DM Reroll:
Rocko manages to hit the creature in the head on the backswing. It's ungraceful looking, but it takes the creature down to negative HP.
Top of Round 2; Spizz' action
"Spizz is realizing perhaps Spizz has made a terrible mistake!" Spizz total defenses to bring his AC up to 17 for this turn.
One of the crossbowmen move into position to fire on Spizz.
The creature in front of him attacks with his hand axe:
The other two crossbowmen move down to get a better angle at the magical eagle that appeared from nowhere:
confirm:
With that, The eagle fizzles from existence.
Finally, the one creature that was in the doorway doesn't like the idea of standing between Djack, Rocko, and Quince, and takes one wild swing at Djack as he backs up (5' step).
Rest of the party may act in Round 2
Djack returns tit for tat with the cat. Stepping closer and thrusting.
Rocko, Elias... go, go, go! Spizz is in bag shape.
"Bring him closer to me!" The elf shouts, drawing her bow and knocking an arrow in a single graceful move. In the space of a breath she utters a prayer to her God, then let's the arrow fly forward. With some luck the path would be clear for either of her new companions.
Djack misses the one map-south of the door.
Yoltzin moves over a bit to get a better angle and hits the one in melee with Spizz, hitting it in the neck. Drops him like he's hot.
Rocko and Quince can act in round 2
Elias bursts through the doorway with Djack, ignoring the cat to his left as it strikes out at him. He moves past Spizz' wavering form and stands over his friend taking an opportune swing at a cat that gets too close.
The first creature he passes swings at Quince with the claws on his empty hand, but misses (rolled offline).
Though Quince misses with his attack, he does manage to draw the creature's attention away from Spizz.
Rocko may act in round 2.
"Be brave, little dragon friend!" Rocko will call out in encouragement as he steps into the room.
Although stepping further in may result in a slash from the cat right at the doorway, Rocko would rather provide better protection against the ones skittering around the other end. In fact, he'll even forgo taking a swing in favor of pulling out his shield to provide better cover for Spizz.
Rocko is providing Soft Cover to Spizz, increasing his effective armor class against the crossbowmen by +4.
Top of Round 3. Spizz may act.
"Thank you friends!" Spizz shouts, "Your bravery saved Spizz for sure!" He fires off a less potent gout of flame, targeting the two cat creatures in the back with a 10ft radius flame jet.
"Spizz will be more careful in future! Thank you to friend eagle too, for saving Spizz."
The creature closest to Djack, which was previously uninjured, takes a small amount of fire damage. The other one, against the back wall, seems quite seriously injured, having been in the barrage of Spizz' original spell as well.
The one who is most injured seems to be retreating, taking moving to the door map-west and opening it.
The remaining three still seem to have plenty of fight left.
The one in front of Quince drops his crossbow and attacks with two claws:
Rest of party may act in Round 3
The one south and west of Rocko lets loose a crossbow bolt:
The bolt sticks in Rocko's shield.
Finally, the one just below Rocko and Djack attacks Djack with a claw and a short sword swing.
Rest of party may act in Round 3
Everyone OK? You guys always make this many friends all at once?
Djack tries to kebab the nearest opponent and takes a step into the new room.
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Shouldering her bow and instead drawing a dagger for defense, she moves past the others and into the room, giving Spizz cover on the western side. When she gets there, she reaches out to touch the gnoll on his shoulders. "Let Xenxolotl guide your strikes!"
"We need to take down that runner!"
Elias lays into the cat infront of him, matching it's paired claws with his paired knives. He slices at tendons in the creatures arms, looking to incapacitate it.
Djack's attack damages the creature south-west of him, who up until now had managed to avoid it.
Quince's attack finishes the cat-beast in front of him; it drops to the floor bleeding.
Rocko may now act, and may choose to reroll and take the more favorable roll, per Yoltzin's magic.
Super-secret roll:
"Stop the runner, eh? You got it!"
Well, there's a cat in between, so if Rocko's going to stop farthest cat, it better be in style.
Rocko is going to put his shield forward and use it as a battering ram to hopefully first smash into the intervening cat and then crush both it and the fleeing cat into the wall right in front of the door.
Who knows, the magic is making him feel lucky and a little reckless.
Rocko knocks the 1st cat creature aside, as planned. It attempts to bite him as he passes, but fails.
The second creature is held in place, against the wall. It's angry as hell, but drops its weapon in submission.
Top of Round 4
Spizz may act.
Hey... stop fighting! Spizz, use your charm... Let's give peace a chance.
Djack looks around for any cat-people that may need to be stabilized.
"Spizz set half of them on fire. You think now they listen to Spizz?" the little dragon asks incredulously. Then he shrugs. "Cat creatures! We do not have to be your enemies! Maybe we make friends?" As a sign of good faith, he tries to stabilize the cat next to him. Spizz seems just as surprised as anyone else that it actually worked. "Friends?" he asks again, holding out his hands.
Morale:
Suprisingly, the remaining creatures ease back into a less threatening stance, though they don't lower their guard completely.
One speaks in very poor Espan (common):
You lawmen?
Djack looks at the speaker... No. Walkers... explorers. He pantomimes with his fingers walking and with his eyes as if searching.
Looking for another feline in need, he points I can... help.
He sheathes his rapier.
Djack is able to pull one creature back from the edge of death, though he'll need to heal for some time. One is beyond assistance.
"We are traders," the creature says. This statement does not ring true, as no one in the party seems to recognize these creatures; if they were traders and live this close to Albarra, wouldn't they be known?
I find trade interesting. The secret is in attributing... value. What goods you trade? Grain, pottery, textiles? He is genuinely curious.
Elias let's out a snort at being accused of being a lawman. His blades lower slightly but he is still prepared.
He looks intently at the cat that is talking...
No, he's not dead.
Sense Motive
Quince is pretty sure he's lying (say, 75% certainty).
What goods you trade? Grain, pottery, textiles?
The creature looks briefly panicked, and glances down at his weapon furtively.
The one nearest Djack moves toward him, and gestures non-threateningly. "I go..." and crouches down, as if to mimic relieving himself. He points into the next room (where you came from).
"Do you know ow what happened to the child?" She aks pointedly. The idea of suddenly entering a dialog with these beastfolk didn't sit right with her.
"Nah, I think we should all stay here for now"
Elias will move to block the door they have not been through yet kicking any weapons aside if he passes them.
"What are we trading? Weapons? Or maybe my colleague is onto something, slaves? Children?"
Djack doesn't like the direction the conversation is going...
He helps the wounded cat-man drink a sip of water from his water skin. Propping him up.
Looking here and there, from one individual to the other. See Spizz, you did just fine.
Yoltzin sees some furtive non-answers coming out of the creature's eyes vis-a-vie missing children. She suspects it knows more than it's saying.
"Spizz is feeling a little woozy from bloodloss. Sitting down for a minute." He leans against a wall.
The elf frowns at the suspicious reactions form the creatures, yet for the moment turns her attention towards the kobold. Her hands awash with spiritual fire, which she employs to burn away the firespitter's wounds. Under the crackling of her magic, she whispers under her breath to Spizz and whomever else is closest. "I don't believe they are so truly innocent. Pres them further."
As Quince moves the weapons out of the way, amid the creatures' sleeping pads (straw beds covered with old banners from the 4th Legion), he finds small trunk. It's too small to carry much in the way of trade goods, unless they were very valuable.
Without another word, Elias bends and inspects the trunk, attempting to open it if it seems likely to open.
It opens easily, with no "hidden surprises." Inside, you find many coins, some from before the Great Migration, others more modern and minted at local municipalities. There are also a few low-to-moderate value gems, a ring with a cornucopia emblem woven in gold, and lastly, and a copper spinning top of the type favored by children.
Rocko is a tad reluctant to release the one he's got pinned just yet. The cat seemed to have a destination in mind. On a hunch he'll ask, "So, you work for a boss here?"
"So, you work for a boss here?"
"No, we a...free merchants," the creature answers. Rocko looks over at Quince and notices him inspecting the contents of a heretofore unseen trunk.
Watching the exchange, Leader...
"We can talk all day here. Us asking, you not giving us any answers. But the facts are that we're here 'cos someone out here's been causing trouble. We found some poor kid in the porch, looks like they've had all manner of sins cast against them. And when we come in here, you jump us and try and end our little dragon here. You're acting like you've got cards on the table here, you don't. Start talking. You've got about 30 seconds before I take to ending the lot of you and moving on. I'm no lawman."
"...and this." He picks up the ring and the spinning top, pocketing the ring and holding out the spinning top for all to see. "Isn't making you look any more innocent."
At this point, the remaining creatures (except the one that was trying to run away) screech really loud and draw their claws back. It seems the jig, as it were, is up.
Misunka:
Djack:
Rocko:
Yoltzin:
Quince:
Spizz:
Perception (Yoltzin only):
Super-secret roll:
The creatures, bereft of their crossbows and various melee weapons, are stuck with their less-effective natural weapons in order to attack.
The two nearest Rocko each move 5' so that they are flanking him, and attack.
One seems to have a distaste toward attacking Spizz and Djack, and so moves 5' to attack Quince with a claw and bite.
Finally, the one nearest Yoltzin attacks here with claw and bite.