Pointing a single finger at the nearer creature, Rawnie releases a ray of frost.
Which flies directly towards the creature in question, but being a cantrip and all is not very spectacular.
The krenshar struck by the frost ray growls a Rawnie - almost more offended for being targeted than being hit.
Shalelu does try to take advantage of the situation by taking a point-blank shot at the krenshar. It lashes out as she draws a bead on him.
Shalelu grits through the pain and responds by putting a pair of arrows into the creature's hide. It screeches in pain and is very badly hurt.
Combat status
Characters hurt:
- Shalelu -6 hp
Characters intimidated/shaken: none
Krenshars hurt:
- #1 closest to Koya -8 hp
- #2 closest to Shalelu -10 hp
- #3 closest to Ash -4 hp
- #4 closest to Sandru -0 hp.
"Blessings be to you..." Ash says as he reaches over and touches Alara. Cast Shield of Faith
Seeing the Kreshnar in between the two caravans, Piper continues his inspiring courage tune. He then follows it up with the lullaby that affected the ogres.
The krenshar between the fortune teller wagon and covered wagon sways, its eyes turn bleary, and it collapses to the ground - asleep.
The one around the outside of the covered wagon moves around it to menace Piper (though it has no action left to actually bite him yet).
The krenshar that yowled previously moves in to try to attack Koya, but it appears to be confounded by the protection of her sanctuary.
The las krenshar presses his attack against Shalelu with a flurry of teeth and claws. One claw attack managed to purchase a hold but the injury is slight.
Alara nods a quick thanks at Ash, feeling his protective magic settle in on her. A quick glance over her shoulder tells Alara that a krenshar managed to get around the wagon to try and take a bite out of Piper. Seeing that Shalelu seems to have her krenshar under control, she readies her nunchaku and focuses.
"忍アート：風のように!" She intones, the world around her seemingly slowing down.
She races towards Piper, past him, and gracefully somersaulting over the krenshar menacing him...
...before coming down hard behind the beast, and viciously swinging her nunchaku at its vulnerable spots.
The krenshar's attention follows Alara's movements but his reactions are too slow to intervene.
That krenshar has now taken his first injury... (-5 hp to krenshar #4).
Sandru jumps down from the covered wagon, scimitar in hand, and barks orders to his drivers as he heads to help out Shalelu and Rawnie.
"Bevelek, Vankor! Get behind those ones threatening our Harrowers and hem them in! Eugeni, protect Piper while he's playing!
His men are quick to respond, taking up their weapons and jumping down from their wagons to start moving into position. Eugeni, being closest to action, gets into threatening distance from a krenshar (but has used his last action in doing so).
Masamune puts away his bow and draws his sword as Duty moves up to the krenshar that is flanked by Alara and Piper and strikes out at the creature with his hoof.
Rawnie lets electricity flow through her hand and takes a step forward, attempting to grab onto the creature next to Koya.
Duty inflicts a painful injury on the krenshar beset, now, on all sides. It yowls in rage.
The krenshar Rawnie touches screams as the electricity courses through its body. It slumps to the ground, twitching.
Koya reaches out to touch Shalelu lightly on the back. Calling on the power of Desna in her role as protector of travelers, Koya mends Shalelu's wound.
Ameiko hops down from the covered wagon, rapier drawn. She aims a thrust at the surrounded krenshar.
Her strike penetrates deep into the creature's hide and it collapses.
"Nice choice of songs again, sandman," she says as she winks at Piper.
The tide in this fight has decisively turned with only a single krenshar remaining on his feet.
Combat status
Characters hurt: none
Characters intimidated/shaken: none
Krenshars hurt:
#2 closest to Shalelu -10 hp
#3 -4 hp and sleeping
Ash, Piper, and Shalelu are up next. Then the last awake krenshar.
Piper winks back at Ameiko's praise. He then moves to the sleeping krenshar. While maintaining his performance, he then begins another tune. This song slowly gets higher in pitch. Eventually, the sound is shrill and sharp. The air in front of him seems to form cracks. Finally, it ends with the air shattering like glass, the shards heading for the sleeping target.
The krenshar's hide is badly rent by Piper's spell, but the beast jolts awake. In pain and groggy, it gets up off the ground and begins to lope away.
To avoid the krenshar's claws, Shalelu steps back next to Rawnie and fires her bow at the wounded predator.
The krenshar finally drops, pierced with one more arrow.
Duty rushes off to follow the krenshar as Masamune leans over and strikes from the saddle.
His first attempt at a krenshar-killing blow is a failure, but Masamune's horse is swift and the krenshar is unable to get away and keep away for long. A moment or two is all it takes to put it down for good.
Having now witnessed the group's effectiveness in a fight directly, Sandru is satisfied with the caravan's security. "Ha, HA! Well done! Well done, my friends. Dangerous creatures will rue the day they attack this caravan and its stalwart defenders."
He takes the effort, and one of the horse teams, to drag the carcasses a modest distance away so as not to attract too many more predators to the camp.
In the morning, the caravan is once again underway and as it moves north, the road gets less and less well-used. Another day, and it's more of an infrequented path than a road. A day after that, and it's a partly overgrown track. Sandra relates that most Varisian caravans coming this far tend to make a detour around the old road to Brinewall because of the place's reputation for being haunted. But since that's your destination, he leads the caravan on the old road.
Finally, I want everyone to level up to level 3!
"Hopefully the rumors of Brinewall being haunted are just that, rumors." Rawnie cannot help but mutter as the caravan inches closer to it's destination, though as she does she turns to Koya, "Mother Koya, perhaps we should attempt to please the spirits before we get much further, do you have any rituals which could help with that?"
Msamune approaches Ameiko as they travel further on.
"Are you all right? You seem to be tired and you have been talking in your sleep. Are you sure you should be pushing yourself like this?"
Alara approaches Ameiko with Masamune.
"Ameiko-san, how are you doing? It's not something you ate, is it?" She asks, her face paling a little with worry.
'Grandfather waits in the dark, but knows not who he was...' is that some sort of riddle?
Piper relaxes on the covered wagon. However, when Alara and Masamune bring up Ameiko's condition, his ears perk up. He leans in and writes: 'Ameiko, are you well? Do we need to stop? We don't want to wear you out.'
"Hopefully the rumors of Brinewall being haunted are just that, rumors." Rawnie cannot help but mutter as the caravan inches closer to it's destination, though as she does she turns to Koya, "Mother Koya, perhaps we should attempt to please the spirits before we get much further, do you have any rituals which could help with that?"
"I wish it were that simple, my child. That would save many brave people from the dangers of putting the unquiet dead to rest. There is little we can do from a distance, nor is there a single solution to every peril we might encounter. Some unquiet dead - the hungry dead or shambling dead, for example - can only be destroyed on site through mortal combat. Others, like the ghosts of people who died with unfinished tasks or from great trauma, can only be put to rest through specific means either by finishing what they have left unfinished or by resolving their troubles."
Ameiko responds, making light of it, "Oh, pfft, I'm fine, guys. It's just the anticipation of getting closer to answers to the mysteries you dug up about my family. Really."
Masamune glares at Ameiko disapprovingly.
"Now, I know you aren't doing that well. Your going to ask Koya for help now or else I will drag you over there and make you ask for her help."
Masamune does his best to be intimidating so she does get some help for her sleep problems.
Piper looks at Masamune disapprovingly. He then moves from his "shotgun" seat to the stock and, after rummaging around in the moving cart, grabs his spare blanket. He then hops back up to the front and drapes the blanket over her shoulders. He takes out his chalkboard and writes: 'Don't let Masamune force you into seeing Koya. Do it because you're not feeling well. We care about you.'
Alara is briefly taken aback by Masamune's tone. Ameiko-san's in need of help, but that's not how you ask someone to seek it out!
She opens her mouth to say something, but Piper's writing beats her to it. She sighs and nods. "Piper-kun's right, Ameiko-san. Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"
Stung by his tone, Ameiko glares at Masamune. "FINE!" she says, turning away to climb down from the wagon. "I'll go see Koya! Thanks, Piper, Alara," she adds in a softer tone as she hops down from the moving wagon to move back to the fortune teller wagon. She sways a bit on landing, but then stalks off.
A moment later, she climbs on to the step at the rear of the fortune teller wagon and knocks. With Koya's assent, she enters and says. "Koya, I think I may have caught something that isn't agreeing with me. I don't feel well."
Koya moves into action with a surprising vigor, but then she has had many years of taking care of people for experience. "Take a seat, child. We will soon put you right," Koya says in maternal tones (something both Ash and Rawnie are quite familiar with).
Alara winces as Ameiko storms off before turning a look on Masamune.
"You didn't need to be so forceful with her, you know." Alara folds her arms.
Sandru, driving the lead wagon and having witnessed the initial exchange, chuckles to diffuse the tension. "Masamune, I am glad we are brothers for you would make for a very stern parent. Still, I hope Ameiko is alright. We are almost to Brinewall. Just ahead is Steam River and it should only be a mile or two along the banks to the town and castle."
Piper winces at Ameiko's tone. He turns to Masamune. Though, he can't voice it, his face shows his disapproval. He frowns deeply and folds his arms over his chest.
"Mother Koya, is there anything I can do to assist?" Rawnie questioned, doing her best to stay out of the more experienced woman's way. Of course, Rawnie knew that her magic would be of little use in this situation, and her skill set was admittedly quite different and not as useful for taking care of what ills others, but still Rawnie asked out of kindness towards her foster mother, though there was perhaps a hint of unease in the woman's voice perhaps not quite alright with assisting Koya in taking care of Ameiko.
Masamune shrugs at the looks he is given.
"What, she refused to see a healer when she needed to see a healer. If someone in this group decides to just ignore their own health then I don't care who they are or how foolish they are. I will make them get the help, or protection they need."
Masamune seems unwilling to back down from this position of protecting people.
"You basically pointed a sword at her back and told her to seek help or else." Alara's unimpressed with Masamune's unrepentance. "If you're going to bully and strongarm people into acting the way you want, don't be surprised when they decide to throw themselves into danger just to spite your offer of 'protection'. Piper and I were able to accomplish the same thing--getting Ameiko-san to see Koya for a checkup--just by asking politely. Why can't you?"
Piper nods at Alara's points. He writes: 'One cannot simply force others into things. That could be seen as oppression.'
"Someone needed to tell her that if she didn't seek help then help would be brought to her."
Piper huffs. He writes: 'When you say it like that, it seems like you should have done something different. You should have brought Madam Koya to Ameiko instead of forcing Ameiko to see Koya.' He sighs and continues: 'Despite the methods used, Ameiko is being looked at by Madam Koya and that's all that matters in the end.'
Alara lets Piper write his piece before she goes looking for Shalelu.
"Um... Shalelu? Got a minute?" She asks, folding her arms behind her back. "I... I'm worried about Ameiko. She's been talking in her sleep about weird stuff..."
"Um... Shalelu? Got a minute?" She asks, folding her arms behind her back. "I... I'm worried about Ameiko. She's been talking in her sleep about weird stuff..."
Alara finds Shalelu a couple of miles ahead on a bluff overlooking the ruined town of Brinewall. The area seems peaceful, but Shalelu surveys the scene carefully. She turns to Alara, and concern is evident on her face as well.
"I heard some of her mutterings too. Something about one treasure behind two seals in a third vault. It sounds almost like she's counting but she never gets to four." Shalelu shrugs.
"I always considered Ameiko to be pretty tough - she got through some rough scrapes back in her adventuring days. But maybe she's been out of action too long and her nerves are starting to fray like an old tapestry. I can try to keep an extra eye on her, if you think she needs it."
"Mother Koya, is there anything I can do to assist?"
"Perhaps you should consult the Harrow, daughter. Ameiko's body seems too well to be this sick. There may be other influences bound up in her destiny at work, if truly there is some family secret hidden here."
"Um... Shalelu? Got a minute?" She asks, folding her arms behind her back. "I... I'm worried about Ameiko. She's been talking in her sleep about weird stuff..."Alara finds Shalelu a couple of miles ahead on a bluff overlooking the ruined town of Brinewall. The area seems peaceful, but Shalelu surveys the scene carefully. She turns to Alara, and concern is evident on her face as well.
"I heard some of her mutterings too. Something about one treasure behind two seals in a third vault. It sounds almost like she's counting but she never gets to four." Shalelu shrugs.
"I always considered Ameiko to be pretty tough - she got through some rough scrapes back in her adventuring days. But maybe she's been out of action too long and her nerves are starting to fray like an old tapestry. I can try to keep an extra eye on her, if you think she needs it."
"I think that'd be a good idea, to be honest, Shae--*ahem* Shalelu." Alara nods, blushing a little.
"There's something else that's bugging me about Ameiko--sometimes, while she's sleeping, she says something about her grandfather. About how he 'waits in the dark, but doesn't know what he was'." The ninja shifts uncomfortably.
At least you're more emotionally reasonable than Masamune.
Ash watches as everyone is talking to Ameiko and he shakes his head. Walking over to Ameiko as everyone else moves away and he looks at her rather compassionately.
"Meiko...I don't want to know, nor do I care what is causing you distress...unless you wish to tell me," he takes a moment to pause, looking away. "What I do care is your body is showing signs of stress...as if you are sick. If you would allow me...I would like to just watch over your health. I will speak with no one of what is going on and I will try and keep you healthy."
"There's something else that's bugging me about Ameiko--sometimes, while she's sleeping, she says something about her grandfather. About how he 'waits in the dark, but doesn't know what he was'." The ninja shifts uncomfortably.
"Her grandfather? The one who wrote the letter and never returned from Brinewall?!?" she looks back at the town and castle. "That is ominous. I'm not seeing any activity from here but that doesn't mean we won't find a host of problems down there. We're so close, but not close enough yet."
"Meiko...I don't want to know, nor do I care what is causing you distress...unless you wish to tell me," he takes a moment to pause, looking away. "What I do care is your body is showing signs of stress...as if you are sick. If you would allow me...I would like to just watch over your health. I will speak with no one of what is going on and I will try and keep you healthy."
"I don't know, Ash. I'm not sleeping well. The dreams are so vivid and unsettling at the time, but they're gone in the morning and I can't remember what they were. I'm not used to that. I'm a storyteller. I remember stories. I used to remember dreams. But not these. It's like they're someone else's dreams, if that makes any sense. I just don't know."
Meanwhile, Sandru drives the lead wagon along the track until it comes to a ridge line overlooking a river that he identifies as the Steam River. A bridge crosses once the track heads down the ridge slope, but here stands an old rock marker indicating a side track running along the top of the ridge as the road to Brinewall. The road appears to be long disused and has fallen into some disrepair and overgrowth, slowing the caravan's progress.
"We are nearly there, friends. Come out of the wagons if you want to see the town as we approach."
"Her grandfather? The one who wrote the letter and never returned from Brinewall?!?" she looks back at the town and castle. "That is ominous. I'm not seeing any activity from here but that doesn't mean we won't find a host of problems down there. We're so close, but not close enough yet."
"There's something else that's bugging me about Ameiko--sometimes, while she's sleeping, she says something about her grandfather. About how he 'waits in the dark, but doesn't know what he was'." The ninja shifts uncomfortably.
Alara's hands start wringing together. "She started having these dreams when we arrived here... do you think there's something about this place that's affecting her?" She starts pacing. "I mean, her grandfather never came back from here--do you think there's something trying to draw her here?"