Tobias quickly counts the lights, a frown crossing his features. "There's four of them out there, maybe more. I've not fought the walking dead before, Storm-sister. Laying the wicked low is all well and good, but an unknown foe is dangerous. If you have any advice to fight the dead, share your wisdom, for I have none." He watches as Kaveri growls once at Storhrid , attempting to push her head away with one paw before giving in and snapping playfully at the fur on her neck.
"However, if you will hunt these monsters, I will follow. You'll not face them alone, daughter of winter's fury. If the hunt is what you desire, then let us hunt." Raising his voice, he calls back,
"Well, if they're like the ones we fought at the edge of the forest, best to hit them hard and hit them fast, but I doubt an arrow will do much against a walking pile of bones," Raseri chuckles, "a hammer'd be nice to have, but I think a blade will do," she adds.
When Tobias calls to the others, she waits. She was eager to fight, eager to test her mettle, but she'd follow the others. She'd protect them. That thought calms her down, somewhat. There is still that frenzied energy behind her eyes, but it is much more subdued.
"I am grateful, shield-brother, and if the others choose to stand and fight, then hunt we shall."
Grandma Mable quickly scrambles out of the cave.
"Oh dear is there some place where we can fight them one at a time?"
"Might be able to pick them off if we take the fight to them. Get 'em like a pack of wolves; go in, surround 'em, take them down one at a time. Might be able to take down one, perhaps two, 'fore the others catch up. Woods're too open to bottleneck 'em." Relived to see Raseri subduing herself somewhat, Tobias flashes her a grin.
Raseri returns the grin and points to the hidey-hole.
"Well, let's get the others out here. Wolves attack as one, so we should make sure we know what the plan is before trying to get it done. I also feel that the bandits will ave a change of heart once they know that their boss has decided to kill them along with us," she says to Mable and Tobias.
"I was afraid this would happen." Lies says in a very unsurprised voice as she peeks out of the cave, holding her dagger. Then looking back inside she asks the other bandits, "So would you rather fight with us, or against us?"
"Or you can try your luck with running," Raseri shouts out, "wouldn't bet on escaping though, they cut your friend down quickly enough."
"Well, ladies? Which direction do you fancy?" Tobias asks, glancing at each of the glowing lights in turn.
"This way! Follow me," Raseri calls out, pointing to the light to the west before charging ahead.
Not one to be left behind, Storhrid races up to and keeps pace beside the rapidly receding ulfen shieldmaiden.
Funnily enough, you hear a whoop of excitement as she closes the distance.
The bandits look incredibly terrified by the sight of the undead. One speaks up though and says, "I think me and my brother here can persuaded to give up our lives of stabbing and stealing if you are able to get us out of this mess... and as long as you don't make us come to the cabin with ya, we'll tell ya what we can.... but we are cowards through and through and not ashamed of it.... we would like to stay out of the way and in the hole if you can oblige us."
The other bandit emphasizes the first bandits chatter with shakes and nods of the head. Mabs looking a little sheepish, ducks her head down while standing in the mouth of the cave, "I'll keep an eye on em if ye want me to young'uns, but I think it best if I don't go near the children of the boneyard..."
"I'm coming dearing. Just give a me sec." Grandma says as she hobbles behind Raseri.
"You watch them, Mabs. Come get us if there's any - lass, wait up!" Tobias growls, seeing Raseri charging off. "Kaveri, fara!" he barks, pointing after the woman even as he runs. The wolf whips around after her, paws flying easily through the snow.
Caladrel mysteriously fades into the background and disappears from the universe.
A mysterious figure appears from the snowscape behind one of the skeletons.
Initiative Order:
Tobias, Raseri, Frost Skeletons, Lies, Tiel, Mable.
Stepping from around a tree, a women appears, garbed in wintry vestments and a vibrant red scarf. Her hair like starlight, and skin colored that of marble. Light blue marks cascade around her neck, staggering themselves up and down the rest of her body. Spectacles adorning eye's red as fire, she points at a skeleton; her markings turning red.
"Begone!", She voices.
The skeleton screams as tiny meteors pelt its flesh with hissing fervor.
He freezes, smelling a new scent. A new woman, smelling of fire and fresh air. He growls threateningly, but his friend is speaking, and he recognizes the command when he hears it. With a snarl, saliva dripping from his bared fangs, he charges at the pile of bones his friend had pointed at; his fangs close only around air, confusing him.
"Alright, lasses; we ready?" Tobias growls, already crouched low like a predator sizing up its prey. Heedless of the stranger who'd just emerged - they had a plan to follow, so that's what he'd do - he tears after Kaveri, longsword flashing.
Raseri skids to a halt as the bones fall to the snow.
"Aw, but I wanted to do that," she says in a pitiful voice. She barely notices the newcomer as she looks to the southeast.
"Well, there's three more. Time to get going."
And with that, she takes off after the next skeleton, Storhrid right on her heels.
Not wanting to get too close to the skeletons, Lies takes out her crossbow, aiming at one of them.
Storhrid bites at anything that's left.
Round 1
Tobias:
Kaveri misses the Skeleton as it sidesteps the wolf.
Tobias cleaves through the bones of the skeleton like butter. It screams like shattering ice and then explodes into icy shrapnel.
Both Tobias and Kaveri are then covered in fluffly white powder from the explosion.
Raseri:
Raseri hits the Skeleton, shattering its ribcage but not killing it.
Storhrid bites the skeleton, taking a bone out of its arm, but the wolf's muzzle is then covered in a thick frost.
The Skeleton looks like it would fall apart any second, but it still stands.
Skeletons:
Skeleton up Left corner - moves next to Tiel.
Skeleton up Right corner - Double moves to cave.
Skeleton lower Left - Dead...
SKeleton lower Right - Doesn't move.
Attacks -
(7 total, of it is 3 cold)
(11 total, of it is 6 cold)
Tiel and Raseri get torn up by the frosty talons of the skeletons.
Lies:
Your Crossbow twangs as it releases the quarrel. It hist the skeleton in the back, but doesn't seem to do very much damage.
Grandma move over to help Tobias and frost coats her cloak.
Grandma move over to help Tobias and frost coats her cloak.
Raseri knows she's in trouble when icy claws rip open her thigh and instead of stinging pain and hot blood flowing from the wound, it was cold and numb.
She feels the cold sapping her strength and the heat from her body, but she can't retreat. it'd only follow her.
Storhrid, meanwhile, knows there's something wrong. Her packmate is bleeding, but it smells cold. She didn't know what it meant, or what had caused it, only that it was bad and unnatural, and that the thing causing her new friend to hurt was in front of her.
Raseri: The attack from your wolf that didn't seem to do much, causes the skeleton to lose its balance and shatter its skull on a rock hidden in the snow...
Seeing the skeleton go down, Raseri takes a moment to scratch one of Storhrid's ears.
"That's good. now let's do it again," Raseri says before she leads another charge. This time at the skeleton near Mable and Lies. Raseri rushes past Mable and Storhrid puts herself between the Cayden-blessed cookie maker and the undead horror before her.
[ooc]and a miss. :(
Tobias blinks in surprise, shaking white powder out of his beard. "What in the name of-" Hearing Raseri take down another skeleton, and seeing the others flock to the undead monster by the cave, he glances north and sees a stranger, unconscious by another skeleton.
He whistles to Kaveri, pointing at it, and follows the wolf, much more slowly.
He hears the whistle, notes the command. The woman who smelled like fresh wind and hot skin was lying down, and the bony two-legged one was over her. He races to it, snapping and menacing.
At -5 now...
Initiative Order:
Tobias, Raseri, Frost Skeletons, Lies, Tiel, Mable.
Round 2:
Tobias:
Kaveri rushess the skeleton from behind and succeeds in snapping the spine of the skeleton in half with his jaws. Frost covers his muzzle and the skeleton explodes into shrapnel...
Which Kaveri expertly dodges.
Raseri:
Raseri's attack smashes into the skeleton, but it still seems to be standing.
Frost Skeletons:
The skeleton ragingly attacks Raseri with it's talons.
One attack barely hits her.
5 total (2 cold)
Lies takes a 5 foot step away from the skeleton, loads her crossbow, and fires.
However, the shot goes wide, missing the skeleton completely.
Tiel wakes up, but is in pain were the skeleton struck her. However, there doesn't seem to be any physical damage, but an intense coldness does lie around the "wound's" area. The tattoo-like designs on her skin glow with a reddish light.
Raseri feels a chill in her bones and a weariness in her muscles. This had to end now.
She brings her down in a powerful slash, but the ulfen swordswoman is becoming sluggish as the cold takes its toll.
Storhrid seeing her master press the attack follows suit.
The cold, however is proving difficult for both of them.
"M-m-mable, L-lies, r-r-run," Raseri gets out through chattering teeth.
Grandma carefully moves arounds Raseri to remain away from the skeleton she gently taps Raseri on the shoulder.
"Here dear this should help."
Tiel rises from the ground, grasping her head and face. Slowly, she shakes her head from side to side loosening the the blank gaze she once had. She becomes alert, markings redder than ever and blasts a missile at the surrounded skeleton.
Tiel's shot of magic seeks to the skeleton, blasting into the thing's chest. It's form shakes and shivers with the ghost of pain and it turns toward Tiel's form in the distance.
"Kaveri!" Tobias barks, pointing to the last remaining threat. The wolf growls in response, more interested in the newcomer, lips pulled back and hackles raised.
The hunter finally reaches his friend, and the new figure, whom he stares at in surprise even as the missiles go whizzing past his head. "What are you?" he asks, his voice filled with suspicion.
Kaveri seems confused as to what to do. The Wolf really want to investigate the newcomer, but his owner is trying to get him to do something else.
Raseri and Storhrid aren't lucky in their attacks...
However, their seems to be something going on with the skeleton as it ignores the others near it and takes a step in Tiel's direction.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Reloading her crossbow, Lies takes another shot at the skeleton, even as it steps away.