FW:
In the flash of the Dancing Lights, did Livvy or Rova see Erizi by the stones? Or Shimei in the scrub?
Perception for Livvy (not as an action)
Shimei hesitates, torn between helping Erizi and the two targets to the left. The lure of gnolls in his sights is too much. He begins easing to the left hoping for a clear shot.
FW:
Long Bow ... damage .. includes gnoll killer bonus, if they are inside 30' add another +1 to hit and damage for point blank shot
Perception
Norn once again tries to get herself into a position where the Gnoll's will be backlit by the lights and shoots at one of them
Damage
Sneak attack
FW:
As quietly as she can, she will cast Message on Shimei.
Shimei:
Shimei straightens up as if startled and looks around. He whispers something and pauses, then looks around again.
Livvy, FW:
Shimei gives up on looking and shouts, "Move the lights. We can shoot the gnolls."
Erizi stays hunkered down in his cubby hole, trying to get his breath back. He shouldn't get so excited when he is fighting. It seems that fighting for a pack instead of for himself adds extra energy to his fighting.
He is a bit confused by all the quite movements, and lights disappearing and appearing around him, so decides to hold his peace until he sees something tangent to fight.
Zaid has the lights follow after the gnolls.
Shimei, Erizi, FW:
Whispering again, "Yes, Shimei, it's Livvy. We are hiding on the other side of the big rocks from you. We can come to you. Erizi, are you wounded? You've done well, again."
FW
Erizi convinced this is a gnoll trick, looks around a bit at the sound of Livvy's voice, then with an angry scrowl, prepares to charge from his cover as soon as he has his breath back (is no longer fatigued from rage).
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No answer comes from Erizi or Shimei. Zaid manages to follow the paths through the rocks and fixes one gnoll as it takes cover behind a bush in the shadows of the magical torchlight. Norn's crossbow bolt arrows in at the hyenaman.
But misses by inches. The gnoll yelps involuntarily, giving away its position to one and all but the cry is about sixty feet from Erizi and Shimei in the cluttered rocks.
Although the creature has cover, Shimei's bow twangs too, and the arrow skims the gnoll's cheek, opening a wide flap in it.
Then the gnoll leaps up and runs even further away, probably out of range of Zaid's spell unless he moves forwards out of the cave.
Of the other gnoll, the darkness has claimed him for now.
Erizi, Shimei:
FW:
Whispering to the gnoll, "Rova, what do you see? Are there more out there? I'm going to bring up torches like those over there -- if you've seen or heard something, I will send them toward it."
She will bring up the torches thirty feet from their position, toward the last known position of the gnolls unless Rova gives her a different location. She intends to keep them low to the ground and avoid the known positions of allies, moving them gradually around the hill until she or Rova see a target.
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Livvy
There are no gnolls in view, two have gone left beyond Norn and out of sight of Zaid's magical torches. Shimei has his bow pointed in that direction. Norn is hidden somewhere around. Nombir and zaid are watching from the cave entrance still.
Perception check DC20 (that's a general spoiler not just for Erizi)
Perception
Erizi plans on doing nothing for the next 6 rounds except try to get his breath back. (Fatigued). If a target presents himself he will haul himself together and wade into combat.
Bent over and gasping for breath, Erizi wonders at his fitness level. " I didn't used to get winded so easy. I am growing soft."
Perception
Perception
FW:
Sense Motive is probably appropriate
"They are gone for now." Zaid whispers to Nombir, staying where he is.
Shimei draws and nocks another arrow and sits listening and watching. He knows better than to pursue gnolls in the dark.
Perception,
If he hears nothing, Shimei waits a while longer.
When he is convinced the gnolls are gone, the nomad slips through the darkness back to the cave.
"We move now before they bring more." He looks at the party sizing up the people. "Rova and Livvy on point. Erizi, Nombir, Zaid and Norn in the middle. I'll watch the backtrail with dog. Keep moving away from Kelmarane. Three whistles means stop."
"Agreed Shimei. Lets go everybody, quickly!"
Erizi finally breathing easy again..."So Livvy, did you're pack mate show his true colors"?...Then pointing and laughing..."I told you you couldn't trust him". "Did he run like the true coward he is, or die of fright, or did you have to put him down"? "Ha ha ha ha ha!".
Then hearing Shemei's words grows silent, and begins to follow.
Livvy's lights illuminate the area for a bit before she returns to the cave. "The gnolls seem to be gone." With a weary nod at Erizi, she adds, "All of them."
"Shimei is right - if he leads the others back, he knows our group better than any other." Looking at Erizi again, "If we see him again, there will be no hesitation - if you don't beat me to it, I'll kill him myself."
Listening to Shimei's plan, she adds, "Without Rova's eyes, I'm little use to sneak in front. I don't want to give away our position with my lights... but Rova was my error, I will lead if you feel that is best. Maybe with Norn?"
"No, you stay in the middle. Norn and Erizi lead. What happened with Rova?"
Erizi begins to preen and strut. He is back leading the pack. In his warped reality that is :-)
"No, you stay in the middle. Norn and Erizi lead. What happened with Rova?"
She shrugs, "I don't know. He said nothing, and he did not attack me, but he took off after you fired your bow. Not that I think your shot away from us had anything to do with it, but that's when he ran away. Toward Kellermane." She pauses, "I know you cannot trust them, and yet... I wanted to trust him. Now I'm just mad at him."
"I suppose we learned our lesson: never trust a gnoll."
She shrugs, "I don't know. He said nothing, and he did not attack me, but he took off after you fired your bow. Not that I think your shot away from us had anything to do with it, but that's when he ran away. Toward Kellermane." She pauses, "I know you cannot trust them, and yet... I wanted to trust him. Now I'm just mad at him."
"You are lucky he left you alive."
"Let's go that way. " Shimei points in the direction away from Almah's camp at the old monastery.
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The party stumble down the valley, trying to avoid making unnecessary noise, the starlight reasserts itself and everyone can pick out the worst of the cacti and more angular points of many rocks. Nevertheless those without elven eyesight or better are hard pressed not to hurt themselves, especially the four who most tired.
The valley is about half a mile across and then the hills show several groups of pointed pillars of rocks, like fingers reaching up. They run just inside the ridge line and while one may be only the size of a house, others are much larger. There is an opportunity to get lost these maze-like rock formations.
As Nombir moves with the party "it's not your fault Livvy, I tried to give Rova a chance, but it looks like he may have betrayed us. However, if we just kill everything we see, we just become animals like them."
"He didn't kill me. He actually helped me up to that point. He got the sword, we got some information. He could have called the others in or captured me easily. I'm a little confused as to his motivations at the moment. I just know we could not stay in the cave -- too many gnolls were aware of us and Rova's knowledge made it that much more dangerous."
Shimei will whistle a halt after about an hour. He's looking for a spot where crouching or recumbent men will be hidden from a distance and we can see down our backtrail a good distance. Caves with one exit need not apply. Some shade once the sun comes up would be a bonus.
Finding such a place he stretches out on the ground, "Zaid, Erizi. It's still your watch."
It takes Livvy very little time to find a place relatively clear of ground clutter - or clean one - and curl up into a tiny ball and fall asleep.
Erizi stands his watch, idly picking at his still oozing wounds, occasionally glancing at the fitfully sleeping Livvy. He almost feels bad about laughing at her, but not quite. As he walks by Zaid he places a friendly hand on his shoulder, and turns to look at the sleeping halfling.
"That one's good heart will get her killed one day".
Erizi stands his watch, idly picking at his still oozing wounds, occasionally glancing at the fitfully sleeping Livvy. He almost feels bad about laughing at her, but not quite. As he walks by Zaid he places a friendly hand on his shoulder, and turns to look at the sleeping halfling.
"That one's good heart will get her killed one day".
Erizi stands his watch, idly picking at his still oozing wounds, occasionally glancing at the fitfully sleeping Livvy. He almost feels bad about laughing at her, but not quite. As he walks by Zaid he places a friendly hand on his shoulder, and turns to look at the sleeping halfling.
"That one's good heart will get her killed one day".
Erizi stands his watch, idly picking at his still oozing wounds, occasionally glancing at the fitfully sleeping Livvy. He almost feels bad about laughing at her, but not quite. As he walks by Zaid he places a friendly hand on his shoulder, and turns to look at the sleeping halfling.
"That one's good heart will get her killed one day".
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Shimei will whistle a halt after about an hour. He's looking for a spot where crouching or recumbent men will be hidden from a distance and we can see down our backtrail a good distance. Caves with one exit need not apply. Some shade once the sun comes up would be a bonus.
Finding such a place he stretches out on the ground, "Zaid, Erizi. It's still your watch."
As the silent banter comes from the halfling, Erizi can keep a good view of the approaching dawn. Half an hour after he crashes down with tiredness, Shimei is forced to wake up by his faith and pray with the dawn. Pray for those oh so important magicks.
Then he returns to sleep for another hour and a half to allow the spells to bed down just like his muscles and various aches. Last to be awake everyone else is up and breakfast completed.
While Shimei wipes the grit from his eyes and catch up with Nombir. There is a strange groan below the party back down the trail and Rova staggers into view, clutching his bloody side. He rests against a sloping rock, before pushing himself off and weaving down the trail looking down and not back. He grunts and ends up on his knees, gasping for breath again.
There is a strange groan below the party back down the trail and Rova staggers into view, clutching his bloody side. He rests against a sloping rock, before pushing himself off and weaving down the trail looking down and not back. He grunts and ends up on his knees, gasping for breath again.
Livvy stops and stares, eyes wide as realization hits. She rushes over to the gnoll.
Gnoll:
She turns to the others, "Nombir, Shimei! He is hurt!" Turning back to the gnoll, she continues...
Gnoll:
FW:
"No it is a trick". "Do not go"! Erizi shouts looking on in horror.
Perception to find the ambush party
Shimei levers himself on his feet and begins stringing his bow. He scowls in the gnoll's direction. Why is he back? And has he lead others to us.
"Norn." Shimei points along the back trail and to the left. "Dog. " Shimei heads out on the right side of the trail.