Rall positions himself so that his back is exposed to the creaking branch and kneels, sword in hand, pretending to inspect the bodies. In fact he is making himself vulnerable and listening very carefully to see if anyone takes advantage of it:1d20+4=21 (perception), 1d20+2=19 (initiative).
Just to the north, an owl hoots in the darkness.
But there is no rushing attack, no war cries, nothing but black inky forest night.
As Balnar and Rall rush forward, Arla also breaks into a run to follow after them. Coming out into the clearing with the dead bodies, the druid comes to a stop, taking in the grisly scene before her. Why were they mutilated like that..?
Placing a hand on her companion's scruffy neck to keep him close, she grips her spear tighter and looks around neasily. Before she can speak to any of the others, the branch creaks nearby. She spins around and stares into the darkness to the west, half expecting a goblin to come bursting out of the trees at any moment and trying desperately to see any signs of movement.
Arla sees nothing. But her furred companion growls at the darkness as if he smells something he does not like.
Glancing down at Ash, Arla then looks back in the direction that the dog is growling at. Unable to see what the source of her companion's dislike is, she adjusts the grip on her spear before talking softly to the dog, keeping her free hand resting against his neck.
"What is it, Ash? Something there?"
She then looks up to the rest of the group.
"I can't see anything. But something's upsetting Ash.."
"We'll follow him if he can lead," Rall says. He doesn't add that he would follow a wild goose at this point.
With a curt nod, Balnar agrees. The focused look on his face giving away almost immediately that he is primed for another brawl.
Bowen slowly moves away from the crowd looking around and waiting for the enemy to finally show itself.
He follows the rest of the group if they move but continues to stay just outside their perimeter as he listens and eyes the woods.
The dog growls once more at the darkness and takes a step forward. He can't see his foe, but he most definately smells something he doesn't like.
Bowen
Arla looks over at Rall. "He might go of his own accord, but I can't tell him to in a way that he'll understand.."
She moves her hand from the dog's neck, but stays near him. As Ash moves forward, she takes a step forward as well, unwilling to let the dog move off on his own when there is danger afoot. She attempts to keep a careful eye out and prepare herself for anything that might happen.
A voice drifts through the darkness from behind the party, "The little dog growlss to know we are near, Gripclub is happy to be ssmelling your fear..."
The voice seems to be coming from the north, from where you each were before you heard the arguing.
Rall whispers to the others "He wants us separated and confused. Let's give him that and get him to commit to battle. Split up? But not too far apart?"
Bowen melts into the shadows that have surrounded him and moves towards the dark shape with murder in his heart. Trying not to make a sound he swings his scimitar as he comes upon the figure.
Bowen slips away from his companions and melts into the dark forest.
Monster Perception: (1d20+2=7)
A moment later Bowen burst upon his hidden foe, his weapon striking true.
The creature roars and stands erect. It is as tall as Bowen, with hulking, fur covered shoulders. Its white eyes dimly reflect the light spells thirty feet away.
It cries out in the goblin tongue, "SSlit their throatss brotherss! They are weak!"
Rall rushes towards the sound of combat.
Hearing the sounds of fighting and the unintelligible words being called, Arla also heads towards the sounds of the disturbance, following straight after Rall.
Balnar's Initiative: (1d20+2=10)
Monsters in the Forest: Round 1
Monsters: - Initiative: 21
Bowen: - Initiative: 18
Ash: - Initiative: 14
Aeryn: - Initiative: 11
Balnar: - Initiative: 10
Arla: - Initiative: 6
Rall: - Initiative: 6
The hulking, fur covered monster that Bowen just attacked, lifts up a shield and swings a heavy morningstar at his opponent.
Bowen manages to easily evade the clumsy attack but the monster seems unbothered by his miss.
"Sshall I be ssucking out your eyess firsst or chewing off your nosse?" it asks with a laugh, seeming to relish the mere act of violence as an end unto itself.
From the north, a second of the hairy brutes charges through the woods, large ears flopping, screaming with delight. Its mouth is filled with jutting razor like teeth that glisten in the dim light.
It swings a massive blade down towards the slight Fee.
"Little people tasste good..., esspessially whenss they sscreamss," it hisses.
Attacking Fee: (1d20+5=20)
Damage: (1d8+2=7)
The halfling does indeed scream out as the creature's curved blade slices into him.
From the other side of the party, a javelin flies through the air towards Ash.
The dog yelps as the spear hits the ground in front of him.
With a battle cry, Balnar charges the north monster.
Not letting the creature get the best of him he takes a swing at it with his scimitar while speaking in Goblin, "I'll rip your ears off and add them to my collection!" His eyes slowly letting a gleam creep into them along with a demonic smile to his lips at the thought of removing this beast from this life.
These are most definetaly goblinoids.
And Bowen's threats seem to make the monster he is fighting much happier with the battle. As Bowen's weapon pierces the monster's flesh, ending its life, it lets out a little chuckle, defiant to the last.
"I sshall haunts your darkesst dreamss... youu willl... sssseee...."
And then it is dead.
As Arla sees the javelin being thrown at Ash, she calls him to heel before readying her spear. With the dog beside her, she quickly moves towards the direction that the javelin came from, looking to confront its owner.
I think we are just waiting on Aeryn now...
Aeryn draws her crossbow and tries to fire at the remaining monster.
and misses horribly.
Aeryn shoots at the monster threatening the small halfling but her bolt hits a tree. Rall and Balnar both charge at the same creature and though Rall misses it, his attack creates an opening for Balnar who slams his weapon into the monster.
Arla slides into the dark forest after the third, unseen monster. She has just a glimpse of a tall, hulking figure and then it is gone, moving further away into the darkness.
Monsters in the Forest: Round 2
Monsters: - Initiative: 21
Bowen: - Initiative: 18
Ash: - Initiative: 14
Aeryn: - Initiative: 11
Balnar: - Initiative: 10
Arla: - Initiative: 6
Rall: - Initiative: 6
The creature struck by Balnar roars its rage and screaming at Balnar, its razor sharp teeth bared and threatening, it swings its own blade around and into Balnar.
Attacking Balnar: (1d20+5=17)
Damage: (1d8+2=7)
Meanwhile Arla hears the third monster moving further away, but she cannot see it as it is well out of the range of her small light.
Catching his bearings Bowen looks around for the unseen opponent and chases off after it.
Rall attacks the creature he missed before but with greater success.1d20+2=21, 1d8+2=9
With a slight step to the side to open the a greater angle of attack and to allow Rall to flank if this bastard is still up next round, Balnar takes a swing that is although accurate, not as damaging as it could be.
Rall and Balnar, between them, hack the monster to the ground. It lays there unmoving, its dark blood seeping into the leaves of the forest floor.
Bowen rushes towards where Arla and Ash are searching for the third of the monsters, as yet unseen, but it appears to be gone, or at least well hidden in the darkness beyond their lights.
After a moment, Fee unleashes a small wave of positive energy that heals both he and Balnar for
Rall takes a moment to listen and scan the woods to determine whether more of those beasties are coming. Perception (1d20+4=12)
Rall will remain here for now under the belief that the others can handle the remaining beastie without him.
Rall hears nothing and after several minutes, it becomes apparent that the third monster is not interested in attacking at the moment, if it is in fact still around.
Aeryn moves up towards Rall and Balnar... "There gone...?" She looks to be seconds away from going into shock.
"I think they're gone," says Fee quietly, "What were those things? Were they Bugbears do you think? They were speaking goblin but they were far too big to be goblins. Shall we bury these two woodsmen? What are we going to do with the bodies? We probably should do it quietly in case there are more of them. Try not to talk too much. Right? Do you think they're gone? What were those things?"
Fee seems a little nervous and scared.
Aeryn moves up towards Rall and Balnar... "There gone...?" She looks to be seconds away from going into shock.
Rall attempts to put a comforting hand on Aeryn's shoulder. "I think they're gone. But let's hope that we haven't lost any chance of finding the children. Can we pick up a trail of any sort? What do you make of their being here?" Rall asks to the group as a whole. "I'm wondering if these woodsmen were tracking the children as well."
For a long moment all Bowen can think is to chase after the third creature that fled his hatred for it's race running strong through him he begins looking for the trail and thinking he may have found it begins to tell the others as much.
Though hearing Rall, slowly reason creeps back into Bowen's mind as he looks for the childrens tracks instead.
"I am not sure if they had anything to do with the children but we may soon find out."
Arla returns to the rest of the group, having lost track of the third creature in the woods.
"Is everyone alright?"
She glances around a little uneasily, being not too happy at the thought of another one of those creatures still out there.
Bowen finds the tracks for the children easily enough, remembering, for the most part, where he last left them.
He had however also found the tracks of the lone goblinoid creature. And in fact, as he was tracking it, he had the feeling it was always just beyond his light, watching him.
"I've found the tracks for the children again. Do we wish to continue onwards?"
"Yes lets continue... put as much distance between us and this place as we can..."
Rall quickly searches the bodies of the bugbears and men and then moves in line with the rest of the party.Perception (1d20+4=22)
Arla nods in response to Bowen. "Yes, let's move on, but we should keep an eye out in case that creature decides to return.."
She then moves to follow the rest of the group.
Rall quickly searches the bodies of the bugbears and men and then moves in line with the rest of the party.Perception (1d20+4=22)
One of the bugbears has a crude longsword and the other has a servicable morningstar. Both had shields. Their pouches have an assortment of disgusting things in them, including dried fingerbones. One of them had a small gemstone in his pouch. The gemstone is dark in the dim light, but it would probably be green in better lighting. One had a necklace of strung ears, the other had a wrist band comprised of eyes on string.
Rall takes the gemstone and leaves the rest. He quickly gets in behind Bowen and the rest of the party.