Just as she cursed the cleric for channeling his energy into healing everyone including their enemies, she hissed in both pain and rage as the centaur bandit's blade cut into shoulder. Slowly removing her hand from her shoulder, she flicked her own blood into the centaur's face before unleashing a storm of furious kicks and slashes at her enemy.
With the smoke finally gone, Krayn steps sideways to flank the creature, and again unleashes his hammer twice against it.
He seems to be smiling even more now. Not only he got healed by the wave of positive energy, but the drow seems to enjoy the fact the Centaurs are rising and fighting more.
Maldrek takes out a rag and starts wiping his blade clean of centaur blood. He looks at the cleric with a frown. "Perhaps some more directed healing next time so we don't save our enemies?"
Nodding, the tiefling agreed as she wiped the blood off her hands and feet.
Agreed. I do not want to go through something like that again. But I wish to know...these centaurs were not your typical raiding centaur bandits. Seems very suspicious for such an encounter. We should check their corpses. And after that, let's cremate their remains. They may have been enemies, but even they don't deserve to be brought back as undead. The Lady of Graves will surely be pleased if we did so.
"Agreed Zaci. I'm going to scout the area to make sure there aren't any other surprises for us."
Krayn lands, looking at the others from within his shadowy smoke form.
- Well, I thank you, merchant, independently of healing or not our enemies. - speaks, the voice sounding lower than the usual - We can most certainly hurt them faster than you can heal, and I prefer having all my companions alive at the end of a fight.
He walks to the centaurs, checking them to see if any was still alive.
- Could you please stabilize this one? - says to the merchant, while pulling the cord out of the backpack - We could tie him up and question him about this uncalled attack, if that's okay with everybody.
"I approve entirely Krayn." Maldrek says as he goes to sweep the area.
Zikamiri will stay invisible while he goes out several yards to make sure no more are coming. Once he believes to be safe, he returns to the others and removes his invisibility. "Glad that is over. I'm not made to take on these kinds of fights. Hopefully we can avoid something like that in the future."
Zaci sighed.
I didn't find anything on them besides their armor and weapons. Maybe I missed something.
I will use healing skill to stabilize one of the two living centaurs not bothering to answer the requests for more directed healing
When the healing skill wont do it he then sighs and casts stabilize
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Maldrek you can surmise that this band is most likely part of a larger raiding group. You know that Centaurs generally form raiding parties made up of scores of small bands like this one. Also you deduce that being on a flat tundra like this, your fire can likely been seen for miles and that the sound of battle would have carried on the wind for almost as far.
Its very likely that you have already grab the attention of several other raiding bands. You think it best to break camp immediately and ride through the night to Rendfell.
For those of you that passed the previous knowledge local check about Numeria, you would know that these centaurs although closely related to other groups of centaurs around Golarion, are bigger and tougher because of the harsh environment they survive in. In Numeria only the strongest survive.
Zaci you look over the bodies for any identifying marks, you do find what you think are tribal tattoos and they have their faces painted with war paint. but other than that there is nothing denoting anything special about these centaurs.
Maldrek comes back after a minute and hisses to the party. "They are only a small part of a larger group, we need to move. Now." Maldrek kicks dirt over the fire, smothering it. "Get the horses. We're going to Rendfell now, before the sounds of battle bring any more here."
Morgrym nods at the decision to move on and quickly repacks his things back into the haversack and unto the horse and then nods towards the group when he is ready to depart
Zaci looked over the bodies, memorizing the war paint and tribal tattoos in case they see them again. The tattoos might actually be something else entirely but as Maldrek mentioned that they should get going before a larger band came along, she nodded.
Indeed. With us tired from this battle we should make haste and get going while the getting's good! Let's move...now. The tiefling got her mount ready and got set to go as well.
Eleanora lets out a deep breath as she regains her usual tall, stiff stance, casually wiping her blade on a rag as she strides back to her horse. She gives a short nod to Maldrek, grabbing her breastplate and swinging herself into the saddle. A little longer without it won't hurt, she reasons, and there's no time, anyway.
At this point, Krayn just goes with the flow. He bleeds or coup-de-grace the centaurs still living, then mounts and follows in silence. He learned to trust the survival instinct of the trackers.
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Survival check to navigate at night DC 20
Fortitude saves DC 20
You all break camp quickly and start to ride off in the general direction you were heading earlier today. The landscape is unfamiliar, the flat plains providing little in the way of landmarks to navigate with, the hunter has a general idea of the direction but it is the cleric that seems to surprise, with a well versed knowledge of the stars he is able to navigate for the group and keep you all on track.
You ride hard for 8 hours, its not until the sun starts to rise lifting the veil of the night over the tundra that you start to relax, resting assured your not being pursued. Half way through the 8th hour of riding you can see the silhouettes of a small town as the sun rises behind the buildings. There is no other structures for as far as the eye can see, you assume this must be Rendfell.
As you ride into town, it seems deserted, the wind still howling as it whistles down the empty streets. There are only a handful of building in the town the largest seeming to be the Inn, and old rickety structure that barely looks inhabitable from the outside, a large wooden board hangs above the door with the picture of a dove that seems to be standing with its winged hands on its hips almost waiting impatiently for something and writing below that reads, "The flightless Dove Inn".
A young Kelish boy rushes to greet you as you pull up outside the inn, he introduces himself as Lenni the Stable hand and offers to take your horses, He seems very excited, like he doesn't get many visitors.
It not till you finally slide out of the saddle that you realise how drained you are from the hard riding and the combat only hours before.
While the voices of the party would talk to the boy, Krayn touched himself for several rounds trying to cure his wounds and recover from the exhaustion.
After a little over 40 seconds, the Hunter checks his animal and, while doing so, talks to his companions.
- Does anyone need any help? - says, trying to be useful with the spell slots he still has before resting.
Zaci was most surprised by how skilled the cleric was able to aid them in navigating in the dark.
You are quite skilled in navigating in the dark. Do you have some...tiefling blood in you by chance?
She asked Morgrym, curious to learn more of her companions. She didn't often pry into the business of her clients or companions, but maybe it was the curiosity of her asura ancestors that sometimes got the better of her from time to time.
On the outskirts of the town, Maldrek takes some time to mix together a pair of extracts. One of invisibility, one of gaseous form. Best to be prepared if a getaway is necessary. As they saddle back up Maldrek downs an extract of disguise self, making his appearance that of a kind-looking weather-worn aasimar, a little on the short side with bright green eyes and a kind smile.
Maldrek gets off his horse and winces at his raw legs. "Thank you Lenni. Take good care of them, they deserve some rest." He give a smile to the lad before nodding to Krayn. "I could use some. I feel like my inner thighs have no skin left on them at all."
"I'll be ok as soon as I get some sleep," the shadowy man said, all the while trying to keep his eyes open until he could get a bed underneath himself. He looks over to the human and ask, "You got some money to help fund this trip before we left, right? Maybe you could use some of that to get us each a room and meal."
Morgrym snaps out of his fugue shaking his head a bit and digs into his pouch tugging against it two or three times grumbling until a gold piece comes out which he hands to the stable boy saying
"take care of the horses ensuring a good rub down, feed, and rest"
and then Morgrym stumbles into the inn rubbing his eyes a bit looking for the innkeeper cursing a bit out of tiredness
"where in the devil's hairy taint is the innkeep so help me Asmodeus I will flay a soul if I dont get to bed soon!"
A Kelish man, in his mid to late 50's who stands about 5'8" tall, covered from head to toe in a long tan robe is wiping down a table as the cleric burst through the doors shouting for a room. He looks very pleased to see you, clearly they don't get many customers around here.
"Welcome! Welcome! yes please come in weary travelers take a seat." He says with a wide grin as he gestures towards the table he was just wiping. "I have plenty of rooms available not to worry, could i fetch you a refreshment or a a meal before you retire to your rooms" His face suddenly looks concerned as the he approaches the cleric and noticed the obvious signs of battle.
By Milani's light are you ok? do you require medical attention, i think i have some healing equipment here, if not we can probably grab some poultices from the alchemist down the road.
The minor goddess Milani (pronounced meh-LAW-nee) is the patron of all those who fight against oppression and unjust rule. Her symbol is a rose growing out of a blood-soaked street.
Until the death of Aroden in 4606 AR, the goddess Milani was simply one of dozens of saints within the Last Azlanti's faith. She was the beacon of hope to all those who fought against repressive regimes, giving courage to those who had little but their desire to live a free life.
The death of her patron, combined with the tremendous upheaval and suffering that followed his death, gave her a focus and attracted many new followers. Those devoted to her found the courage to organize the rebellions against the infernal takeover of the Chelaxian Empire, helping many of her outlying territories break free of its control.
They fought against the slow slide into barbarism, restoring people's hope that a just and good society could be restored. Milani has never been as popular as Aroden's other followers, such as Iomedae, perhaps because the Inheritor's worship had already been firmly established before their patron's passing
Krayn was taking care of Maldrek exhaustion, and finished quickly when he heard Morgrym and Jarvin talking in the room.
Once recognizing the name of the minor goddess, the drow immediately entered the inn. He wasn't too sure on how the two men would react now they both screamed their gods names out loud; at the moment, the dark elf just wanted to rest a little bit, even though he wasn't exactly even fatigued anymore.
"you have a fine religion Sir," Morgrym says pointing at his holy symbol "I am certainly sorry about my cussing earlier, I am the merchant Silas, and this is my company. We were fell upon by bandits and saw some hard luck, having had to ride hard with what horses we had left to get this far without further harm. I am sure some good food and then rest will do me well if you would allow?"
Maldrek puts a reassuring hand on the cleric's shoulder, whispering words of encouragement into his ear.
In his aasimar guise he gives the innkeeper a weary smile. "I think some meals would be good, and a room for each of us. We were attacked by bandits on the road, decided to push through the night to avoid any more." He yawns and stretched. "Say, were new in town and hoping to jump start our business. Do you know where we could go to get work as repairmen or skymetal dealers?"
Zaci hissed in surprise but remembered that the goddess Milani was the goddess of freedom and opposed oppression and unjust rule. Her symbol was a rose growing out of a blood-soaked street. The tiefling worshipped Pharasma, the Lady of Graves, an odd choice for a tiefling, but she had her reasons for feeling at ease with Pharasma watching over her.
I see. And yes we do need some healing please. A bed sounds nice, but I hope the ro is quiet so I can easily mediate. She smiled, revealing a mouth full of razor sharp teeth with her two upper front teeth resembling a cross between the fangs of a bat and a snake.
Jarvin smiles at you warmly, if your mention of Asmodeous was off putting or upsetting he showed no sign.
Please sit i have some stew on the boil, and some fresh well water the boy fetched this morning, you probably already met Lenni, he's a good lad, he helps me around the place.
He looks a bit perplexed at your question Maldrek about setting up shop in Rendfell. But then just smiles at you and says.
Rest first, you can tell me about your ordeal and your plans on the morrow, by the sounds of it you should thank your lucky stars your alive, lots of stuff round here that will kill you if your not weary. A good meal and a soft bed is what you need now i reckon
Jarvin moves over to the counter and checks on the stew, he then starts to poor out some mugs of water for everyone.
The Flightless Dove? Eleanora muses, looking up at the sign with one eyebrow raised, unconsciously mimicking the dove's impatient expression. She swings herself out of the saddle, and her legs nearly give way under her; she quickly straightens herself, patting some feeling back into the traitorous limbs with a scowl. "Nothing a good night's rest won't fix," she chuckles at Krayn's offer, stretching out her arms and shoulders.
She passes the reins to Lenni, hardly looking at the boy in her fatigue. The ride had been uneventful, but tiring, and the horse was probably worse off than she was. "Her name's Astrid," she says off-handedly, before smiling faintly at Maldrek's comment. "I know the feeling. It's been far too long since I had to ride like that; what memories it brings!"
She's ha;fway through the doors behind Morgrym when she freezes, hearing him cursing and exclaiming the name of his god. She closes her eyes as she steps through to clear the doorway, taking a deep breath through flared nostrils, and mentally counting slowly to ten. Then she repeats the counting in Celestial. Yes, that's a wonderful idea, she thinks, shaking her head and standing by the table, one hand on her hip, the other hefting her haversack.
"As my associate says, we're new in town," she says levelly, her voice still seeming to resound indoors. "You say there's 'lots of stuff that will kill us if we're not wary' - what kind of dangers are 'round these parts?"
Zaci hissed as she asked, Please no meats in my stew. I'm a vegetarian.
The tiefling twirled a lock of her hair in her hand.
Thank you for the welcomes, food, and aid, innkeeper, she said, thanking the man.
Krayn just kept himself in his usual silence while looking at the others. Some food would be welcome now, although the paranoid Drow would probably cast Purify in the first chance the keeper would turn his back or eyes off.
While distracted waiting, he would shake both hands to each other, as they were keeping some sort of conversation. Occasionally the dark elf would smile and look to the floor of the inn.
Jarvin brings over some bowls of steaming hot goat stew and places them in front of each of you, as Zaci mentions she is a vegetarian, Jarvin looks confused and then finaly takes the bowl back, muttering something about carrots and horses.
"All sorts really" he says out of no where "dangers that is, Kellid tribes roam the planes some are even rumored to be cannibals and if they dont get you then the centaurs probably will, fiercely territorial they are, spear you for just walking the wrong way."
Jarvin starts chopping up some vegetables as he continues,
"But i'd take my chances with either of those over the monstrosities that come out of the Silver Mount, wouldn't want to run into any of those on a dark night... or in day light either now i thinks about it"
he shakes his head, a stern look upon his face as he comes back to the table and delivers a bowl of assorted vegetables to Zaci, your not quite sure if the stern look is from the talk about the monsters or from serving the vegetables.
New in town hey? well that's pretty obvious" he begins to chuckle lightening the mood slightly
Pleased that the innkeeper had prepared vegetable stew without the meat, she hissed in joy.
Thank you very much, she said, thanking him as she ate the stew. She did noticed the man's stern look, but chose not to point it out. Besides it was good stew.
Zikamiri asks for a bowl of stew and some ale while the man speaks. "Would you mind telling us a little more about these monstrosities from the Silver Mount? That's something we would want to avoid and I don't believe any of us know anything about them."
Morgrym pays the inn keeper for the stew and rooms for two days and somehow stays awake to eat listening to all the questions before saying
"I would just like to have a key to a room for some rest"
"Does it show?" Eleanora smiles wryly, finally taking a seat and beginning to eat her stew. "I get the feeling Silver Mount is something to avoid."
"Aye" jarvin says as his face grows stern again. "You'd do well to avoid it" he begins to stare out the window as if expecting to see something.
"Suits of armor that control themselves anong other things. Made of that star metal that they pull out of the mountain. Almost indestructible or so they say. And they follow orders to the letter never flinching and cant be reasoned with"
Jarvin shakes he head as he turns back to you "please rest we need not talk of such grim things"
For those of you that wishbto retire he shows you to your rooms. There are plenty of rooms available and more than enough for each of you to have your own rooms. Its around 7am you will rest for 8 hours rising again at around 3pm
Zaci listened intently to the man's descriptions of what to expect near Silver Mount as she ate her stew.
Seems like a wonderful place to live, she said sarcastically.
What more can you tell us?
Zikamiri gladly takes to his room and goes to sleep.
Once everyone goes to their rooms Morgrym will gather them up ensuring no one is looking and channel positive until the group is healed up and then straggle off to his room to lock the door and tie rope from,the door nob to the bed frame and secure the window if any doing the same and then off to bed he goes
Sorry posted on wrong character please ignore