Hakata's form shimmers and changes, and he drops to all fours on the cave floor as a snowy leopard. Sprinting across to the tree, he scrambles up it and pulls at the branches wrapped around the man's throat.
HP 14/48
AC 20
Fort +10, Ref +9, Will +8
Hero points: 3
Effects: grabbed
Barely clinging to life himself, Kadosh focuses on the poor man, and on the trees choking him to death. He holds up his bell, ringing furiously to give the man something to hold on to.
The White Rabbit smacks the Goblin!
Strongjaw smacks the goat!
Tanngrisnir grinds against the violence of the foliage to get the Witch closer!
Strongjaw points the Staff at the man!
The man is free and collapses to the ground, where he is met with healing that brings him back. Gasping for breath, he takes a moment to settle down. When he does, he says "Thank you... I thought I was done for." he manages to say between heavy breaths, his eyes glinting with unshed tears. After a moment of grief for his fallen comrade, he straightens slightly, his expression setting into one of determined sorrow.
"We were scouting ahead, trying to ensure the path was clear for the others." he explains, his voice steadying. "He... he didn't deserve this." His hand gestures helplessly towards the body of his friend.
"I need to get him back to our group, they should know what happened—and he deserves a proper farewell." His gaze meets each of yours, a silent plea evident in his weary eyes. "But I can't carry him alone, not in my state." His shoulders slump slightly, the weight of the situation bearing down on him.
He hesitates, then adds, "Would you help me? It's not far, but I can't manage on my own."
"Of course," Kadosh agrees. "It wouldn't be right to leave him here."
Veshka's vision blurs, flashing to white. When the brightness fades, she sees she has been transported to another time, another place—a warm fire, laughter, camaraderie. She begins to relax in the warmth of it all. Not running every day. Not being chased. Before she can truly surrender to the peacefulness, the tranquility gives way to chaos. The ground quakes, and vile demons swarm around. Instinctively, Veshka's hand goes to her weapon, her muscles tense, ready to leap to the defense of her phantom kinfolk. The clash of arms, the shouts of defiance, the desperation to protect—each pulse through Veshka with the clarity of lived experience.
The vision fades.
"Hnng. These trees and their demons, remnants of the worldwound spawn that tore the Following apart." Her vision gets less fuzzy. "We should have killed them twice."
Strongjaw looks at the injured human.
What's da clan ov youses?
"Sutaki. My companion was charged with protecting a child. We were trying to find a safe path forward through the caves."
While speaking with the previously tightly wrapped morsel for the scary foliage, Strongjaw notices that he has multiple injuries that seem to be ruining his clothes.
Medic!
The group escorts the wounded hunter, who introduces himself as Udiak, back to Eokoe and Tedanu. It's a tearful reunion where he explains that his companion perished, but you saved him. After spending some time seeing to everyone's wounds, you return to the cave and explore further.
You wind southeast and ascend a secluded plateau above about 30 feet above ground level, hemmed in on two sides by boulders. Smoke from a small fire billows into the area and you cautiously make your way forward.
It's a trap.
Four humanoids resembling Sutaki hunters either heard or saw you coming and are ready. The ambush catches the group off-guard as four arrows whistle through the air.
"You corpse-loving tyrant fiends!" One shouts, and another shouts "This is what you get for worshipping an overgrown lizard!"
The Goblin just looks a bit flabbergasted...
The Witch then realizes he can act! Tanngrisnir decides to Stride for any cover, as the Witch cast not called Glitterdust on two of the Asshat Archers!
Revealing Light Reflex DC 20
The Witch also Hexes Valda!
Veshka flares with wrath, hurling lightning into the ambushers as she dives for cover.
Catamoch meanwhile rushes the nearest archer disembowelingpossibly concerning him with his wicked tusks.
Hakata turns toward the other archers and unleashes a spell on them.
"Stop! Why are you attacking us? We march in Sister Cinder's name, not some dragon."