"Wh-wh-where is the Stag Lord- damn, good feint." Scarlet stows her weapons and watches Numalar and the Bee-King fight...poorly.
[Unimproved Trip (probably against flat-footed CMD)]1d20-2
[Punch]1d20+0; 1d2-2
[Unimproved Trip]1d20-2
[Punch]1d20+0; 1d2-2
[Escape Artist]1d20+2
[Punch, Right]1d20-2; 1d2-2
[Punch, Left]1d20-8; 1d2-2
[Escape Artist]1d20+2
[Escape Artist]1d20+2
In the background there is some idle chatter between Alia and Posh, and someone else is gently snoring.
"*Huff, puff, wheeze* Had enough? Say uncle. You're not half-bad laddy. Not bad atoll dese things ne'er goo ten rounds with me."
In everyone's mind's eye (aside the Bee-King's perhaps) there is the very strong suggestion that the reason the Bee-King's fights rarely go 10 rounds is because he is usually on his ass dreaming of golden beer by the end of round 1 or 2.
Perlivash looks completely innocent laying curled up asleep on a large rock. Rainbow colored smoke curls from his nostrils at every long slow breath.
Tyg giggles.
"So...is the Bee-King normally this...anxious? He could be a lot more fierce if he got some hand-to-hand training." Scarlet turns to Tyg-Titter-Tut.
"I peefer not to specialize. *Pant, pant* I like ta leave me self open, ya see? 'Ands is only one o' me weapons. Ye should see what I kin do with a beer stein an' a codpiece." the Bee-King says beaming.
"A king offering to show his talents to a wee lass like me? I'm not worthy, milord." Scarlet resists rolling her eyes.
"talents, eh? is that what they're calling them these days?" Celyne offers with a little smirk and a wink.
"De ya wanna see?" He releases Numalar's arm and hands back his charter only a little worse for the wear. He heartily smacks off all the dust as well. "Right. Here's yer wee paper-thingie. I'll jist take yer women folk as spoils o' war an' ye kin owe me one."
Scarlet exhales.
"Just when we getting friendly..."
"Er, um--I dinnae mean you...." he hazards to Scarlet hoping that sounds better. "Alright alright, ye kin owe 'em ta me. Could ye pass the soap?"
Posh decides to ignore the situation with these strange creatures and looks at Alia's tent, taking a moment onto how to approach as you can't really knock on a tent.
"Um...Alia. Since everyone is occupied do you mind if we continue our conversation?" he seemed to have stammered for a moment then.
Hearing Posh, the tent opens for a short moment, nobody visible at the entrance. Assuming Posh enters, the entrance will quickly close again, with a ducked elf to it's side making a "hush" gesture with her finger in front of her lips.
Moments after, Posh will be handed a bundle of wood that seems like unfinished arrows. "I just KNOW I had some cold iron...it was for the arrows I planned to repay Zokon with...but where...surely they would not have stolen THAT...", Alia whispers as she frantically searches through her smithing supplies. "It was cold iron working against their kind, right? Silver was shapechangers...", she seems lost in thought as she tried to remember which way around it was."Yeah, pretty certain it was Cold Iron!"
Zokon is recovering from his laughing fit ss that "display" was a comic act not fighting...
He then pointedly examines his arrows che king to see the silver blanching is still good on the cold iron ones.
Posh decides to ignore the situation with these strange creatures and looks at Alia's tent, taking a moment onto how to approach as you can't really knock on a tent.
"Um...Alia. Since everyone is occupied do you mind if we continue our conversation?" he seemed to have stammered for a moment then.
Hearing Posh, the tent opens for a short moment, nobody visible at the entrance. Assuming Posh enters, the entrance will quickly close again, with a ducked elf to it's side making a "hush" gesture with her finger in front of her lips.
Moments after, Posh will be handed a bundle of wood that seems like unfinished arrows. "I just KNOW I had some cold iron...it was for the arrows I planned to repay Zokon with...but where...surely they would not have stolen THAT...", Alia whispers as she frantically searches through her smithing supplies. "It was cold iron working against their kind, right? Silver was shapechangers...", she seems lost in thought as she tried to remember which way around it was."Yeah, pretty certain it was Cold Iron!"
Posh is surprised at first, but makes sure to remain quiet as the two duck inside and Alia seems distracted for a moment as she appears to be finding something to kill their fey visitors. He checks outside the tent to make sure no one comes too close.
"I thought the elves of Kyonin were friends to the fey?" he asks quietly, not wanting the others to over hear them.
Posh tries to think for a moment, but he can't seem to get any idea of the mysterious Kyonin as he tries to keep an eye out of the tent.
"Well...Scarlet seems to be getting involved with a fist fight, I don't much count his chances against her." he smiles in an attempt to lighten the mood.
The sun begins glowing over eastern horizon as night slowly turns to day. Birds start chirping from everywhere. A squirrel stares blankly at Posh, and horse moos softly from just outside of the clearing.
The little butterfly dragon belches a roil of rainbow soap bubbles. The group feels it blush inside their heads.
"I don't suppose I could have my clothes back, please? I'd like to have more than just my nightshift to wear tomorrow. Pretty please?"
The little dragon, Perlivash, darts up and through the trees snatching the clothing from them with all the agility of a hummingbird. He returns them in a big messy pile with only a few branches and leaves in it.
He gives Celyne a wink.
"Thank you SO much!" she says as she winks back, then gathers up her clothing in an armload. "I think from now on, I'll sleep in my clothes while on the road"... She starts picking leaves and branches from out of her garments.
"Heh. Next time, we'll try to leave some gifts behind for you." Scarlet yawns. "But tomorrow's another day. If you'll excuse me."
Scarlet gives a nod to the guests and returns to her tent, ready to retire for the night.
Fey. Few of the only type to not look at me funny. Feels nice.
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At the last moment, Numalar manages to squirm free, and stands, panting for breath.
"*Huff, puff, wheeze* Had enough? Say uncle. You're not half-bad laddy. Not bad atoll dese things ne'er goo ten rounds with me."
"Is that... *huff* right? ... *huff* ... Well now, it's been a ... long time ... but some things ... *huff* ... you don't forget."
"De ya wanna see?" He releases Numalar's arm and hands back his charter only a little worse for the wear. He heartily smacks off all the dust as well. "Right. Here's yer wee paper-thingie. I'll jist take yer women folk as spoils o' war an' ye kin owe me one."
"The women are hardly my property, good sir, for me to 'give' them to you. But a charming fellow like yourself might have some luck if he just speaks up." Numalar winks at him.
"Instead, to celebrate your victory sir, why don't we see if we can finish off this liquor?" Numalar picks up the jugs again and with a big smile offers them to the Bee-King.
"Oh him. Yeah, he trucks with all sorts o' evil--black magic too. You cleared out a small nest o' 'em along the ol' road but there's more were dat came from. Lot's more. An' since he kilt all the druids--he hates druids ya see, like he's got a vendetta against them. Problem is druids is like part o' da land. It's like he hates the land itself. Well, since he kilt em all there none but that Tamris lad to stand against 'im and he's got his hands full protecting the whole of da Narlmarches. Ya see, dere's worse stuff a lurkin' about than the Stag Lord, older an more dangerous and willin' ta bide its time. It's a land full 'o monsters. I'd say more but names is powerful things. You say da wrong name an' it's like you're invitin' 'em ta tea, ya see. And we all got enough problems as it is."
When she finds some roughly done heads for durable cold iron arrows, Alia grabs some of the arrow shafts and hastily improvises some ammunition from them.
When Posh notes that Scarlet is getting involved in fisticuffs, her expression darkens:"Them folk are tricksters. Either they know they have a chance, or it's a distraction. They're hardly in it for a fair fight, or interested in giving a fair chance.", and she is redoubling her efforts.
Having finished her preparations, Alia sits in her tent, bow and cold iron arrows ready, hoping the Fey simply leave.
Scarlet snores the night away, then spends the morning cleaning her weapons.
"An interesting distraction. I hope they liked that vase." Scarlet grabs a handful of smooth, shiny rocks. "A trade's a trade."
Zokon takes the lead as usual ranging to either side of the party with big strides
Luna seems a bit too distracted to notice anything special and just waves a cheery goodbye as their guests take their leave... She has some breakfast and readies for more travel in the morning.
Dawn arrives with a soundtrack. As rosy light fills the land with color it also fills with music. The music persists wheeling about the group for much of the morning with small breaks every couple of hours. It concludes just after lunch. No matter how well Celyne, Scarlet and Zokon search, a source is never found.
Despite this, the efficiency of the cow--er--horses and mule (who regain their natural coloration a little less than an hour after the discovery of their bovine paint jobs) and Zokon's abilities as guide the party clears the remaining potions of the hex before setting camp on the edge of the wood.
Of course there are very few animals to speak of until the later half of the day.
The high forest was a mass of wrinkled and creased highlands filled with narrow valleys and granite stone tors jutting out land like so many ghosts in the woods.
In the rolling hills beyond, the party can dimly make out the strange standing stones to the south.
Much closer though the party makes out a tree-lined hilltop with a small campfire. Tending the fire is cloaked humanoid figure. The figure seems to be facing southwestward over the plain with its back to you.
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"Well, since he kilt em all there none but that Tamris lad to stand against 'im and he's got his hands full protecting the whole of da Narlmarches."
"Aye... we met Tamris. He seemed all right. Some hunters had grabbed him but we ran them off. It was that wolf of his that led us to them actually."
"And we all got enough problems as it is."
"What sort of problems do you have? It seems like your life is totally free! I envy that, actually."
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"So do we...approach or sneak by?" Scarlet whispers.
Alia can't sleep(which may be good, since it's her watch), and instead seems agitated all morning, keeping a sharpened clump of cold iron close by, especially while the eerie music emerges from seemingly nowhere close by.
The elf will make sure to stay with others, with the group, at all times, even going so far as to ask Scarlet and Celyne to accompany her when nature calls.
By the time they come upon the figure, she is seemingly a nervous wreck, somewhat afraid of what the night MAY bring, and deciding to leave her own bar of soap outside the tent as a tribute to be left alone.
Lost in thought, she totally misses Scarlets question.
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Much closer though the party makes out a tree-lined hilltop with a small campfire. Tending the fire is cloaked humanoid figure. The figure seems to be facing southwestward over the plain with its back to you.
"So do we...approach or sneak by?" Scarlet whispers.
"Hmmm... I'm not sure," Numalar says quietly. "If you built a camp, would you build it on top of a hill? With no shelter from the elements?"
"Perhaps it is some sort of signal fire? I'm sure you could see it a long way off."
" You may want to know whats coming or be trying to attract people to you"
"And we all got enough problems as it is.""What sort of problems do you have? It seems like your life is totally free! I envy that, actually."
"Oh ye know, daft, big job gits like yerselves, and dem wee, scaly, black, mine buggers, an everybody else who's after me lucky charms. Dere's jist no trustin' folk dese days. Put 'er dere Prince! *PTOO!* Royalty ta royalty!" He says sticking out a wee pink hand moist with spit.
Just past sundown the campfire is put out shrouding the hilltop in darkness.
" You may want to know whats coming or be trying to attract people to you"
The evening passes uneventfully and morning dawns on another day of exploration amid the rocks, hills and vales.
By morning it seems the other camper has moved off to parts unknown.
"I miss the music. Well, time to go..."
"I miss the song... I wonder who that fellow was who was camped there...He seems to have left already. "
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"Put 'er dere Prince! *PTOO!* Royalty ta royalty!" He says sticking out a wee pink hand moist with spit.
"Gladly. Farewell to you too, your majesty." Numalar shakes his hand vigorously.
Numalar surveys the countryside at dawn. He turns to the others. "Should we investigate yon campsite and see if we can discern anything?"
"On the other hand, we are still carrying all the supplies we took from Tor and his gang. I had hoped to stop at Oleg's before pressing on further and drop all of that stuff off, and possibly resupply."
"I think we did the right thing, who camps out where they can be seen for miles? Either someone whos inexperienced and very lucky or someone powerful and hoping to attract attention."
Zokon says his words with a serious tone ut also trying to make it a little light due to the potentially lost opportunity
"Put 'er dere Prince! *PTOO!* Royalty ta royalty!" He says sticking out a wee pink hand moist with spit.
"Gladly. Farewell to you too, your majesty." Numalar shakes his hand vigorously.
The Wee Mad Bee-King and his court depart as they came.
Numalar surveys the countryside at dawn. He turns to the others. "Should we investigate yon campsite and see if we can discern anything?"
"On the other hand, we are still carrying all the supplies we took from Tor and his gang. I had hoped to stop at Oleg's before pressing on further and drop all of that stuff off, and possibly resupply."
The day is bright and sunny and the way ahead as rough and rolling as a tossed throw rug, rife with rises and eddies and little moss-covered rocky hills. To the east lay rolling fields of tall grass. Small birds of prey circle in the blue sky.
"Huh. It's those stones, again. Well kept, too."
Celyne notes the standing stones and looks about for anything else of note or interest.
Alia can't sleep(which may be good, since it's her watch), and instead seems agitated all morning, keeping a sharpened clump of cold iron close by, especially while the eerie music emerges from seemingly nowhere close by.
The elf will make sure to stay with others, with the group, at all times, even going so far as to ask Scarlet and Celyne to accompany her when nature calls.
By the time they come upon the figure, she is seemingly a nervous wreck, somewhat afraid of what the night MAY bring, and deciding to leave her own bar of soap outside the tent as a tribute to be left alone.
Lost in thought, she totally misses Scarlets question.
Posh takes a look around, but continues to look up at Alia, worried about how on edge she appears to look. Something about those fey really must've disturbed her, he thinks.
Celyne notes the standing stones and looks about for anything else of note or interest.
As the party passes, Celyne and Posh both note a wild pig snuffling around the standing stones.
Zoon doesn't notice anything.. he's all abliss with being ourdoorsy and rangerlike
"Anyone want bacon for supper?" she asks softly