Carter shifts in his boots excitedly at the mention of the medusa. How fortuitous! He shivers as a jolt of fear shoots up his spine. And precarious! The fear passes and he stops to pick up the stone bird. He glances around conspiratorially and stuffs the stone in his backpack. "Do you think we can keep this?" he whispers. "This needs to be in a museum. Or on my mantel!"
He murmurs a spell and his clothes glow like silver for a split second before returning to normal. He follows the leaders through the brush carefully.
Esaul finds the direction, and you start your day's march. Your uneasiness continues as you all feel watched.
"Ah'll be takin' point nie, kiddos. Tha' snake 'eaded queenie's lurkin' 'bout sure as me beard's silver." Thondrir adds more quietly, "Lessee if lassie perfers dwarfbait."
Shuffling out ahead of the group, each step jarring his armor so much so that Thondrir looks more ridiculous than formidable, the dwarf takes point ahead of the group. He keeps his eyes downcast to his feet, trying to appear as if he is tracking despite having little experience with such things. He occasionally stops to examine a bit of twig, taste the residue on a leaf, or kneel down to run fingers over tracks that aren't there.
Everyone is on edge and ready for anything. The tension builds with eery music in the background for the audience. When it cannot seem to get worse, an arrow bounces off Thondrir's armor to start the combat.
<< | | | >>
She doesn't know whether it's the supposed medusa or merely an orc that's caught up with them, but she swaps an arrow that direction.
The arrow bounces harmlessly off a branch, and corkscrews down to the forest floor.
Everyone can see a female figure with a longbow with non-existent wind blowing through her hair.
Devan tries to maintain his stealth, moving off into the underbrush with his crossbow in hand. He mentally commands Arend not to get himself killed.
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Arend tries to stay hidden as well, moving east.
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"Light, down!" That's all the hunter says, but he draws his bow and shots an arrow, trying to look on the creature's feet instead of its eyes. Indeed the arrow strikes the Medusa's tight, but only by an inch, cutting through skin to get lost at the bushes behind it.
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!
Knowing that there's a medusa nearby sends a chill down Eblows' spine. He tries not to imagine being turned forever to stone. OK, quit pissin' yourself, Elbows. Time to give this a shot...
He fidgets briefly with his bandana, readying himself to pull it over his eyes when necessary, and then takes off North and East. He steps on a rather loud twig as he travels...and hopes that the distance was enough to keep the medusa from detecting him.
Carter attempts to follow Kel through the brush, but catches his boot on a fallen branch and tumbles hilariously to the ground, making quite a racket.
Thondrir hustles off into the woods in the direction of the arrow that struck his plated mail. He keeps his eyes towards the ground as best he can, shield raised before him as he goes.
Everyone can see a female figure with a longbow with non-existent wind blowing through her hair.
"I see something," Tris hisses as she brings her bow to ready in the twinkling of an eye. "Eighty, a hundred feet afore our port--" (Tris hasn't managed to entirely break herself of river-talk)"--off in the trees!" She doesn't know whether it's the supposed medusa or merely an orc that's caught up with them, but she swaps an arrow that direction. The arrow bounces harmlessly off a branch, and corkscrews down to the forest floor.
Devan tries to maintain his stealth, moving off into the underbrush with his crossbow in hand. He mentally commands Arend not to get himself killed. Arend tries to stay hidden as well, moving east.
"Light, down!" That's all the hunter says, but he draws his bow and shots an arrow, trying to look on the creature's feet instead of its eyes. Indeed the arrow strikes the Medusa's tight, but only by an inch, cutting through skin to get lost at the bushes behind it.
Knowing that there's a medusa nearby sends a chill down Eblows' spine. He tries not to imagine being turned forever to stone. OK, quit pissin' yourself, Elbows. Time to give this a shot... He fidgets briefly with his bandana, readying himself to pull it over his eyes when necessary, and then takes off North and East. He steps on a rather loud twig as he travels...and hopes that the distance was enough to keep the medusa from detecting him.
Carter attempts to follow Kel through the brush, but catches his boot on a fallen branch and tumbles hilariously to the ground, making quite a racket.
Thondrir hustles off into the woods in the direction of the arrow that struck his plated mail. He keeps his eyes towards the ground as best he can, shield raised before him as he goes.
You hear the medusa cackle in laughter. She then disappears in the overgrowth.
.
<< | | | >>
Elbows' heart sinks as the medusa disappears. She could be anywhere! Once again, his hand nervously brushes his bandana, making sure it's still ready to pull over his eyes if need be. Then he draws his bow and nocks an arrow.
"Cr*p!" Elbows shouts. "If you spot her, point her out!"
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"Don't stray too far away from me, Kel! I want to make you a little bit larger!" Carter says. He starts to read from a scroll, which contains a curious poem about a pumpkin that just wouldn't stop growing.
"Hell, hell, hell," Tris mutters to herself in a whisper as she loses sight of the figure in the trees. She warily moves through the trees, bow in one hand. She presses her back to a tree's trunk, trying to hide, and uses the hand-mirror to stick around the edge and try and scan the forest for their enemy.
A twig snaps loudly beneath her foot. Not very quiet at all. Grimace.
Esaul assumes the spirit of the Falcon. His eyes narrow, and he can see clearer than he could a few moments ago. His vision catches every detail on the forest, but it is still not enough to find the moving medusa.
He moves up closer to her last seen position, and his Hunter skills let him wait for the moment she shows up.
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!
Elbows' heart sinks as the medusa disappears. She could be anywhere! Once again, his hand nervously brushes his bandana, making sure it's still ready to pull over his eyes if need be. Then he draws his bow and nocks an arrow. "Cr*p!" Elbows shouts. [b]"If you spot her, point her out!”
"Don't stray too far away from me, Kel! I want to make you a little bit larger!” Carter says. He starts to read from a scroll, which contains a curious poem about a pumpkin that just wouldn't stop growing.
"Hell, hell, hell,” Tris mutters to herself in a whisper as she loses sight of the figure in the trees. She warily moves through the trees, bow in one hand. She presses her back to a tree's trunk, trying to hide, and uses the hand-mirror to stick around the edge and try and scan the forest for their enemy.
Esaul assumes the spirit of the Falcon. His eyes narrow, and he can see clearer than he could a few moments ago. His vision catches every detail on the forest, but it is still not enough to find the moving medusa. He moves up closer to her last seen position, and his Hunter skills let him wait for the moment she shows up.
Devan and Arend are going to stay hidden until they can see the medusa again, with a readied action to close their eyes if they suspect that she's anywhere within 60 ft.
Thondrir stops and listens for the medusa.
If it weren't for the suspenseful silence of the forest, and eery music that builds in the background, everyone might suspect that the medusa has gone. Mwu hahaha. How close is she?
The hunter motions for his wolf to follow, and takes a few steps closer to Thondrir, their living bait. He tries to hide behind some bushes but keeps ready to shoot the monster when it appears.
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!
Carter finishes reading his scroll and, with a dramatic gesture not actually required by the instructions, gives Kel a convivial smack on the back. Instantly, the grizzled brawler becomes rather large.
Carter puts on his game face and moves through the forest, peering around for the Medusa as he goes.
Kel feels the bizarre stretch and warp as his body doubles in size. After a shudder he smiles down at Carter, and takes another look for their foe from his new vantage point.
Still not seeing the medusa, he shakes his head. Taking advantage of the visibility his new statue gives him, he hollers, "Gang, this is a losing game...and we've got bigger fish to fry. Any objections to high-tailing South?" Looking for their reactions, he adds, "I'll watch for y'all and then bring up the rear."
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The hunter motions for his wolf to follow, and takes a few steps closer to Thondrir, their living bait. He tries to hide behind some bushes but keeps ready to shoot the monster when it appears.
Carter finishes reading his scroll and, with a dramatic gesture not actually required by the instructions, gives Kel a convivial smack on the back. Instantly, the grizzled brawler becomes rather large. Carter puts on his game face and moves through the forest, peering around for the Medusa as he goes.
Kel feels the bizarre stretch and warp as his body doubles in size. After a shudder he smiles down at Carter, and takes another look for their foe from his new vantage point. Still not seeing the medusa, he shakes his head. Taking advantage of the visibility his new statue gives him, he hollers, "Gang, this is a losing game...and we've got bigger fish to fry. Any objections to high-tailing South?" Looking for their reactions, he adds, "I'll watch for y'all and then bring up the rear."
The medusa continues to creep closer to the team. The Samaritans wonder if destroying the creature is the greater good or arriving earlier to Fairhaven. The background horror music approaches a crescendo, so the medusa will strike if they don't leave now.
Devan wordlessly breaks from the undergrowth at Kel's words, nodding to the man. He moves south across the trail and meets up with Arend. They prepare to continue running south.
Esaul calls out for everyone, but also for the monster, to hear. "Hey Medusa! We will be passing through now. If you try to take one of us, we will hunt you and kill you. But we don't want any trouble, and there will be dozens of other prey for you to get very soon, I guarantee it. So don't cause us trouble. Thondrir, Carter, Elbows, regroup!"
He moves southeast along with Light, but keeps an eye out for the slower ones.
"Suits me," Tris mutters as they each begin to withdraw. She doesn't want to die turned into frozen stone.
Esaul's words make her arch a brow. Not a bad gambit, she thinks-- if the snake-woman goes for it.
"Aye, we've no quarrel with you, but you've an army coming through these woods who'll make you a fine statue garden!"
As soon as the words are out her mouth, she follows in Devan's footsteps, running lightly through the trees, and praying she doesn't take an arrow between the shoulderblades.
Thondrir sputters something in dwarven under his breath before turning to join the rest of the Samaritans in withdrawing. He recognizes the ruse in the words of his companions, though he hopes the thought proves more truthful than they know. A creature turning a chunk of the armies marching on Fairhaven into stone would be a remarkable turn of fortune, given what they had been told by the gryphon rider. Not that he has a choice otherwise, but the dwarf brings up the rear of the retreat, just before the now enormous Kel.
After seeing his compatriots retreat, the (suddenly massive) brawler follows Carter as they jog to the South, keeping a watchful eye back over his shoulder as he does so, in case the medusa speeds up and in so doing reveals herself.
Turning to Carter as they run, he says, "Hey buddy, sorry you burnt that scroll for nothin'. Hopefully nothin', anyway! When this is all over I'll buy you a new one."
"Kel, pick up Thondrir, we can't afford grandpa speed right now," Devan says without a hint of irony as he and Arend continue to jog south.
Carter jogs alongside Kel and chuckles jovially. "Don't worry about the scrolls, I've got eleven more where that came from! I'd rather you buy me a drink and a smoke!"
"Then you can buy me one, cause I'm out of entangle scrolls! And I could use one right now."