John remains quietly at the back. When they stumble upon more mushrooms, he nearly rushes over to them but stops short when the worg appears. When charged with barbarous attacks, the foppish man instinctively retorts, "we did no such thing! Your packmates attacked us and we defended ourselves."
Looking a bit surprised when the Worg speaks, Alwin continues. "We where unaware that this old abandoned building was occupied. Admittedly, I panicked a bit when I seen your wolves rise up. My reaction was hasty, and for that I humbly apologize. I have payed a steep price for that reaction, as I bear the the injuries of your warriors attacks." Without delay, Alwin opens his robes enough to show the deadly wound the wolves inflicted upon him.
"I realize my justification isn't enough to warrant your concern, but I also submit a reason that I believe might be sufficient enough. The sickness we are attempting to cure is spreading across the land rapidly. If not stopped it could kill every living thing in the area. That would include you and your pack. We have been sent by one of our healers to collect herbal items for this cure. One of the items is here in this building. To be more specific, we are looking for mushrooms. I would propose that you allow us to collect these mushrooms and be gone without any further bloodshed."
The worg tilts his head quizzically and then says "You want my mushrooms? For that you will have to work. I have some tasks for you. Finish these tasks and the mushrooms are yours. Agreed?"
Alwin raises an eyebrow. "What did you have in mind?"
(Curious what kind of task a worg could possibly want done.)
Alphonso looks at the warg and scratches his hair a bit as he keeps a safe difference waiting to here what might be asked.
The worg looks at the group and says "There are some pests that I need removed from my home. A swarm of bats at the end of the hall here."
Alwin glances over at Alphonso for a moment and then looks back over at the worg. "Well that seems like a reasonable request. I suppose I can relay the information to my friends and then we can see what we can do about the bats." After acknowledging the worg's request, Alwin turns and begins heading back to his companions. "Lets go Alphonso. Looks like we have work to do."
After arriving back at the group, Alwin explains the contents of the encounter and then finishes the explanation with a word of caution. "I have a couple concerns about this situation. First, I don't think we can trust the worg. This could simply be an attempt to deplete our resources, making us easier prey. Or, it could simply be that he wants the bats gone and what better way to deal with it than sending us in to do it and then attacking us after. Secondly, I'm thinking we may already be to depleted to deal with the worg, the bats, or in the worse case scenario, both. My injuries are substantial and it looked like others in our group have also sustained injuries. Momentarily, I still have some spells left. If we take on the bats, then that has the potential to drain that resource. If we live through the swarm of bats, then we might be overly easy pickings for the cleaver worg. What do you guys thing?"
I know this area has drained me of spells but I do have my bonded item which I don't think my spells will effect the swarm much, but I do have a few tricks up my sleeve for something else
”At the same time, we need more mushrooms. And it galls me to be treated as an intruder here.” Torgald said. ”We can complete our mission first, and then deal with the bats.” He offered. ”Besides, if the warg chases us then it isn’t like we can escape anyways. We would never outrun it.”
"Well Torgald, I am sorry you feel galled. As it is, I can barley stand, let alone fight. I'm quiet literally on the brink of passing out. Do I feel that we could be successful taking on the worg? I doubt it. Unless I am missing something, we are also not likely to be successful taking on the bats. We should really consider what we do next. I'm thinking heading back to town to rest or find some healing might be a better choice."
”Glad ye understand.” Torgald said. ”And if we head back we could raise the militia to help deal with the warg.” He continued, thinking as he talked.
"That and we could secure what we have with the healer, incase we fail. It might not be enough mushrooms for the cure, but It would give anyone else a leg up in our absence. I hate to add additional time to our agenda. That said, I don't see how we can continue pressing on without the ability to heal."
"Given the impression we made at the cutyard, I doubt Falcon Hollow's militia would follow us anywhere. If we leave, it is very likely that this worg will follow us, tracking by scent no doubt, to prevent us doing just that very thing, and then it will come upon us when we aren't expecting it and aren't prepared, whereas right now, depleted as we are, we can plan, choose our battleground, and combine our resources. I have another sleep spell still prepared, and a grease spell. I also have my ring which contains some power and could let me try a second sleep spell or a shocking grasp if it gets too close to me. The word doesn't likely have any ranged attack potential, so if it wants to hurt us, it'll have to come off its high perch and get close."
"Your assuming its only him. There is a chance that there are more in his pack. Maybe he submits to your sleep spell, maybe he slips in your grease spell, perhaps one of those spells has an effect, maybe? Four legged dog will likely walk though any grease spell with little to know effect. Sleep? perhaps. Depending on how tough it is. Untimely, I have a couple magic missiles I could cast and my bow, which works something like your ring. One successful bit, I'm done. I trip on a rock, bump my head, stub my toe, I'm done. That worg is intelligent. I doubt it will submit to simple shenanigans' that will give us the advantage. If the group decides to attempt an offensive, then I will remain in the back and utilize ranged attacks as best as I can."
"I'm not saying its a good plan. I just think it's a way better chance than just hoping he decides to let us go without a fight."
Alwin looks away for a moment and considers Felos's point. "This better not be about him being a dog. I'm not in a good place at the moment, and I am not willing to entertain the whole cat and dog thing." After a short moment of consideration he turns back to the group. "Fine, we fight. What did you have in mined as fare as a strategy?"
”If it can be put to sleep then we kill it in it’s sleep. Hurt as I am, all I have in me is facing it up front. Anyone have any tricks that they have left should knocking it out fails?”
Felos' whiskers bristle and his tail twitches. "This has absolutely nothing to do with it being a dog! I'm not some brainless tom walking his first fence!"
Felos closes his eyes to think over the terrain as they've seen it so far. "If that staircase in the old tower were in better shape, we could have tried to lure it in there, get on the stairs, and take out the bottom section. As it is, I think the best place to engage the warg is right where he is. We could shove that stone desk into the doorway: it won't hold it, but it may slow it down a bit. First, we hit it with ranged attacks while Torgald shoves the desk into place and I try a sleep spell. If it works, someone climbs up that pillar and slits its throat. Not honourable, but who cares. If it doesn't work, it'll jump down and try to get to us, giving us another chance to try my second sleep spell."
"I wonder if there is a way to utilize the swarm to our advantage?"
I can cast color spray from my ring Alphonso says and then everything else here has been mindless and I am an illusion specialist
"I have a color spray spell prepared, and a sleep spell," John offers as they appraise their resources, "either might be helpful against the worg but I doubt they will accomplish much against a swarm..."
"I have to ask though, we are we making an enemy of a creature that said it need not be one? I mean, we have several spells that might be useful against it, and we can use them if it attacks us, but why attack it if we don't have to, especially in our current state?"
"Plus, why would we even fight the bats if we're going to fight the worg? The only reason to fight them was to placate the worg- if we're going to fight it we should just go fight it and then we can take the mushrooms and leave? Which, actually, sounds like a better plan if nobody cares about keeping our word; we have more spells available to deal with it than the swarm."
"No one actually gave him any direct acknowledgement that we would indeed deal with the bats. What I said was, I'll relay the information to the group and see what we can do about the bats. If what we can do is nothing, or if the group chooses not to respect the beast's request, then it is what it is."
"As fare as creating an enemy out of this worg, well, it would seem he is not asking for our help. He is insisting on it. At least to the toon that he is saying if we want the mushrooms without his interference then we will need to deal with the bats. The alternatives are not to recover the mushrooms, or attempt to recover the mushrooms with the expectation of his interference. My interpretation of his interference would be him attacking us." Alwin shrugs after his last statement.
"That said, he never actually said he would attack us. He stated that if we want "HIS" mushrooms then we would have to complete some tasks. This implies that, first, he believes the mushrooms belong to him and, second, there are more expected tasks in store for us."
"This worg seems much more cunning then what I would normally expect from a creature like him. This concerns me the most."
"Summery. So fare we have 2-3 sleep spells. 2 magic missiles, a color spray. Pr. Felos, we should attack it where it stands while Torgald attempts to shove a desk in front of the door. That is the only strategy proposed thus fare. That said, unless someone has a different strategy in mind, I say we go with this."
If there is any reluctance to do this by anyone in the group, please speak up now. This could very likely be our last fight together.
"The plan sounds like a reasonable one," John answers, "though, I should point out that if the worg falls off its perch after--hopefully--being affected by a sleep spell, that could possibly wake it up."
"I suppose there are going to be unexpected circumstances that could effect the outcome. Do to a lack of other options, this seems like the best of the bad ideas."
let's give it a go and see how things happen, shall we?
Alphonso says with a shrug
The worg watches as the wizards enter the study and as Torgald begins to push on the desk jumps into action. He moves into the room and takes a bite at John, taking a chunk out of his leg but not dropping him to the floor.
Round 1
Party Up
Climbing upon the table, Torsten stood above the worg. He raised his book over his head, chanting grudges against wolves and all their ilk. As he did so, spikes formed upon the book, so when he brought it down it was as if the book itself was attempting to spill the worg's blood.
Alwin makes a tactical adjustment behind Torgald and then fires off a magic missile.
Felos backs up to get a better angle for centering his spell in the back room, to just reach into the doorway where the worg is. He casts defensively.
Will save DC 15 or fall asleep (or immune if it has 5 hit dice, if which case we’re all screwed).
Torgald steps up and whacks the worg with his book. Alwin's magic missile then streaks in and hits it. Felos casts his spell but the worg shakes his head and shakes it off.
Round 1
John and Alphonso UP
Alphonso will move up to get an angle on the warg and not hit party members and use his ring to recall color spray and hit the warg with that
John is momentarily stunned by the vicious and seemingly unwarranted attack. As he recovers, he wonders how a group of reasonably intelligent people could have arranged themselves so unintelligently in the small chamber. But, with no other options, he does his best to concentrate on the task at hand and cast his sleep spell at the very much not-surprised worg.
But the spell fizzles as he chokes under the pressure, and also on his own blood.
From what you can see there is no way into the room where the worg was other than this doorway.
Alphonso will ready an action to cast his spell as soon as he has a clear line of sight
The worg turns on Alphonso and Bites into his leg hard bringing him to the ground.
Round 2
Party Up
Torgald brought his book down upon the back of the warg’s head, yelling ”These lands are for the Dwarven people. Begone!”
Felos takes a five-foot step back into the corner and uses his ring to recall his sleep spell and try one last time. Will DC 15.
Torgald whacks the worg with his book once again and it looks a bit woozy. Felos casts his spell but once again the worg shakes it off.
Round 1
Alwin, John Alphonso Up
W-23
Without delay, Alwin casts a second magic missile and directs it at the worg.
The missile slams into the worg and the worg drops to the ground.
"Quick, someone check and make sure Alphonso is ok. He took a nasty bite from that thing."
John touches Alphonso with his healing fire, and then frowns when he discovers it has no effect. Instead he binds the mans wounds in an attempt to stabilize him.
While John tends to Alphonso's wounds, Alwin begins searching the area for the mushroom.
With everything stabilized, the situation and Alphonso, the dwarf prestidigitated his book clean. ”We won’t survive another fight like this. Let’s avoid the bats, find the mushrooms and hurry back to town.” He said. He now knew where the ruins were, so there was no need to risk death rushing things.