”Hopefully!” he calls back at Sinan. ”They have the advantage in here. Ow!”
Deerslicer arrow hits a root on the ceiling as his prey the ghastly wolf lunges forward sniffing the air before snapping his jaws at the ranger!
Deerslicer would feel a sharp pain as muscles are ripped apart from the savage bite! The hideous wolf releases and goes for a second blow, but the teeth gnash at his armor as Deerslicer presses himself against Gamble's bulk.
The second deformed white albino paws over and bids its time.
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"It burnses!" Deerslicer cries as he waits for the big human to get out of his way, then moves out after him. "More stupid wolves with acid bites!"
He slashes his kukri once at the red wolf then, as Gamble clears out, he scurries out after him.
"Take that!" Deerslicer screams as he runs out of the hole, scrambling behind a log that he can barely reach for cover.
Gamble crawls out of the hole and stands. Without dusting himself off, he backs away through the thick underbrush and holds his dagger toward the tunnel. ”They’re ugly and mean,” he hastily warns the others.
The bluish light from the tunnel is blocked as Gamble and Deerslicer scramble out, covered in mud and roots! Mere moments later, two large hairless wolves, their hides white and covered in disgusting pustules dart out, the first one chases after Gamble jumping onto the man's back and tearing into his flesh! It tries to tear into the man's shoulder, but Gamble manages to shake the creature off. Simon, perhaps distracted by the swift mauling of Gamble barley has chance to register the second wolf as it darts to the side and pounces on him clamping his jaws on its exposed flesh!
Sinan runs up to the wolf between him and Gamble and liberally applies a salve of S-word.
"Is it always like this outside of the desert? I'm beginning to have a complex."
The mutated wolf yelps as the servant of the Healing Flame brings his sword forward. The sword rings as it slashes air, but the return swing of the weapon hits its exposed hide, creating a nasty gash.
With the wolf distracted, Kunsheng fires his sling. The bullet hits a pustule and it bursts releasing a disgusting spray of gore that squirts towards Kunsheng . The spray stops five feet from the wolf, the smell of acid lingers as it splatters on the ground.
"These were the only two within the cave, and we've fought off more than this," Gamble says, encouraging his comrades. "Focus on one at a time, and they'll fall soon enough."
He drops his knife on the ground and draws his sword, striking at the hairless wolf between himself and Sinan.
With Gamble once more encouraging you to strive onwards, you press your attacks against the wolves! In a combined effort, Deerslicer shoots from behind the fallen log as Gamble and Simon take position flanking their enemies. With the wolves unsure of whose smell they're supposed to lock on, Deerslicer's arrows buries into the red wolf's flank just as Simon strikes at an exposed leg! Gamble brings down his sword on the beast that tore into his back, cutting through the white milky hide and avoiding hitting a sickly pustule. In the midst of the battle Simon manages to quickly treat his wounds, ready for come what may.
Yet hurt as they are, the eyeless wolves are undeterred as they crouch down low ready for vengeance!
The wolf hurls itself at Gamble's throat, using its legs as a springboard it bites down on Gamble's shoulder! (Crit: 12 Piercing 1 Acid) it then tears at Gamble's flesh as acidic saliva spreads through the ragged wound. (8 Slashing, 1 Persistent Acid Damage. Gamble is Dying 1, Unconscious and with Persistent Acid Damage!) With it's prey down, the wolf sniffs around, turns in the direction of Deerslicer and runs behind him.
The mutant wolf whirls at Simon and growling snaps at his leg! Jaws tightly clamped, it rips into him before sniffing the air and heading for Deerslicer!
Sinan calls for his goddesses aid and the tree canopy opens for a moment to allow a beam of sunlight to fall on Gamble's dying form. The priest leaps after the wolves, unable to catch them but striving to keep up.
He looks with concern at his other allies as breath returns to Gamble's lungs. If only the beasts had been far enough away to not get caught in a mass heal. "Valor, stay clear of them," he calls. "Tend to your wounds, and Kunsheng's if you can.
Horrible, putrid teeth and sickly pale wolf-flesh coupled with searing pain where the last things Gamble saw and felt before he found himself rousing on the floor of the clearing. He groans and staggers to his feet.
"Reflected back upon you what you inflicted upon me," he says, his voice charged with occult power, and gestures at the wolf.
Critical Success The target is unaffected.
Success The target takes full initial damage but no persistent damage, and the spell ends immediately.
Failure The target takes full initial and persistent damage, and the target is sickened 1. If the target recovers from being sickened, the persistent damage ends and the spell ends.
Critical Failure As failure, but the target is sickened 2.
Simon quickly tends to the Gamble's wounds as the acid keeps eating though his open wound. With a groan, more than likely, Gamble would open his eyes at same time as Sinan calls on the Dawnflower to heal his friend . Warmth spreading through the torn muscles and flesh and mending them, perhaps that side of Gamble feeling a little stiff.
From behind them, they would more than likely hear a yelp as Deerslicer deals with the horrid mongrel in front of him! The creature looks about to collapse on itself.
As Gamble regains consciousness, he would see with satisfaction as the mutant wolf goes stiff and collapses next to Deerslicer as the acid continues to burn through his knit wounds.
As acid continues to burn Simon, Kunsheng's bullet strikes the remaining hairless wolf solidly in the face. It staggers momentarily, sniffing the air before turning it's eyeless face towards Deerslicer. It circles the log in front of it and unleashes a bite on the goblin ranger!
The jaws miss their mark twice!
Gamble picks up his dagger and his longsword and then slips his dagger into its sheath. He winces as the residual acid burns his skin.
Sinan idles up to the remaining wolf. "Still alive to try to harm my friends? i hope Pharasma judges you well."
With a silent heave the creature collapses dead from the wounds inflicted by Deerslicer and Sinan. Acidic bile spews from its mouth, as a pesitilent wind blows from the mouth of the cave.
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Valor, unaware that the acid isn't going to kill him, grabs Sinan by the collar.
"My name is Simon, Simon Samarian. My family lives in Riddleport. Please find them and tell them it's not too late to change their ways. Tell me you'll save them! Promise me!"
Then he survives, leading to an awkward silence.
Kunsheng would see a bright bluish light coming from the tunnel. It curves south after a 10 feet or so. It would be necessary to crawl and go inside to see further.
The immediate danger resolved, Gamble sheathes his sword and unslings his waterskin. Pulling out the stopper, he tries to rinse away the caustic saliva left by the wolf's ravaging.
"A mysterious, glowing pool of what I assume was once water," he answers.
Gamble burns become dull before disappearing all together.
You find yourselves alone in the blighted glade.
Heading in, Kunsheng's eyes would adjust to the dim light emanating from the glowing, oily pool in the center of the den. Here he can more or less stand up to a crouching position. There is the rotten corpse of a gigantic wolf similar to the one you fought with the teamsters while on your way to Etran's Folly. The pool itself is not particularly deep and is fed by a natural spring that wells up from deep below the ground. The water gives off an acrid smell.
"Bring out a sample, if you can," Gamble suggests as Kunsheng begins to enter the cave. "I don't have a clean bottle, but I could pour out an oil flask."
After the last wolf finally dies, Sinan looks to the sky and a breeze pushes the canopy of leaves away for the briefest of moments, bathing the group in the Dawnflower's blessed light.
He then turns to Simon as Kunsheng makes his way into the lair. "Val- ...Simon. We should talk."
He draws the other man away to confer in hushed tones. "Are you a priest? I have noticed you do not seem to use any healing magic, simply exemplary skill with non-magical healing- far better than my own truth be told. But you also do not use Iomadae's weapon- preferring the thin blade of a nobleman, or rapscallion. I found it curious, but in light of your revelation- it makes more sense." He pauses. "I do not judge, my friend. I may only be entering my thirties, but half a life ago, I was not much more than a petty thief living on the streets of Katheer. But I was found and cared for by a priest of the Dawn. A man named Brillek. He taught me to always seek Her guidance. And she has told me to help you."
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As soon as the Dawnflower's light hits Simon, he feels both relief, in that he realizes he's not going to die; and a terrible anxiety, in that he now needs to live.
"W-well, it's not so easy to tell any more. My family was a family of thieves. I wanted to be different, and was accepted as an acolyte in the church of Iomedae. But I didn't fit in, and within a week, I left the church ... in the middle of the night ... with the church treasury ... I try to do good, but I don't really know what that means. Or, I didn't, until I met you all, I guess."
Simon looks at his rapier, lying on the ground.
"I suppose I had fooled myself into thinking that actually looked like a longsword. But it's the only weapon I've ever known, other than a dagger."
Simon sits with his head in his arms for a bit.
"You guys aren't mad at me, are you?"
"Angry for concealing your name? Or pretending to be a priest?" Gamble asks without any sense of rancor. "Do you know how many people in this world hide their true names? What matters is actions, and you have done nothing foul or malign. That your skills in healing are mundane rather than magical has certainly been no hindrance. Not all priests heal, anyhow."
With a furrowed brow of concern, he casts a glance back at the hole. "I believe all that was left to chase us followed us out."
"A lot of digging or powerful magic," Gamble calls back his suggestion.