Florence raises her bow and fires at the last standing orc.
Golos shakes his head. "Illusory wounds still hurt for real. Do you like being hurt?" he asks.
He wanders over to check out something he sighted just off the path, choosing to walk right through the remaining orc.
"What trickery is this? I have no wound on my chest... my shirt isn't even torn! TRICKSTER! COME OUT OF HIDING! NO FURTHER FIGHTING NEEDS TO COME OUT OF THIS, BUT STOP NOW BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT!"
"What magics is this?" Florence is shocked at the illusion.
Well, would you look at that...something to learn from this, I suppose... Therin says as he scans the area to find the source of the illusion.
Florence nocks an arrow and fires at the last standing orc. The arrow strikes, and the barbarian goes pale, but remains standing. Suddenly, Golos straight up walks thorugh the orc's torso without missing a beat.
Therin and Florence look at the orc again. You suddenly notice small details that seem to be amiss. The orc's eyes are mostly not moving at all. The saliva on under his lips doesn't fly off when he shakes his head in pain... Small stuff, but now that you notice, it's hard to ignore it.
You with the corner of your eye, you look at each other, and then back at the orc. But he is not there any more.
Therin immediately starts to look for the source of the effect, but the vapours in the area decieve him.
A very cleverly constructed illusion...nice catch, Golos... Therin says as he heads to pick up his used bolt.
Golos points out the circle in the dirt that he found. "It's just this; I can't find the caster who left it, though."
Andrezzi, sword drawn, immediately begins to inspect the area to look for hidden spellcasters.
Pretty sure whoever cast this spell is long gone. mMgicks like that can last for years until triggered. Clearly someone proficient with wards... the bard offers casually.
I think we should continue else we get set upon by real foes... he says as he reloads his crossbow.
The crowd of sailors and other passengers in the back are looking at you, and their eyes open wide. The parents are trying to cover the eyes of the childres, and the sailors seem baffled at you not minding whatever is attacking you.
"Behind you! OH - CLOSE!", they shout as Golos knees down to examine the circle. "He almost chopped his head off. Did you see that?", they look at each other and nod.
"Oh, goodness!" Golos exclaims, looking back at the family and ship crew. "It's all right! There's nothing here; it's just an illusion! We're all safe!"
It's fine...harmless illusion...look...Therin tries to reassure the others as he goes up to an image and runs his hand through it.
Once you manage to convince the rest of coterie that the orcs are not actually there - including showing your nonexistant wounds and the arcane circle hidden nearby - they finally ease up and agree to carry on toward your destination. As a matter of fact, it seems that the smoke from the chimneys is already visible just above the treeline. You simply follow the river, and stumble upon a group of fishermen on the other side. They give you a curious look, but wave back at the ship captain once he puts things in perspective. Just a few minutes ahead, you notice a small pier with several fishing boats tied to it. You cut the next corner of the river, and there you are - Kassen.
While the town seems to be decorated for celebration of Harvest, the mood is somewhat somber. Stalls of the local merchants are not empty, but one would expect a more festive mood all around. Some of the streets seem ohly partially decorated with light brown, yellow, and orange colours. As if they have stopped halfway through the process and never finished.
Moving into town from the river, you pass through two street corners, and step into a square with a podium. On the podium, you see several lit candles surrounded by flowers and various memorabilia too personal to establish their actual value.
Next to the "altar", you can see several women of various ages, several children, and three girls, barely out of their teens - if at all.
Standing over to the side is what seems like the local priest with a headdress made of antlers. The man is in prayer, and while he did turn his head when you stumbled into the square, he remains in place. For now, at least.
Several men on the other side of the square are inspecting their farming tools. And loudly arguing. While hearing what they are saying is not an issue, it is a cacophony and it's hard to actually discern what are they talking about.
Andrezzi recognizes a funeral shrine when he sees one. Somberly he draws his large sword and plants it into the ground before kneeling before the shrine in prayers.
Therin scans the crowd. He nods to the priest in silent acknowledgement, not wanting to distract the man from his solemn duties. He wanders over towards the group of farmers to hear what they prattling on about.
Florence looks for someone who seems easy to talk to. "Hello." she speaks quietly as to not disturb the prayers or be overheard. "Did the ladies over there lose a family member?"
You quietly move closer to the crowd of men arguing, and try to focus ont he conversation. It seems they are arranging a small group of men to go into the woods to the south to "find the rest" and bring them back home". They are arguing over which farming tool would be best suited as a weapon. They are mostly dressed in simple clothing, and while their bodies seem strong and able - they don't seem ot have much experience when it comes to traveling throughout the forest or fighting in general. Except the local pub brawl, perhaps.
Outside of the main gathering, you see an older man dressed in a chainmail for the ceremony. Besides the ceremonial armor, he holds to his side, a pike with a ribbon tied just under the blade. He radiates a degree of authority, but his grey hair implies his best years are far gone. He politely nods when you greet him, and looks over the assembled mourners.
"Mhm - an unfortunate event. It seems one of the boys that were sent to the forest in this year's Kas-", he stops, rethinking for a short moment. "Our coming of age ceremony; It seems one of them succumbed to wolves. We did not find the rest so far. Men over there are preparing an expedition. Against my recommendation. The people near the altar are the mothers, siblings, and close ones. Fathers are in the midst of that argument on the other side, I assume."
He looks over you again, and your other traveling companions, and then to the ensemble of sailors. "Excuse me. I'll be back shortly."
He walks over to your captain and engages him in discussion.
Golos stands back respectfully, but wonders what further delay this is going to cause.
Andrezzi goes to the men preparing the expedition. "Would you gents welcome an additional tracker in your group? I'm willing to help if this would be alright with you all."
Safety in numbers, too. And no offense, my fellows, but have you had much training with those weapons? Motivation is great, but might cloud your judgement...you might be as much of a danger to yourself as your quarry...
One by one, the group of farmers stop arguing when they hear you. Eyeing you with disbelief, they tighten the grip on their tools as they turn towards you. A corpulent man in a miller apron approaches, with several just behin him. "Are you saying we are to wait here while our sons are out in the woods being hunted by wild animals?"
You can see a vein on his forehead getting more prominent every second, and he taps the palm of his left hand with what seems to be a 5 ft long oak stick.
"Who the hell do you think you are?"
Easy there, my good man. All I am saying is have a plan for heading out...otherwise you might wind up with more people hurt. That's all I'm saying. We're Pathfinders...we can help.
Golos, detecting tension rising near the others, walks over somewhat urgently, hoping to defuse the situation.
"Hey! Calm down here, people. I'm not sure what all is going on here, but I'm pretty sure my friends here were offering to help, so you might just want to check that attitude at the door!"
Despite Golos' and Therin's attempts to calm the crowd, they keep slowly advancing and taunting.
Fortunately, the priest and the man in ceremonial armor approach to deescalate.
"This is a place of mourning! I will not have fights in this square!", the priest almost shouts. His face is covered with a mask, but his voice booms with authority. The voice of a man who is not in his prime anymore, but still has that oomph in it. "At least not for the time being."
"Now now, everyone, calm down.", the man with the spear positions himself between Therin and the locals. He extends an open palm towards the farmers to stop their advance. "Mister Forly over there" - he points at the captain - "just told me how these four souls defended themselves against Holgast's orcs. Not that we are long time friends with the captain or anything, but I saw his ship here once or twice delivering supplies. He spoke highly of them."
He turns to you. "Apologies, emotions are putting people on edge. My name is Gregor Wisslo. I train and lead the local guard. This" - he points to the masked priest - "is our communal guide, Rantal Prasst."
He points to the mob again - "And yonder, our capable, and very passionate..." - he gives the miller a stern look - "citizens."
"Lady and gentlemen, I have a proposal. Captain Forly's ship seems to have hit a rock in yesterday's wind. They have supplies on board for settlements like ours. And -INCLUDING- ours. It's not a day's walk away from here. Perhaps we could help move the cargo on small boats, then fix the ship. And our visitors, with a little help from Arnama, could go seek out your sons. Two already offered a helping hand, from what I saw and heard?"
Andrezzi nods and steps forward upon being mentioned by the man. "That is correct. I have some experience as a tracker and would be happy to help look for the missing sons while the rest of the town secures their provisions."
Apologies...I meant no harm. Sometimes my tongue gets me into trouble..as opposed to out of trouble... Therin says, bowing his head to the priest.
Florence steps up. "I'll help as well. We'll do our best to find them. It's a terrible time for you all. I know the mothers, and sisters don't want to lose their fathers and uncles either. Send we strangers in to search, please."
At that moment Snow peeks his head out of Florence's bag and looks at the crowd.
A few minutes of bickering pass, but Rantal and Gregor manage to convince the people to go help with the ship's cargo. The arrangement is that the adventurers go find the missing young men into the forest in the meantime. The priest explains that Arnama is in the woods, tracking the kids at this very moment, so no help there. You are, however, given a map of the area. Gregor marks a path on the map. "This is the route the teens were supposed to take. It would take them to the Crypt of the Everflame, here." he points to a cross on the map, south of Kassen. "The journey takes roughly 2 days, one-way. Please hurry. We shouldn't waste time."
Several citizens wish you good luck, and plea to find hteir children and bring them home. Without delays, you set out towards south, to find the missing youth. The set path is not a complicated one, but it is still fairly long. There is a pathway carved through the forest by frequent travel, and despite the mist in the evergreen woods, you make good time.
The first day is uneventful, and as the sun drops towards the horizon, a chill wind starts to rattle thorugh the trees. You tighten your clothing to not let the cold air inside, and everyone agrees to start looking for a camping spot.
After spending a few dozen minutes looking for a suitable place, you find a ravine enclosed from 3 sides, and covered by a few fallen branches over a tree trunk. "Three walls, and a roof." you tell yourselves. "Perfect place"
While Florence with Golos look for firewood, Andrezzi and Therin start setting up the provided tents. Both tasks are simple enough, and you soon have a camp with a fire ready. You place bedrolls on the cold, dry ground, and sit down by the fire to warm yourself before sleeping.
As you do so, you hear howling in the distance. Andrezzi and Florence recognise the sound. Wolves in the area. Someone should keep watch.
Therin goes for first watch. You all take rounds for a little under 3 hours each, and would be well rested in the morning. Therin pulls out his lute and amuses himself with a quiet song.
An hour into Therin's watch, the fire is starting to dim out. The bard reaches for another piece of wood to throw into the fire.
As you look into the darkness, you notice the fire light reflected in three pairs of eyes. You refocus your sight to adjust to the darkness , you now see three canine forms ooking at you, quietly positioning themselves to strike.
Therin slowly and quietly pokes Andrezzi.
We have company...get up... then moves to rouse the others.
Therin, while still being watched, slowly moves back towards Andrezzi's tent to rouse him in silence. Florence and Golos remain asleep for the time being.
-Round 1-
Conditions: none
Therin
Andrezzi - prone
Florence - sleeping
Wolves
Golos - sleeping
Andrezzi gets up and moves next to Therin, drawing his sword. He shouts,
Well, consider yourself awoke, everyone. Florence and Golos prone, but you may act in initiative.
-Round 1-
Conditions: none
Therin
Andrezzi
Florence - prone
Wolves
Golos - prone
Therin grabs his hanbo and casts a spell..
Can't fight what you can't see, right?
Florence grabs for her bow, and stands up. "What? Where?"
As Andrezzi and Florence get ready to defend the camp from the wolf pack, Therin quickly conjures several shivering runes into the air in front of him. A flash of light blinds you momentarily before your eyes adjust, and the area around the campire becomes sun in the night. Hard to look at for a brief moment before it dims down. The wolves all look away for a few short seconds before sprinting towards you and attacking. Their black forms and yellow eyes move towards you. Several tooth-filled maws approach fast, salivating as they go. They are hungry and found their food.
Therin deftly dodges both attacks, but Andrezzi's foot is struck hard. The man was still just waking up and getting ready to fight, when he got hit. The wolf grabs his leg and twists. Andrezzi falls to the ground, but he keeps his weapon in his hand. The wolf tears at the flesh, sending sharp pain up Andrezzi's leg.
- Round 1+2 -
Conditions: bright light 10 ft around the campfire
Therin
Andrezzi - prone / -10 hp
Florence
Wolves
Golos - prone (ending turn 1)
Andrezzi groans in pain, and swings!
Fight on, my friends... Therin moves to deal with Andrezzi's wounds, casting a spell
While Andrezzi is on the ground, his sword is still in his hands. He swipes at the wolf biting his leg, and you hear bones breaking as the massive blade hits the wolf's side. Andrezzi smashes the canine's shoulderblade and, and the sword continues to cleave vertically through the ribcage. The wolf whimpers as it loosens the grip. It only takes a few seconds for the animal to collapse to the floor, unable to move. It's eyes dart around the battlefield as it cries in pain.
Therin sees the development, and decides to cast a spell in the vicinity of the other two wolves. The wolves snap at Therin as he casts his incantation, but he almost seems to be dancing while doing so. He evades both strikes.
- Round 1+2 -
Bolded can make their actions
Conditions: bright light 10 ft around the campfire
Therin
Andrezzi - prone / -3 hp
Florence
Wolves - Red down
Golos - prone (ending turn 1)
Golos stands up and casts a spell to defend himself.
[ooc]Standarda: cast shock shield
Florence raises her bow and fires at the green wolf.
Florence launches an arrow at one of the animals, but merely scratches it.
The wolves snap at Therin again, still trying to snatch some of that thespian meat for dinner. One takes a solid chunk, and tries to pull Therin to the floor. He holds his ground, however.
- Round 2+3 -
Bolded can make their actions
Conditions: bright light 10 ft around the campfire
Therin - -7hp
Andrezzi - prone / -3 hp
Florence
Wolves - Red down / Green -1 hp
Golos - prone (ending turn 2)
Therin grunts in pain and steps back a bit. He reaches into his pouch and grabs a bit of sparkly paper and throws it at the wounded wolf.
Try biting what you can't see, mongrel!
Golos charges the closest wolf, extending his claws for a vicious strike.
Andrezzi rises, steps to the westernmost wolf, and brings down his sword.
==========================
Therin takes a step back and throws a glittery spell at one of the wolves. It seems to be startled but shakes it off, and gets ready to strike. However, Golos charges forward and slashes at it with his claws. It's not a terrible wound, but not anything you'd sneeze at either. The wolf yelps, and immediately afterwards growls at Golos. Meanwhile, Andrezzi stands up impales the other hound with the tip of his blade. Two down, one to go. Can Florence deliver the final blow before the wolv strikes again?
- Round 3 -
Bolded can make their actions
Conditions: bright light 10 ft around the campfire
Therin - -7hp
Andrezzi - prone / -3 hp
Florence
Wolves - Red and Blue down / Green -5 hp
Golos - -2 AC charge