Manu dives to the side as the claws of the 1st Tagster scratch several red trails across his tough skin. He lets out a snarl in the back of his throat as his fight or flight instincts kick in and his training comes back to him. In his mind's eye he can see the Tagster2 coming in for a follow up attack that the first set into motion and he whirls at the last moment his sword arcing out in a two slash attack, first to intercept the Tagster in mid leap and then to side step behind it as it flew past and slash downward across its back.
(-1 die to each action)
Everything sped up again as he executed his plan, spinning with speed that hard training had gifted him and with a roar his blade caught the leaping Tagster in the gut splitting it in half in a shower of blood and gore that would make any gladiator proud. His mind attempted to refocus his second attack on the original Tagster who had attacked him but it dodged away from his swing yowling its displeasure now at the blood soaked Manu.
"COME ON THEN! Kill and eat me if you think you can!"
Manu's cuts the Tagster in half with his Obsidian Sword showering his body in the beasts blood but the swing at the second one misses!
Round2: [Tagster Passives (Dodge 14, Block 13, Soak 14)]
Davros - 32
Tydus - 20 (no sword)
Tagster5 - 19 (Wounded, Slumber)
Tagster4 - 12 (Slumber)
Tagster1 - 11
Tagster3 - 11 (Slumber)
Manu - 10
Davros's shoulders ease up at the site of downed felines. Hoping it ends soon Davros slowly aims at the last enemy and squeezes the trigger.
The arrow strikes the cat but the thick hide is able to not let it pierce the skin.
Tydus pushes the cat seeking to injure it into unconsciousness.
Push
The cat flies backwards away from Manu with the mental push from Tydus and smacks into a rock but doesn't seem to affected by the hit and gets up and darts back into the desert leaving the rest of his pride behind.
"That is what I thought." Manu said quietly now in the sudden quiet aftermath of the brutal but dangerous fight. His battle anger had subsided leaving him feeling empty now. He moved to his kill and using his obsidian dagger he began to harvest the creature, making cut lines in its skin to prepare it for skinning and food. He left the sleeping Tagsters for the others to handle.
"A veritable feast has presented itself to us, we should take advantage eat or be eaten no?"
Tydus goes to work on one of the sleeping beasts silently, after all there are no Gods to pray to...
Davros begins slouching on his crossbow letting Tydus and Manu complete the dirty work."So who knows how to cook?"
Davros recovers the bolts he used on the creatures and you easily finish off the sleeping beasts by sliding your weapons into their vital organs ending their lives quickly.
Luck has really befallen your little group with fresh meat to feast on! Some real substance to fill the belly besides water and honey.
Manu will harvest everything he can from his kill, rawhide and bone as well as meat.
Davros attempts to make a make-shift bindle with a long bone and some hide.
You all feast like kings and harvest what you will from the animals leaving only the entrails behind and continue on your way will full bellies for the first time in a very long time.
After the third night you finally see the Oasis in the distance. As you approach you see something odd. There are two mekillots near the edge. These are much like the same beasts of burden that drew the waggon you were being transported in.
As you get closer you can clearly see that one of them is on it's side and appears to be dead and the other is staying near it as if guarding it.
"Dangerous."
Manu slowly began to skirt around the oasis to avoid the side where the Mekillots were. Perhaps they could approach from the other side to examine the Oasis without agitating the Mekillot. If the beast showed any signs of hostility he would leave.
"We can perhaps drive it away if hostile. We will need that water my friend!"
Perception
"Well uhhh... hmmmmm." Davros stares at the Mekillot.
"Aren't those the things that needed like 3 psion's to control?"
Davros continually stares at Tydus once he hears his comment.
"Very dangerous. How did its companion die? The water? We need to be careful."
You all have heard stories of these creatures swallowing men whole that walk to close to them and the one that is still alive looks very aggressive but it's not coming toward you but instead appears to be protecting the dead one and seems confused.
You can easily move around it as the oasis is rather large and avoid the creatures if you wish.
Manu looks for more signs that the oasis water might be tainted,
As you make your way around the giant beasts you do see scattered remains of what looks like old animal bones near the Oasis as well. From the distance the water looks fine, no foul odor or dark color to it.
"I think I'll just follow manu over there." Davros says towards Tydus before scurrying off.
Davros grabs the nearest stick and walks towards the water making sure his footing is secure.
Davros dunks the stick in too see if anything coats or bites the stick.
"We should press on to Kled. Death lingers here and I would rather risk the desert with what we have."
He orients himself from the oasis on the map toward Kled and starts to head off, letting the others catch up in their own time.
Davros has no real idea if the water is poisonous or not. Nothing bites at the stick when he sticks it in.
Tydus grunts, "If you think it is best Manu then move on we shall. Tis a shame..."
As your group starts to make it's way away from the oasis you hear the sound of giggling drifting from across the oasis. You can clearly see around two dozen children, that appear to be dwarven, playing in the mud near the oasis.
When all of a sudden one of the boy children gets sucked under the mud by something!
Manu curses the Dragon-Kings and turns back having seen the children suddenly and completely without having noticed them before. "You there! What are you doing!"
"I didn't see anything; I didn't see anything. Let's just walk away."
Davros eyes peer around and look towards Manu as he turns back."Wait Manu. n-nevermind." Davros sluggishly follows behind.
"Why does a half-giant even care......"
The children don't seem to you hear you just yet as they are still quite a bit away from you and they are all playing when you suddenly see another one get pulled under the mud!
At that moment you see some of them notice and begin screaming!
Manu looks to the others gauging their reactions to this event. He doesn't know if there is anything they can do even should they attempt to intervene but as he has been traveling with his companions his personality has adapted to their moral codes. If both of his companions look like they want to ignore this he will ignore the screams of the children and just assume life on Athas is harsh.
"We should assist them, the city we travel to is dwarven and these may well be their children".
Tydus begins to hustle to the children's location to see what assistance he can render to the ones who are not pulled beneath the bog anyway...
Wonders how Tydus arrived at that conclusion but the die has been cast. He draws his obsidian sword and goes toward the children as well but stopping when he gets close to the mud area letting Tydus rush forward.
No point in turning back now.
Davros unslings his crossbow and follows behind.
"let's hurry before they blame us."
As you approach you see a large snake like creature almost as big as Manu dragging 2 of the children off that it pulled under the mud in it's mouth as the other children are yelling in it's directly (unless you speak dwarvish you don't understand what they are saying).
Manu grimaces as he sees the Kluzd and curses.
Initiative
Wild
Wild
Round1: [Kluzd Passives (Dodge 15, Block 13, Soak 15/21 vs smaller)]
Tydus - 25
Davros - 16
Manu - 14
Kluzd - 9
Tydus attempts to instill fear in the creature forcing it to flee.
Psion
The Kluzd shifts a bit as Tydus stares at and it's actions don't seem as fluid as they were a moment ago.
Davros shoots at the Kluzd hoping to distract it from the children.
The crossbow bolt finds it' mark in the Kluzd drawing greenish looking blood from it's body. It drops the Dwarven children and appears to want to charge toward your group now.
Manu feels the battle instincts take over as everything slows down, feeling the squishy muddy bank beneath his toughened feet and the hint of a hot breeze at his back. He starts forward even as the Kluzd releases the dwarven child from its mouth and leans back his weight causing his momentum to take him into a slide past the creature's waiting jaws. Up and under comes his black blade flashing with the powerful arm of the half giant guiding its flight toward the neck of the creature.
Manu's blade digs deep into the large snakes hide causing it to spazm in pain as it turns its fangs on Manu!
Manu is easily able to deflect the beast attack with his blade!
Manu pulls himself to his feet and drives his sword upward toward the creature's jaw.
The wounded Kluzd is struck but the sword blade fails to penetrate its thick hide. Manu curses and backs away as far as he can backpedaling in the mud from the creature's deadly fangs.
Davros runs to the side of the Kluzd hoping to avoid Manu with his next shot.