Marvin's reaction is delayed but they quickly grab their musket and begin aiming it at the animal. They do not need light to see but their aim when they fire it is off, their systems still catching up with the sudden spike of activity.
Diarmal leaps to his feet, nimbly pulling an arrow and nocking it as he does so. His first instinct is to aid Xor, but Tess looked as though she had it well in hand. Too many cooks in the kitchen would only muddle efforts at aid.
Instead, the best aid he could provide was cover against the formidable beast. He took aim and fired. May Aisling guide my arrow...
Day 1, Friday, turn 138, the Shadow Moor (approximate time of day, 10:50 pm)
Diarmal – 21
Lion – 19
Ribat – 18
Paulina – 16
Tessrimea – 12
Xor – 11
Sasithorn – 7
Marvin – 5
Fonidea – 1
Round 2, continued…
Diarmal gets to his feet and fires an arrow but the sudden standing after a fitful sleep throws of his aim and the arrow sails over the lion and out into the wet moorland
Paulina stagers from the attack of the lion, straining to stay on her feet, with her arm caught in the lion’s jaws, she pummels away at the thing’s head with her flail
But she is too weak to drive the animal off of her
Paulina - takes 12 damage
Xor takes – 25 damage!
Lion – takes 4 damage
Mountain Lion AC 15, t 12, ff 12 | hp 32 | f +6, r +7, w +2 | Bite +7, d8+5, plus grab: 2 claws +7, d4+5 (Pounce /Rake) | CMB +9 (+13 grapple), CMD 22 (26 vs trip)
"I'm right here, Fonidea," says Ribat as he steps forward into net range of the lion. He casts the net, knowing that he will be unable to restrain a creature so much larger than himself, but hoping to make it more difficult for the lion to hurt his friends.
With the party crowding the jaguar, Marvin finds it difficult to properly account for a shot without hitting them. They put away their musket and move forward, drawing their dagger.
At the last second, Marvin re-evaluates the situation and continues their movement, keeping one hand on their musket but with their other hand continuing to draw their dagger to slash at the jaguar.
Unsure of how better to aid his allies without merely hampering them with his less than adequate combat skills, Diarmal pulls another arrow and fires it at the beast.
Day 1, Friday, turn 138, the Shadow Moor (approximate time of day, 10:50 pm)
Diarmal – 21
Lion – 19
Ribat – 18
Paulina – 16
Tessrimea – 12
Xor – 11
Sasithorn – 7
Marvin – 5
Fonidea – 1
Round 2, wrap up
Ribat steps forward, unfamiliar with this kind of animal (Where Ribat is from the cats do not grow as large as this!) and nervous about the consequences, should he succeed, he buckles his courage and throws his net, ensnarling the beast, who immediately begins to struggle against the rope that Ribat holds
Once snared, the Lion is an easy target for Sasithorn’s missile. The bolt strikes the cat hard, almost knocking it off its feet.
Marvin then runs right into the battle, nearly shoving the wounded Paulina to the ground as he buries his knife in the struggling cat’s side
Round 3…
Diarmal begins to see that shooting the cat, even while it is netted, will be tricky as more of his friends close in on the animal, but he waits. His bow moves left, then right, and then an opening appears and he lets the arrow fly. It strikes true in the animals shoulder.
The big cat is making noises now that are so loud that everyone begins to hear the flapping of wings, and the splashing of water, obvious sounds that other animals nearby are fleeing the area.
The cat rolls, taking the net with it, and twists its body desperately trying to get free
Paulina - takes 12 damage
Xor takes – 25 damage!
Lion – takes 16 damage
Mountain Lion AC 15, t 12, ff 12 | hp 32 | f +6, r +7, w +2 | Bite +7, d8+5, plus grab: 2 claws +7, d4+5 (Pounce /Rake) | CMB +9 (+13 grapple), CMD 22 (26 vs trip)
"Oh, no! Don't let it get away; it's taking my net!"
"My apologies, Agent Southmiller," Marvin says even as they slash at the cat again.
Day 1, Friday, turn 138, the Shadow Moor (approximate time of day, 10:50 pm)
Diarmal – 21
Lion – 19
Ribat – 18
Paulina – 16
Tessrimea – 12
Xor – 11
Sasithorn – 7
Marvin – 5
Fonidea – 1
Round 3, wrap up
As the lion attempts to make an escape, tangled and hampered by Ribat’s net, Paulina, convinced the danger is passed, collapses to the ground, falling to her knees at first, and then slowly letting herself down to lie on her back, where she breathes in and out heavily, grasping at her arm.
Marvin is confused for a moment, unable to accurately predict what the lion will do, its movements now are uncontrolled, chaotic, and made from an obvious place of fear and confusion, and he cannot land another blow with his knife.
Diarmal draws another arrow, but something holds his hand, something deep within him feels pity for the animal, only a natural creature after all, perhaps having gone without a meal for only the Gods know how long, wounded know, confused, frightened, the large cat makes pitiful noises as it splashes into the night, and with that Diarmal lowers his bow, and speaks a silent prayer for the safety of them all.
Paulina - takes 12 damage
Xor takes – 25 damage!
Lion – takes 16 damage
Mountain Lion AC 15, t 12, ff 12 | hp 32 | f +6, r +7, w +2 | Bite +7, d8+5, plus grab: 2 claws +7, d4+5 (Pounce /Rake) | CMB +9 (+13 grapple), CMD 22 (26 vs trip)
Diarmal lowers his bow in defeat, but is surprised by the sudden booming sound from out on the moors. He raises the weapon before he notices Sasithorn apparently creating the effect.
"By Lady Aisling's graces, is that cacophony you?"
Splashing in the distant water's of the moor follow the loud shriek, but no sign of the lion can be seen
*I applied a slight modifier to the DC for that spell as it is used to fool people, mostly, and not frighten animals, but might work in that way, however, as the roll was pretty good it ended up being a moot point
It is still night.
Tessrimea frets over Xor, and when she can be calmed down and assured the danger is over, she will tend to his injuries.
It appears that Ribat has lost his net.
After a few moments of scanning the area, Marvin reports, "No signs of hostiles detected. The area is secure. Resting procedures may resume."
Diarmal slowly shakes his head as the moors slowly return to the previous soggy tranquility. "Well," he laughs, "I suppose that could have gone worse." He approaches the bloodied Xor, inspecting the dwarf's wounds. He nods approvingly at Tess' hastened aid, but sets his bow down as he draws the holy symbol of Aisling from within the folds of his clothes
Slowly, he kneels down and presses the symbol to the dwarf, gracing him with the light of Lady Aisling.
His breathing is , at first shallow, and slow, but after the blessing from Diarmal, the color seems to come back into Xor's face, and his breathing becomes steady and strong. In a moment or two his eyes blink, and the first thing he sees is the face of Tessrimea smiling down at him
Paulina - has 2 damage
Xor - has 15 damage
You don't know how happy I am to see you come around, my brave dwarven friend
Wha tha...hit meh
Day 1, Friday, the Shadow Moor (approximate time of day, 11:00 pm) (Turn 139)
With the warmth of spiritual energy channeled by Diarmal, the dwarves are feeling much better. The camp is re established, Tessrimea settles down next to Xor and when everyone is close together, she too speaks a quiet prayer of thanks to her goddess
The light misty rain finally stops, and when morning arrives the sky is laced with thin clouds that shrink with every passing moment, giving the sky in the east an orange hue that is actually quite lovely.
Day 2, Saturday, the Shadow Moor (approximate time of day, 7:20 am) (Turn 45)
Everyone sleeps peacefully, and the rest of the watch is uneventful
It is a new day! What will you do now?
"Continue following the trail?"
Diarmal looks up from his morning meditation with a bright smile. "Since Lady Aisling was kind enough to grace us with her light this morn, I'd say that's a fine plan. The road - a bit soggier now, perhaps - awaits!"
"The soggier, the better! Onward!"
Day 2, Saturday, the Shadow Moor (approximate time of day, 7:20 am) (Turn 45)
The party sets off in good spirits, with Ribat leading the way, following what they hope is a trail left by Nathaniel and Gideon.
Ribat sees no sign of the large cat, as he follows the trail north by northeast.
The going gets easier as the ground begins to rise gradually up out of the continuous watery moor and becomes spongy grass and small bushes.
Day 2, Saturday, the Shadow Moor (approximate time of day, 9:10 am) (Turn 56)
Soon the party comes within sight of a very small village.
It appears to be a human village. There are four small cottages and a wind mill or two, just ahead.
"Village sighted. No information about it available," Marvin says. "Insufficient geographic data. This unit recommends we investigate for clues."
Before rolling out Xor will heal himself. ...good enough.
Wahl lookie heya, a little furtha and we could ave slept in a bed
"Perhaps, but where's the fun in that? Our night was so much more interesting! I agree with Marvin - we should wander on in and say our hellos."
"Nope, never been here before."
Xor strolls forward.ello anyone ear he yells loudly
Day 2, Saturday, the Shadow Moor (approximate time of day, 7:20 am) (Turn 45)
When Xor calls out, an old man and a teen aged human girl come out of one of the small cottages, each is holding what looks like a long handled axe.
The old man speaks, holding the weapon out, but not moving any closer toward you
Who are you? What do you want?
I wahnt some food and ale if ya goht any
|
Sasithorn cuts in with a modest half-bow.
"Ah, Shadows Concea...rather, good morning, goodfolk. We greet you in peace and goodwill. We are travelers, certainly, and hunters of a dangerous and remarkable quarry, and any aid your village can offer for such an enterprise is welcome. If need be, we have some goods to offer in trade, as well. But first, would you care to tell us of yourselves and your village? It is verily a kind sight for the weary traveler."
Day 2, Saturday, the Shadow Moor (approximate time of day, 7:20 am) (Turn 45)
The man lowers the long handled tool, and smiles at Xor. Then he looks toward the dark stranger, and his smile fades for a moment, and then returns.
Well, food, we’ve got plenty to share, the old man says, then places a hand on the girl’s makeshift weapon and gently pushes it downward, but I’m afraid we’ve got no ale. I might have a bottle of rye lying around. You’re welcome here, strangers. My name is Keith VanSullon, this is my daughter, Karen. This is our homestead, and the village he chuckles a bit Well, it’s hardly a village, but we call it Havanstand, after Lord and lady Havan, who gave my family, and the other families here a permit to harvest the peat from the bogs to the west.
He approaches the group, holding the tool in his left hand, blade on the ground, and extends his right hand to Sasithorn.
We do all right, the work isn’t too hard, and the peat sells well. Tell me, what are you hunting? If it is the black beast of the moor, then my heart’s strength and my prayers are with you lads. The beast came through last night, almost killed Peter Gikk, had him on the ground and nearly choked the life out of him. It took eight of us to drive the beast off, and some of the other’s didn’t get away without a few bruises. Come inside. Karen will get the bread and put the pot on for a soup. It might take a while to soak the beans, but there’ll be plenty to eat if you can wait.
Sir, they’ve resupplied the shuttle, and collected the extra units you requested. Will they be setting out for the moors today with you?
The tall silver skinned woman sighed, and placed her hand on her forehead, rubbing her temples gently
I just fixed that syntax error a few hours ago and already it’s back again. I must break down that code separation next time. She thought to herself as she walked through the cavernous shuttle bay.
No, we won’t be returning to the moor. I’ve got something else I want to look at. It’s to the north. We shouldn’t be away more than a week. Send four of the scouting units to the moor. Use one of the rafts that were repaired last month. Set it to the coordinates of the ruin. Have it land and deploy the scouts, then remain in place for ten hours. I want full analysis, full video and energy plana-metrics recorded. Then have the raft return and wait for us to get back. After the scouts have collected ten hours of data, and downloaded everything to the raft, set them to engage and destroy and send them in the four cardinal coordinates. That is all. We depart in four hours
Well now laddie, thot's an offa I cant refuse Xor says to Keith Why dohn't we have a drink and yew can tell us all about this hoop de doo ya saw
Diarmal nods, muttering a quiet prayer to Lady Aisling for her protection of these villagers before joining the conversation himself. "Perhaps I can help to alleviate Mr. Gikk's injuries, or anyone else who suffered a grave injury at the hands of the beast. But, if they are as stable as you say, then there is no rush. Let us sit and greet each other properly before we rush ahead with less pleasant discourse."
Marvin stays in the back, observing the conversation with the same placid look on their face.
Outside the conversation with Keith, they say to the rest of the party, "Possible that Nathaniel and Gideon were tracking the beast, but also possible that trail was left by beast only instead. Information on any other arrivals would be beneficial."
Day 2, Saturday, the Shadow Moor (approximate time of day, 8:20 am) (Turn 51)
An hour later, the group is seated around a pair of small tables in the common room of Mister VanSullon’s small cottage. Though it is crowded, it feels comfortable, a small iron stove keeps the room warm, and there are seats for everyone, including one long cushioned bench.
While Keith’s daughter served the group cool well water and shares a bottle of whiskey, the old man placed a large pot on a shelf near the stove and filled it with water and lentils. He then went off into the kitchen through an opening between the two rooms (there is no door) and began cleaning vegetables leaving his daughter to fill the group in on what they knew. The drinking water is clean and fresh tasting, while the whiskey, not the best made, is potent and stirs the blood.
You learn that Mister Gikk is not well, but resting and not in any immediate danger, and Mister VanSullon says that after lunch, when Gikk’s family has had time to rest, he will show you to the man and you can do what you can for him. You give the young girl a description of Nathaniel and Gideon, but she does not recall ever seeing anyone that fits the descriptions.
Then Karen tells you a short tale. She doesn’t even try to embellish or play up the incident, but sticks to facts, and tells you what she saw, and what she experienced.
She describes the creature as larger than a man, with stunted, thin legs, a long torso, and long spindly arms. She says the creature has at least four arms, maybe more, and it was impossible to tell. In the dark, she explains that after a shout was heard, everyone in the small hamlet rushed out in the dark to help. At least four people were seized by arms and received bruises, and suffered some chill that would not leave the body.
There were seven adults and four children, throwing rocks or attacking the creature with tools. Miss Pittering has a sword, a strong good blade that belonged to her father, and she struck the creature a few times, but it seemed to heal from the cuts almost immediately.
Karen, herself, tried to push the creature off of Mister Gikk and got very close to the thing after it collapsed onto the poor man. She doesn’t know why it collapsed, but it certainly wasn’t dead. In the dark she caught a glimpse of its face, which was grotesque, with a long snout, filled with blunt fat teeth, wicked huge black eyes, and ears that were floppy and covered with course hair. The creature’s body was patchy with the same course hair, but also felt smooth in places, cold and like the skin of an eel.
It seemed, she finally tells you, that the creature would not die, and would not be driven off, when suddenly Grandma Marali, appeared and struck the creature several times with a small wooden stick. The creature shivered and shook all over each time she touch the thing, and finally let out a screech and then using its long arms to move and lifting its feet off of the ground it scrambled away to the north.
Day 2, Saturday, The Hamlet of Peat Farmers (approximate time of day, 8:20 am) (Turn 51)
Grandma Marali Keith says from the kitchen, when he hears Sasithorn ask his daughter about the woman, Was, I mean is, my wife’s mother. My wife, Karen’s mother, is away from us now because of that crazy woman, always filling everyone’s heads with her stories and tales of adventuring up in the mountains, or in the Great Canyon.
Karen smiles at your group, and waits to be sure her father is done, before she says, Grandma Marali is very old, and can hardly see, but she is still spry, and smart as ever. She doesn’t mind strangers, or guest, and if you like I can take you to see her. Tell me, how long have you been on the trail of the monster?
"Approximately fifteen hours and ten minutes," Marvin says. "More information would be favorable."