Moving north, the dwarf continued rushing towards combat. He did this with all of the speed that his people were known for…
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Goliath's blow caves in the drake's skull, while Jericho's blade crits, disemboweling the creature. Both creatures are dead and combat is over!
…the dwarf came to a halt. Looking around he saw the two drakes fall almost simultaneously. He spat over the side of the ship, feeling slightly miffed about running up for nothing. He then waved his hand behind him as he turned to walk back below deck. ”Well done.” He said.
Penny returns her crossbow to her back after removing the bolt. She looks impressed for a change. "Nicely done!" she agrees with Ulmo.
"Bah." The giant Goliath spits, disappointed. "Too easy." He flicks some of the gross slime off of his hand and into the waters below. He hadn't even worked up a sweat. Then again he was not unfamiliar with draconic beasts. "Cheer up, dwarf. You got the gorilla, remember? PENNY! Fresh meat for dinner! And Bloodtusk: at this point you should be paying us for passage." Goliath stomps over to Jericho, his weight making the boat shift as he passes from one side to the other, and brings a huge palm crashing down on Jericho's back. "You're not as frail as you look, elf! Skinny but strong."
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"Hmmm, not a bad idea Goliath." Penny slices the Drake meat into long strips, making sure to avoid the acid glands. Then prepares a large pot to sear the meat, adding garlic, onion, pepper and wine she then simmers the meat until it is tender.
She adds in chopped up potatoes, carrots and some cabbage to make a strong, rich stew for anyone interested in eating the drakes.
"Dig in!'
The adventurer are once again celebrated as heroes of the voyage and partake of a decent meal prepared by Penny. Mugs are raised in the party's honor and anyone wounded has time to heal.
Day 4:
By midday of the following day, the keelboat pulls into a shattered dock.
A broken pier rises from the gently flowing waters of the river, its pilings blackened by fire and splintered by axe. Only a few waterlogged planks remain, hanging drunkenly from twisted nails. A path leads up from the dock toward a small stone building atop a low hill nearby.
The captain signals the party, "I was supposed to deliver an arsenal of battleaxes, spears, and chain shirts to an Ozem knight by the name of Blix staffing the way station located here. Heck, I was here like 15 days ago, and the way station's dock was sturdy and whole. Something is definitely wrong, looks like the place came under attack and the knight is not here to greet my boat, as normal. Do you want to investigate?"
Goliath casts spells that gird him in bark (beneath his dragon plate) and hastens his stride with swirling jetties of cool air and hefts his large earth breaker. "Just try not to sink the boat while we're gone." The druid recommends to the captain. It was hardly unusual for an outpost or camp to wind up with everyone missing or dead, especially out here in no man's land. "Still, most orcs wouldn't tangle with an armored knight. We should be prepared for a significant foe, not a casual raid that happened by here by chance."
Penny nods, making sure her Mage armor spell is cast on herself she follows the others down the gangplank. Hiding a smile at Goliath's words to the Captain.
"This knight might need help and I really hate orcs." Jericho judges how far is the base from our current position to determine if it's worth using Shield since it lasts 4 minutes.
”The giants behind this might have a hand in this as well. It is worth investigating.” Ulmo reasoned, as he got his feet back where they belonged on solid ground
The waystation is about 30' from the dock, so you can get you buff spells off. Let me know what spells you cast.
When you arrive at the dock, you see a grisly scene some 30' away.
A hitching post stands outside a simple stable with two stalls built along the eastern wall of the way station. Two horses are normally housed here for the use of the knights posted to the station, but the steeds lie dead, with several black-tipped javelins now piercing the unfortunate beasts’ flanks. Two larger than normal wolves as large as a horse are feasting upon the freshly slaughtered horse carcasses and do not seem to notice you, as they have their backs to you.
”A good chance we will need to fight those to properly investigate.” The dwarf said, as he leaned on his spear. ”We could sneak past them, but it only takes one of us failing to do so. So I say we drive them off, unless someone has a less violent method.”
Penny nods in agreement with Ulmo and readies her crossbow. Letting the more martial people go first.
"I say we kill them now, rather than later." Once buffed with his Shield spell, Jericho signals the rest of the party to wait and tries to sneak closer to the closest giant wolf to slash him.
Jericho sneaks up to the dire wolf on the left and sneak attacks it, as it is flat-footed, enjoying its meal! It yowls in pain!
The dwarf moved forward, spear and shield at the ready. Trained as he was in fighting giants, he stabbed out with his spear with it aimed far too high. This muscle memory served him poorly, as the attack was nowhere near the wolf.
Round 1: Jericho
Since the wounded wolf is still flatfooted, Jericho tries to finish it.
Jericho ends the green wolf's life as his blades cuts the creature's spine! Only the yellow wolf remains.
Goliath moves up!
Penny's shot is not one that will trouble the wolf.
Round 1: Dire Wolf
The remaining wolf howls and tries to bite Jericho for killing its mate. The half-elf feels the creature's horrid breath, as his shield spell saves him. The party hears movement and yells from inside the way station.
Goliath moves up to take as swing at one of the large wolves, certainly preferring the target more on his size level, but it's not even close.
Aiming lower, the dwarf jabbed his spear at the wolf. Still, he was unused to fighting non-humanoid foes, and his aim was off.
Penny tries another shot, "The rare and dangerous slippery wolf." She comments dryly.
.
Round 2: Jericho
The half-elf gracefully moves around the last wolf to get a flanking bonus with Goliath and sneak attack.
Jericho looks at the party's attacks and asks with a crooked smile, "Are you guys afraid of wolves or something?"
Penny's crossbow lands, wounding the wolf just enough for Jericho to flank it and kill the creature in one blow, causing a yelp before it collapses to the ground dead.'
Four green-skinned humanoids come out from side of the waystation, wielding falchions coated with a black liquid, which you guess may be poison. The orcs are garbed in studded leather armor, wear spiked gauntlets, and have javelin for ranged purposes on their backs. They eye Penny with sinister eyes, as they approach, "Prepare to die, pointy ears!"
Spinning around, Ulmo’s eyes widened with excitement. Orcs! A foe he was actually trained to fight. Moving as quickly as his Dwarven legs could carry him, he made the most out of the reach his spear gave him and stabbed out at the greenskins.
Penny simply takes a 5' step back. "Rude!" Is her reply.
Pointing at Yellow she casts Scorching ray.
Goliath moves up.
Jericho double moves to engage the blue orc.
Round 2: Orcs
The blue orc swings his poisoned falchion at Jericho, snarling at the half-elf. He pulls all of considerable muscular frame behind the swing and misses by a mile.
The red orc takes a 5' step and swings at Ulmo in a similar fashion, and also fails to connect.
The green orc follows the red orc and shouts profanities at the dwarf and also attacks Ulmo.
The yellow orc, singed by Penny, moves 15' east, drawing a javelin, and throws it at Penny.
Prepare to miss Greenskins!" Penny shots back mockingly at Yellow.
Using his shield to turn aside the attack from the orc, Ulmo attempted to use his spear to attack in return. The length of it worked against him, though, as the orc batted it to the side.
Goliath steps up to the orc, who is not big at all, and swings his earthbreaker.
Jericho takes a 5' step diagonally to flank red with Ulmo and misses badly.
Round 3: Orcs
The blue orc 5' steps to gain flank on Jericho, but misses.
The red orc attacks the flanked half-elf, but misses by a country mile.
The green orc attacks Ulmo and draws blood.
The yellow orc steps 5', draws his falchion, and attacks Goliath, but misses.
Bleeding from the wound, the pain seemed to focus the dwarf. With a growl he stabbed out with his spear, digging it deep into the orc’s side. Blood for blood, dwarf and orc. It was a tale as old as time.
Penny shots at Yellow again, lightly wounding him. "The stench puts your aim off." she comments.
Jericho puts his sword through the red orc's back, killing him.
Ulmo and Penny land wounding blows but the orcs still live.
Despite being versed in slaying orcs, this does not seem to be the slaying kind of day for Goliath.
Round 4: Orcs
The blue orc strikes at Jericho for killing his friend.
The wounded green orc strikes at Ulmo.
The yellow orc strikes at Goliath.
Penny puts another bolt into Yellow. "Still breathing Greenskin. How about you?"
Goliath finally lives up to his name and lands a blow that would fell a troll.
Knocking aside the orc’s attack with his shield, Ulmo took the opening and plunged his spear into the orc’s chest. The momentum of the orc carried it forward down the shaft of the spear, which threatened to tear it out of his grasp. Using his shield as a bludgeon, he slammed it into the enemy, pushing it back, and off, of his weapon.
Penny and Goliath ombine to kill the yellow orc.
Ulmo finishes off the green orc.
The wounded red orc sees he is outnumbered and cannot hit Jericho, so he tosses his falchion to the ground and raises his arms in surrender.
Goliath wastes no time. "You!" He demands of the last orc in orcish. "You are weak. What are you doing here, and where can I find a real fight? Who's in charge? Who put you up to this, and where is the knight that mans this post? Answer quickly, my patience grows short and I still hunger for combat!"