As beastman 2 moves with dreams of mauling and bloodshed Orntorias lashes out with his long greatsword, sending him to the ground. Altair claws him as he falls to the ground prone.
Both of Karthans attacks miss while Altair finishes off another Beastman. Tarina, too, despite all odds misses her own arrow shot against the beastman that has been pursuing her.
Beastman 2 staggers to his feet after being tripped . He takes another series of claws and bites at the knight.
The Beastman wrestling Moira begins to let out a sound that is a mix of a chuckle and a purr as it slowly tightens its grip.
The remaining Beastman rushes Tarina and stabs with his spear.
"I'd love to be, though my fortunes have not fared well against them. Fortunately determination has its own merits. They can't keep dodging forever after all." the human comments and smiles lightly trying his best to avoid ripping open the massive bleeding claw wounds on his face any further.
Altair wheels after dispatching his foe and unleashes another flurry of strikes on the remaining beastman. Lunging forth with claws and bite.
Altair's claws meeting nought but hide and air his frustrations boil and uses the failed strikes as a guide for the third aiming for the juncture of neck and shoulder. The strike seeming to hit something important as Altair tears at the purchase he made with a toss of his head.
Tarina attempts to put some distance between her and Beastman #5, she takes a five-foot step backward and makes ready to attack with her bow.
As a standard action, making use of Ranged Spellstrike, she casts Pyromancy Blast spends 2 spell point to increase the number of damage die for Pyromancy Blast by 1 and apply Black Flame talent with her ranged attack.
Missed Round
With the beastman on it's last legs and Altair ripping into it Orntorias runs towards the frantic cries of Moria. Sif meanwhile continues her assault on the beast.
Current Round
Orntorias sees the Beastman engaged with Moria. He readies his weapon and charges into the fray.
Sif moves into position without much instruction from Orntorias, as the two have been together for a long while.
Karthan rushes forward ending in a great leap in an effort to close the distance between them.
Current maneuvers: Elemental Strike, Strike The Hour Glass, Fluctuation movement
Current Animus: 3
Stamina: 4
Double move.
swift: Fluctuation Movement.
Acrobatics to jump.
End of turn: Gain 1 Animus.
Maneuver gained at random 1variable flus 2degrade resistance 3rapid strike
Altairs sends another of the Beastmen to his knees, clutching at its stomach in an attempt to keep it from spilling out.
Tarinas arrow strikes another of the Beastmen, burning him horribly.
Moira fails to escape
Ornotias charges to the aid of his besieged companion with Karthan following behind. A strong blow to the Beastmans back distracts it.
With a roar of pain the Beastman turns around and lashes out at the knight, sinking fangs around his arm.
The remaining survivor charges Tarina with a spear again.
Tarina attempts to put some distance between her and the Beastman, she takes a five-foot step backward and makes ready to attack with her bow.
"Now, to end you!" Tarina hisses, aiming her bow at the Beastman's neck.
As a swift action, she spends a spell point to use her Magus Arcana, Arcane Accuracy to give her bonus to her attack roll equal to her Intelligence modifier and additional spell point to give her bow an enhancement bonus.
Arcane Pool.
As a standard action, making use of Ranged Spellstrike, she casts Pyromancy Blast with her ranged attack.
After making her attack, she moves backward 30ft, after the flaming arrow flies from her bow.
Orntorias grunts softly, he vaguely remembers that he hadn't seen combat in some time; his movements were stiff and his defense was sloppy. He takes a deep breath as he slides back, preparing himself for a powerful thrust. In one clean motion, looking as though a long practiced form, he shifts his weight and pours what energy he has into a ferocious thrust. "HAA!" Orntorias cries as his blade bites hard into the beast in front of him, blood seeping onto his weapon.
He then turns and moves to Tarina who is having her own battle. "Sif. The other now."
Sif moves with blinding speed, charging down the remaining beast man.
Altair looks down at his enemies and nods feeling the surge so familiar of blood and battle. Misfortunate as it is their minds are lost. Is it cruelty or kindness to let creatures such as this pass into the embrace of the gods?
The man whips both arms to send the collected blood away from him before walking toward the remaining sounds of battle. A dark aura surrounding him as he channels power and walks as though he were ignorant of his wounds.
Karthan double moves.
Tarinas arrow flies wide of the Beastman.
Moiras bite gets caught up in the others armor.
Orntorias fells one with
Sif misses her attack against the remaining survivor.
Altair moves towards the group and stems his wounds.
The final standing Beastman is broken and battered, barely standing at this point. It froths at the mouth with fury as it stabs at Tarina and bites at Sif. It misses on both accounts.
Altair continues to walk toward the battle, the remaining beastman coming into view as he stops, grasps his watch and mutters a ringing word of power. Burning strength and focusing on the beast in front of him.
"Die." the warped human commands flatly.
Tarina watches her flaming arrow whiz past her target.
Seriously? she sighs.
Humph, let's try this again, Tarina mutters, I may be out of mana, but that shouldn't be a problem.
Tarina takes a 5 ft step backward. Steadies her arm and makes ready to fire at the Beastmen again.
"This time," Tarina growls, then begins to shout in frustration,
Tarina fires her bow aiming once again at the Beastman's neck.
Between Tarina and Altair the remaining Beastman is finally killed.
gained 720 souls
The Inheritors are left to themselves in the now de-populated hamlet.
Altair grunts in pain as the wound over his face continues to knit. Bestial claws and cruel fangs protruding the from the mans hands and mouth, coated in blood over the front half of his body.
"Well that was a mistake." The feral human growls as he walks over to the creature and gives it a solid kick to the torso.
" I had not expected those monsters to be so proficient at what they did. More the fool me."
Getting to he last of the fight a little later by the time it was over Karthan shrugs at the display of violence on a corpse. "We are in brutal lands. To survive we must become the thunder. Silent until the lightning has already struck."
"Hm. Well fought." Orntorias nods to the warriors. He produces a small length of wood from a hip pouch, it has a number of runes carved across it's faces. He mutters a few words and 2 of the runes seem to glow and burn away from the wood.
With a small click of his tongue Orntorias stows his wand a moment. There still seems to be some pain. He grasps his arm with one hand and mutters a few small words as a dark aura seeps into the gaps of his armor.
He withdraws the wand again, proffering it to Altair. As soon as Altair either takes the wand or refuses it Orntorias will move back to the door he was unable to open earlier and try to see if it is simply jammed or if it truly is impassable.
Altair nods to Ortorias's offer but stops him from passing the object over. "Sadly mastery of miracles has never been a skill I possess. I do not wish to impose but would you utilize the rod for me?" The beastial man asks in a feral lisp.
" Though it appears both Tarnia and her.. companion were wounded in the fighting as well. I can provide some temporary relief but using that artifact on them as well might be wise." The human states as his eyes stick to the scaled creature for a longer moment before turning back to the ruined homes.
Altair then nods and walks over to Tarnia "I have magic that will ease the pains of your wounds until such time they can be healed. Can you ensure your companion will not bite me when I lay my hand on her?"
----------
Looking to the houses in the area Altair shrugs, moving to the home he had depositied his hefty pack at and retrieves a strange looking rod. Looking to Orntorias and wagging the object
" This item has the capacity to morph into nearly any solid tool, a curiosity of a warrior smith entranced by the morphic abilities of Mimics hammered into steel." The stick rapidly shifting from a shovel, to a hammer, a rake and then back to a stick.
"It might be of use to you if your intent is to open the doors of this place. I was going to see if I couldn't make my way to the homes with rubble blocking the way and enter through either the roof or windows." the human informs as he glances around the hamlet and chuckles lightly.
"Not that it is at all likely anything of much value was left in whatever drove those who built this place from their homes."
"Um yeah," Tarina stated, "Give me a second." Tarina turned to face her animal companion. Moria, for once can you please listen, Tarina sighs.
"Moria, zurücktreten," Tarina commanded, "er ist hier um zu helfen."
"Altair, told Moria to stand down," Tarina informed, "she ought not to bite now. Should be safe."
"Yes. I see." Orntorias moves aside and motions for Altair to try it on the door as he moves around to see if there is another way into the house.
Altair shrugs "I don't know if I'll be able to open it or not, raw strength was never a talent I possessed." The human taking a stance near the door and beginning to attempt opening it.
"So, any ideas on where we ought go to next?" the human asks to anyone listening as he exerts himself to open the door.
"Once we have searched this place I'd appreciate the opportunity to lay those fallen here to rest."
"Might be nice to camp ere," Tarina offered,"'Cause it'd be in our bes interest to sleep n' all. Savvy?" Tarina leans her bow against the nearest house, returned to where she had set down the barrel, and gave Moria some fish from it. She then, put the lid back on the barrel, before she slung it back on her back and retrieved her bow. She then began to collect some of her arrows.
You open the door to the barricaded hut after some time. Inside you find things in disarray, all centered on a body slumped over a table. It looks strikingly similar to the beastmen you just fought though it is draped in raged robes with a wooden staff leaning against a far wall.
Searching the rust of the hamlet you find various mundane items, possibly horded from other slain adventurer's over time.
Tarina takes her share of the loot . She searches through backpack making a mental list of what it contains, more rope check, more arrows check...
She pulled out a half-gallon jug of mead, heh, the spoils of war. Lastly, she pulled out a hook hand, glanced at her pet crocodile, then at Altair.
"Hey Altair, I think this belongs to you," Tarina scoffed twirling the hook in the sunlight.
Drawing his weapon carefully Orntorias makes a step towards the beastman. He gives the creature a rough shove with the haft of his weapon before steeping into a combat ready position. "Be calm Beast. Lest you fall as your kin.
You find the beastman to be happily compliant Orntorias, as he is quiet dead. Moving closer you see his body partially covering a piece of parchment. Large, erratic handwriting reads "seek the shrine".
Altair gives Tarnia a flat look with a minor tint of amusement and replies with deadpan tone. "Ah, yes. The ancient and noble Venetian hook. It has been in my family for ten generations but was lost, each head of house was honor bound to chop of their hand and swear everlasting hatred to one species of animal. whales, groundhogs, elephants, rabbits, bears and other such variety of beasts. A shame I have an older brother or I might have had to do so. Wonder what I ought to pick, just n case though."
The male busily moving things to the make the work of moving corpses easier as he talked. Completely ignoring Orntorias's questioning of a corpse.
" I'll be moving any of the corpses outside so as to give them burial. Wouldn't want to burn the hamlet down after all. Tarina has suggested we rest her for tonight, are there any objections to that? I could cook something better than rations with what I brought with me, and I brought more than enough to share."
"Funny ye should mention that," Tarina boomed, "See me father, he had a pet dire croc that nearly swallowed him whole. The seadog was lucky and lost only a hand." Tarina paused before continuing her story, "Then, Mother, as a joke got me a croc and named it after the monstrosity." Tarina sighed, oh, what joys memory lane can sometimes bring. She watched Altair move the corpses, it's a shame that madness overtook them, but doesn't it take us all soon or later? Some tradition Altair's family has, but why does it remind me of Mother's fiancé? Might as well ask Altair if he knows him.
"Any swear hatred to sharks?" Tarina questioned remembering that her mother's fiancé had a hook instead of a hand, and one time when she had dinner with them, all he had talked about was the one time he killed a land-walker shark single-handedly.
Karthan remains silent at the ransacking and looting seemingly more intersted in very mundane things wondering in occasional mumbles about the fate of those who once lived here.
Orntorias pockets the scrawling note and silently helps with the moving of the dead. He wasn't sure if he cared to give beasts a proper funeral but assuming from the form, these had once been men of some sort.
In searching the hamlet the Inheritors find some useful materials, as well as a ladder on the edge of the canyon that leads to further structures built along the canyon wall. They also see a rickety rope bridge stretching the length of the canyon, offering an alternative to the destroyed causeway.
Altair make sure to remove all the corpses, laying each of the beastmen in a row. He assesses the fallen knight and ensures it is divested of anything uesful before readying him for burning as well.
Little that there was, armor did not burn terribly well.
The man giving the knight a private prayer of thanks.
"Warrior, while this was not the death you desired I give my thanks. Had you not been here we would have never known the danger of this place before it had leapt at us. I hope it gives you solace. May you find peace." The dark clothed one intones as he ignites the corpse.
Following it he walked over to the beastmen looking on them sadly.
" I am sorry the madness of this land and your blood brought us to be foes. That you lost that unending battle is saddening. Find peace." And ignites them one by one as well.
With his work complete Altair retrieves a fantastic array of cooking tools and objects from his pack reigniting the fire the beastmen had been previously been using and preparing a meal.
Warm and filling but decidedly average in creation
"If there are no objections to us staying here to rest I'd like to take the opportunity to scout the area reaching to the bridge before daylight passes us by. Assuming there is nothing we need to deal with immediately preparing one of the nearby homes as a place to sleep while others keep watch would likely be best."
I am assuming that is a no, Tarina figured, based on Altair’s response, oh well, I tried. She takes out one of the half-gallon jugs of mead.
I know we jus met, Tarina stated. She sighed deeply, truthfully, if it weren't for Altair and the rest of the party, I may have paid a visit to Davy Jones. Tarina crooked her head back up and cleared her throat.
"We came as strangers, but now we stand as allies," Tarina preached pausing for a brief second before continuing, "We may not yet fight as one, but this was our first battle. I may not be an Old Salt and I may think like a scallywag, but I propose a toast.
"I feel the same but I must decline the drink I'm afraid. My vows forbid such luxuries. But please, do not let your mood become sour on my behalf."
Altair looks up from his cook fire and gives the woman a grin. The disarming nature harder to discern with a few flecks of another creatures blood on his chin.
" I'd prefer journeying with you all over going to this place alone. The company of ones mind in such a place as this is a hostile creature. For each of our own reasons we journey on the same road. Hopefully that journey is successful and for the time we remain in each others company is made better for each others presence." The cook looking down at his slowly cooking meal and adding a small splash of pepper.
" As to the toast. I'll drink to yours, alcohol is heavy unfortunately. I did not bring any in my supplies for this trip. Honey and spices in plenty though."
Tarina smiled back and blushed, Was jus playing with me earlier? I don't know, but he has a liking to me that is for sure.
"Ye hardly know me," Tarina scoffed, "But hey what's not to like." He is charming in his own way and all, Tarina sighed, but I don't know. Tarina turned so that that she completely faced him.
"Truthfully, I've not met any man like ye," she stated.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Tarina sputtered, swiftly rising to her feet, "I'll.. ah... get you that cup of mead." Tarina turned away from him, breathing heavily as poured Altair a cup of mead.
”Ere... ye.. are..,” she murmured between breaths, handing the cup to Altair, stumbling a bit as she felt something nudge against her leg.
Night is sudden in this strange land. Light continues to climb in the sky from no apparent source, slowly fading as it goes. It's as if the sky is being washed in a golden water and as it flows over the surface, its potency fades. By the time it looks to be reaching the center of the sky overhead it is nearly dusk by normal standards. There is a final flash as the light meets itself before the world is plunged into moonless night.
Altair gets a fire going and cooks a hearty meal for his companions. It is fortunate that he has brought his own provisions for the land proves quite barren.
"Thank you for the food. Orntorias rumbles. As he finishes his meal he stands and stretches a moment. "I will take the first watch. I do not feel particularly tired at this moment."
Orntorias takes the first watch with the others sharing the rest among themselves. There is a close call as the dragon from earlier returns to its subterranean home but otherwise the night passes uneventfully. After about ten hours of darkness light finally breaks the horizon.