Rusko shies away from the wizard dog, it's metal frame giving him the heebies.
Settling himself, Rusko waits for an opening and swings his staff...
The bandits both go down to the staff wielders, crumpling as bones break.
The leader, seeing his men go down, manages to deflect HUIVD's assault, but fails to stop the spear. He looks around, weapon raised. I'd be willing to leave it here, and let you pass, for my life. He doesn't lower his weapon, but nor does he swing. What do you do?
Hund doesn't care what this thief thinks, not does he care for any such bargain. He lunges at the leader again, slashing with his claws.
The leader cries out in pain as HUIVD rakes down his side, leaving him bleeding, and he retaliates, deciding that it seems his offer has been declined.
, and gets HUIVD in the gears as he lunges
The bandit captain had parried his blow again, the amateur style that Silas fought with being knocked aside. Growling in frustration, he through his all into the next attack as the bandit struck firmly against his mechanical comrade.
Baros follows Hund's lead and continues to attack, he was well passed negotiations at this point.
Grommok moves up beside Hund and assists against his foe.
Attack:
Damage:
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
You aren't sure if it is Grommok's staff or Baros' spear that does the bandit in. but he falls. on him is Brigandine (what else) armour, a large shield, a sword, and Shillings. the other two have small shields you could use, armour and swords you oughtn't bother picking up, and Pennies.
You also note that the townsfolk, rearguarded by Gelda and Conner and Bester, have made for the Copse indicated by HUIVD. they rejoin you as the bandits fall.
The landscape is changing slightly as you go up into the hills. The trees are smaller here, and you see more evidence of bandits, their abandoned camps and the occasional lone traveler on the side of the road, stripped of anything you could sell.
third morning: 1d20 ⇒ 9
You pass another bandit remnant. an inn, not too unlike the Goathorne (part rest stop, part trading post), looted and burned. Nothing of value remains.
third evening: 1d20 ⇒ 7
As the sun goes down, you pass over the highest point on the road. looking down at the road ahead, there is a fork in the road, splitting it north or south. You'll reach it by the next day
third night: 1d20 ⇒ 13
Camp is chilly this night, and those on watch are glad to have a fire, maybe keeping it higher than is advisable. An aurora splashes over the sky for a short time, running north to south out of Alfheim.
fourth morning: 1d20 ⇒ 14
Cold fog engulfs the road here, and the day starts miserably. The lack of civilization is starting to grate on your companions, Bester, Anna and Dickswizzle especially, who are young enough that this is all but the worst thing to happen to them.
fourth evening: 1d20 ⇒ 15
The fog has turned to bitterly cold rain. All but HUIVD are shivering and soaked. camp tonight Needs to be under cover, else you might all take ill.
You reach the fork as the sun is getting low. there are two roads before you. On goes north, a quieter area near the borders of Alfheim, or you could go South, towards the schemes and slavers of the 9 cities. Which way will you go?
After the battle was done and the bandit's leader laid dying upon the ground, Silas would give a look at his comrades. They were roughed up, ragged, and ruthless to the right degree. The kind of folk he would enjoy being with.
"I need to get f@+%ing better at this..." Silas said out of breath, grinning for a moment before gesturing to the dead men around them. "Let us strip them and take what we can. We'll need it wherever we're going." There was coins, a decent set of armor, a larger shield, and the rest of it was so shoddy that it was better as refuse than as actual armor. He would look over the man's shield though for a moment before looking at his comrades with a questioning look. "Anyone mind if I take this? You could have mine." The armor did not interest him, his gift for surviving that cursed realm was protection enough.
The next two days are quiet and peaceful after such bloody affairs, reaching the crossroads as a cold, bitter rain began to douse them all. Leading the group from the crossroad to trees with a thick enough canopy to keep them from the rain, Silas would turn to the others.
"So...we have a choice to make. To the south is the Confederacy of the Nine Cities. It it a place where the coin rules all. Slavers, raiders, and corruption are always a danger but for those with the will and cunning, a peaceful life could be found." Gesturing the other way, he would point further into the north. "That way leads away from civilization, towards Alfheim. I...I was planning on going south but now...I don't know. I had not expected to pick up companions along the way." He says with a smirk for a moment, using a stick to try and help stir a barely burning fire.
"I have some experience with the faeries. Not the nice ones though. I..." Silas takes a moment, struggling to find the words and the will to speak about his time before he starts again. "I'm much older than I look. I was lured in the day before my wedding. I didn't escape until eighteen years had passed. I was...mad. As close to mad as you could get. I did things I shouldn't have done in the Empire. I rather avoid it, if you all don't mind." Silence would take the man again before he looked at the others, nodding. "I know how to speak their tongue though. I've learned things here and there about them that could help, you know?" Silas goes quiet again, waiting to hear what others had to say.
As the group strips the bandits, Grommok gathers a number of odds and ends and sets them out in a strange pattern.
"Come you who are wounded and let the Old Ones heal your wounds."
Later during the talk around the fire, Mok sniffs and looks around.
"I do not care where we go, but I do believe the Old Ones have brought us together for a reason, so I for one will follow everyone for now."
North, Hund suggests.
Silas looks down towards the clockwork machine beside him, nodding at Hund's quiet suggestion.
"I am thinking North as well. I don't want to head to the Empire. Too many mistakes back there..."
Rusko has been quite on the journey down the road, and equally quiet in his contemplation on which path to take.
He adds to Silas' observation, "And too much iron....I say north as well...".
Two combating fears gripped Rusko, the iron rich lands of the South....deadly to his fey nature; or journeying closer to those that created him...to them a mere plaything...Neither choice brought joy to Rusko's twine-wound heart.
Okay, it seems the party is venturing forth toward Alfheim's borders. But it is almost time to take a rest, and frankly, you need shelter. I need a challenge roll with 1 bane (Sell me on a stat, but I'd default to perception) to find somewhere suitable, or else everyone will be making strength challenge rolls.
Shelter is not something Hund typically weeks out when finding a place to rest.
"North or South we best find shelter soon, before we freeze and Hund rusts," Baros turns to Silas, think of his own failures and exile, "we all have made mistakes best we can do is keep pressing forward."
Using his experience in wilderness exile and working as a guide Baros searches for shelter.
Silas follows behind the brave and fierce halfling, mentally assuring himself to never call the dangerous warrior a hairy child ever as they travel under bitter cold rain northwards for a bit of shelter from the storm.
Silas and Baros find the party a nice enough rock overhang, and even manage to start a fire, and dry out some wood to keep it going overnight. maybe tonight will be better.
The camp is set up, and Bester and Baros are tening to the fire and watching the cave entrance. it is quiet for an hour or so...
Baros spies what Bester missed, a creature approaching from out of the night. It sems just a large bird at first, but as it comes more into the light... you see a head, like a newborn's head, but not quite... done... If anyone has seen a premature child, it has those features, cat lip and undefined nose. and it has fangs, and eyes glowing sickly green, and wicked talons on the legs of it's Bird-body. And it is comming your way.
Hund doesn't see the strange monster at first, but as soon as Baros points it out, he immediately calls out a warning to the others. Not that they needed it; everyone was on edge just as soon as the freakish monster appeared.
The metallic hound grasped his medallion which hung around his neck and start speaking in a low voice. The chants formed claws on his front limbs.
"Get up ya lazy bones, we got company!" Baros shouts as a warning. What the hell is this monstrosity? He remains close to the glow cast by the fire not wanting get too far way from the group.
Baros prepares to charge the creature should it continue towards the camp.
The Bird-infant moves in, and just as it finishes its approach, it disappears!
and reappears with a horrible shriek within your shelter. the terrible beast takes the party by surprise, but Baros rallies quickly, and charges the creature
it lashes out , and deals
Baros makes light contact with the creature, taken aback by its vanishing and reappearance.
Baros attempts a follow up strike but comes up short.
"What in the actual hell is that f$+#ing thing!" Silas growls out, lifting himself from bed and grabbing his shield and sword as well. Readying himself, he charges into battle after the creature.
Having brought forth his claws, Hund focuses in on the horrifying thing.
The creature dodges away from your blows, and continues its assault on the pregnant girl, maw opening wider than anatomy dictates is remotely possible, displaying enormous fangs that glisten with... a substance that doubtless is not to be dwelt upon. and it's fangs sink in, inflicting what seems to be a mercifullyshallow wound as your attacks call it back from the feast.
"Fight me you wicked beast! Baros shouts as he continues to thrust his spear.
Silas brings the blade around again, aiming to strike down the monstrous little bastard before it can have its feast of the poor, pregnant girl.
Rusko was dumbfounded by the strange creature's appearance, at first paralyzed into inaction.
not wanting anything to do with close up action with the thing, Rusko pull his sling out and sends a stone flying...
Hund growls at the strange monstrosity and runs towards it, leaping at the last second to tackle it.
The beast was too strong, however. Hund jumped up and pounced off of it as if it were a wall.
Grommok is surprised by the sudden appearance of the hellish creature. He swiftly cast a magic glamour upon his staff before wading into the battle.
The creature Shrieks as Baros stabs it, but it dodges away from Silas' Ae and Rusco's Stone. Huivd almost takcles it but it dodges out of the way.
and lashes out at Baros with claws, and Anna with teeth... it is detirmined.
and only barely manages to get the girl before it is pushed off again.
Silas grew tired of this damn creature and the fact that it was constantly trying to eat one of the only decent people in this ragtag group they had assembled. Lowering his shield, he would shoulder into it trying to smash it onto the ground and on its side.
The creature crashes to the ground, wings and claws waving wildly.
Baros misses as he tries to take advantage of the creature being knocked to the ground.
Attack:
Damage:
The orc priest swings his magically enchanted staff at the downed beast, but it does little to hurt the monster.
Still not willing to get too close to the horrifying creature, Rusko moves for a better angle and fires another sling stone...
With the beast haven fallen, Hund goes in for the kill.
HUIVD rips the creature asunder, and copious blood flows from the wound... more than a creature that size should have...
This place... everywhere is death! shouts Bester, as Anna lays there, still obviously in shock. Dickswizzle is huddled back, a bone dagger brandished in defense, While Gelda and Ananda are half nude and seem to have been readying to mount a defense.
The camp deflates as the thing dies, but the next encounter might break something inside the companions...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Moving right along~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You break camp, and not too far from it, find A minotaur, dead upon the road. it lies dead, arrows sprouting from the neck, chest and loins. What do you do?
Hund looks at the dead centaur, but his interest in it doesn't last long and he continues along the path towards their destination.
Grommok looks over the dead minotaur and examines its wounds and looks at the arrows. He also searches the dead creature.
Intell check:
"You're right boy, isn't it lovely." Growled Silas, grabbing the fiendish abomination and dragging it out of the cave they had sheltered in. Let the predators of the night take care of the carcass. When he had returned, he nodded towards the shocked, pregnant woman who still seemed unable to process what had happened. "Give me your arm. Lets clean your wounds." Gelda and Ananda finally made themselves known, stumbling out ready to fight. It earned a scoff from the man as he used what water he could spare to clean her wounds before bandaging her to keep infection away.
The next morning, they finally made way to head north and came across the body upon the ground. A minotaur, fierce and dangerous, laid dead and was doing its best impression of a giant pincushion. As Grommok looked over the dead creature's body, Silas kept his eyes glued on the area around them. Maybe South wasn't such a bad idea anymore.
Grommok
It is a dead bull man. He has nothing of value, unless you care to scavenge the arrows themselves. the arrows are of quite good make, but you could say little more than that, except that the groin arrows have the lost blood around them, indicating that the loins were struck first.
You pass through more hills as you travel, though the rain has blessedly abated. Moral is still pretty low, Anna's arm is still in the bandage, and The dwarves' are more ready to jump in his time.
You hear a group of Hobbs trying to sneak upon you, weapons out. What do you do?
Silas eyes scan the area carefully, looking for anything unusual. The life he had been running from had taught him for the more dangerous places to hide and ambush others from and also to look for the unusual, the things that just didn't make sense. Maybe something like that lurked nearby.
Grommok immediately stops moving and slowly sinks down into the undergrowth, attempting to make himself less visible. He also quietly brings magic to his staff...just in case!
Silas moves with a comfortable ease, drawing his sword and shield as he takes cover behind a dead tree's trunk. Stilling his breath, he waits for the moment to strike when the Hobbs approach or when they are spotted by the approaching foes.
Hund starts preparing, focusing on getting his claws.