Mahjik withdraws some more, bounding along hard at the edge to the thicker forests he weaves between trees and bushes heading northwards to the road.
As he dodges passed the north-most cannibal he cusses at him(her?) loudly: "Bad breath you have! Wise man would refuse to be eaten by one of poor hygiene!"
I forgot that cannibals #17 and 18 have now run out of rage rounds. They are looking noticeably tired and their attack and damage bonuses should have been lower. #17 still hits Pezock, but does 3 points less damage. #18 still misses Sasha. :)
Watching the cannibals chase after Mahjik with a worried look, Douena uses her message spell just in case any of these people understand Common.
Sasha yells in annoyance as #18 still manages to avoid her attacks even while distracted by Pezock.
As Mahjik moves past and taunts #22, she sneers and swipes at him.
She sneers and yells as he moves away from her unharmed. She and the other two with her move again to try and cut him off. Mahjik can just make out Lorenz in the distance running along the trail.
The remaining cannibals in the village move to attack Douena, Sasha, and Pezock.
#19 and #20 are looking noticeably winded and tired.
Sasha tries valiantly to avoid the numerous swords coming her way. She manages to avoid taking anymore cuts, but she does take a couple of thumps that knock her over cold. In poetic justice, however, #18 collapses right after making his attack. Pezock and Douena each take hits as well.
Mahjik hisses as Sasha falls. "Damn mime! It's his fault!" He backs off to the hut.
Next Up: Sasha (unconscious), Mahjik, Cannibals, Lorenz, Pezock.
"Pezock!" she scolds him, as he starts to move toward the hut. "Pick up Sasha! I can't carry her ... and we're going to need her to fight the cannibals!" she adds, knowing where Pezock's priorities lie.
"I couldn't get to her," he grumbles as the healing washes over him. "It's that mime's fault. But don't worry. We'll hold them off here, and then save the dimorphodon mother."
Next Up: Cannibals, Lorenz, Douena, Pezock, Sasha (unconscious).
As he sees Lorenz approaching a sigh of relief escapes Mahjik. "Hurry! Lorenz! I've got 3 on me here - and the village has another 7 or so that are overwhelming the others! I've been badly hurt and need help quickly!" Mahjik switches tactics, his looping stride reverting to a series of acrobatic leaps and tumbles to thwart the attacks of the cannibals. He moves to the road and enters a highly defensive stance ready to strike at any who reach him .
"I couldn't get to her," he grumbles as the healing washes over him. "It's that mime's fault. But don't worry. We'll hold them off here, and then save the dimorphodon mother."
"Pezock!" Douena gasps, truly shocked, as tears well up in her eyes. "Sasha never would have left you. If anything happens to her, I'll ... I'll pluck you!"
Mahjik easily dodges out of the way of cannibals #20 and #23, but #22 swings at him as he passes.
She screams in rage as Mahjik once again avoids her swipe, then follows after him, as do the other two with her. Mahjik slams her as she reaches him, bloodying her nose. #19, 21, and 24 follow after Douena and Pezock. #24 gets up to the door to attack the tengu, while the others are forced to wait behind.
None of the cannibals manage to find their marks.
Next Up: Douena, Pezock, Sasha (unconscious), Mahjik, Cannibals.
This is a small workshop. There are several shelves full of bottles and vials, as well as a few sacks, sticks, leaves, and bits of vine. There's a chemical scent in the air.
Seeing Mahjik stumble onto the path in front of him, bloody and beaten, Lorenz feels his heart skip a beat with fear for his companions.
"I'm coming!" he shouts and charges forward, bringing his new sword around in a fierce overhead chop.
The sudden distraction of Lorenz hurtling down the path and near skewering the cannibal is all Mahjik needs to dodge under a wild swing of one cannibal and deliver a deadly series of attacks. He concludes his flurry with a small adjustment of his spacing, leaving the room wide open for Lorenz to power through.
Lorenz charges in. The scimitar is exceptionally well made and glides through the air. It almost seems to guide his arms and body to the right spot to cause the most damage. The exhausted cannibal #20 reels from the blow.
Next Up: Pezock, Sasha (unconscious), Mahjik, Cannibals, Lorenz, Ishirou.
Douena opens the door to the next room in the hut, hoping to find another way out.
A horrible stench greets Douena's nose. Behind the door is a filthy bedroom decorated with hundreds of tiny bones and feathers hanging from twine. There is no other way out, not even a window.
"Die, cannibal!" Pezock yells as he swings at #24. His blade cuts deeply across her chest, and Pezock laughs.
Mahjik unleashes a series of devastating attacks on #20, first staggering the cannibal, then cracking his skull and sending him to the ground. Mahjik steps back away.
#22 and #23 move up to engage Mahjik and Lorenz, while by the old woman's hut, #24 tries to push Pezock out of the way to let her compatriots through.
Pezock manages to slash her across the arm as she does so, but loses his balance, allowing her to shove him back towards the opposite wall. #19 and #21 quickly move past #24 and into the room.
Next Up: Lorenz, Ishirou, Douena, Pezock, Sasha (unconscious), Mahjik, Cannibals.
Lorenz steps to the side so as to put the nearest cannibal between himself and Mahjik, grinning fiercely as the adrenaline surged through his body.
"There'll be no supper for you tonight!" He shouts joyfully as he slashes with his newfound blade.
Douena swings her stick wildly and somehow manages to avoid hitting anyone in the crowded hut.
Douena steps into the other room and slams the door between herself and the cannibals.
All the fighting spirit he's held up to now finally flows out of Mahjik as he sees relief rapidly coming closer. His attacks are poor and ineffective, barely putting up the semblance of a fight. He takes a step away from the fight, leaving Lorenz to clean-up the remainder.
"Lorenz, you're a sight for sore eyes and limbs. Please get these - " he points to the cannibals remaining, " - then hurry to save the rest. I hope they can hold out long enough."
Douena comes close to hitting #19 as he approaches her, but he just manages to avoid her.
Lorenz's new sword carves into #22, taking her from only slightly injured to barely standing.
From further down the road, Ishirou charges in, swinging his katana.
The sword connects with the side of her head, and she goes down in a spray of blood.
Douena steps through the open door and slams it shut.
"Where do you think you're going?" Pezock calls after her.
Douena hears a yell from one of the cannibals but can't be sure what has happened. "Open the door!" she hears Pezock yell a moment later.
Mahjik attempts to attack the remaining cannibal near him, but is unable to achieve anything. He steps back a bit.
#23 screeches in rage as she sees her companions go down. She steps forward after Mahjik.
Douena hears Pezock cry out.
Next Up: Ishirou, Douena, Pezock, Urza, Sasha (unconscious), Mahjik, Cannibals.
Lorenz carefully steps around the path to confront the cannibal facing Mahjik, bring his sword around in an upward swing from his waist, putting his whole body into the blow.
"I'm at the door!" Pezock says.
Lorenz moves around cannibal #23 and attacks her from behind. She twists to avoid the worst of his blow, but he does injure her.
Ishirou then brings his katana down on her shoulder. She screams with rage.
Next Up: Pezock, Urza, Sasha (unconscious), Mahjik, Cannibals, Lorenz, Ishirou.
Trusting in Pezock's word, Douena quickly pulls open the door and reaches out to touch his feathery back. "Desna bless you," she says peremptorily. "End this!"
Mahjik spots an opening in the cannibal's defense as Ishirou's blade slices into the woman. With deceptive speed he strikes two more times; both attacks hitting the maneater hard and low - forcing the life out of her with blunt trauma. He waves the others onwards: "Go! GO! As fast as you can! With the Master of Masters' blessing you might make it in time. I'll wait for Jask to heal me." He winces, then continues, "they're probably in the hag's hut, they were fighting there last I saw. South-most. Lots of bones there. Just south of the pen. Go..."
Pezock is indeed right by the door, three cannibals surrounding him. He looks in terrible condition. Infused by Desna's blessing he immediately attacks.
Pezock's sabre cuts into #24, practically slamming her down into the floor. She doesn't get back up. Pezock then immediately turns to #21 and rips the flesh from her shoulder with his beak. He yells with glee, but it doesn't look like he can remain standing for much longer.
Next Up: Sasha (unconscious), Mahjik, Cannibals, Jask, Lorenz, Ishirou, Douena, Pezock.
Urza moves up to C55 and uses another charge from his wand as he prepares to reenter combat.
Mirror Images
Urza moves up and creates more versions of himself. As he does so, Mahjik strikes out two more times and successfully sends #23 toppling to the ground.
In the hut, #17 enters and joins the attack with #19 and #21.
A cut to the side from #17 causes Pezock to cry out and then crumple over. #21 shifts forward over the tengu's body to attack Douena, while #19 tries to attack her around the corner of the door.
#19's sword clumsily hits the doorframe, but #21's finds its mark.
Outside, Jask moves up a short distance and calls out, "Mahjik! I cannot heal you while you are near your foes without healing them too. Move closer to me!" He then waits .
Next Up: Ishirou, Douena, Pezock, Urza, Sasha (unconscious), Mahjik, Cannibals, Jask (subject to readied action).
As soon as the last cannibal drops, Lorenz turns on his heel and runs off down the path, moving as quickly as he can to reach Sasha and Douena, praying to Cayden that it isn't too late.
Lorenz takes off at a run down the trail. Ishirou follows right behind him.
Next Up: Urza, Sasha (unconscious), Mahjik, Cannibals, Jask (subject to readied action), Lorenz, Makoa, Ishirou.
Douena slams the door in the face of the cannibal who just cut her with his rusty scimitar. Leaning against it, she looks around the room to survey her limited options. "Desna, I'm in a really tight spot," she pleads, as she grips her holy symbol.
As her goddess's healing power flows through her, closing the cut she just received, she flattens herself against the northern wall of the hut so that the door will conceal her when the cannibals push it open. With Desna's own luck, the Not-Sneakies might still come to her rescue.
I'll follow after Lorenz and Ishirou.
Lorenz's best option is a full run along the trail to the north of town for 1 round, then double moves after that. He should be able to get there on the 3rd round that way. I'll assume he does that. He arrives at F25.[/ooc]
Mahjik approaches Jask just enough to get into healing range, then - as the healing magic washes over him - he immediately begins hustling back to the village, the way he came, through the lightly grown parts of the jungle.
Douena slams the door shut and calls upon Desna for some healing, then presses herself against the wall.
Outside, Urza hurries after Lorenz and Ishirou .
Mahjik moves 5 ft closer to get into range of Jask, who then channels. Makoa is currently in range of the channel as well.
Mahjik then wheels around and heads for the village.
In the hut, the cannibals push open the door and look inside. #21 and #19 move up to the bed and start to look underneath it, while #17 moves into the room and begins to stare around it.
Outside, Lorenz continues south through the village , while Makoa makes all haste to the village . Ishirou follows Lorenz .
Next Up: Urza, Sasha (unconscious), Jask, Mahjik, Cannibals, Lorenz, Makoa, Ishirou, Gelik.
Douena tries to quiet her heartbeat as she realizes she is surrounded by cannibals who will soon realize there's only one other possible hiding place in this room other than under the bed....
Hopefully, I saw which way Ishirou and Lorenz went.
Full Move
Mahjik keeps going through the jungle at high speed.
As he approaches the edge of the village he bellows a mighty: "CANNIBALISTIC CURS! Come and get me!!" His shout rolls over the village, startling the cannibals in their search mission.
Hopefully, I saw which way Ishirou and Lorenz went.
Full Move
Douena prepares to defend herself, and Urza continues into the village. He reaches the body of the old woman . Jask runs along the trail towards the city .
Meanwhile, Mahjik makes his way through the jungle to the village and yells to gain the attention of the cannibals.
Inside the hut, Douena and the cannibals hear Mahjik's yell . #19 and #21 rush out of the bedroom to engage him. As soon as they're gone #17, swings the door shut to reveal Douena's hiding place.
All three of them attack their respective targets, and all three of them miss.
Next Up: Makoa, Ishirou, Gelik, Douena, Urza, Sasha (unconscious), Jask, Mahjik, Cannibals.
Douena whispers a quick prayer of gratitude to Desna when she hears Mahjik's call. Ready to be discovered, she easily sidesteps the cannibal's scimitar.