As this alchemist grabs the firely concoction Harg takes the opportunity to swing down at their side, hoping the opening will be good.
As the fire hits the floor Harg tries to twist out of the blast. Singing the side of his arm.
"AAaaahh.. This is not going to go well for you. Be done with it!"
Electical arching slides down his arm into his blade. "Be done!"
The alchemist tries to fend off Harg's assualt, and actually survives the physical blows, but the arcing electricity from his blackblade caused her to jerk and spasm until she falls to the ground, her body smoking.
Arrow sees his friend Fang being savaged by the big wolf, and advances, scoring a hit with his large antlers.
The wolfboy, free of Braden's calming magic, howls at the sky and launches himself at Braden. Punching wildly, the wolfboy connects with one blow to Braden's side .
Up on the cliff, the volunteer archers run to follow Rhyna, stopping and shooting a volley at the now hostile worgs. Only two of their arrows find purchase in the animal's flesh, causing minor wounds.
The small female hobgoblin, despite being free of Braden's magic, remains sitting, watching the hostilities.
The two worgs snap and snarl at the arrows that hurt them, then follow their instincts and beset the unfortunate Arrow. But, the brave elk kicks out with vigor , keeping his ancient enemy at bay.
Worried now that the fighting has resumed and Harg hasn't come back into view yet, Govrina moves in and launches another rock at the wolf-boy goblin attacking Braden!
"Vraxis! Braden! Get on your mounts and get OUT of here! Out the front gate and hold it for Harg! I can hold these stairs! The Archers will cover us better if they don't have to worry about hitting you too! You! Woman! If you truly want to be free of these people go out the front gate too!"
"If only Arrow would let me ride!"
Braden steps back and fires at the same wolf-boy that Govrina has targeted!
;
;
The wolfboy is buffeted by Govrina's psychic assault, and then is struck point blank by one of Braden's arrows. He snarls in pain but does not go down!
Another arrow sprouts from wolfboy's back, fired by a crowing Rhyna up on the cliff. But still the boy proves hardy, obviously in pain but still fighting.
Once again the large wolf squares off with Arrow, only to be fended off with a sweep of the elk's antlers.
Harg rushes around the tent, moving past the calmed girl. Getting into a flanking position with Vriaxis, next to the wolves.
"I think this is all we have left."
Perhaps emboldened by his success evading the large wolf's attacks, Arrow attempts to gore the wolf with his antlers, but the wolf proves just as adept in avoiding the elk's attack.
Scowling in pain and fury, the wolfboy pursues Braden, arms flailing, connecting with one solid punch. .
The volunteers move along the cliff, waiting for an opportunity to fire a volley without endangering the party.
The small hobgoblin makes a bee-line for the camp gate.
Vraxis jabs at the large wolf with his lance, scoring a hit along it's flank. Fang lunges at the wolf and grabs it's leg violently, shaking his distant relative to the ground.
In an almost mirror move , one of the worgs bites Harg's leg, drawing blood, but also drawing the magus down to the ground!
In a domino of wolven skill, the other worg latches onto one of Arrow's legs and brings the large elk down to the ground as well!
Stepping up again, Govrina grabs another rock and launches it at the warg that knocked over Harg!
"Get off of him!"
Govrina's rock hurtles towards the warg threatening Harg, but it twists to the side at the last minute avoiding any harm.
Braden winces as the wolf boy strike his, thinking Hmm, that'll leave a mark."
He gathers his occult energies and attempts to place a murderous compulsion into the creature's small mind: kill your friend!
The wolfboy seizes Bradens' momentary inward gaze, and punches vicously, only to come up against the hard metal of Braden's breastplate.
Then the wolfboy blinks, suddenly his mind filled with images of treachery on the part of one of the nearby wargs. But, he chases them away with a shake of his head!
Rhyna fires into the melee, but her arrow thuds harmlessly into the ground.
The large wolf pounces on the struggling elk, tearing his throat. The magestic elk's lifeblood spills up on the ground, staining the wolf's muzzle.
Letting his sword's black edge darken even more, it starts to give off a strange obsidian shine.
Focusing on the large wolf attacking the Elk, Harg bares down with his sword, but it misses. The strange sensation of the blade in his hand causes him to loose his focus in the last second.
Arrow struggles to rise, but the wound in his neck is too severe. Growing weaker by the second, the elk majestic antlered head sinks to the ground and lays still.
The wolfboy snarls and continues his assault on Braden...punching wildly. One fist smashes again into Braden's breastplate, but the other makes it through and delivers a glancing blow to Braden's ear.
The archers on the cliff stir nervously , arrows knocked but following Rhyna's instruction to wait for a break in the action below.
Both Vraxis with his lance and Fang score hits on the large wolf, tearing holes in it's fur, drawing blood.
The two wargs concentrate their attention on Harg. Harg manages to avoid one snapping, snarling attack. but the other somehow intuits which 'Harg' is the true one and bites the magus on the leg. . With a vicious turn of its shoulders, Harg feels his center of gravity shift and falls to the ground!
Realizing the best way to help Harg is to get Braden free quickly, Govrina throws another rock at the goblin-boy!
Then frustrated with her archers lack of energy, she shouts!
"Somebody shoot something!"
Braden takes a step back and pleads to Erastil for reinforcements! A small Earth Elemental appears to attack the nearest worg!
;
Govrina's rock hits goblin-boy square in the face, destroying the front of his skull with a sickening crunch. He topples to the ground, quite dead.
An amorphous creature emerges from the ground next to one of the worgs, a collection of dirt and rocks. With a rocky appendage the creature smashes the worg down to the ground, breaking it's back...ending it's life.
Rhyna shoots from up on the cliff, but her bowstring breaks and her arrow falls harmlessly.
The wolf lunges for the prone Harg, but he and his images twist away and avoid the vicious bite.
Either emboldened or frightened by Govrina's shout, a number of the volunteer archers loose their arrows at the remaining Wolf and Worg. Remarkably one of the arrows scores a bloody line down the Worg's flank, the other arrows fall to the ground harmlessly.
Vraxis's lance and Fang's....fangs lay into the wolf, keeping it on the ground, it's breath expelled for the last time.
Grabbing one of the missed arrows with her mind, Govrina launches it at the remaining wolf attacking Harg!
"Braden! Help Arrow if you can!"
Braden will call forth healing, hurry to where Arrow lies and attempt to heal his trusty companion.
His earth elemental will attempt to slam the worg!
;
Injured on the floor, Harg waits a bit. All of his mirrors gone. Afraid to step up and cause the large wolf like creature to attack again. Harg swings out from the ground.
Govrina's flung arrow pierces the wolf's side, causing it to yelp in pain...pain that is mercifully cut short by Harg's hack from the ground. It falls to the ground, dead.
The worg hating elemental slams the remaining worg to the ground, it's life snuffed out before it can voice it's pain or discomfort.
For a moment silence reigns, then the volunteers up on the cliff erupt into cheers and shouts!
Frustrated at the situation nearly getting out of control, Govrina turns to the ones cheering on the cliff.
"All but one of you get down here quickly! The man remaining up there needs to hide and keep watch...just in case! Rhyna, get down here! Arrow's hurt badly!"
She turns to Harg.
"Find our missing man, or what's left of him. He must be in one of these tents somewhere? I will get the others and start scavenging."
She turns to Vraxis and Fang.
"Find and catch up to that slave that ran away. See if she's willing to help us at all. Her knowledge of our enemies could be quite extensive."
She then immediately starts searching the dead bodies nearby for anything of true value to the situation, and can be hauled back to camp easily enough by the group.
Braden focuses first on Arrow, to make sure his trusty companion is okay. Once he knows the elk is okay, Braden turns to the others. "If you're wounded, come here and let Erastil heal you."
He knows Harg is among the wounded:
Getting up and moving into action as fast as possible. Accepting the heals from Braden as Harg starts to look around the tends.
"Keep an eye on her" Harg points at the calmed girl.
All but one of the archers up on the cliff run around and down the stairs to join the victors below!
Most quickly help Govrina pull the bodies of the deceased Ironfang soldiers into line for Govrina to investigate, but one notices the alchemist's tents was still smoldering and threw sand and dirt up to put out the fire Govrina started.
Vraxis sketches a salute then he and Fang speed off to try to track down the small female hobgoblin.
Unfortunately, Braden's efforts to save his friend Arrow are for naught , the big elk's body lays still.
Harg return to the tent where he killed the Ironfang leader, his body laying at the tent entrance where Harg had left him. Inside Harg found the missing boy tied to a wooden frame, a number of bloody instruments of torture nearby. Half of the skin of the lad's chest had been flayed, it hung in bloody strips past his waist. The shallow movement of his chest showed he still lived.
Beside the lad hangs an elf....who has succumbed to similar injuries inflicted upon him by the vicious bugbear.
Hobgoblin : masterwork battleaxe, handaxe, composite longbow, padded armor, 20 arrows, 2 potions, 2 alchemist fire, 3gp
Bugbear :leather armor, light wooden shield, morningstar, 3 javelins, 5 gp
Alchemist : 9 potions, 3 vials of acid, 3 alchemist's fire, 3 tanglefoot bags, 1 thunderstone, a fine chain shirt, masterwork morningstar, key ring with several keys, 52 gp
Dog-boy: loincloth, leather collar etched with name 'Garvex'
The leader: 4 potions, 5 caltrops, 6 vials of green oil, a suit of spiked leather armor, 2 fine shortswords, masterwork composite shortbow, 20 arrows.
Harg, finding the two prisoners. Cuts them free, but afraid to move them steps out. "Could use some medical attention in here." Stepping back in and trying to rouse them a little. "You are free. We are here to rescue you. Can you tell me your names?"
Leaning down and offering as much help as he can muster. Offering both of them a potion of cure light wounds.
Govrina tries not to look sad at Braden's loss, giving him a minute to process, and keeps people moving and stacking anything useful to take back.
"Scatter and search the camp. Grab anything useful...food, magic...arrows! Grab as many arrow-full quivers as you can! Fill your quivers to the brim too if there is enough in the camp. We need as many as we can take with us most likely. We should burn anything we leave behind if we can."
Hearing Harg ask for help, Govrina directs the Halfling Adept towards him.
Once everything has been handled, Govrina moves towards the alchemist's tent, praying to Seranrae it has some sort of useful magic the group can use.
Braden slumps over the shredded body of his fallen elk companion, horrified by the loss. He embraces Arrow as the elk's warmth starts to slip away, not caring about the blood that was now covering his body. "I'm sorry Arrow, you were so brave to protect me, but I couldn't protect you."
Many moments later, he kneels, placing his hands on Arrow's body and begins to pray to Erastil to bless Arrow's spirit.
Harg finds the elf to be very dead, his body showing the telltale signs of torture , skin flayed and then it looks like some caustic solution was applied to wash away any blood. In fact at the foot of the wooden frame, a bucket of caustic , lime-based solution. The lost boy was lucky, the bugbear had not yet applied his cleaning solution to him.
As Harg's healing magic washes over him, the boy's wounds heal, but leave large scars over much of his body,"Uhg...it's you! " he blurts, recognizing Harg, then he winces still in considerable pain.
The volunteers enter the tent and begin to pull items of interest out for Govrina's inspection. All however, stop and give greetings to the boy.
They pull out a box and three locked chests. One of them finds a ring with three keys on the dead bugbear leader. A number of weapons are found in the leaders tent: six longswords, three shortswords, two scimitars, along with a fine looking whip and large wooden shield.
The fire atop the alchemist's tent is extinguished, and the volunteers find a large amount of glassware, burners and components; they do not know what this stuff is , and so they leave it alone!
They do how ever pull out two additional locked chests .
A search of the long lean-to reveals three leather pouches that the volunteers add to the pile of loot.
As Braden prays for his fallen friend, a vision comes to him.
He kneels in a sacred place in the forest. It is night, and the moon bathes the clearing with light. An elk walks into the clearing and approaches Braden, stopping directly in front of him. After pawing the ground, the elk leans down its head, it's majestic antlers spread to either side of Braden,as the elk gently lays it's forehead against Braden's. The two friends stay like that for a moment, before Arrow raises his head, one eye on the moon , the other on Braden. Then with a coltish jump, the elk disappears into the forest. A breeze stirs the branches, carrying with it a promise to Braden....there will be another.
Smiling gently, Govrina points at the loot.
"Excellent work everyone! Remember...no celebrating until we get back ho...back to our camp."
Once the living prisoner is freed, Govrina ignores him pointedly. She suggests Harg take a look at the alchemist's setup, since he has the skill for it. She then immediately tells everyone to step back and begins checking for traps on the found chests.
If no traps are found, Govrina tries the keys found on the corpses on the various locks.
Looking to the boy "Yes it is me. You are safe"
Following Govrina's guidance, Harg takes a close look at the alchmical supplies and tools.
He also starts to take stock on all the items. Helping divy them up to the groups.
"She is right. We need to get back. We don't want to leave that place empty for too long."
Braden's expression remains sad but also distant, staring off into space. He speaks softly as he does so. "Thank you, Arrow. Find peace in the great beyond."
With the spirit departed, he leaves Arrow's body be for now. His attention turns to the hobgoblin who stopped fighting them. "Girl, what is your name? Tell me, why did you surrender?"
Govrina's caution is unwarranted as she finds none of the chests are trapped. Using the keys, she eventually finds the correct one for each chest and gets a satisfying click from each lock.
Alchemist chest #1 : laid out on two trays and array of vials filled with oddly colors liquids.
Alchemist chest #2 : A large piece of darkwood, a large quantitily of eelhide, 300gp, and a tube of beaten silver.
Leader box: shaving kit, five blocks of soap, two stiff-bristled brushes and three vials of deodorizing agent.
Leader chest #1: 750 sp, 480 gp
Leader chest #2: pouch of semiprecious gemstones and 9 potions ( two colors, 2x and 7x )
Leader chest #3: filled to the brim with an assortment of odds and ends and trinkets.
As each chest is opened, the volunteers and Rhyna crowd close to get a better look. When the third chest's lid is opened, Rhyna exclaims reaching in and pulling out a set of silver charms on rings, each one the shape of a different leaf, "I didn't think I'd ever see this again....my grandmother gave it to me. All of this must have been taken from town! "
One of the volunteers approaches Harg, mainly since he had been in the leader's tent. He offers a bundle of clothing, "I found this as well.". It is a distinctly elven belt, a green vest and inkpen...most likely having belonged to the elven victim of the bugbear's torture. The device woven in to the vest is definitely that of the famed Chernasardo Rangers (Aubrin wears a similar device). Tucked into a pocket on the inside of the vest is a small note, "All foxes to their holes"
Nodding Govrina waves at everyone again.
"Get everything packed up and loaded up carefully so we can carry it all. Harg, see what you need to do to take the Alchemist's setup? Can we load it somehow and transport it safely? Other wise grab what you can that might supplement your kit back at camp."
Looking at the boy "You happy with the decisions you made? You ready to listen to the people with some idea of what is going on and some idea of strategy? You not being dead shows you have some value, but don't ruin it going forward. We are barely holding on.. Don't push it!"
Looking at the elven belt. Turning to Govrina "All foxes to their holes? That worries me. We should get back asap." And hands her the note.
Harg tries to pack up the alchemical set into a crate and move out fast.
[ooc]Can I assume I get a Alchemical tool or maybe masterwork tool back to the camp?
Walking up to Braden "I am sorry for your loss. I know he was a great friend of yours. And a great soul to have around. He would often sit next to me while I was on guard. Lets get back, and we can remember him together over a drink."
The boy hangs his head and swallows hard, nodding his acceptance of Harg's words. He gingerly begins to help the volunteer archers to gather useful gear and bring it out.
Harg finds that the alchemist was a pack rat, all of the boxes for the alchemical set are still present, filled with straw for safe transportation.
Looking about the camp, you see evidence that a wagon of some sort has visited from time to time, but it is not present. The materials of the lean-to look likely to be useful in creating a number of travois, enough to transport all of the useful gear.
Getting everyone organized and packed, Govrina will then have Vraxis begin leading the way back to the survivor's group cave/camp. She turns to Harg and Braden once the others start getting ready to go.
"We need to be able to keep from being trailed. Once the enemy find what happened here, they will be looking for us even harder and those travois will leave an obvious trail I'm afraid. So we need to disguise our trail...our scents too...as much as possible. Any suggestions? I still have the wand of Prestidigitation to 'dirty' up our trail, but it will run out of power eventually. Maybe the fairies could help? I also think we should burn the bodies and anything we leave behind. I want these a~~!&&#s to feel at least a portion of what they did to our people."
Govrina looks up and realizes that Vraxis and Fang have not yet returned. All of the found items are secured to a number of travois, and you are confident that by switching out , all should be transported back to home in good time.
Looking worried, Govrina waves for the troops to move out with the booty.
"We will have to trust Vraxis and Fang to do their best to get home on their own. We need to get everyone moving. Once this group manages to get out of sight, we need to fire this place and start covering our tracks."
Braden remains somber, but he knows that they had won a great victory and Arrow's spirit was at peace. Braden does his best to help keep their tracks hidden as they escape to home.
The victorious group makes it back 'home' slowly, trying to obscure their passage though the wild environment of the Chernasado Forest.
The occasional back track shows that their path through the forest was successfully hidden.
Most difficult was keeping the chattering of the volunteers to a dull roar, as they re-told the exploits of the party over and over, including of course their own heroic volley's of arrows into the fray.
Rhynna does her best to keep them quiet, but the smile on her face betrayed her reluctance to be too strict with them.
At two points in the journey home, the group comes across two piles of bodies of Iron Fang soldiers. Most likely the patrols the sprites took care of for the party.
Finally the group arrives home, welcomed by a hero's welcome. The volunteers immediately spread out to tell the tale, while the other leaders of the community greet the party.
Rhynna immediately opens the chest of knick-knacks, calling villagers over, many of them exclaiming surprise and joy at finding something taken from their home.
The mood, while celebratory at the victory over the Iron Fang camp, becomes almost manic , tears of joy and sadness erupting as old keepsakes were returned to what was often the last member of that family to survive.
A modest feast is organized, everyone enjoying the volunteer archers' vivid and by now exaggerated re-telling of the attack on the Iron Fang camp. One thing the party notices is that the refugees have begun to refer to their new home in the troglodyte caves as Misthome, a clever homonym for 'Missed home'. A true sense of community has begun to take hold.
Harg moves about the camp, well now called Misthome, by the community. Unable to help with any specific task, he tries to offer his assistance as a trained clerk. Recording and helping everyone keep record of tasks done. "Keeping organized will help us in the long run. Even if that means being able to get out of here faster!" he can be heard saying around camp.
He continues to never sleep, his magical abilities allow him to keep watch every night. It has become a time of quiet for him. He is able to rest in the dark, able to see well enough, compared to the others. When others wish to join him for an evening of watch he is able to extend those powers to another. Likely Govrina joins him. Though they often will watch from other sides of the came, when they do join up it is likely pretty somber. They might continue to plan, but it likely feels like there is a lack of things to act on in any given moment.
Time moves on.
Immediate threat removed, the demon-spawn tries to unwind daily. Emotionally exhausted, Govrina walks Misthome listlessly with no set direction determined. She eats when hungry, helps Harg on Nightwatch mostly silently while letting him discuss the odd and end, and sleeps when she's finally exhausted each day. Not looking forward to...whatever happens next...she tries to think ahead.
Weather will be getting worse...the enemy will be looking for us again, eventually...we need to send word to the rest of Nirmathas somehow...we need to stay observant!
She berates herself constantly...silently...feeling the guilt of every non-goblin death getting to her in her nightmares.
Success means NOTHING if the goblin army catch the group unaware at all!
After some downtime recuperating and helping the refugees make Misthome more homey,
Aubrin, Jet, Rhyna and Kining gather the group together for a conference.
Aubrin begins, "Thank you all again for the work you've done to ensure our survival. Taking down that Iron Fang camp
has given us some much need breathing room. However, our security is not assured. Though we've made these caves
comfortable, should the Iron Fang or some other danger of the forest find us, it is not a defensible location."
She pauses ,sharing a look with the other elders, "Though we do not wish it, we must avail ourselves of your ability and
bravery. First, the forest surrounding Misthome must be explored and any dangers dealt with. Second, we must know what
the Iron Fang is doing out in the Nesmian Plains, for what they do there, impacts what they do here in the Forest. Some scouts should be sent to
check on their disposition! Third, though your abilities are unquestioned, seeking out allies in the Forest is of great importance. I'm sure you've heard of the Chernasadro Rangers. They have kept the Southern Fangwood clear of Molthuni intrustion and protect the communities near the forest - such as Phaendar -- from the Forest's dangers denizens. I trained with them for a time, and they are active through the Southern Fangwood, the wear distinctive ponchos of grey and green and they maintain three hidden bases in the Southern Fangwood. I know the location of one, Fort Nunder. I would have us go there immediately, but until the dangers of the nearby forest and dispostition of the Iron Fang is known, I would not have us lead the refugees into danger. And this leads me to our final suggestion, when the forest is secure enough and we've established contact with the Rangers, move our community to one of their forts. "
Aubrin then takes a deep breath, and waits for your response.
Walking into camp and leaning heavily on Fang, despite the wolf limping, Vraxis nodded as he went. His ever-present scowl was only interrupted by the mud on his face, and the leaves and twigs stuck to his armor. Fang didn't look much better, his tongue half-hanging out of his mouth as the two made their way into camp.
Vraxis made directly for the food stores while Fang found an empty spot to lay down in. He grabbed a pair of bowls and stuffed anything edible that he could find into them. Then he discarded his bone-dry waterskin and grabbed a full one before heading back to find Fang.
"Why you lazy, good-for-nuthin' mongrel!" Fang was too tired to listen. He simply turned his head the other way.
"Fine, Fine. Here, eat" the halfling said, setting down one of the two bowls.
Fang turned back towards Vraxis, his head cocked to one side.
"Don't give me that look. I said eat!"
Fang rose to a sitting position and began to inspect the contents of the bowl.
"Uh uh. Not a word lady. Not until me stomach's full. You's can wait 10 minutes cuz right now, I ain't listenin', not to no one but me's stomach."
Vraxis ate like he hadn't eaten in days. Finally he wiped his mouth on his sleeve before looking up at those around him.
"What?"
Amice spends many days and nights watching the camp. She had spent quite a few before as well before she had made up her mind. Now it was a matter of deciding on the best time and circumstances to make herself known, and screwing up the courage to do so.
She had decided it would be best at night, when not so many people were milling about. Also it would be better when the two regulars are both present. One is always there, very large and with some bestial features; she thinks he might be a half-orc given what she's heard in the past of them. The other is a tailed woman, she doesn't know what she is. They are strange, but it is better if there are fewer people to react immediately.
Then the night comes when she is as ready as she knows she'll ever be. She wraps herself in darkness within the night's darkness and stays within the deepest shadows as she approaches them. Amice moves silently until she is maybe 40 feet away from the pair and takes a last deep breath to steel herself for what's to come.
She abandons the shadows as she raises her arms high over her head and takes a couple more steps forward.
"I have come to surrender to you and throw myself on your mercy."
"I agree. Regardless of our current safety, it is precarious at best. We need to contact the world outside this forest and let Nirmathas at large know a danger builds with these Goblinoids. The Rangers are our are best bet there I feel. Also, we have already made a temporary alliance with the local fairies and taken out a few of the nearby dangers that spoil these woods nearby. I think we should try to expand on this if we can. Let's see if our new allies will be willing to help us suss out other dangers. Finally, scouting the enemy is a given. If we can hit them back more for what they have done to us too without any blow-back on our safety, then so be it. They deserve any pain we can offer them. Let me consult with Harg, Braden, and Vraxis...whenever he manages to get back...privately. Hopefully we can come up with some sort of plan from there to present to Misthome soon. Agreed?"
"I thought we'd lost you! Bastard...I'm telling your 'Momma Dragon' what you did! She'll freeze your toe-hairs off for scaring me like that! We're the last of...I can't lose you too!"
This goes on for a few minutes until she finally settles down, looking somewhat embarrassed at her outburst. She then looks up angrily at anyone watching the situation.
"What?"
Startled at the strange woman appearing out of nowhere, Govrina immediately surrounds herself with her protective aura and lifts a fist size rock with her blue-white mist, from a pile set nearby for her use, and hovers it over her shoulder. Her hands indicate by their position she is ready to launch it up the woman's nose should she deserve it.
"By Asmodeous' three-horned mistress! Explain yourself better! You are no goblin, which is the only reason I have not struck you yet, but Mercy is rarer than black diamonds in these parts! Explain! Who are you and why do you come HERE? Why NOW? Did you lead our enemy to our gates?"
Obviously suspicious of the woman and her motives immediately, Govrina readies herself mentally for more useless killing.
Amice shrinks or flinches slightly at the threat of the floating rock, but remains standing in the same place.
Both Govrina and Harg can see that while the young woman is completely human in form, she is frightfully thin. Her skin is pale as milk and her hair black. Her eyes are slightly luminescent and yellow. But, despite the oddity of her appearance, her clothes are very mundane. She wears trousers and soft boots, a plain shirt along with a short, thin fur coat. The coat is clearly not professionally made, and the rest of her clothing shows obvious wear and extensive mending.
As she answers Govrina, there is a slight tremble in her voice, probably fear.
"I'm alone. I live here in the forest alone. But I can't keep doing as I have before. The forest is too crowded with violence now for me to continue as before. I've watched you and the hobgoblins both. They hunt everything and come with manacles and cages. You don't have those things and only hunt hobgoblins. So I have come to you asking for mercy and protection."
"Wha? Hey! My stew!" Vraxis's protests were quickly muffled by Govrina's embrace. Not missing a chance for a pet, Fang hopped up, his legs on Govrina, whining and tongue licking wherever it could.
"Go on! Tell momma! I'll tell your pa about spilling me soup!" was all he could say once free again.
As the new comer appeared in their midst, Vraxis's hand instinctively went for the blade on his hip, but at fully taking in the girl, he relaxed.
"Awe, go easy on the girl, lass. She's half starved. She probably don't eat much, least not as much as Fang."
Fang slowly approached the new comer, head lowered, ears raised, and nose sniffing. He circled once around her, then twice, before finally sitting down next to her and looking back at Vraxis.
"Don't you looks at me that way. I done tolds ya before, ya don't gets a vote."
Vraxis turned to Govrina. "Well, she ain't no goblin and hasn't been around them. Fang would smell it on her. Why don't I get her some stew, and refill my bowl while I'm at it" he said with a smirk.
Ran had been tracking the Halfling and his Wolf for a while. Whatever had happened had left them exhausted, injured, and not quite capable of hiding their track properly. But he moved with determination and Ran heavily suspected that he was part of a resistance group - not some random bandit.
But it was always better to be safe, rather than sorry, and he decided to watch the camp he entered from afar just a bit longer. He had spent years on his quest, and caution served him well. There was no need to rush things.
Then suddenly a woman came up to the entrance, pleading for protection from the hobgoblins and refuge. It seemed he was in the right place. And if not, he was convinced the woman would make a good distraction if he had to flee.
Holding his branched Spear, Ran left his hiding spot and stepped up to the guards - and the woman before them - with confidence. "Amusing. I come seeking retaliation against those beasts. I am Ran. I am perfectly capable of keeping myself safe, but to do anything except hiding from a whole legion, I need help."
He stops approaching at a distance slightly further away than the woman, placing the back end of his spear on the ground, and standing proud.
The man standing there is wiry, with lean muscle, wearing a green and brown overcoat. His bright brownish hair has notes of a pastel ginger tone and is pierced by what seem to be elvish or half-elvish ears, and his remaining face is covered completely with a mask.