For a split second, Evie's eyes widen at this unusual creature with pure shock as she exclaims "Never again!" She picks her rapier up from next to her feet and slashes at the goblinesque creature attacking her new companions.
As she swings, the boat rocks from others' movement, and she slashes at mid air.
Sarine draws her dagger while still sitting and attacks.
"Ooof! Ashlyn exclaims as she gets stabbed/bitten. She lashes out at it immediately, aiming a punch for the squid-monster's head.
1d20+2 dealing [dice=Damage]1d3+2 damage if she strikes.
"Of course, I see the thing, Elizar! I'm bleeding!" she exclaims.
Aurelian and Ashlynn pummel the creature attacking their side of the boat, inspired by Fleur's song they leave their assailant dead in the water and it floats away in its own pool of blood.
On the other side of the boat however things do not go as well. Evie and Sarine, not expecting an attack from outside the boat, both strike too high and miss the creature. Jenner, more used to fighting aquatic creatures does his best, but is hampered by his oar and cannot make his blow count.
The grindylow, seemingly more confident having survived the retaliation, lashes out at Jenner again. It's spear slides up the oar which Jenner ha just rid himself of and catches the dwarf under the arm, where his armour does not protect him.
Cursing in a mixture of Azlanti and ancient osiriani, Evie thrusts her rapier at the creature.
Yet again, Evie's thrust doesn't quite hit the mark in these close quarters and more expletives leave her mouth in Ancient Osiriani.
HP 13/13
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13
Fort +2, Ref +5, Will -1 (0/1 reroll)
CMD 14 (16 vs. disarm)
Panache: 3/3 (0/1 deed reroll);
Effects: Courageously inspired (+1/+1)
"No, no!" Aurelian scolds. "Were you not listening? Do it as Aurelian taught you! Use your wrist!"
He continues to stand in the boat, now having found his balance, and dropping his rapier, he pulls a dagger, tossing it lightly in the air so he can grab it by the blade and then slinging it toward the other aggressive sushi.
Unfortunately, in an effort not to his the lovely ladies (and dwarf) who are fortunate enough to accompany him on this voyage, he throws too high and the dagger goes sailing into the ocean water.
"Come over here, where Aurelian Fache may thrash you like a man!" he orders the sea creature.
Unable to see the enemy past Jenner, Ashlyn peers around him one way, and then the other. Deciding she doesn't have a clear view she focuses her mind and envisions her wound closing. The skin around her wound draws itself back together, forms a scab and partially heals over.
Then she stands up, easily finds her footing and checks to see if she can get a better view of their attacker from her new vantage point.
Fleur continues with her song... pulls out her whip and cracks it at the grindylow.
"Oh, you little squid-britches!" Jenner yowls as he is stabbed again, and tries to bring the axe down once more.
But apparently that spear caught a muscle-- the dwarf's swing is wider.
Sarine lashes out at the squid-like creature with her dagger and slashes it clean across the face. The creatures legs go limp and it falls away from the boat, drifting face down in the water.
Cheering rings across the bay and looking back everyone can see the Peregrine, with sailors in the rigging and colonists on the deck cheering. As Ashlynn and Sarine re-apply themselves to the oars the gentle current eases you into the bay and up to the beach.
Fleur breathes a sigh of relief and sings a little while more, but softly and without inspirational force behind it, just for the pleasure of her companions and keeping the oars moving in unison... when the boat grinds onto the sand, she will let the song end on after a complete chorus.
"I can't believe we're actually here... " She looks out over the sand to see what can be seen from the boat, then glances over to Ashlyn to see if there's any reaction from her companion Elizar at arriving here.
"Those creatures were horrible! Is everyone alright?" Ashlyn asks. Seeing Jenner's wounds, Ashyln focuses her mind and stares at his wound, and it closes under her gaze.
Before taking up the oars again, Ashlyn places her hands against her chest and pushes them back out again, repeating the process over and over as she draws Elizar out of her mind and into view. He takes shape slowly, over the ocean beside Ashlyn.
"Hey, pal. Keep an eye under the surface for us, okay?"
Elizar ignores Ashlyn's request, instead moaning sadly at her in
Ashlyn leans over the boat's edge and gives Elizar a big hug. Ectoplasmic goo drips all over her, but she doesn't seem to notice. She lets him go and smiles. "You too."
Elizar slips beneath the waves. Though he's soon out of sight his sad wails can still be heard above the surface every now and then throughout the rest of the ride to shore.
Ashlyn picks up the oars and goes back to rowing, as long as everyone else is good to go.
@Fleur
After a few deep breaths, Evie puts down her sword again but stays watching the waves very carefully.
Halfheartedly she offers:
"Ashlyn, would you like me to take over for a short while?"
Ashlyn seems focused on what she's doing, but replies distractedly: "Sure, if you want. But, I'll only be a minute."
Aurelian preens as the boat cheers him, and then resumes his perch at the front. As the skiff reaches shore, he lightly leaps into the water to help pull it up onto the beach.
"Aurelian Fache was here. You didn't need to not believe, because of course you were going to reach this shore, silly calamari or not!" he reassures Fleur.
He looks around, trying to make sense of what is going on.
"Hello?" he calls out. "Come out now. Aurelian Fache is here!"
A well worn path in the grass rises up a slope toward a cluster od buildings to the east. The buildings are arranged in a rough triangle, with each point ending in a wooden circular enclosure with rectangular notches cut intermittently, like battlements. These round enclosures are clearly meant to be three points in a palisade fence, which would enclose the first group of buildings once completed. The palisade fence, however, is only complete along the southern side of the triangle and is obviously unfinsihed elsewhere. The grass around the settlement looks like it was cropped at one point, and many paths exist between locations in the settlement, but in less well traffiked spots, the grass has started to regrow.
All the buildings are constructed of either rough timber or mud bricks set in a wooden frame, and have pitches thatch roofs. Many have open window frames, but only a few have actual shutters or even a canvas curtain for privacy. Doors are basic, wooden affairs, too smple ofr locks, and some buildings lack them entirely. The contruction is new, quite rough and unfinished.
As you beach the boat and disembark the first thing to strike you is the silence. There is no noise at all, only the lapping of the waves on the shore - for all the construction that has clearly gone on here Talmandor's Bounty is completely deserted...
"This is not good," Aurelian says, looking around. "Something has happened. You all should stay here while Aurelian goes to investigate. He will return shortly and tell you what has happened."
Once the others have agreed with him, he will set off for the nearest building.
As the boat gets into shallow water, Elizar's head starts to appear above the water line again. Despite the goopy tears and water dripping off of his forlorn face, his gaze is serious and his wails fall silent. He eyes the shore suspiciously.
He speaks quietly in Azlanti, but still his voice comes out a sob.
Ashlyn nods at Elizar solemnly. Not home yet...
Once she's rowed the boat up onto the shore with Jenner, she helps Aurelian drag the skiff up onto shore, ensuring it won't get washed away when the tide comes in.
She glances around at Talmador's Bounty. Seeing no response, even to Aurelian's hails, she looks grim. "What happened here..?" she asks aloud.
"We'll come with you, Aurelian." Ashlyn replies. She lets Aurelian lead the way, but has no intention of staying behind with the boat.
When they near the building (or wherever they're going) Ashlyn looks around for any sign of what might have happened here.
Elizar nods at Ashlyn's reply to Aurelian and follows along with her, gliding beside her immediately on her left. Mine.
He looks around warily, alert for danger, but not really interested in what happened here.
He also eyes Aurelian suspiciously. Not trust.... Then he turns a wary glowing eye on the other party members.
Fleur, too, goes with, letting Aurelius lead of course. .. after all, someone's gotta be the fool who steps on the rake and gets a handle to the face. She, too, keeps a wary eye out for danger.
Aurelian keeps his own distance from the creepy thing following his student around.
She should not need such a thing when Aurelian Fache is here...
Jenner looks surprised, and then sort of awkward, at Ashlynn's healing. "Er.... ah, thank you, lass. Abadar minds me himself-- and you took some grief there too from those tentacled uglies. You should see to yourself first."
"I'd patch the rest of your scrapes, but Abadar only grants so much grace a day... I'll save the rest of it in case someone's dyin' on us. Now, ah... is your... ... ... friend... the reason you've got a spot of healin' magics to you?"
****
When they reach the shore, Jenner takes the extra time to haul the skiff further up onto the beach, out of any possible dragging back into the waters... by either the tide or those damn tentacled things. "Hope the waters hereabouts aren't infested by those, if they are the colony'll need to take those out or deal with harassment every time we send to and from the ship," he points out.
Aurelian's suggestion makes him shake his head with a chuckle. "Ah, no. What if we all got attacked while you weren't here to protect us, Master Fache?" he deadpans. "Let's stick together, shall we?"
Axe drawn, Jenner tries to stay in the lead with Aurelian.
"You're welcome," Ashlyn replies to Jenner's awkward thank you. "Oh, it's not just healing magic, but yes, I believe so."
Aurelian thinks for a moment.
"Yes, you make a good point. Come with Aurelian, so he can protect you!"
The swordsman slows to match the dwarf's stride.
Evelyn joins the others as they head towards the field (A15). Just as they reach the field, she suggests:
"There are 6 of... " She glances towards Elizar and corrects herself, "7 of us, perhaps we should split up and see what is happening, some of us go clockwise, others counter-clockwise around those buildings over there." She points towards A3-12.
"That way, we're never far apart, and we can shout if we need to. Perhaps the last set of colonists just gave up as they found a better opportunity on the island and didn't make it here in time to greet us."
With the last statement, she clearly doesn't quite believe herself and is trying to comfort herself and others with the least dire thought she could come up with.
"I'd rather we stick close all to each other, Evelyn. My legs are short, you see, if I have to run to heal someone I might not reach you in time," Jenner says cheerfully. "Besides, how would Master Fache protect us all, if we divided up?
"Also are we really counting the wet ghost as one of us?" he adds in a low mumble into his beard.
As you climb the gentle hill from the beach, the whole of Talmandor's bounty rolls away in front of you. The area you are heading to, at the southern end of the settlement, is clearly divided into five large patches of land - marked off neatly with posts and rope. The patch nearest to you has already tilled and a number of plant are sprouting - only a couple of feet high they clearly have not been cultivated for some time.
Approaching closer you can see that there are rows, disturbed by what appear to be gigantic mole-hills. Aurelian leads the way and is therefore the first to face the creatures which come burrowing out from the fields in front of you.
Party to act!
Party Average: 12. Ankheg avergae: 9.
HP 13/13
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13
Fort +2, Ref +5, Will -1 (0/1 reroll)
CMD 14 (16 vs. disarm)
Panache: 3/3 (0/1 deed reroll);
Effects:
"Go away, silly creatures," Aurelian demands. "This is our colony!"
Aurelian waits for them to approach, sword held lightly in his hand. He stabs quickly as soon as one comes in range, then settles back into his stance to try to block any attempt to bite him.
"Wait," he calls out, "they would surely have known to retreat from Aurelian Fache!"
Not willing to let his companions face certain death, he lightly moves forward, staying always on the balls of his feet, and slashes before setting up for his defense.
Fleur starts singing again, inspiring everyone but the ankheg.
Elizar drifts forward, past Aurelian and Jenner, up to the massive bugs which come burrowing up out of the ground. As he slams his goopy, dripping form into them he wails sadly in
"Careful," Ashlyn calls out to Elizar as he attacks the giant big-beast.
Ashlyn focuses her mind on a nearby rock, then wills it to go flying at the ankheg, slamming into it's face.
If the rock strikes the ankheg it crumbles into pieces, shattering from the impact.
Sarine will move up while drawing her greatsword. Finally, she has room to move around. She approaches the same creature that the others have been attacking and swings at it while beginning a Bloodrage.
"That makes sense Jenner, you have clearly done a lot more exploration than I have had the pleasure of. Or perhaps you have more bad experiences to be concerned about." Her voice trails off as she takes in the scene unfolding ahead of her.
Evie moves to support Sarine and Aurelian and thrusts at the burrowing creatures.
(+1 Fleur if appropriate and +2 A.Luck)
Jenner swears as he sees the critters, and calls on Abadar's protection as he hurries forward.
Jenner simply rushes forward, feeling the need to close with the creatures is more important than protections.
Not one to be startled by the sudden appearence of foes Aurelian leaps forward, light on his feet and plunges his rapier between the mandibles of the first creature, which recoils - chittering in pain. Elizar's ectoplasmic fists strike the creature on the side of its head shaking it badly as the spirit wails in misery.
Although Ashlynn's rock makes little impact on the creature the same cannot be said of Sarine. Closing on the second ankheg she lashes out with a mighty blow that carves the creature into two distinct pieces before it even has a chance to move. The look Sarine shoots at Aurelian might be described as triumphant, but no doubt the duelist assumes she simply wishes for his approval.
Seeing their companions doing such good work Evie and Jenner rush into the fray, the dwarf's short legs carry him into combat, although little else. Evie's longer ones however let her skirt Aurelian and come up flanking the creature - she remembers her lessons from the Peregrine and the blade passes smoothly through the creatures chitinous hide and slays the second beast outright.
Combat Over.
Evie breathes a sigh of relief and wipes her rapier off with a cloth.
"I'm presuming people haven't been around for a while if this vermin was here."
She looks over towards the building next to the field trying to ascertain what it might be used for.
"Lets head over to that, shall we?"
She is now a lot more wary of the environment around her and is constantly keeping an eye out as she starts heading over to the building.
"Stay close, pal," Ashlyn reminds Elizar.
When we get to the building near this field Ashlyn heads inside, Keep watch outside, Elizar.
Elizar gazes once more suspiciously at Ashlyn's companions, before turning to his master and nodding. He drifts back to her side, slowly dripping goopy water all over the ground as he goes.
When Ashlyn heads into the building Elizar nods, as if in agreement to something, and waits outside, keeping alert for danger. Yeeeeeeess. Protect yoooooou.
"Good work, nobody getting bitten by those things," Jenner says as he digs out his pipe and plants the stem between his teeth. "Keep our heads and we'll all be fine. And 'tis just the dwarf in me, Evelyn, I'm a cautious sort of man. But you are right: if these things are in the crops, then nobody's been gathering any kind of food, which means at best, the survivors might be over at the other camp, but they're surely not here."
Jenner frowns in concern at this, tugging on his beard briefly. "Yes, let's take a look-see in that building."
As they walk, he can't help a small grin at Sarine. "Here I was expecting something a bit daintier, that you were mayhap a wizard or such. You hit harder with that sword of yours than my uncle does with his axe. Nicely done, remind me not to rile you."
Overhearing Jenner, Ashlyn nods. "Yes, Sarine, that was wonderful. I've never seen such a big sword before!"
Sarine shakes the creature's gore off her sword a bit wearily as she falls out of her combat focus. "I learned to fight with the militia in Carpenden. My drill sergeant didn't even let me touch one of these for three months. It turns out that they suit me though...better to finish fights quickly."
Now that the commotion is over, Demon Cat moves over to paw at the bisected insect.
Jenner gives Sarine a wry, sidelong glance, but says nothing, preferring to keep his observations to himself, for now.
Aurelian nods as Sarine's obvious point, but then sets out in the direction Evelyn suggests.
"Yes, this is a good plan. Follow Aurelian!" he says.