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As they still weren't waking up, Oren hears a voice in his head. Has anyone tried gently shaking them awake?
He approaches the two, and gives them a gentle rustling to see if something so simple might get them back on their feet again. Nef, Lani? Can you two hear me?"[/b]
Oren's gentle shaking of the sleeping priestess and the Shoanti chirurgeon is sufficient enough to shake off the effects of the magical slumber.
As they groggily rise to their feet, they see the litters with the former Dulcimer crew members still lying on them. The sound of combat did not affect their semi-comatose state in any way.
"Lani, Nef, so glad you two are alright! Those infernal bastards got the jump on us, and practically did us in. We are lucky the rest of the fellas are good with the dagger! Are you able to provide any healing? We took some pretty bad lumps and if they come baack, it could get really bad."
Ke' slapped his face several times to shake off the stupor.
"That was a perfectly executed ambush." He gritted out. "And that won't be happening again, because they'll BURN."
He went to the others to administer potions of Cure.
To that one he'll give his Infusion of Cure Moderate Wounds, healing points of damage.
To the next one he'll give his Infusion of Cure Light Wounds, healing points of damage.
To the next one he'll give a potion of Cure Light Wounds, healing points of damage.
To the next one he'll give a potion of Cure Light Wounds, healing points of damage.
As Oren shakes her, Nef mutters, "No... no... no!" Then her eyes open wide, and she scoots back, wild-eyed, her breath ragged and panicky. It takes a minute for reality to replace her horrible nightmare, and she looks around blankly, at first not registering where she is.
"Opu? You're alive? You're !" She throws her arms around the Kamu, and then around everyone else she can hug. "He lied to me, he told me you were dead, he told me the hiwanis were..." She breaks off. Angrily, she turns and then kicks one of the bodies. She kicks it again and again, as if trying to rid her head of an awful vision.
When she stops, she's breathing heavily, but looks more in control now. "We're going to end his sick little reign on this island, and we're going to kill him." Her voice is small, calm and determined.
"He was smart. He went after the healers first. We'll have to expect similar tactics in the future." She pulls out her wand.
"Does anyone else still need healing, or did Lani take care of you all?"
Oren has a sheepish grin at Nef's hugging him. "Uh, yeah. I'm still pretty much half killed." He didn't elaborate that the natives took him to an inch of his life, and were it not for his now used up magical item, he might have been there having this discussion with the group.
________________________________
She notes Lani's wounds, and takes care of them. "First, we'll heal the healer..." Then she pauses and looks at Aikane. "I know you can operate wands. Let me show you where I keep the healing one, in case we get in this fix again."
At Oren's words, Nef looks at Oren, wide-eyed. "You've been shredded. Oh, Oren! Let's fix this."
"I don't know what we should do either. We are very susceptible to attack on this damned path back to the beach, but if we rest here, there's no way they will leave us be. This hellish island is cursed, no doubt."
"We've come all this way." Nef scowls at the path ahead. "There are no good decisions. If we stay here, we die. So, forward."
"Opu? You're alive? You're !" She throws her arms around the Kamu, and then around everyone else she can hug. "He lied to me, he told me you were dead, he told me the hiwanis were..." She breaks off. Angrily, she turns and then kicks one of the bodies. She kicks it again and again, as if trying to rid her head of an awful vision.
Reknar wears first a surprised look as the usually mild mannered girl literally kicks a dead hiwani, but then he just chuckles.
When she stops, she's breathing heavily, but looks more in control now. "We're going to end his sick little reign on this island, and we're going to kill him." Her voice is small, calm and determined.
"That we will" - the man nods.
Relieved to see that Nef and Lani are none the worse for the wear, at least in body, Jacinth nervously scans their surroundings as wounds are tended to. "You asked why people were sleeping," she says, addressing Reknar's question though she does not take her eyes off the jungle foliage. "There is something in their bite. Though I am able to shrug off such enchantments due to my elven blood, I could still feel it attempting to take hold of me when I was first bitten. That, combined with those claws..." she gazes down at her ripped and shredded clothing before looking back up. "Tangling with them up close is highly dangerous, as we just discovered."
"Yeah, I figured as much, and was checking under their nails and teeth, but couldn't understand what it was" - he ponders - "So, the bite does it then..."
Then, she turns and gazes directly first at Reknar, then at Rata, then Aikane. "You were right," she says quietly. "Coming this way with my friends was a mistake. Those hiwanis were waiting for us and they knew which of us were the most susceptible to their strikes. There may be more waiting further down the path as well, to catch any that survived this ambush. If we turn around now, there may be more of the same waiting for us in that direction as well." Her eyes suddenly shift toward the ground, as if unable to continue meeting anyone's gaze. "I may have doomed us all. Forgive me."
A few moments pass in silence before she takes a deep, shuddering breath and lifts her eyes to her 'crew' once more. "But even if that is the case, I have no desire or plans to make it easy for them. I would still attempt to get to the beach, if anyone is still willing to follow...though I am also open to other suggestions. Quickly, though. We should not remain here any longer than necessary, as our 'host' will soon realize that his ambush did not work, if he has not already."
"Lets not get ahead of ourselves Captain - we are all still alive and 'kicking'" - not able to avoid the reference, he simply laughs with a sidelong glance at the priestess - "You made a decision - we and the others, we were all with you, so that's that" - he moves closer to Jacinth, nodding his support - "Now... I agree with Nefertiti here, we plod ahead, but we need to change our movement order - it is not working like this" - the warrior finishes, looking back at the group.
Nef catches Reknar's reference to 'kicking', and grins, meeting his sidelong gaze head on. "Kicking indeed. And I'd kick them again if it would do any good. Yes, let's change the marching order. Is it alright if I abandon one of the litters to take one of Jacinth's friends to the air? Wedjat can still carry double, and I can drop the girl harmlessly with one of the spells that I still have if needed. That would keep at least one healer out of reach."
Then she pauses. "I have another reason for asking this. With every successive bite, it becomes harder and harder to fight off the sleep effect. I've been bitten twice."
"Solid thinking" - Reknar smiles back at the girl - "And kicking is always good, at least you vent some - if it helps to get your head clear, I can't think of any finer reason" - he adds.
"All ok with the suggestions?" - he questions their companions - "Those over there are starting to stink" - then nods towards the corpses.
Oren was still a little off from the blood loss, and immediate healing, so he didn't have too much to say for the time being. "Sounds good. Just try to keep them off of us as well as you can," he groans.
Nef blushes despite herself at the sudden approval of the big man. The kicking had been childish, but.... it helped her cope, and anything that did that was okay.
She glances over the group of sleeping kids. "I'll take her." She chooses the strapping Elizabeth Stansport. So long as the ant haul lasts, Wedjat's carrying capacity is larger than anyone else's. The group might as well take advantage of it.
Even tall as she is, Elizabeth is half-starved and far lighter than she should be. With Reknar's help, Nef drapes the girl over Wedjat and takes to the air, flying low under the canopy.
"Don't worry, Opu. We'll watch your backs."
That's settled then - move out!" - Reknar barks t the others, getting ready to move, again grumbling something about Wedjat being 'damned strong'
I'm cool with it.
Leaving the medical care to these "experts" for now, Aikane spends that time slipping among the jungle leaves to scout around and ahead.
.
After finally situating yourselves in a new marching order, you pick up your litters and set off again through the trail towards the beach. All of you start getting sore and aching shoulders, especially those of you unused to such physical labor. Nefertiti also does not escape difficulty as she spends most of her time preventing her passenger from dropping off of Wedjat's back during the flight.
Still, she is able to scout in a limited way by circling above the canopy and making sure no hiwanis are lurking on the trail either ahead or behind her friends. Fortunately she spies nothing on the path itself, though admittedly the canopy does a wonderful job obscuring anything that may be hidden off the trail.
Aikane has the easiest time of it, slipping into and out of the foliage barely leaving any trace of his passage. Even though the undergrowth slows his slender frame down he is still able to move faster than those hauling the litters along.
After a couple of hours of back breaking labor, you sense the beach is getting close. However Aikane notices from deep within the jungle canopy a low, droning buzz. As he pauses to determine where it is coming from he hears the buzzing coming from the south...and it is growing louder...
Aikane slips back to the others and signals a halt. He points excitedly. Danger to the south. Approaching.
Oren presses his finger to the side of his nose, activating his scrimshaw totem. He then casts Shield on himself, trying to prepare for whatever will soon be set upon them.
Reknar reaches for his wand, zapping it without hesitation, making sure he is protected by an invisible shield of force.
He then moves to interpose himself as much as he can between the incoming danger pointed out by Aikane, and the rest of the group, bardiche in hand, and poised against any possible attack.
He nods at Aikane, letting him know he is ready.
Nef listens for the sound of buzzing a moment to determine direction and whether there are many creatures buzzing, like a swarm, or just a few loud ones.
Ke' pulled a bomb shell and selected a catalyst. He felt strangely eager to explodes something, after his humiliating showing earlier.
Initiative
.
.
Tiebreaker:
As you prepare for the approach of whatever approaches, Nefertiti spots then first: A roiling black cloud of insects flies directly towards you! Even partially obscured by the canopy she has no problem spotting them.
Aikane tries to tuck himself into the hollow of a tree, out of the way of the swarm, deep in the mud of the jungle, just off the path on the north side.
Or it may be survival (which is +7)
Aikane slips out of sight even as the elf woman readies 'Lani's concoction. Loosing it at the edge of the swarm, she is gratified to see it crisp the corner of it though the mass of flying bugs ignores it otherwise.
The swarm advances relentlessly towards you, the heavy undergrowth slowing the mass of insects down somewhat before emerging from the underbrush and engulfs Reknar, Jacinth, and the litter behind her. As the feel the flying bugs bite and sting them, they start to feel suffocated by the overwhelming mass of bugs that crawl all over them.
saved.
Nefertiti sees the swarm engulf her friends and realizes this is a BIG swarm. Fortunately by elevating herself higher above the swarm she is able to damage it without harming her allies.
Calculating the trajectories and areas, Ke' popped the catalyst into the bomb shell and let fly, centering his grenade on Nef's square.
"Fire in the hole! Protect your faces!" He shouted as he threw.
The center square takes fire damage, all surrounding squares take 6 points fire damage.
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Reknar sputters and spits insects left and right - "Gods dammit!" - he roars, trying to shake the tiny creatures from his eyes and mouth.
Shaking off the most part of it, in spite of multiple, painful stings, he looks around to see Jacinth completely engulfed. Without hesitation, his legs simply propel him forward, and towards her.
With two steps he is next to the elven woman, a muscled strong arm grabbing her by the waist, and pulling her out of the swarming insects - "We're getting out of here Captain!" - he informs, effortlessly lifting her up, and continuing to move.
Calculating the trajectories and areas, Ke' popped the catalyst into the bomb shell and let fly, centering his grenade on Nef's square.
"Fire in the hole! Protect your faces!"
"Yeah! Burn it!"
Oren hopes his friends could evade most of his blast, but all he could do was Fireball the heck out of that cloud of insects. He waits until the last second (delaying until the swarm gets as close to Oren as possible) for his friends to jump out of the way, then let's his explosion issue forth from his hands.
Damage
DC 20 Reflex for half.
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'Lani's bomb is very well placed as he is able to catch the majority of the mass of flying bugs in its effects. Thousands of bugs are crisped and fall to the jungle floor nothing more than smoldering husks.
After Reknar scoops up the struggling Jacinth and carries her out of the swarm, Rata Fenn sees Oren readying a spell and nods in acknowledgement. Pulling his scarf around his mouth, he slips ahead to where the lead litter is and scoops up the now-terrified man in his arms and half-carrys half drags him out of the way.
"NOW, Oren!"
Oren's spell impacts the remaining mass of insects and engulfs the completely, along with a sizeable portion of the jungle canopy. Fortunately the dampness and sogginess of the vegetation prevents the area from igniting. All that is left is a smoking crater where a few stragglers fly off into the air and the terrified whimpers of your passengers.
"Now THAT is what I call a blast! Or actually several blasts!" - the man laughs as he moves away, and in spite of the burns.
"Are you ok Captain?" - he checks on Jacinth.
"Bravely done, Recknar and Rata!" Nefertiti lands. Since Reknar is checking on Jacinth, she runs to the litter containing Tordell Rivery, who got first attacked by a swarm and then got caught in the splash of Lani's bomb.
"Lani, when you're done checking on Reknar and Jacinth's bites, can you take a look at Tordell's?"
Meanwhile, she kneels by the side of the whimpering Tordell.
"Hey there, Tordell. Shh... Shh... You had a bit of a scare. We all did. It'll be alright. Let me heal you and make you feel better."
Nef tries to look over Tordell's stings, but has no idea what to do about them whatsoever. She turns to Oren when he stands next to her. "Opu, what were those things, anyway? Do we have any idea what those bug bites do?"
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Ke' nodded at Nef's request.
He bent over the people affected and checked them over.
He shrugged.
"I donno; they all look fine to me."
"Honeslty, Nef, I blasted them before I even got a good look at what they were. I saw what they did to the others, and I didn't want to risk the rest of us finding out any more about them than we had to!"
Know. Nature
The Mage picks up a crispy husk of the swarm. "Ah, those are botflys. Worst thing about them is that they carry diseases they've picked up form all over the place. Better check them good, Lani...last thing we want is for one of us to get infected."
As 'Lani looks over the members who could not help but be engulfed in the mass of bugs before, he sees no initial signs of ill effects. However as Oren mentions what these bugs truly are, the Shoanti pales as he just now realizes how dangerous they truly are.
Examining each body further through touching and feeling along their chests and abdomen, he nods his head as first Reknar then Tordell are cleared of any further issues. As Jacinth waits her her own clean bill of health, 'Lani pauses and slowly shakes his head. "Infestation. Her abdomen be swimming in botfly eggs now. Gotta be cut out else she dies."