Rando walks up to Skaar. "If he can't learn from 'is mistakes, then we'll deal with that. But I will not have 'im killed when he's defenseless. If we show no mercy, then none should be shown t' us."
Rando cuts the bandit's bindings and gives the youth a swift kick in the rear, gesturing for him to go. "If any o' ye have a problem with that, th' road continues that way and best of luck to ye. I've murdered more people than I've saved and it's not a trend I plan on continuing."
Rando shoulders his bag and begins walking down the path towards Deshur. The rest of the crew does the same, except for Stahvi. He looks at the departing captain for a moment, his eyes barely containing the fury within. He sighs, takes up his burden and follows.
Cyna glares at her large friend. "We won't do that not to him or anyone else. He is not worth it and I won't go giving them more reason to come after us. Mercy Skaar." she says her expression changing to something that clearly says "Not taking no for an answer"
With Stahvi's revelation of their motives, Harakhty's more merciful stance broke with the captain's and sided with Skaar's. It was one thing to show mercy and grant a second chance, but not when it would likely kill you the next day. He bit his tongue in the argument though - he'd been busy checking the bodies in the beginning stages. While he let Skaar have his pickings of the standard wares, Harakhty took a second search of the bodies to find (what he might determine as) holy symbols of this god they worshipped; he had not heard of such a cult.
After looking for those and the bolts he fired, he caught up with the group. Nobody looked too wounded, save the ranger. Siding up with Cyna, he inquired "That looks like a nasty hit. Do you think you will manage?"
As they walked, he took note of the trees around him - and the sky above. What did the future hold? Only time would tell.
"It's alright Harakhty were traveling with a doctor and I am in no imediate danger. Thank you." Cyna replies her mood lightening some.
"Gah! What? Who? Ah! Oh! Aha!" Stephen fires a bolt into the air and then spasmodically walks to Cena. He makes some sort of cigarette and lights it. He takes a deep drag, holds it in, squeaks, and hands it to her. "Medicine."
Skaar glared at the merciful halfing and then locked gazes with Cyna as she stepped in to agree with him.
He matched her defiant expression with a fierce one of his own and held it for a long moment. A few seconds later he snarled in anger.
"Have it yer way", the big orc relented
After the captain freed the captive and stood him up, Skaar made it a point to get in front of the youth before he could take off.
"They know common?"
The big orc stepped up until he was immediately in front of the recently released prisoner. He stood up straight and took a deep breath so that his barreled chest swelled with air.
"Yer not gettin' a second chance. If you and yer friends attack us again, 'dose that survive will wish 'dey wer dead."
Skaar took a half-step forward so that his massive form was pressed against the young bandit.
"And I will personally make sure you never walk again if I see you."
"You not the one we after. Him," the youth says in fractured Common, pointing at Stahvi. "You travel with him, we will come. Is our duty and if we die, then is Shiva's will. You tainted by him. Free yourself from him and we trouble you no more."
The youth takes off into the jungle, his pants trailing evidence of his fear of the orc.
Skaar kept up his fierce display until the youth was long gone.
"Why 'dey want you so bad?" he asked the snakeman. "There somethin' yer not tellin' us?"
Cyna takes the "Medicine" from the good doctor with a rather confused look. " I. What? Smoke it?" she asks. After her... treatment her wound closes completly. " That was an intersting experience. Thank you Stephen" she says. Her gratitude evidant in her voice and once again steady breath.
Listening to the exchange among the crew and his companions, Drago crossed his arms and leaned against a tree, bemused grin on his face. Well this is certainly interesting. The sorcerer decided to scan the area for other possible threats.
"Good job Singer", Skaar grunted as the tiefling enjoyed her medicinal treatment. "Yer a good shot with 'dose throwin' disk-things."
Cough cough "Chakram? They are my mid-range weapon of choice. Light and cheap and they get the job done. Which reminds me I should pick them up. That was quite the throw I think you broke his neck and everything else..."
"Yah, shockrum, 'dos."
Skaar glanced at the bandit he'd crushed.
"I might'uv gone easy on 'im but he tried sticking me with 'dat blade of his."
"I seriously doubt a poke in the ribs would hurt you much." Drago said while walking over and slapping a hand on the Orc's shoulder.
Skaar's focus shifts to Drago briefly.
"It's still cheatin'", the hulking greenskin says while showing the beginnings of a smile around his tusks.
"How's yur headache?"
"Still a b~$~~, but otherwise normal." He replied with a grin.
Aurelea smiled at the post battle banter, the group beginning to feel like a unit already.
"If more of these @#%^ers are as good a shot as that one was we better keep our eyes open, sonofab#~*+ almost killed me on the first try." she mutters looking at the light scratch that was only moments before a near fatal sucking gut wound.
Stahvi sighs. "When I was a young boy, I served as an acolyte in the temple of Amanurata, the Twice-Scorned. It was mandatory for all vishkanyas. Amanurata is seen as the goddess who gave birth to our race, so it was decided that we must honor her. When the temple was erected, a man named Padwar Arnesh objected to it. He was a racist and had the charisma to attract others to his cause. He founded the Eyes of Shiva with the people he gathered. Shiva is seen as a goddess of creation and destruction, but Arnesh focused on the later. There is no religious foundation to the group, but Arnesh had money. Killing or driving off vishkanyas was no problem to him. But this was over two hundred years ago. When I lived here, it was a minor issue, but the law protected us. These youths probably thought it'd be a fun idea to emulate Arnesh. They don't understand the seriousness of it. Or if they do, then I have all the more reason to kill them."
Skaar grunts when Stahvi has finished his story.
"Sounds like a buncha fools", he stays dismissively. "Dun worry. I'll watch yur back."
Stahvi thanks you and you continue your trek into the jungle. About Twelfth Hour, you come to a small shelter. It looks like little more than a lean-to (Pic ), but it is large enough to accommodate all of you. Rando drops his bag and prepares a fire. He looks to you.
"If ye wouldn't mind goin' for a hunt, there should be some wild boars around here. Saw their droppin's a little bit ago. I'm sure we could all use somethin' substantial. Probably safer than bandits," Rando proposes.
"Sure thing take care of your selves. This shelter is probably known to them we shouldn't stay too long. Anyone skilled at this sort of thing?" Cyna askes her fellow travelers.
"You seem to know your way 'round da wild well 'nuff", Skaar commented. "Lead the way."
Not unfamiliar with the creatures, Harakhty was happy to help. "I wasn't the best hunter of our tribe, but I should be able to get one in the wilds. I will return." The crossbow was a tool he didn't have back with his tribe; now, things should be easier.
"Well since I have no skill at hunting, I'll help make camp here." Drago said while setting down his gear.
"Ah, sport! Man versus wild! Mano y naturo! I must observe and record. My sacred duty!"
You head from the lean-to in search of dinner. Cyna easily picks up on a boars trail and, after 10 minutes of Harakhty pointing the group in the wrong direction, you come to a clearing. Rooting around the large tree in the middle, this boar is fairly fat and large. It snorts and looks in your direction, preparing to charge.
Initiative:
Boar:
Stephen:
Skaar:
Harakhty:
Cyna:
Aurelea (Just in case she joins the hunt):
Round 1: Boar, Harakhty, Stephen, Cyna, (Aurelea), Skaar
Seeing the orc as the greatest threat, the boar charges Skaar.
Attack:; Damage:
Skaar followed Cyna and Harakhty's lead through the hot and moist jungle terrain. He watched patiently as they stopped to examine tracks, sift through spoor, sniff a gnawed leaf... this whole process was long and tedious. There was something to be said for the simplicity of taking what you wanted from your conquests.
The hulking greenskin was snapped out of his wandering thoughts by a cry of alarm and the sensation of something large charging towards him.
He howled in pain as the boar's tusks buried themselves deep in his muscular torso.
Roaring in defiance, Skaar wrapped a burly arm around the boar's thick neck to try to get the beast under control.
"It seems this is one of those times when the beast your tracking gets the better of you." Cyna quickly snaps her weapon out and slashes at the beast "Looks like dinner found us."
As the charging animal barrels towards Skaar, Aurelea darts in from the side as it charges past, blade lancing forward in a quick thrust at its side.
At first, Harakhty was embarrassed when he heard the boar. Have my senses taken leave of me? It seemed there was little he could do right, the hunters now becoming the hunted. Then, he saw the thing was to charge them, and embarrassment quickly was washed away by adrenaline.
The Vanara had not taken a spear with him on this journey; rather, he chose a staff, a weapon with which training was commonplace at the church, mainly because it would not harm anything by happenstance on the ship. Now, however, that benign nature would not help - a spear would be plenty more useful. At least - using it as a walking stick - the item was already in his hand. This was more than he could say for his crossbow, which was still slung, unloaded.
After the beast charged at Skaar, Harakhty dashed over to it , hoping to give it a jab in the vulnerable ribs while it was busy with the green giant. Maybe this will make you think twice about gouging us!
A solid thrust of the staff - not the was it was intended to be used often, but the way one would attack with a spear - seemed to do the trick. A solid knock against the bone elicited a squeal of pain from the creature, surely not pleased about the jab. Though his choice of weapon may have been a mistake, it seemed his head had returned to him with lessons learned from hunts in his youth. Better late than never, I suppose...
Grunting with the effort of trying to keep the vicious animal at bay, Skaar looked on as the others rushed to his aid.
Harakhty's staff crashes into the boar, further angering the feral creature.
Round 1: Boar, Harakhty, Stephen, Cyna [actions declared], Aurelea [actions declared] , Skaar [actions declared]
***
As Drago helps to set up camp, he hears the familiar sound of elven singing coming from somewhere behind the lean-to.
Drago stops with his preparations as his ears picked up with the familiar tune. It reminded him of what Aliethia was singing that fateful night. Could it be, the same song? He stood up and went looking for the sound, enchanted by its melody.
Drago leaves the lean-to and finds a path leading into the jungle. Strangely, the trees change shape becoming familiar. They begin to look like the trees of Talathel. Driven by the haunting song, Drago comes to a pond in the middle of the forest. He sees a nude elf singing and bathing in the pond.
A voice enters into his mind, strong but gentle enough to maintain the tranquility of the scene. "Beautiful, isn't she? Why don't you go to her, Drago Skorzeny? She's been waiting for you a long time."
As Drago takes a step toward the water, the elf in the pond turns around. Pale with dead eyes, Drago immediately recognizes her as Aliethia. The elf begins to shamble towards the shore, her breasts shuddering spasmodically. Drago takes a step back, bumping into someone behind him. He looks up and sees the cold face of the goddess, Calistria. She smiles cruelly.
"I see you haven't forgotten her, Drago. I haven't forgotten you or what you did. Sarenrae's mercy permits me this. See how lovely I've kept her? I did the best I could after what you did. She deserves her revenge, don't you think? You broke her heart and everything else along with it."
Drago feels a hard shove pushing him toward the undead elf. A ringing laugh can be heard from behind him. Calistria is gone, but the corpse of Aliethia remains, shambling toward him.
Initiative:
Drago:
Zombie:
Surprised, Drago took a few steps back (), takes a deep breath and bellows out a silent scream.
The zombie seems to wince at the sound of Drago's Ear-Piercing Scream. "You...still....sing...for...me..."
The zombie comes on shore and follows Drago. Its twisted mouth opens, revealing horrid fangs dripping with black ichor. "Can...I...bite...you...this...time? We...can...be...together...forever...my...love..."
Round 2: Drago, Zombie
Drago drew her dagger from his belt, touched two fingers to the blade, and it became alive with electricity. Drago's eyes turned red, his fangs elongated and he said, "Then come, let us embrace."
Instead of giving in to despair, the young Suntooth harnessed his emotions through his staff, hoping to make well on his mistake.
Stephen shoots wildly at the prospect of hot boar meat, but Cyna and Aurelea make successful attacks on the wild boar. Skaar wraps a meaty arm around the neck of the boar, which is now suffering from blood loss.
The boar struggles against Skaar to break away from the grapple, but fails to wrench itself free.
Combat Maneuver:
Round 2: Boar, Harakhty, Stephen, Cyna, Aurelea, Skaar
***
As Drago prepare his weapon for the zombie, Aliethia raises her arms to grapple the dhampir.
Grapple:
She embraces Drago, her cold wet flesh causing a shudder to run up and down his spine.
"Now...for...our...kiss..." she rasps, her voice dry and throaty.
Round 3: Drago, Zombie
***
Skaar struggled with the ferocious beast and tried his best to ignore the deep wound in his side. With a bellowing roar, the hulking orc tightened his grip and wrenched on his foe's neck. The boar was a big strong animal, but so was he.
Cyna readies her blade in case the creature breaks free. "Hold on little pig it will be over soon"
"You'll be so delicious!"
With all of his might, Drago drove the dagger deep into the zombie's flesh.
Aurelea steps to the side, blade ready as she watches Skaar finish the boar. She gives Cyna a raised eyebrow at her comment to the impending meal.