Seeing his companions falling quite quickly, #4 begins to retreat back across the camp site and down the beach, out of sight of everyone but Douena .
Next Up: Native #2, Mahjik, Aakif, Lorenz, Urza, Douena, Native #4.
Seeing the fourth native getting away, Douena perks up. Calling on her innate magic, she points her fingers at Makoa and Urza and whispers, "There's one getting away on the other side of the campfire. Don't let him bring back more of them." Although her voice is quiet, the two half-orcs hear her voice clearly in their ears. She moves up next to Lorenz in the dim light.
Makoa and Urza hear Douena's message. Douena moves closer.
Next Up: Native #2, Mahjik, Aakif, Lorenz, Urza, Native #4, Douena.
Makoa attempts to bite #2, but the native steps out of the way at just the right moment.
Seeing his one remaining ally has fled, #2 also does the same thing . He backs carefully away from Makoa, Mahjik, and Aakif, and then moves surprisingly quickly across the campsite . He makes it just to the edge of the dim light for the humans and half-orcs (edge of bright light for Douena).
Next Up: , Aakif, Lorenz, Urza, Native #4, Douena, Makoa, Native #2.
"Wise man would, and I do too, apologize in advance - but I feel this is necessary -", Mahjik suddenly pushes Makao fiercely out of the way; then slaps Soulwind and Aakif on the thigh. "Go go go! Don't let them escape!"
Makoa stumbles backwards from Mahjik's sudden shove. As Mahjik moves after the fleeing natives, the way is cleared for Aakif and Soulwind to charge through.
Next Up: Lorenz, Urza, Native #4, Douena, Makoa, Native #2, Mahjik.
"Hyah!" Aakif calls out and Soulwind surges forward, spraying sand from her hooves, which swirls in chaotic, eerie patterns.
The native manages to avoid Aakif's sword and the swirl patterns surrounding him, but as he does so, he ends up right in the path of Soulwind's hooves, which batter him across the chest.
Next Up: Urza, Native #4, Douena, Makoa, Native #2, Mahjik, Aakif.
Lorenz runs forward. "I don't think we want them to get away."
Urza runs after the fleeing natives.
Lorenz and Urza rush forward.
Realizing that while he's fast, he's not fast enough to outrun a horse, #4 turns back and moves to attack Soulwind .
He is not able to damage the horse.
Next Up: Makoa, Native #2, Mahjik, Aakif, Lorenz, Urza.
If I can charge at him, I will. Otherwise, just keeping up with him until I can get an attack off.
"I could have made a light, I could have summoned a beetle, but no one wanted to wait a while for me to talk with Desna," Douena grumbles under her breath as she moves quickly across the campsite.
Makoa runs after everyone, dropping to all fours as his eyes glow yellow in the darkness. The prey was running, and the pack was chasing after it..
If I can charge at him, I will. Otherwise, just keeping up with him until I can get an attack off.
Douena moves forward and Makoa runs into the action, reaching #4.
#2 yells wildly and swings his sword at Soulwind.
The sword slices just above Soulwind's front legs, coming back red.
Next Up: Aakif, Lorenz, Urza, Native #4, Douena, Makoa, Native #2.
Mahjik picks out a well-burning piece of wood from the camp fire where one end is not burning; he picks it up by the colder end and follows after the others .
Huffing and puffing, Lorenz continues running.
Mahjik grabs some burning wood and moves forward while Aakif unleashes another attack at the natives. His blade swipes across #4, cutting from the shoulder and across the chest. The native stumbles, clearly badly injured, but manages to remain standing.
Soulwind attempts to attack #2, but the native manages to avoid the horse's hooves. However, the swirling shapes around Aakif, barely noticeable in the dim light, batter at the native, knocking his head from side to side.
Lorenz continues to try to catch up to the fight, finally getting up beside Makoa.
Next Up: Native #4, Douena, Makoa, Native #2, Mahjik, Aakif, Lorenz.
Urza strikes out with his claws
Claw: to hit
Claw: damage
Claw: to hit
Claw: damage
confirm crit: to hit
Claw: damage
#2 dodges the first of Urza's claws, but is unprepared for the second which strikes him across the side of the face. The claw rips down over his ear and neck. The native topples to the ground.
#4 seems to go mad with rage as he wildly swings at Soulwind.
His madness is clearly blinding him, however, as he comes nowhere near hitting the horse.
. The hit remains unchanged.
Next Up: Makoa, Native #4, Mahjik, Aakif, Lorenz, Urza.
Douena continues across the splash of firelight and re-enters the dimmer light on the other side of the campsite, knowing she'll have the advantage, should the native retreat in that direction.
Douena continues forward.
Next Up: Mahjik, Aakif, Lorenz, Urza, Native #4, Douena.
As Makoa reaches his prey, he stands up and bites savagely into the native's flesh, jerking his head back and forth like he's trying to bring him down.
Makoa hears a crack as the native's neck breaks from Makoa's savage attack. The body goes limp and topples to the ground as Makoa lets go.
Mahjik charges in on swift feet, extending into a leap towards the end and bringing down a devastating axe-like drop kick down on the last remaining foe. A kick intended to fell, or at least incapacitate.
Lorenz hurries forward, intending to drop his bow and draw his rapier as he charged the last remaining enemy. Instead, he saw Makoa rush up and snap his sharp teeth onto the man's body and shake him like a rag doll, the crack of the breaking spine echoing in the night.
Lorenz drew up and reared back a little with a frown of disgust. "Ugh. That's just nasty, Makoa."
He turned around to ensure there were no more enemies lurking nearby.
Makoa shudders as he forces his lupine instincts back down and his fury drains away. He uses his water skin to wash the blood from his face.
"Haven't stopped acting for a long time. Brings back some memories, that's for sure.."
Mahjik charges in on swift feet, extending into a leap towards the end and bringing down a devastating axe-like drop kick down on the last remaining foe. A kick intended to fell, or at least incapacitate.
1d20 + 4 + 2 1d6 + 1
1d20 + 4 + 2 1d6 + 1
Douena skids to a stop in the sand as she sees Makoa finish the fight. "Are they all dead?" She approaches one of the prone bodies cautiously. "We could stay here and use their campfire for the night, but I'd rather not have them anywhere nearby."
"Are they all dead?" She approaches one of the prone bodies cautiously.
"That one over there seems to be breathing still." Lorenz points out an unconscious, blood-covered figure whose chest is still rising and falling, albeit a little shakily.
"It does make sense to take advantage of the fire."
Douena hesitates over the body. "What should we do with him?" she asks. "If he makes it back to his friends, he'll be able to tell them about us. Then I think they won't rest until they've hunted us down." She considers a moment. "We could take him back and lock him up with the pygmies -- let them fight it out amongst themselves," she offers dubiously.
"2 gold on the pygmies to win." Makoa says as he spits out a bit of skin that was caught in his teeth.
Lorenz stares pensively down at the unconscious form as he fingers his rapier's hilt, but he says nothing.
After a moment he moves over to a nearby body and kneels down to search it.
Lorenz stares pensively down at the unconscious form as he fingers his rapier's hilt, but he says nothing.
After a moment he moves over to a nearby body and kneels down to search it.
The natives have very few belongings. They each have a light wooden shield and a broken scimitar and each is wearing a red pearl amulet. There's a small pile of extra javelins off to the side of the camp. Including the ones the natives were carrying, there are 12 javelins altogether. Near the fire, there's the remains of a meal.
Lorenz takes one of the amulets and leaves the rest. He wanders over toward the fire and glances at the meal remains, curious as to whether there was anything left worth munching on.
Lorenz takes one of the amulets and leaves the rest. He wanders over toward the fire and glances at the meal remains, curious as to whether there was anything left worth munching on.
Just a few bones that have been pretty thoroughly stripped of their meat.
Lorenz glances at the bones and turns away in disappointment. "Hey, Makoa, they left you some bones to gnaw on."
Stepping away from the remains, he drops to the ground in front of the fire, staring silently into the flames.
"I don't think we have the resources to keep a prisoner/hostage around. It is likely that all we have managed to do is buy us time. Maybe 3 or 4 days? The rest will come looking for these, and they'll find our traces all over. Also it would be unnecessarily cruel to let pygmies and this one fight it out amongst themselves. I think we should kill him before he can regain consciousness - the less unnecessary suffering, the better."
Mahjik looks a bit sullen, lost in thought. He snaps out of it a few seconds later, "Shall we remain at the camp though? It's already set up. We can return to the others in the morning and then prepare a second major expedition to the fungus rock."
"We have to assume they'll be missed sometime," Douena agrees with Mahjik. "When we leave in the morning, we ought to walk a ways in the water so they can't follow our footprints so easily." She looks up at the overcast sky and sighs. "Well, the stars are up there somewhere. If we're staying here, I'm going to go have a chat with Desna." She moves down near the water's edge to commune with her deity.
Urza goes along with whatever the group decides.
You decide to take advantage of the ready-made fire and campsite, and settle down for the remainder of the night.
Lorenz glances at the bones and turns away in disappointment. "Hey, Makoa, they left you some bones to gnaw on."
Stepping away from the remains, he drops to the ground in front of the fire, staring silently into the flames.
While Lorenz is distracted, Makoa snaps a bone in half and tosses it at him lightly.
"I'm no dog Lorenz, I don't want scraps." He says with a grin.
Lorenz shifts away from the tossed bone and shrugs, choosing not to respond.
After the battle is over and you settle down by the natives' campfire, things calm down nicely for several hours. The night is quiet, with only the sounds of the water washing up on the shore. Occasionally, a bit of rain falls, but nothing untoward happens for the first few watches.
Makoa and Douena's watch starts out just as quiet. About half an hour in, however, they notice a couple of flappybites fly over the camp. This is a bit unusual, but not completely unheard of (dimorphodons aren't generally nocturnal, but you have occasionally seen a few flying over at night), so at first, you pay it little mind. However, not long later, they pass overhead again. And then again. At first, you're not sure if it's the same ones or different ones, but it soon becomes apparent that there are about four of them total, and they seem to be circling the camp, coming briefly into your range of vision, then passing outside, then back again.