It is a beautiful summer's day. The soft chime of the horses' tack mixes with the dull thud of foot and hoof on the dirt track, creating an almost hypotic rhythm. The chirp of songbirds in the trees is soothing, pleasant.
The warm sun directly overhead manages to dispel the gloom of the Whisperwood somewhat. The underbrush is still tangled like the fingers of a pleading beggar or the limbs of a dying spider, the trees' canopy still cast an oppressive gloom, but at least they have been cut well back from the path you are travelling. As long as you don't look too closely and the sun is out, this place is almost beautiful.
And even with the Whisperwood's less pleasant qualities, you feel relieved to be here. The end of the first leg of this trip is nigh; the rendezvous-point is just another day's march away. Tomorrow evening, you will meet up with the Andoran delegacy, and Lady Valeria Jeggare will have her first official meeting with the young knight Doritian. After that, it's on to Andoran for the marriage ceremony, after which you get to go... wherever it is you wish to go, once you have received your due reward.
It was impressed on you quite strongly that receiving any kind of reward at all is entirely contingent on Lady Valeria reaching Andoran alive and in good spirits. The send-off from House Jeggare's opulent mansion was very festive for the people who were not actually going; for you all, it was a grim affair, full of menace; the House's bodyguards were eyeing you all and thumbing their crossbows as Lord Jeggare gave his farewell speech.
Fortunately, the trip has been going very well so far. Lady Valeria is definitely in good health and high spirits. You know so because, once the city walls had disappeared behind the horizon, the sixteen- (or possibly seventeen-) year old lady opened the curtains of her sedan chair and stared out at the wide world despite her governess' shrill objections.
It had been a while since you had seen such sparkling eyes and such a brilliant smile on the face of a Chelish noblewoman, even one as young and beautiful as Lady Valeria. She shows none of the reservedness and arrogance you might have expected from someone of her rank and station, and instead seems to consider the whole outing to be a grand adventure.
More than once, you have all felt the young Lady's eyes upon you and caught her looking at you as if you were some kind of rare animal or plant, or maybe a mystery to be solved.
Likewise, whenever you had the unmitigated gall to meet Lady Valeria's eyes, you have felt the disapproving glare of the young Lady's governess and cousin. Then there is the sternly disapproving gaze of Brother Gorlist, the Asmodean priest assigned as Lady Valeria's chaplain (and more than likely the Asmodean who will preside over the first engagement ceremony). Both those stares pale in comparison with the dire glower of the captain of the small retinue of bodyguards that forms the inner circle of steel around the sedan chair. You yourselves are, of course, the outer circle of steel around her on this trip.
Fortunately, the trip so far has been perfectly peaceful.
So far.
There are, of course, odd noises in the forest from time to time. The nights are worst, and sometimes you'd swear you felt something was following the small caravan.
During the course of the day, Lady Valeria continues to gaze out at the world - and all of you - with childlike interest as she leans out over the sedan's edge. Annalise, especially, often feels the girl's eyes burning in her back, and when she glances back at her, frequently finds the girl gnawing her lip and frowning in some silent contemplation.
Likewise, you find the eyes of Lady Secunda on you whenever you look at the sedan chair. Valeria's older cousin does not look to have changed much since school.
She smiles evilly every time your eyes meet, and in this she treats you differently from the others, at whom she just glares, as if she would like to scour their skin with her eyes. In your case, it seems she wishes to scour your very soul...
Matters come to a head when Lady Valeria finally waves at Annalise and calls out to her, her voice musical and pure: "Excuse me! The temple lady, would you mind riding with us in the chair for a bit? There's something I want to talk about."
Such byplay might distract you from what is going on in the wider world around you... or it might not.
Kyrax rides in silence and slightly apart. These people were not his people. He was Andoran and sent ahead to be part of the honor guard representing his prince and friend Doritian. The people on the trip were not so bad, for people of court, but not his people. He had tried to tell jokes and even to dance at the evening fires, but the mood of the trip was not light and his attempts at fun were not encouraged, except maybe by the princess. He liked that one.
Suddenly, did he hear something. No, only small forest animals at play.
Annalise watches the forest, the road, the sky, the trees... everywhere but the sedan chair. It doesn't help. She checks and rechecks her repeating crossbow, making sure the weapon is ready in case of trouble. It is perfect, and she has to stop before she manages to damage it from over-care. She repeats to herself some of her favorite passages from the Order of Numbers, then stops, biting her lip again, when she stumbles over the familiar phrases as she has not done in years.
Secunda is watching her. It's like having a crossbow pointed between her shoulder blades.
And then Valeria's voice cuts through the air, and Annalise fights with her whole soul to keep from flinching...
...and doesn't quite manage it. She turns slowly, manufacturing a smile as though raising a curtain wall straight out of the Manual of City-Building. "Yes, my lady?" She takes a slow step toward the chair, giving a questioning look at the bodyguards surrounding the ladies.
"Come on, don't be shy," Valeria says, patting the pillows inside the sedan, a big smile on her face. "Climb on in! We'll close the curtains for privacy."
The bodyguards seem disgruntled by the invitation, but they make a space - a small one - for Annalise to slip through. If she dares.
The vulpine smile on Secunda's face is widening by inches, and you fancy you can see teeth glittering.
Uncertain of how she came to be recruited for a walk in the woods with one of the Jeggare scions, Pontia nevertheless appears unmoved by the scrutiny of the various members of the inner circle. Do my part well, and someday it will be me there. And I will remember.
Throughout the trip the wizard has generally kept to herself, particularly avoiding Kyrax. She lowers the hood of her robe once the retinue is safely under the branches of the Whisperwood, her pale skin suggesting a general lack of acquaintance with long periods in the sun. A small whiskered snout pokes its way out from the folds of her hood.
Arma looks around but she does not seem to notice much other than those with her. She simply continues on ahead but seems dimly aware of the others with her. She decided to join pace beside the one named Kyrax simply because he too was from Andoran as far as she knew.
She will stay silent until addressed really. She was trying to focus on the mission at hand.
She often during the trip gives several looks toward the Lady Valeria but after the first examining look the rest were more as if to check that she is fine randomly. Whether she notices the harsh looks of the Chelish and ignores them or not, her helm nor any other aspect of her seems to react.
Mirandix seems unperturbed by the actions of the Jeggare woman. He is not getting paid to like his charges. He keeps his eyes moving, scanning the forest around for anything unusual
but all seems still.
Zhu looks around at his charges and at his fellow guards. How had he gotten himself into this situation? From what little he knew of Cheliax, many of the people there were enslaved, making the place little better than Wanshou! Alas, the voyage to this continent from Tian Xia had not been inexpensive, and he needed funds badly.
He mentally shrugs. Perhaps this arranged marriage would serve the cause of peace and perhaps bring some stability to the two lands. Certainly, marriages were arranged in his homeland for the very same reason.
He hadn't yet said more than a few words to his companions; however, he was sorely intrigued by the red-headed female warrior in their company. Not only was she striking in terms of her features and her height, but was that a katana strapped to her hip...? It reminded him of illustrations he'd seen of his clan's ancestry.
Noya does note the Tian man staring at her as they travel.
Annalise's face tightens as though she were trying to plaster her smile into place. She steps through the gap in the soldiers, now walking next to the sedan chair. "Forgive me," she says carefully, looking only at Valeria, "but I think I need to stay out here. I can't guard you very well if I can't see out of the windows." That's the only reason. I'm not afraid to get into a small space with her. It's just my duty to stay unconfined. Able to react. Not trapped in there, suffocating in a box like a coffin with its own vampire included... Her jaw is beginning to tremble with the effort of keeping the smile up. "Was... there something you wanted to discuss?"
"Oh, poo!" Valeria says, and she reaches out to tug on Annalise's arm. "Don't be such a mouse! It won't take a second, come on in! C'mooon~!"
"Mercenaries! To heel!" a gravelly voice barks, calling you all to attention. The captain of the Jeggare bodyguards, a veteran of hundreds of small skirmishes with the scarred face of a retired mugger, calls you all (with the exception of Annalise, more's the pity) together.
"We're nearly to the rendezvous-point," the captain says, the scar on his throat that is the likely cause of his rough voice jumping and dancing with every word and threatening to distract you. "Wouldn't surprise me if some of the Andoran scum - the ones so free that they rebel against their own government! - the captain bestows an ugly sneer on Kyrax - tried something before we can make the formal hand-off. I want you all to be vigilant. First sign of ambush, shoot first and don't bother asking questions. Is that going to be a problem?"
At the word 'problem', the captain's right hand moves towards the handle of the scorpion whip hanging from his belt. The word 'DISCIPLINE' is marked out on the handle in bright red lacquerwork...
Pontia schools her face to immobility. "Not at all, Captain." And I'll remember you...someday we'll talk again.
The young bard smiles an easy smile back at the captain. He was officially not a mercenary, but the captain knew that. All nations have slum, sir. If these men defy their prince then I shall have no trouble opposing them. He loosens his weapon in its scabbard.
Arma comes to attention and looks at the man as he speaks. She never takes her gaze from him, so the helm looks to simply follow him.
"Is that all sir?" She sounds to be puzzled for half a second by why he thought this was necessary. Still she figures she should give a better answer as Kyrax speaks up near her.
"As Sir Kyrax has said. We are here to protect her majesty. If others come against us then wherever they are from will make no difference."
Her flat agreeing tone seems to note that she is confused as to why he even had to ask. She had noticed him reaching for his whip but her own hand rested to the side next to her sheathed scimitar.
"We should make speed. This discussion leaves us open on the road. Unless you need a break for some reason, I suggest we keep going."
At this Arma waits with the same even tone to her voice but with a calm but questioning tone. Her helms blank visor simply looking directly at the guard captain as if waiting for a reply.
Noya, who is taller than the captain, responds
It's not a problem,
Though I should remind you that a I am the personal guard of one of the council men of Andoran, who is to become Valeria's father-in-law.
I am to give a detailed report of the events here to the council and am given permission to strike down those that attack me.
As provided in the agreement, in that both sides have one family member or personal guard escort the bride and groom.
"To heel"?! What arrogance, thinks Zhu. If there is an attack, that soldier will soon find his back unguarded.
Zhu doesn't respond verbally. He just looks at the captain neutrally, as though the question is undeserving of a response.
Mirandix diverts a portion of his attention to the captain and nods briefly when he finishes, never taking his eyes off the forest around.
"There is only one "her majesty" in Cheliax, mercenary," the captain tells Arma, "and that is Queen Abrogail. Make that mistake again, and you may find yourself taking instruction from the Mistress of Etiquette in Egorian." The captain actually smiles as if he would enjoy seeing such a thing happen.
Arma thinks on her words. While turning her head and staring directly back at his eye through her visor. The words she speaks are collected and firm but still oddly sound pleasant.
"Maybe we are similar. Since If I feel the same and more about my dearest childhood friend who is to be her husband and she is his betrothed. I respect him enough to respect her the same."
The pleasant tone faded to just a firm one.
"Do not tell me who and how I can respect. Please!"
From there she calmly and politely turns back to her duty.
Robert proceeds in the group reservedly. He was joined to eveyone else only late, and he is still trying to figure in his head how he came to accept the summons from the Jeggare envoy himself.
He spent the whole trip so far studying his companions, the inner circle guards and their irascible captain, and the motley all-purpose band put together to act as an outer circle. He wonders what their purpose is. To be a protection for the guards, or simply cannon fodder? He was not very happy at the arrangements, that was for sure.
He avoided looking at the princess. As long as she was in her chair and no one approached it, she was fine. But he did spend his time looking at their surroundings, and at the chair, going regularly from the back to the front and vice-versa, learning all the details about the positions of the troops as they went along. He remained very silent, and even when the Bard had tried to cheer things up, he restrained himself. Had he been in Blacksand's taverns, he would have joined gladly: but these were people he didn't know, and he was outside his environment. A feeling of unease came over him, he stopped in his tracks, listening carefully, positively sure he had heard something wrong...
... but he could see nothing. Very much upset with the experience, he retook his place in the group, often looking back and internally debating whether it had been his imagination.
..............
Later on, the captain ordered them to stop. His tone was not at all pleasant, especially for one who like him had been used to a position of superiority. At least half his blood was better than the captain's, but truth be told, he hadn't made the best of his fortunes, so he kept his silence and stoked his contempt.
Under his long hood, he fingered his weapons, preparing for any surprise.
Wrapped up in her own drama, Annalise largely misses what's going on with the guard captain, to such extent that she actually takes an extra couple of steps before stopping when the captain orders the group to halt. She looks around vaguely, sees no obvious threat, and returns to focusing on Valeria. With slow, deliberate motions, she opens the sedan chair door and eases herself into a seat next to the young noble. She forces herself to meet Secunda's eyes long enough to fake a smile for courtesy's sake, then turns back to Valeria. "Is this better, my lady?" she asks.
"My, my," Secunda says, her smile widening to show teeth. "What is that smell? I do believe it's horse a..."
"Shush," Valeria interrupts her cousin as she tugs the sedan chair's curtain closed. Darkness envelops you, and Annalise feels a brief surge of panic. Then...
"Lux, te invoco," you hear Valeria says, and an orb of pinkish light appears between you and the two noblewomen. It seems to be an innocent enough cantrip.
"I had a special reason to ask you here," Valeria starts to say.
"Yes, milady will need someone to tend her horses in Andoran," Secunda cuts in. "So I suggested a good stable boy..."
"Do shut up, cousin!" Valeria snaps, angrily.
Annalise may take some pleasure in seeing the pole-axed look on her old nemesis' face, but she has little time to savour the experience before Valeria continues talking.
"When we saw you among the guards, cousin Secunda was suggesting all sorts of ways to 'relive the good old school days'," Valeria says. She pauses for a moment, then shrugs. "I decided that was just stupid. I mean, I'm supposed to give my hand in marriage and the use of my womb for the sake of peace. Wasting time making someone miserable over what happened back in school seems incredibly petty compared to that. That, and I'll be counting on you to help keep me safe until we've arrived in Andoran.
What do you say? Shall we be friends?"
Valeria holds her hand out to you and smiles like a girl even younger than she is.
Annalise perception
Arma perception
Kyrax perception
Robert perception
Pontia perception
Noya perception
Mirandax perception
Zhu perception
"Just so long as you all understand which side your bread's buttered on," the captain growls, an ugly sneer on his face (and oh, how the scar on his throat dances with every word).
You continue on your journey. Some of you may notice that Annalise has been cloistered with lady Valeria and her cousin, lady Secunda, for quite a while now, but eventually she will emerge and rejoin you.
The day has passed uneventfully enough. You paused once for lunch and then continued on your way, with Sarenrae's sun slowly gliding through the skies overhead until it is obscured by the Whisperwood's trees. Darkness starts to encroach on you almost immediately. By the time the light starts to redden with the setting of the sun, your way is already a path of gloom and murk, and the captain decides you will make camp after another half hour's march.
A distant "Hullooo~!" comes as a welcome surprise.
From around a bend in the road, you see a group of armed and armoured men and women, one of whom carries the banner of Andoran. The man in the lead, a giant of a warrior in full plate, waves to you.
You can hear the captain growl something uncomplimentary, not quite under his breath, before he starts barking orders: "There goes the pride of Cheliax, right down the cludgey... Poxy peace treaties. Alright, hands off your weapons, you sons of mothers! Let's go meet the... Andoran honour guard and the lady's fiancé."
You advance, slowly and non-threateningly. In fact, you are so focused on being non-threatening that you almost fail to spot the danger before it manifests. Almost.
Annalise, Pontia and Robert are first to spot suspicious movement in the undergrowth besides the path. On their shout of warning, both your own group and the Andorans reach for weapons -- and the underbrush erupts with stunted, bright red figures with twisted faces on their horned heads!
"Scary debbuls come and bite
Stupid longshanks now take flight
Scary debbuls eat your soul
Unless you run and hide down a hole!" one of the ugly things screeches/sings as it waves a diminutive club.
"Scary debbuls coming, longshanks! Boo~!"
"" the horde howls as it splits into two equal halves, one of which charges the Andorans -- and the other, straight at you!
"Eat them! Stab them! Burn them!" one little horror shouts as it hops up and down in the spot where the ambushers just came from and waves a burning torch about.
An entirely different little monster, its ruby eyes glittering as it shakes its frill of horns, cackles and claps its clawed hands at the torch-wielder's side.
I'm in the same position, as that poor captain.
when ambushed by the buggers
"What the heck are those."
Mirandix whirls at the call of alarm, his hand going to the hilt of his huge, curving blade and his eyes narrow as he takes in the mass of little monsters coming towards the princess.
Arma having heard the call and then seen the Andoran group smiles beneath her visor to see Doritian with them. She prepares with some degree of happiness to meet them.
Still she notices some of the tenseness of the arriving Andoran group but pays it little mind as even the Cheliax were tense.
When the little creatures emerge Arma is only first warned by the sudden shout of others in her group. Drawing her sword and readying her shield she prepares to help defend her charge Princess Valeria. She looks to see where the most of the creatures are to intercept and gets ready to fight them.
Still she gives a single look over to Doritian praying for his safety before locking herself into focus for doing her duty to protect his fiance. His guards would do their duty and protect him. She would do her duty and protect Valeria.
Pontia raises her voice slightly to be heard over the shouting. "Goblins in disguise, led by a trivial little asura. Not devils at all."
Sense Motive:
Initiative:
Zhu reacts with alarm as the creatures burst forth! Goblins? he thinks. They don't look quite the same as he had imagined. Nonetheless, they're a threat, and he begins to focus the sorcerous energy that runs through his blood....
Robert notices the stiffness in the opposite captain and shrugs it off. Probably as happy as the Chelian captain himself. He was more worried about the agitation in the brushes.
Soon enough, the cause for that was evident. Ugly creatures, that he promptly identified as disguised goblins, charged in their direction. He ran to the back lines, near the princess's chair, taking his shortbow and aiming in the direction of the horde.
A further creature has him puzzled, but Pontia says it is the leader, so Robert focuses his fire on it.
"Goblins, Oh fun. Opponents who are as tall as my mid thigh.
Let's Clear them out."
Annalise snaps her crossbow up, aiming for the apparent leader - although she is concerned by the idea of it being an outsider. My weapons may not work, she thinks worriedly.
Annalise stares at the hand, completely unable to move for a moment. Her mind is a whirlwind. Shame, that her emotional state has been called out so explicitly. Suspicion, because one of Lady Secunda's more nasty tricks in school was to make a similar offer, only to use it to manipulate the then-naive Annalise into making a fool of herself in front of what seemed like half the school. Anger, at Secuda's renewed attempts at cruelty, so blatant and so ugly.
But she grits her teeth, trying very hard to remind herself that Valeria is not Secunda. Carefully, as though handling a rod of annihilation, she takes the child's hand. "I would be pleased to be friends with someone who would be friends with me," she says deliberately.
"Hooray!" Lady Valeria enthuses, and she wraps you in an impulsive hug. You can see Secunda's eyes bug out as her mouth moves soundlessly.
"You know, I think I'm actually going to be good at all this peace-making business. I am glad," Valeria says as she releases you, smiling brightly. "I want to start this the right way. Let's talk more tonight, after we've made camp."
Tripurasura initiative:
Bangu-Bangu initiative
Robert and Annalise can each snap off one shot at the asura before the hopping Goblin next to the vile little Outsider snaps off an incantation -- and the asure vanishes from sight!
Then again, they may decide to shoot at something different! The Goblins currently have you outnumbered by at least four to one! In addition to Annalise and Robert, Arma, Kyrax, Noya and Zhu can still take a first strike against the red-painted, cackling horde before they are upon you. Everyone else will have to hope their armour saves them from the effects of the first wave long enough to get in a good stab!
Noya swings her Katana at the short-stack of a goblin
Mirandix easily steps aside from the goblin's clumsy swing. His blade whispers out of its sheath over his right shoulder and he aims a powerful slash at the goblin as it stumbles past him.
There are more goblins than Zhu first thought! Seeing the wave of attackers, he quickly mutters a few syllables to create a transparent, protective shell around him -- but even that isn't enough to stop an agonizing slash from the goblin's blade!
Sneak attack on the tripurasura (flat-footed enemy, within 30ft):
Attack:
Damage: +
Robert aims at the outsider, the apparent leader of the band, and ignoring the oncoming goblin, cocks the arrow, aims for maximum damage and looses it. The shot goes a little over the top, and frustrated with his luck, he puts his bow away, ready to hold his rapier next turn and face the little monster in melee.
A goblin reaches him before he can hold his weapon, but with a deft sidestep, he avoids the attack and gains vital room to prepare for the next thrust.
Kyrax uses his move action to begin moving his feet in a battle rhythm. His cold Iron scimitar slices out to the tune he is stamping and his blade bites deep into a goblin.
Arma seeing the adjusts her shield into the clumsy hit deflecting it. She follows with a swing of her scimitar at the creature.
She moves closer to any allies near her that look like they would be on the front lines.
Pontia sidesteps the clumsy attack, then steps back and casts a rapid conjuration spell.
Annalise pronounces judgement on the attackers, condemning them for threatening a lawfully-arranged treaty and marriage. She snaps off a shot at the leader, angrily.
Annalise calls on the power of Abadar to infuse her arrows before firing at the giggling, clapping Tripturasura. Robert may not be calling on any of the gods, but he does his best to make his shot count...!
Sadly, both of you see your arrows sail over the Tripturasura's head as it dodges out of the way. Just before the Goblin's spell whisks the little Outsider from sight, you could swear you saw the eerie thing stick out and waggle its tongue at you. It looks as if there's a stinger at the end of it...
Mirandax and Anterian both easily deal with their attackers; Mirandax casually lops off his Goblin's head as it stumbles past him, and Anterian draws his opponent into his rhythm, then skewers him like a piglet!
Noya and Arma both manage to deal telling - but not killing - blows to their opponents, whose courage visibly wavers...
Noya's opponent clutches its bleeding arm, screeches and runs away from her, trying to disappear back into the press of red-painted bodies coming at you.
Arma's opponent, however, snarls with fresh rage and slashes at her again.
"A Debbul is a fearsome beast!" it screams as it attacks. "And longshanks-meat's a mighty feast!"
More Goblins are coming at you -- but not straight at you. They're trying to swarm the sedan while the ones you're fighting keep you busy! The Chelish soldiers and even the sedan-bearers are trying to catch their assault, and poor Robert, who took up a position closest to the sedan as a sniping-spot, is right in the thick of it!
"Protect the lady!" the Chelish captain roars, right at Robert's side, as the Goblins come piling in. To his dismay, Robert finds himself facing two of the cackling little horrors now, both dipping in and out with flickering, gleaming blades!
If you have a moment to spare for the concerns of people other than yourselves, you will notice the Andoran party is receiving just as much attention as the Chelish one. The big man in full plate is making light work of the 'Debbuls', though; he is chopping up three or more with every swing of his greatsword, and striding through the press of red bodies like a colossus -- straight at the Goblin with the torch, who is still shouting 'encouragement' from his position.
Over the mix of screams and clash of steel, you hear a single Goblin voice raised in song, with some of the others picking up the occasional verse as they struggle to get closer to the sedan and your supply wagons:
"A Debbul is a fearsome beast
And longshanks meat a mighty feast
Your horse, your dog, your baby too
We'll cook them all into a stew
Your treasures become our pretty soon
Your bones will bleach below the moon
To the Barghests the prettiest we sacrifice
Fighting Debbuls is so stupid, it must be a vice!
So longshanks run and scream for mommy
Or we'll scoop out your brains to eat with honey!
"
the rest of the Debbuls roar, the sound of their voices actually seeming to shake the air.
Pontia's opponent seems to really take the song to heart, as he dips in under her guard and deals her a fearsome wound, indeed!
Annalise perception
Arma perception
Kyrax perception
Robert perception
Pontia perception
Noya perception
Mirandax perception
Zhu perception