in the sack from Thorvald
The Cleric intoned, "For the North and glory!! Send this foul demon to the abyss!!!" Refueling Thorvald with new vigor and hope. He met the half elf's eyes as Zethyris spoke him through the battle din"I've got her. Take out our friend with the axes."
At first Thorvald was going to resist the idea, the big man felt he was at fault for her abduction in the first place, but the Cleric's and Rutilux's next words cemented his decision.
"I may fall you filthy thief of children, but I'll go to my god knowing your end is not far behind!!" Bellowed the Raven followed by Rutilux with an angry, ""My name is Rutilux Talonn, I am in service to the Kodiakborne, and I defy you and your theft of young maidens!"
Thorvald grasped Zeth's forearm, "Take her clear of here, but keep your body between the sweet child and that fiends axe. Hopefully we shall see one another again, but should I fall know that I thought of all of you as family and my betters. Let it be known that I fell defending those I cared about!"
After Thorvald watches Zeth darting away with the girl and away from Smokie Joe. Thorvald turns back to the melee.
"I am Thorvald the Blackshield, you have stolen a child from a house under my protection! I intend to reclaim my honor or seek a righteous and noble death from it while the eyes of Gorum and Desna are upon me!"
Zethyris moves away from the man and takes the heavy sack from Thorvald as he moves to carry it away from the fight. Ana continues to bury bolts of force into the mans body as she internally battles with her decision to stay and fight. Skallagbiorn, through his pain, manages to call upon his gods power again to knit wounds together. Rutilux swings his flail through the man again sending more smoke billowing but rebounding off of nothing. Thorvald having taken the sack away to partial or relative safety and being released of it by Zethyris he moves back into melee with the man in hopes of turning the tide of this battle. The man continues his almost frantic attack on Skallagbiorn as his axe opens a long gash across his abdomen inside his armour but his great sword manages to deflect a second swing aimed for his knee. Isham's axe swings down and should bury itself in the mans collar bone but passes right through. Jediah tries to fell the man with a right hook to his jaw but his metal encased fist sails through unhindered. Julian takes careful aim and fires an arrow through the mans throat which buries itself in the sleigh behind him.
Jediah cottons on that certain weapons are needed and takes an AoO to grab his glaive.