Having watched the whole interchange while remaining silent and impassive, Mirandix's eyes raise at Arma's sacrifice. As Arma move away from the rest of the group, Mirandix bows to Aniseed, then hoists his pack and takes two steps toward Arma. There he waits for the rest of the group.
Zhu had just started to open his mouth in reply to Aniseed when Arma made her extraordinary offer. A minute later, he watches in amazement at the horse's transformation. He looks back at Aniseed with new-found respect -- and apprehension. Whatever innate magic she possesses, she exercised it effortlessly.
The transaction done, he bows politely to Aniseed and kisses her hand. "Another time, perhaps. Farewell, fair lady."
He joins Mirandix and Arma. He then says to Arma, "Thank you. I would have agreed to her terms, but -- I admit -- not without some fear. That was a noble sacrifice. For what it is worth, I believe she will care well for Garnet."
When Robert joins them, he says quietly to the man, "Are you relieved -- or disappointed?" He flashes a mischievous smile. "I am not sure myself, especially after seeing what she did to Garnet. But I sense that it would have been... entertaining."
Arma remains sitting as she hears two sets of footsteps seperately approach and Zhu speaks to her. "You... You are welcome... I feel wrong but... I trust she will keep her word..." A slight shaking of her armored form is all that follows the few words spoken in that calm but saddened tone. Arma continues to wait silently, seated still and perhaps deep in thought.
As Zhu begins walking towards Arma, Mirandix falls into step beside him.
Pontia looks after the departing beldame and transformed horse. "I presume that Aniseed kept her side of the bargain, Lady Arma. Let's get after the goblins."
Kryax puts an arm around Arma and walks with her. That was bravely done my friend. You are an example to us all. Pontia is right. Let us take full advantage of your sacrifice and be away from this place.
Raina follows the group as they make their way to their destination. She is silent, though the only thing noticeable is the tears that glisten on her cheeks.
Arma stands and raising her visor and looking each of her companions in the eye through her teared up eyes though her face seems strangely calm. She determinedly nods as she gives Robert a look of some admiration and placing a hand upon both his and Zhu's shoulders she speaks up in a more confident tone.
"Yes... Let's be off..."
Taking the lead she begins to depart, and only glances back once more at the direction of the witches hut and where Garnet had vanished behind at Aniseed's word. She lowers her visor and looks forward after that moment.
"We cannot delay..."
Arma's voice is grim but still dedicated and determined as she begins walking forward her head not moving from looking ahead again until they are far from the camp.
When Zhu bends over to kiss Aniseed's hand, she grabs him by the collar and instead kisses him right on the lips, her tongue darting into and out of his mouth quick as a flash. A taste of strawberries lingers.
"Come by anytime you need something," the Witch purrs as she releases him, her eyes sparkling. "Old Aniseed will be here for a while yet, and my prices are always fair."
As the group starts to leave, the many pages tacked to the trees and bushes start to flutter and twitch as if in a powerful wind -- except there is no wind.
"Goodbye, my young friends, goodbye!" Aniseed calls out. "I'd accompany you to the edge of my territory, but I've got someone on the boil inside, and stews need proper tending. Goodbye and come again!"
You can hear the Witch chuckle to herself long after Arma had guided you out of the Dell and back to your proper path...
Another day passes in the Whisperwood. It is a quiet, gloomy day; when you catch glimpses of the sky overhead, you can see that it is overcast. When finally you emerge from the forest, the clouds are so thick and dark that you can barely notice a change in the intensity of the light -- but out, you are! The air feels better, fresher somehow as you emerge from the forest's cloying shadows.
Your relief is short-lived. The barren landscape that stretches from the forest to the mountains is oppressive in its own way. Broken badlands of rock and dusty sand, with the odd clump of spiny grass clinging grimly to life, the broken hills exude a sense of desolation which contrasts sharply with the forest's dark vitality.
There is, however, some good news. As you walk the hills, following the instructions burned into Arma's memory, you come upon tracks. Goblin tracks. You know it's Goblin tracks because of the Goblin corpse you find, stripped naked and left to rot. It looks like the little horror succumbed to injuries sustained in the battle on the road, and its companions just left it here. This seems unusual for Goblins...
Even among Goblins, it's extremely disrespectful to just let a body lie without any ceremony at all if you can retrieve it. At the very least, a friend should have taken a bite out of the corpse to honour its life and make sure part of the deceased's essence remained with the tribe.
On the journey goes, and you see your goal: a tower, hewn out of the mountain rock itself, gazing down on you from afar. Gargoyle-festooned and black of window, the tower looks like a grim monument to bad taste and despair. You can't shake the feeling that your approach is being watched from those windows even now, but you can hardly go all the way around the mountains and try to approach from the other side...!
The only likely entrance to the tower is through a cave, gaping in the mountain's flank. Certainly the tracks are leading that way; many sandalled feet, still imprinted in the sand, and bits of trash; small animal bones, bloodied rags, things like that.
As you approach the cave's mouth, you see the tracks go inside -- and many tracks leaving, as well, headed west. You have barely a moment to wonder what this might mean and who the Red Debbulls have gone to torment now when a shrill noise pierces the gloomy sky. It's a voice, so shrill that it hurts the ears, crying out in fear and dismay. Immediately on its heels comes the noise of growling -- the growling of wolves, inside the cave.
"No, stay away!" the voice cries out. "Not the babies! Not my babies! Nooo~!"
The wolves snarl, and you hear a cry of pain! Right on cue, lightning flashes overhead, thunder rumbles, and the dark clouds start to disgorge their charge of rain.
"That one must have angered his fellows quite a lot...they usually don't leave bodies behind, or at least take a piece of the deceased with them."
At the shout, Pontia hefts her crossbow. "Shall we?"
Having listened to Pontia's explanation Arma looks at the corpse and considers her words but has little time. "Then let's hope they..."
Suddenly hearing the shrill shouts also draws her crossbow as well and readies to move ahead of the others remaining at the front of the group.
"There are children! Let's go!" Her voice is level and grim as she anxiously gets ready to lead the charge when the others are ready.
More likely that the goblins are lead by someone unfamiliar with and/or unwilling to follow goblin traditions. A non-goblin and a powerful leader. Kyrax adds.
At the sound of the voices the bard cautions Goblins are tricky foes. Perhaps there are children. Perhaps they only want us to think there are. But he falls in behind Arma advancing cautiously looking for traps and ambush.
Mirandix draws his blade and follows behind the others, wary of a trap.
(Before level up)
Just when Robert is already considering what is the worst that can happen in a night with the witch, and musing that although she had excluded chains that meant nothing about other perversions she might have, he is surprised by Arma's sacrifice. The woman had already impressed him with her staunchness in the face of danger, but giving away her horse that she seemed to love as a person... that was worthy of the utmost respect.
When Robert joins them, he says quietly to the man, "Are you relieved -- or disappointed?" He flashes a mischievous smile. "I am not sure myself, especially after seeing what she did to Garnet. But I sense that it would have been... entertaining."
"I think I am relieved, in the end. I can't hide my bohemian and womanizing tendencies. Desire and curiosity almost always take the best of me.
But this was indeed a risk. I'm not sure my mind would be a in good state tomorrow if I had gone with her."Later on, as they travel forward, Robert finds his way to Arma and talks with her for a while
"What you did was very noble. Maybe you don't realize it, but you are an inspiration to me... maybe a way that I can settle with my past, and my father. I want you to know, that I am really grateful for your sacrifice, and you have gained my wholehearted respect and admiration. If you ever need help, I'll do what I can to be of service to you."
It's almost as if his early squire training had gained the upper hand for a brief while.
To Robert during the time they speak...
Arma raises her visor to speak to them as they walk on the path out of the woods. Her voice remains calm and little emotion plays across her face as her awkwardly spoken but still earnest reply is spoken.
"I thank you for saying that Sir Robert... I only did what I thought I must to keep others from harm... I could let neither you nor Sir Zhu take such a risk for us if I could stop it. I had to make a choice... We cannot fail Lord Doritian... His lady love was in our care... Just as Garnet's care was in mine... But she promised Garnet would be safe. So we need to continue to help in rescuing Lady Valeria... If for them and their love I know I made the right choice. By Shelyn's grace we will succeed for I cannot let his... and her... love be denied or peace stolen from us all."
Sense Motive DC 15 for Robert:
1d20+7 = 20
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4587707/Robert notices the small signals in Arma's face, and understands instinctively that she is in love. It confirms an earlier suspicion he already had. He says nothing, however, respecting her secret.
At hearing the cries for help and the growl of the wolves, Zhu says, "There is a saying in my land, 'The talented hawk hides its claws.' Prepare yourselves." He mutters a few syllables.
Before they enter the cave, he pulls a small, narrow weapon of some sort from a sheath strapped to his shin. It looks like a thick arrow, only there's a leather grip where the fletching would be. After he mutters another few syllables, the sharp tip of the weapon glows with radiance.
______________________
Hearing the cries, Robert flinches and assumes a defensive position.
"Trap!" is the first thought that comes to his mind.
@DM: what kind of voice is this, is it human? Is it female? Any thing we can recognize in it? Does it come from inside the cave, as do the growls?
Raina draws her dagger and casts light on it.
"Better to have more than one source of light, hmm?"
"I think we should go in, albeit cautiously. No need to rush into things"
"We should go in quickly to help, but carefully as it could be an ambush or a trap."
"Then lets go. Ready but fast." Arma sets her crossbow at the ready to aim toward the light in the cave and looks for danger but moves to keep to the front of the group at a steady pace.
You enter the cave, your spells casting a circle of light in what would otherwise have been inky blackness. The cave is high enough that you can walk upright with room to spare; looking up, you see stalagtites hanging from the roof like ancient fangs, but the stalagmites were apparently cleared away from the floor long ago. In their place, there is a crunching, crackling layer of dust and soot underfoot.
The signs of Goblin inhabitation are everywhere; fire-pits have been arranged throughout the cave in a haphazard fashion, the Goblins' love of open flame causing them to set new fires on a whim, rather than with any kind of plan. But all the fires have been allowed to go out...
Small trash-piles - bones, pieces of wood and metal, bits of leather - lie everywhere. A few of them actually look as though the Goblins were in the process of putting them together to make new, mysterious things before they were interrupted by something.
And interrupted they were, for although there are many signs of Goblin inhabitation, there are even more signs of Goblin departure. Bedding scattered and removed; freshly-gnawed bones thrown randomly away instead of being put on the trash-piles; many, many footprints in the crunching layer on the floor, all of them leading out of the cave.
You follow the sound of snarling and growling, and your light reflects off the back wall and three struggling bodies. The light highlights a series of drawings; crude, Goblin depictions of battle between grotesque creatures. Dominating the wall, however, is the image of a large, seven-pointed star with a black circle at its centre. For some reason, you feel creeping dread when you see this symbol, but you have more immediate concerns.
The light has just fallen on two sleek, powerful animals, one of them much larger than the other. A black-furred dire wolf and a normal, grey-furred wolf both turn to you, hackles raised and teeth bared in angry snarls! Oddly enough, both of them appear to be wearing saddles...
Beyond the wolves stands a small, withered-looking Goblin with one peg-leg and a head full of thin, white hair, who had just barely been keeping the ravenous animals away with a rusty-looking dogslicer! The blood soaking its tattered clothing shows the little greenskin has not been completely successful. And beyond the Goblin -- a wicker cage full of little green, red-eyed things that start to shriek and leap about as the light strikes them!
The Goblin's red eyes widen when it sees you, and its mouth works. Finally, in desperation, it shrieks: ""
The wolves growl -- and start to stalk towards you, stiff-legged and growling! They are currently sixty feet away from you, and will be upon you the next!
Arma takes quick aim and fires the crossbow toward the Dire Wolf but drops the weapon to reach to draw her shield and her scimitar as soon as the bolt flies.
"Those not on the front line stay back. Otherwise draw the charge to us." Arma shouts the words as she watches the beasts moving forward. She seems focused on the Dire Wolf more than the smaller Wolf.
Kyrax, his black scimitar in one hand and standing next to Arma throws a javelin if he can before the wolves charge. His move action is to dance.
With a quick gesture and a word, Pontia sends a small black sphere from her hand to the larger wolf. It sizzles as it hits, leaving a trail of blisters through the wolf's dense pelt.
Mirandix steps up to Arma's other side, his great curved blade held in a powerful two-handed grip. His voice is conversational, as if they were not facing a dire threat, "Why do they have saddles?" He readies a powerful slash for the first wolf to come into range of his blade.
Raina moves to the middle of the group while moving into a defensive posture.
Raina examines the tracks to learn who has been coming this way.
"It looks as though a goblin and someone human-like came this way. Less than an hour I'd say. As for the older tracks, I'd say it was the Red Debbuls. They probably left about a day ago, give or take a couple hours."
"Perhaps they are mounts?" Arma quickly responds to Mirandix in a calm but grim in tone but keeps her eyes on the Dire Wolf.
Hearing Raina's words from behind her Arma notes it but says nothing as she continues readying her weapon and shield for the charge.
Kyrax wonders at the saddles.
Goblins do not like dogs, and wolves are dogs, even dire wolves. I do seem to recall they ride both wargs and wolves though.
Zhu raises his other hand and begins to summon his innate magic. "Attack the larger beast first if you can!" He takes a position behind Arma's shielded stance, then he points his hand toward the dire wolf and prepares to strike it with a bolt of deadly cold.
_________________________
Robert aims his crossbow at the larger wolf and fires as soon as possible. If the wolf has not attacked, he attempts a sneak attack.
Including Point-Blank Shot:
+1 for attack and damage, if within 30ft and acting before the wolf.
Robert reacts instinctively and fires at the first sign of danger, but his mind is thinking on the meaning of the saddles and the footprints.
His shot goes above his target, but perhaps that is the result of his thought process.
"Someone cast Detect Magic on those wolfs. Could they be the humans the footprints belong to?"
It is a strange possibility, but the signs in the cave don't add up well in his mind. Where are the humans that entered the cave? What are those green things, could they be baby goblins, or some demonic scion? Could those wolves be nothing more than beasts and be waiting for the humans to transport them away?
Should they try to appease the wolves instead?
Noya readies to attack as soon as the wolves are next to her.
Dire wolf 31 hp
Normal wolf 13 hp
The wolves growl and lunge when they realize that their attempt to threaten you into abandoning their meal is not successful, but things happen before they can reach you. Zhu projects a ray of polar cold at the dire wolf, which penetrates its thick fur and causes it to yip and snarl with pain and anger! Pontia's acidic bolt comes right on the trail of the cold, scouring the large animal's hide! Both wolves howl with fury as the stench of scorched fur and blood fills the air, but they come on regardless!
Noiya, Mirandix and Raina hold position, readying themselves to attack once the ravenous animals are within range.
The normal wolf is first to reach you all, and it uses a time-honoured technique; it attacks the creature in front - Arma - and tries to pull her to the ground, to open up your formation for its larger companion!
The wolf's teeth squeal on Arma's greaves, but it does not seem to be capable of getting a good grip on her.
Kyrax tries to remember what the relationship between wolves and Goblins might be, and so fails to concentrate on his javelin-toss. The weapon goes wide and clatters to the floor near the old Goblin, who shrieks "No kill me! No kill me!" - but rather than take cover makes herself as wide as she can to protect the little creatures in the cage.
At least Kyrax does recall that Goblins are very fond of riding wolves, and even worgs. In their minds, those creatures are very different from dogs...
Robert finds his aim goes wide in the murk of the cave, even with all the magical light backing him up. He gets an excellent view of the dire wolf as it takes a great leap -- and hurls itself upon poor Arma! The beast's shoulder knocks aside her crossbow, causing her shot to go wide!
Size clearly matters; with a rending crash, Arma falls to the ground, the dire wolf worrying at her pauldrons, its teeth piercing the flesh underneath. Oddly pale blood squirts to the ceiling as the dire wolf shakes its prey...
Things are starting to look grim -- and then you hear a shrill, high-pitched, whiny kind of sound. It is repetitive, it grates on your ears -- and yet it starts to fill you all with a feeling of renewed strength and vigour. You realize, startled, that it's the Goblin. She's singing!
Arma is shocked to find how fast the beasts move. Her leg struggles with the ineffective bite of the regular wolf while her crossbow shot is knocked off course as the larger Black Dire Wolf collides with her. The crossbow is sent flying from her hand rather than clattering to the floor as she drops it and it makes her move to grip her shield far more desperate as the larger beast jaws clamp down.
She is clearly overwhelmed for that second and then as the teeth of the Dire Wolf found purchase in her shoulder the tearing jerk and force of the creatures bite drives her off balance and to the floor. The pain of her shoulder tearing beneath her armor and feeling of her blood being cast about pushing to the front even as she gasps from the clattering collision to the ground. "Gaaaaaa! Rrrrgh..." Her cries are muffled beneath the visor and yet sound held back through gritted teeth.
Trying to push herself back up she attempts to find her feet and rather than draw her Scimitar as well she swings a punch at the Dire Wolf with her gauntlet covered fist. "Hah... Focus on one... Argh... Drop it then the other..." Despite the pain heard there, her voice sounds oddly focused and calm.
Pontia casts a defensive spell, armoring herself in force.
"Arma!" Zhu says as his ally is pulled to the ground. He angrily utters a Tian curse as he points his arm at the dire wolf and releases a searing crimson bolt of eldritch energy.
__________________
Noya goes and hacks up a wolf
Robert is little surprised that his shot missed, although he really expected to do better. But then he is pained to see that because he missed, the Dire Wolf has gotten a good hold of Arma. Unable to fire against the dire wolf for fear of hitting Alma, and unwilling to let go of his mobility and range, he decides to fire in the direction of the smaller wolf, and try to keep it distracted from Alma.
Atk:
(including +1 from goblin, excluding eventual +1 from Point-blank shot)
(+1 from goblin, excluding eventual +1 from Point-blank shot)
Dancing, Kyrax 5' steps into a flank with one of the group to attack the dire wolf.
Noya goes and hacks up a wolf
Spoiler:[dice=Atk]1d20+6
[dice=Dam]1d8+3[dice=Crit]1d20+6
[dice=Dam]1d8+3
Before the massive dire wolf can come into range, Mirandix's huge curved sword whistles through the air as he attempts to remove the smaller wolf from the fight before its kin can enter the fray.
Dire wolf -15 hp
Normal wolf -1 hp
Zhu curses in his native tongue and unleashes a blast of socerous power! The magic slams into the dire wolf's flank, drawing even more blood.
At the same time, Pontia intones a spell of her own, causing a protective shell of magic to surround her.
Noya lunges, her katana opening a garish wound in the dire wolf's flank! As the giant beast yelps with shock and pain, the smaller wolf bares its teeth -- and leaps at its comrade's tormentor!
Wolf attack! for plus trip!
Fortunately, the beast is stymied by the Aasimar Samurai's superior armour.
Mirandix is next to attack, his Elven curve blade dipping into the wound opened up by Noya -- and finishing the job! In a spray of blood and gore-y bone fragments, the dire wolf's head tumbles free of its rump, and the carcass sags heavily onto Arma.
Kyrax, seeing the fall of the dire wolf, nimbly redirects his attack to the natural wolf. His black scimitar opens a grievous wound on the animal's back, cracking its spine.
A second later, Robert's arrow thuds into the yelping wolf's neck. Bloody froth shoots from its mouth, and the wolf's agonized thrashing comes to an end.
With a single punch, Arma shatters the jaw of the dead dire wolf, dislodging the head before death can cause it can seize up in death - which would make it nearly impossible to remove. A few pieces of metal go with it, though -- and Arma's pauldron clatters to the ground, torn loose from the rest of her armour.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Both wolves lie dead, and for a moment all you can hear is the sound of your own ragged breathing. The Goblin has stopped singing and just stares at you, its ears trembling.
Then -- hideous noise! All the little green things in the cage start to leap about, shrieking at the top of their lungs, red eyes and mouthfuls of teeth flashing, big hands rattling the bars of the cage!
"No - no - quiet - shhh!" the Goblin whimpers, making soothing gestures and looking at you all with growing dread.
When the little horrors fail to quiet down, the Goblin throws itself facedown on the ground, kowtowing to you all.
"Please, boss, please!" it shrills. "Please don't kill the babies! Please don't kill me! Please don't kill the babies!"
"A child is innocent, as my Grandmother would say."
Mirandix looks around the chamber, searching for another threat. He does not ignore the aged goblin, and is expecting it to betray them. But, since it has not yet attacked and if the surge of courage he felt can be believed, it helped them in the fight, he will leave it alone for now.