Erik Holt's page

With Awful's body hitting the dirt, the battle came to an end before Erik even had a chance to partake within it. Bodies littered the ground and the air positively hummed with energy. The Orc was dead, vengeance was had, and his oath was meekly fulfilled.

In the days that followed, a melancholy hung about the young warrior as he considered his next steps. It was during a cold evening amidst a fire that Erik spoke up, his voice penetrating the still air even as Cap giggled playing with the horse's mane.

"I think I am done here. I...I'm done." A sadness had clung to his heart so heavily and with the latest events, Erik could not find an answer to the most poignant question; Why? Why them? Why these people? Why all this unnecessary death? Even for as young as he was, Erik felt terribly old already. The voice murmured in his head and despite its offer of power, of strength, he just craved...simplicity. Erik tried to explain how he felt to the best of his ability, words were not his forte and the emotional load he bore on his shoulders was difficult to shift.

A few days later, Erik would venture onwards with Cap by his side, looking for someplace to quiet his mind and soul.

Erik continues rushing as fast as his feet can take him, moving as fast and as hard as he can. His steps hammer against the dirt as he hears the sound of fighting and the cries of men being snuffed out before their time.

Erik will continue to run in as close and as fast as he can, aiming to close distance with the orc and try to protect his charge.

The archer, moving behind the shield wall, gives the outsider a look of scorn before readying their bow once more. The arrow fired true, sprouting out of the Orc's chest.

Erik's sides hurt from running but still he pressures onwards, rushing forwards as fast as he absolutely can to try and get to where his charge and the beast were fighting.

Slow Turn. Rush & Move please.

The archer curses his inaccuracy, nocking another arrow and firing it off as the Orc brutally ends the man that had been fighting against him. The arrow fires true though, aiming squarely into the orc's burnt chest.

The orc begins to move forward and the other archer draws back their arrow, aiming for the the burnt monster's chest. The arrow flies through the air, aiming for his chest.

My archer will take a fast turn and go pew pew. Also, feel free to let me know when Erik can see the fight as he has that goddamn bow that I've never used yet lol.

Boons: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 4) = 7
Attack: 1d20 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 4 = 7Damage: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (2, 2) + 1 = 5

Erik ran forward, moving through the path alongside Hydrand until he felt a tiny hand pull hard on his ear. Letting out a surprise yelp of pain, he turned to see Cap tugging hard and shaking his head.

"No! You've done enough! You helped him, you protected them, you don't need to give them anything else!" The tiny pixie shouted, doing his best to stop strong, young warrior. Erik stopped for just a moment, nodding for the others to move ahead as he turned to face the little pixie that had adopted him. For the first few days, he had disliked this clingy, noisy creature that called him Father. Yet that moment in the caverns, seeing the light begin to disappear into the darkness, filled him with such fear and anxiety that he couldn't risk the young fey at all.

"I have to go. I made an oath. I swore I'd protect Andras. I-" The pixie sobbed for a moment, shaking his head quickly before entangling himself into Erik's hair.

"No! No, no no! What about...what about me? You're my father! You saved me! You can't just leave me now!" The little voice cried. Erik realized he had a moment, even if it was stranger than he could ever imagine. Unlike his own father, he had a chance to talk to one who cared about him. Reaching up, his hand cupped the pixie for a moment before he shook his head.

"If you're my son, you have to understand; a Holt keeps their debts as best they can. All we have is our word and the choice to do good where we can. We need to live by that, even if means making hard choices." Erik leaned his head against the pixie's for a moment, a tiny moment of strange familial connection between the fey and the human. "Stay here, be safe. I can't fight my best now if I'm worrying about you."

Cap nodded, wiping miniscule tears from his face as the warrior turned and made his way towards the town. The time he had lost was precious though, a few moments could be life and death when it came to the Burned Orc.

I will be there in 4 rounds. I'll play any warriors/archers, just tell me what colors/numbers are mine and I am for it.

Erik had been pacing back and forth, over and over again, unsettled by how long Awful and Andras were taking. When Hydrand spoke up though, a sigh of relief finally left him.

"At last, someone else spoke up. I'll join you." Erik murmurs, moving beside the clockwork and patting him on the back. "I'll join you. We have incantations and should be able to turn the tide with that enough."

Erik trades the incantation with Hokey, understanding her injuries mean that she'll fight best from a distance. Who knows, maybe being able to hurt a ghost would be useful soon.

While Awful and Andras scout ahead, Erik paces back and forth with a frown on his face. He hated the waiting. It was the worst part of violence.

Erik had remained quiet and stoic as Hyacinth approached them, telling them the worst of everything that had happened. With a frown, his grip tightened along his axe but he had remained quiet nonetheless.

"Are we all without magic?" He asks of Hokey, Hydrand and Awful. "Do we not have any other tricks up our sleeves or skill we can rely upon?" Awful wanted to move, to escape away from this situation and reconvene. It was the tactically sound choice. Yet his limbs felt hesitant to move.

"How many more towns are we going to leave behind us devoid of life, just feasts for the carrion eaters? These men, women, and children will die if we don't act. Are you all okay accepting that?" Erik asks pointedly, shoulder his shield onto his back. He crouches down beside Hyacinth, a hand resting on the halfling's shoulder.

"You did good Hyacinth. Thank you for finding us." Erik says, trying to smile pleasantly before looking at the others. Erik looks at the others and then steps away, leaning against a tree tiredly. This little war that the nobleman has involved himself into has cost so many lives now, how many more would it eat.

"Thank you, Hokey." Erik murmurs. He felt the books in his bag one more time, assuring himself that he would use them to read and learn. He was tired of being one of the only ones there that could not understand the damn symbols and what they meant. Erik remained quiet most of the trip from the caves but he was glad to be in the warm air once more and see the brightening sky above him. As long as he lived, he felt he would have a dislike for caves and their brethren.

"So...a wereboar then?" Erik asked Andras in the back, speaking quietly to the man he had made an oath towards. "Are there any things were should prepare for when a full moon does come? Manacles? Things of that nature? I cannot have you hurting others."

The answers would need to wait as they reach a path and begin to ascend. The steep climb was challenging and all Erik's feet wanted to do was give up and rest. When Andras fell, he would help catch the man before he spiraled all the way down to the bottom with a small smirk, helping him up.

"M'lord. You were better in hooves, I think." Erik says with a little chuckle before they reached the mountain stream. Again he washes the sweat off of his body and refills his waterskin before following the others across with no issue at all.

The freezing cold waters sap the strength from his tired limbs but there is a fierceness in Erik's movements that won't give out. He can see the light getting closer and closer, his hand wrapping around the pixie gently and pulling him up out of the water.

"I got you!" Erik chokes out for a moment before he feels something touch behind him. The rope! He grabs onto it, numb fingers holding on for dear life as he slowly wraps his arm around it and kicks with all his might.

He slowly emerges back into the cave properly, gasping for air as the others help pull him to shore. Crawling up, he shivers hard from the icy touch of the water and cradles poor Cap to his chest.

"Y-you did good, Cap. You-you did good." Erik forces a smile even as his teeth chatter. Curling up, he tries to fight off the cold as best he can before he speaks. "I-I'll go back across. The water is as cold as hell itself."

"Cap!" Erik shouts, letting go of the bow. The pixie is too weak to hold onto the rope in the current and so, without another word, Erik dives into the water and swims to the glow in the water.

I imagine swimming with the flow is a boon rather than a bane?

Strength: 1d20 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (16) + 2 + (2) = 20

Erik quietly nods and finishes washing his skin down, relieving the heat that has been vibrating off of him. He calmly takes his bow out and focuses on his breathing for just a moment. Nocking an arrow back, he watches the shadow around his boy for any dangers that may be coming.

Erik takes a moment to breathe as the world continues to crash down behind them; rock and flesh crushing all beneath them. He would have to learn how to write and leave a message to his children that there was a treasure horde deep beneath the earth. They just needed to mind the smell is all.

"Like we're going to have children. The world is ending, brother." The voice in his head said matter-of-factly, making a scowl spread across the young man's face. He looks over the others and readjusts the sack on his shoulder as Cap lands nearby, excited to have helped his father. Quietly, he counts out his comrades in the bit of light his tiny companion creates. He counts again, the number isn't right. "Bertram..." He murmurs, looking back towards the collapse tunnel and grimacing. Another friend gone, another name and face to remember. They had just really started to talk and Erik felt his fists tighten. "He won't be the last..." The voice taunted, earning a growl from him.

"Shut up!" He shouted just as Hokey finished talking, turning around to look at the group. It was only then that he realized that his timing had been so poor and his anger had gotten the better of him. A blush spread across his cheek, fortunately hidden by the grime, innards, and bits of blood this expedition had collected. "Sorry...that sounds like a good plan. Be careful Cap, you come right back over if anything happens, alright?" Only with his little friend's willingness to go would he make his way to the water's edge and wash his arms and face clean of the ichor they were all covered with. The freezing cold water made him feel human and was a welcome change to the fetid humidity they had been trapped within.

Erik looted...

- 2 Books
- 1 thing of iron bark with 1 incantation
- 11 copper bits

"Damn it. He's already dead." Erik was one to always try to save who he could but he wasn't keen on carrying around a dead body with him. He would grab something personal; a bracelet, necklace, or a ring, as proof that he had found the body of her brother. He knew what it was to lose family and he wouldn't just let her sit in that awful town if he could. Soon though, the dragon's body began to bloat and swell right in front of them. Whatever kept its diseased form controlled was no longer working and they were quickly being surrounded by decaying flesh.

Grabbing a nearby bag that felt heavy, Erik rushed towards the sound of running water. He noticed it a batch of flesh beginning to swell up and dodged underneath a rupturing pustule. The heavy skin sought to overtake him but he carefully rolled out of the way, moving up to his feet quickly to keep running. The flesh was closing in on him and it took all his strength to leap through the collapsing folds and escape to safety.

Rolled on Discord. I got two books and a piece of iron bark with one incantation on it.

"We should head forward. I don't think we'd be able to get this man down the mountain safely even if we were able to get out." Erik says to the party, watching the gleeful look upon Awful's face for a few more moments before readjusting the pack on his shoulders. "Just make sure I have a light so I can see." Erik takes the lead, heading deeper into the dragon to follow after Andras.

Erik was peering off into the darkness when Bertram approached him, his voice distracting him from his vigil before he gave a nod. Stepping off to the side now, away from Geraldd, he would listen to Bertram speak. In that dark, awful place, it was a rare moment that Bertram would see that weathered exterior that he wore so well fade away. It was almost hard to remember that Erik was merely sixteen years old, that look of lost innocence upon his face as he reached out to clasp the dwarf's shoulder.

"Bertram, I'm not of noble blood. I'm just the son of a woodcutter who was given a bad hand by the world." The grip tightens on his shoulder, not painfully so but reassuringly so. "We're going to get you out of this and get you, Geraldd, and the young boy to a healer as fast as we can. I promise you though; I won't let you die like that Bertram. I'll give you a clean death." The morbidity of the situation lingered for a moment before Erik smiled, patting his back. "Don't put yourself down though Bertram. I saw those handholds, that wall of stone. You probably saved my life. You're a good man Bertram, don't think otherwise."

Each moment that passes within this fetid, rotting corpse makes Erik's skin crawl and the anxious need to escape results in him pacing uncomfortably. His eyes flicker towards the nearby man who still mumbles unconsciously, in a daze thanks to the trauma he had received. Would Gerald and Bertram suffer the same fate? He couldn't be sure but he knew the more that they waited, the less time their comrades had.

"Keep an eye out for the Savage Ornament. We cannot forget why we are here." Erik said to both Hydrand and Awful as they made their way out of that awful, fleshy hut. With an arm around the sole survivor, he'd continue to help keep the young man while Hokey questioned him. "Perhaps this is the brother that that woman was looking for? I don't know how we'd get back to the town from here; we still need most of our gear again."

Erik walked in with Awful, looking at the woman with her poor, bloated belly and the man with one that roiled and twitched. The little beast is silenced with a blade's edge and for a moment the hut is quieter without the gnawing of meat and teeth. Yet the next moment, the woman begins to moan in pain. Her stomach and abdomen twitch and expand, the moans quickly turning into screams. Her body erupts and blood sprays everywhere, coating the young man in it.

Erik watched for a moment, his eyes wide as he stared at the dead woman intently. His whole body shook, a tremor running up and down his spine as he took a shaky breath.

"We're all going to end up like her. One way or another." He thought to himself, hopelessness filling him for just a moment before he shook it off. Andras moved in and nuzzled the man lying down on the ground, nuzzling him with his snout. Erik would quickly move beside him, helping him stand the man up from the ground.

"We need to get out of here and get a healer for Bertram and Geraldd." He tried being as stoic as he could but the tremble in his voice could not be avoided.

Rolled a success in Discord.

Never did Erik imagine that he would ever walk into the hulk of a corpse that this dragon was. If it was not for the fact that it was so terribly revolting, he would be in awe of it. Yet the sickly miasma threatened to sap his strength and he couldn't help but cough as the digusting taste lingered in his nose and upon his tongue. With his shield raised, he would walk beside the massive boar into the main chamber inside the dragon.

The pulsating red light earned his attention at first, catching a curious gaze from the warrior before his eyes widened in realization. His throat tightened at the revelation that his friends were saying before wasn't a thing of madness.

"It's alive..." Erik murmured, shaking his head. What torture this creature must be in to be the home to such monstrosities. A cry of pain from the nearby hut draws Erik's attention and he quietly makes his way over towards it. Steeling himself for whatever horror may still be within this place, he enters the hut first.

Erik watched as Hokey tried once and then twice to mount the dead beast before them, harvesting a scale from the top of it before making his way down. It was an impressive sight to be certain; dragons were only talked about in the rarest of times and this creature was living proof of the legends. Shouldering his pack, he nodded at Gerald.

"Hold the torch. I don't my b-, I don't want Cap getting hurt." Erik murmured and if anyone listened, there was almost certainly a stifled squeal of excitement at the recognition from the capricious pixie. Erik readies his weapon and takes the lead, his wounds still hurting but not as badly as some of his comrades. Whatever was coming, let it come.

As long as Erik has light over his shoulder, he will move forward in the front with his shield and axe ready.

As Bertram turns away from the creature, the interrogation failing, Erik readies his axe. These creatures were ready to use them all as hosts for whatever they were. Stepping back in place, the warrior shrugged for just a moment.

"Was worth a shot." He said moments before swinging with all his might at the immobilized creature's neck.

I made the rolls in the discord. Erik will continue chopping until the thing is dead. Then he will move beside Boardras.

The battle had come to an end and for a moment, Erik could only look around the scene of carnage. Despite them being in this awful hellhole, trapped with the decaying head of a dragon and these strange mutant creatures, a grin spread across his face. It was their first victory. Their first real victory. His body hurt and he felt oh so tired but they weren't done here yet, not by a longshot. With his axe in hand, he approached the lone surviving foe and looked him over with a hateful glare as the others recovered the best they could.

"You understand me, you f$%$ing monster." Erik asked, waiting for its attention. "What did you do to my friends? Answer me and maybe, just maybe, I'll make this clean for you. F##$ with me and I will cut you down like a goddamn tree."

There is another explosion of light behind him, the shouts and yelling of Hokey bringing a grin to his face.

"If she has time to talk shit, that's a good sign." Erik thinks with a grim smile as he takes the damage he can from the foe in front of him. The enemies were nearly routed but there were few of them left standing as well. What that strange mucus they were spitting into his comrades' throats meant, he could not fathom. It certainly wasn't a good thing.

"Cap, try and distract him as best you can, give me an opening." The pixie nods, moving out from under the shield's shelter and buzzing around the troglodyte's face. The creature tries its best to stay focused on Erik while avoiding the bits of dirt, blood, and mud the pixie slings at it's face. When an opportunity presents itself, Erik slashes forward with his axe in hand and aims to dig it down into the fresh meat that Hokey's explosive darts had previously showed.

Taking a fast turn and attacking the enemy beside me. Using guarded attack. Rolls are on Discord.

Succeeded on Strength rolls in the Discord

One of the monsters dies by his hand, falling to the ground even as more of them strike at his flesh. The poison begins to numb him again before that strange sensation runs through his form again. For a moment, his veins almost seem to pulse with a sickly green light that then goes dull once more. Keeping his shield up against the unharmed beast in front of him, Erik focuses on the one that is between Hydrand and himself, aiming to rip it apart. Hokey calls out for Cap to move and Erik can see that magical energies focusing once more around the faun.

"Cap! To cover!" Erik lifts up his shield as the energy radiates outwards moments before those explosive darts find their home. Cap flies underneath the shield, covering his ears with his small hands as the explosions go off in quick succession. The magical carnage doesn't slow Erik down as he snarls in anger and goes for the injured one once more.

The attack is already a hit on Discord. I'll be doing another Guarded Attack, granting a bane against all attacks against me.
Damage: 3d6 + 1 ⇒ (1, 3, 2) + 1 = 7

Erik could feel the poison sapping through his being, his limbs stiffening even as Andras savagely attacked his assailant. When he was certain that the poison was settled into his vein, a strange sensation spread through his body. It was as if something was reaching through him, pulling on his veins and drawing that numbing poison away. Bit by bit, his strength began to return.

"We cannot die here. You owe me a life, brother. I demand you fight!" The strange voice in his head echoed, a sickened tone to it underlying its disappointed voice.

"Y-you saved me?" Erik thought incredulously but there was no time to communicate with the voice hidden inside. It was a time for action. Standing up once more, he launches into combat with a more guarded movement to his stance. Like Hokey just shouted, they just needed to hold out a bit more.

Andras's fortune gets me back into the fight. I will use a guarded attack against the enemy that hurt me last. Fast turn as well.

Guarded Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10Damage: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (6, 5) + 1 = 12

Erik moves in to fight beside Andras, his shield raised to fight but it is not enough. Multiple attacks from the strange creatures find their way past his defenses and he does his best to try and strive them off. Slowly but surely though, the poison overpowers him and his body begins to stiffen. He freezes up, unable to fight anymore.

After the first attack, I'll use my trigger to activate Catch My Breath and heal 4 points of damage. After that, I fail against the second attack and am poisoned.

What the the name of all that is good is happening?

Erik shields himself as Awful's magical device explodes, shattering a hole big enough in the gate for him to enter in. Magic erupts from the inside, devastating the enemy's lines and opening them up to attack.

"Cap, stay here and help Gerald." He orders to the pixie, his voice brooking no disagreement from the usually defiant cohort of his. Hokey's magic soar into the air, erupting with a silvery brilliance. That is when he watches his charge suddenly shift and change, coarse hair erupting from where the light touched. The man changed into a beast before his very eyes and for a moment, Erik was simply flabbergasted.

"What in the name of all that is good is f!*!ing happening?" He freezes for a moment as the massize boar squeals in rage before them. It was Andras. No. It is Andras. Hokey's words snap him out of his momentary stupor as he hefts his weapon and shield and steps into the breach. He may just be a man with an axe and the skill to use it well amidst exploding darts, shattering armor, waves of power, destructive gadgets, and now a goddamn boar, but these were still his comrades. He wouldn't let the rush of more combatants slow him.

Rushing through the breach, Erik moves aside the fierce boar with his weapon in hand and parries off an attack from one of the monstrous creatures bearing down on them. The blow is turned aside and Erik looks the intelligent boar in the eye for just a moment.

"Sir Andras." Erik says respectfully, though there is just the slightest curl on one side of his lip at the humor of addressing a boar as nobility. The moment of merriment passes though as the enemy comes back in again on the attack.

Slow turn for me. I will move up beside Andras and then attack one of the creatures there.

Attack: 1d20 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (8) + 2 + (2) = 12
Damage: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (3, 1) + 1 = 5

The others were fighting for their lives and Erik was trapped on the wrong side of the conflict. Cap was doing their best, finding points of leverage to pull at to disrupt the cage. Lifting once more, Erik's muscles strained under the gate's weight.

Banes: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 2) = 5
Strength: 1d20 + 2 - 3 ⇒ (3) + 2 - 3 = 2

1d6 ⇒ 6

The gate comes down suddenly and Erik instinctively takes a step back, moving out of the way of the gate as it slams down upon Geraldd. Erik immediately moves downwards to the gate, grabbing onto whatever he can as he looks towards Geraldd.

"Push! Push with everything you have!" The young warrior shouts as he puts

Banes: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 3) = 8
Strength: 1d20 + 2 - 5 ⇒ (11) + 2 - 5 = 8

Erik watches in worry as some of his comrades mutter utter nonsense; there was no way that this decomposing husk of flesh was still alive, still calling out for them. Yet how many dragons had he met in his life before and how many in such a nauseating, unsettling way like this? The others outside of Andras swore they could hear it speaking to them. As the torch was passed, figures were illuminated in the darkness.

They were the mockery of man, humanoids created with some strange, unknowable material. Gripping the haft of his axe, he stepped closer beside his charge as that voice rumbled out to them.

"We should run. There are too many. We cannot-" Erik mentally silences the voice running in his mind as he whispers to the nothingness around him. "Stay close to me, Cap."

Will: 1d20 ⇒ 6

The sight of this disgusting, terrible thing left a pit of dread within Erik's stomach. What other monstrous things lurked down here that would do such a thing and make such heinous traps? A sense of hopelessness at their situation gnawed at Erik's resolve but quickly was pushed down and away...for now.

As Erik makes his way down the rope, his foot becomes stuck in a crevice hidden by moss. Unable to let get free, he ends up jostling the rope which comes through as a tug. A few moments later, he hears the sound of something quickly approaching him before Hydrand's mechanical ass dislodges him forcefully from the rope. The two come quickly down the slide, crashing into the stone barrier that Bertram had made which saved their lives. A grunt of pain escaped Erik as Hydrand's elbow bruised his ribs but he was no worse for wear.

"I'll be fine." The youth grumbled, slowly extricating himself from the tangled pile. Hydrand nearly tripped again on the pile of rope that had collected nearby. A frustrated sigh left Erik as he gathered up whatever rope was left before quietly following behind the others.

The tunnel they traveled through finally revealed the origin of that awful, rotten stench. When paired with the heavy humidity within the cave, Erik could feel his eyes beginning to water up slowly as he let out a soft cough.

"Disgusting." He murmured, drawing his axe out and giving a nod to Bertram. He follows behind the dwarf, keeping his weapon at the ready along with his shield.

Erik watches and waits patiently at the top, the all-consuming darkness taunting him with its silence. At long last though, the rope was tugged in his hand and an honest smile spread across his lips. "He made it."

The next to go was Hokey, followed by Andras, then Awful, and each one made their way down into the darkness before disappearing out of sight. Rather than worry about what could be awaiting them in the dark, Erik double checked his equipment and made sure everything was as secured as possible before he grabbed onto the rope and began to descend.

"See you at the bottom." Erik murmured to Hydrand as he went slowly, carefully, using the rope as a guide for his hands while his feet began to find footholds to sink into. It seemed that this was not as precarious as he imagined it would be.

I'm going to use Erik's woodcutter profession again for some climbing experience.
Strength: 1d20 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (4) + 2 + (1) = 7
I would like to succeed with a cost.

Erik woke up early in the morning, a habit that he couldn't seem to get rid off even weeks later now. With Andras's rope and his own, he began the tiresome work of tying knots at foot and a half increments. The dry rope made his own hands crack painfully but the determined warrior continued to work on his task even as Awful came out and gave his report. The cave reeked of death, a warning to interlopers that they didn't belong. It didn't matter though, the Savage Ornament laid somewhere inside of the cave itself and beyond this guardian. At least he would die in dry clothes if the worst came to past.

Dressing in his soft leather armor, Erik adjust his armor and weapons and took what was most important; a lantern with two vials of oil, a tinderbox, his torches, and the long, knotted rope. Bertram volunteered to go first and it earned a nod of respect from the young man who finally rose from the dusty soil.

"We get as close as we can to the crack and find a good place to rig the rope. Then we descend slowly and safely." Maybe people died falling in and slipping downwards towards their deaths. With the torch lit, Erik would follow beside Andras as they made their way into the dark, fetid cave's mouth.

Erik's hands shake at the cold despite his best effort to still them. He sets down his back and begins to set up a small but usable camp. Clothes that he can go without are hung or laid out on nearby rocks to dry in the heat where they can. Much like Andras, he checks over his weapons and equipment carefully to ensure that his gear was good and maintained. The militia drilling had not failed him in that aspect, his father's axe was still sharp and dangerous. At the cave's mouth, all he can hope is whatever lurks inside remains dormant or that his comrades alert him as soon as they can if whatever is inside comes out.

The heavy clothing provided some relief from the neverending heat that seemed to encompass him endlessly. As they settled in for moment, he could feel just how much slower he was moving now. Hokey brings up the crashed cart that she had seen earlier and Erik mutters at his luck. They would've been useful supplies for how strapped and under-equipped they were.

"I'm beat. I'll try to help hold the rope down in case something goes wrong but soaked as I am, I shouldn't go down." He sling his pack to the ground, sighing in relief as he finally takes a moment to sit down.

Erik suggest tying ropes to one another, close and secure to keep the others from losing their balance as they made their trek up the mountainside. From near misses along ledges that were barely there to vertical climbs were roughed fingers and broken nails looked for purchase, the group pressed on.

Strength: 1d20 + 2 - 1d6 ⇒ (9) + 2 - (4) = 7
Hazard: 1d6 ⇒ 1

As Erik stumbles, his muscles aching, he falls back into the waterfall and becomes absolutely soaked. The heavy water makes him weigh just that much more.

Impaired for the rest of the day.

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 4

Erik listens into the conversation with a matter of disinterest. Heroes, mercenaries, that was all a matter of perspective wasn't it? Last hero he saw was tossed from the top of an inn like a raggedy doll. The coin would be useful and the Savage Ornament a necessity to defeat the orc who still followed them. When it seemed like a deal had been struck, Erik grunted softly and shifted his pack over tired shoulders before following the strange looking woman towards this pond.

The water looked clean enough and as the others decided what to do and who would keep watch, Erik would slowly undress himself. Muscles ached for relief and he let out a audible sigh of contentment as he slipped into the cold water and let out a breath. Cap flitted around his head, earning a mumble of irritation for just a second before considering it.

"I'd appreciate it Cap. Stay hidden, don't get too close. Don't start anything with the locals just yet, alright?" The pixie was a fickle sort and Erik had come to learn that ordering him around was nearly useless. It was better to suggest and guide, wait for those specific moments where he needed the pixie to do something. "Keep an eye on Hokey and Bertram too, alright? Make sure they're safe. Get me if anything happens."

Erik moved with a tired but determined gait, blue eyes watching the townsfolk just as warily as they were watching him. Each glare is met with one back with a singular message behind it; try us. Their group was an eclectic gathering of strangeness, new members finding their way in with them either through being former acquaintances or through stranger means. A dry chuckle leaves Erik's lips as Jimmy notes the friendly demeanor of the place, his head on a swivel as a woman then approaches them. The strange accenting of blue upon her skin leaves him unsettled as she stands out so differently from the surly villagers who inhabited the Hollow.

He listens to the woman and Andras talk to one another, it seemed she was looking for a missing family member herself. The woman had to be desperate to come up to strangers and ask them for help. Erik grimaced at the words and the flattery; smooth talkers meant decent liars. Cracking his neck, he would shake his head softly.

"We're not here to save a lost soul. I'm sorry your brother got himself into this mess but we're here for one thing and one thing only; the Savage Ornament. If we can rescue your brother along the way, great. If we can't, tough luck." Erik, while having a good sense of right and wrong was, did not like people. The newest members of their little expedition still rubbed him wrong and the pixie was just useful enough to not be squashed. "Show us the pond and let us talk more. Tell us all you know since you've traveled with the other groups before they fled."

Level 2 Warrior

Hit Points: +5

Combat Prowess: Your attacks with weapons deal 1d6 extra damage.

Forceful Strike: When the total of your attack roll is 20 or higher and exceeds the target number by at least 5, the attack deals 1d6 extra damage.

That is it for any of the mechanical changes to Erik. As for what happened along the way to the Hollow...

Downtime Stuff

Erik made only a small detour after he recovered himself at that dreadful clearing, his mind finally gathering itself. He made his way back home, to the empty beds that would become forgotten and decrepit as time went on. He gathered his things; his bow and arrow, backpack, and other supplies. He was beyond poor and the small handful of pennies in his pocket would not keep him fed.

His home that his late father had built sat in that smoky wind. He couldn't let it become the hideout for desperate bandits, another place for those wicked spiders to infest, or a lair for something worse. It didn't take much kindling for the wood to catch aflame, his home burning before him. Erik had hoped for a moment of peace, some kind of closure. All he felt was heartache and a terrible, infinite loneliness that spread through his being. What was the point of it all?

The voice in his head pointed its fingers wildly; it was the noble blood that Andras carried that brought the doom of this town upon them. It was Hokey's dangerous attempts at magic that led the enemy to them. It was the weakness and foolishness of the town to be unable to protect themselves. It was his fault; he could've slain Adelmar and Muck a year ago and have been done with this sordid affair.

A melancholy followed the young warrior as he traveled with them all, his words few and far apart. As they made their way closer to their destination, a strange thing happened to him as he assisted Hokey with gathering clovers for her. It was a break from the monotony of making camp and scrounging for food. As he picked a four-leaf clover, an ingredient she needed, when this wasp-winged tiny man appeared before him. The sudden closeness made him fall back, shouting out for Hokey to come back.

Laughter ringed around him, the scent of cut grass lingering too. In time though, the pixie explained that Erik was his father and had brought him into existence. How this was possible, the simple warrior had no idea, but the young man came to learn that the capricious little fey seemed to play more minor and less annoying tricks when one wore the four-leaf clover on their chest. Slowly but surely, every member of their ragtag group wore such a little emblem of protection.

And Scene...

So I am hoping to write up a little blurb with each member of the party, some little interaction Erik has had with them throughout the trip. Just a little more development. If I have time, I'll do so with our NPCs too.

EDIT: I also feel that Erik would've shared the paltry sum he received from Gerald. You all get 5cp, Erik keeps the odd coins as hazard pay for climbing up a webbed tree.

That is what I get for reading things with a migraine. Let's gooooo.

Erik stirred after a moment, sitting up from the ground and shaking his head at his comrades that came to his aid. He was fine, he was still here, he wasn't going to let this damn forest take him down. As he moved though, the fire consumed the trees all around and a cacophony of shattering timber and falling limbs began to ran down around him and his comrades.

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 13

Through the fire and flames, Erik looked for a way out of the hellish forest fire they had unleashed. Another tree exploded in a rain of wooden shrapnel but as it fell, its motion exposed a route out of the fire and into clear air. A clearing that had become nothing but dried ground and long-since dead grass. Too small and empty to truly be a danger. Erik ran as fast he could towards that escape and out into the clear air. For the first time in months, the wind felt cool against his reddened skin.

Willpower: 1d20 ⇒ 9Insanity: 1d3 ⇒ 3

Out in the dead field, the burning forest behind him, Erik stops for too long. His mind finally begins to try and process everything that he had seen today, everything that had happened, every horrible thing he had dealt with in the last twenty-four hours. Something in him breaks. Tears well in his eyes as his voice cracks with a sob before they run down his face. He screams. He claws at the dirt. He pulls at his hair and screams again until his voice goes hoarse. Everything went wrong.

Well, it has been a pleasure folks. I'll make my rolls first as I am the most likely to be knocked out.

The forest catches on fire swiftly, flames jumping from tree to tree by burning insects. The webs catch quickly and a frown spread across Erik's face; this was happening too quickly.

"C'mon! This way!" Erik shouts as the fire begins to pick up quickly, the heat having dried everything out so much that the foliage caught the flame quickly. They had to run, they had to escape.

Speed Challenge: 1d20 ⇒ 17

Erik quickly makes his way through the burned foliage, outrunning the fire that burned behind them. Exhaustion pushed at his legs, his whole body beginning to feel heavy. He had to fight through it though, slowing down would let the fire catch up.

Strength Challenge: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20

Despite the fire, despite the exhaustion, Erik continued to run. Flames began to roar around him, his skin covered in soot and ash. The gorge ahead was burning with flames. There was no way back and, taking a few steps back, he ran to leap across.

Agility Challenge: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

Like Hydrand, he hit the other side hard and his legs fell into the inferno. Erik pulls himself out of the inferno, patting at his legs and trying his best to put out the flames. Pain, exhaustion, fear all begin to take their toll and the effects of the poison still had not passed yet. His eyes rolled back as shock took him, his consciousness failing.

Alright, I made it to the Agility one before I failed and went unconscious.
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2

"Then that is where we need to go." Erik said, shuffling his weapon back onto his belt and shyly returning the sling back to Bertram. "Thank you."

"We can stay at my home for the night. I need to grab things from there before we go. There will be food and a place to rest." His bow, his packed belongings, all of it was waiting there for him. It would be good to be home one last time as well, gather something to remind him of better times. Once the web-covered home was set ablaze, he would then begin to lead the others down the road he was vaguely familiar with and back to his now empty home.

Erik listened in as Andras looked over the book; the words and letters meant nothing to the uneducated youth. Yet he hears Andras mumble something about a Valderhalen Hollow. It brought memories of stories being passed around when he was much younger.

Intellect: 1d20 ⇒ 8

The memory slips free though, lost to pain and other memories that now just serve to haunt him. His grimace grows; they were running out of time.

Erik was watching inside of the house but he could not see what Andras was seeing. It was only when the massive spider descended downwards to try and feast upon the faun did the injured warrior spring into action. Rushing around to the front, he would see Bertram drop the stone as he looked in once more at the terrifying beast that laid within.

Will: 1d20 ⇒ 3Fear: 1d3 ⇒ 3 = Fear For 6 Rounds

With shaky hands, he would reach for the sling that Bertram had given up and gathered the stone as well. Trying to stifle his fear and fight the urge to run, Erik spoke to him.

"L-let me try." He said softly, his voice shaking as he began to spin the sling with enough momentum to make it dangerous.

If Bertram is okay letting me take the sling, I will make an attack. Otherwise, Erik will just keep his shield up to try and defend himself.

Banes: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 5) = 10
Attack: 1d20 + 1 - 5 ⇒ (15) + 1 - 5 = 11Damage: 1d3 ⇒ 1

Banes: 3d6 ⇒ (4, 6, 4) = 14
Perception: 1d20 - 6 ⇒ (15) - 6 = 9

Erik follows behind Andras, his axe ready as he watches hundreds of tiny spiders take to the wind and float through the air. He swats a few dozen away from his face with the flat side of his axe as they approach the window. Inside, the candle burns nearly down to the bottom and barely illuminates the room within.

The webbing and dim lighting prevents him from truly seeing what may lay within the home though, shaking his head as he peeks over Andras's shoulder.

"I don't see anything."

Erik remained quiet as the others talked to the halfling woman, wanting to do anything but think about the home that he had been planning on leaving behind and instead was taken from him. His body ached, he was tired, and he just wanted to rest. There was nothing else to do though but grab some bread, cheese, and maybe a few pieces of fruit before leaving the ruined homestead behind. Between Hydrand and himself, they carried the man alternatively on their back like a backpack until they finally began to gain consciousness. Erik felt him stirring on his back and gently set him down and took a step back, wanting to ensure he didn't take a good strike to the chin or back of his head when he awoke.

"Thank you Geraldd. I am sorry for Alison but I am glad we rescued you." Erik mumbles, more from pain than from disrespect. He didn't like having this many people with him but he couldn't just let them suffer and die alone either.

"More targets for others to kill first. We'll survive brother." The aberrant thought echoed in his mind for a second. Erik shook them off, more interested in making their way through the dangerous forest. The webbing around them seemed to only grow in thickness, trapped animals occasionally fluttering helplessly in the sticky strands. Erik had begun to dislike this plan more and more as they finally approached the home that belonged to Huberic Bithclump. The place was practically enveloped by webbing, making Erik's stomach twist in the remembrance of pain.

Hokey began to cast a spell again now and once more, a brilliant and shining beacon rose from her high up into the sky. Erik's stomach dropped out from underneath him now before he let out a small laugh.

"This has to be the way I die. I f#@!ing hate festivals." He thinks to himself as Hokey tells them all to run and escape. Andras tells him the very same and the young warrior straightens up and the morbid humor on his face disappears.

"I made an oath Andras. I won't break it. I will be behind you though, if you'll forgive me." There was a small, pained smile on Erik's face as he readied his shield and axe, following behind the brave nobleman who approached the webbing to look inside.

I will have a post up later today folks, have to help a friend out most of today.