"Yes, off on adventure. I wonder how big this pond is? You know, my sister and I once swam across Lake Encarthan on a bet. It wasn't all that bad. Roll over on your back and just glide along I say. But then things starting bumping us from underneath. Have you ever felt like a bug on top of the water? That's what it felt like. But, I'm in pretty good shape for someone who was eaten."
"Let's be on then," Alden says, re-shouldering his pack. "We've warned the town, now let's see what we can do out there."
"Yes, off on adventure. I wonder how big this pond is? You know, my sister and I once swam across Lake Encarthan on a bet. It wasn't all that bad. Roll over on your back and just glide along I say. But then things starting bumping us from underneath. Have you ever felt like a bug on top of the water? That's what it felt like. But, I'm in pretty good shape for someone who was eaten."
Belying long amounts of practice in dealing with his fantastical stories Eochaidh pats Kevan on the shoulder and says, "At least you know you can swim; that may come in handy at the pond."
"Oh, um, hello!" Rabbit is clearly charmed by the little dragon, however not-alive Norian proclaims it to be. "You're very cute-- you can ride on my shoulder if you want!"
Packs go back on, straps are re-tightened-- this is an awful lot of walking, Rabbit things-- and they are ready to go attempt further exploration... in a wilderness that possibly contains a dragon. Hwoof.
Rabbit does blink a few times at the talk of swimming. "Uh... I don't know how to swim."
....hopefully it won't be necessary! And if so, he has Kevan, who has swum across Lake Encarthan, to teach him! Rabbit bolsters himself with this thought as they set out again, trailing after Alden at a little trot.
Rabbit does blink a few times at the talk of swimming. "Uh... I don't know how to swim."
....hopefully it won't be necessary! And if so, he has Kevan, who has swum across Lake Encarthan, to teach him! Rabbit bolsters himself with this thought as they set out again, trailing after Alden at a little trot.
"Don't worry if need be we can help you across any water."
The group sets out and makes decent time. Mostly retracing their steps so they can rest at a good location to make camp they had already spotted.
Alden and Kevan take the first watch as the sun sets and the gloom of evening approaches. The local wildlife is quiet, with the occasional sound of birds flitting about or squirrels leaping through the tress. The forest they were in lacked the snowfall of their home shard, but the air had chilled here as it evened out to the local climate.
Wherever this forest had been it must have been warm the year round, as nothing was yet covered in snow at the time of the merge. The animals were suddenly spooked with the prospect of winter, recognizing it on an instinctual level if nothing else.
Alden walks slowly around the perimeter of the party's campsite, his head on a swivel, looking and listening for potential threats.
Kevan looks about and walks with Alden,
Surprisingly quiet. Every now and then, maakes a friendly joke but he doesn’t keep going. He spaces them out so he can hear.
+4 to overhear conversations.
A pair of men were lingering on the edge of the camp, trying to creep in among the shadows, but Kevan spots them as they approach. Both of them wear only the thinnest scraps of clothing, and they both have longswords belted at their hips. Being spotted, they both draw closer openly. Neither seems afraid of Alden or Kevan.
Seeing them more clearly, their appearance is wildly unkempt, and you would think they hadn't so much as bathed in the last three years. Kevan notes the man standing further back has dried blood from his chin down across his chest. It was clearly not his.
"So we have newcomers." the lead man noted, "Not like the swan or the dragon. Looks like we finally get some decent prey."
"You realize this is Sir Alden, warrior of the holy light and bane of those who would walk in darkness. You would do well to lower yourself before him and repent of your sins lest he take your head for retribution of your obvious crimes and your suggestion that you will commit more." Kevan says with a straight face as he draws his rapier, no grin this time.
Alden glances at Kevan, then nods his head pointedly in the direction of the rest of the party, making it clear that he should go wake them.
Alden then squares himself against the intruders and says in a voice intended to be resolute, but to also project loudly and clearly across the campsite, "You're mistaken if you think that because I serve the Stagfather that I'm prey. If you'd come in peace, we would've shared our fire with you, and heard what news you had to share. Instead, you've made your intentions clear with your words and blood-caked clothes. You have one chance: lay down your weapons, apologize, and behave yourself as a guest should. If you fight or run, we will know you're our enemy, and we will treat you as such."
The first man scoffs, glancing back to his partner. "Listen to the noble stag lover." he growls out from deep in his throat. To which the other man responds with a wicked smile. "I haven't eaten stag in a long time." Both then square up and reach for their weapons.
Hearing Alden's voice raised, which is a new experience, Eochaidh rouses from his sleep and notices the men Alden is addressing.
Going to roll initiative so we can get this party started.
Initiative Order:
- Jaxom
- Rabbit
- Kevan
- Enemy2
- Alden
- Eochaidh
- Enemy1
Remember standing from prone is a move action. No one should be outside their normal movement range from them.
Jaxom rolls to his feet and moves up by Alden to keep the enemy creatures from flanking him.
Seems I missed your initiative and Rabbit's failure. Rabbit will join the combat the following round on his initiative. There's no way he isn't waking up by then. Well, seems I have only myself to blame, so enjoy the 20. :D
Kevan, taking advantage of the men’s bravado or stupidity, dadhes past the villains to attack them from behind and setup a flank for Alden.
Kevan is quick and nimble, dashing past the first brute and sticking him from behind, causing the man to snarl like an animal. His ally notices this and snarls as well, but for a different reason.
His muscles bulge obscenely, painfully as his body starts to shift. Only to recover and leave him grunting in pain as whatever he was attempting failed. "No games brother, transform and tear them apart." he calls to the one Kevan had just struck.
Alden draws his sword and moves to strike the man flanked by Kevan.
Rabbit is sleeping heavily, not used to the more danger-filled life of the others...
...Zzznkkkk...
Eochaidh is awakened by the noise, sees the two men facing off against them, and rises to his feet. As he does so a strange 'clicking' noise emanates from Eochaidh; it would appear he grows scales.
@Eochaidh: As the transformation did not succeed it would be impossible to tell what he was attempting. I'll have a spoiler over a knowledge check if it comes to pass.
Alden's sword cuts down the front of the first man's chest, raking a wide cut from the shoulder on one side down to his ribs. Had the blow carved lower he might have disembowled him with the diagonal slash.
"You runts!" he snarled, "I'll eat you while you're still breathing!"
He starts to go through the same process as his companion, but his is a complete thing. His muscles growing thick and coarse black fur growing over his tough frame. He howls in pain as the bones in his face crack, his snout extends, and he takes on the features of a wolf! His fingers elongate, and his nails extend out into fierce claws as well.
These are werewolves! Men afflicted with the curse on lycanthropy! They have gained bestial features and abilities, and can spread their curse via bite.
More information might be gleamed with a higher DC hit.
"Runts?""Jaxom wonders at the statement, but tries to finish off the enemy that Alden had hit.
Just a reminder, no way @Rabbit isn't awake now. No checks needed.
@Eochaidh- Not sure about special attacks, but with that check you know werewolves transmit their curse through their natural bite attack. As well as wolves being able to trip a target with their bite.
Jaxom's reinforced punch into the werewolf's solar plexus catches the brute by surprise, but even so it feels like he was punching rock. The body of the unnatural beast barely shows damage. The man-beast looks down at Jaxom with a snarl. "Runt." it growls back.
Rabbit and Kevan are up!
Rabbit gasps awake at the sound of snarls- curses- the clang of steel-- and stares blindly around until he registers what's happening. He scrambles to his feet, clutching Mr. Whisper to his chest (the rabbit had been curled up in his bedroll with him).
He gazes with blank fear at the wolf... men... things...?
"Leave us alone!" he gasps at the horrifying wolf monsters. "Why does everything want to kill everyone!"
Rabbit thrusts a shaking hand towards the nearer of the wolfmen, as if trying to ward him away by mere gesture-- but a needle of dark energy flies towards the hulking figure.
"That's not sporting of you!" Kevan yells as he maintains his flank and tries to slide his rapier in where it can do the most damage.
As the ray hits the broad, hair covered chest of the werewolf he sucks in a sharp breath... and then breaths out some of the blackness through his snout. "Wretches... all of you." he growls.
Kevan strikes him a moment later, thrusting straight and true with his rapier, only to have the blade bend back nearly to the hilt against the tough musculature of the beast. Surrounds as he was, the werewolf paid the blow no mind.
As the other man looks at the pile up on his companion he focuses again, snarling as his body also starts to deform into a wolf-like humanoid. As his snout opens wide he also lets out a tremendous howl. Bringing the number of werewolves fighting the party to two.
Alden swings again at the imposing wolf-man standing between himself and Kevan.
Rabbit is still waking up but he sees Kevan land a beautiful strike... that seems to do nothing. Only Alden's blows are doing significant damage it seems...
"Mr. Cooperson! Good luck!" he squeaks, and then exhales in what sounds mostly just like nervous laughter more than spellcasting.
"My friends, these unworldly fiends seem to be immune to normal weapons! Consider that as you plan your attacks." Kevan calls out thinking rapidly on how to handle something that does not fear steel and is covered in fur. Flammable fur, hmmm....
Nodding at Kevan, Eochaidh withdraws one of his scrolls and finishes the spell causing his club to grow in size.
- Jaxom *
- Rabbit
- Kevan
- Enemy2
- Alden
- Eochaidh
- Enemy1 (-8, -3 STR)
Current space in initiative after post = *
The lead werewolf turns to swipe at the paladin, whipping his longsword around horizontally...
...which Alden managed to duck without much effort, focused intently on his foe. The werewolf then lunged about to snap his jaws down toward Jaxom's collar...
...which the practiced brawler leaned back from and countered with a jab to the jaw that didn't seem to faze the beastman, but still countered the attack.
Jaxom hears Kevan's words as he stares at the monster that the man had become. He strikes at the.... thing, but doesn't even come close. After the swing he steps back and reaches into his belt pouch....
Rabbit keeps holding Mr. Whisper close to his chest as he watches the battle, wide-eyed, the soft not-quite-a-giggle still coming from him... or from the animal? Sort of hard to tell. Unsure what else to do, Rabbit picks up his crossbow from next to his bedroll.
The little green construct sat on Rabbit's shoulder, leaning in and giving a quizzical look to the halfling. It seeming to ask permission for something. A soft voice came into Rabbit's mind then. "Should I breath on them?" it asked.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I just woke up! Um, if your breath is harmful, yes-- but please don't get my friends in it, thank you!"
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The little dragon-like, life-like thing hops down from Rabbit's shoulder and skitters around into a position where it deemed itself able to only hit the second werewolf. Rabbit was left to briefly wonder why it wasn't helping with the initial one, when it opened it's tiny maw and a wide spray of acid spewed out in a fan before it. The forest around the werewolf hissed as stinging, potent acid burned away grass and shrub. Even the rocks were scoured and turned pock-marked. The impossible area covered by the tiny creature highlighted well why it had not aimed at the first werewolf, so surrounded by allies.
The werewolf shudders, body trembling and seizing as it's fur smoked. Flesh had been eaten away in spots down to the bone and it's great snout was half skull. The creature shrank as it collapsed face first onto the ground, turning back to a man. A very dead man.
The first werewolf snarled, but his eyes were wide in panic.
Almost stunned by the pure destruction from the little dragon thing.... He snarls at the werewolf, "So Runt, we don't really want to kill you. Stop fighting and you don't have to die!"
"Gosh."
Almost stunned by the pure destruction from the little dragon thing.... He snarls at the werewolf, "So Runt, we don't really want to kill you. Stop fighting and you don't have to die!"
Yes, but there are limits to how much you can believably say during a six second round of combat.