"Maybe next time we can simply walk around the trap." Frank shrugs before casting a spell to mend Broulnindre's wounds.
"So... it seems we've rung the doorbell already."
Hekla grins and looks over at Lyudmilla. "Got any crow pie recipes, mum?"
She'll head towards the door, axe in hand but not at the ready.
From within Hekla hears no small amount of commotion. Heavy boots stamp on the wooden floor and a door slams. No one opens the door but they're scrambling for something.
She motions the rest of the group forward with her axe-hand and tries to open the door with the other.
"Parcel service, delivery for you!"
Barnaby and Anticipation takes their eyes off of the Frank and B show to look alarmed at the lodge. Both gnome and Ant then nod to each other before Barnaby begins taking his bear traps out and they begin setting them up around the group's parameter.
While the hunter places his beartraps, Anticipation keeps a weathered eye out for pirates...errr...angry mobs....errr...trick or treaters....
Both Barnaby and Anticipation suddenly look up into the sky. They both stare listening to a voice from above, before looking back at each other, shrugging and going into stealth mode.
Barnaby manages to lay down one trap before the door is flung wide open. Five armed brigands stand on the other side.
A volley of arrows flies towards the door but harmlessly strike either wood or snow.
"Stop shooting, you fools!" Dawrbrün shouts to the people inside. "We're following the tracks of someone who killed one of the townfolk! If it wasn't you lot, we don't care what you're doing in there!"
"Hoy!" Broulnindre shouts as she rushes down the path towards the fighting.
Frank rushes past and takes cover just around one of the corners.
"You get one second chance, not two!" Frank explains.
Seeing the volume of fire coming at her, a concerned Hekla concentrates for a moment and a shimmering barrier manifests out of her Ulfen Guard cloak and crystallizes around her.
"I hope for their sake they feel like a chitchat, fellas."
Busily bending backwards (literally) to get his beartraps placed properly, Barnaby groans at the sudden sounds of battle breaking out behind him!
Anticiaption just shrugs at the gnome as if to say
Happens!
The Hunter could only nod his agreement. Becoming untwistered, Barnaby pulls out his cold-iron machete. Ant begins chittering and pointing at the newly placed beartrap.
Good idea Ant!
The Hunter casts Create Water on the far side of his beartrap, freezing the area like slippery and beautifully blue ice!
It's winter!
He then smiles backing away from his creation 5'.
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Eye locked on the cabin as they approach, Lyudmilla chuckles nervously at Hekla's jape. "You catch it, I'll cook it!" Offering a wide birth to the more capable members of the group, the chef steps to the side of the path and prepares to load her crossbow.
As the volley bursts out the open door, the hedge-witch's eyes go wide. "Nope!" Almost impulsively her hands twist in a cryptic manner to unleash a soft glow of arcane energy, which settles and hangs off her like illusory parade armor comprised of plated metal and ghostly ornamental wings.
Alethea dashes to cover, taking up a position across the door from Hekla. She holds her falcata close, ready for any bandits foolish enough to come charging through after them.
Paying no heed to your attempts at parleying, one of the occupants of the hunting lodge yells, "Get Rohkar! Wake the others!" Two of them peel off, one up the stairs the other into an adjoining room.
The remaining three fire again on Hekla. But their marksmanship under pressure is sorely lacking.
"Don't say they didn't warn ya."
Hekla advances into the room and swings on the blue-clad bandit.
"You asked for it!"
Frank explains as he steps out to get a shot and fires at the nearest one.
"Hy gots hyu!" Broulnindre says as she follows the wayward bolt and swings her claws at the same archer.
Barnaby and Anticipation stare incredulously at the lodge.
Hey! How 'bout a moment of silence for the innocent wooden door frame and the still, silent air!
The gnome giggling sets another beartrao.
Dawrbrün barges into the room, and readies himself to hit whoever comes out of the room with his new masterwork hand axe.
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Lyudmilla trudges forth beside her dwarven companion, her spectral wing ornaments waggling unceremoniously behind her. She quickly gives a peek around him with her good eye to see her companions locked in combat inside the home.
Ignoring her heart trying to punch through her chest from adrenaline, she can't help but sniff the interior of the cabin for what the brigands might be cooking. Maybe after she could at the very least aid their spice rack...
With a nod she tugs the element of fate in Dawrbrün's favor before he valiantly descends inside and follows up by listing the ingredients, prep work, and execution of Crow Pie.
Alethea darts in after the others and, upon seeing no room left on the floor for her to fight, leaps up onto the table and into the midst of their foes. With a triumphant shout, she slashes down at the one engaged by Hekla.
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With the moment of silence for the dearly departed door over the melee begins in earnest. To the south a number of you spy four humans shivering underneath sweat soaked blankets. At the urging of their lodge mate these four individuals rise and grasp anything that could be used as a weapon. The one that rushed upstairs returns huffing from the effort.
The remaining belligerent occupants drop their short bows and trade them for short swords.
Alethea dances out of the way of one slash but another comes very close, only leaving a gash in her leather armor. The third, with no pretense of fighting fairly takes advantage of Alethea's distraction and stabs Alethea through the torso. Shooting pain lances through the swashbuckler, leaving her reeling.
The single enemy near Dawrbrün, thrusts her shortsword straight into the dwarf's waiting shield.
Hekla shoots a concerned look at her wounded ally and keeps trying to carve her way through the enemies.
If that somehow drops the blue guy in front of Hekla, she'll step forward to give Alethea an escape route
The fortunate Dawrbrün bats aside the shortsword and follows up with an axe to their side. The human slumps to the ground bleeding out. Hekla's axe is planted in the skull of another dropping her opponent.
Sweat begins building on Lyudmilla's forehead at the sight of Alethea's skewering and she takes a knee to better her focus. Working her way through the best dough squashing methodology like a soldiers chant, she plucks the trigger in the hopes it's bolt lands over Broulnindre's head and into the bandit accosting her.
Alethea, hand pressed to her latest injury, hops off the table and behind the relative safety of Hekla's axe.
Barnaby and Anticipation finish laying their second beartrap outside. The gnome and giant Ant then trudge through the snow and into the lodge.
Anticipation looks at the distracted gnome, but the giant Ant can't actually speak, so welll.....
Barnaby though does notice the goings-ons and doings-ofs inside the lodge.
Hey! Anyone here not looking to kill us strangers?
The Hunter then casts Guidance on Dawrbrün.
Feel the force flow through you.
Lyudmilla's bolt flies true despite Broulnindre's obscurement. The person cries out in pain but quickly regains composure.
Limply tired and clearly sick two of the occupants try to fight off Dawrbrün. The rest shuffle up to the door.
With their dinner ruined by an acrobatic swashbuckler dancing on their set table, one of them jump up to get a better vantage. They all gang up on Hekla, but find that her magical protections are too good.
Barnaby begins counting the rude occupants of the lodge. The gnome double checks with Anticipation, who nods in agreement.
There seems to be a failure to communicate!
The Hunter nods ahead at the swashbuckling wannabe that just leaped onto the table.
Nodding in anticipation, the giant Ant steps forward with the gnome to do battle!
Barnaby--swiftly--adjusts Anticipation's Vermin Focus.
Hekla leaves her axe buried in the head of the man bleeding out and squares up against the two bandits in front of her. With heavy breaths and a feral grin, she goes after them with her fingernails.
Broulnindre also wears a feral grin as she goes after the one that took Alathea's spot on the table top!
Frank reloads his crossbow.
Dawrbrün continues to swing at the attacking foes, but yells at them as he does so.
"Stop attacking us, you fools, and we won't have to kill you!"
Lyudmilla winces in surprise as her shot actually lands, stuttering for a half second before continuing her recipe instruction. She stops from reloading and instead entreats her Patron Otolmens to bend the odds of probability in her precocious insectoid ally's favor.
Alethea continues her retreat toward the door, her face quickly growing ashen.
The people in the lodge begin to fall one by one at the hands of the party. Blood sprays, internal organs are ruptured. It seems almost a mercy to the ones that are clearly ill.
Dawrbrün sees the humans hesitate as he tries to sway them, punctuated by the violence. But their resolve is redoubled when a greater fear presents itself. The rattling of bone on bone is heard descending the stairs as rime frost coats the wood. A pair of skeletons stare at you with empty eye sockets and the temperature in the room drops even further.
Ant waggles its antenna and chitters at Barnaby meaningfully.
"Perfect, that's just what we needed," Alethea says through gritted teeth. Free of any direct threats to her person, she retreats the rest of the way out the door.
"Frost skeletons! They have an aura of bone-chilling cold about them. Expect frostbite if you close to fight them. Bashing them with hammers and clubs works better than blades!" Dawrbrün shouts out to his companions.
He swings his axe at the man attacking him.
"Froshtbite? Hy bite too." Broulnindre explains as she leaves a weaker opponent for a presumably stronger one.
Frank tries to help by shooting something that isn't a skeleton, deciding on the enemy next to Hekla.
Seeing Alethea stumble bleeding out of the cabin to join their rearguard formation, the chef suddenly remembers the small ornate box in her satchel pocket. So stupid! she chides herself, scrambling for the object, fumbling her next bolt onto the soft snow and struggling to keep vocal pace with her recipe recitation. After what seemed an eternity, she lifts the chocolate box with a gloved hand, shoving it towards the sword dancer.
"Two left, Alethea!
Hekla tries to tear into the red guy!
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Barnaby and Anticipation both watch the scary blue-balled skeletons stumping down the stairs and into their little throng!
Both Barnaby and Anticipation begin thinking at the same time that they may have left the stove on at the homestead!
This is not welcoming! Who ordered the frost nuts!
Ant chitters because no one knows another word for what sound ants make.
Swallowing their stomachs, both the hunter and the giant Ant straighten their shoulders and continue to do battle....with the non-blue frosty freaks!
Barnaby commands Ant to go Flank with Dawrbrün.
Anticipation nods and skitters (and chitters) over into Flank.
Barnaby steps into a Flank with the Green guy and waves at him!