"O'right. [He opens the pen of the large, shaggy, tan mare and leads her to Ansruath.] She's been with me long enough that I've been calling her Aglaeca. She's a wild appearence, but generally even tempered, if a spot demanding."
She stares at the half-elf wearily for a moment, but then nudges his hand, obviously looking for a pet on the nose. She moves to poke at any pockets or pouches or packs that Ansruath has visable as well.
"Looks like she's lookin' for a handout- guess I be spoilin' 'er a bit."
After penning Aglaeca back up he goes to retrive the darker colt from the final pen, which takes a bit of work before it finally cooperates.
"He can be a bit stubborn, but he'll be loyal if you can get 'im used to ye; might be time for 'im to be gelded! I kid, boy, never had the heart ta' do it meself, but sometimes they come on in th't way. Funny story about this here one- he's the youngest by far, but the fastest growin'. His mother was pretty tore up one night and not too long later he popped out. Folks think it be the Sandpoint devil what sired him. You can smell it in th' air 'bout 'im. Like smoke it burns th' nostrils. He also got a name; Lorcan. And watch your belts and bootstraps, chews up leather like its apples right quick."
Before the colt even reaches Ansruath it snorts and fights and kicks and the stablemaster has to reign him back in.
"Lorcan! You know to behave better th'n that! He's normally not this much of a handful."
Ansruath looks at each horse as the go before him than says "Neighbor they are both very good animals. After seeing both I think I will pick Lorcan. Aglaeca is a bit kind I do not know where I am going and I do not wish harm to such a nice beast. While Lorcan seems to have more spirit seems to he would attack me as much as anyone else. What you think yourself? "
"It took a while to break 'im in for meself, and I'll not lie, I got me share o' kicks from him, but like I said, once you befriend 'im, he'll be a loyal beast. He'll grow up ta' be bigger an' stronger than any o' the others someday, if he makes it there, that is. If you think you have the patience to work wit' 'im 'e'll serve ye well one day. Keep some leather on hand for 'im to nibble as a reward and in no time I'm sure he'll take to ya'. Besides, maybe seein' a bit o' danger is all the boy needs to straighten up. Still, I'd advise staying clear o' his hindquarters, he's got a hearty kick."
Ansruath nods than says "Very well than. Thank you for your advice I will take it to heart. " He than moves to stand in front of Lorcan than says " You my new friend shall travel with me."
"I'd like to have a look at Aglaeca,if I may? Quite a striking appearance."
Gorgoron just moves over to the pony and extends a hand for it to see and to smell.
"Gents, Lady, I believe we were in a hurry. We may not have time for lengthy introductions.
He allows the pony to smell his hand, and Gorgoron strokes its nose. He then moves to the wall to grab the tack, and starts getting the animal ready to ride.
"She certainly is something, isn't she? Shoanti bred, she is.[The stable-master moves Aglaeca before Dehrisan, then turns to regard Gorgoron.] In a hurry, eh? Well let me help you get ye'r favorite's all set up."
The Varisian allows you all to pick the steed of your choice and quickly helps you saddle it. Within a few minutes you are all well on your way. When you cross the bridge to head out of town Shalelu comes into view, already atop her horse.
"I take it you are all ready to head out then? [It sounds more a statement than a question as she turns and spurs the mount to a swift pace, keeping to the front of the group and leading the way.]"
Ansruath follows behind Shalelu as she leads the way. Thinking to himself "I wonder what we will find. I hope the poor man is alright."
You follow Shalelu at a brisk pace along the trail South of town. The road skirting the Western edge of the Devil's Platter is clear, but a little ways further on you enter the Brinestump. The foliage is overgrown and chokes the trail down to a mere fifteen feet at its widest points. The branches of the trees almost form a ceiling overhead, dimming the afternoon light. It isn't long before you are well into the marsh and you hear strange squeals further ahead, and flashes of light through the trees around a bend in the road.
"So much for a pleasant twilit evening in the forest..." Dherisan mutters. "We are at a disadvantage in the waning light, but this ought to even things out a bit." Ember hops out of the saddle as Dherisan traces a quick symbol in the air, and a quartet of ghostly glowing birds appears around him and begin to fly off to the left.
Ansruath stops Lorcan than looks to see if he can make out anything. Not able to see anything clearly he says loud enough just for the group to hear him "If this whole area is like this we should dismount. It will give us more room to fight while also making sure our new mounts do not get in the way of fighting."
Alyoma will take the time to cast Mage Armor on herself (1 hr duration), and cast Light on her club, so it doubles as a torch.
She will dismount if the rest of the party does.
Shalelu dismounts and ties off her mount to a nearby tree before stringing her bow and creeping ahead, readying an arrow as she goes. As Dehrisan sends a group of magical lights off through the trees to the side. Surprised squeals and chattering in the guttural goblin tongue ensue shortly after as the party approaches. You see a handfull of goblins with blue-gray skin shooting at each other with fireworks intended for stage use apparently under the command of a better armored goblin who casually grips a halberd crafted from dross, stopping suddenly to ogle the ghostly lights.
"I can mask our approach with fog," Dherisan whispers. "It will draw their attention back towards the road while you attack from the treeline - use the lights as a beacon, and if you are wounded, fall back to the mists for aid."
Dherisan spreads his arms and looks to the sky. After speaking a few words, tendrils of mist begin to whorl around him, spiraling outwards as they blanket the area in a light, wispy fog.
Alyoma spots the distracted goblins. Remembering the trouble the leader goblins were from the last time, she casts a spell of force at the Battlemaster.
Ansruath gets off of Lorcan to get ready to battle the goblins. Looking at the fog before him questionably.
As the group dismounts, Gorgoron whispers a brief prayer and makes a gesture of blessing with his free hand. He then climbs off the pony and moves into position with the rest of the group.
Flit stares long and hard at the Goblins as he advances, keeping his eyes peeled for any surprises that may arise. Moving up to get the Goblins within range, he grins wickedly. "Choke on this Greenskin!"
Flitter takes an expert shot, causing one of the goblins staring at the ghostly lights to squeal in pain as the bolt catches him in the back. A moment later Alyoma's Magic Missile whizzes past both people and goblin alike to slam into the chest of the battle master, causing him to snarl in anger. Dehrisan the witch weaves a spell, shrouding the group in thick mist, blocking the group from the goblin's sight. Shalelu takes this oppurtunity to slink off into the trees to the side.
Gorgoron Blesses the group with a prayer from inside the mist while Ansruath steels himself for battle.
With a tug of his wrist, Dherisan's flashing lights dart back into the fog, teasing the goblins with their fluttering dance. He steps forward, staff in hand, keeping the conspicuous lights several feet to his left.
Alyoma silently curses the obscuring fog, as it cuts off her sight of the goblins and prevents her from attacking at range. "This seems to be doing more to help the enemy than hurt them," she thinks.
She steps forward, passing the horses of her companions slowly but surely, wondering how far the fog stretches ahead of her. She keeps her club ready for any unexpected encounter.
Ansruath walks through the fog to get at the goblins. Drawing his blade as he walks he goes to the closest goblin and swings his blade at it.
Dherisan sighs wearily as he presses his face into his palm. "Perhaps if we were a bit less direct... I can promise you their attention is fully focused on the mist right now... Very well, I shall dismiss it."
Dehrisan moves the ghostly lights into the mist, ellicting confused and somewhat frightened chatter from the goblins who didn't recieve an attack from inside the sudden mist. Both the witch and the sorcereress move about in the shroud of fog, as you hear the goblin in charge bark orders and quiet down the rabble, directing them about. There are flashes of light as they move, it looks as though they may be brandishing torches, but you cannot make it out through the mist. Shalelu sneaks to the edge of the fog, bow drawn.
The elf takes a shot on the nearest goblin, who seems too distracted by the glowing dancing lights and mist to notice her.
+ modifiers
+ modifiers
(1d8+1d8+1d8+1+1+1+2+2+2)
The party hears the twang! of a bowstring and the squeal of a goblin, but are unable to see the results on account of the mist. Gorgoron comes out of the mist into the dense foliage of the marsh. On the ground before him is a very dead goblin, a bloody arrow protruding from its eye and out the back of the head. Ansruath moves forward, but is forced to stop at the edge of the mist as a row of goblins holding strips of firecrackers in one hand and torches in the other block his path. As he gives a mighty swing the little cretin deftly dodges to the side, avoiding its keen edge.
Slipping through the Mist, Flit makes his way to the side of the path, heading towards the wooded area.
Slipping up to the edge of the Mist, Flit begins to reload his crossbow.
Alyoma continues to move forward until she breaks clear of the fog.
Spotting the goblins with torches and fireworks, she decides to give them a few fireworks of her own.
"Have a taste of Desna's own fireworks," she says, as she brings down a shower of flaming meteors on one goblin's head.
Round 2 - Initiative 8
Gorgoron steps forward, raising his scimitar, and slashes out at the nearest goblin to hand.
Round 2- Initiative 7
Missing the goblin Ansruath swings at it again.
Dherisan creeps off into the trees, taking cover before a few quick whispers disperses the fog.
Flitter virtually disappears into the mist as he goes to reload his crossbow, while Alyoma comes out of the mist and stands at the shore of a marsh lake, calling down a hail of miniature meteors upon a nearby goblin.
The goblin squeals in pain as he attempts to shield himself from the flaming chunks. With a minor gesture and arcane utterance Dehrisan dismisses the bank of fog and moves to stand beside Alyoma. The two goblins in front of Ansruath each light a strip of firecrackers and go to toss them beneath Ansruath's feet.
Before one poor blue-gray skinned goblin even gets his lit Ansruath expertly cuts him down. The other, seeing the wick quickly start burning tosses the strip of firecrackers in the half-elven warrior's face.
A wicked series of explosions cause bloody wounds and searing pain as the goblin squeals with delight at his successful attack. Two of the three goblins in the second line spend several seconds getting long, slender firework tubes to light. The wicks slowly burn as the goblins smile with insane glee. The one being pelted with meteors chatters in terror and pain and begins to retreat dropping his tube and pulling a black sphere with a tuft of cloth protruding from the top as he goes. Shalelu fires two arrows in rapid succession.
One arrow goes horribly wide, but the other catches the little brute in the chest, quickly dropping it in a bloody mess. The stronger, better armed goblin surges forth, fighting his way through the foliage to snarl at both Flitter and Alyoma. Gorgoron moves forward to assist Ansruath, and between them the front row of goblins are swiftly cut down.
Dherisan issues a frustrated hiss as he presents his palms to the goblin assaulting Alymo as he spouts a stream of eldritch jargon. He pushes at the goblin's mind, attempting to quell its hatred as he steps towards Ansruath to tend to his wounds.
Round 3 - Initiative 7
Ansruath moves to swing at the goblin leader.
Ansruath moves to attack another goblin.
Round 2 - Initiative 8
Confirmation roll
Round 3 - Initiative 8
Gorgoron takes a step forward in ducks his head around the corner of the wagon. Seeing the goblin there, he raises his hand, and a glowing ball of fire flies forward in the last of the goblin lackies.
Flit took a step back as the Goblin appeared before him, levelling his crossbow on the Greenskin, before opening fire.
Tardek grabs a bomb from his waist as he moves up in to range of the Goblin. Seeing one on his own, he tosses the incendary concotion at the little Greenskin with a growl.
Round 3 - Init 19
Alyoma frowns as the larger goblin moves up to where she stands. She hadn't expected him to ignore the others, and get so close to her. Still, she did have her club out this time.
She takes a swing at the goblin as she sidesteps.
Iniative reminder:
Flitter 21
Alyoma 19
Dehrisan 16
Goblins 15 (after surprise round)
Shalelu 14
Tardek 13
Goblin Battlemaster 12 (after surprise round)
Gorgoron 8
Ansruath 7
Flitter steps back and takes shot, but the goblin's studded leather deflects the shot as the battlemaster licks his lips with anticipation. Alyoma's club skips off a tarnished iron stud, but still cracks upside the goblin's head, causing him to shake his head for a moment as a thin trickle of blood draws a line down his face. He growls at the sorceress.
Moment's later Dehrisan attempts to intrude upon the lead goblin's mind with an arcane gesture and word.
The disgusting creature seems confused for a moment, but manages to shake off the magical charm. He hisses, almost like an enraged cat, at Dehrisan.
The goblin cut by Gorgoron limps backward a setp before his weapon goes off, shooting one bright, sparkling ball of fire after another. Five in total.
One burning shot grazes Gorgoron's cheek, the second goes wide. On the third shot however, the flaming bulb gets caught in the tube. The goblin looks down the slender wand and begins to shake with fright as it sizzles and pops before exploding in a plume of fire and smoke right in front of its twisted face.
when the smoke clears all that is left of the goblin is a charred husk of a stupid goblin. Shalelu emerges from the foliage and takes a shot at the battlemaster, attempting to aid Alyoma and Flitter.
+ modifiers
Her arrow plunks harmlessly into the lake as she curses her aim.
The battlemaster lifts his halberd and with a roar brings it down on Alyoma. Luckily is splashes into the nearby muck without harming the sorceress.
Gorgoron releases a firebolt at the goblin in the rear, who is busy lighting his own firework with a torch, and unfortunately misses, though the magical ball of flames still draws a concerned squeak from the small warrior. Ansruath steps up with a powerful swipe that causes the battlemaster to slam into the mud, bleeding severely.
Dherisan follows Ansruath's movements and quickly lays a hand on his back, healing energies surging forth and closing his wounds.
His brow creases with worry as he sees the goblin assaulting Alyoma, and he tries to get the creature's attention with a sharp whistle.
He is careful to position himself behind Ansruath as he recalls his dancing lights to himself, having them circle him as if they were a shield or weapon of some sort. If the creature does rush him, it will give Ansruath a chance to strike it as it passes...