Round 2
Myth
Analia
Jamir
Torvald
Kellid leader
Craggark
Jawhar
Yellow warrior
Blue warrior
Red warrior
Craggark notices that the style of the war paint and weapons that these Kellid's are using are consistent with that of the Snowmask tribe. Too involved in combat to give much more thought, Craggark proceeds to pummel his opponent until the warrior finally drops from the beating.
The yellow warrior pauses a moment allowing his friend the blue warrior to flank Jamir, The Blue warrior meets Craggark head on swinging his axe in a horizontal arc towards the 1/2 orc's abdomen.
While the yellow comes from a more diagonal arc to hit the smaller Jamir The blue warrior misses Craggark but the Yellow warrior nicks Jamir with his blade.
Round 3
Myth
Analia
Jamir
Torvald
Kellid leader
Craggark
Jawhar
Blue warrior
Yellow warrior
Red warrior
Analia summons another globe of fire and hurls it at the Kellid woman. The flame strikes the woman and immolates her she drops to the ground screaming then lies still. Torvald bends over a starts to heal Jawhar with his wand. Jaimr quickly dodges through the defenses of the yellow warrior and sinks his rapier deep in to the warriors stomach. The warrior crumples to the ground with a *gasp*.
Round 3
Myth
Analia
Jamir
Torvald
Kellid leader
Craggark
Jawhar
Blue warrior
Yellow warrior
Red warrior
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The vengeful spirit of Sarenrae's witness clenches it's fingers on the armrests of it's chair, in anticipation of the killing blow.
"Finish Him!"
The forgiving spirit of Sarenrae's faithful argues back from the cold ground.
"They were just defending their land. Take their weapons and let them go. The Dawn Brings New Light."
Myth takes a shot that sticks in the side of the blue warrior.
Round 3
Myth
Analia
Jamir
Torvald
Kellid leader ( taken-47hp dmg)(dead)
Craggark
Jawhar
Blue warrior
Yellow warrior (taken -19hp dmg, unconscious bleeding out)
Red warrior (taken -8hp NL dmg and 11 lethal dmg =total 19hp dmg unconscious)
Craggark strikes the last warrior with a powerful blow knocking him out cold.
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With a glance up to see all their enemies dealt with, Torvald turns back to reviving Jawhar. When the priest's eyes flutter open Torvald helps him to his feet, then surveys the fallen Kellids. A thought occurs, and the dwarf makes a face.
"I don't like to say it right on the heels of an ambush that almost claimed our cleric, but we should heal them, after taking their weapons of course. We're deep in their territory, and who's to say the next war party won't be far more than we can handle? Trying our best to make peace seems like the most likely route to surviving the return journey."
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Accepting Torvald's help, Jawhar staggers to his feet.
"Thank you, my friend. I believe you saved my life there with you timely healing and it won't be forgotten."
After Torvald's plea, Jawhar signals his agreement.
"Yes. This is their land, and to their eyes we are invaders comimg from the land of evil witches.
Take their weapons and bring then together under guard."
Jawhar goes straight to the leader and checks on her wounds to see if she can be saved.
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Jamir wipes the blood off of his rapier on the furs worn by the Kellid in yellow, and watches with concern as Torvald heals Jawhar back to consciousness.
"I admit that the constant screaming ambushes by the barbarians in this area are getting tiresome. Whether we are in the Land of the Linnorm Kings, Irrisen, or here in the country of the Mammoth Lords, we seem to be constantly attacked by raging berserkers with no interest in conversation or even a humorous quip during battle. It is almost as though they do not want us here at all!"
He scowls at the edge on his blade. I must remember to sharpen it once we have set up camp.
"Really, I am looking forward to meeting that tribe that communicates with stories instead of an axe to the face."
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Setting aside his shield and pack, Torvald snorts at Mythryndyr's question and rolls up his sleeves, tossing the Kellids' weapons aside and checking them for signs of life. "It's been a mess of ambushes and assaults all across the north, Myth. I take it by your question you've had an easier time of it as a Pathfinder?"
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”Stupid nutters...” Craggark mutters under his breath as he watches his team bind the wounds of the idiots who attacked them.
Still, you don’t speak their tongue, so how would you tell them that they’re idiotic?
Craggark harrumphs to himself and moves to Lia to see if she’s alright, making a mental note to try to learn Hallit at some point.
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Myth shrugs at Torvald. "Not necessarily easier per se, but perhaps not so brutal altogether of our first two encounters on this journey...
"To be clear, I'm honored to be in your company...since I wasn't a part of the original mission, just wondered if this was the norm or something that might have been coincidental to my appearance..."
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Lia walks up, a flame still burning in her hand, and stands next to Jawhar as he checks on the leader for life.
"The others were just following her." she says with a cold and oddly detached voice.
Her wide silver eyes reflect the fire in her palm as it dances.
"Is she alive?"
As the others agree to heal those they can save, Lia clenches her fist and snuffs out the flame. A smile comes to her face, albeit a weak one, and she moves to takes Craggark's hand as he comes near.
"I am glad you are alright. I am glad everyone is alright. I will use the wand on one of them before we wake them and someone should tie them up too." she says taking the wand of speak local language out and activates its magic.
Turning to Myth she answers, "We have't met anyone from these lands either, other than those we met with you. Farther north I was quite familiar with the tribes and they were not nearly this aggressive. In Irrisen they are all difficult at best and hostile was the norm wherever we went."
After the battle Torvald starts to tend to Jawhar's wounds Craggark is brought back to consciousness with a *gasp*. There's a huge bloody tear splattered with blood, where the Barbarian maiden's axe, tore through his parka. Jamir cleans his blade, while Myth retrieves an arrow or two.
Jawhar eventual sits up and begins to tend the Barbarians. The leader had already passed to Pharasma unfortunately. However, Jawhar is able to stabilize and mend the other 3 to consciousness
You take their weapons away from them and guard them closely and tie them up. Analia touches the red warrior with the wand. Not knowing what was going on, he tries to resist the spell. . Frustrated, Analia tries the Yellow warrior, he too is obstinate Yellow's eyes open wide as the spell takes hold and he realizes the spell is harmless only meant to understand the foreigners language.
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"Thanks for the healing, Jawhar. Nasty gash you took there."
Responding to Lia's indicative hand squeeze, the half-orc starts. "Oh yeah, right," he says, turning to the barbarian that can understand and speak our language for a bit. He hardens his expression.
"I am Craggark Frostkin of the Miusunnit. My mother is Irikh Stonyfish, Keeper of the Ice Peppers and Speaker of our People. We have come out of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings in search of outsiders to your lands, bandits and thugs known as the Shadow Lodge. They seek, as we do, a mighty warrior's weapon - Jadrek's Shard. It is housed in a frozen tomb known as the Keep of the Huscarl King, deep in your lands."
"We are outsiders, too, we know this. We have encountered one other of your people, a warrior of the Snowmask Clan who lay at Pharasma's door after a battle - we think - with some of these foul Shadow Lodgers and their leader, Melkorka Skur. We - this man," Craggark gestures to Jawhar, " - brought your brother back to life and we spoke to him. He warned us of being strangers in these lands. All too true, it would seem. We seek to defeat this Skur and her minions. We seek to do this without using slaves, torture, and kidnapping, as the Shadow Lodge would do. I speak to you, honourable Snowmask, who would dare not use such foul treachery. I ask you for your aid in getting through your lands - chaperone us, speak for us to your people. We seek nothing more but to defeat this Skur's purpose, kill her, and return to our lands where we will trouble you no more. If you cannot vouch for our safety, then bring us to your high leader - we will speak to them of our need and will bow to their wisdom and will."
A bit of a mash of facts and assumptions - I hope I didn't make a hash of it.
Craggark extends his open hand to the warrior.
Snowmask guardians say very little (despite the use of the wand). Yellow speaks in short halting sentences with the other two Kellids staring murder at him while he speaks. He then argues with them for a second in Hallit and they shut up for a moment, only till he starts speaking in common again. However, their demeanor has changed to unfriendly instead of outright hostility. Eventually, the Kellids tell you that, the Snowmask Clan attacked because they think, your group is trying to meet up with your allies, who passed this way not long ago. Craggark does a good job of trying to establish that, you are not working with the Shadow Lodge. But, in fact, are trying, to stop them. However, Kellids remain skeptical.
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Jamir sits down on a stone or patch of grass reasonably clear of blood, pulls out his whetstone, and begins sharpening his rapier.
"Fine by me. I would be happy to take the first shift on guard duty." He grins at the Kellid in yellow. "I'm sure we'll all be friends soon enough." Shifting in his seat, he begins his story.
"Have you ever heard the tale of how Cayden Cailean and his dog Thunder caught a roc?"
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Once out of earshot of the now fluent common speaking barbarian...
In a hard to follow burst of words, Lia explains her many opinions on the matter of what to do with their captives.
"I vote we let them go with their weapons, proving we are not the hostile invaders they think us to be and we should offer to help respect their dead, especially now that we understand their original motives for the attack, because I feel for their loss, as I behaved much the same when they hurt you." she says the last while looking to the faces of each previously wounded friend.
Before anyone can get a word in edgewise, she rattles on some more.
"And I really don't want the complications of watching them while watching for other threats, and it also strains our resources to be responsible for them in this weather and otherwise hostile environment, even if it is warmer here." she says rubbing her arms for effect and then continues after the shortest of breaths, "If they have other tribal groups that come upon us it might look unfavorably to have them as prisoners, since we are not likely to use them as hostages. But what does everyone else think?"
She stands and stares at the others, patiently waiting for any of them to speak up.
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"I said to them that we do not use slaves or kidnapping. Keeping them as prisoners here would likely disprove that in their eyes. I say we let them go with whatever they choose to take, but first, they tell us where the Shadow Lodge scum went." This last phrase Craggark wields at the Kellid that he's been speaking with.
"I said to them that we do not use slaves or kidnapping. Keeping them as prisoners here would likely disprove that in their eyes. I say we let them go with whatever they choose to take, but first, they tell us where the Shadow Lodge scum went." This last phrase Craggark wields at the Kellid that he's been speaking with.
The Kellids indicate the other group is heading east...same direction as your group.
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While Lia and the rest are talking, Jawhar will be arranging the dead leader with her weapons as we previously learned to do from the first Kellid.
He will sing a Kelish song of mourning as he does so.
Approaching the Kellid who can speak Common
"I'm sorry that I was not able to save your leader. She was impressive. My armor was like paper before her might.
I bear you no ill will for attacking us, but we must look after our own safety.
What will you do, if we release you now?"
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Jawhar approaches the three surviving warriors as Jamir is finishing both sharpening his blade and finishing his tale.
"And by riding on the roc's back, Cayden was able to get across the desert in less than a day without using magic and win the bet!"
Jamir rises when Jawhar enters the circle. After checking to make sure the priest is healed enough to be walking around, he says, "Whatever else they are, they are good listeners. Of course, only one of them could understand me at all, so perhaps that had something to do with it. I hear the others planning -- if you want to talk with them for a moment, I will go stick my two coppers in."
Once Jamir joins Lia, Myth, Craggark, and Torvald and hears the way the discussion is going, he scratches his head in thought.
"Lia, didn't you tell us that the Snowmask tribe warriors are known for their ambushes? They certainly know the route we are likely to take. If we let these fighters go now, that will be give them the night to get back to their camp, get ahead of us, and lie in wait with a larger force."
"If the rest of you think that is the best option available, I will go along with your plan. I certainly have no desire to kill them when they pose no immediate threat, or to be their jailers. I suppose the only real alternative would be for Lia or Jawhar to use their magic to keep them each warm through the night despite the freezing cold, and then free them in the morning."
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"Keeping these free men captives is no better in their eyes than keeping them as slaves. That would damn us further than we already are. We need to let them go, Jamir." Craggark's firm words indicate his concern with Jamir's opinions.
"Besides, you could use some more fencing practice when they come back and ambush us a second time," he guffaws.
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Myth nods at Jawhar's questioning of the barbarians. "He speaks true. We mean you no harm and only wish to hunt the other group of outsiders. We just ask when we release you, give us the time and freedom to do so...once we deal with them and finish our mission, we will leave your lands and you will see us no more..."
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"You are right Jamir, I did say that. I just can't help feeling sympathy for them now.", Lia says to her friend. "They thought we were with the Shadowlodge, and after our own experience with that wicked group, I think we are lucky they didn't have an entire war-band hidden under the snow waiting to kill us."
She wrings her hands and starts to pace back and forth, her little strides quickly wearing through the layer of frost on the ground.
"I was so angry, and now I feel none of that. I just can't keep them captive, even for a night. Their leader wasn't evil, she was just protecting her own, and I killed her. I killed her!" Lia quickly buries her face in her hands, uncontrollable wracking sobs coming almost immediately afterward.
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"No, Lia. You saved Jawhar, or whichever of us she would have attacked next. There was no way for that to end without someone dead - and I for one am glad it was not one of us. If she had been willing to talk, things might have been different, but at least she died in battle. If you cannot bring yourself to blame her for her own death, then blame the Shadow Lodge. They made enemies of this tribe, and we have been forced to deal with the situation they created."
Turning to Craggark: "Is it such a kindness to turn them loose just as the sun goes down? I suppose they are acclimated to it, but I wonder. As I said, I am not interested in being their jailer. But neither am I interested in receiving an axe in my back while we trudge through the snow tomorrow."