Kage elbows Jon-Wyn, "Wow, are my eyes deceiving me? Look at that vision over there?!"
Sa'Kage was so enraptured with the fae beauty that he elbows Mother Hagcrow thinking that it was his longtime partner in assassination.
Mother Hagcrow rises from where she had been stooped to quench her thirst, but she is too late to do anything before the fey dips below the crystal waters and rises to just before Sa'Kage. She leans forward and plants a kiss on the Tith'Kali's lips.
You feel your lungs fill with water! You're drowning!
Alayna's threat to Copperhorn is unfortunately ill-timed, as he continues to bleed from Jon-Wyn's strike. He collapses upon the crimson-stained moss.
Suddenly, a dozen extremely small, winged fey burst out of the forest. They dart about, incensed, and then wink out of sight, though there's still the palpable anger of them that indicate they're still nearby.
Eris casts Fly on herself, ready to leave on short notice
”You little s#@@s!” Alenaya hisses before popping the top of the vial and pouring it directly onto the satyr, setting him chemically aflame!
The satyr screams his last as he's set ablaze to go along with his bleeding wound.
"You might want to stay away," Sister Harpy says as she steps forward and raises a symbol made to look like an angry, bloodshot eye. A pulse of vile energy surges forth from the cleric.
A series of high-pitched screams indicate that several of the faerie die in the burst.
Mother Hagcrow sends a hex at the fey that is locked lips with Kage.
The fey drops off into a deep slumber, interrupting her powerful kiss!
Suddenly Kage eyes grow wide and his hands clutch at his throat as he splutters and coughs and hacks up all the water that had invaded his lungs.
Eris speeds off in the direction that Sa'Kage went
The kiss is broken off as the fey falls into unconsciousness. Her beguiling aura snaps, and the invisible Jon-Wyn comes to his senses.
Kage, meanwhile, pulls his lips from the beauty and begins coughing up great amounts of water from his lungs.
With a large number of the wee folk slain or severely injured from Sister Harpy's channeled energy, the buzzing fey stay back. However, the hateful glares press upon the Mantises and Gyronnans.
Eris starts running in the direction that Kage and Hagcrow went. Harpy starts moving in that direction as well. "Get the mother and your assassin; we have to GO!" she shouts.
The invisible Jon takes the time to deliver a lethal blow to the nereid.
Kukri, mw, cold iron: 2 wpn, arcane strike
coup-de-gras
Sneak Attack: dagger, bleed 2
"Yeah...let's get...but first..." Alenaya says before kneeling down beside the dead satyr and taking out her dagger. She saws his head free from his body and shoves it into a pack, sneering at the surviving fey before moving to join the others.
Jon-Wyn ends the feys life while Mother Hagcrow incants a spell and touches Kage.
[dice=2d8+8[/dice]
The intruders in the fey woods regroup, as the forest becomes inherently hostile. A wail comes up from the host at the desecration of Copperhorn's body and the slaying of the powerful water spirit.
Seeing the need to flee before they are overwhelmed, the group runs, keeping in a loose formation together, with bombs, negative energy, hexes and deadly spells and blades cutting down any fey that barred their way. Large, moving trees crash behind them and tiny arrows nip at their heels. Curses and epithets in Sylvan are hurled at them as they leave the forest.
The chase runs past Tatzlford and onto the road east of the Narlmarches before it becomes clear that they've outpaced the fey.
Kage's close brush with a watery grave had left him uncharacteristically subdued. Normally his mind was uncluttered and unworried but on their way to confront the five he'd fallen into self-doubt and brooded.
Once back to their safe spot, Alenaya says ”Okay, how soon until the next full moon? I’m ready to get this over with. I want Grey to suffer...suffer dearly...”
"Well, I believe you've sufficiently riled up the fey," Hagcrow says, though it's hard to gauge from her tone whether she's impressed or annoyed.
"You've several days left before the next full moon. I will see that our sisters cause sufficient distractions in that time. You can busy yourselves setting the proper ambush, or perhaps seeing if your allies the Tiger Lords or the kobolds wish to coordinate?"
She and Sister Harpy set out toward the kingdom, leaving the four assassins to plan their next move.
Inform the Tiger Lords that the trap is set. Let them know where we suspect Alecia will be contained during that time.
Let Maxwell know of Copperhorn's distress.
Kage sets about sending some particularly vicious rumors: "Maxwell has manufactured a calamity, backed by Brevoy he has riled up the Fae and local Kobold tribes and arranged for the Tiger Lords's return and that of the witches of Gyronna. He aims to depose the rest of the council and proclaim himself King of Emeraldvale!"
"Maxwell personally murdered his Fae lover when he refused to back his coronation, scorned he plans to see the forest burn."
"The Tiger Lords are coming, burning and raping as they go. Get away quickly while you still can! Worse in their wake comes an army of Kobolds lead by the witches of Gyronna who aim to neuter all men!"
Between the four Mantises, dire rumors are seeded among the populace. Dissent and unease is brewing throughout Emeraldvale.
Furthermore, word is all over the place that the Five are now responding, going from place to place to be visible and stamp out the unrest.
A militia has been raised to patrol the western border in order to quell the raids upon travelers by the barbarians of the foothills.
Word has it that Yallah and Maxwell have gone to the Narlmarches to appease the fey that have been riled up for some reason.
Another rumor that Thrusk and Alecia is trying to settle the kobolds, who have accused the Five and the nation of betraying them.
The Gray Mage is holed up in his tower, planning some sort of magic that will solve Emeraldvale's current problems.
Kage was too busy spreading rumours to pay much attention to others flying around.
How did I miss this earlier?
Jon helps to spread rumors.
He tries to find out what the five are doing.
Kage listens to the things that Jon-Wyn found out. A childish rhyme came to mind: 'Yallah and Maxwell sitting in a tree K. I. S. S. I. N. G.' He tries to hide it but an evil grin stole across his features, "So the plan was to deal with Yallah first. I still think we should do that, she's their lynch pin and we need to take her out and Maxwell too if we can. We know we probably can't sneak past her, and besides the forest is alive with eyes and likely allied with them. Still maybe with the usage of the deodorant and alchemical toys perhaps we can get close enough."
"I'm fine with eliminating Maxwell and Yallah, however I don't wish to engage the Fey at the same time. If we can defeat them in transit, I'm comfortable in our abilities to defeat them. I don't think we can defeat Maxwell, Yallah, and the Fey at the same time, some of us almost died just taking on Maxwell's lover, let alone a team of adventurers."
Shuddering at the memory, Kage readily agrees, "Yeah I have no desire to cross the Fae again. So does anyone have a notion of how we'd track them down before they enter the forest? Presumably they have a march on us!"
”Then let’s go catch the two while they are on the road! Then quickly cut across their lands and take down the other two before they can rejoin the mage. And then...” Alenaya adds in a mutter, ”He is mine...”
Kage scratch his ear as he thought, "Lets see. We wanted some Deodorizing agent and Stalker's Oil for all of us. Enough silver weapon blanch for myself and Jon-Wyn's weapons. Some of your most vicious poison and I suppose some Wolfsbane."
"Assuming that those preparations don't take too long, we should be able to set off relatively quickly" Eris responds on reflection.
"Well then, lets do it." replied Kage, "We have to assume we will not be able to sneak up on Yallah, unless perhaps magic is employed. Perhaps we should just come at them, no preamble. Or we could try to flag them down under some pretext."
Either way it was time to go, they could discuss tactics on the road.
"Why wouldn't we just come up to them? We are friends after all. They even invited us to be in the area. Remember? We heard of the trouble and are here to help. Surely they would welcome us along."
Kage grinned, "Sure! I can picture it now. 'Wait up Maxwell! We heard the news...' We draw up alongside and then Zam! Yes let's do that."
The Mantises set out to catch Maxwell and Yallah unawares as they go to deal with the incensed fey. Catching them on the road would be tricky, but if they manage it they have the potential of eliminating two of the Five before the rest know what's happening.
Jon asks the Hag Sisters for advice as to where to intercept the druid and the bard.
Jon-Wyn thinks about what he's discussed with the witches and has a couple ideas about where to meet up with Maxwell and Yallah. One place would be along the road, remote and ideal for an ambush.
The other likely spot is in the small market town of Bearton.
Jon feels that either location will be a likely location that the two members of the Council will be passing through. However, the terrain of the town will likely favor Maxwell, while the wilderness location will be an advantage for Yallah.
Which one will you choose?
"The woods favor Yallah, but I like it for its remoteness. Bearton will likely have witnesses that can report to the others."
”Agreed. Let’s just kill the b*%** first,” Alenaya comments as they travel.
"I think I prefer the woods too." remarked Kage, but he couldn't help but remember the trouble the fae had recently given them.
"We wait for them at a point before the ambush point. That way we can get into position by the time we make it to there. Then we strike at the druid with all we have. Remember to keep an eye on Maxwell, though. He has tricks of his own for sure."
Kage nodded, "Yes. We shall need to use a dose of the deodorizing lotion and of the Stalker's Oil as well as magic to conceal ourselves. Even then I doubt we'll get close before she notices but Achaekek willing it'll be too late by then."
"We should move fast then, better to get into position as quickly as we can than lose the chance entirely."
The Mantises move swiftly through the country of Emeraldvale, through idyllic rolling grasslands streaked with glistening streams and rivers and countrysides dotted with farmsteads.
In short order, they've arrived at their chosen ambush site and a quick study of the tracks along the road show that there hasn't been any recent traffic. It appears that it has been Achaekek's will that they have arrived ahead of their quarry.
Stealth roll? No. Jon will wait out in the open as Lucien Laniston. Maxwell's friend. He heard of the tragedy and is here to offer aid in any way he can.
Ideally, Lucien will meet the pair before the ambush spot and ride with them into it.
Kage smiled at Jon-Wyn's ruse. He was half tempted to follow suit when he decided no, a single lone traveler was much less threatening. Now to pull the deception off properly Kage would need to be nearby but utterly hidden. The first step was to deodorize, many creatures had an amazingly acute sense of smell and could sniff him out despite Kage's somewhat fanatical attention to his personal bathing.
He scrubbed himself thoroughly with the deodorizing agent before applying some of the Stalker's oil to his armor. It did a remarkable job of deadening sound. He found a good place near Jon but not too near to wait. He then asked Alenaya to apply some of her Deathblade Poison to his cruel saw-toothed sabers. The gloves where off, it was time to play to win!
Once settled it was simply a matter of waiting. He planned to make sure neither target had a chance to spot him by using his uncanny ability to vanish in addition to his mundane but well honed hiding skills.