"Hey, if I'm not the good looking one, I get to be the smart one... so let's pretend that was my idea," Grob says with a fangy sort of smile.
"Of course it was!" Grum states in a matter-of-fact whisper to his brother. "Just needed a birds-eye view. Besides, where do you think I learned it? How many alleys did we run into when we were kids and... hang on, we're on watch duty here!" Grum can't help but smile but does turn back to scanning the forest, his dark-vision penetrating the darkness.
Savren clutches his cane in one hand, one of the nondescript vials he carries in the other. For once, the dwarf is not smiling, and there is a look of deep concentration on his face. "I ain't gonna be food fir no wild animals, that's fir sure." His keen eyes and ears strain to look out for the beasts.
Xavier chuckles a little and than says
Orcs and wolves and trolls… Ohh my. Well I hope there are no Trolls that would be way too much to deal with right now. Only a fool would want to come face to face with one of those trolls.
Xavier grabs his shield and sword and is at the ready looking for any sign of beast.
Once they had settled down and were preparing the tents, Nilofar looks on as Grumadon scales a nearby tree adroitly.
She looks around and says, "I think I'm with Doc here, and I do not suspect I could climb up a tree that well, might fall and snap my neck, honestly.."
She hasn't yet removed her leather armor, seeming to stay ready with her sickle in hand, should anything suddenly burst through or over the thick foliage.
>> Well, wolves-- this certainly doesn't bode well. I wonder how many typically are in a pack, that would be willing to pounce. Then again, this might be another test or sport, as the orcs were previously. Best stand ready.
Why did Xavier speak of trolls?!<<
"If we do take turns, keeping watch, I'd prefer to be first-- otherwise, it's a bit time consuming to recall M'Rtyu in a rush. Unconsciousness does that among other things, I'm certain, which I'm not too familiar with, perhaps powerful magics."
M'Rtyu, for various reasons, once the tents and such were started to be pitched, upon hearing the howling got a bit more alert, while Nilofar kept doing whatever she and the other bipeds were doing.
Once Grumdon scaled the tree, and Grobradon spoke of forming some sort of circle and the like, he walked forward and stood by his side, keeping ahead of Nilofar.
He appears ready to pounce or rush at any potential threat.
From his perch up above Grum looks down, slightly perturbed, "Who said anything about trolls? Grob? Why are we talking about trolls?" He then regards Nilofar, "What do you mean, 'recall M'Rtyu'? Is he going somewhere?"
With a glance over at M'Rtyu, as if he suddenly said something to her without speaking, she looks back up at Grumadon and whispers, stage like, "M'Rtyu returns to the Great Beyond, if I ever lose consciousness. It takes a me a minute to perform the recall ritual. If he should ever suddenly vanish in front of you-- it's good reason to believe I'm not long for this world and off to stand before Pharasma's judgement."
She keeps looking around, though, slipping into silence.
>> How long do we stand at ready.. I could just send M'Rtyu out to scout. I'll suggest that next, perhaps if we are standing here much longer. <<
Ohh I'm sorry just remembering a story my father used to tell. I hope there are no such things near. It was about this group. of adveturers and.. now is not the time.
[dice=K:Nature]1d20+4 [ooc]Can I identify the creature by the howls and can I tell the number of creatures approaching?
You listen intently before deciding it's probably a wolf and probably one of them. Probably.
As the conversation ends, a lone wolf can be spotted at the edge of the firelight. M'Rtyu saw it first - and no doubt the creature's arrival was masked by the strong light between it and the party.
Doc and Nilofar see it next, and the remainder of the group follow their stares until spotting it for themselves. It remains on the far side of the fire, observing you all - with particular interest it seems in M'Rtyu.
Doc's eyes stay trained on the wolf, his thumb pressing heavily on the top of his vial. He scarcely even breathes, let alone moves, figuring that antagonizing or attacking the animal might not be the only way to handle the situation.
"Scram, ya flea bag," Grob warns the wolf
Grum nocks an arrow and holds, evening his breathing and hoping the animal will go away. Should have stayed on the ground. Drat! he thinks to himself, realizing the issue with the wolf could've been handled without violence, and hoping it still will. But, resigned to his course, he maintains his silent and protective over watch and prepares himself to take the wolf down.
If the wolf moves aggressively to attack, moving within 10' of any of the party, besides himself, then shoot an arrow at it.
Nilofar looks at M'Rtyu with puzzled expression, before looking back at the wolf and saying, "M'Rtyu is curious if he should nuzzle up to it and make nice nice-- or just pounce and claw, but I'm telling him not to just kill everything he thinks is a threat right away." Then more quietly, with a tired voice, she adds, "He's quite aggressive and violent..." trailing off.
She smiles at Grobradon's reaction, adding, "Come on now, Grob, perhaps it's a hungry animal that just wants a snack? We are in their land, after all. Can we try to feed it? M'Rtyu could bring it some iron ration snack."
Once Nilofar spoke out, M'Rtyu's posture seems to amazingly change from a 'ready to pounce and claw/claw/bite' to a waggling panther tail and, oddly, happy looking feline features.
He then seems to look over at Nilofar, who is oh so slowly moving a hand towards her nearby snack, the nearest backpack close to him, or whoever's near one that could fetch him a treat for the wolf.
Speaking very softly, as possible, he says, "Oh, lemme do this.. come on. What's the worst that can happen? It'll only hurt for a moment if I get mauled." The excitement at the possibilities, and potential playfulness, evident in the conjured being's voice.
Grum, watching this exchange, just shakes his head disbelievingly.
Xavier looks at the large cat with a slight astonished look.
Glad your with us M'Rtyu.
Turning back to the wolf Xavier yells
go on get!!
M'Rtyu gives a light sigh, as the majority of beings within his perception appear to not want to interact with, rather, chase off the lone wolf that seems more curious, and bold, than violent at the edge of the firelight.
Axe draw in hand Romund looks around searching for other threats.
He just waves his free hand at the lone animal.
Shoo, shoooooOO!
Xavier wonders why this animal which tracked them down now just stands there.
Well there wolfie what is it that you want with us? Can you tell us why your here?
The wolf turns and within a moment has gone...
"I don't know about you guys, but I think I'm going to exaggerate the number of the wolves we faced in that staring match if the story ever comes out in the tavern," Grob says.
Laughing Xavier looks over to Grob
By all means twenty sounds like a good number. well we should get some rest.
Looking over at Nilofar and her companion
By all means M'Lady you and your companion can have first watch. Ill take second.
Xavier prepares for sleep
Nilofar looks at both Grobradon and Xavier thinking on something, while M'Rtyu appears to stop acting playful. She frowns in thought and nods at Xavier after a moment.
M'Rtyu eventually walks off a short ways, doing his best to be silent, preparing for his guard duty of first watch with Nilofar as back up.
Approximately half an hour later, the wolf returns, but this time with two of his friends. They look thin and very hungry.
M'Rtyu spots them first but this time there is no attempt at stealth, they come bowling into the clearing, hackles raised and teeth bared.
Grum chuckles as he climbs down, "I'll take third, but if its all the same to you all, I'll rest up there tonight." and points up at the tree he just vacated, the grappling hook and rope still in place. "Just throw some rocks to get me to wake up."
He grabs his blanket and heads back up into the tree, and pulls the rope up after him. He tries to locate the best spot to rest amongst the branches, . Finding a suitable place, he wraps the blanket around his legs, and begins to loop the rope around branches and his hips down to his ankles. He is careful that the rope is secure, but not so tight as to cut off circulation. . Finishing up, he sits up and surveys his handywork, shaking his hips from side to side to test his setup. He reaches out a hand to ensures his pack, bow, and flail, each hooked on nearby branches, are within easy reach. Satisfied, he lays back, and closes his eyes.
Then the wolves show up, and after hearing the commotion of the returned wolves Grum rouses and starts to quickly unwind the rope from around his legs, cursing his own unprepared foolishness and wishing for a knife.
Jerking his bow off the branch, he aims and releases, trying to get one of the wolves on the outskirts, rather than one engaged in melee.
Grob was ready to take watch, when the wolves return, "Sons of a ... well, okay, that may be TOO on the nose! Fuzzy is back, and he brought friends!"
Grobradon draws his great sword and slashes. There might be other ways to deal with this, but frankly he's not the nature lover his brother is, and the wolves appear to be due a very painful lesson.
"Stay together... don't let them make a hole in our flanks...in both senses of the term."
Nilofar for the most part, sat in the back portion of the 'camp' against the tree truck, or what not, that provided her with a defensive wall (as best as possible).
However, once the lupines returned, she looked a bit mortified and sad.
>> Gah, poor things. <<
Regardless, she moves to back away from the wolves, not wishing to get in the way of respectable fighters, or anyone else willing to throw themselves at wild animals which would actually come close enough to the fire as these three did.
M'Rtyu, first to spot the three canines, wastes no time and immediately rears up and savagely lashes out with teeth and claws!
With a sigh of frustration Xavier draws his
By the light we have let you be and yet you return
Xavier moves to attack shield at the ready and longsword whipping through the air.
By Iomedae I let you be and by Iomedae I shall take you down.
After eating his dinner Romund assemvle his tent and bedroll and is in the process of going to sleep when the noise alarms him. He stands up axe in hand.
Seeing a wolf nearby he swings at it.
Doc frowns as the wolves return. When they attack, he pulls a vial from his belt, pulls off the lid, spits into it, and then shakes the vial, before tossing it at the hostile animals.
Romund acts fastest. He deals the first wolf a glancing blow but apart from a lump of fur flying off, it appears to do no damage.
Grob is next to act but a wild swing at the second wolf only catches thin air.
From his vantage point in the tree, Grum fires an arrow at the third wolf, which embeds itself in its flank.
Xavier wields his longsword and slices the first wolf’s shoulder, the force of the blow staggering the creature.
Nilofar swings with her scythe. As the second wolf avoids Grob, it moves into her range and she catches it a glancing blow, drawing blood.
The first wolf now acts and attempts to bite Grob but misses him.
The third wolf lunges at Xavier, catching his arm in her teeth. She attempts to trip him at the same time but is unsuccessful.
Doc thows his bomb into the melee. The first wolf takes the main force of the blast and falls to the ground, its fur on fire.
M’Rtyu launches at the second wolf. Although its claws do no damage, it bites into the creature’s neck, with blood spraying the area. Once M’Rtyu releases his grip, the wolf slumps lifeless to the floor.
Xavier sees the bomb falling towards the wolf and remembers the Father talking about Docs explosive mixtures and tries to move out of the way but flame engulf him. After the flash of light susides the cleric is laying on the ground not moving.
"Sorry lads!" the dwarven man says as he realizes he caught some of his comrades in the blast. Doc then strikes out at the wolf with his cane, hoping to finish off the aggressive beast before it can seriously hurt anyone else.
Seeing some of his party injured, Grum hurriedly takes aim and tries his best to bring down the wolf, further unwrapping himself from his perch after releasing the shot.
"Xavier, hang on..."Grobradon turns on the last wolf, moving to it and slashing.
Nilofar, after having taking her steps back to avoid combat, practically panics once the wolf rushed in past Grob to maul at her, yet her somewhat wild and clearly not warrior trained slash with the sickle seems to build up her courage!
"No nonooo! Get awa--!" she exclaims, clutching her sickle with the blood of the wolf on it.
So for a moment, she has the terror in her heart, then a slight rush of victory-- only to be lost again as the explosion of fire engulfs another wolf suddenly along with Xavier.
>> Xavier!! <<
If her eyes could get any wider -- for a human, they appear to, just for a moment, as the scene unfolds before her. She almost doesn't seem to notice as M'Rtyu savagely mauls the same wolf during his attack and it's subsequent slumping to the floor bloodied and still.
With a bit of a shriek that is fear and anger mixed in, she seems to try and collect herself, looking at the last wolf with a renewed sense of purpose as the figure of Xavier catches her eye, bloodied and burnt.
M'Rtyu, doesn't bother to lick the blood from his maw after dropping the first wolf with his savage mauling bite, his emerald eyes seem a hint darker than normal, turning his attention to the wolf that is still standing. As he tears his mouth through the wolf's neck, some of the blood splashes onto Nilofar's chest and face, a light spray, but she doesn't appear to notice in her state of mind.
Immediately after that, with a mad dash, unless it drops before he can act, he rushes at the remaining threat, repeating the same whirlwind of predatory fury demonstrated before, only this time, there is clearly a ferocity to it that doesn't suggest mere fun time, but malevolence in the purest form.
Oouuch! the half orc yells while trying o put away the flames on his cloak. The effort compromisse his balance and his axe swings awkward but true.
Romund's attack lacks style but it is very effective. His swing sinks deep into the wolf's rib cage and its eyes glaze over as it falls heavily to the earth.
Xavier lies on the ground moaning slightly.
Blood seems to be flowing from the bite marks and he has slight burns on his face
Doc rushes over to Xavier, a bit of worry on his face. "Oh blast, 'is wasn't what I was plannin' at all!" He pulls his healer's kit from his satchel, opening it up and pulling some things from it, moving to bind some of the Cleric's wounds.
"One would hope NOT, doc," Grob replies, "Can you save him?"
"Course I can! I'm a doctor, after all, lad!" Savren smiles widely, his hands fast at work dressing Xavier's wounds.
Nilofar moves over, looking as if she was going to attempt to comfort Xavier while he's on the ground, or what not, but holds back, sickle stowed away at her side, hands in front of her hands holding back any words as she looks on with trepidation.
While she knew some rumors about the "Doc" and his bedside manner, she didn't realize he was the sort of person to burn potential patients. She quickly tried to bury any fearsome thoughts deep.
M'Rtyu stalks the front of the camp, opposite the thistle or thorn like walls, silently -- acting as a guardian ready to pounce, if more of the wolves decide to bravely, or recklessly, charge in.
His tail, swishes like an annoyed beast's would, snapping chaotically at the point of each swing.
;
"Yeah, well, glad to hear it. Still, easy on the acid next time. That's taking job security too far." Grobradon paces as he's feeling kind of helpless.