Barnaby approaches the tree holding the wyrm and it lashes out at the gnome!
A razor sharp claw slashes across the hunter's face, narrowly missing his eye. It's claw hooks into Barnaby's face and it tries to pull him upwards into the tree but the ragged skin cannot hold the gnome's weight.
Hekla trudges through the snow towards the beast and casts *resistance* on Alethea. "In case of poison!"
"A tatzlwym, huh? Let's see if it's flammable!" Dawrbrün says, pulling the vial of alchemist's fire from his bandolier, and hurling it at the creature.
Round 1
What the s$&+ turd f%%! stick was that! Asshat!
The gnome looks actually pretty sweet now with a brand-new frosty claw scratch from the mean faced cat-worm!
Ant-icipation gasps in surprise, fury, and just a bit of nervousness!
Barnaby decides that it is time to unleash his inner vermin!
The hunter then swings his machete at the mean faced cat faced worm thingy!
Lyudmilla startles forward a step and cries out as everything turns violent in an instant. Leaning against Ant, she begins laughing nervously from the adrenaline. "Careful all of you! It's Dragon-kin! Not a Veasel!"
The alchemist's fire thrown by Dawrbrün falls short of the tree with an exceptionally weak throw. The fragile bottle cracks against an icy patch of snow sending flaming liquid in all directions.
Barnaby swipes his knife at the tatzlwyrm, drawing a thin line of blood.
"Sorry. Poisonous." Frank explains.
Broulnindre pouts at Frank before disappearing far more suddenly than she arrived.
"Maybe an eagle would help more here." He wonders aloud.
Frank retreats a bit, hoping to shoot over his allies at the wyrm.
Alethea gives a quick nod of gratitude to Hekla before leaping into the melee. While she doesn't exactly cover herself in glory, she hopes to pull the creature's attention off of Barnaby long enough for the gnome to escape its clutches.
Alethea with power and precision plants her falcata into the tree, shaking bits of snow to the ground.
The Tatzlwyrm with dogged determination swipes at Barnaby again. Luckily for the gnome he ducks at the last second and the claw scrapes against his leather. Unfortunately for the gnome the tatzlwyrm has two claws and compensates for Barnaby's movements.
The hunter passes out from pain as the dragon-kin draws him into the tree.
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Hekla moves into the space that Barnaby was dragged out of and brings her axe to bear!
Unfortunately, there are no bears nearby to accept it.
Cursing under her breath, Alethea recovers her falcata from the bark of the tree and makes another, more careful strike.
Dawrbrün steps forward and swings his axe at the creature.
Lyudmilla's panicked laughter wilts at seeing the bloodied Barnaby dragged up the tree. Her stomach drops and instead a cold listing of recipe steps for snake stew escapes her in an almost chant.
"Swing away Hekla!" she adds between religiously spouting gutting instructions.
The bird can't manage to hover next to the wyrm, though, and swips at it with one talon before flying back and away.
Barnaby doesn't respond to any of his companion's pleas for patience. The bleeding and unconscious gnome merely goes with the flow....
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Alethea lines up her swing almost perfectly and slices the cat with ambitions to be a dragon. It hisses in pain. Two axes fail to find bears. Lyudmilla lists her recipe instructions which to a sensible person would seem insane, luckily there are no sensible people nearby.
An eagle descends from Heaven smiting the Tatzlwyrm, unfortunately the stains on its soul are not great.
The Tatzlwyrm drops Barnaby into the snow with a loud thump, perhaps realizing at some base level the danger it's in. But it lashes out at Alethea instead of fleeing.
Alethea manages to get her weapon in the way of the first claw and side steps the second. She tries to slice into the claw but can’t get enough leverage.
Dawrbrün swings his axe at the creature, trying to end the threat it poses.
Hekla swings again, this time trying to follow butchering instructions but a bit confused about how to do so with a large axe.
Abandoning any sense of grace or subtlety, Alethea brings her falcata up for a powerful, two-handed chop.
Barnaby just lies in the nice soft (but quickly melting from his body heat) white with pink spots snow.
Anticipation continues to Guard Miss Cotton, but the giant ant does look concerned.
Seeing that her aid did little for Hekla, Lyudmilla curses before looking to Ant and rushing through the snow to Barnaby's side. The act is arduous causing her to lose focus on her words. She places her white gloved hands over the gnomes forehead and another over claw wounds, prepping her hedge witchery.
The eagle comes screeching back, swiping at the wyrm with the other set of talons.
Frank nods as he sees Lyudmilla go to Barnaby's aid. He levels his crossbow at the wyrm and fires.
Unfortunately, his bolt only knocks a small amount of snow out of the tree.
Alethea swings powerfully and connects in a wet thunk but to her horror the bad kitty survives and is very very angry.
Alethea is embraced by the creature's claws and begins her ascent into the tree.
Hekla tries again to hit the savage creature with her axe, her head still full of recipes.
With the tatzlwyrm distracted by Alethea Hekla's axe finally finds purchase and both fall from the tree.
Anticipation nudges the gnome and chitters.
Barnaby is getting wet (but not cold) from the now melted pink colored snow underneath his still small frame....
Alethea's feeling of triumph is short lived, replaced by pain and fear as the monster's claws bite deep and haul her into the air, immediately followed by confused relief when she is sent tumbling to the ground. She gives Hekla a weak wave and leans back against the tree, dazed and bleeding.
Lyudmilla sits in the reddish snow and digs deep for the kernel of Jediwga magic in her bones, letting loose a soft glow from her trembling hands to stitch Barnaby's flesh back together. "Is everyone else alright?"
"I've felt better, Mistress Cotton, but I believe I'll live. How is Master Bridge?"
"Allow me My Dear," Dawrbrün says, tromping over to Alethea. "May the Drunken Hero grant you fresh resolve."
Hekla hefts up the body of the tatzlwyrm and looks at it admiringly. She looks over to Lyudmilla and is about to say something when Alethea's wave distracts her. "Are you alright? Those were savage hits. Need a hand?"
Focusing back on Lyudmilla, she waves the tatzlwyrm corpse. "Anything you can do with this, mum?S Sounded like you had a recipe."
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Barnaby opens his eyes. The gnome begins checking his pockets, while his eyes find Anticipation.
The last time I was unconscious laying in pink snow, you ate the rest of the sugar cubes.
Anticipation does seem to have an alarming number of sugar cubes stuffed in his mouth. The Ant tries to feign innocence but....
The hunter looks at Miss Cotton.
Many thanks! I was dreaming that my head got raked and torn asunder.
His face doez look exactly as if his dream were manifested reality.
Frank sighs audibly with relief as Lyudmilla revives Barnaby.
"All's well that ends well. It would be nice to skin this wyrm and make something warm to wear." Frank says as he reloads his crossbow and then draws his clothes tight around himself.
"It's- really wonderful- to have healers along." he adds.
He clenches his jaw and nods to himself.
He looks expectantly for everyone to get back on their feet to continue onward... or -more likely- back into town to recover from the fight.
Dawrbrün looks around for the footprints the group was following, trying to determine if they ended here, or went further on past this spot.
Lyudmilla sighs as Barnaby wakes and offers to help him up. " Worry not brave one, from what I hear scars are most dignified in this profession."
Seeing Dawrbrün tend to Alethea, she gives the two a quick nod and humorless grin, working her towards their assailant's corpse.
"I've never field dressed a tatzlwyrm, but if ve are sticking around to lick our vounds I could make plenty of meal prep. My gods, vhat is he six? Seven feet long? She starts pacing around Hekla looking it over intently."I'm no leathersmith, but I can grill or make grand stew of it and trailjerky the rest..." The witch's hands unconsciously pull out her leather knife roll.
Dawrbrün looks around for the footprints the group was following, trying to determine if they ended here, or went further on past this spot.
[dice=Survival, if needed]1d20+6
The trail goes farther into the woods.
"Now might not be the best time to stop for a butchering joh," Dawrbrün replies. "Our quarry's tracks continue on that way," he says, pointing in the direction of the trail. "We can back track for the wyrm's carcass later. If there's something else in these woods big enough to drag it off while we're gone, it's probably a good thing we weren't here when it arrived."
He moves in the direction of the foot prints in a purposeful stride.
Alethea allows herself to be helped to her feet, and brushes some of the snow off of her clothes and grimacing at the bloodstains. "Thank you, Miss Nornsdottir and Master Amberbasher. I think I'm well enough to continue now."
Barnaby takes the offered hand up. The battered gnome grins.
Did you hear that, Ant? Dignified!
Anticipation just laughs.
Barnaby looks to the others.
We can continue if as we ain't dead.
Hunter and Companion ready to continue.
"Good eyes, Amberbasher. Let's at least try to keep the rot from it."
Hekla drops the corpse into a snowbank in the shade and brushes some additional snow over it. Then she shoulders her axe and carries on with the group.
Lyudmilla frowns, wishing she had enough rope to make a 'bear bag' for the Tatzylwyrm but the weight alone... "It will keep." she concludes aloud as Hekla finishes.
Stowing her knives, Frank reminds her of the small repurposed metal tin box she has stuffed away deep in her backpack. As they start walking, she traces her fingers around the engravings and opens it with a tap and a whisper, revealing candied berries. Some chocolate. Some covered in powdered sugar. All four nestled in rows of wax paper holders. "Oh! I can not do said 'trick' again today, but I can offer these to whoever vants one. It provides a little sweet stamina surge."
Frank frowns.
"Can you two do that healing trick again? If anyone else collapses, I sure can't." he explains, reluctant to move forward.
He starts bringing Broulnindre back after the celestial eagle disappears, its bindings to the prime material short lived.
"I can probably manage it once more," Dawrbrün replies to Frank, "if the need arises."
Frank nods, satisfied, as he finishes his ritual.
"Understood," Alethea says, feeling her confidence return to her the further they travel from the encounter with the cat lizard.
"Hyu let me fight next vun." Broulnindre demands, after reappearing.
Frank replies with a curt nod.
Satisfied, she attempts to follow right after Dawrbrun, intent on being second in line (since being first in line seems impossible).
Barnaby's and Anticipation's moths begin to salivate at the glorious appearance of Miss Cotton's candies!
Ant is on a diet but I'm not!
After Barnaby chows down on a couple day's worth of food you travel on into the cold. The trail becomes erratic, the missing farmer must have staggered this way and that, and occasionally going around in a circle. You get the impression that he's become lost.
After another hour or traveling...
Feathered bundles and strange fetishes hang from the lowest branches of the trees in this part of the forest, swaying and shifting in the wind. All are stuck through with small pins holding pieces of leather bound around them.
Upon closer inspection the fetishes reveal themselves as corpses of dead crows, pierced by tiny arrows. Fairies with malevolent intent lurk nearby.