Ash manages to pump more healing into the party, giving them a bit of breathing room whilst the wolf-woman continues her savagery! She starts moving around Aryn, her eyes slipping to the unconscious form of Starlene, and you wonder what might be coming...
Sword
Bite
However the dance seems to find her off balance and her tooth and sword miss Aryn!
R5
Starlene [Staggered 0 hp]
Enemy [attacks]
Tovar
Aryn
Ashara
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R6
Starlene [Stands, Attacks]
Enemy [Attacks]
Tovar
Aryn
Ashara
The wolf woman lashes out at Aryn but the sword makes no headway against Aryns defences.
St/To=To
She then bites at Tovar...
Attack
Damage
Trip
...the werewolfs jaws lock onto Tovar biting a nasty wound - his eyes go wide at her salivating maw locking into his flesh and the canine teeth ripping deep rents in his skin... there is a sinking feeling immediately in the pit of his stomach.
She laughs a rough laugh.
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The party gathers at the tent flap, and after Aryn calls her challenge the thumping just intensifies - with no one coming out, you take your time to carefully investigate...
Looking within the tent, it appears to be empty of occupants and any sign of what might be causing the banging - then you notice the banging is coming from the chest. You can now make out the muffled yelling from within.
The chest contains a handsome, though very battered, tall young man. One of his eyes is swollen, and his unruly hair is mussed. He's wearing an expensive outfit, stained with mud and blood, which he calls his 'adventuring outfit'. "Do you have a mirror for me he asks, I want to see what they did to me".
The large tent contains a pile of what must be Lander's equipment, and the body of Aldona the werewolf contains a particular note that is of interest (Lander/Note #2) - she has now returned to her natural form of a red haired thick set woman with a poorly set broken nose.
There's also a table that contains feather, splintered bones of small birds and the remnants of a cage. All of the bandit's weapons again contains the mark of the weapon smith. In one of the smaller tents, the adventurers find two Aldori duelling swords.
"Curse these bandits! We must clear the woods of this fell infestation. I must finish my quest for the purge of evil from this land!" he seems to care more for the glory than the results. Moreover, his attitude towards you all is quite unfriendly - a mix of haughtiness and embarrassment at being rescued.
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Starlene raises an eyebrow at the disposition of the noble, spitting on her axe blade and wiping it clean with the werewolf's trousers. She offers the slightly reflective surface to him to look at himself in.
It doesn't matter what they did, only that you survived to fight another day she assures the young man
Besides we've dealt with the rest of the band in getting here to you, none left I'm sorry. Perhaps there will be more on the way back to the city though?
Unused to long rhetoric, Starlene starts to flounder, looking to her companions to help guide the angry young man away from his suggested path of vengeance so they can get him home.
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He doesn't look at all moved to calmness at Starlenes assurances "Yes there will be, and there will be some swift revenge taken against them at the offence given to my family name! Their dirty trickery should never be tolerated! Its a disgusting turn of events that I be treated like this!"
He seems pretty peeved about his situation.
He hears the note being read aloud and his face reddens and darkens even further - "This is just more filthy lies and trickery, trying to slander the name of my good friend and mentor who is CLEARLY being set up as the victim of a black conspiracy fuelled by foul gossip and slander by a bunch of reprobate ne'er-do-wells! They will HANG for spreading such vile lies!"
Strangely he seems even more angry, but there's a lot of hostility in the gaze directed at Aryn after she read the note.
"I'm going to take my swords and finish my quest, cutting the hearts from the bandits in the countryside, then I will rescue my mentor from the clutches of this vile cabal of thieves, murderers, and liars! This band was even led by a carny-freak that seems like she emerged from a circus tent one dark day and slipped her leash!" spittle flies liberally from his lips at the end of his tirade.
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Starlene looks somewhat perplexed, this situation is way out of her usual social interaction range.
All I can say to you is that if your mentor is truly your friend, he will not mind you talking to him about the note, and may have an explanation about why all the bandits seem to be armed with his weapons. Surely that is the most important thing?
She crooks a slight smile
A true warrior would want to approach their friend straight away in order to clear his name, not stay to fight more bandits to settle his own scores. Doesn't your friend need your help now to refute this evidence?
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Tovar studies the young noble with a somewhat perplexed look on his face.
Starlene is right. I think we dealt with the bulk of this group of bandits. You go tromping around the countryside, you'll just end up exhausted without accomplishing much. Plus, I think the others are on to something. Marek's mixed up in some sort of scheme, whether willingly or not. If we can help him out of it, better sooner than later.
Eyeing the bite wound he received from the wolf woman, he breaks out one of his flasks of whiskey. He 'sterilizes' the wound with a generous pour from the flask, and then takes a deep swallow.
Besides, I need someone to take a look at this bite. I've heard nasty things about injuries inflicted by werewolves. Here, take a swallow and pass it round. Get Cayden's blessing on us.
He hands the flask off to Lander.
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Tovar knows that anyone cursed with Lycathropy will see it manifest itself on the night of the next full moon...
**
The young lordling considers the words for a minute but then remains implacable, "But see that's just it, if I return home right now then what sort of tale is that? That a bunch of outsiders came in and handled the bandot menace and leave the suggestion that we were somehow a bunch of incapable dolts who couldn't do it ourselves? No doubt there are a few more in this cabal of conspirators that I can cunningly ferret out and see the end of - and they might have information about the fell conspiracy and plot they are clearly working on. I don't care if you are too cowardly to embark on such an errand - but I certainly will be!"
Lander takes a slug of the whiskey, but clearly looks like he is about to choke a little due to its coarseness - you begin to wonder if he is acting out in front of the warrior-women.
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Ashara takes her time healing the others once again while she discretely studies Lander:"Wonderful... the whelp is willfull...
As the young lordling finishes speaking Ashara interjects for the first time:"I see, but perhaps I have an even better proposal for you. If you are out for glory... what about joining the crusade against the demons of the wound? We can give you such a chance at glory if you are man enough to take it!"
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No, no, no, kid, you've got it all wrong. The way they will tell the story is that you recruited a group of outsiders because you didn't know who you could trust. The bandits had likely intimidated or corrupted many of the locals, and only people not from the area would be objective. You then lead them into the forest after the criminals. You obviously took on the most dangerous job yourself, scouting out the situation alone ahead of the rest of us. You then created a distraction that split the bandit group in two so we could defeat them easier. And your brilliant planning obviously worked.
You realized they weren't done with the townsfolk, even targeting your mentor. So you hightailed it back to town, where you set up a cunning trap. We'll go back, lure them in, and capture the lot of them. The town won't stop talking about it for weeks.
When Lander looks away for a moment, Tovar makes a face and rolls his eyes.
Look, I'm a priest of Cayden Cailean, so I know a thing or two about bravery. And this has the makings of a classic tale of valor. Now why don't we head back to town and you can plan that trap?
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He looks somewhat unmoved and unconvinced - "Let's see what the warrior types have to say, clearly they are more forthright and ready to seize glory!?"
The gaze at Aryn and Starlene is unmistakeable, he is clearly more inclined to the words of stoic warriors than that of the more philosophical types.
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"If you're so concerned by what people think of you, how come you can't see you have to save your mentor?" Aryn asks while frowning.
"Listen, kid. I may not look like it, but I have lived through fifty years of fighting wars. Fifty years of experience in which I served as a soldier, lieutenant, and even commanding officer for the last thirty years. And never have I abandoned my comrades."
"If you turn your back to your mentor, if he's indeed being influenced by the bandits, you're a worthless pile of junk. But face it; he's most likely on their side. I know you're in denial. But if he's with the bandits, that means it's up to you to stop him."
"Either way, people will talk bad about you if you don't return. Either because you didn't save your mentor from bandits when he needed you, or because you're associated with his evil schemes if he turns out to be on the bandits' side."
Aryn gives Lander a cold stare when she's done talking. After a small pause, she says "So I suggest we go back."
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After Aryn's eloquent and moving speech, Starlene really doesn't think she can add much, and would not want to dilute the effect Aryn might have had on the lad, so her words are instead to reinforce Aryn's.
I have fought with Aryn for only a couple of days, and yet she has proven herself in every fight, as well as proving a sound voice of guidance to me in the calm between battles. You'll find as a warrior that the best thing you can do is strive to learn something from everyone you meet. Today you are best served by learning to listen to an experienced warrior, I defer to her entirely
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He seems rather taken with the forthright tone, though there seems to not be one iota of embarrassment or any realisation that any part of it was actually about him.
"Very well, we shall return to Silverhall and put an end to this whole dirty conspiracy. In the meantime, that half-breed Orc woman will teach me all she knows about the sort of scrappy bar fighting she is no doubt familiar with" Lander simply proclaims, and to indulge him and get him moving you all agree (reluctantly) it is probably for the best.
The first day of travel is uneventful.
True to his word though, Lander puts in the time and effort with Starlene and seems to have a good degree of raw talent, though completely hot headed and impetuous. Every small achievement is met with self aggrandisement and an overblown demand for recognition.
On the second, the party backtracks the road they arrived over. The road narrows here, leading over a well-worn stone bridge that crosses a stream. Trees dot the landscape to both sides of the bridge, and the rushing of water and the croaking of frogs give the scene an air of tranquility.
Aryn
Ashara
Starlene
Tovar
Flappy Birds
Lander
A tranquility that is disturbed as the party closes on the bridge. Quaw! Quaw! two shrieking, huge walking birds rush out from the undergrowth. They are clearly poised to attack!
R1
Starlene
Lander
BIRDS
Aryn
Ash
Tovar
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Starlene does her best to tolerate the self-entitled noble, attempting to teach him more about reading his opponent and capitalising on perceived weaknesses than actual techniques. She doubts after all that he would want to specialise in so inelegant a weapon as her double-axe, despite its lethality. She also shows him a couple of 'bar fighting dirty tricks', usually to try and re-engage with him when he's had a tantrum and stormed off. Such is the process of teaching him to throw dirt in enemy's eyes and stand on their feet as you're closing the distance during a move. Though she secretly enjoys teaching such practical tactics to someone more used to 'cut, feint, riposte!'.
Switching straight in to combat mode, Starlene realises she'll have to try and manage Lander to ensure he doesn't endanger either himself or the party.
Here is a chance to test those tactics we've been talking about. We should let the beasts come to us, as if we meet them on the bridge then we will not be able to flank them. Meeting them on open ground allows our friends to surround them too. Use the time they take to approach to prepare, study them, see if they favor one leg or charge blindly. Your eyes and mind are as important as the steel in your hand!
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"Yes! We must rush across the bridge, steel in hand!"
Lander runs ahead almost immediately, as though the words were simply hot air rushing past him.
The birds close in with frightening speed!
Lander had taken his measure of the birds though, and lashes out as they approach!
Striking a bird!
The Bird bites back at the end of its charge!
Attack
Convert?
Damage
Significantly injuring Lander, but he fights on!
And the other bird runs in to assist...
R1
Starlene [Acted]
Lander [Did silly stuff]
BIRDS [Responded]
Aryn
Ash
Tovar
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Will
The bird whoops and cries in response to Asharas mental assault, it then runs away!
Lander is still dancing and prancing...
Attack
But proves ineffective at landing another blow!
The wounded bird attacks once more...
Attack
But Landers self indulgent 'war dancing' sees him well and truly missed by the vindictive fowl.
R2
Starlene [Swung, missed]
Lander [Swung, missed]
BIRDS [Peck Peck/chicken run!]
Aryn
Ash
Tovar
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Aryn drops the bird like a bad habit.
Ashara takes aim and fires across the bridge at the fleeing bird and you all watch the bolt arc into the sky and happen to connect nicely with the fleeing bird. It wont be back.
Lander seems thrilled to have been in the fight "I got the battle honour of drawing first blood!" then he notes his own wounds and looks non-plussed.
A search of the area reveals several very valuable axe beak eggs rest in
a nest atop the rise to the north.
"I should be given one of those, I got the first strike in so I should get first claim - I can see myself riding such a beast into future battles!"
"We should go find more battles!"
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Starlene looks at Lander sternly, indicating his wounds
First blood is much less important than keeping your own unspilled. A reckless charge gave up the tactical advantage you could have had, you might have been able to slay one yourself if you had listened. You must learn patience!
she looks at him, perhaps remembering a time when she was driven more by anger than temperance, and adds
A warrior works as part of a team, surviving together, splitting the spoils together. You'll get a fair share for your contribution
She claps him on the shoulder, a move she hopes will kindle his sense of camaraderie.
Now, more battle would be exciting, but you're forgetting your mentor, we must get back to discuss our findings with him before the bandits get a chance to regroup...