Keeping in the middle of the party, he watches their guides and is glad of Eliva's lead. Tybalt's owl flies high circling for a bit as the clouds break, finally enjoying the wind beneath his wings. Though he'll come down after a while.
Res stays in the back with Leandro. He keeps a wary eye out as the group travels forward.
"This country seems.. pleasant enough. I wonder why these farms are not better-tended," Leandro quietly observes to Res, feeling for some reason like he out to be quiet in the oppressive stillness.
You continue through the narrow fields, picking your way through the misty afternoon. Ahead, two scarecrows stand in still watch over the quiet field. Soiled rags cover tatted bundles of hay to make the torso, and a carved pumpkin rests atop it, sneering at would-be pests.
You hear, from behind you, a growing sound. Slowly, the sound becomes clear: it is a mass of flapping wings, approaching from the rear. What may have been no more than a wisp of cloud at a distance resolves itself into a flock of black birds, headed straight for you.
Ahead, Eliva notices one of the scarecrows move ever so slightly.
Anuqa is happy in the middle of the pack, and he reacts to the sudden danger brought on by the scarecrows.
However, his reaction time is perhaps unsurprisingly slower than that of his companions.
Ever wary, the party observes that two scarecrows ahead have begun to move, and are approaching the party with their grinning faces full of menace. The swirling murder of crows is rapidly gaining from behind. Tannis and Darra stand at the ready.
Tybalt
Res
Leandro
Eliva
Anuqa
Tannis
Darra
Murder of crows
Scarecrows
Andrzej
"I am of more use against the menace on the ground, I think," Leandro says as he hustles forward, bringing his glaive to the ready.
Tybalt calls up to his friend, the owl in the sky. "Down here, now!" there's simple urgency to his voice. Looking to the creatures in the fields, he nods in agreement before calling out to them. "Not doing your job very well. You are meant to be keeping the crows away, not us."
Anuqa will delay until after the crows.
Res moves in the direction of the scarecrows to aid Leandro and to find out what they are. As he gets closer, he tries to identify what type of creature the scarecrows are.
;
He enchants a prayer to Gorum. A burst of energy erupts from his holy symbol as Gorum's blessing flows over each of his allies.
Res calls out, "These scarecrows are nothing that I can recognize. They must be made of some form of magic. Can anyone else recognize them?"
Tybalt draws' upon the knowledge gained in long dark evenings spent in his Lords study, illuminated by smoky tallow candles.
Eliva moves forward to get a clear shot through the crops, and aims an arrow at the scarecrow in front of her, readying an action to shoot it if it moves toward her or any of her companions.
"I know naught of magic but a few tricks," Leandro laments, "But if they are truly straw men, they should burn, unless soaked by the relentless rain." He keeps hold of his glaive anyway.
"They are evil things," Tannis calls out. "Curse whatever madman created such monsters."
He unleashes an arrow at the nearest scarecrow.
Darra regards the flock of birds. "They bring ill omen." Shemoves closer to the swarm and unleashes a bolt of fire.
The swarm of birds seems unnerved by the fire-wielding gypsy and arcs wide to avoid her, descending upon Tybalt and Res. In a flurry of sharp talons and pointed beaks, the birds flutter around you, trying to peck at your eyes and flesh.
Subject to distraction. Also, DC 13 Reflex save to avoid being blinded by their claws and beaks.
The scarecrows shamble toward you hastily, swinging their gnarled arms like clubs.
damage
DC 14 Will save (fear effect)
Anuqa
Andrzej
Tybalt
Res
Leandro
Eliva
Tannis
Darra
Murder of crows
Scarecrows
Tybalt raises his weakened arm, to fend off the flock that descends upon him and Res. He feels the sharp sting of a claw at his brow and the thick salty vitae flowing down his face. A burning upon his features he almost calls out.
"Bloody hell, I can see why they call them 'murders' of crows." he coughs. Feathers flicking into his mouth. Stumbling away from the avian mass back onto the path. He can hear the whisper of the magus weapon and a low chanting. With a laugh of defiance he draws upon the courage of his friends, fingers describing arcane sigils and wards.
"You may have first blood, but you won't be crowing about that. Because this is the last straw and we are fired up." he jests.
Eliva takes a well placed blow from the scarecrow as her arrow goes wide, but she is overcome with anger at the foul thing, and resists the shiver of fear that runs through her handily.
Anuqa
Andrzej
Tybalt (blind)
Res (needs to roll save)
Leandro
Eliva
Tannis
Darra
Murder of crows
Scarecrows
Seeing the trouble the crows are causing her companions, Eliva takes a step back from the foul scarecrow and looks back at Tybalt and Res, calling upon Erastil for aid in calming the crazed creatures.
"You would strike the lady with the bow, you coward?" Leandro snarls as he surges forward, swinging his glaive to ferociously attack the strawman.
Anuqa looks on in horror as the birds attack his companions in such an unnaturally coordinated way. He steps over to K14, drawing his wand of burning hands, and then attempts to barbecue the birds.
Res desperately tries to fend off the attacking birds. He moves out of the swarm He tries to disperse them with a burst of sound. Cast Sound Burst.
The barbs that have flowed from Tyalts mouth stop with soft sound like the tearing of fabric, however their echoes linger on the breeze. The sounds must have put off the flock slightly for though his brow was cut only the blood penetrates his eye.
Blinking the flowing blood away, his face a crimson mask Tybalt smiles optimistically.
After casting the spell, Eliva informs her comrades "Don't use cold on them, but fire will work a treat!" She nods approvingly at their new companion.
The gout of flame singes some of the birds, but many of them are able to avoid the inferno, but they are stunned by Res's burst of sound.
Leandro's glaive cuts deeply at the nearest scarecrow.
Andrzej steps forward with his scimitar. It crackles with electricity as he cleaves at the flock of birds.
With a crack and the pungent smell of ozone, most of the birds fall to the ground with a thud, and the few that remain disperse into the fields.
Tannis drops his bow and draws his two swords. In a flurry, he cuts at the nearest scarecrow.
Darra fires off another scorching ray, this time directed at the scarecrow attacking her fiancee. The ray of flame misses and passes harmlessly into the distance.
The first scarecrow steps toward Leandro, its face frozen in a permanent grin. It swings at the paladin with both of its arms.
The second does the same with Tannis, but they fail to strike him.
Anuqa
Tybalt
Res
Leandro
Eliva
Andrzej
Tannis
Darra
Scarecrows
Resistant to cold, eh, Anuqa muses. That takes some of my repertoire out, but not all...
"Well done Andrzej!" calls out Res as he dashes to aid Tannis. He moves to Tannis's right and strikes the scarecrow with his greatsword.
,
Tybalt starts to mutter as quick incantation, a soft counter-point to the lingering echo's of his sardonic jibes. As the blood trickles from his brow it takes on a dark aspect, seeming to glisten with it's own light. He brings an arm up and wipes it away, leaving a smear of crimson that radiates over his whole body.
A strange quirk of heritage, linked to a distant land toughening him against harm.
Anuqa's magic missile strikes one of the scarecrows solidly, while the other is injured by Res's blade.
Leandro
Eliva
Andrzej
Tannis
Darra
Scarecrows
Anuqa
Tybalt
Res
Eliva steps back and shoots at the scarecrow attacking Tannis, as it seems Leandro is handling the one after her.
Leandro steps away from his attacker to bring the glaive back into play.
Leandro hacks at the foul construct with his glaive, cleaving the scarecrow in twain. Tufts of straw flutter in the air and its pumpkin head falls to the ground with a satisfying splat.
Eliva's arrow sticks the other scarecrow right in its head, but it keeps fighting.
Andrzej strides toward the remaining scarecrow with his scimitar at the ready and slices at its middle.
A significant chunk of the scarecrow is carved away, but the foul creature is still swinging.
Tannis again brings both of his swords to bear upon it.
Striking it with both blades, Tannis brings the scarecrow to the ground in pieces. Looking upon its ruin in satisfaction, he bends down to retrieve his bow.
"Well fought," he says simply.
"Yes, your skills were impressive." Tybalt says approaching Tannis, running his hand through his own locks.
"Scarecrows, or guardian golems of the fields. I wonder whose field this is that they didn't want trespassers or those upon the road." he says softly thinking. "For they cannot be to ambush us? Who knows our route.... but maybe just to waylay any travellers."
He tries to recollect any local nobles in the area and moreover land-owners of some disrepute.
"Perhaps at one time the scarecrows were an ordinary precaution against pests," Tannis says, "but as happens all too often, they were twisted by the very ground in which they were planted. They had a malevolent disposition."
"Aye, the genus loci - spirits of the land can be hungry for the blood of travellers." he nods in response to the knowledgeable Vistani. "Should we look beneath their masks? Or willst their horrid visage rob us of our breakfast. I wonder." he adds floridly, to mask some of his own uncertainty.
Looking to the dark sky for the approach of more crows, a shiver running up his spine. "Though maybe we should not tarry here."