Calvus slams his shield against the caustic wolf
CW: 19{30}
Round: 2
Calvus slams his shield into the wolf, causing it to stagger a little. Laurel then charges up, trying to slash at it with both her weapons, but neither pierces it's thick hide.
Round: 3
The wolf steps back up to Calvus snarling, and unleashes a stream of bright green acid from its mouth, the spray catches Calvus, and even Oosa.
It then tries to bite Laurel, but fails to get a grip.
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Round: 3
Init: 21
HP: 22/22
Hero Points: 1
Effects: Inspire Courage (ongoing)
Esha pauses for just a moment as the wolf drops to the ground. She stares at it, mouth agape. I killed it!. She is brought out of her reverie by the sounds of continuing battle. Her little legs churn quickly as she moves toward the sound of fighting. Spotting the wolf, she steps up to it - perhaps a bit more confidently than before - and swing for its neck.
Round: 3
Init: 14
HP: 18/18
Focus:0/1
Hero Points: 1/1
Effects: Inspire courage, +1 attack/dmg &save vs fear
Wax sees Esha's reaction to killing the wolf. Oh Esha, you aren't yet the killer I first took you for, he thinks. I forget sometimes how the circus folks found less trouble than a lone traveller. Of course those giants proved that isn't always true. Time to pay attention Wax.
Tezadwax had been playing his song on instinct while he lost himself in his thoughts. With his mind back on the problem at hand he weaves a few new lines into the march. Now his tune gives off the impression of a city burning during a battle. A ball of flame appears in front of his instrument and shoots off towards the big ugly wolf.
Calvus catches the blast of acid in its entirety. The chain mail covering his torso gives no protection as he falls unconscious and still on the ground.
Grinning, Laurel rolls sideways, "flanking" his enemy now, and twirling his dagger, jumps into the air a whirling dervish of blades - slashing the wolf this way and that - before landing in his same square, crouched low.
◆) Step
◆) Twin Takedown
◆) Strike
"Don' mussin' Woov!" He looks over to Calvus "Less take 'em down, yeh?" Before realizing his new friend has fallen! "Aw crikey...
Round 2
Init: 15
HP: 6/19
Focus: 0/1
Hero:1/1
Spell slots 2/2
Healing Font: 1/2
Oosa happily danced hopping from one foot to the other clapping as he hit the doggy with more fire. He was dancing so joyfully until the icky vomit hit and burned. "AHH, icky bad doggy." He raised his symbol to strike out again and saw Calvus fall to the ground. "No! You stand back up and fight doggy," Oosa called out and pointed his holy symbol at him.
Action 1 and 2: Use one point from healing font to cast 2 action heal. Calvus
Esha rushes forward to attack as Calvus falls. Her axe swings out, putting a huge gash in it's side.
Oosa quickly calls on the Sun Goddesses love, and Calvus finds his burned skin soothing, and knitting back together. He regains consciousness almost before he hits the ground.
Wax sends off a blast of fire, but it lands in the grass by the road harmlessly.
Calvus shakes himself as he comes too, and moves to stand.
Larel runs in, knives fliying, and although she only gets one solid strike, it seems it's enough. The wolf goes down with a faint whimper.
A few moments later you hear a ragged cheer from further down the caravan. It sounds like the wolves are dead, or leaving.
Laurel is so excited a Cartwheel escapes his body - then he remembers to check on his ally he had thought was holding the posterior side of a pack tactic!
"Well don' say you lookin' proper'n'better aincha? Who dat gotcha stitch't up like a quilt!" He looks to see Oosa prayin' nearby Calvus and says "You dunnit!" confirming his suspicions. Finally, he looks over at Esha, not daring to approach yet. It registered to him that huge gash she put in the wolf's side moments ago, and he decides to remain wary for now - You never know what a gnome is thinking...
Then it dawns on Laurel that there are two gnomes!
Being quite short himself, he does a quick mental calculation: and figures out that the human will be the odd duck out...
The little goblin Oosa begi s jumping up and down squealing "Yay, bad doggies dead. Bad doggies dead, me lights them on fire, other blades to the head, yay us". However, all that jumping shows how much he's been wounded and he winces.
"Peoples, come to Oosa. I ask Sarenrea to heals us, she help some. Come." Oose calls out. When everyone is nearer he will use his last healing spell of the day to HP in a 30ft burst.
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Esha watches her companion fall and a sudden boiling hot anger floods through her. Not again. NOT this time!. She snarls and lunges for the wolf just as Laurel cuts it down with his blades. She pulls herself up short and takes in the situation. I did it!...WE did it!
She looks around for Wax. "WAX! We did it! We killed them! We protected them!" She looks at her friend and grins with a mixture of relief, disbelief, and joy showing clearly on her face. She bounces a little on her toes and brings her fist up in victory, looking around at everyone to see if they are as excited as she is.
Calvus is somewhat shaken by the wolf attack.
"Thank you Oosa. Serenrae and Desna have always been allied. So should we be as well," he extends his hand to the goblin.
In solidarity, Laurel raises his fist when Esha does!
Oosa shakes his hand excitedly, "You help kill the evil doggies. Sarenrae be happen. Desna be happy. Oosa will stop eating tasty butterflies... Oosa sorry."
Laurel puffs his chest towards the compliment "Yea bout ez strong they come!" and flexing the lump on his arm that might be called a bicep. "Yea Desna jus' what they call us..." Looking over towards Marin "Ain' that right, Ma?" he leans in "S'not really our last name - ackshully don' know my las' name but who needs em, huh?"
He like Oosa. The butterfly eating does no bother.
Tezadwax is not as exited as Esha, at first. He'd seen a scrap or two in his days. He easily gets caught up in her excitement, however. "Indeed we did! This calls for a drink! ...Er for those of us old enough anyway." He eyes Laurel as he makes his addendum.
Putting down a few wolves isn't usually cause for a celebration but Esha seems as though she might need a bit of encouragement. Besides, who needs an excuse to have some ale?
It doesn't take long before Bort himself, and his second in command Tamli come down the line to check everyone is ok.
Bort is his usual smiling self, while Tamli (a female half-orc) carries a stern frown.
"Is everyone back here ok?" Bort shouts as he gets close. He stops when he sees the large wolf, his jaw hanging open. "That green stuff, is that something you used to put it down?"
"The rest of the caravan only saw mangy wolves like these, and just after that horrible howl, most fo them ran off. I notice you took out these ones before that happened? Well done. That took some skill. I'm glad I brought you along!"
Meanwhile Tamli is talking to the teamsters who were handling your wagon. It seems that the wolves spooked the horses somewhat. Although the teamsters did a good job of calming them, the wagon has been pulled into a pool of mud. The teamsters are struggling to free it.
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Esha bounces on her toes a little. "Oh, thank you, sir! It was our pleasure, sir!" She looks at the green ooze coming out of the wolf's mouth and cocks her head. "No...we didn't do that...that is curious..."
The barbarian looks back up again and notices the predicament with the horses and the cart. "I will help!". She hurries over to lend a hand.
"Oosa not help... Not strong like the doggy choppers. I stand and protect verse horses." Oosa says and then stands back with his holy symbol ready and displayed against the horses. Of which, dont seem to have taken any note or attention Oosa.
"Horses are tricky, these act okay but me know they just waiting to step on us little ones. he takes a deep breath and yells to horses, "Im onto you horses, no be tricking me."
Laurel puts those muscles he flashed to Oosa on display.
He seems to gain a better leverage point than Esha and Calvus, but unsure whether it'll be enough to make the difference.
"I think I'll stay with Oosa. Not that I'm weak or anything. It's just...manual labor? Ew."
Along with Calvus, Esha and Laurel, two of Borts men, Olf and Ulf move to help the teamsters. Calvus, still weak from his near death ordeal, doesn't help much. But Esha and Laurel are key. The wagon is soon back where it should be, and everything can move on again.
Tamli gives Tezadwax a disapproving look. But says nothing.
Bort smiles broadly. "Thank you Olf, Ulf. Your brawn saves the day again eh? Thank you all too. The way you dealt with those wolves,a nd helped get us back on track is a credit to your account I am sure. I shall repay you this evening with Dinner in town, and some of my best stories!"
"Oh I just love collecting stories. And a poor, pitiful vagabond such as myself never passes up a free meal!"
"Aw that cart was barely 'eavy 'tall!" The boys boasts.
His tummy rubles suddenly, and he touches it, looking down with a puzzled look, and back up "Whelp. Supposin' I agree with ya?" Addressing what Tezadwax had just said about a "free meal" - an idea that is very much appealing in this moment. "Two my fav'rite words!" He adds.
Oosa rushes up to Bort,"Me help too with bad doggies. I get food too? Oh! We take bad doggies?" Oosa says and rushes over to one wolf and then the other.
"No, doggies smell terrible and have itchy bugs. No good fur for trade. Sad day... No, evil doggies killed. Good day!
Bort grins. "Well, that's settled then. I'll get things moving again."
With that he goes back to the front of the wagon train, and in a few minutes, everything gets moving again. A little over an hour later you move from forest tracks to the open space that marks the outskirts of the village.
A few scattered houses, made of wood, and looking dilapidated become more and more as you reach the center of town. All identical in build, they mostly look in bad repair. As though they haven't been used in many a year.
As you pass through the center of town you notice a prominent cylindrical stone, large and flat standing around 2ft high, and covered in moss.
Eventually, you reach the destination for the night. An Inn called "The Feed Station". The teamsters make to unhitch the horses, and take things from various wagons. You are left to your own devices.
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Esha sits on the cart with growing unease as they pass house after house, each one looking abandoned. When the caravan stops she hops down and looks around at her companions uncertainly, waiting for them to make the next move. Whatever the case, she makes sure to bring her axe with her, not trusting the feel of this town.
Laurel's mother - Marin is her name but he calls her "Ma" - has been busy resting this whole time. Having this last week had a sudden change of her life's intended plans, she has mostly been processing that in the silence of the sixth wagon. Just a week ago, her ego over the boy would have been strong enough to persuade him from running towards wolves with a single glance. But as her son's situation has been in flux as well, too has his response: He seems to be stepping up to fill a void, and she is coming to terms that she cannot stop him.
Marin got out when the wagon was lifted from the mud, and looked on at the houses as they arrived in the small village. When they arrive at the Feed Station, she sat still.
"C'mon ma" Laurel comes over and offers his hand "Iss safe here an' we can git sumthin' ta eat - you shud eat yaknow" while she thinks to herself that her last meal might have been foraged berries days ago - testifying how out of tune with her body she has been.
Marin follows Laurel inside.
Calvus feels uneasy about the emptiness of the village. Something, he cannot say what, is giving him a sense of dread. Keeping his shield equipped is a good move, he thinks.
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Seeing that Laurel is busy with his mother, Esha heads over to Calvus. "Weird place! What do you think the story is here?" She looks over at The Feed Station, trying to discern if there are any signs of recent use or indication of people inside. She stands tensely, ready to draw her battle axe at any sign of trouble.
Calvus' eyes become sad as if looking at something very far away.
"I think... that many journeys ended here,"
Laurel stands by ready to draw his fork at the first sign of food!
"Hey Bort, is this place always such a ghost town?"
For once Oosa sat quietly as the rode through the town seeing more and more ruined buildings. It reminded him of the past, of goblin raids. Then he realized it didn't because there distinctly was a lack of burned down buildings. That thought made him cheer up again.
Hopping off the cart, Oosa begins to scamper around taking a look at all the houses near this "Feed Station." He figured that if the camp was posted here, here is where danger would come. He didn't worry for the others but not everyone was too keen on having Goblins about, but forethought was mostly fleeting and the moment his stomach rumbled he was shortly walking through those front doors. Oosa would make his way up to a barstool and awkwardly climb upon it. "Oosa Toadliker? he'd say and hold out his hand to whomever was behind the counter.
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Esha nods thoughtfully in response to Calvus' comment and continues to scan the town. Nope! I don't like this at all! But I am sooo hungry!"
She starts edging slowly toward the tavern, but then stops when she hears Wax ask Bort about the town. Oh! He's so brave! I wish I was brave like that. I will have to work on it.
She strides up to Bort, scowling, and crosses her arms across her chest. "Yep! Is it? A ghost town!? Good question, Wax!" She nods curtly and a shock of purple hair falls over her eyes. She sputters and tries to blow the hair out of her face. Failing that, she impatiently brushes it away with her hand, then folds her arms and attempts another stern frown. She only partially succeeds.
The feed station stands out as a place of obvious vibrant activity in the town. Windows boxes filled with colourful flowers adorn the outside, and the swinging sign, though simple, is neatly painted and obviously well cared for.
Bort isn't about at the moment, he seems to have disapeared to run some errands. But Tamli answered your questions. "It's not a ghost town no. There was a plague that swept through, ohhh, twenty years ago now. Killed a lot of people, and the town never really recovered. Some of the houses are still used, but most of the people who remain live in the farms on the outskirts.
Inside the feed station is quiet, but not as quiet as you may expect. There is a bustle of people here and there sat at tables, and having a drink. This also seems to function as the towns general store, with a section of the room dedicated to selling everyday things people may need.
Behind the bar is a human woman. She smiles warmly at Oosa [b]"How many I help you? My name is Delma Fulst."
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Esha appears to relax slightly. "Oh...that's terrible. Well, I guess we're alright, then...".
She glances over her shoulder at the Feeding Station, then turns and heads inside. Glancing around, she quickly spots Oosa sitting at the bar and vaults onto the stool next to him.
"Hi! Did you order food?" She glances at the woman behind the bar and leans over to whisper to Oosa. "Did you hear what happened here?"
As the others mill about the inn, Clavus takes a moment to find a quiet space where he can center himself. He sits down by the fire and takes out his prayer book.
While Marin joins Calvus by the fire without disturbing his studies - deep in thought or prayer herself - Laurel imitates Esha, and vaults onto the stool on Oosa's other side, flanking the goblin with the gnome!
"Not my best s'mersalt - savin' fer it later" He concedes in defeat. "Wass good here?" Now addressing Delma "M'name's Laurel - them she there me ma - an' we be the Woov-Slayers here, atcher service" He bows, standing barefoot on the stool "Ye kin ask ol' Bort f'ya don't b'lieve me - he'll tell ya how we bested 'em - like a THIS an a THAT" Now the boy is shadow-boxing while standing barefoot on the stool, demonstrating his prowess!
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Before Oosa can respond to the kind lady. Sudden movement surprises him and he squeels. Then Laurel imitates Esha and lands on the other side. Oosa squeels again even louder and falls off the stool completely. He hits the ground and there is a noisy squeak and crunch noise.
Oosa hurriedly gets up and reaches into his pocket. He pulls out the rat and its crushed and bones contorted in an odd fashion. He holds it up and whispers, "Nibs? You okay Nibs?"
"I can?..." Laurel had never thought about teaching before. As a "youngest" the concept is entirely foreign to him!
The woman behind the bar looks shocked as Oosa falls, but then laughs brightly. "Well, you are a lively lot. Do we have a circus in town?"
"Let's see, our main meal wont be served for a few hours yet. We are expecting Bort the merchant today. I could rustle up some of yesterday's bread and some hard cheese? I can supply you with Ale from the Five King's mountains, and Andorran red wines. Will you require rooms?"
As she talks she bustles around behind the bar.
Oosa stares at nibs for a moment and then shoves him in his mouth. He starts to chomp and crush the tiny bones. "Nibs was for snack... after crush they no last long. Best to eat quick while still warm "
He then cl I mbs back up onto the stool like nothing happened. "You wait for Bort? We here with Bort. Bort outside with horseys. You have cheese? Cheese is good. Let's eat cheese!... Nibs liked cheese.."