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Initiative Order: Round 3
Emmett -> Umikh -> Gnolls -> Mир -> Rodalas -> Baldrick -> Khitt
As you all move toward the entrance to the tent, screams begin to burst and ring through the air! There is a low growl and yipping sounds emerging as well, but inside the tent is dimly lit and you can only make out shadowy forms within!
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Baldrick moves, somewhat cautiously, to the opening of the tent, but he's so surprised at what he sees, that he does a long slow blink. When his eyes are again fully open, there's a snarling hyena in front of him, and some of the others are asleep!
He will get his weapons ready, ready for action. que old Family Feud music
Drawing a bead, Khitt deploys another quarrel at the closest hyena.
He then side steps using the tent and the unnatural ambient lighting to conceal his location. Hopefully keeping his quarry off balance.
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Baldrick seems to warp or skip through time and space as he is suddenly deep inside the tent! A pulse of arcane energy ripples out and 3 of the hyena begin to yawn, and then curl up on the snowy ground...
Khitt leaps from his sled and scrambles down the slope, draws a bead and looses the arrow! The shaft thuds into the hyena (Blue) with a thud, eliciting a yip of pain!
Initiative Order: Round 4
Emmett -> Umikh -> Gnolls/Hyena -> Mир -> Rodalas -> Baldrick -> Khitt
Entering the tent, Umikh will move as fast as he can up to the gnoll that isn't asleep, roaring just to look puffed up and mean.
Emmett slips and slides as he carefully gets inside the tent. He follows Umikh to stay safe.
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The hyena steals a glance at the gnoll with a whine, hesitating... In response the gnoll shoves the black ice into its prisoner, eliciting a ragged scream! Then, snatching up its blades and lopes over near Emmett! On its way, it stops just long enough to kick a sleeping hyena (Cyan) causing it to stir, then the nasty looking gnoll steps onto the ice, its claws clacking on the hard surface...
The other hyena (blue) reluctantly charges at Emmett!
The bites down on the elderly half-elf's arm, wrenching and tearing!
Initiative Order: Round 4
Emmett -> Umikh -> Gnolls/Hyena -> Mир -> Rodalas -> Baldrick -> Khitt
Gnoll Flesh Gnawer: unharmed
Hyena (Blue): - 4 hp (bloodied)
Hyena (Cyan): Waking, unharmed
Hyena (Green): Sleeping, unharmed
Hyena (Orange): Sleeping, unharmed
The large goliath with a club wastes no time rushing to Emmett's side.
Khitt steps around the edge of the tent slyly and takes aim at the hyena he shot before hoping with the distraction of melee the the creature would not be expecting another quarrel.
He then carefully steps into the tent and off to the side. Seeing the sleeping dogs, he moves close to one.
Umikh notices the sleeping creature and continues past it, running up to his friends , and swinging at the snarling baddie.
Seeing the gnoll kill the human and then move toward his friends, Baldrick ignores the sleeping hyena and charges toward the greater threat: "Rahhh!!" With battle cry, Baldrick swings wildly and erratically with his warhammer, missing entirely, though bolts of force surreptitiously fly out from the end of the weapon to strike the gnoll:
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Khitt cocks his head to the side as he watches the magic erupt from the end of his axe and mumbles to himself ”He’s gotta know it him right?”
Emmett tries to plant his rapier in the nearby wolfthing.
Seeing that there is a sleeping foe that could waken at any time, the eladrin makes the practical move to try and take it out before it can become a threat
rapier
dagger
It looks like I might have to disengage to do that.
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It looks like I might have to disengage to do that.
Mир moves into the tent with his long strides, avoiding the slick patches as much as he can, to and between Emmett and the Gnoll pack leader.
Rodalas moves into the tent behind the goliath druid and dispatches one of the sleeping hyena (Orange), looking for his next target.
Balrdick sprints across the snow, swinging hard at the gnoll pack leader whiffing hard! As he swings, though, the feral demon spawn rocks as if being hit with three rapid strikes!
Khitt pops around the corner and shoots right between Umikh and Emmett, threading the needle to catch the hyena snapping at Emmett in the eye!
Khitt's shot frees Emmett to turn his attention to the gnoll, and moves to strike with his slim blade! The elder half-elf can feel the edges of a grin creep upon his face as his steel digs in deep into the creature, but it disappears when he realizes that it is not dead yet!
Umikh, seeing the demonic bipedal hyena, snarling and spitting, moves up and with a swing, separates its head from its body!
As the gnoll's head bounces off the frozen stream, it comes to rest a few feet away. There is still the groan of pain from the human, a mere 20 feet away, as he seems to be curled in a ball...
The remaining hyena are easy enough to dispatch with a single stroke while they are sleeping. Even Mир knows that these hyena are tainted by the gnolls' influence, and beyond saving.
Baldrick looks down at the gnoll leader and sniffs dismissively.
At the groan from the human, Baldrick rushes over to help:
"Ummm...? Does anybody know how to fix a human? I'm pretty sure the blood's supposed to be on the inside, but otherwise..."
The eladrin will clean his blades on the dead hyena.
Mир steps over and gently rests his hand on the human's stomach. After mumbling a few things, he grips a little harder.
Emmett approaches Baldrick and watches Mir's attempt to cure the man's wounds: "I can help as well, as I've been taught some healing secrets, bbut I'm not so sure about that black ice's purpose..."
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The human's eyes flutter open and he screams himself ragged, until his eyes roll back and he passes out! The villager is alive, but seems to have fainted...
Pointing at the black ice: "Is that supposed to be there? Maybe we can get it out...?" He stretches a hand toward it, hesitates: "Or... should we take him back to Mother Tusk's?"
I don't know nothing about fiddling with magic or whatever ritual they were doin' here, but I think maybe we should pull that black thing out. Can't be doing the poor fella any good, an' I don't wanna hear no one scream like that again!
"I believe it's called 'Chardalyn,' this black ice, that is. It's supposed to have magical properties of sorts. Perhaps it enhances certain spells? Anyhow, I suggest we pull it out, but stand ready to help that miserable man!" mumbles Emmett.
Baldrick, his hand already half-outstretched, shrugs: "Okay."
and then grabs the shard of ice, yanking it out of the human's chest.
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The shard slides out fairly easily, and thankfully the cold slows the man's circulation enough for you to bandage him up enough that he will not bleed out, and you have the feeling that Mир's healing magicks had quite a bit to do with that, as well.
It is about that time that you remember that you were supposed to find out why the spring has stopped flowing! Once you are sure that the man is resting comfortably, you turn your attention back to the spring. It has been dug out recently, and 10 feet down, it seems that the frozen corpse of a man, still wearing his cold weather gear, is stuffed down there.
Upon further inspection, it appears that the corpse had been mauled by some sort of large predator, but rather than bites of a bear, the flesh was torn, as if by a beak... In the hand of its right arm, is a spear with a tip fashioned of this chardalyn...
Removal should result in the the spring flowing again, though it may take some digging...
Umikh will work to remove the corpse from the hole, and then really about removing this whole set up from the spring. Maybe burn it all? He also thinks those black ice char-whatchamacallits should be removed and taken back to Mother Tusk or kept among their crew.
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Umikh leaps down into the small pit and begins pulling out pieces of frozen corpse and hucking them out! As he pulls out the last, and largest, piece the spring starts to burble and fill once again!
Scrambling out, Umikh barely gets out without being up to his ankles in the hot water... causing his ankles to become encased in a sheet of ice out in the cold air...
Investigating the gnoll corpses, you all find a few coin and semi-precious stones as well as the studded leather armor that the pack leader wore seems to be the source of the wispy black smoke. (Any time to look it over and you find that it is a common magic item.)
Smoldering Armor
Armor (studded leather), common
Wisps of harmless, odorless smoke rise from this armor while it is worn.
As it is a Common Magic Item, only one person can claim this item, and it does NOT count against your permanent magic item total.
Baldrick is happy to help with any of the clean-up procedures, including dismantling the tent.
Baldrick will diligently gather together any useful bits of armour, weapons, trinkets, and clothing and array them on a small nearby. You hear him muttering: "Waste not, want not." to himself, though you gather this was probably just part of his training. Especially since he doesn't really seem to know what to do with the gear once it's been laid out.
Mир focuses and mumbles once more, sending waves of healing into the wounded person.
After doing so, he picks the man up, as one would a child, and begins carrying him out of the tent.
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At the goliath's touch, the wounds on the man close up and his breathing becomes regular. His eyes flutter open and he looks about in panic, but relaxes a bit when he finds that he has been healed.
I have to get home... he says as he scrambles up in a hurry. He stops a few feet and turns, Th-thank you... Really.
"Hey! uh.. human - it's cold out and your shirt is ripped." Baldrick holds the gnoll chief's bloodied coat: "Enh? Whatcha think?"
The goliath does restrain him. "I will take you home," he says with a clear finality in his voice. He then takes the bloodied coat, wraps the man in it and lifts the man into his arms. "Tell me where."
Emmett nods at Mir and adds: ”Yes, this region is far from safe for travel. We’d be happy to accompany you. Where are you from?”
He’ll grab a piece of black ice for further study, wondering what those strange wolf-like creatures were and what they were doing in this place.
When it’s clear of enemies, Khitt’s serious demeanor relaxes. After finishing off the hyena near him, he rests the crossbow near the others and searches for his pipe. ”I think...” he says rummaging through his backpack ”...this calls for a small celebration.” He pulls forth his wine skin and holds it aloft. ”A warm nip to cool the blood?” The goblin takes a swig of the leather flask and hands it to someone nearby.
Looking at the smoking corps of the gnoll ”His armor is making all that fuss you say? Wonder if it could fit me? Looks warm and comforting somehow., like a camp fire.”
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The man places his hand on Mир's hand and looks at him pleadingly, No offense, big man, but my neighbors at Dougan's Hole ain't gonna like that... I'll be okay, it ain't far. Really.
You all have heard that some of the towns have an almost xenophobia about them. They are so isolated that they do not trust any stranger, not just other races... This guy seems to be a little more open, thanks to your care, but anyone with a passive Insight of 12 or higher can see that he is still a little uncomfortable.
