No.723535[Last 50 Posts]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuMh2GXTZuoIn a time long past, before the coming of the Two, was a time of gods, heroes and monsters. A world as yet unexplored, an age of high adventure.
And in this age, eons ago, four wayward wanderers did find themselves crossing paths. Perhaps it was chance, or perhaps ordained by fate. I alone can elucidate the adventures of these four.
Hearken now to the Tales from the Age of Steel!
No.723536
We begin at a forgotten temple to a nameless god, on the edge of an eastern cliff facing the sea. The Wayward Wanderers came from near and far, seeking the treasure whispered of in remote corners of the land: a great gem, the Heart of the Sun, kept in this very temple. Normally, it is sealed, but every seven years, on the summer solstice, the temple opens, inviting would be treasure hunters to test their might and prove themselves worthy of this prize. Thus, the four converged, strangers to one another, unknowingly working towards a common goal - along with others…
No.723543
>>723538The hunter, long relegated to a lonesome life, found himself stalking a new type of prey. Unbeknownst to his quarry, he followed an odd, serpentine woman for many miles, leading him to the edge of the world…
>>723539The summoner, surreptitiously coveting greater power, followed whispers on the wind of a great treasure to be claimed. Shirking her temple duties, she took to the wilds, traveling light for many days, until she found herself at her destination…
>>723540To the chagrin of a fellow treasure hunter, the thief followed a stolen map to a great treasure, seeking a great fortune from a forgotten gem. The map, its origins unknown, has a message written on it: "Only the worthy shall claim the heart…"
>>723541The accursed heard rumors here and there of a great treasure to be found to the south-east, on a certain day once every seven years. Realizing the day was soon approaching, and with aspirations of greater fortune, he followed these rumors to their source, at the edge of a green cliff by the sea…
>>723538>>723539>>723540>>723541After a grueling journey, you find yourselves at the stone steps leading to the Nameless Temple. Nestled on the edge of a seaside cliff, it is plain to see, even from a distance, that the temple has not been used in an age. It resembles a fortress more than a temple, with great stone walls covered in vines and roots, and oddly shaped watchtowers, many of which are crumbling to dust. Much of the temple has been consumed by a great tree that has grown into it, slowly consuming this ancient structure.
What draws your attention, however, are the great stone doors. They are completely covered from top to bottom in writing, though it is not a language any of you can read. The doors are battered and scratched, presumably from intruders attempting to gain access early, to no avail. For now, the doors to the temple are firmly shut. It is one day before the solstice, around late afternoon. Tomorrow, at sunrise, the doors of the temple are said to open.
From nearby, in the shadow of the temple's overhang, you can see a faint flicker of firelight, suggesting a campsite.
Your presence is unknown to each other, for now.
No.723544
>>723543Despite his distance from the strange creature, Noghu burrows below the surface to hide himself from sight, following the snake through their tremors.
[1d10+2] Burrowing
Roll #1 5 + 2 = 7 No.723545
>>723543A dark shape flits through the bushes, darting from cover to cover. A feline-shaped shadow silently pauses, its long tail flicking in anticipation. The form of a large cat in a worn gray gambeson slowly emerges from the underbrush near the end of the stone steps leading to the temple.
The cat, staring at the ancient edifice half-eaten by nature, purses his lips and lets out a quiet whistle. He pulls out a small tattered slip of parchment from some inside pocket, eyeballing back and forth between it and the crumbling structure. Apparently satisfied, he replaces the paper within some hidden pocket and takes a confident stride toward the steps, when something gives him pause.
He sniffs the air. A camp.
That means others. Sometimes danger, sometimes a source of unexpected windfalls. Kalidan waits for a moment, weighing his options, then attempts to creep back into the foliage in order to approach the campsite unseen.
Stealth [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.723546
>>723543I squint through the darkness at the red orange glow in the distance. I'd expected to be alone, but thinking about it that was an ignorant assumption. For whatever reason, if this gem is supposed to be as valuble as folks say, it only makes sense for others to go after it too.
I decide to keep my distance, unrolling my pack a good bit away from the temple itself, and set to work setting up a stealthy little camp of my own.
[1d10+2]DC 4, burrowing out a dakota fire pit and starting a fire in it
Once set up, I pull out some dry meat and my waterskin and eat.
Roll #1 6 + 2 = 8 No.723547
>>723543"Ssuch fertile land, perhapss there may be aught to raise here.."
Having traveled so far from the sands of her home, the sorceress Vajra busies herself with an incantation, preparing one of several soldiers for the coming raid.
She raises her clawed hands, ethereal strips of runed cloth phasing into the soil around her.
"Shifting ssands, sscour the trees, a sservants handss i call to me!"
[1d10] Raise dead
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.723548
>>723544The ground below you is dirt and weeds. Little obstacle for you. You dig through it as if plunging into water, tunneling below the strange serpentine creature, unbeknownst to her. She appears to be casting a spell of some sort.
>>723545You stick to the shadows and undergrowth, as is custom for you, approaching the campsite quietly, trying to get a bead of what you're up against. You manage to get a good vantage point on the steps, clambering up a tree and peering out.
The camp consists of a single patchwork tent, a small firepit with a black pot, a backpack, and a furled up bedroll. The lone occupant of the camp appears to be a large pony, but they are dressed in brown and black tattered clothes with a masked hood, such that it is difficult to make out details of them. You notice a large two headed battle axe propped up on a rock nearby.
The pony is currently stirring the pot, humming idly. Seems like vegetable stew.
You can also see a second fire starting further down the way, but you are too far to be able to see much of them. Slightly closer is an odd serpentine saurian, who appears to be in the middle of casting a spell of some sort. The dirt a ways behind her appears to have been disturbed recently.
>>723546You hang back near the bottom of the steps and start a camp of your own. Before long, you have a merry blaze going, getting ready for the night to come.
From nearby, you hear a voice chanting. Sounds like some sort of spell. You aren't alone in this place.
>>723547The strips of cloth float to the ground like feathers, the runes glowing brightly as you call on a servant. Sure enough, one appears. From the ground comes a single ethereal figure, covered from head to toe in bandages. It appears to be the mummified ghost of a pony warrior, the dessicated, skeletal mouth the only part visible. The specter floats above the ground slightly, hanging limply as if held up by puppet strings, ready to serve.
>Minion is at 10/1 No.723549
>>723548A chill runs down my spine as I hear the chanting, and I swing my head around to look for its source. My lips curl into a sneer. Magic. Of course there'd be some damned magic.
[1d10+3] Perception
Roll #1 9 + 3 = 12 No.723550
>>723548Seeing as the snake has ceased traveling for the moment, Noghu turns his attention to the location the creature was likely intending to visit. Burrowing towards the temple, he begins to check for proof of a lower level (bricks or cobbled stone) and to see if any of it's loose enough to push in and get a sneak preview.
[1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.723551
>>723548"Hmm.. Adequate." states the saurian, circling the specter briefly, before turning her attention to the temple.
She flicks her tongue out briefly to taste the air, gauging the surrounding area.
[1d10] Detect life
>Serpentine senses: As a saurian, Vajra can 'taste' the air with a flick of the tongue, allowing for greater detection within her surroundings. perception checks to detect life gain a -2 to DC.Roll #1 8 = 8 No.723552
>>723548An equus and a serpent. Presumably other treasure hunters. And… is that a mummy? Kalidan also sees perhaps a recent gravesite. The situation may be complex. Best to wait and see. He remains perched in his tree, willing to watch and wait for now.
Slowly, quietly, he pulls a snack from his bag. His movements are so slow that they're imperceptible.
Monch. Monch. [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.723553
>>723549You see someone off in the distance, further up the steps leading to the temple. A saurian sorceress, by the looks of it. She seems to have conjured some fell minion to serve her, calling spirits from the ground itself to bend to her will.
>>723550You keep burrowing upwards towards the temple, eventually having to stop once you hit solid rock. Moving around it, you manage to find the rock is carven, and clearly part of the temple itself. You push your luck, digging a bit further, eventually finding one of the many walls of the temple interior. With a bit of elbow grease, you manage to dig a hole in the wall; once you stick your hand through, however, you are stung with a jolt of searing pain down your arm, as if you had thrust it into a fire. It passes quickly, but it is clear that there is some ancient magic at work here, preventing trespassers from entering the temple. Trying to peer through proves rather fruitless, as it is too dark inside to see anything, but you catch some silhouettes of what seem to be winged statues in the dark.
>>723551Your senses tell you there's at least four others in the area right now. There might be more. It's difficult to tell.
>>723552As you chow down on the snack, the pony's ears prick up like a frightened rabbit. With one fluid motion, they spring to their hooves, take up the axe and start pacing about the area, searching for the source of the sound.
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.723554
>>723553Kalidan pauses mid-chomp, slowing down his already imperceptible motions to a virtual standstill. He masticates once, twice, swallows and waits.
No.723555
>>723553"Hmm.."
Undeterred by the potential onlookers, Vajra confidently slithers the rest of the way up to the great temple gate, the mummified warrior floating slowly behind her.
No.723556
>>723553Noghu giggles in pain, recoiling and snarling. Digging out his path a bit more and replacing the misplaced stone, Noghu places one stone ascance to remember a secret exit in case he needs to flee from the inside later.
No.723557
>>723553My sneer turns into a scowl. Sorceress. And a snake, too. I lift my spear and rest it on my lap. I continue to watch the scaley vermin, slowly tear pieces off my dried meat, and pop them into my mouth. Ain't nobody gonna get the jump on me no how.
[1d10+3] Angry watching
Roll #1 10 + 3 = 13 No.723558
>>723554"Someone there?" the pony calls out. She's a mare, albeit a surprisingly large one. No response, obviously.
"…Well, if there is, I'm not looking for trouble." She seems to dismiss the sound, and resumes her place by the fireside. "…Stupid," she mumbles to herself as she spoons out a bowl of stew. She seems to raise it in a slight toast, as if she were sharing the camp with someone else, then starts chowing it down thoughtfully.
After a bit, you see the saurian from before approaching, followed by an ethereal mummy.
>>723555You slither up to the temple with your minion in tow. The great double doors loom over you ominously. To your left is the campfire you spotted earlier. The lone occupant, a large pony in hooded rags, is frozen in place as you appear, staring out at you suspiciously.
>>723556You do just so. You are suddenly aware that the snake creature you've been following seems to have moved on.
>>723557As you watch, she and her thrall keep moving up towards the temple entrance. Seems she's intent on entering once it opens at dawn.
No.723559
>>723558Perturbed, Noghu tries digging up, only to be blocked by the stone steps of the temple. Upset by annoying stone creations of the lesser species, Noghu is spends his time digging for voles and warrens, waiting till the snake moves on from her safe place.
[1d10] underground hunting
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.723560
>>723558I grumble. Snake probably got some freaky magic what makes it invisible or walk through walls or something. It might not get the jump on me, but what if it gets the rock first? Maybe I should just nip this in the bud right now. Instead, I just sit there, tighten my grip on my spear, and continue watching her. After a minute I pull out my wineskin, take a short pull from my clear shine, and re-cork it, keeping a sideways eye on her the whole time. The strong liquor sends a shiver through my whole body and warms me more than the fire ever could. I toss the last of my meat in my mouth and grumble a little more.
[1d10+3] More angry watching
Roll #1 4 + 3 = 7 No.723561
>>723558Making her way to the door, she spots the ragged pony, frozen in place nearby.
Presuming them to be frozen in fear, she chuckles wickedly. "Ssteady yourself, pony. Your terror iss appreciated, but it iss not yet your time. I am here merely to wait."
No.723562
>>723558Kalidan watches carefully. The mare appears distracted. The serpent has been seen. By their reactions, it seems they do not know each other. This may prove interesting.
There being no reason to leave his perch, Kalidan ever-so-slowly takes another bite, watching ear-perked curious. His long black tail dangles down, the end twitching every so often.
Keeping Monches Quiet [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.723563
>>723558[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.723564
>>723559You chip your claw a little as you hit stone. Moving on, you don't find much in the surrounding soil, save for a few stray worms or tubers. You find yourself inadvertently digging very close to the surface.
>>723560She seems to be speaking to someone out of sight, presumably whoever's occupying the campfire.
>>723561She gives you a suspicious look. "I'm guessing we're both here for the same thing." Her eyes flit from you to the silent wraith that follows you, then back to you. "No other reason to come to this forsaken place." She's not really asking.
>>723563You feel a slight rumbling beneath you, like something shifting underground. The mare seems to feel it too, looking down briefly before continuing to fix you with her hard stare. You also think you see one of the leaves in a nearby tree swaying strangely, but it's probably just the wind.
>>723562You watch as the two meet. Seems the mare is suspicious of anyone who comes to this place. You can only assume she doesn't intend on sharing the treasure with anyone.
No.723565
>>723564Upset by multiple pains, Noghu digs out his own burrow and curls up, believing the snake to be resting here for the night anyways.
>Ready for dawn, will be waked by large enough squabble happening above. No.723566
>>723564Jealous of the treasure, eh? That's just fine. Kalidan can work with that. The beginnings of a smile twitch at the edge of his feline lips.
He continues to watch. The mummy in particular has some dangly bandages that are of particular seeming importance, dragging along the ground tantalizingly. He becomes slightly hypnotized watching their dance as the ethereal corpse-figure lumbers haphazardly behind the serpent.
Slowly, unthinkingly, he begins to inch himself down the tree and into the brush, intent on perhaps catching said dangly bits twitching so tantalizingly across the ground.
Stealth [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.723567
>>723564She laughs again, a raspy sound like dry wood brushing together. "Correct."
"The power of the gem will prove a mosst useful tool in-"
Feeling the earth move beneath her, she looks down at the stone, flicking out her tongue in confusion.
"..in my planss." she finishes, the wind effectively knocked out of her sails. "Just what iss going on here.."
No.723568
>>723564H'm. Guess it's meeting whoever's at that camp. Well, don't guess it matters. Something happens I can probly deal with it. I decide to pass some time before bed by pulling out my jaw harp and twanging out a little jig.
[1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.723569
>>723566You inch down from the tree, but slip and miss your footing. You manage to twist around and land on all fours elegantly, but the gig is up. Both the saurian and the pony have seen you.
>>723567Before she can say anything, you hear a loud rustling sound from the tree, and a felid falls out and lands in front of you, presumably saving face.
>>723566>>723567Startled, the pony wastes no time in seizing her axe, holding it to the felid's head in a swift motion. Her eyes dart from him to the saurian. "How many of you are there?" she demands. "Are you following me? Touch me, and you're going to lose limbs."
>>723565There seems to be a bit of an altercation happening above, preventing you from sleeping. Things seem to be going a bit wary.
>>723568You noodle on the harp a bit, but your attention is drawn by the voices coming from the top of the steps, causing you to lose concentration and play a flat, twangy mess. Seems there's at least three up there.
>>723567>>723566>>723565You can hear an odd buzzing sort of sound coming from further down the way, near the bottom of the steps. Seems like someone's attempt at playing music. The pony is distracted momentarily by it, but focuses her attention on the saurian and the felid newcomer.
No.723570
>>723569Before attempting to surface, Noghu tries to get a feel for the amount of people above him, centering himself underneath the entrance to the temple.
[1d10] percep
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.723571
>>723569Slinking back with a hiss, vajra draws her ritual dagger, tail rattling as her minion stirs to life, placing itself between the felid and her.
"Sssands take you! You nearly ssent me to the dead realm, explain yoursself!" she hisses, her pomp replaced with jittery fright.
No.723572
>>723569Kalidan stares at the serpent and the pony, wide-eyed with a look like he was caught with his paw in the cookie jar.
For a moment he considers flight, casting a quick glance behind him to judge potential egresses. Looking back to the treasure hunters, he stands slowly, smoothing his mane with a humble gesture of amusement, grinning sheepishly at the pair, the mummy and its tempting appendages temporarily forgotten.
"Ladies." His low voice smoothly carries over the sound of dusk wilderness.
Meant To Do That [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.723573
>>723569I grumble again and raise my fist, shaking it at the group. "Y'all quiet down up there!" I yell. My rumbling, gravely voice booms across the cliffside. "Can't focus," I mumble. Some of us are trying to make music. I take a deep breath, pop my harp back in my mouth, and get back'a twangin'.
[1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.723574
>>723572Glaring, she flicks her tongue out for a moment, then sheaths her dagger.
"Sskulking tree fiend.. You musst be one of the sscents nearby."
"You're likely to be bit if you sstartle a snake, you know."
No.723575
>>723574The large black and gray cat in the worn gambeson, seeing the snake stow her weapon, closes his eyes smiling with his palms upward in a gesture of apologetic dismissal.
"Worse things than having a beautiful creature sink their teeth into you." He winks roguishly at Vajra, then turns to the mare with the axe wielded so closely.
"You mind?" He puts a single digit against the blade and slowly pushes it away from him, then grins.
No.723576
>>723570Feels like three at least. Perhaps even four. From what you can glean, they're distracted at the moment, bickering amongst themselves.
>>723572>>723575The only response you get is a blade pressed to your throat, and a nick on your finger. "Were you spying on me?" the pony hisses. "You working for them?"
>>723573You're not sure whether your shouting fell on deaf ears or not. Whatever the case, you get back to playing, churning out a lively boogie melody.
>>723571>>723572Yet another distraction comes in the form of a loud voice shouting indistinctly on the wind. Seems to be coming from the direction of the music, which promptly resumes after a bit. "What is this?" the mare barks irritatedly, still on edge.
No.723577
>>723575Staggered by the change in tone, Vajra looks away quickly, aggressively rattling her tail in response.
>>723576"I have no part in thisss." the saurian replies with a groan. "To think sso many arrived to claim the gem.." she grumbles, scratching her jaw in thought.
No.723578
>>723576Hearing the distant music, Kalidan's ears point toward the source. "Not a bad rhythm," he murmurs to himself under his breath.
The cat blinks at the pony, all friendly confusion. "Insistent, aren't you? No need to be like that. We're all here for the same reason, yeah?"
Turning from snake to mummy to pony, he appeals to the group as a whole. "Look, you… three," he hesitantly includes the vacant corpse minion. "We can all help each other. I'm not even sure what this place is, but if we share information, we may get a more complete picture of what's going on."
Assuming the axeblade is still not uncomfortably close to his neck, he introduces himself. "Kaliban, of Abyssinia," he states, tapping his closed paw to his chest, then tilting his head and looking to his new comrades expectantly.
No.723579
>>723576With the group quieting down a bit I let myself get a little more into my playing, tapping my hoof to the beat.
[1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.723580
>>723576Not liking his odds, Noghu once again is content on waiting out the noise, waiting for others to sleep before inspecting back above ground.
No.723581
>>723577>>723578The mare seems wary still, but relents, bringing her axe away from Kalidan's throat. Slowly, she puts down the weapon, deciding to trust you, for now. "Kothbiro," she introduces herself as, and pulls off the hood. She's not a pony at all, but a zebra. She has deep blue eyes, and her mane is cut very short.
>>723579You keep playing. The melody rings out loudly across the cliffside, in harsh contrast to the crashing waves below. Despite your solitude, you do not feel lonely. …In fact, you can't shake the feeling you're not alone at all.
>roll Perception>>723580The others seem to have made some peace, and are introducing themselves. You hear the names Kothbiro and Kalidan used. You hear faint music coming from further away.
No.723582
>>723578"Hmm.."
she pauses, flicking her tongue out again.
"I am Vajra, ssorceress of Abysssinia. There were four creaturess nearby, perhapss waiting for the ssolstice as well."
No.723583
>>723581[1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.723584
>>723583You see a group of at least three individuals of unknown race, silhouetted on a nearby hill. Accompanied by a wagon, they seem to be starting a campfire of their own, keeping watch over the temple for the night. You get the feeling they know you're there, but they don't seem to be making an attempt to engage.
No.723585
>>723582"Four?" Kothbiro parrots. "You and the cat, plus the musician down there… But where's the fourth?…" She suddenly remembers the slight tremor from before, and stamps her hoof on the ground, looking down at the dirt to gauge a reaction.
>>723580You feel a
thud from up above. It seems like they're onto you.
No.723586
>>723581Kalidan, warming to this zebra (who might try to kill him), offers his paw in a friendly gesture of peace. His own deep blue eyes meet hers. "Kothbiro. Nice to meet you." A hint of amusement and maybe something else flash across his face for a moment they share.
>>723582"Vajra," he offers his paw, then laughs. "Abyssinia is a long way away, my dear! I have known others of your kind, but that was a long time ago, in a desert far far away." He gazes at her warmly. "It brings to mind thoughts of home."
Turning his ear again toward the sound of music on the wind, he cocks his head at his new comrades-in-arms. "Do you hear that, or am I losing it? If we're all getting friendly, the more the merrier, right?" His eyes dart back and forth between the two sapient creatures present.
No.723587
>>723586She reluctantly shakes your hand. You get the feeling she wants as little to do with any of you as possible.
She looks towards the source of the music with a furrowed brow. "I'd rather not," she replies, without elaborating. It seems like she wants to avoid attention by any means.
No.723847
>>723586The saurian hesitates, before returning a smile, taking his paw with her claws. "Yess, quite a wayss away, but a ssmall price to pay for the treassure of the temple." she replies with a chuckle.
>>723587"Given the Musician'ss presence we may not have a choice. No doubt he iss here for the temple too."
No.723856
>>723585"Four?" The large black cat, wearing a curious look on his feline face, watches the threatening mare stamp at the ground. "Does that help flood them out?"
>>723847Kalidan chuckles mirthlessly. "Look, we have only a few options, as far as I see. We can fight, we can end up joining forces – tentatively – or we can pretend other treasure hunters aren't there and let them follow us, with the added benefit of a possible surprise attack. I know which I would choose," the cat says, making himself comfortable on a flat rock near the campfire and crossing his legs comfortably.
"Let's all play nice for now. I don't want someone thinking they can sneak up on me." He displays an impressive grange of sharp teeth. "It might not go well for them."
No.723857
>>723585Noghu grimaces as dirt falls on his head, squinting his eyes shut as he remains patient and waiting the situation out.
No.723861
>>723584I grunt, take another swig of my shine, put it away for the night, and get back to twangin' away, stomping my hoof with the beat. 'Long as they don't bother me no sense in bothering them.
[1d10]Boing boing boing
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.723864
how silver is my feline tongue[1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4
No.723868
>>723587[1d10] Persuasion
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.723870
>>723856Nothing seems to happen when she stamps the ground. Kothbiro still seems suspicious, but stops doing so, for now. "Thought I felt something before."
>>723847>>723856>>723864>>723868She crosses her forelegs defensively, but gives a stiff little nod. "Fine. But if any of you cross me, heads will roll." She trails behind you with trepidation as you investigate the source of the music.
The source, as it turns out, is a huge, shaggy minotaur in furs, sitting by a firepit of his own. Kothbiro hangs back warily, leaving you to make the introductions as she assesses the area.
>>723857Seems whoever was thumping above has stopped. They seem to suspect your presence. A minute or so later, however, you feel them starting to leave, heading back the way they came to explore something else.
>>723861You keep playing, to somewhat limited effect. It seems to have attracted the attention of the trio up on the hill; as you finish, you hear a few notes of a melody coming from their direction, played on a string instrument of some sort, as if challenging you to play along.
You hear footsteps coming from the stone steps of the temple, and you get the strong feeling you're being watched.
No.723871
>>723856"Hmm.. very well. Disspatching each other so ssoon to the temple'ss opening would rissk exhaustion. If only to face whatever may be insside, i will join thiss alliance."
No.723873
>>723871The cat beams his predator's grin. "That's the spirit. Let's not go killing each other before it's time." His eyes linger on the serpent's frame for a long moment, something either threatening or enticing in his emote.
>>723870Kalidan hops up to join the group as they wander down to the unknown source of music. Seeing a shaggy minotaur with his defenses down, and realizing his cover is already pretty much blown, he goes the straightforward route.
"Ho there!" He greets the beast from a far enough distance as to not be taken threateningly, then closes in slowly. "Friend! I cannot help but notice your skillful tune. I, too, am somewhat of a musician." All smiles and slow movements, he pulls a handmade wooden flute from somewhere near his belt, shows it for inspection, then raises to his lips to play a short illustrative melody for the group.
I Swear I Know How To Play This Thing[1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.723874
>>723870Still cautious, Noghu stays in place… cackling softly again.
'
Too many.. Wait for sleep.'
No.723880
>>723873>>723870Following behind Kalidan, Vajra keeps watch on the minotaur, her mummified minion floating nearby.
No.723886
>>723873As I hear someone approaching, I drop my jaw harp and eyeball hoever it is. Some cat? Don't look too threatnin'. i grumble, grunt again, and give the kitty cat a small greeting nod. I cock an eyebrow when he pulls out some kind of pipe and gives it a toot.
My spear still on my lap, I lift my instrument, brush my shaggy beard down so it's not in the way, and twang back.
[1d10]I also know how to play this thing
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.723887
>>723870[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.723888
>>723886>[Before this] One of my ears flick as I hear the sound of some string instrument. Someone else wanting to play all the way out here? Seems kinda odd, but I guess if they ain't attackin' I may as well shoot some notes back. I start and then I hear the felid.
No.723889
Percieving [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7
No.723890
>>723873>>723886You both play a rollicking, upbeat tune, going back and forth trading musical phrases as if you were clashing swords. By the time you're done you feel like you understand each other on some level.
>>723886The cat is not alone; with him is a lithe snake-like saurian, and a tall, well-built zebra. The latter seems to be hanging back warily.
>>723887>>723889You notice at least three others up on a nearby hill, making a camp of their own as night falls. They're too far away to get a good look at them, but given you're out in the middle of nowhere, they can only be here for one thing. Kothbiro notices them as well, freezing in place and scowling a little. Their presence seems to make her uncomfortable.
No.723893
>>723890My breathing is a little heavy after the song, but I set my spear down beside me, pull myself to my hooves, and hold my hand out to the felid. My voice is a hoarse, seldom used rumble as I say, "Howdy." I look around at the rest of the group and then up to the group on the hill. "Guess y'all're here for the rock too."
No.723895
No.723897
No.723900
>>723890The saurian glares towards the camp further away, making note of the position before focusing on the Minotaur in front of her.
>>723893"'Rock'?" scoffs the snake "The Heart of the ssun iss more than a ssimple stone. By all countss, it iss a powerful artifact indeed, with sso much here to protect it."
No.723902
>>723900I turn my eyes to the creepy magic snake, stare at her for a second, and finally step back and sit back down. "Rocks a rock."
No.723904
>>723893Kalidan, also a bit winded, gives the bushy bull-headed beast a warm smile at the end of their impromptu jam sesh. The felid nearly pounces at the offer of a handshake, wrapping his huge furry claw around the Minotaur's hefty appendage.
"That was awesome. You're really good," the cat affirms, nodding. "What do you call that instrument?"
"The rock?…" Kalidan blinks for a few moments before he remembers exactly what he is here for. "Oh. I was looking for something I only know as "the heart of the sun" or something lame. I guess it's just a stone? Doesn't matter to me, really."
>>723890Looking to the other camp on the hill, Kalidan gives a bit of a shudder.
"Should we try to make friends with everyone? After all, we don't know if they're going to attack us later. Best to at least know your enemy."
Turning to the others and sizing them up, he realizes he needs to add something here. "Also, if they're working as a group, it might be beneficial for us to at least form some temporary pact. You know; so we don't get outnumbered."
No.723906
>>723893The short maned zebra nods, tearing her eyes away from the trio on the hill. "I thought there'd be a larger turnout," she shrugs. She doesn't seem to want to be here, but makes the best of it, extending her hoof. "Kothbiro. Only met this lot just now. Seems we're going to be exploring the temple as a group. …Don't suppose you'd want to join in."
>>723900Kothbiro blinks. "News to me. Far as I know, it's just a really valuable gem. Never been one for magic myself." She eyeballs your mummified minion uneasily.
>>723904Kothbiro shakes her head. "I know them. They're not here to make friends. Best leave them be, I say."
No.723910
>>723906The cat finds a comfortable spot near the minotaur's campfire and settles in. "Names Kalidan. Don't need to share your supplies, didn't bring enough for me to share mine. But light of a fire and a fellow musician might be nice to spend the night near. Not to mention, safety in numbers." He does his best to act as though he means that last bit as he positions himself to keep an eye on all present parties, as well as the foreign campfire on the hill.
Eventually, the cat pulls out his flute and noodles on it quietly, one ear perked toward any other activity, wiling away the night, wary of surprise attacks and waiting for dawn.
((ready for timeskip))
No.723911
>>723906>>723910I look down at my fire and hum, pulling my spear back into my lap. I suppose I haven't been in many of these temple things, and it wouldn't be all that great if I had to deal with more folks alone. 'Specially they decided it was worth it to attack me. After musing on it for a moment I look up at the zebra, hold my hand out, nod, and grunt.
(Ready for timeskip)
No.723912
>>723906"Hmm true, the gem itsself musst be worth a fortune, but a jewel like it could make for an excellent catalysst."
Perhaps emulating Kalidan, Vajra coils herself up near the fire as well, her minion facing towards the mysterious camp in vigil.
"Until i can examine it, it iss a mysstery. We will see jusst what it can do in time."
No.723913
>>723906Noghu waits till the night to emerge, taking a good look at those camping while skulking far enough away from the fire light. When spotted, he does little to hide himself, only standing still and staring.
(ready for timeskip)
No.723917
>>723910>>723911>>723912As you all camp together and get better acquainted, Kothbiro keeps an eye on the other adventurers on the hill. When it comes to sleeping, she excuses herself, and returns to her own camp.
>>723913When night falls, and everyone is asleep, you emerge to examine the strangers out of curiosity. Apart from the serpentine one, you spot a large, shaggy minotaur, a tough looking zebra, and a black long haired Felid. Seems they've made some sort of alliance.
>>723910>>723911>>723912>>723913The following morning, you are awoken by the loud, grating sound of stone scraping stone as the temple opens. It is barely light out; the first slivers of sunlight are barely on the horizon, and the cries of foreign birds can be heard in the surrounding trees. If you move quickly enough, you would be able to see the doors opening of their own volition, inviting prospective treasure hunters to test their mettle within. Kothbiro is already up and about, gathering torches and having breakfast, which consists of a few foreign fruits. She looks back briefly to see who will follow before wordlessly heading inside.
No.723919
>>723917I'm already awake before first light and have had a breakfast of more dried meat and hardtack. While not the best meal, it serves its purpose. I gather up my supplies, throw dirt over the embers, and wait. When the gate starts opening I stand back up and make my way toward the temple.
No.723921
>>723917Kalidan sleeps lightly, having prepared everything for early action. At the barest light of dawn, he takes his pack and creeps from his resting place, not bothering to check if his compatriots arise. He makes his way silently into the temple behind Kothbiro, not announcing his presence but not actually putting himself into hiding as he slinks along one wall through the giant stone doorway.
Before entering, he casts a long glance toward the other encampment, wondering whether they were leading or following the unknown group.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.723923
>>723917Waking from an uneventful night, Vajra summons her minion to her from it's watchful position, making her way back up the stairs and into the temple proper.
"Hmm.. Let us ssee what thiss temple has to offer."
No.723924
>>723917Having tunneled back underground, Noghu goes to test the wall he had broken into earlier to see if the enchantment still stands.
No.723929
>>723921You look up towards the other campsite, only to find it abandoned already. The fire's been snuffed out and the tents taken down, as if they were never there.
>>723919>>723921>>723923The entrance hall of the temple is an archaeologist's worst nightmare. It seems to have been ransacked many times by prospective treasure hunters on other occasions when the temple has opened. Great monuments from some forgotten civilization have been smashed to rubble, many valuable ornaments pillaged. What does remain are two great statues flanking the entrance, depicting a pair of lizard saurians, their right hands outstretched upwards as if reaching to the skies. The pillars of the room that are still standing are decorated with knot-like patterns running all the way up to the ceiling. Looking back, you see a carved message left by an intruder as graffiti; it is too gloomy to read without examining closer.
Kothbiro looks troubled by this, looking back and seeing you tailing her. She digs around and passes you each a torch, lighting them with a pair of sharp black rocks she strikes together. "Not much to look at, is it," she comments.
Past the main hall, you can see a set of branching, winding corridors, which slope steadily downwards:
The leftmost corridor is lined with engravings depicting the same two saurians. It leads into a large, circular chamber, which seems to have multiple levels to it.
The rightmost corridor is wider, and has what look like coffins lining the walls, some of which have been smashed open before. Part of the wall seems to have broken further in. While this doesn't prevent you from traveling this way, it would be difficult to clear the rubble, and, more importantly, it blocks your view of whatever lies beyond.
>>723924You burrow through your tunnel and try to move through the gap. It seems you may enter the temple now; at least, it isn't burning your hand off anymore. It is too dark to be able to see what lies beyond, but you could wriggle your way through the opening and take a look.
No.723931
>>723929I take the torch and slowly walk into the temple, ignoring the writing completely. Stopping at the left corridor, I crouch down and check for traps.
[1d10+3]
Roll #1 5 + 3 = 8 No.723934
>>723929Audibly scratching through the temple hall as she slinks forward, Vajra takes the torch with a nod, before using it to Examine the graffiti along the wall.
"What a terrible messs.. Time has not been kind to thiss place."
No.723935
Noghu pulls his way through, replacing the bricks haphazardly, feeling his way around the walls to see if there is a column to hide behind as he waits for others to enter.
[1d10+2] Hide
Roll #1 5 + 2 = 7
No.723939
>>723929The cat accepts the torch graciously and takes up a place in the group, preferring to stick near the back.
Kalidan picks his way among the crumbled masonry carefully, keeping an eye out for threats. He suspects looking for loot this close to the surface is pointless, so he keeps his attention purely on any living beings besides his compatriots.
Keeping Eyes Open [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.723940
>>723929[1d10] perception
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.723946
>>723931You survey the corridor. Sure enough, there's a pressure plate set into the floor. Looking around for what it may trigger, you see a few small holes in the wall and ceiling. Either spikes or arrows, doubtless. Kothbiro notices the same thing. "They really didn't want anyone getting in here, did they."
>>723934>>723940You notice they're not words at all, but tallies, progressively getting fainter until they just stop. There must be at least 10. Nearby is a lone pony skeleton in tattered, rotted rags, with a broken legbone, feebly clutching a long rusted shortsword. Kothbiro looks disturbed at the sight, but doesn't voice her thoughts on this grim scene.
>>723935You wriggle in through the gap, your eyes adjusting to the overwhelming darkness. You see silhouettes of statues in the dark, and crouch behind one, blending in with the shadows. From not too far above, you can hear footsteps and familiar voices.
>roll Perception>>723939You swear you see one of the coffins move slightly. Luckily, you're not going down that path. You follow Thungr down the left path, avoiding the pressure plate trap he located, until you get to the room beyond.
>>723931>>723934>>723939The adjacent room connected to the lefthand corridor is even bigger than the one you were just in. What catches your attention is the ceiling. Though it has faded over the centuries, the intent is still clear; it is made as a replica of the night sky, painted in black with white spots representing the moon and stars, all in the exact spot they would be. Kothbiro seems impressed. "Wow. Can't imagine how long this would've taken to make."
You exit the corridor onto a stone platform. A flight of stairs leads to the main circular room, where can see a few bones strewn about. They look like they belonged to adventurers at some point, from the battered gear some can be found near. Four life size saurian statues flank a gate leading to a connecting room. The gate is sealed shut, however, and the means to open it are unclear. The statues are all facing the gate, their arms by their sides.
There are also four closed stone doors in the room. What lies beyond each door is unclear. The doors do seem to open, however, unlike the main entrance.
Kothbiro takes it on herself to start investigating the four statues, looking them over for anything of interest.
No.723947
>>723946Noghu lurks, trying to adjust his eyes quickly as if he was tunneling.
[1d10] percep
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.723949
>>723946Not surprised. I suppose if it's something worth taking it's something worth protecting. I avoid the pressure plates without any trouble and make my way into the large room. I look around at the skeletons. Well, whoever died in here has been here a while. Either they got locked in or were killed by something that's probably already dead. I briefly glance up at the ceiling before taking a quick glance around the room to be sure there aren't more traps, head over to the statues, and look them over along with the zebra.
[1d10+3]
Roll #1 10 + 3 = 13 No.723952
>>723946Kalidan gives a long stare to the coffin that moved by itself. He prods Thungr to point it out. "Not a good sign, that. Best case scenario, the dead are coming back to life. Worst case, it's the living. I would stay on your guard," he advises, loud enough for Vajra and Kothbiro to hear his warning.
Kalidan, knowing more than a little of the night sky, examines the ceiling for realism and location. If it is in fact an accurate starmap, he reckons, it should be possible to guess an approximate distance from his homeland, where he spent many nights staring up at the celestial spectacle.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.723953
>>723946Following the trio down the left corridor and into the larger room, Vajra approaches one of the stone doors, examining the surface for some means to open it.
[1d10] Perception(?)
"Perhapss the gate can be opened through a door.."
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.723955
>>723947You hear the slow grinding of stone. In the gloom, you think you see one of the statues turning its head to face you, spinning all the way around like an owl. The statue is of a saurian, lizard-like, larger than it would be in reality.
It's not your imagination. Each of its body parts individually spin around, turning to face you impassively. The slow thudding of stone on stone rings out as it starts menacingly trudging towards you.
>roll Perception again in addition to whatever else you do>>723949These don't seem like mere statues upon closer inspection. A thorough look over reveals something interesting: they are cut at the shoulders, neck, hips, knees, elbows, and other joints, as if designed to be articulated and moved by some mechanism. Kothbiro, on noticing this, tries to move its arm herself, but it's too heavy to. "Hmm… Maybe they're meant to be put in a certain pose?" she suggests.
>>723952"Let's hope it's the former," Kothbiro replies darkly. "I'd rather deal with walking bones than other looters."
The stars don't look familiar to you at all. You're a very long way from home right now.
>>723953With a bit of effort, the stone door opens, revealing a small antechamber. There is a rather complex mechanism in place here, a series of rusted iron levers with multiple tracks upon which they can be moved. It seems to operate something, but what is unclear. Inspection of the other three doors reveals similar setups. Two of the rooms have urns in them, but a preliminary inspection reveals nothing within but ashes, though there could be more if searched.
No.723958
>>723955"Agreed," the cat responds to Kothbiro.
Kalidan watches Vajra open several of the doors and begin to puzzle out the contents. Cautiously, he dips a paw into one of the ash-filled urns, sifting through them in order to try to find anything worth value, or attention.
Do You Even Sift, Bro [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.723959
>>723955>Lucky Dog: passive; Every dog has its day, and you have yours frequently. Your first turn in combat enjoys a higher chance to be critical, giving your actions Critrange -2 (i.e. An action that Crits on 10 now crits on 8+).[1d10] Perception (Crit DC-2)
Snarling, Noghu readies spear, watching the strange stone lizard turning to face him and approach him.
He cackles menacingly [1d10] (Crit DC-2), the sound echoing in the dark room as he throws a bola [1d10] (DC-1, Crit DC-2) at the golem's feet, attempting to halt its approach.
> Word of Power: Use a mix of authority and your own personal methods to extract information from a target that you would not normally get from basic means. In combat you can force an enemy to miss their next attack. On Crit you render the target helpless.
>Bola; instant, recharge 2, weapon, ranged: Throws a bola to temporarily disable a target. Bola does no damage, but on hit interrupts the target's current action and prevents movement, requiring them to break free of the binds that turn. On crit, it also sends the target helpless without dealing a wound of damage.Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 /
Roll #3 2 = 2 No.724258
>>723955Thungr hums, runs his hand along his beard, and nods. Looking around the room, he notes the four other doors. "Don't think there'd be clues in any'a them other no doubt trapped and dangerous rooms, do ya?"
No.724391
>>723955>>724258"Hmm, perhapss.. ssimply moving leverss around is unwisse, for now. Let uss exhaust our optionss before continuing."
Making note of the levers here, Vajra returns to the main room to look down the right corridor.
No.724485
>>723958You rummage through the ash and crumbling bones, finding some long-forgotten sentimental offerings at the very bottom!
>+20 gold pieces>>723959There seems to be writing of some sort etched into the stone sentinel's forehead, but it is too dark to make out.
Your intimidating cackling has little effect on the mindless automaton, while your bola merely bounce right off its stone surface.
Its petrified fingers crack and crumble as it curls its hand into a fist, swinging at you with a haymaker!
[1d10]
>>724258She nods and cautiously approaches one of the stone doors, pushing it gently open and slipping into the room. It is cramped, and appears to hold an intricate mechanism of levers on stone groove tracks, as if meant to operate something. This particular room has a set of burial urns lining the rightmost wall.
>>724391The rightmost corridor is blocked by rubble, making it difficult to see whatever lies beyond. The walls of this corridor are lined with coffins, many of which have been smashed open by looters; others, rather disturbingly, appear to have been clawed open from the inside. These are invariably empty.
As you examine what you can see of this corridor, you hear an eerie, spine-chilling cackle as if of some feral beast echoing through the damp dungeon walls, coming from whatever lies beyond the debris.
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.724486
>>724485Continuing to giggle quietly with discomfort, Noghu takes the butt of his spear and smashes it against the creature's side, striking with the same force he uses to dig through the earth.
Shatter: recharge 2, weapon; Breaks the target's defenses to open them up for attack. Deals damage and increases the Crit Range for all attacks against them by 2 for two rounds. Can be used against inanimate objects or armor to break and damage them efficiently.
[1d10] DC-1, used against an inanimate target.
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.724487
>>724485"Hmm.."
Scowling at the rubble, she pauses, tasting the air with her tongue as the cackling echoes off the corridor.
[1d10] perception
With the rubble blocking her path, she retreats to the left chamber, to reexamine the room mechanism.
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.724488
>>724485Kalidan grins to himself, pocketing the loose gil (still covered in the remains of someone's loved one) in his well-worn gambeson.
He follows the snake lady. Noting the coffins that have been clawed open from inside, he tuts. "I knew it." He looks to the rest of the ragtag little group. "Y'all ready to smash open a skelly or ten?"
He follows Vajra into the antechamber, checking out the other unlooted urns, hoping to pocket more pocket change.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.724489
>>724488"It sseems the dead are resstless here, yess." she aggrees. "Do try to ssave the bones from breaking too badly, i may have usse for them."
No.724490
>>724486You duck and easily dodge the slow, methodical swing. Seeing a brief opening, you slam the ancient stone with the blunt end of the spear, cracking the side of the guardian. Bits of debris fall off it, but it doesn't seem concerned by this. It swings at you with its off hand in a backhand slam!
[1d10]
>>724487It seems there's another traveler further in. How they managed to bypass you is beyond you. Whoever they are, they appear to be warm blooded, and rather large.
You return to the lever mechanism. Each of the four rooms seems to have one. There's no hints immediately visible as to what they are intended for.
>>724488You find a token left in one of the other urns. It's a small, cracked emerald, not much bigger than your claw. It's flawed, and probably not worth much more than pocket change, but it's something.
>>724487>>724488You see Kothbiro in the far right room inspecting the levers. Tentatively, she fiddles with the complex mechanism. With a slow, methodical grinding, one of the four statues in the main room begins to move. Through a miracle of rope-and-pulley engineering, these statues seem to be able to pose via the levers, though they are fixed in place. She is a little startled, but when it becomes clear they are no threat, she begins to think. "Hmm… Seems we have to find the right pose for them…"
She leaves the antechamber, beginning to look about for clues, wracking her brains.
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.724491
>>724490Kalidan's grin widens as he pockets the gem. Looks like this venture has already paid off.
The large cat, not easily impressed, instinctively reaches out and pulls one of the levers. "What's this all about, then?"
No.724492
>>724490entering one of the mechanism chambers, Vajra tests the pully system inside, to see which lever controls what movement.
"Interessting.. perhapss we could try to match the sstatue'ss posess."
No.724493
>>724485I meander over to the door with her and cross my arms as look around at the room. "Dern puzzles," I grumble. "Couldn't just kill somethin'. Gotta make me go tiptoing and pussyfooting around." Without spending too long on the leavers, I walk over to the urns to get a better look, keeping an eye out for traps.
[1d10+3]
Roll #1 9 + 3 = 12 No.724494
>>724490Having created an opening, Noghu again throws a bola and jabs his spear in the cracked area.
[1d10] DC-1, Crit on 8
Bola; instant, recharge 2, weapon, ranged: Throws a bola to temporarily disable a target. Bola does no damage, but on hit interrupts the target's current action and prevents movement, requiring them to break free of the binds that turn. On crit, it also sends the target helpless without dealing a wound of damage.
[1d10] DC-1 Crit 8 basic attack
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 No.724495
>>724493The urns appear to be just that. They are made of blasted clay, once painted in vibrant colors, but the inexorable march of time has faded them to muted shades of grey. Within, you find an odd artifact: an old bronze effigy of a bull, covered in bluish green patina, roughly the size of your hand. The eyes are inset with onyx gems. It seems like quite a valuable artifact!
No.724496
>>724495I let out a quiet, "Huh," and put the artifact away for now. Seeing nothing else interesting, I return to the leavers. "Think we should just go pullin'em willy nilly?" I step up to them and squint to get a better look.
[1d10+3]
Roll #1 9 + 3 = 12 No.724497
>>724491>>724492As you operate the levers, two of the other statues begin to move. You soon find that it is only the arms and the head that are poseable: the head can rotate 360 degrees, as can the arms, elbows and wrists. The elbows are also hinged. The range is rather limited. Kothbiro nods in response to Vajra. "That'd be my guess too. Question is, what pose."
She keeps searching the area, trying to find some sort of hint.
[1d10]
>>724494Your spear bounces off its stony surface. This time, however, your bola is effective, and stops the statue in its tracks momentarily, entangling it.
The statue tries to tear away its bindings.
[1d10]
>>724496Upon close inspection, there appears to be something painted on the wall of one of the chambers, though it is so faded by age that you mistook it for just weathering at first. It depicts four saurians posing like the statues at the entrance of the temple, their left arms extended with the palms facing upwards, and their heads turned left. They seem to be reaching to the sun.
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 No.724498
>>724497I watch the statues as I move one of the leavers at random.
No.724499
>>724497Noghu strikes again, taking advantage of the opportunity and snarling as he flanks the tangled statue and stabs at it's back.
[1d10] DC-1
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.724500
>>724497Kalidan plays with the lever a bit, noticing that the statues seem to respond to his input. He hums a small song to himself as he tries to make the statues dance to his own internal rhythm.
Losing interest, he digs around anything else that looks steal-able.
Loot [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.724501
>>724497Tinkering with the statues, Vajra alternates between adjusting the levers and peeking out of the door to see the statue's status.
"Have we found anything?" she calls out from the room. "Perhapss a depiction?"
No.724502
>>724501I look away from the statue and toward the snake. Right. There were other folks trying to figure it out too. "H'm?" I point to the faded images. "Think them pictures are how they should be? With their arms up."
No.724503
>>724498You fiddle with a lever. One of the statues begins to move, extending both of its arms forward fully like some bizarre zombie.
>>724499The back is made of solid stone, and your spear glances off, creating violent sparks.
>>724500You find a long forgotten ceramic jar in a corner. Prying it open, you find little but a foul stench, and black stains of something within long rotted. Some things are best left unknown.
>>724501You bring both statue arms up fully, putting it in a sort of H pose.
Kothbiro returns. "There's those big statues in the first room. Maybe if we copy their pose, the gate will open?"
No.724505
>>724503"Ah, an exccellent idea!"
with renewed vigor, Vajra manipulates the statue into the shape of the entrance pose, slithering into the entrance room on occasion to double check her work.
No.724506
>>724505I deadpan, grunt, and step out of the room and into the main one, already ready to go into the next and get this over with.
No.724507
>>724499The statue keeps struggling with the bola.
[1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.724508
>>724507Not in the position to strike its weak point, Noghu disregards the spear and goes to shove the statue over.
[1d10] unarmed
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.724509
>>724503Kalidan waves a paw before his nose, trying to extricate the stench. Gross.
Looking at Kothbiro, acknowledging her input, he states, "I think that if the makers of the temple were trying to make a puzzle, this is beyond ridiculous. Why would they make it something just anyone would guess? Maybe they are making it such that the uncommon guesses are the answer. Who are they trying to keep out, here? Who are these puzzles meant for?"
In expose, he jabs at a lever carelessly.
No.724510
>>724509"It does seem obvious, doesn't it. Maybe the hard part isn't getting in, but getting out," she muses ominously.
>>724504>>724502>>724505>>724509Kothbiro crosses her forelegs as Thungr shares his findings. "Well, it's worth a shot, I suppose. Let's see now…"
Vajra, Kothbiro and Kalidan proceed to move the levers around, getting each statue into the correct position. As each one falls into place, you hear a tremendous grinding and rattling as the gate at the back of the room slowly opens.
Beyond lie three more branching paths.
The leftmost room seems to have once been a dead end, but the wall has been broken down by other prospective treasure hunters in the past, opening into a natural cave formation which was repurposed by the architects of this place. You can smell mold, and hear the faint sound of running water.
The centermost path slopes sharply downwards, leading into the bowels of the temple. It seems to be a one way trip. The walls leading to this narrow slope are lined with depictions of snarling, grotesque faces.
The rightmost path leads to a dark room. Something seems to be scuffling about in here. It almost sounds like a fight breaking out.
In addition, you think you can hear voices coming from behind, from near the entrance. Seems like you aren't the only treasure hunters anymore. Kothbiro looks uncomfortable at this. "Let's just pick one and keep moving," she says tersely.
>>724508You shoulder slam the statue, knocking it off balance. It teeters awkwardly for a moment before falling over, crumbling into pieces and falling inert. Your foe has been vanquished!
The perils of this place never seem to end, however. You can hear voices coming from nearby, though it is too dark to see much yet. In the stifling gloom, you can make out two paths available:
The corridor ahead slopes upwards. You can see a faint flicker of light coming from the end, where the path turns abruptly left.
The corridor behind seems to open into a large chamber. You can't see much of it in the blackness.
No.724511
>>724510Noghu lurks into the murky darkness of the chamber, using it once again to lurk and hide.
[1d10+2] Lurk
Roll #1 8 + 2 = 10 No.724512
>>724510"Ah, sso the path ssplits again.. The path further down iss quite ssteep, would it do uss well to invesstigate the cave firsst?"
No.724513
>>724510I heas toward the righmost path without saying anything. As I step through the open door, I keep an eye out for traps and keep my spear at the ready.
[1d10+3]Trapsweeper
Roll #1 2 + 3 = 5 No.724514
>>724510Kalidan notices the two paths on either side ending. He realizes the center, although leading to an unknown path, does not end prematurely, and so takes it, slipping his body down the the pathway which allows for him to transform into another world.
No.724515
>>724514>>724510having been thoroughly ignored, the saurian slithers after Kalidan with a huff. "Sss.. fine! ignore me then, center it is."
No.724516
>>724511You head deeper into the darkness, running one hand along the wall, making as little noise as possible as you move. The mossy stone walls open up into a large, open area, but without a proper light source, it is impossible to see what lies ahead.
You hear the shifting and scraping of stone on stone from behind you. In the gloom, you can only just make out the statue reforming itself, as if nothing had happened. You also hear footsteps in the distance, coming from the opposite corridor.
>>724512"Perhaps," Kothbiro ponders. "It doesn't seem likely the Heart of the Sun would be kept in a hidden cave, though. The centermost path seems like the most obvious one, but I can't see a way to get back out…"
>>724513Kothbiro shrugs as you leave and follows you with mild curiosity.
You don't see any traps, but you do see a room full of saurian statues. These look quite ordinary, unlike the ones you just witnessed, with no joints to speak of. You can't help but get a threatening feeling from them, for some reason.
>>724514>>724512"Hm, I don't think that's such a good i-"
You go in anyway, squirming your way down the cramped, narrow path feet first. You are unable to see where it is taking you the whole way down.
You soon find out. The path drops you abruptly into a vile, foul smelling pit. Shining your torches around reveals the ground is littered with old bones, most of them snapped or gnawed by some unknown beast. This room is circular, the bones forming a sort of mound in the very center. There are a few ways out of this room, but they appear to be locked. No sign of a key, at least not in immediate sight.
You can hear the slow, heavy breathing of some dread behemoth, relaxed as if asleep, bringing with it a rank, stale, warm breath. No matter where you shine your torch, you cannot see it.
No.724517
>>724516Using his spear to press the floor ahead of him to make sure it doesn't drop suddenly or gives into weight, Noghu continues to lurk away, looking feeling alongside walls if there is any vantage point he could climb up and spectate the explorers from.
[1d10] blind percep
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.724518
>>724516In the dim light, the panicked, wide-eyed Vajra makes a valiant effort of tasting the air, looking for the source of the breathing in between holding back gags.
[1d10] perception
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.724519
>>724516I freeze as I realize the other two went down the clearly trapped pit with no way out. I briefly consider just leaving them behind, pinch the bridge of my nose, and shake my head. Quietly grumbling to myself, I spin around, let out a little huff, and head down the probably deadly center path instead.
No.724520
>>724517You creep along in the darkness, feeling your way by using your spear as a cane and running your hand along the wall. You manage to make out a ledge up ahead, and with a bit of elbow grease, haul yourself up onto the vantage point via some convenient wall cracks. No sign of whoever else is in here yet, but you crouch and wait for them to approach.
As you listen, it appears they are doing the exact opposite. The footsteps grow fainter, and eventually vanished, as if they changed their mind.
>>724518Seems that whatever it is, it's slumbering beneath the mound of its previous victims. It seems like a question of locating the key and getting out without waking it up.
>>724519"Hold on now. Where are you- Oh, for K'sani's sake."
Kothbiro very reluctantly follows you into the death pit. Your nostrils are assaulted with the stench of death and decay. You find yourself in a wide, circular room, littered with mangled bones. The smell is unbearable; the fetid miasma of centuries of victims of whatever rests in this room. There are five locked doors at geometric intervals, while you can hear a persistent, restful breathing of the dreaded beast.
>>724518>>724519>>724514The three of you are reunited in the pit, along with Kothbiro, who scrunches up her nose at the sight of the place. "What an incredible smell you've disc-" She freezes as she hears the breathing, gritting her teeth and looking to the locked exit panickedly.
No.724521
>>724520carefully sliding over the bones around her, Vajra slowly circles the pit, waving her torch slowly in search for the glint of a key!
[1d10] Search
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.724522
>>724520>>724521>>724514I tightly grip my spear in one hand and pull back the bear head of my cloak. Running my hand through my long, wild, greasy hair, I mull over the decision I've just made for a moment. "Y'all really shoulda known better," I mumble. "'Specially you, miss wizard. Ain't your type supposed to be smart?"
I crouch down and squint through the darkness, trying to see by the light of the snake's torch. Slowly, I crouch walk around the room looking for some kind of key or some other way out. Even as I search, though, my guess is we'll end up needing to kill whatever that thing is to get out.
[1d10+3]
Roll #1 5 + 3 = 8 No.724523
>>724522"Our friend here wasss already two pawss into the pit before i could sstop him." she quietly replies, gesturing to Kalidan. "I wanted to ssearch the cave, but no, that would be too ssimple.."
No.724524
Seeing the rank breath of a sleeping behemoth, Kalidan takes a breath or two. He finds that the closeness of a situation makes him able to breathe open, finding a home for homeliness (breath incorporated) and a way to breathe naturally.
No.724666
>>724521>>724522You spot a glint of metal beneath the bones. It seems to be attached to an iron ring around… something. The breathing gets slightly louder. "Easy," Kothbiro warns, axe at the ready. "We should just try to grab the key and run. Whatever this monster is, I don't know if we can handle it."
No.724667
>>724524Kalidan looks around, trying to keep a cool head and not panic. He tries to see if he can climb back out of the pit, extending his claws and scraping them against the stone walls.
Escape! [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.724668
>>724520Chuckling for the first time not out of discomfort, Noghu waits a moment longer before hopping down, exploring deeper into the darkness. Surely the prey will reach her eventually, it gives him plenty of time to set a trap.
No.724669
>>724667You try to scrabble up the walls, but can't get a grip on all the moss and slippery stone, falling back onto the bone pile with a loud clattering echo. The breathing stops for a moment, but then resumes. Kothbiro stares at you fearfully.
>>724668You keep feeling your way through the area, your eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. Before long, you can make out some basic shapes in the gloom:
Two statues flank a door directly in front of you. You think you can hear something moving about beyond it.
To your right is a stone bridge of sorts leading across a pit. You think you can see someone standing at the other end of the pit, but it might just be another statue, or your eyes playing tricks on you.
Behind you are a set of what seem to be stone coffins, firmly sealed shut, save for one which is slightly ajar.
No.724670
>>724669"You really got yourself into it this time, Kal ya moron," he mumbles. Turning to the others, he asks, "Anyone happen to bring some rope?"
He begins to sift through the bone pile with the others, looking to identify previous victims and possibly locate a clue.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.724671
>>724669Noghu stays low to the ground as he looks to his right, deeming the individual at the other end to be a possible threat. Without making more sound, he tosses a bola across the bridge.
[1d10] DC-1 Bola (Lucky Dog if this would start combat)
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.724672
>>724666Spotting the metal but wary of the beast, vajra sends her minion forward to investigate the object, the mummified form shuffling over the bones along the way.
No.724673
>>724523All I can do is grunt and shake my head. "Well," I say in a hoarse whisper. "Guess now all we can do is try not to get dead."
>>724672>>724666Deciding the creepy, ghostly, blaspheme on our pure earth is better fodder than me I decide to let it grab the keys. Keeping my grip on my spear firm, I don't take my eyes off whatever is on top of them.
No.724674
>>724670Kothbiro nods. "Not much, but I've got some." She holds up a spooled length of about 15 feet of rope.
The bones seem to belong to previous adventurers. They are eerily gnawed and… dissolved? in some parts. You find a few belongings of the previous hapless victims of the unseen beast, including a coinpurse.
>+15 gold pieces>>724671Even in the dark, your aim is true! The bolas traps the figure, catching it unawares. It appears to be a revived skeletal saurian, toting rusted armor and weapons of an unknown civilization. You hear it clatter to the ground with a rattle and clank.
As it struggles to free itself, you hear it make a horrific creaking hiss, as if calling for help!
[1d10] Freeing itself
>>724672>>724670>>724673The mummy digs away the bones, revealing the keys… along with the beast they are attached to. It appears much like a gigantic ape, covered in russet fur, its skin a dull grayish black. It has made its nest beneath the bones, currently fast asleep. Thin, spidery scars line every inch of its exposed face. Around its neck is an iron ring, upon which the keys to your escape are placed. Its head alone is almost as big as the average pony. You notice a set of scars around its neck, intricately carven in the shape of unknown runes. Some fell sorcery has kept this beast alive for untold ages.
Kothbiro freezes at the sight of it, clamming up and readying her axe. She points out the keys and looks to you with consternation. "What do we do?" she mouths silently.
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.724675
>>724674>>724672>>724670>>724673>AddendumFar off in the distance, you think you hear a faint, unearthly scream. The great ape remains dormant and undisturbed, for now.
No.724676
>>724674>crit Bola sends the target helpless without removing a wound>helplessness activates passive>Wild Hunt: passive; After rendering a foe helpless, the Wildguard's first action next turn becomes Automatic. Rendering an enemy helpless with this automatic action does not activate WIld Hunt again.Running on all fours to seize the advantage, Noghu quickly goes to crush the skeleton's spine with the staff of his spear.
>Shatter[automatic]
No.724677
>>724674Kalidan pockets the coins without hesitation. They make a soft jingle as they join the small change he has already collected.
Turning to Kothbiro. "Hmm. You think we could use it to climb outta here? Maybe weigh it down with some of these bones, try and craft a makeshift grappling hook."
As the huge ape is revealed in its bony resting place, Kalidan's fur stands up all over.
"Oh. That's a big 'un. Think maybe he's friendly?"
Without getting too close, he tries to examine the iron ring around its neck, specifically whether it would be possible to remove the keys without removing the beast's head.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.724678
>>724674"Ain't hard to figure out," I say, sizing up the huge beast. I point my spear at it. "We move them keys, we wake it up. We got one option." I snort and take a slow step forward. "Kill it." My eyes briefly glance toward the chute we came down when I hear the screech. Looks like those other folk ran inro something too. Shaking my head, I turn back to the ape and eye it for any weak looking spots. Them magic squiggles don't look too good, though. Watch out."
[1d10]Marked for Death
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.724679
>>724678Kalidan nods at the minotaur. "If we don't have to, we shouldn't, but I'm in agreement. Perhaps we can disable it or blind it before it awakens."
No.724680
>>724674>>724678>>724679Vajra rolls her eyes, the runed gauze around her wrists shimmering with magic
"Let uss at leasst try the more delicate approach firsst."
The wrappings on the mummy's forelimbs glow as the sorceress takes control, maneuvering the corpse closer to the ring, in an attempt to gently free the key.
[1d10] free the key!
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.724681
>>724676You smash the skeleton in the spine, easily cracking the ancient, frail bones. The legs keep struggling for a moment, then fall still.
The top half of the skeleton, however, remains animated, freed of the bolas. It claws towards you frantically, snapping its bony jaws!
[1d10]
In the distance, you hear more screams answering the call, and the sound of stone shifting and bones creaking!
>>724677It seems loose enough that you could, with no small amount of dexterity, lift the iron ring from around its neck without disturbing its slumber.
"We could try, I suppose. Not a bad idea, actually," she says, rubbing her chin. She holds out the rope for you to take. "I'm… not the best with knots. Why don't you give it a go?"
>>724678You notice that its ears appear to be atrophied. The beast is deaf, which explains why it hasn't woken up yet. You could try spearing it in the eye, perhaps. Or going straight for the neck.
>>724680The mummy fondles the iron ring, jangling the key and trying to pull it over and off the ape's head. This proves to be no easy task, however, and the beast stirs slightly in its sleep, twitching and stirring, letting out a low growl. Kothbiro freezes, frantically motioning at you to abort before it wakes up fully.
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.724682
>>724681"I'd wager the thing cain't hear," I say, pointing towards its ears. "We might actually be alright long as we don't jostle it too much. We fight it, should probably go for the eyes first."
[1d10] Hunter sense
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.724683
>>724681Ignoring the half skeleton, Noghu kicks the inert half into the pit and sneaks further into the temple while nothing else is around to follow.
[1d10+2] Hide (+2 if i can leave combat)
Roll #1 9 + 2 = 11 No.724684
>>724680"Wait wait wait!! Why are you going to have the dead one try?? Wouldn't it make more sense for someone with some natural dexterity to pull it off?"
>>724681Kalidan takes the rope from Kothbiro. He fishes around for a large enough bone for his purposes, perhaps a pelvis. Tying the rope neatly through and around it, he tests its heft, then attempts to swing the makeshift grapnel up the shaft.
Up and Away! [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.724685
>>724681Wide-eyed, the sorceress pulled her claws back, forcing the mummy away from the beast a few steps.
>>724684"You are welcome to try. I had asssumed an undead would not alert it from the smell, an unssuitable meal."
No.724686
>>724685"Oh. Hmm." He raises his arm, sniffs at his armpit, pulls his head back and squints. "I see what you mean."
No.724687
>>724682You keep an eye on the slumbering ape, waiting to see if it begins to stir. It seems to be slowly coming to from Vajra's mummy jostling it a little, frowning and shifting. The ground beneath you shakes a little as it starts to move…
>>724683You kick both halves of it into the pit and sneak forward, sticking to the shadows. You can see several more figures moving in the dark, but you can't make them out just yet, nor can you make out the details of the room you're in. It seems the skeleton's alert got the attention of several more, who are on patrol throughout the area now.
>>724684With careful aim, you manage to lodge a hipbone into the tunnel you slid through. You test it for firmness before shimmmying up the rope; it's wedged in very firmly, enough for the average pony to use without much trouble. Vajra or Thungr might have a harder time of it, though.
No.724688
>>724686>>724685I glance from the beast, to the cat, to the snake, and finally down at myself. Lifting my arm a little, I take a deep sniff. My eyes widen a little and I shake my head as I get a snout full of the scent of dirt, sweat, and something else I can't really place. Something sharp and earthy, like a long unwashed animal.
No.724689
>>724687"Guess that's it, then." I stand up straight, hold my spear out, and let out a bellowing roar as I advance on the beast.
[1d10] marked for death
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.724690
>>724687Hiding when he can, Noghu tries to find a places where he can stay still and watch a patrol pass him, setting up another ambush.
No.724691
>>724688>>724686She holds her claws up wordlessly, her point proven.
>>724687though with the ground shaking, all pretenses of quiet are lost as the beast stirs.
Joining in with the attack, the mummy claws at the creature vigorously as more bandages flutter into the bone pile around Vajra, the rattle shaking in time ominously as she chants
[1d10] Mummy melee
"ssullen boness, hear my call! an ancient beasst i bid you fall! With limbss ssharp and hide sstrong, return to life with thiss sserpent'ss song!
Reaper!"
[1d10] Raise ancient: reaper
Roll #1 1 = 1 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 No.724692
>>724691My nose curls at the chant, but I keep my trap shut for now.
No.724693
>>724687He turns triumphantly to face the group below. "Made it!" His eyes widen as combat begins in the pit beneath him. He hesitates a moment, then curses and throws himself back down the hole, claws extending and rearing back for a flying attack from above. He aims for the great beast's eyes, hoping to get in a cheap debilitating shot or two before it is fully aroused.
Dual Wielding + Cleave [1d10] [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 No.724694
>>724689You hone in on the great ape as it stirs, marking it for certain death.
>+1 duration due to crit>>724690You stay out of sight, watching the undead patrol go past. They move in single file, heading to the bridge, led by a skeleton with a candle affixed to its cranium, illuminating the room as it goes. You notice that there are pressure plates just about everywhere; one of the skeletons at the very back inadvertently steps on one and is immediately skewered by spikes coming from the walls. The others don't seem to care.
>>724691The ancient bones that line the Great Ape's lair start to twitch, forming together into a terrifying amalgamate, swirling with black and purple energy. Dwarfing you in size, the Bone Reaper has a stocky build, its feet made of skulls, lacking a distinct head. Its most noticeable features are the powerful forearms; and the huge, blade-like rib bones where the hands should be. It is like some bizarre cross of a gorilla and a praying mantis in this way. It stands ready to fight for you.
>>724693You slash the Ape across the face, leaving a light cut across its brow. It doesn't seem too perturbed by this, frowning and twitching as it begins to stir. Its thick hide could block a spear, let alone your claws. You barely draw blood.
>>724689>>724693>>724691As it begins to stir, Vajra's mummy shambles towards it, raking at its face with bony claws, giving it a rude awakening. The Great Ape shakes it off, rearing up on its back legs. It towers over you all, dominating the chamber with its presence, regarding you all pensively. Its eyes are a deep, soulful amber, sunken like craters in its craggy, gray skinned face. Its arms are built like tree trunks, and its torso like a boulder.
It looks down at the mummy with slight annoyance as it tries to attack again. There is a deafening silence; then, the Ape lets out a star-shattering roar, backhanding the mummy into a wall, splattering it with a single mighty blow. It pounds its fists on the ground and roars again furiously, amber eyes burning with primal rage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRGRSCAOqh4With the mummy destroyed, it turns next to the one that scratched it. It shambles towards Kalidan and brings its fists down on the cat!
[1d10+3]
Kothbiro springs to action. "Mother save us… Okay, it's happening!…" She pulls out her axe and charges it with a barbaric yawp, taking a swing at its legs.
[1d10]
Roll #1 8 + 3 = 11 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 No.724695
>>724694Noghu tries to keep track of the plates pressing into the ground, trying to form a pattern in his head [1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.724696
>>724694Kalidan lands on all fours, glaring up at the great ape, his hackles standing straight up, his eyes glued wide open with adrenaline. As the giant fists swing toward him, he does his best to roll out of the way.
Ack! Dodge! [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.724697
>>724694"It's happening alright!" I charge with my spear held out, letting out a rebelious yell in response to the roar. My hair falls into my face, but I ignore it as I drive my spear into the thing's side.
[1d10]DC-1 because Accurate
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.724698
>>724694The mummy impacts the wall, dust and gauze exploding outward, before drifting down slowly.
[1d3] Turns to reborn
Ignoring the mummy, Vajra cackles at the sight of the bone amalgamate.
"Ahahaha! Wretched creature! Look upon my power and despair!"
With her bandages blazing with cobalt light, she guides the amalgam to lumber forward, bringing it's ribbed limbs into the beast before it.
[1d10]
[1d10]
[1d10] Melee
"Go now, Reaper! Tear limb from limb!"
Splitting her focus, she sends more bandages into the bone pile, calling for another creature.
"Boness of the pit, to me! A champion of sturdy form i dessire!"
[1d10] Summon esper: Slam
Roll #1 2 = 2 /
Roll #2 6 = 6 /
Roll #3 4 = 4 /
Roll #4 7 = 7 /
Roll #5 7 = 7 No.724699
>>724695You use the limited amount of time and light to commit the location of the plates to memory. It seems that if you stick to higher ground, you should be able to avoid getting turned into a shishkebab. On the lower level, where the skeletons are, the pressure plates are set out at regular intervals. It seems that this section of the temple is set out in a sort of maze, with several intersecting paths and dead ends. The fact that you can barely see your hand in front of your face doesn't help.
>roll for Navigation if you're going to keep exploringIn the distance, you hear a spine tingling roar, as if of some feral beast.
>>724696You avoid getting instant squashed like a grape, but the shockwave from the ground pound is enough to send you flying. You hit the bone pile face first. Your vision blurs, your ears ring, and your head spins.
>Kalidan takes 5 hits, helpless>>724697You charge the Ape with animosity. Without missing a beat, it goes for a low blow, knocking your feet out from under you with a single swift swipe. It seems smarter than it looks. You fall flat on your back, winded from the blow.
>Thungr takes 5 hits, helpless>>724698The Reaper rears up, brandishing its mantis-like forelegs before lunging at the Great Ape. Both its blows ring true, spearing it in the gut. With a roar, the Ape elbow slams the Reaper, knocking it back and off balance.
>Reaper takes 2 hitsYou reach out to conjure another ally from beyond. This one appears as a swirling tornado of miscellaneous bones and wrappings, with a single prominent claw floating via dark magic on its left side.
>>724698>>724697>>724696The ape kicks Kothbiro away like swatting a fly. She takes the blow gracefully, tumbling over and righting herself. Seeing Thungr and Kalidan fallen, she doesn't miss a beat in rushing over to the former and trying to haul him back up.
[1d10] Helping Kalidan
The Great Ape charges at the Reaper, throwing its arms out in a tackle!
[1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 No.724700
>>724699low to the ground and quiet, Noghu continues to delve deeper into the strange ponymade cave, switching between walking upright and on all fours when he needs to be more mindful of objects on the ground.
[1d10] nav
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.724701
>>724699I see the sweep too late and crash to the ground. My chest heaves as the wind rushes out of my lungs, but I force myself back to my hooves. Barely managing to catch my breath again, I jab my spear up into the ape's side.
[1d10]DC-1
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.724702
>>724699The dust and gauze swirls near the impact, blue light filtering through the air near the highest concentration.
>1 to rebornThe Reaper staggers back a few steps, crushing a few bones beneath it with it's weight.
Vajra righting the amalgam like a master to it's puppet, the sorceress mimes bringing both claws together and down on a shadow target. the amalgam follows suit, bringing both arms down into a double axe handle onto the charging beast!
[1d10] strike!
The swirling stormclaw flies towards the beast as well, gathering momentum with it's claw before slamming it into the creature's side!
[1d10] Slam
Vajra continues to laugh madly, her eyes aglow with blue light.
"More, more! Another for the fight! What boness sstill free, i ssummon thee, to join me thiss night!"
more bandages sink into the pit, the remains around her rattling with vigor!
[1d10] Raise dead
Roll #1 2 = 2 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 /
Roll #3 10 = 10 No.724703
>>724699Kalidan is knocked aside by the impact and falls prostrate into the bone pile, the wind knocked out of him. It is all he can do to turn over and attempt to clamber to his paws.
Recover [1d10]
He shoots a grateful look to Kothbiro as she rushes to his side. "We should have stuck with the grappling hook," he manages to spit out, along with a little bit of blood.
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.724704
>>724699[1d10] perception
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.724705
>>724700You start marking your way through the maze by leaving markings on the stone wall with your spearhead. It's remarkably simple to navigate once you get the hang of it. After not too much longer, you come across what looks at first like a dead end, but then you realize is a great stone door. There seem to be markings on the door, but it's too dark to be able to make them out effectively.
>>724701You stab it in the side, driving the spear deep into the Great Ape's intestines, driving it in as deep as it'll go. It roars again, wheeling around to face you furiously, the wound gushing blood freely. You notice that where the blood hits the ground, it seems to smoke, slowly eating through the scattered bones…
>>724702>>724704The Reaper dodges the charge, countering with a double strike to the Ape's back, but the Ape shrugs this off easily.
The Stormclaw surges towards the Great Ape, giving it an almighty shove with its one bony claw. The Ape is taken off guard, having not noticed you summoning it, and staggers off balance and lands in a sitting position. It huffs and grunts as it rights itself, beating its chest angrily.
You summon the remains of a long-dead saurian; stocky, with a hard bony shell around its torso, wielding a femur as a club. It looks like it was once some sort of soldier, from the rusted iron helmet it wears, nodding to you clumsily and readying its makeshift club.
>Tortoise Saurian racials: Reptilian, Hunker Down
>Reptilian: Saurians are covered from head to toe with thick protective scales, making them unusually hardy opponents. However, they are also very susceptible to the cold, shunning frigid environments. You take -1 hit from all incoming attacks, unless you're hit with an Ice elemental attack, in which case you take +1 hit from all sources for 3 rounds or until helpless. Being exposed to warmth, such as being hit with a Fire attack, can remove the debuff. This debuff also applies when in cold environments.
>Hunker Down: automatic, recharge 3 after effect ends; You are even sturdier than most saurians, possessing a thick protective shell. You can hide away inside this shell, giving you even higher damage reduction, taking 1 less hit than normal (total -2 hits) for the next 2 rounds. However, doing so makes you almost completely immobile and ineffective in combat, suffering a -2 to dodge rolls and -1 to all other rolls. The effect is cancelled if you are knocked helpless, and the DC is raised by 1 for recovering from it.>>724703To Kothbiro's surprise, you flip over easily, righting yourself and flipping back up into a standing position, shrugging off the immense blow like it was nothing in an impressive feat of acrobatics. "W-well, we still can," she points out. The rope is still dangling there. Perhaps it could be used as an escape route, or by some other means in the skirmish?…
>>724701>>724702>>724703The Ape seems overwhelmed by the bony minions attacking it. Its beady, oddly soulful eyes dart about the battlefield before it shoots out one enormous hand towards Vajra with terrifying speed!
[1d10+2]
With its other hand, it starts tossing stray bones and bits of debris here and there, warding off anyone who gets too close to it!
>roll to avoid taking damage if attacking the Great Ape as an instant actionKothbiro keeps up her strategy of going for the legs, trying to hamstring it!
[1d10] Attack
[1d10] Dodge
Roll #1 7 + 2 = 9 /
Roll #2 9 = 9 /
Roll #3 9 = 9 No.724706
>>724705First attempting to push the door open, if that does not work Noghu begins to search around the floor and walls for anything to interact with.
[1d10] push
[1d10] look
Roll #1 1 = 1 /
Roll #2 5 = 5 No.724707
Still overcome with the power she wields, Vajra only just notices the hand reaching out to grab her!
With the speed of a snake, the sorceress makes an attempt at slithering away!
[1d10] Dodge
The dust finally gathers together in a flurry of bandages, reforming the mummy once again! The form is worse for wear, but it dutifully shuffles towards the beast, claws outstretched to attack!
[1d10] attack
The Reaper reaches a limb of its own, bringing it down into the beasts outstretched hand with fury!
[1d10] strike
[1d10] Dodge
The stormclaw recalls it's claw, battering the beast with it's whirling bones!
[1d10] melee
[1d10] Dodge
Roll #1 10 = 10 / Roll #2 6 = 6 / Roll #3 6 = 6 / Roll #4 8 = 8 / Roll #5 4 = 4 / Roll #6 6 = 6
No.724708
>>724705"Can't get through the skin with my claws, eh? There's more than one way to skin a monkey!"
Kalidan dances in close to the beast, doing his best to avoid the macabre attack of flying bones and rocks.
Dodge [1d10]
In one bound, he fearlessly throws himself onto the great ape's back, gripping tightly to the iron ring around its neck and pulling as hard as he can.
Grapple [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 No.724709
>>724705[1d10]. Mummy Dodge
The soldier readies its club, marching forward to deliver a powerful blow!
[1d10] bonk
[1d10] Dodge
Roll #1 4 = 4 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 /
Roll #3 7 = 7 No.724710
>>724705I try to steer clear of the burning blood as I pull my spear free. As the ape thrashes around, I spin and try to dodge it and any debris, aiming to stick it in the kidney. From the look of it I might have to pull out my magic killin' axe.
[1d10]dodge
[1d10]stick it with my stickin stick
Roll #1 3 = 3 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 No.724711
>>724710Iron Will to stick it.
No.724712
>>724706The door won't budge. You bruise your shoulder trying to brute force it. A look around the area doesn't bring up much either, though it seems that this door is the end goal of this maze. You feel you probably have to do something elsewhere in the maze to get the door to open.
>>724707>>724709You react on pure instinct, dodging out of the way of the incoming grab by mere inches. You curl up against the wall, avoiding any and all damage, watching as the Ape's enormous paw snaps closed, grabbing naught but thin air.
The mummy reforms and charges at the Ape while its head is lowered, clawing at one of its eyes. It roars as the mummy draws blood, spattering the area, where it hits the rocks and bones and smokes like acid. The mummy is splashed with this as well, corroding its frail surface.
>Mummy takes 2 hitsThe Reaper avoids the barrage of debris, skewering the Ape's hand through to the other side. It snarls and flails, splashing the Reaper with blood from the wound!
>Reaper roll to dodge, instant actionThe Stormclaw phases through the debris, but the Ape claws at it, grabbing its claw and snapping one of its fingers clean off!
>Stormclaw takes 2 hitsThe Soldier powers through the debris, shrugging it off with its powerful shell, and cracks the Ape in the mouth with a horizontal swing. A molar goes flying, and the Ape lets out a guttural hiss, dribbling corrosive blood.
>>724708You artfully dodge the debris it's throwing, clambering on to its back. It seems taken off guard by this; the back seems to be a weak point for it, being deaf. You also notice it has an enormous iron two-hander embedded in its back, like some sort of morbid sword in the stone.
The Great Ape roars and tries to shake you off!
[1d10]
>>724710You stab it in the vital organs. It roars and pounds the ground with its fists furiously, sending blood flying everywhere along with the debris. Some of it hits you, along with the debris, burning your skin and pummeling you into submission!
>Thungr takes 9 hits, helpless at 0/3>Marked for Death ended>>724710>>724709>>724708Kothbiro's swing is true, and she brings the Ape down on one knee momentarily, slowing its movements. She uses the momentum to use her axe to do a sort of pole vault, trying to join Kalidan in grappling it!
[1d10]
Though wounded, the Ape still has plenty of fight left in it. It swings at Vajra's minions in a wide sweeping attack with both open hands!
[1d10+3] Cleave: Reaper, Soldier
Roll #1 1 = 1 /
Roll #2 5 = 5 /
Roll #3 8 + 3 = 11 No.724713
>>724712Noghu chuckles, not wishing to have to back track for something else after all this time. Instead, he begins looking for cracks, looking to slowly chip away at the door with claws meant for digging.
>Shatter: recharge 2, weapon; Breaks the target's defenses to open them up for attack. Deals damage and increases the Crit Range for all attacks against them by 2 for two rounds. Can be used against inanimate objects or armor to break and damage them efficiently.[1d10] DC-1
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.724714
>>724712Kalidan seems almost as surprised as the ape that he was able to latch onto its back, even more so as it attempts to dislodge him. He clings to the iron ring for dear life.
Not getting shaken off [1d10]
Looking down, he sees the handle of a large blade poking out.
"Hello, what's this then?"
He launches a flurry of quick kicks at the blade, attempting to either lodge it further or utilize the blade to rend the monkeyflesh beneath.
Bunny Kicks [1d10] [1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 /
Roll #2 5 = 5 /
Roll #3 1 = 1 No.724715
>>724712As I'm pummeled into the floor, my spear slips from my hand. I can feel blood ooze out of the side of my mouth, and I let out a wet cough. Quickly, I shrug out of my cloak, suddenly feeling incredibly hot. The edges of my vision blacken and the world around me swirls. The smells, sounds, and sights of the room blur as my entire body is wracked with terror. Then, just as fast as it closes in on me, it's gone. Darkness falls over me.
—
Thungr's body writhes on the ground, and red foam leaks from the edges of his mouth. A loud snapping noise crackles through the air as his body bulges and bends at unnatual angles. His fingers fuse and elongate into massive clawed paws, and his entire body seems to swell, causing his woolen shirt and pants to burst. His face shifts into something more animalistic, and his teeth elongate into long fangs.
In a moment it's over, and standing where Thungr once stood is a short faced bear scarcely shorter than the ape standing on its hind legs. Unlike the ape, who's eyes show a spark of intelligence, the bears black eyes show nothing but hunger and bloodthirst. Its lips peel back and it lets out a roar before charging the ape.
[1d10+1]slam, crits on 8
Roll #1 1 + 1 = 2 No.724716
"kahaha! Foolissh! Your fate is ssealed creature!"
"Pit of boness, you musst deliver! Ssubmit to me a minion of quiver!" More bandages flow down, more bones stir.
[1d10] summon esper, Marksman shot
The mummy lashes out again, determined to attend its task!
[1d10] swipe
The Reaper stumbles backward to avoid the blood, before levering itself forward to meet the beast head on with a bony claw!
[1d10] Dodge blood
[1d10] melee
The stormclaw readies its claw once again, spinning into the beasts back with the force of the movement!
[1d10] slam
The soldier retreats into its shell in an attempt to weather the storm.
>Hunker down
Roll #1 5 = 5 / Roll #2 4 = 4 / Roll #3 2 = 2 / Roll #4 5 = 5 / Roll #5 6 = 6
No.724717
>>724713You find a sizeable crack in the stone door. After prying at it for a bit, you give it a good whack with your spear. Then another. Then a final, mighty blow. The whole stone door comes crumbling down in a deafening display, giving way to the chamber beyond.
Unfortunately, you have no clue what lies beyond. It's so dark you can't even see your hand in front of your face. You also feel an unearthly chill, and a vague, untraceable sensation of dread crawling on your back.
You get the feeling you shouldn't have done that.
>>724714You dig in deep with your claws, clinging to the Ape like a particularly stubborn barnacle. Despite its thrashing, you stay firmly lodged in place.
As you spot the blade, you kick at it; however, it seems like it's been there for a very, very long time. It barely budges at all.
>>724715The Ape roars right back, charging and meeting this new threat head on. It easily bodies the smaller, weaker creature, ramming into you headfirst and knocking you to the ground.
>Thungr takes 5 hits, helpless>>724716The bones stir, knitting themselves in unnatural patterns. Several finger bones connect, forming a floating arrow, ready to fly at your command.
The Ape bats the mummy away, throwing it to the floor.
>Mummy takes 2 hits, helplessThe Reaper's bony surface is melted away by the beast's blood. The Ape intercepts its jab by grabbing the claw and shoving the Reaper away like it's nothing.
The Stormclaw gouges at the wounds created by Thungr, deepening them. The Ape snarls and tries to bat the Stormclaw away.
[1d10]
The Soldier seems to shrink into its shell, limbs and head retreating, becoming almost impenetrable.
>>724716>>724715>>724714Kothbiro is frozen in shock momentarily as Thungr undergoes a monstrous transformation into a terrifying, gigantic bear. Unfazed, the Ape continues its rampage, lunging forward and biting at Vajra!
[1d10+1]
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 4 + 1 = 5 No.724718
>>724717laughing nervously, Noghu begins to trace back out out of the maze following the path he took before, hunting the candle skeleton.
No.724719
>>724717Kalidan clenches his kitty jaw and continues to cling tight. He tries to readjust his grip and pulls the iron ring as tightly back as he can, trying to choke the beast out.
Gripping [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.724720
>>724716>>724717Addendum:
The Reaper is sent scattering from the tremendous blow, its left foreleg shattering into bony splinters from the impact.
>Reaper takes 6 hits, helplessThe Soldier
76 shrugs off the blow, though it is rattled to its bony core by it.
>Soldier takes 4 hits No.724721
>>724717The bear is only briefly stunned by the battering and, further enraged by the ape's attacks, snarls and lifts both arms in the air and brings them down on it.
[1d10+1]
Roll #1 9 + 1 = 10 No.724722
>>724720Dodging the bite of the beast, vajra readies her knife as the head of the creature looms above, stabbing forward in reply!
[1d10] restrained strike
The mummy hits the ground once again, turning to dust, this time with no movement to speak of.
The stormclaw whirls into the beast again, tearing it up with a barrage of bones!
[1d10] melee
The Reaper's bones are scattered violently around the pit from the impact. After a moment, the bones begin to roll towards the center Mass, reforming the body
[1d10] recover
The soldier peeks it's head out of the shell, striking forth cautiously in retaliation for the rattling it received!
[1d10] thwack
The skeletal arrow aligns itself with the approaching head, zipping forward with great speed!
[1d10] Marksman shot
Roll #1 9 = 9 /
Roll #2 6 = 6 /
Roll #3 4 = 4 /
Roll #4 9 = 9 /
Roll #5 5 = 5 No.724724
>>724718As you leave the room of advanced darkness, you easily catch up to the skeleton patrol, following the only light source around. They have crossed the bridge, and are heading towards the room with the statues. Ambushing the candle skeleton won't be easy; it is at the front of the group, and there are about half a dozen of them between it and you.
>>724719The Ape thrashes from side to side, eventually shaking you off. You fall into the bone pile once again, dizzy but still standing.
>Kalidan takes 2 hits>>724721You bear your claws and rake at the Ape, gouging deep trenches in its collar and chest. It flinches and staggers backwards from the blow, accepting this new challenge. Staring you down, breathing heavily from its injuries, the Great Ape hops about on the spot, grunting and throwing bones and debris about in an intimidating display.
>>724722You shank it in the cheek as it lunges forward, artfully twisting your body away from its attack. The pain doesn't seem to register with it, and it pulls away, taking your knife with you, still firmly lodged in its cheek.
The Stormclaw pelts and pummels the beast's head with its whirlwind of bones, causing it to flinch and close its eyes, shrinking away.
The Reaper begins to reform, but its bones are scattered all over the room.
The Soldier jabs its mace into the Ape's eye, injuring it significantly. It growls and bats at the undead minion, but doesn't manage to do much due to its shell.
The arrow bounces off of its head harmlessly, twisting around in midair and returning to you.
>>724719>>724721>>724722Kothbiro willingly lets go of the Ape, bringing her axe down as she falls, aiming to gouge down its side!
[1d10]
The Ape charges bear-Thungr in a fit of rage!
[1d10+3]
Roll #1 7 = 7 /
Roll #2 8 + 3 = 11 No.725148
>>724724The bear stands its ground, moving to wrap its arms around the ape and tear at its throat with its massive jaws.
[1d10+1]Bite
Roll #1 2 + 1 = 3 No.725149
File: 1570327582895.png (Spoiler Image, 332.62 KB, 1244x1800, Vajra 3 raw pearl necklace.png)
>>724724With her knife still embedded in the beast's cheek, the sorceress rattles her tail in fury!
"Ssandss take you! I will have to pry my dagger from your corpsse!"
The stormclaw builds more speed for the bony claw within its gale, sending it flying forward into the creature!
[1d10] Slam
More bones begin to rumble into the slowly reforming mass
[1d10] Reaper recovery
The soldier extends from it's shell, taking its club with both claws to chop it downward onto the ape!
[1d10] Melee
the bone arrow zips forward to collide into the beast's face!
[1d10] Ranged
Roll #1 1 = 1 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 /
Roll #3 7 = 7 /
Roll #4 8 = 8 No.725150
>>724724Thinking the situation over hunched in position, he thinks over the rudimentary logistics of acquiring the candle without it going out. Finding fighting off 6 or so skeletons and then acquiring the skull of one with limited movement too difficult to reasonably do, he thinks to his original prey instead. Having once dodged the light source, he now starts to prowl back near where he saw the light disappear far back near the statues, intent on taking either the light or it's wielders with them to the dark, foreboding room.
No.725151
>>724724Kalidan lands on all fours, rage glinting in his feeling eyes. He spends no time at all hurling himself back toward the great ape, swinging at the uninjured eye with razor-sharp claws extended.
Dual Wield [1d10] [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 No.725152
>>725148The Great Ape charges you, grabbing you by the lower jaw and carrying you with it in its charge, slamming your head against the wall. One, two, three, four times. It tosses you aside like a spent torch, disregarding you entirely. Your head feels light, and you can taste blood.
>Thungr takes 7 hits, helpless>>725149The Great Ape swats the Stormclaw away like an insect, sending its bones scattering.
>Stormclaw takes 5 hits, helplessThe Reaper reforms, regaining both of its mantis-like forearms.
The club smack takes the Ape off guard. It flinches and turns to face it with a low growl.
The arrow hits it right in the forehead, driving itself into the beast's skull. It roars and wrenches the arrow free, tossing it away angrily. Blood trickles down its face, hissing and smoking as it spatters on the bones below.
>>725150You slink past the bone patrol, retracing your steps past the statue room and through the adjacent corridor. You find a spacious room with four more statues, all in the same pose, their left hands extended upwards towards an elaborately painted ceiling depicting the stars. You find an open gate, past which are a few more paths to take. You can hear a ferocious battle taking place, with the savage roaring of at least one beast. It seems to be coming from… below?
>>725151You run and leap towards the wall, then use the momentum to leap again, this time towards the Ape. You land on its face, jamming your claws deep into its other eye. It lets out a scream of sheer rage and agony, thrashing about as you blind it. Your claw begins to sting and burn as it is covered in the beast's blood. You are forced to let go, landing on the pile of bones on all fours again.
>Kalidan takes 2 hits>>725148>>725149>>725151Kothbiro's attack works, leaving a huge, bloody gash down the beast's leg. It roars and pounds the ground with its fists at the sudden pain. Grinning, Kothbiro keeps up the offensive, swinging her axe at its kneecap with a grunt of exertion.
[1d10] Attack
[1d10] Avoiding blood
The Great Ape, now blinded, throws itself about in a mad attempt to hit anyone in its way!
>everyone that isn't helpless roll to dodge, instant actionRoll #1 2 = 2 /
Roll #2 6 = 6 No.725153
>>725152Kalidan snarls in pain as his paw is burned by acid. He shakes it off and looks up just in time to notice the ape thrashing about, and jumps back to avoid its blind attacks.
Dodge [1d10]
The cat nurses his wound, contemplating his next move. Now that the ape is blinded, there is the very real concern of the wild bear and all the undead, neither of which he fully trusts to not turn on him once the combat ends. Assuming he is not made helpless, he carefully makes his way along the wall and scrambles up the rope to the safety.
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.725154
>>725152The bear foams at the mouth as it goes down, snapping madly at the ape. Its chest heaves and its claws scrape against the ground as it tries to drag itself back to its paws.
[1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.725155
>>725152With her dagger gone, Vajra only now looks to her allies, several horribly mangled. She flicks out her tongue in annoyance, sending more bandages into the pit.
"With woundss to heal and friendss to mend, i call forth one to sslow death'ss end." she intones.
[1d10] Summon esper: heal
with the bones and wind dispersed, the bandages animating the pieces begin to wisp the parts back together
[1d10] Recover stormclaw
The reaper, now reformed from the bones lashes the beast with a barrage of strikes!
[3d10] Reaping strikes
The soldier swings the bone club upwards before slamming it back onto the creature's side!
[1d10] melee
thrown to the side, the arrow ricochets off the bone pile and the wall, aiming for the back of the ape's head!
[1d10] Ranged
Roll #1 8 = 8 /
Roll #2 2 = 2 /
Roll #3 5, 3, 10 = 18 /
Roll #4 4 = 4 /
Roll #5 8 = 8 No.725156
>>725152Grinning, Noghu follows after the sound of battle. Surely should his prey wins or loses, either side will be weakened enough for him to finish the job should the situation provide.
No.725157
>>725153You nimbly pull yourself up the rope to safety, watching the situation unfold from above.
>>725154You scrabble about, eventually hauling yourself back up, ready to keep fighting.
>>725155You conjure an apparition from the pile of bones; a black, ominous figure with the skull of a bird for a face. Great bone claws, thin as needles, sprout from within its cloak-like body. It hovers behind you like a shadow, rippling slightly, unfazed by the chaos around you.
It seems to take a while for the Stormclaw to reconstitute.
The Ape fends off the Soldier and the Reaper's blows, save for one. The Reaper skewers the Ape straight through the throat, driving its razor sharp claw straight through to the other end. The blood eats through the bone, making it snap right off the Reaper's arm. The Ape gurgles horribly and stumbles about, clawing at the bone lodged in its neck.
The arrow bounces around, piercing through the Ape's skull, driving itself into the monster's brains.
>>725156You go down a narrow, steep looking tunnel, which eventually turns into a slippery slope, leading you downwards into a pit of bones. There is an enormous, dead ape lying among them, as well as a tough looking zebra with an axe, the serpentine saurian you have been tracking, an enormous feral bear, and a slim black cat.
>>725155>>725154>>725153With these final, fatal blows dealt by Vajra's minions, the Great Ape teeters on the spot, letting out a low, guttural groan. With an almighty crash, it topples to the ground, throwing bones everywhere as it collapses, stone dead.
>roll to avoid the debris, instantThere is no time to celebrate. Just a moment later, you are joined by a savage looking Dog resembling a hyena, who slides down the tunnel you all took to get here. He inadvertently dislodges Kalidan's grapnel, sending him toppling to the ground.
>Kalidan roll to recoverKothbiro breathes heavily, looking over to the newcomer, axe still in hoof. She seems too exhausted to fight, but eyes him with suspicion.
>>725156"…And who are you?" the axe-wielding zebra demands, looking at you with inherent mistrust.
No.725158
>>725157Noghu holds up a spear to the zebra, pointing it to the others,
"You all weak, I uninjured. Want to live? Follow."
No.725159
>>725157"Gah!" Kalidan exclaims, as he is stuck by a body in the dim hallway and knocked back into the fetid pit below. Orienting himself midair, he attempts to land on his feet amongst the bones.
recover [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.725160
>>725157A great commotion occurs as most of the undead immediately dissipate, adding sand and bones to the already intense debris storm. all that remain are the soldier and the sorceress, who struggle to find cover from the debris!
[1d10] Dodge, soldier
[1d10] Dodge Vajra
"Aahaha! The Beassst wass no match for my horde! An ironic fate, to be sslain by hiss passst mealss."
amid the hailstorm of bone, she slithers to the creature to wretch the dagger free from its face.
[1d10] pull (if needed)
"What sspiritss of healing i could ssummon are gone, their interesst is sspent. We.. well, you all, will have to lick your own woundss for now." she adds, gesturing to her injured allies.
Roll #1 1 = 1 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 /
Roll #3 8 = 8 No.725161
>>725157The bear's pupils dilate as it sees its prey fall dead. In one final, brutal lunge it hurls itself at the dying ape as its body begins to shift amd pulse. It roars as the snapping of bone resonates from deep within it once again. At the end of the transformation a slightly battered and significantly more (completely) naked Thungr lies face down on the floor.
[1d10] dodge. If pass it falls short before transforming.
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.725162
>>725160>>725157>Wild Hunt: passive; After rendering a foe helpless, the Wildguard's first action next turn becomes Automatic. Rendering an enemy helpless with this automatic action does not activate WIld Hunt again.Using the intimidating he has on his side from his dramatic entrance, Noghu turns his head towards the snake he has been tracking, pointing his spear and cackling menacingly.
"
You. You will tell me how you make bone walk."
>Word of Power: Use a mix of authority and your own personal methods to extract information from a target that you would not normally get from basic means. In combat you can force an enemy to miss their next attack. On Crit you render the target helpless.(Automatic)
No.725163
>>725158"That doesn't answer my question," she replies, tightening her grip on her axe and eyeing you hard. "You with the Arinese? Hm?"
>>725159It turns out cats don't always land on their feet. You do a graceful faceplant into the bone pile.
>>725160Both you and the Soldier get pummeled by the debris cloud, though you both shrug it off easily due to your naturally tough skin - or shell, in the soldier's case.
>Vajra and Soldier take 4 hitsOnce it settles, you wrench the knife free. It's slightly corroded from the blood, but still usable.
"I have a few poultices to go around," Kothbiro replies, not taking her eye off the stranger.
>>725161You manage to avoid the debris as you transform back into your minotaur form. Kothbiro spares you a glance, but remains focused on the newcomer. "What in Mother's name was that?"
>>725162>>725161>>725160>>725159You notice the ape moving slightly. Though it remains dead, the wounds begin to close, its damaged eyes reconstituting slowly, flesh and skin and hair reforming with a horrible squirming sound. As it heals, the ape remains inert, non hostile for now. Kothbiro stares in shock, almost dropping her axe as she stares. "…Key," she blurts. "Now."
No.725164
>>725162She rattles her tail aggressively at the intrusion, before pausing as the spear is aimed with purpose towards her.
"You.. Very well."
the gauze wound around her wrist glows, and an image of the wrappings in cobalt blue float from her claws to the ground below.
"It iss the gauze that i channel power through. With it i may bind the dead to my will, though it iss usseless to thosse unfamiliar with the dead artss."
No.725165
>>725163Noghu takes advantage of the distraction of the ape, throwing a bola at her legs and grabbing her by the neck.
>Lucky Dog[1d10] DC-1 Bola
[1d10] grapple
Roll #1 4 = 4 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 No.725167
>>725163I sit up and rub my head. Darn, didn't expect to run anything that strong here. I groan as I pull myself to my hooves and fetch my robe and pack. I throw my robe over my shoulders and shake my head again before pulling the hood up and over my unkempt hair.
"Long story," I grumble. Finally I notice a newcomer. Some little doggy. I brush my robe off and turn back toward the ape, ignoring the slightly aggressive pup for now. Clearly I missed something while I was gone, but at least that darn monkey is taken care of.
I crouch down and search for the key, quickly unhooking it from the collar before whatever kind of freaky magical stuff is happening finishes.
No.725168
>>725163Saurians both living and dead are battered by debris! Vajra angrily brushes herself off, bruised but still standing. "Dissgraceful. At leasst we are rid of the ape. Let uss move on."
The soldier stands silently at attention near the sorceress.
No.725169
>>725163Kalidan lands painfully among the bones, lies there for a short while, then attempts to pull himself to his feet.
Recover [1d10]
>>725166He snarls at the newcomer wild dog. "I recognize your kind, dog. You're a long way from home."
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.725170
>>725165Kothbiro leaps out of the way of your bola with a shout, doing a forward roll and swinging her axe at you. "I knew it!"
[1d10]
>>725167You take the key from the collar while the Ape heals. It doesn't seem to have regained consciousness, completely comatose as its wounds regenerate, stitching together so it may challenge the next would-be treasure hunter. You notice that there are a few other keys attached to the ring. Perhaps they will be useful later on.
>>725169You pull yourself back up. Seems a bit of a scuffle's broken out between Kothbiro and the feral Dog. Meanwhile, the Great Ape appears to be slowly healing.
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.725171
>>725169The diamond dog bears his teeth, saying nothing in response but a low growl.
>>725170"You not follow, you not want to live."
Noghu doesn't strike back, instead guarding the exit.
No.725172
>>725170I grab all the keys and look around for the door, not bothering to let anyone know as I unlock it.
No.725173
>>725170>>725171"What iss the meaning of thiss?!" hisses the sorceress "you claim you know a way to ssafety yet attack uss? Cease thiss and explain!"
No.725174
>>725173Noghu laughs, slightly more distinct than his normal cackle, "Not safety, I find what you seek. Do not have light."
Noghu guesses, assuming whatever they were after were deeper in the dungeon.
"You follow."
No.725175
>>725173"He's just crazy," I say. "I got the key, witch. Just ignore 'em and let's get outta here."
No.725176
>>725170Kalidan sticks close to the walls and follows the Minotaur through the unlocked door.
>>725171Eyeing the dog carefully, Kalidan gives him a wide berth and does not engage.
No.725177
>>725175"Hmm.. Very well." she replies, following behind you at a slithering pace.
No.725178
>>725171You dodge her attack and make for the rusted iron door at the far end of the pit. She looks confused as you don't attack back, staying her hand but still clearly suspicious.
>>725172After a couple of tries, you find the right key, opening the door to the corridor.
>>725174As you mention having found whatever they're looking for, the zebra relaxes a little, still wary of you. "…Fine. But any tricks, and it's your head. Understand, whelp?"
>>725171>>725172>>725173>>725176The stranger leads the way from here, only to find he doesn't actually know where he is. The path splits into two in a T-intersection.
The leftmost path seems to lead to an open area with running water. You can hear faint murmuring voices coming from here, the sound of which immediately puts Kothbiro on edge.
The rightmost path spirals upwards. You can hear sharp, clacking footsteps, like bone on stone, coming from this path. You can smell something damp from this direction, like moss.
As you move further into the dungeon, Kothbiro digs into her satchel and produces three small pouches of what look like medicinal herbs. She gives one poultice each to Vajra, Kalidan and Thungr. "They're all I have for now," she warns. "So be careful with them."
No.725179
>>725178"You are injured, I am not. I would win fight."
Noghu moves forward, gesturing for Kothbiro to give her torch.
"Follow. Moving statues ahead, push over and break."
>>725177"Snake. Moving skeletons ahead too. Do wraps control?"
No.725180
>>725178The cat pads along with the group, collecting himself and (literally) licking his wounds. That acid blood was no joke. Tastes terrible, too.
He takes the medicinal herbs from Kothbiro and sniffs them deeply, pockets them with a grateful smile and a nod.
"Hopefully that was the worst we'll find in here."
Coming to the T-intersection, Kalidan sniffs the air, his ears waggling either direction.
"Perhaps we will have to fight, either way."
No.725181
>>725178She accepts the herbs with a nod. "very well. I may yet draw aid to heal our woundss, but thiss will prove usseful."
>>725179"No, ssomething elsse has brought them back. The sspells to control the moving dead are different, but bring them down and i may gain control." she replies.
No.725182
>>725178Thungr takes the poultice, grunts, and puts it away. Best to hang on to that for later. He shifts his spear back to both his hands, crouches down, and closes his eyes as he focuses on the voices.
[1d10+3]Perception
Roll #1 6 + 3 = 9 No.725183
>>725179"We'll see about that. Do you have a name, or should I just keep calling you whelp?"
>>725182You try to listen in on the conversation. There are three voices you can make out: a deep, gravelly male voice, a second deep voice, this one female, and a cold, reedy male voice.
You can't make out their conversation, as they're too far away and the running water makes it difficult to hear, but you hear some key words: "Galatian", "Heart", "Nicanorian" and "Styr Thenn". The latter name is vaguely familiar to you, but you can't recall where you've heard it before.
>>725179>>725180>>725181>>725182You head right, away from the voices and towards the walking bones. It turns out to be the right guess; the room is familiar to Noghu, being an alternate entrance to the bridge room. The skeletons he saw earlier seem to be in another part of the temple, and the bridge is left unguarded, leading into the maze. The room itself consists of a narrow 15 foot stone bridge, below which is a deep, dark pit.
No.725184
>>725183Addendum:
Kothbiro looks to Noghu. "Well now what? What am I looking at?"
No.725386
>>725183"Learned many paths. Broke door. Returned for light. You light."
Nohu says, continuing into the maze.
No.725387
>>725183Slinking her way up the spiral to the rightmost room, the sorceress looks out to the pit, flicking her tongue out in though.
"Hmm.. a bridge? how ssimple."
At a mental command, the soldier pushes ahead of the others to slowly plod along the bridge, to test the stability of the stone.
No.725388
>>725386*Noghu
[1d10] percep
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.725389
>>725183I hum as I pick out the few words I can manage. "Stir then mean anythin' to y'all?" I ask, assuming at least most of the chatter is about the rock.
As they make it to the bridge, he cautiously peeks over the edge and into the darkness. "So, you been here already, doggy?" he asks Noghu. "You said you found what we was lookin' for, didn't ya?"
No.725390
>>725389[1d10+3]Perception
Roll #1 4 + 3 = 7 No.725391
>>725390[1d10-1] Insight
Roll #1 1 - 1 = 0 No.725392
>>725387>>725183[1d10] perception
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.725393
>>725387The soldier plods on first, testing it out. It seems quite stable, for now.
>>725389Kothbiro looks grim at the name drop. "…Yeah. Not now though. I'll explain later."
>>725390It's hard to see in the dark, but it looks like there's some sort of alcove up in one of the walls. There's the silhouette of what looks like a felid watching you all. As you begin to cross the bridge, it flits away nimbly.
>>725391The memory of the name eludes you. Might just be deja vu.
>>725386>>725388>>725387>>725392>>725389You start heading across the bridge, Noghu first, then Vajra and her minions, with Thungr and Kothbiro bringing up the rear. As you all begin to cross it, you hear the distant sound of a mechanism activating. Thungr thinks it's coming from the alcove up above. Suddenly, the bridge begins to rumble and shift beneath your feet, moving by some unknown contraption. You lose your footing as the bridge begins to flip upside down, threatening to throw you all into the abyss below!
Kothbiro yelps fearfully and tries to leap off before it's too late!
[1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.725394
>>725393I look up at the felid and grunt. Great. Now some creep is following us. "We ain't alone," I say. I carefully step onto the bridge. Exactly like I expect, something happens and the bridge starts to shift. My heart leaps at the sudden movement, but I keep myself calm and follow Kothbrio and leap before I'm thrown off.
[1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.725395
>>725393With Vajra and her soldier further along the bridge, the sorceress and the skeleton rush the last portion in an attempt to escape the rotating bridge!
[1d10] Vajra
[1d10] Soldier
Roll #1 2 = 2 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 No.725396
>>725393Noghu cackles in worry, quickly shifting his weight and positioning his spear to pole vault across the gap.
[1d10] DC-1
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.725397
>>725394You manage to easily sprint across to the other side before it flips, skidding to an abrupt halt.
>>725396You get a running start and pole vault yourself to the other end of the bridge, landing on the platform gracefully.
>>725395The bridge flips on the two of you before you can get to the other side. You slip and almost fall, managing to grab on to a protruding brick on the edge of the walls of the pit. The soldier manages to cling to the edge, but his bone mace falls into the abyss in the process.
>>725394>>725395>>725396Kothbiro does a dive and a forward roll as she gets to the other side. You see the bridge turn upside down, revealing razor sharp spikes on the underside, blocking the way back. Doesn't seem like you'll be able to go back that way, unless you can find some way to flip the bridge again.
Kothbiro sees Vajra struggling and rushes over, leaning over the edge and reaching out to try and haul her up.
[1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.725398
>>725397I shake my head, drop my pack, and pull out my rope. Realizing that her creepy abominations will actually probably be useful, I unravel the full length, drop one end down the ravine beside her, and drop to one knee. "Climb up," I say. "Doubt you're too heavy for me to lift up."
No.725399
>>725397Noghu turns away from the cliff, looking into the maze onward.
"Keep moving. Made noise. They hear."
No.725400
>>725398[1d10]Strength roll
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.725401
>>725399"Quiet. I'm helpin' the witch."
No.725402
>>725397Gripping the ledge with her claws, Vajra makes an attempt to reach over and grab extended help!
[1d10] Haul up
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.725403
>>725397The soldier mimics the sorceress, reaching for the rope as well.
[1d10] haul up
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.725404
>>725398>>725399>>725402>>725403Thungr manages to haul Vajra up on his own, with minimal help from Kothbiro. The soldier, meanwhile, manages to scramble back up and haul itself onto the platform without any outside help. With everyone saved, Kothbiro starts warily pushing onwards into the maze, tailing Noghu.
>everyone roll Navigation[1d10] Kothbiro
"You said we weren't alone," she says to Thungr as they enter. "What did you mean? Are we being followed?"
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.725405
>>725404Thungr tightly wraps his rope back around itself and tosses it back into his pack with the rest of his stuff. After, he slings it back across his shoulder and picks his spear back up. "Some cat," he said. "Saw it where that sound came from. My guess is it's the one that flipped the bridge." He follows Kothbrio and Noghu into the maze.
[1d10]Navigation
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.725406
>>725404scrabbling back onto safety, the sorceress sighs, her death avoided.
"My thankss."
>>725404Facing the maze, Vajra proceeds inside with the others, her soldier plodding behind, it's lack of hammer showing no reaction.
[1d10] Navigation
"Impresssive they had managed to build ssuch a place. I did not expect to deal with mazes and sspinning bridgess entering thiss temple.."
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.725408
>>725404Noghu leads ahead, trying to follow his path he took before.
[1d10] DC-2
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.725409
>>725406I give the witch a quick nod. Least she's polite, I guess.
No.725410
>>725405"Did you see what they looked like?" She seems a bit anxious all of a sudden.
>>725406"It's not just defences against thieves at this point," Kothbiro ruminates. "It's like the whole place is designed to test us. Even down to the doors only opening once every seven years."
>>725405>>725406>>725408The maze is pitch black, its great stone walls towering over you, as if the place is built to intimidate. It soon becomes clear that this labyrinth of misleading passages is designed to be as confusing as possible, as it is built vertically as well as horizontally, with stone ladders or flights of stairs leading to higher and lower levels of the maze. All along the walls are carved symbols you don't recognize, along with carvings of saurians usually depicting sun worship; and, at one point, even sacrifices to the sun.
As you traverse the maze, you keep hearing footsteps other than your own. They sound like walking bones searching for wayward intruders like yourselves. Eventually, while following Noghu, you come across a group of them blocking your way. Approximately half a dozen skeletons with weapons in varying states of disrepair are patrolling this section of the maze, the leader of which Noghu recognizes as Candlehead from earlier.
You are currently on a sort of balcony staring down at a lower level of the maze where the skeletons are. A flight of stairs to your left leads to the section they are in, and where Noghu feels the party should go to get to the Black Room. You could, however, try to sneak past by snuffing out your torches, or even ambush them by jumping down from the alcove, though this may prove risky. Kothbiro starts assessing the situation, looking for alternate routes, unsure of how to tackle this scenario.
No.725411
>>725410"No," I tell her. It was kinda hidden by the shadows, so there isn't much more to tell. As I move through the maze I get a little annoyed. Seems like the deeper into this temple thing we get the bigger pain it is, and being played with by someone who's probably long dead irks me a little.
As we make it to the skeletons I shake my head. "Don't wanna fight the skeletons," I say. "But-" I strap my spear across my pack and pull out my short axe. "Looks like we don't got much choice if that's the way we're goin'. How y'all wanna do this?"
No.725412
>>725410>>725411"We fight."
Noghu begins to sneak ahead, trying to flank alone before they begin to fight.
[1d10+2] lurk
Roll #1 8 + 2 = 10 No.725413
>>725410Snaking away from the light, she begins the slow crawl down the stairs in an effort to stay hidden
"Let uss try the ssafer option first, yess?"
[1d10] Stealth
The soldier remains within the balcony, observing the skeletal pack below out of sight.
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.725414
>>725413>>725412Seeing both of the others sneaking, I shrug, crouch down, and follow.
[1d10]Sneaking
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.725415
>>725411Kothbiro thinks. "Maybe if we take out the leader's head-" she points to Candlehead- "we could throw them off for a while, since they won't have a light source of their own. Would give us time to sneak by, or ambush 'em. …Or the witch could try to take over one of the skeletons. Maybe. I don't know if that's how magic works." She shrugs.
>>725412"Hey wait, I think we should-"
Opinion discarded. You sneak down the stone steps and around the oblivious bone patrol once again. You maneuver yourself behind them, following their tracks without a sound.
>>725413>>725414Kothbiro grunts and follows you all as you follow Noghu's lead, sneaking behind the skeletons. She snuffs out her torch for now, to make the sneaking easier.
>>725414>>725413>>725412The strolling bones stroll on, unaware of your presence. They do, however, stop dead in their tracks as they spot Vajra's soldier standing at attention. Candlehead points him out with a shrill, creaking hiss. With a jolt, the skeletons spring to action, beginning to throw rocks and spare bones at it!
[4d10]
Roll #1 5, 5, 1, 2 = 13 No.725416
>>725415Noticing the band of bones drawing their attention to the soldier, Vajra commands the undead to change it's position, Drawing more of their ire before falling back to the bridge.
[1d10] Taunt
During the distraction, the sorceress continues onward, the soldier completing it's distraction before returning to dust
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.725417
There are seven skeletons in the bone patrol:
Candlehead is unarmed, and appears to be the leader and tactician of the group. He seems mostly harmless.
One is headless, carrying its own skull as an impromptu weapon. It seems quite agile, despite its impediment.
Another seems to have been some sort of gladiator, wielding a rusted bident and a tattered net.
Two of them are rather unremarkable, save for the fact that they appear as nearly identical saurians. They are two of the ones throwing things at Vajra's soldier. They are Alpha and Bravo, for convenience.
The third thrower has a sort of leather sling, and wears the remains of a hooded cloak. It looks like it was made out of some sort of flag.
The other thrower has fashioned a mean looking lance out of the spinal column of some unfortunate sod, and wears crumbling stone armor.
In summary, the seven skeletons are:
>Candlehead
>Limber
>Gladiator
>Alpha
>Bravo
>Hoodie
>Lancelot
No.725418
>>725415>Noncombat talent, immediately become revealed once combat starts
>Lucky Dog: Crit DC-2Noghu lets out a menacing cackle, throwing his bola at the hooded skelie as he goes to intimate the gladiator into submission.
>Word of Power: Use a mix of authority and your own personal methods to extract information from a target that you would not normally get from basic means. In combat you can force an enemy to miss their next attack. On Crit you render the target helpless.[1d10] Crit DC-2, Gladiator
>Bola; instant, recharge 2, weapon, ranged: Throws a bola to temporarily disable a target. Bola does no damage, but on hit interrupts the target's current action and prevents movement, requiring them to break free of the binds that turn. On crit, it also sends the target helpless without dealing a wound of damage.[1d10] DC-1, Crit DC-2. Hoodie
Roll #1 3 = 3 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 No.725419
>>725418>>725415Though the dog attacks, I decide to attempt to stay hidden, picking out the leader and preparing myself to fight him.
[1d10]Marked for death
[1d10]Stay hidden (if needed)
Roll #1 4 = 4 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 No.725420
>>725415With the dog rushing forward, the sorceress Hisses quietly in frustration, pulling the soldier back from the distraction and sending it down the stairs to meet the skeletons, while her bandages light up, her hiding space glowing blue as she intones:
Sshifting sstones, maze and bone i call from you a phantom form! Fit to fight and ssmassh their forms!
REAPER!
[1d10] Raise ancient
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.725421
>>725418You leap out at the bone patrol with a cackle, hurling your bola. It misses, and draws the attention of the patrol!
>>725419You keep an eye on Candlehead, but as Noghu attacks, his light catches you, betraying your position to the rest of the squad!
>>725420The soldier curls into its shell and rolls down the stairs like a ball, popping out ready to fight by your side.
A shadow begins to form in front of you, coalescing into the form of a Reaper! A flickering shadow like a billowing cloak, with two enormous claws floating by its side, disconnected from any arms, the Reaper's countenance consists of an eerie blank grey mask, ripped from the stone wall itself. It flaps and flickers as it floats by your side, bone claws twitching, eager to tear into the skeletons!
>>725418>>725419>>725420The skeleton warriors are taken by surprise by your appearance, momentarily disorganized!
Kothbiro charges at Lancelot with her axe!
[1d10] Kothbiro Attack
Lancelot counters with a jab of his bony lance!
[1d10] Lancelot Attack
Hoodie grabs a rock and starts spinning his sling!
Limber scuttles away into the shadows!
Gladiator moves to protect Candlehead!
Alpha and Bravo rush to attack Vajra's Soldier!
[2d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 /
Roll #3 4, 3 = 7 No.725422
>>725421Grimacing, Noghu jabs Hoodie with the butt of his spear in the spine, as he had with the previous skeleton he fought.
[1d10] DC-1 Shatter
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.725423
>>725421I curse under my breath as the dog gives my position away. Gripping my axe tight, I stand up and charge the skeleton with the candle.
[1d10]axe swing
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.725424
>>725421Kalidan, dropping in behind the party, eyeballs the cadre of skeletons before then, sniffs and wipes at his nose.
He extends his deadly-sharp claws, glances down, then retracts them, leaving his bare battle/travel-worn pads.
The cat gears up and charges Alpha and Bravo, sliding in low and swinging at both of them with both of his iron-hard fists.
Dual Wield/Cleave [1d10] [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 /
Roll #2 2 = 2 No.725425
>>725421Disarmed as the soldier is, it lumbers forward to deck one of the pair attacking it!
[1d10] Melee, Alpha
The Reaper Joins the soldier in attacking the band's secondary, scraping groves into the maze walls with it's sweeping claws!
[3d10] Reaping strikes, Bravo
Undeterred, The sorceress sends more bandages to scour the maze for minions to call.
"Ancient maze, hear my plea! With arrow and bow ssend one to me!"
[1d10] Esper: marksman shot
Roll #1 10 = 10 /
Roll #2 10, 4, 4 = 18 /
Roll #3 9 = 9 No.725426
>>725422Gladiator falls to pieces as you slam him with the butt of your weapon. The enchanted bones start to reform from the attack, not downed but vulnerable to further attack.
>attacks vs Gladiator crit on 8+ for two rounds!>>725423Gladiator, though momentarily in pieces, hurls the net at you from the ground, interrupting your attack. He takes advantage of the distraction to stick you in the arm with the rusty bident!
>Thungr takes 4 hits>>725424You pounce towards the twins, pummeling them both with a flurry of blows, sending ribs and smaller bones flying! As you go for a final punch, however, Bravo grabs your fist, interrupting your attack and sucker punching you in the face. You stumble backwards, dazed but not downed yet.
>Kalidan takes 4 hits>>725425The soldier shrugs off the blows like they're nothing, shoulder slamming Alpha and following up by crushing the skeleton with the shell on his back, reducing him to bony splinters!
The Reaper joins the fray, tearing Bravo to shreds with a flurry of wild claw swings, sending bits of bone flying everywhere!
You take advantage of both of them being downed, taking a fingerbone from Bravo and raising it as an arrow to command!
>>725422>>725423>>725424>>725425Lancelot jabs Kothbiro in the chest, sending her stumbling and interrupting her attack. She grits her jaw and goes for another swing!
[1d10]
Lancelot swings his lance in a backhand motion!
[1d10]
Candlehead points at Vajra and screams, directing the remaining skeletons to her!
Hoodie hurls a jagged rock at Vajra's Soldier!
[1d10+2]
A skull is thrown out of the shadows towards Vajra!
[1d10] Autocrit
Gladiator throws his net at the Reaper!
[1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 /
Roll #3 6 + 2 = 8 /
Roll #4 3 = 3 /
Roll #5 1 = 1 No.725427
>>725426Taking advantage if the situation, Noghu once again repeats his tactics of knocking down and intimidating the skeletons.
[1d10] Word of Power: Gladiator (Crit DC-2)
[1d10] Bola: Hoodie (DC-1, Crit DC-2)
Roll #1 8 = 8 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 No.725428
>>725426Kalidan's pretty face is given a solid thump by one of the twins, and so he takes a second to blink the stars away. He pants in the corner, wiping still-flowing blood from his face and surveying any available escape routes. Should it come to retreat, he prefers to have a plan, or at least a direction.
Perception [1d10]
Blinking the blood from his eyes, he focuses in on the first thing he can see clearly, which is a candle-headed foe. He orients his still-spinning head and stalks toward the flickering light, ready to smack the ever-loving litter out of it.
Dual Wield [1d10] [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 9 = 9 /
Roll #3 9 = 9 No.725429
>>725426Dodging the skull thrown at her, Vajra sends the finger bone zipping off in the direction it came from, aiming for the offending skeleton!
[1d10] Marksman shot
The soldier, having blown Alpha to pieces, Turns it's attention to the ranged one, barreling forward into a shelled bodyslam!
[1d10] Slam, hoodie
The Reaper, splintering it's kill of Bravo, floats haphazardly forward, scraping it's claws along the ground into an upward swing at Hoodie!
[1d10] Melee, Hoodie
Roll #1 4 = 4 /
Roll #2 5 = 5 /
Roll #3 6 = 6 No.725430
>>725426I cry out in pain as I'm stuck with the bident. Gonna have to clean that later, but for now I continue to focus on the one leading them in hopes the others will scatter.
[1d10]marked for death
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.725431
>>725427You sound your barbaric yawp throughout the maze, rattling Gladiator down to his bones. The reforming skeleton falls apart momentarily, stunned by your cackle!
Your bola goes wide, and Hoodie jumps out of the way, eyeing you next.
>>725428There's three more branching paths, indistinguishable from each other, leading further into the maze.
Gladiator is protecting Candlehead, taking the brunt of your blow. You lay into him, shredding the skeleton to bits, sending assorted bones flying as you rip it to bits. There's not much left of the skeleton when you're done, save for its weapons of choice.
>>725429The finger arrow goes wide, missing the skulking skeleton.
The Soldier and the Reaper are too far off to be able to deal damage to Hoodie just yet, but both move towards it, now in range to attack. The Reaper tears the net to ribbons as it flies towards him, while the rock does a surprising amount of damage, cracking the Soldier over the head and leaving it stunned.
>Soldier takes 1 hit>DC to hit things is raised by 2 for 1 turn>>725430Candlehead continues to elude you, hiding behind his minions.
>>725430>>725429>>725428>>725427Lancelot knocks Kothbiro away with his lance slap, but gets an axe to the chest for his efforts. Kothbiro is left injured and winded, trying to recover!
[1d10]
Lancelot leaves her be, focusing on Thungr with the axe still in his sternum!
[1d10] Attack
With Gladiator down, Candlehead starts hiding behind Lancelot!
Hoodie hurls a stone at Noghu!
[1d10]
The skull clatters to the ground and rolls back into the shadows!
Roll #1 9 = 9 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 /
Roll #3 10 = 10 No.725432
>>725431quick to react to the hurled stone, Noghu rolls, staring down the hooded skeleton and barking to throw off it's aim.
>Wild Hunt: passive; After rendering a foe helpless, the Wildguard's first action next turn becomes Automatic. Rendering an enemy helpless with this automatic action does not activate WIld Hunt again.Automatic Word of Power Hoodie
No.725433
>>725431Kalidan blinks, wipes more blood from his eyes. "Scat," he murmurs, resolving to bleed less from now on.
He shakes his head to clear it, reorients himself and strikes at the candle-headed Skelly with both claws and a ferocity matched by his pain, fear and anger.
Dual Wield [1d10] [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 2 = 2 No.725434
>>725431Returning to Vajra, the arrow is sent flying towards the Gladiator, pining off of the maze walls to confuse the angle of attack!
[1d10] Ranged
The soldier's head is sent literally spinning at it rights itself long enough to send a bony punch towards Hoodie!
[1d10] Melee, Hoodie (DC to hit +2)
The Reaper follows suit, swiping at the skeleton with both claws wildly!
[1d10] Melee, hoodie
Vajra meanwhile sits up and flicks her tongue out to taste the air, searching for the hidden skeleton.
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 9 = 9 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 /
Roll #3 7 = 7 /
Roll #4 6 = 6 No.725435
>>725431My nostrils flare as I become increasingly annoyed. I reach out and try to grab Lancelot by the throat with my free hand, trying to hold him in place while I cleave his skull in two with my axe.
[1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.725436
>>725432You bark and snarl loudly, disorienting Hoodie and throwing off his aim. Nevertheless, the rock hits you square in the head, knocking you off balance and leaving you seeing stars. Your vision blurs.
>Noghu takes 3 hits>DC+2 to hit enemies next turn>>725433Lancelot protects Candlehead from harm, taking a blow to the head, sending its jawbone flying. He doesn't seem too perturbed, however, and knocks you away with a swipe of his mighty lance!
>Kalidan takes 4 hits, helpless>>725434The finger arrow flies towards Lancelot, hitting him right in the wrist, breaking his dominant hand right off. His lance clatters to the floor!
Hoodie skitters away from the Soldier's attack, countering with a one two punch combo that sends the turtle-saurian staggering.
>Soldier takes 1 hitThe Reaper's powerful double swipe cracks Hoodie's ribs and fractures his left arm. He doesn't seem to mind much.
While you can't detect signs of life, you spot Limber clinging to the walls, hidden in the shadows.
>Limber no longer counts as Stealthed to you>>725435You grab Lancelot, now Lanceless, and pin him to the wall before cracking his skull in half. The skeleton falls apart in your hands as you deliver the blow, crumbling into a pile of bones.
>>725432>>725433>>725434>>725435Kothbiro, now back up, picks up her axe from the remains of Lanceless and sizes up the situation, moving towards Candlehead, who's left vulnerable for a moment. The skeleton leader throws his head back and wails, as if calling for reinforcements!
Hoodie kicks at the Soldier in an attempt to retreat to range!
[1d10]
Limber, not having noticed Vajra having spotted him, hurls his skull at the Reaper!
[1d10] Autocrit
Roll #1 10 = 10 /
Roll #2 2 = 2 No.726008
No.726010
>>725436I drop the skeleton remains. grit my teeth, and let out a low growl as the leader wails. Switching my axe to my off hand, I pull a javelin off my back, quickly heft it to find the center, and chuck it at the unguarded skeleton's skull.
[1d10]Marksman Shot
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.726011
>>725436>Hoodie's crit kick misses due to Word of Powercackling in pain and clutching his head, Noghu gives a cautious thrust of the spear at the skeletal leader.
>Restrained Strike: weapon; Stab at an enemy with an aimed strike that doesn’t leave you exposed. This attack doesn’t cause counterattack damage, but can only deal 3 hits at max.[1d10] DC+1 (DC+2 and DC-1 counteracting it)
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.726013
>>725436Kalidan grits his teeth as he is smashed to the ground with a lance the size of his body.
That smarts.
He draws in breath raggedly and attempts to climb to his paws, admittedly less acrobatically than before.
Recover [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.726014
>>725436Spying the hidden skeleton clinging to the walls, Vajra rattles her tail as she recalls the arrow, sending it flying off into the dark towards the assassin!
[1d10] Ranged, Limber
The bones of the soldier rattle as it takes a step back, swinging again with a bony claw at Hoodie!
[1d10] Melee, Hoodie
The Reaper surges forward in pursuit of the fleeing skeleton, flailing it's claws wildly!
[1d10] Melee, Hoodie
Roll #1 1 = 1 /
Roll #2 5 = 5 /
Roll #3 9 = 9 No.726015
>>726010Candlehead's candle head is knocked off its shoulders by your javelin, clattering to the ground and shattering into a hundred shards of bone. The headless skeleton staggers, completely disoriented by the blow, swiping blindly at thin air.
>>726011As Thungr's javelin beheads the leader, you jab at the flailing headless skeleton, knocking it over momentarily. It manages to right itself, not too injured from the attack.
>>726013You manage to pull yourself back up. Your ears are starting to ring, and your injuries are mounting. Kothbiro shoots you a brief glance of concern mid-combat.
>>726014Limber curls into a ball and throws himself to the ground, rolling away from the arrow, which cracks slightly as it hits the wall.
Hoodie fails to retreat to range, getting momentarily stunned by a blow from the Soldier before being snatched up in the Reaper's claws. It lifts the skeleton up before tearing it in half, proceeding to systematically dismantle and scatter its bones with an unsettling, surgical method.
>>726010>>726011>>726013>>726014Candleheadless swipes his claws blindly at whoever's nearby - in this case, Vajra's Reaper.
[1d10-2]
Kothbiro looks around as a skull is thrown from the shadows, trying to spot Limber.
[1d10]
Limber pries off a rib and throws it like a boomerang at Vajra!
[1d10]
Roll #1 10 - 2 = 8 /
Roll #2 5 = 5 /
Roll #3 9 = 9 No.726017
>>726015The hidden skeleton lobs a bonemerang in retaliation, forcing the sorceress to twist away in an attempt to avoid it!
[1d10] Dodge
The Arrow, having chipped itself on the wall, writhes on the ground as it tries to become airborne again.
[1d10] Recover
With limber torn to shards, the soldier turns its sights on the now headless, candle-less candlehead, striking it with its bony talons.
[1d10] Melee, Candlehead
The Reaper, having taken apart the skeleton previous, slashes with gusto at the flailing skeleton before it!
[3d10] Reaping, Candlehead
Roll #1 10 = 10 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 /
Roll #3 6 = 6 /
Roll #4 5, 6, 6 = 17 No.726018
>>726015I slip my axe back into my pack, pull out the poultice the zebra gave me, and rub it on my aching arm wound. Letting an audible huff pass through my nostrils, I scrape the floor with my hoof and charge the headless skeleton, moving to crush him against the wall with my body.
[1d10]Bodyslam
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.726020
>>726015Noghu keeps away from harm, again striking cautiously with his spear as his ears perk, listening to try and find the last combatant.
>Restrained Strike[1d10] DC-1 (deals 3 hits max)
>Perception[1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 6 = 6 No.726023
>>726015Kalidan, slinking close to the ground, tries to hide himself from the enemies. He notices Kothbiro's look of concern, nods slightly at her, before looking for the nearest high-ground outside of combat.
No.726025
>>726023 Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.726026
>>726017You twist your body gracefully in an arc, avoiding the rib like it's nothing.
The arrow is broken, and is difficult to put together again for the moment.
Candlehead's blows pry a few bones loose from the Reaper's claws, but between his and the Soldier's repeated blows, his bones are scattered.
>Reaper takes 3 hits>>726018Your aching wounds are soothed as you apply the medicinal herbs. Their healing properties are remarkable; you feel better already.
With both of Vajra's minions besetting him, you charge at Candlehead to finish him off. You ram into him with all the force you can muster, hitting him so hard that he violently shatters into a million bony shards. There's not much left of him once you're done.
>>726020Thungr's pretty much annihilated Candlehead by now, but you spot a few of the fragments of bone feebly twitching, crushing them under the butt of your spear for good measure.
You spot Limber clinging to the walls like some overgrown gecko, surveying the fight from afar.
>>726023>>726025The nearest vantage point that you can see is a ledge that seems to connect to a higher level of the maze. It seems like one of many balconies of a sort. Oddly, you can see small multicolored lights on the floor of this upper section, silhouetting a figure that is watching you from afar. It looks like a fellow Felid. Female, with a large sword on her back. As she sees you watching, she darts off into the maze. You recall Thungr's warning of someone having flipped the bridge earlier.
>>726017>>726018>>726020>>726023Kothbiro spots Limber and starts moving towards him with her axe at the ready.
Limber reclaims his skull and hurls it at Noghu!
[1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.726028
>>726026I rub my shoulder as I step away from the shattered skeleton. Quickly finding my javelin, I pick it up and hook it back into my pack with my other two and my spear. Turning my attention back to the battle, I try to find the last skeleton.
[1d10]Perception
[1d10]Hunter Sense
Roll #1 7 = 7 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 No.726029
>>726026Noghu quickly reacts to the sight of Limber's toss, trying to bind the skeleton's arm before it can make a proper toss.
>Bola; instant, recharge 2, weapon, ranged: Throws a bola to temporarily disable a target. Bola does no damage, but on hit interrupts the target's current action and prevents movement, requiring them to break free of the binds that turn. On crit, it also sends the target helpless without dealing a wound of damage.[1d10] DC-1
>actions divert whether or not Bola succeeds. On success, the next roll is a restrained strike at DC-1. If it fails, the roll is a dodge. Didn't want this to be 2 posts[1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 10 = 10 No.726030
>>726026Without hesitation, the Felid launches himself up, over the balcony, attempting to follow the unknown form through the darkness silently.
He turns to give one last glance to the party, still in the midst of combat, before dropping to all fours. He pads quietly into the blackness, following his mark with intense feline concentration.
Following the Trail [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.726032
>>726026The Reaper fades briefly, its claws and mask hitting the ground unceremoniously with a clatter. After a moment, the shadows stretch towards the abandoned pieces, which rumble ominously.
[1d10] Recover
The finger arrow continues to right itself from the stony floor.
[1d10] Recover
With her minions disabled or too far away, the sorceress hisses in frustration as she chases after the agile skeleton.
"Hsss.. Get back here! I will carve you to ssplinterss mysself for your perssistance!"
>zone changeThe soldier, having layed out the flailing skeleton, begins trudging after Vajra and the antagonistic Limber.
Roll #1 2 = 2 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 No.726034
>>726028You spot Limber crawling up the walls, chucking bits of itself as weapons.
>>726029As Limber winds up his throw, you respond with a quick hurl of your bola, strapping his arms to his body. He clatters to the ground, losing a few bones in the process. A ferocious war cry from you seems to intimidate even the mindless undead, stunning him momentarily.
>>726030You break away from the gang and go after the Felid. It seems whoever this adventurer is, she's been leaving herself a trail of small, brightly shining stones to mark her path. You keep following in the direction that she went, only to find that the trail stops abruptly, and the path forks in several directions. Not only is there a crossroads leading forward, left and right, but also a set of rungs carved into the wall that lead to an even higher level. Your quarry could have gone anywhere. You can't help but shake the feeling, however, that you're being watched.
>roll Perception>>726032Your minions fail to rise as you approach the now helpless Limber.
>>726028>>726029>>726032As Limber falls, stunned by Noghu's bolas and war cries, Kothbiro goes to swing her axe, but hesitates. She looks over to Vajra. "Witch. Will you be needing this one for anything, or should we swing away?"
You hear the clacking of bone on stone in the distance as reinforcements threaten to arrive. Kothbiro frowns. "Let's get moving before we have to fight even more. …Say. Where'd the cat go?"
No.726035
>>726034"Cat flee. His nature."
Interrupting Kothbiro's hesitation, Noghu smashes the spine of the skeleton with the butt of his spear, "We go, too much noise. More will come."
No.726036
>>726034>>726035I nod. "Best," I say. No telling what's in the actual maze and past. Best not to waste our energy if we don't gotta.
No.726038
>>726036[1d10]Navigation
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.726039
>>726035[1d10] DC-2 nav
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.726041
>>726034She shakes her head "It iss uselesss to me. My control cannot extend to that which iss already raissed."
With the excitement over, the various undead summoned, save for the soldier, return to inert bones and sand.
"Let uss move on, there are more dead nearby.." She slithers past the bound bones through the exit, the soldier plodding along behind her.
[1d10] Navigation
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.726042
>>726034Kalidan follows the trail. Glancing behind and all around him, he pockets each of the shining stones marking the path back.
When faced with a choice of which direction to head, the felid takes a moment to search for further clues.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.726044
>>726035She frowns in disapproval as you simply break the skeleton with a finishing blow, but doesn't comment.
>>726035>>726036>>726041You continue to traverse the maze, avoiding the incoming skeletons. You find yourselves going deeper down to the lower levels, beyond what could feasibly be called a temple. It's like this place was built into a cave system below the temple itself. You can only ponder how much effort went into this place.
You eventually come to the dark place Noghu found. It consists of an elaborate stone archway that once contained a door, but courtesy of Noghu is now just a pile of intricately designed rubble. To call the room ahead dark would be to call a lake a puddle; it is black as death, the darkness almost tangible. It is clear that this is not just poor lighting; there is some sort of fell magic at play here blinding you to what lies ahead. Kothbiro sticks her torch in, only to pull it back completely snuffed out. She frowns in concern. "What should we do here? There has to be a way to be rid of the shadows… Hm…"
>>726042You notice pawprints in the dust, leading towards the rungs. You climb them, only to be presented with a long, narrow hallway. Further on, you can see the mysterious cat examining something on the ground, crouching down and fiddling with a contraption. As you climb up, her head turns to you sharply, her eyes gleaming in the darkness. She doesn't seem afraid of you, though; rather, she flashes a playful grin before darting off further down the hall and around a corner, as if inviting you to chase her.
No.726045
>>726044"Was blocked. No longer."
Noghu points to the pile with a satisfied, slightly eerie grin. He then points to the darkness.
"See? Needed light. Now light."
No.726046
>>726044Surprised by the magic at work, The sorceress looks on at the pitch black darkness ahead of them.
"Hmm.. An interessting sspell indeed. Perhapss there is ssomething of note nearby?"
Backing up, Vajra examines the area before and around the door for some sign of spells cast.
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.726047
>>726044>>726045"Don't think that's true," I say, nodding toward the snuffed torch. I hum and look around with the witch. Some kind of light? Or maybe we're just supposed to go through the dark?
[1d10+2]
Roll #1 1 + 2 = 3 No.726049
>>726044>>726047>>726045"Until we know the sspell's nature, i would advisse againsst entering. Asss the light wass ssnuffed out, sso too might our livess share the fate."
No.726050
>>726044Kalidan watches the contraption with wide eyes. After she leaves, he remains motionless, listening for several moments in the darkness for any clues. He continues tracing her, slowly and methodically, paying special attention to the contraption she left behind.
Follow [1d10]
He takes a moment to examine one of the stones his mark has left as a trail he has collected, as well as count how many he was able to pilfer.
Appraise [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 No.726051
>>726047No. Command: Now Light." Noghu reasserts.
No.726053
>>726045"Well obviously light doesn't work here, genius." She waves the burnt torch in your face. "You could have destroyed our only clue to getting through this thing, you do realize."
>>726046You turn your attention to the rubble. Despite Noghu's best efforts, some of the pieces of the door are still intact. They seem to depict three torch sconces. Pieced together, they would have made some sort of map, but there's not much hope of doing so now.
>>726047You can't seem to find much of interest, sadly, save for a few stray cobwebs.
>>726049Kothbiro has a brainwave. "Why don't you try sending him in and see what happens?" She points at the Soldier, who's idly kicking at some stray dust.
>>726050You are forced to sidestep. It seems she was rearming a pressure plate trap when you interrupted her.
You have collected about a dozen of the marker stones at this point, though there were many more leading in the opposite direction.
You keep following your quarry. She's always two steps ahead of you, navigating the maze with ease. She doesn't even bother leaving the stones for you to find at this point, though, as if she's trying to get you lost. You only ever catch glimpses of her, just out of sight, waiting for you to catch up.
Eventually, your tracking takes you to a dead end in the form of a wide open room, circular in design. It resembles some sort of arena. Your eyes have adjusted to the darkness by now, and you can see what looks like some sort of torch sconce in the center of the room. There's no sign of the Felid, though, at least not at first glance.
No.726054
>>726053"How? Was stone. Stone not light."
No.726056
>>726053I grunt. "Seems sendin' that
thing in is our best bet. Can't find nothin' out here. 'Less someone has a better idea."
No.726058
>>726053The sorceress hisses at realizing the door's nature.
"The door held the key, a map, ssshattered and usseless now.. Piecing the door together will take time, ssomething we cannot afford to wasste…"
With a gesture, the soldier stands at attention and trudges into the darkness of the room ahead.
No.726059
>>726053The large black felid takes one step inside the cavernous room and immediately spooks. This looks bad. He starts looking for ways out of the room, with particular attention to the way he came in. Namely, turn tail and run. Quietly.
Nope, nope and nope [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.726060
>>726058I rub my face with my hand and shake my head. "Yeah," I say. "That'd make sense. Think we should-" I nod toward the undead. "tie it to somethin first? In case it don't come back?"
No.726062
>>726060>>726053"Hmm.."
raising a claw, ethereal gauze wraps around the soldier's shell, ending at the sorceress' wrist.
"Thiss will do. If the magic failss, we will have our ansswer of the room'ss safety."
No.726063
>>726054"It could have held some sort of clue to-"
>>726058>>726054Kothbiro's expression sours. "As I thought." She crosses her forelegs and stares down Noghu angrily. "A fine job you did, dog."
>>726062>>726058You wrap some gauze about the Soldier, binding it to you as you send it forth.
>>726058>>726054>>726058The Soldier dutifully marches forth through the archway, vanishing into the darkness. You can hear its bony footsteps clacking on the stone surface as it explores.
After a bit of searching, it returns, trundling back out through the dark veil without a scratch. It seems the room itself is safe, at least on the surface, the darkness being the only impediment. Kothbiro breathes a sigh of relief. "…Don't suppose any of you can see in the dark?" she asks.
>>726059You turn to leave, only to find yourself face to face with your prey as she falls soundlessly off of her perch above the doorway. She's a slender Felid, with grey fur and bright green eyes, about half a head shorter than you. She wears a red sleeveless coat, and a sword is sheathed on her back.
"Find what you're looking for, drifter?"
Despite being taller than her, you can't help but feel like she's turned the tables on you, and the hunter is now the hunted. She takes a confident step towards you, staring you down with a cocky smirk.
No.726064
>>726063Noghu scowls.
"Why would they give clue? You show hunter map to your food?"
No.726067
>>726063I shake my head. Wish I could see in the dark. "'Specially not that kinda dark."
No.726069
>>726063"I cannot, though my ssensess are ssharp, enough to move with ssome caution at leasst." she replies, dismissing the gauze around the soldier.
"If we sstay closse, we may yet pass through alive."
No.726070
>>726063The felid is taken aback to be so abruptly face-to-face with his so-called prey.
"Well," he starts, recovering his wits, "thanks for dropping in!" He laughs awkwardly at his own joke as he tries to look and feel around for an exit to this chamber, his eyes darting everywhere as his mouth prattles off.
"How about those skeletons, huh? Pretty crazy stuff. Shoulda seen the gorilla! You, uh, from here? Tourist myself," he continues searching.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.726073
>>726064"Whoever built this place wants to challenge us to try and claim the Heart, obviously. …You're not very smart, are you, dog." She eyes you up and down. "If you're not going to give us a name, then I might as well call you Fool."
>>726067>>726064>>726069Kothbiro looks out into the darkness. "So, the way I see it, we can either go in and try to feel it out, or try a different direction and see if we can't disable the darkness somehow. What do you think?"
>>726070It's a dead end. And this fellow adventurer is blocking your only way out.
She ignores your babbling and keeps eyeing you, crossing her arms and firmly blocking the doorway. "Why were you following me? And give me back my Prism Stones. I kind of need those."
No.726074
>>726073I snort. "Don't know. I like Fool." I run my hand through my beard and think. "Think there would be a way somewhere else? Wouldn't that mean going back through the maze?"
No.726075
>>726073"Word as strong as who says. You followed
me."
Noghu shrugs.
"Your light bad? no light. You want further? We go further. Paw against stone."
Noghu says, dragging his hand against the left wall to give an example.
No.726077
>>726073Realizing he has no escape, the cat finally turns toward his prey, offering a friendly smile and upward turned paws, gesturing peace. "Haven't we met before? I can never forget a beautiful face."
Persuade [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.726081
>>726074"It's just one end of the maze, right? This place is huge. Could try looking somewhere else. Might even be able to find a way to disable this. …I mean, we don't even know for sure that this is the right way."
>>726075She seethes quietly and looks away as you come back with a good point, not replying.
She nods as she sees your intent to keep moving forward. "I guess that could work. We'd just have to be careful not to end up getting completely lost."
>>726074>>726075Kothbiro seems torn between both options, looking from one to the other. "So what'll it be, then? Forward or back?"
>>726077She snorts derisively at your attempt to turn on the charm. "That doesn't answer my question. Why are you here? I mean I can guess why you're
here here, but why split up from the rest of your group?" It's clear she's not going to let you leave without an explanation.
No.726082
>>726081I shrug. "Guess we move forward. Make sure to move slow and feel out for pits. Main problem is traps. Can't find 'em in the dark. Don't wanna get speared."
No.726083
>>726082>>726081Noghu pounds the butt of his spear against the ground a couple of times, dragging it in front of him and looking to Thungr,
"It can feel ground give sooner than you."
No.726084
>>726083[1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.726087
>>726082[1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.726088
>>726081Kalidan's ears fall to the side and his shoulders slump. He leans against the side of the wall, showing every trace of feeling unwell.
"To be honest with you," he begins, "I've been pretty badly injured. I don't really know any of these parties," putting his hand into the bag to handle one of the shining stones.
He continues, "and, having already taken a few blows, I was kind of just looking to roll out." He pulls the shining stone out and transfers it into an inner pocket.
He continues, "You seemed like you knew where you were going, is all." Pulls his hand out of his pocket, gestures friendliness to her.
He smiles apologetically, showing the remaining stones off in the pouch he's placed them in.
"I believe these are yours."
Sleight of Hand [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.726089
>>726082>>726083>>726084>>726087"I'll try to watch our backs," Kothbiro says. "Whatever that's worth."
You move into the shadows. Your torches are instantly snuffed out; you can't see an inch in this oppressive blanket of darkness cast over the room. As Noghu suggested, you keep moving forward, one hand against the wall, feeling out the room blindly.
From what you can tell, it's quite small; you manage to do a complete loop around in a minute or so. The far end of the room seems to end in a huge wooden door, while from some blind fumbling, you find three torch sconces in front of said door.
Thungr fumbles in the dark, almost tripping over something, losing his place and getting separated from the party.
>>726088She gives you a look. "Hm. Yeah, you're not really in fighting condition, are you."
She takes the stones without so much as a word of thanks, digging around in a side satchel for a bit. "Here. Drink this. Might help." She passes you a tiny flask of fizzing red liquid, with a hint of green. She waits expectantly for you to down it, eyeing you carefully.
No.726090
>>726089I slow down and continue carefully moving through the room, feeling out the floor a little gentler. Pulling out one of my javelins, I try to use it to help feel out the way ahead.
[1d10] navigation
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.726091
>>726089"Not puzzle minded, Noghu waits by the sconces, silent but investigative.
[1d10] checkin out sconces
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.726092
>>726090You feel around in the dark blindly, eventually prodding something significantly fleshier than the rest of your surroundings. "Hey. Hands off, mountain man," Kothbiro growls.
>>726091It is undeniably a sconce.
>pausing No.726093
>>726089Kalidan eyes the other Felid carefully, as if trying to determine whether or not she would poison him. After a long stare, he shrugs, pulls the whole shot and swallows.
"Yeah," he coughs, trying not to choke. "Not really in fighting shape at all. Pretty much ready to get out of here. Have any ideas?"
He looks her over, now that they are close, keeping an eye for valuables, quality of weapons and trying to place her accent.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.726094
>>726093You down the potion. It tastes bitter, but not unpleasantly so, with a slight burn to it.
"Well…" She thinks. "Not being downed by dead weight is a start."
As you try and make sense of that, your legs suddenly give way, and you fall painfully to the floor. Your body refuses to obey. You can't move, no matter how you try.
She grins. "Don't worry. It wears off after a minute or so. Just enough time to see what you're carrying."
You can't even talk due to the poison, forced to stare as she rummages through your belongings. She frowns in disapproval. "No weapons, barely any gold, only a smattering of rations… The world hasn't been kind to you, has it. Then again you probably deserve it. Taking drinks from strangers and all."
"Ah! Here we are!" She pockets the gold and the emerald you'd found earlier. "Ought to be worth something. Wouldn't you agree?"
She crouches next to you. "Tell you what. You want your loot back so bad, come and get it. I'll be around. Maybe."
With that, you are forced to watch as she turns tail and dashes off into the shadows, leaving nothing behind. At least you kept the Prism Stone hidden.
After a while, your limbs start to respond again. Despite only being about five minutes or so, you feel incredibly stiff and sore. Your legs especially. Other than that, you're okay, for now. No sign of where the thief went, though.
No.726372
>>726092Noghu nods to himself, having confirmed this is work meant for the others. He spends his time making sure there are the sounds of only the 3 of them moving in the room.
[1d10] percep
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.726373
>>726092My hand reflexively jerks back as I accidentally grope the zebra. I can feel my face grow a little hot, but make sure to continue keeping pace with the rest of the group. "Pardon," I mumble. Putting the little accident behind me, I take my place with the rest of the party. Seems like they found somethin'?
[1d10+3]
Roll #1 8 + 3 = 11 No.726374
>>726094Kalidan groans as he loses strength and crumples, feeling moreso foolish than discomforted, watches helplessly as the thief rifles through his meager belongings. He is almost glad to have nothing worth stealing, but his pride is, admittedly, a bit hurt. As she dashes off, he makes sure to mark the direction she disappears, trying his best to use his sensitive ears to mentally track her path. Good thing all that gold she stole jingles ever so slightly.
Perception [1d10]
Finally the short-term tranquilizer wears off and he is able to rise. Feeling stiff, he stretches a bit. Not much worse than the morning after a night of Abyssinian spirits, but there is a bad taste in the back of his mouth which has more to do with being duped than the draught he downed.
He first searches around for the mostly-empty vial he drank from.
Pocketing that, he takes off, silently tracking his thief/friend down the side path in darkness, tracing her movements as best he can, following in her footsteps to avoid any traps.
Tracking [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 /
Roll #2 9 = 9 No.726375
>>726089With much fumbling around behind the others, the sorceress leans in to glare at the sconces.
"Perhapss we could place our tourchess into the ssconces." she suggests. "I susspect there iss a pattern needed to open it.."
No.726376
>>726372You use your sharpened senses to judge how many there are in the room. You count five present, plus Vajra's skeletal minion. However, you can't help but feel some other presence in the room, like you're being watched by something not quite of this world.
>>726373Sticking with the rest of the group, you manage to feel out a good layout of the room you're in. The three sconces seem to be placed as if leading up to the door at the far end of the room, two on one side and one on the other. Running your hands over them, you notice certain carvings on the base of each sconce: geometric lines, forming a pattern of some sort. Perhaps a simple decoration, or something else entirely. With enough force, you find, they also rotate on their base, as if on a mechanism.
>>726374There's still a bit of poison in the vial. Just enough for another swig.
>Cockatrice Blood x1You manage to follow her tracks, relying on your keen hearing and sense of direction to navigate the vertical maze. You make your way out of the torch room and through a series of corridors, stairs and ladders, ending up heading far, far down into the recesses of the maze. More than once, you are forced to freeze, and stick to the shadows to avoid being detected by the patrolling skeletons.
Eventually, you catch a glimpse of her. She's stopped using the Prism Stones, presumably to throw you off her tracks. Rounding a corner, you catch a fleeting glimpse of a kinked grey tail turning a corner. You follow this into an open area with a huge stone door at the far end, several statues built in front of it, depicting saurians kneeling with their heads bowed. No sign of the thief, though. She must be hiding somewhere…
>>726375"Worth a shot," you hear Kothbiro say. This is followed by her fumbling in the dark, striking her flint and steel in order to try and light her torch. No such luck, however. It's like this place absorbs all light.
>>726375>>726373A closer investigation of the sconces reveals something odd: they're upside down, the torch receptacle pointing towards the floor.
No.726377
>>726376I run my hand through my beard and let out a half-rumble, half-hum. I try to turn the first torch hole right-side up and slip my unlit torch into it.
No.726378
>>726376Eying the sconces' odd orientation, Vajra makes an attempt to rotate the middle sconce upward.
[1d10] rotate
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.726379
>>726376Noghu growls, impatient.
No.726380
>>726377>>726378>>726379Vajra and Thungr rotate the sconces to the proper position, with considerable effort and a loud, harsh scraping of stone on stone. As the latter places the unlit torch, it bursts into flame, illuminating the room unexpectedly with a sudden violent flare of burning fire. Kothbiro shields her eyes at the sudden flash of light with an audible wince. Once your eyes readjust to the sudden light, you proceed to do the same with the other two.
As the three flames are lit and the overwhelming darkness dissipates, you take a good look around the room. You can see now that the sconces had intersecting lines as decorations, some of which end in circles. Almost like a map. You can also see that the huge wooden door has writing on it. Kothbiro reads it out loud for those who cannot read: "'Light three flames and open the way to morning.' Hm. Not sure if we did this right or not." She rubs the back of her head anxiously.
There are a few ways you can proceed from here:
The left end of the room has two barred metal doors, akin to a jail cell, which seem to lead to a damp, dark place. It seems to lead gradually downwards, further into the maze.
The wooden doors at the far end swing open unusually silently, leading to a huge open area with several stone tombs, treasures, and decorations, all of which seem to lead up to some sort of altar. This altar has an extremely elaborate statue built upon it, though you can't make out the details from this far off. Despite the room being uninhabited, you get the odd feeling that there's some sort of presence in this room.
Another barred metal door leads to a path that seems to slope upwards sharply, being an extremely narrow tunnel. You can feel a breeze coming from it. A way out, perhaps?
You could also turn back, and keep exploring the maze.
No.726381
>>726380I squint and turn away, but otherwise keep as alert as I can with the suddenly blinding firelight. "Huh." Well. Guess that worked. I shrug. "Looks like three fires t'me." Guess we head forward and fight whatever ambushes us in the next room. Without saying anything, I step through the door, keeping an eye out for traps and anything that might be ready to pounce.
[1d10+3]
Roll #1 8 + 3 = 11 No.726382
>>726376Kalidan keeps an eye open as he enters the chamber, after a long follow. Sticking to the inside wall of the chamber, he doesn't venture too far into into the playing field, keeping an eye on the exit. He tries to ply the shadows for a form fitting his thief's MO, but doesn't worry too much if she slips him. After all, he's waiting for her.
After all this, he stops and takes a look around the chamber.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.726383
>>726380Hissing at the sudden flare of light, Vajra shakes her head as her eyes adjust to the light.
"Perhapss there iss more to the riddle within the further roomss. The altar may yet hold a clue.."
With the path lit, the sorceress follows Thungr further into the room ahead, the soldier standing by in the main chamber.
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.726384
>>726380"Three flames lit. Is right. We move."
Seeing as he no longer knows the way further, Noghu begins to slink to the back of the group, remaining vigilant as they move forward.
[1d10] percep
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.726385
>>726382Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.726386
>>726382>>726385As you take a look around, you hear voices in the distance. Your companions must be somewhere nearby. In the gloom, you swear you see one of the statues moving out of the corner of your eye. You turn to look again, but the statue is gone.
You feel a sudden sharp pain in the back of your head as something hits you from behind, almost knocking you over. "Back for more?" the thief taunts as she flits into the shadows again, hiding just out of view. She's extremely good at this. "Thought you would've given up the first time."
>Kalidan loses 1 hit No.726387
>>726381>>726383>>726384You move further into the room. It seems to be a mausoleum of some kind; the tombs are elaborately decorated, and adorned with gifts and treasures of all kinds. A grave robber would have a field day here. The statues on the altar at the far end, you notice, seem to depict a death ceremony. A saurian lies on a bed of stone, surrounded by robed individuals, their arms outstretched in the same gesture you've seen several times now, as if reaching out to the sun. You notice that the dead saurian's hands are folded across his chest, as if originally clutching something that has been removed.
You suddenly notice what it is that is making you feel like you're being watched. The shadows being cast by the torchlight bend unnaturally on the altar, casting an extra shadow across them, as if of some invisible figure standing there being affected by the light. Its form is difficult to discern, but it doesn't seem to be moving, simply flickering there eerily. Kothbiro doesn't seem to have noticed it yet.
No.726388
>>726386Kalidan shakes off the blow. It's nothing. Compared to the serious wounds he's incurred already, he pays no heed to minor blows. He takes it in stride, his matted fur already thick with his own blood.
He forces his sore muscles into dancing, dropping into a warrior's stance and looking all around him as he takes in his surroundings. Looks like the thief has led him back to the previous party he's made friendly with. At least that's a plus.
Kalidan takes a guess, swipes an unclawed fist at the darkness he guesses she must inhabit.
Unarmed [1d10]
"Guess I'm just stubborn," he explains, as he swipes around in the darkness, hoping to even the score just a little bit.
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.726389
>>726387"H'm…" I crouch down and get a closer look at the dead saurian statue. "Y'all don't think them other folks got here afore us, do you? 'Less this is another damn puzzle or somethin'." I keep an eye on the shadow, but don't do or say anything more to show I notice it. Could be nothing. Could be an invisible monster what wants to eat my guts.
No.726390
>>726387Noghu growls and barks at the shade.
"What are you."
>Word of Power[1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.726391
>>726387>>726389The sorceress flicks her tongue out to taste the air. "Thiss far into the tombss? Unlikely. It could ssimply be in another room, likely part of ssome tesst."
[1d10] DC-2, Detect life
She watches the shape bending the light. "Hmm.. unussual.. ssome ressstless sspirit, woken from the sstolen item, maybe."
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.726392
>>726388Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.726393
>>726392omfg [1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.726394
>>726388>>726393They don't seem to be in the same room as you, but definitely close by.
You manage to graze her briefly as she flits by. She's remarkably nimble, despite the heavy sword she carries. You manage to get a bead on her as she darts about the room. She's wearing a black hooded mask, her emerald eyes glittering as she perches atop one of the statues. You see her grin under the hood. "You know, the Heart isn't even that big a deal to me. The baubles I'll be grabbing off you and the others, there's the
real treasure. It's what I do."
Without warning, she pounces at you, claws bared, leaping clear across the room at you.
[1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.726395
>>726391I sigh and pull out my axe. "Now, why'd y'all go acknowledging it like that? I don't care to fight no haunt if I don't gotta, but now it might get all fussy."
No.726396
>>726394Kalidan drops close to the ground and, anticipating her airborne assault, moves away at the last second.
Dodge [1d10]
The large cat tears upward at the thief's belly as she passes, a strong right hook, powerful claw fully extended.
Unarmed [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 No.726397
>>726389You notice that whatever was in the statue's hands seems to be designed to lock in. Like a key.
"Impossible," Kothbiro points out. "This place was sealed."
>>726391You don't detect any life at all. Whatever is casting the shadow, it is not of this world.
>>726390>>726391>>726389Kothbiro notices the shadow, bristling as she readies her axe, her eyes flitting about the mausoleum in anticipation of another fight. As Noghu challenges it, it starts to take more of a visible form. It's the silhouette of a saurian, its arms clasped in front of it, mimicking the statue of the corpse. A voice rings out in reply, a low hissing whisper that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, echoing and bouncing around the walls and high ceiling of the hidden mausoleum.
You are in the presence of Iudex Castys.Keeper of the Sun's Heart.Trespassers.You have journeyed far and overcome much to stand here now.One of you will be granted the treasure you seek.You must answer one question.There is no wrong answer.But only the worthy will be gifted their desire.Drifters from distant lands.Why do you seek the Heart of the Sun? No.726398
>>726395"If we could enter the room, one would asssume it will not attack uss. If it iss tied to the object sstolen, it may only attack in whatever approachess the altar."
No.726399
>>726396You dash to the side and swipe as she lunges, slashing her across the side. She hisses and curls up into a ball, doing a forward roll and landing on all fours. She's injured, but doesn't miss a beat in slashing at you with bared claws, teeth gritted.
[1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.726400
>>726399Kalidan hisses, ears back and eyes slitted, as he engages in a catslap battle against this rival cutpurse.
Dodge [1d10]
Scratch [1d10] + Riposte [1d3]
He finds himself admiring her more and more. After all, it's been a while since Kalidan has interacted with a female of the Felid persuasion. He finds himself just a bit flustered, to his own embarrassment.
Roll #1 4 = 4 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 /
Roll #3 1 = 1 No.726401
>>726397Noghu looks puzzled, on guard.
"Sun belong in sky." he answers tentatively, making sure nothing else is changing behind them.
[1d10] percep
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.726402
>>726397Surprised to find her goal seemingly in sight, The sorceress laughs as the question is presented.
"I Sseek the power held within the gem, to bend Abysssinia to my will!" she replies with confidence.
"With the gem'ss magic, i will unite the dissparate tribess under my claws, an empire to sstrech acrosss the ssandss!"
No.726403
>>726400You manage to duck and avoid her swipe, raking her across the chest with your own claws. Your blow knocks her backwards, onto her back. She's winded, but rolls onto her front, running at you on all fours and slashing as she goes!
[1d10+2] Tumble
Roll #1 3 + 2 = 5 No.726404
>>726397I rub my forehead as the dog threatens the dern ghost. Not wanting to pick a fight, I sigh and shake my head. Ghost probably knows why I'm here. All in my head. No sense in lyin'. I shrug. "Broke. Gonna get paid to grab it."
>>726402I give the witch a sidelong glance, making a mental note to specifically not let her end up with it.
No.726405
>>726403The cat dodges, the legendary reflexes of his namesake being what they are. He maintains a solid stance on the ground as he watches her pass.
Dodge [1d10]
He returns with a swiping strike of his own as she passes, his claws extended. He yowls at her, a gutteral feline scream.
Claws Out [1d10] + Riposte [1d3]
Roll #1 8 = 8 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 /
Roll #3 3 = 3 No.726406
>>726401Castys does not reply for a while.
Your path is one of curiosity, Noghu, son of Kaath. You came here out of a desire to learn more, to know more, not for material gain. It is fate that led you here, and, perhaps, fate that will grant you our greatest treasure. Or perhaps not. Ignorance and hesitation are defeat.>>726402Castys regards you impassively. You feel them judging you, staring into your very soul.
Your ambition is unparalleled among your companions, Vajra, daughter of Sanesh. I see in your heart a burning flame that would bring light to those who live in darkness. Or burn this land to cinders, if stoked too much. Know this, child of the sands. Those who think they are all-knowing know nothing of what they do not.>>726404A simple motivation. Self preservation is paramount, Thungr, twice cursed child of the Mikill. I see within you a lurking fear, and a beast that threatens to consume you. Entropy and chaos roil in your soul, son of Griss. And chaos begets more chaos.>>726401>>726402>>726404Kothbiro speaks up, looking antsy. "Enough riddles. Give me the heart. Styr Thenn demands it." She steps up to the altar defiantly, looking brave for a brief moment; as she draws closer to the shadow of the Iudex, however, she quails, and begins to tremble.
Your life, daughter of Traore, is one of terror. Terror of the master that bends you to his will. And in his soul, there is nothing but blackness. While in yours, there is nothing but doubt. You, Kothbiro, are your own worst enemy.She stumbles backwards, breathing heavily, slumping against one of the pillars that supports the room. Castys speaks once again.
You have all been judged, and have passed our greatest trials to be here.None of you are truly worthy.But.One must claim the Heart.The shadow moves, flowing towards the statue on the altar, rippling and bending as it seems to synchronize with its position. With a heavy rattling and grinding, the statue begins to move, rising steadily from its stony bed and walking towards you. Within its clasped hands appears the Heart of the Sun; an enormous golden gem, scintillating with geometric shapes, refracting the torchlight in beautiful patterns on the walls. It seems to radiate wealth and beauty, captivating your gaze.
The stone judge walks on, puppeted by its own shadow. It trudges right by Kothbiro without a glance, then past Vajra. It comes to a stop at the rear of the group, facing Thungr and Noghu.
Then, it outstretches its arms, offering the gem to the Dog. No.726407
>>726405You dodge and swipe at her again, knocking her on her side. She grunts from the impact, winded and beaten. She looks up at you with burning, murderous intensity; then, her expression softens, and she pulls the hood off. She's taken quite a beating; you busted her lip in the fight, and it looks like she hit her cheekbone.
"Alright, alright, enough. That's enough. You win." The cutpurse struggles to her feet, throwing down her bag in submission . "Damn. You're tougher than you look, you know that? …You have a name?"
No.726408
>>726406A chill runs up my spine and I feel my fur bristle. Damned creepy ghosts. 'Least the skeletons didn't talk. "I hate magic," I mumble. "Still don't know nothin'. I gave up bein' afraid. Kicked the habit for good."
I watch as the gem that's going to make sure I have enough coin to survive for the next month or so hovers towards me and reflexively reach out toward it. Only makes sense it'd pick me. I'm the only one what went through the whole dern temple without doing somethin' silly 'cept maybe the zebra.
My hand freezes and my jaw locks as the ghost hands it out to the mutt.
No.726409
>>726406Noghu squints his eyes, snatching the gem after the creature speaks on hesitation,
"Is gem. What it do."
Noghu says, pressing for more information.
[1d10] WoP for more info
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.726410
>>726406The spirit's words intrigued the sorceress, though its denial of worthiness illicited a warning hiss. Who was it to judge her?
her anger was abated at the sight of it, glittering even in the gloom of the chamber with magical power she reaches for it, only for the statue to walk past her!
the hiss turned to a rattling anger as it trudges past her, offering it not to her but to the sands-touched dog!
"Hssss.. you would deny me my prize?! You would grant it to
HIM? What iss the meaning of thisss!"
No.726411
>>726407Kalidan does not take her yield as any solid indication combat has ended. He steps in, glaring at her, kicks her bag away, then halts standing over her and listens to the silence, perking his large ears to and fro to try to detect any danger.
Perception [1d10]
Barring any nearby threats, Kalidan whispers a name to his foe. "They call me Shadow," he bluffs. He offers her a paw, to help her up.
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.726412
>>726409The gem's radiance fades slightly as it passes out of Castys' stone hands to you.
For you?Nothing.But it is all that will remain of this place.Keep it.Remember what you have seen this day.Remember me, and tell your world the tale of how this passed to you.Memory is immortality.As long as one remains who remembers us, we will never die.>>726410Castys does not turn to you, but answers you nonetheless.
Four are gathered.One covets our Heart out of fear.Another, out of lack of guidance.And you, out of raw greed.The most deserving is he who does not want.And you, Vajra Sandborn, want everything.You could never be worthy.>>726408>>726409>>726410As Noghu is given the Heart, you feel a faint rumbling. Cracks begin to appear on the pillars that hold this room up.
Our time is over.Yours is beginning.If it is gold you desire, we have it in droves.Take what you wish.And run.Kothbiro doesn't need to be told twice. Shooting Noghu a foul look, she starts running around the room greedily, stuffing her pockets with as many valuables as she can hold before shambling off to the exit. Castys' stone body breaks apart, and the shadow vanishes.
No.726413
>>726411You can still hear your companions off in the distance.
She doesn't buy it. "What sort of parent names their kid Shadow?" she scoffs.
She extends her paw. "Neridah. Neridah Subotai."
Neridah reaches into her jacket and pulls out a flask, taking a swig of some transparent red liquid. It seems to reinvigorate her. She offers you some. "No more tricks," she says earnestly.
You feel a rumbling beneath your feet. Neridah frowns and starts looking around. "Something tells me we shouldn't stay here, huh."
No.726414
>>726413She extends her paw and accepts your offer to help her up*
No.726415
>>726412I grumble. Well, that little statue thing is probably worth somethin'. I take a note out of the zebra's book and grab what I can before following after her.
[1d10]lööt
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.726416
>>726412Gem tucked under his arm, Noghu says nothing in response to the shade, knowing a cave-in when he hears it. He dashes into the shadows, taking off his loincloth and wrapping the gem with it to hide it's glow as he wishes to avoid the sharp glares of the others he was with.
[1d10+2] Lurk
Roll #1 1 + 2 = 3 No.726417
>>726412With an answer like that, her rage is palpable, a twitch in her eye as she loudly rattles her tail. "Ssuch inssolence.. I am without wordss.." she seethes.
Such is her rage that she simply leaves the chamber fuming, forgoing the gold to avoid the cave-in.
No.726418
>>726413Kalidan helps her up, hesitates for a moment on accepting her flask. When he sees her drink first, he takes it from her and slugs a few swallows. He coughs again.
Handing it back to her, he gazes at her through lowered lids. "Name's actually Kalidan." He pauses, wipes his lips. "Well met, Neridah. Can i have my stuff back now?" He sends a meaningful glance at the bag he's kicked a small way away.
No.726419
>>726415You grab whatever you can find, at least what you can carry in your blanket. You find a small box full of gems of varying caliber, a tarnished silver mirror, a leather belt set with agates, a sword with an onyx pommel, a brass figurine depicting some forgotten saurian goddess, and a strange sort of puzzle box that refuses to open, at least on initial examination. Might take a while to get to whatever's inside.
>>726415>>726416>>726417You reconvene back in the formerly dark room, finding yourselves at an impasse. The room behind you caves in on itself, and in the distance, you can hear other parts of the temple starting to break apart as well. Oddly, from nearby, you can hear Kalidan talking indistinctly, as well as a second female voice you don't recognize.
>>726418It burns and fizzes as it goes down, having an aftertaste like sour raspberries. However, you find that not only have some of your more superficial injuries all but vanished, but you don't feel beaten up and exhausted anymore.
>Kalidan is healed, now at 5/3She nods reluctantly and digs through it, practically lobbing your coinpurse and collected valuables back at you. She looks frustrated at having been beaten.
The rumbling gets louder, and you can hear stone debris falling nearby. Closer by, the voices of your companions are getting louder. Neridah frowns. "Sounds like our cue to get a move on. Wonder what's going on…"
No.726420
>>726419Seeing exposed dirt from the collapsed walls, Noghu, grits his teeth, placing his spear away and beginning to attempt to tunnel into the rocky soil.
[1d10] Burrowing
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.726421
>>726419The sorceress slinks back into the main hall, free from the initial cave-in.
Quite upset from castys' words, she pushes past the others to the upward sloping gate, her soldier plodding along behind her.
"Let uss be rid of thiss place." she growls "There iss an air current thiss way, perhapss an exit."
No.726422
>>726419I nod, more than satisfied with the haul. Maybe this divin' into forgotten temples business ain't so bad after all.
>>726421I look from the dog, the witch, and finally over my shoulder at- was that the cat? I give a dismissive wave in the direction of the dog and follow the witch. Better than dealin' with what was further back in the temple. Ain't even sure we could'a gotten back across that bridge.
No.726423
>>726420You start digging a tunnel, slanting in a gradual upward slope. You are met with nothing but dirt, worms, and more dirt, but eventually it starts getting cooler, and… damper?
>>726421>>726422You slam the iron door open, and it turns to a fine rusty powder as it hits the crumbling stone wall. The tunnel leads upwards and out, and is completely dark. Following the breeze, however, takes you out of the temple eventually, and into a tightly knit forest clearing, near a large pond. Kothbiro follows suit, blinking as she readjusts to the brightness of the outside. "Well. Now what? I don't even know where the closest settlement is to here. …Where'd the fool go?"
No.726424
>>726419Kalidan collects his belongings, pocketing them in his soiled gambeson. After doing so, he turns toward the nearest apparent exit.
He doesn't have to verbally agree for his intent to flee to become apparent. He takes one last desperate look at Neridah, beckoning her with his eyes, before taking off towards safety.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.726425
>>726424Neridah wordlessly follows, her usual confident aura shaken by what sounds like the temple coming apart. You eventually come across an odd room which leads to a tunnel, from which you can feel a slight breeze from outside wafting. You can also see a hole dug in the side of the temple wall, tunneling through the dirt. Looks recent.
No.726426
>>726423I shrug. "Dug out." I look around at the forest, close my eyes, and orient myself toward about where I'd expect to have come from based on how we moved through the temple. "Temple should be that way," I say. "Think we can find our way back after that. I know I picked up a lotta stuff I wanna try and sell. Resupply. Rest."
[1d10]Navigation?
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.726427
>>726423'
No Good.'
Noghu thinks to himself, creating a couple offshoots in case it's needed. Afterwards, he digs out sideways, trying to dig sideways towards dryer soil.
No.726428
>>726427You start digging sideways, then upwards again, eventually popping your head out. Seems you exited into a forest somewhere. You can see a pond close by, and hear Kothbiro, Thungr and Vajra as well.
No.726429
>>726425Kalidan looks at the tunnel, sizing up its chances of holding together while they crawl through.
He turns to Neridah. "I'm not much of a digger," he confesses. "Got kicked out of a noble's house for my litterbox technique."
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.726430
>>726428Seeing as he's already stripped naked, Noghu washes the dirt and mud off himself, keeping a side eye to the direction he hears the 3 talk.
No.726431
>>726429"Neither, but there's a first time for everything." She doesn't skip a beat, leaping up and kicking a little as she hauls herself into the freshly dug tunnel and starts squirming through it without waiting for you.
No.726432
>>726423"Fleeing with
my gem, ssurely." spits the sorceress. "I will have that power for my own, judgement of a sssands touched sstatue or not!"
No.726433
>>726430You go and take a wash, getting clean of all the clumped dirt, blood and debris. Something gets your attention, a soft scrabbling sound coming from the tunnel you dug. After a minute, an unfamiliar Felid pokes her head out, slim and grey with green eyes and a red shirt. A large sword is sheathed on her back. She looks around, trying to get her bearings. She doesn't seem to have noticed you yet.
No.726434
>>726426You start heading towards the temple, but more quaking and a loud rumbling heralds a grim sight. The whole temple is collapsing slowly, sinking into the dirt. You watch as the door caves in, and a mountain of rubble begins to slowly form. You can't see many ways to go just yet. This place is largely untouched by the outside world.
No.726435
>>726426>>726434You hear splashing coming from the nearby pond.
No.726436
>>726431Kalidan blinks as she takes initiative, sighs, looks at his hands. He looks back up in time to see her wriggling behind worm its way into the narrow crevice.
It's mere moments before he dives in and is wriggling his way into the narrow hole behind her, keeping a close watch on her from behind.
To make sure she is okay, of course. No alternative reason.
Struggle [1d10]
He works his so-called 'litterbox technique' into kicking for purchase in the slim tunnel. He cares not that it is doubtlessly sending a spray of sandy earth underneath him, into the god-forsaken temple he is leaving behind. He merely struggles to escape alive, fighting waves of claustrophobia.
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.726437
>>726433Crouched low and having grabbed a bola from the shore when he heard the digging from his tunnel.
With surprise on his side, he tosses a bola at the cat's feet and rushes at her with a bark.
>WoP [1d10+1] Crit DC-2
>Bola[1d10+1] DC-1, Crit DC-2
Roll #1 4 + 1 = 5 /
Roll #2 4 + 1 = 5 No.726438
>>726432Kothbiro's eyes narrow, and it looks like she's about to spit a retort, but then she changes her mind. "You know, my master could use someone like you. Perhaps you've heard of him. He and you share much the same goals: a unified world, no longer isolated. Through your magical abilities and with the Heart of the Sun in his grasp, together you could connect the land and bring about a new age of prosperity."
"How about it? Come with me and Styr Thenn will make it worth your while. He knows power when he sees it."
No.726439
>>726434>>726435I watch with stunned awe as the temple collapses. Finally, at length, without looking at either Kothbrio or Varja, I say, "So. Head back to town, sell this stuff, and grab a drink?"
No.726440
>>726437You ambush the cat, tripping her up with an expertly placed bola. She lets out a yowl of surprise and, perhaps, anger, faceplanting hard and struggling against her bindings. "Who the hell?!…"
[1d10] Struggle
>>726436She is oblivious or indifferent to you following her.
You make your way through the dirt tunnel, emerging into a quiet birch mountainside forest, covered in dirt and who knows what else. Before you can enjoy the serenity, though, you are alerted by a spine-chilling scream from Neridah. Looking over, you see her caught in what looks like one of that Dog from before's hunting tools, flailing to get free. He must've ambushed her.
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.726441
>>726439Both of them are back in the clearing. You question the nature of your reality for a moment.
You hear an unearthly scream like an angry cat from back where the pond was. It chills you to your very bones.
No.726442
>>726441I look around at everyone before my eyes stop on the struggling cat on the ground. Another cat. Don't think I recognize this one. Welp. Probably best not to ask. I grunt. "So I'm gonna head back to town." I hook my thumb behind me. "Temple is that way. If y'all found your way here I s'pose ya can find your way back."
No.726443
>>726440"You use my tunnel.
Go."
Noghu says adamantly, holding his spear up to the terrified cat.
[1d10+1] WoP
Roll #1 10 + 1 = 11 No.726444
>>726440Kalidan pulls himself free of the earth, casting a glance back at the ruined temple before sprinting on all fours to assist Neridah.
He bounds to her side to help her unstrap her bonds, but finds she is in need of no assistance. Planting himself by her side, ready to attack any foe together with her, he catches sight of the hyena from earlier. He scarcely lowers his guard to shout a greeting.
"Ho! Friendly! No fight here!"
The cat appears ready to fight despite his call for parley, though he holds fast for a reply.
No.726445
>>726443You don't need to tell her twice. She slips out of the bolas with ease, springs to her feet and tumbles away from you, looking up at you with one hand on her sword hilt. "…
YOU go!" is the best comeback she can muster, still shaken by the sudden attack.
>>726442The cat's eyes dart to you as you approach her. You vaguely remember the Felid you glimpsed earlier that flipped the bridge on you. She has a slim build, with grey fur, a red coat and a big sword on her back. She looks intimidated by you, looking from Noghu to you, eventually standing down and nodding. She doesn't seem sure what to make of you.
>>726444Neridah looks over to you as you arrive at the scene. "…You know these guys?" she asks, still extremely on edge from the attack.
No.726446
>>726445"Right. Well, I'm just gonna-" I clear my throat, not entirely sure what to say. "Good workin' with y'all?" It wasn't, and if anything all of them but the zebra nearly got me killed, but that's what you're supposed to say in this situation, right?
[1d10-2] Not being awkward before turning around and leaving.
Roll #1 10 - 2 = 8 No.726448
>>726445Noghu bares his teeth, cackling out of stress but coming off just as eerie.
"You leave or disarm self. One cat enough."
>Wild Hunt
>Automatic WoP No.726449
>>726446The cat does a slight double take. You get the feeling she recognizes you from the bridge, but tries to play it off.
"…Well, there's a town a few days from here. I think. Seems like the whole Heart of the Sun thing is a bust, so uh… Well, I'm gonna start heading back towards more civilized areas. If you're doing the same, might not be a bad idea to travel in a group?" She shrugs. "This isn't how I thought today would go at all."
>>726448She just looks weirded out by you, refusing to do either. "What's your problem?" she asks defensively.
>>726446>>726448She looks from Noghu back to Thungr. "Is… is he usually like this?…"
No.726450
>>726449I nod. "From what I seen. I say just ignore him and leave. That's what I been doin'. I'm headed back that way, too. Ain't used to travelin' in a group, but-" I shrug. "Also ain't gonna stop y'all if ya wanna join. Just end up meetin' each other on the road anyway."
No.726451
>>726450She nods. "Better to travel in company. Safety in numbers, right?" She sticks out her paw. "I'm Neridah."
No.726452
>>726450I look down at her paw, reach out, and engulf it in my massive -and a little dirty because of the temple- hand, and give it one short, firm shake. "Thungr."
No.726474
>>726438The sorceress' anger recedes as Kothbiro mentions her mysterious benefactor.
"Hmm.. Travel to thiss temple hass left me unaware of the affairs of the land. Who iss this Sstyr thenn? Another who sseekss to rule?" she asks the zebra, looking to her with curiosity.
No.726488
>>726474She blinks in surprise. "You have not heard of my master? He brought his homeland of Nicanor together in a time of war, and has been expanding his influence ever since. It is unwise to resist him. His influence has spread over much of the southern realms by now, and many smaller kingdoms have pledged themselves to his new empire. Those who do not…" She does not elaborate.
"In any case. My village was one of many who have bent the knee to Styr Thenn. Ever since, we have known nothing but prosperity. His coming was a gift to us. Many fools in other parts do not see it that way, of course. But I guarantee, if you join forces with him, your vision of the world will come to pass."
No.726507
>>726488she listens to the story, nodding as the scope of his power comes into view.
"A powerful ally indeed.. Perhapss i sshould sspeak with him. Do you know where he iss?"
No.726512
>>726507"Galatian," she replies. "They surrendered to him recently. I came from there to this place. It's about two weeks on foot. He'll be there some time to secure the region, then we will move on to the next city."
You've heard of Galatian. It's a powerful city state, and a center of trade in the region. It is also known for the well trained mercenary group known as the Sparrowhawks that are based out of it.
"Even if you change your mind," she continues, "Galatian is the best place to head if you are looking for civilization. Though, if we are working together, the question remains of how to part the fool from the Heart…"
No.726529
>>726512"Hmm.. The dog hass esscaped uss, digging away to avoid my wrath no doubt. Hunting him here will be troublessome, far too much foresst to hide within.. Perhapss the otherss have found him?"
No.726535
>>726529Kothbiro nods. "If we find that cat again, perhaps he could be convinced to pilfer it for us. He seems the type to be good with his hands." She taps her chin. "Maybe some of the others will join us anyway. If they are wise, they will."
Her ears prick up as you hear clamoring from nearby, and Noghu barking something. Seems like something's going on back the way you came. "Speaking of. Let's go find them, shall we."
No.727097
>>726529>>726452>>726448>>726444The four of you reunite in the woods, overlooking a cliff face offering a view of the temple - at least, what's left of it. The ground quakes and rumbles as it collapses in on itself, leaving little more than a mountain of rubble. You are joined by Kothbiro and the newcomer, Neridah, a limber grey Felid with a greatsword. The former eyes the latter with suspicion, approaching her with trepidation. "Who are you then?"
"Neridah. Good to meet you too. I was just telling these guys there's a town a few days out. Seems like this whole gem thing was a total bust, so, uh, might as well travel on the road together till we get there. Right? Assuming none of us want to murder each other in our sleep, I mean."
Kothbiro doesn't seem too convinced, but gives a stiff little nod. "I suppose you mean Galatian. …Guess that's as good a logic as any. Though…" She gives Noghu an uncomfortable look, but doesn't voice what's on her mind.
"'Though'?"
Kothbiro doesn't seem too willing to give any answers. Neridah just shrugs it off. "Well. Shall we get going? I think Galatian's in a…" She points off towards a distant rocky valley of rocks and moss, through which a river flows. "…That way direction. North. I think"
Kothbiro frowns, crossing her legs defensively. "A bold claim. I'd say Galatian is farther westward, through these woods. I remember passing a similar patch of land on the way here." She points behind her, further into the patch of dense forest you're currently in.
Neridah looks skeptical. "I don't think there's much that way but trees and more trees." Both seem unconvinced, looking to both of you for opinions on where to go next.
No.727131
>>727097Kalidan, having remained quiet while semi-hostile introductions were made, follows along, content to follow inconspicuously without offering input on the direction. Anywhere he can pawn off his meager earnings is fine. Perhaps he can replace some of the rations and supplies he used getting here. And maybe get a good night's rest. Adventures wear him out. He yawns a big kitty yawn, rubbing at some of the sore places on his battered body.
He takes account of the goods he was able to pilfer from the now-ruined temple. Looks like: 35 gold pieces and a flawed emerald.
"What a haul," he sarcastically congratulates himself under his breath. '
Pocketing the small bag of treasure, he looks up at Neridah, half-grins. Maybe the gold is not the only prize retrieved from the depths.
Catching up to the group as Kothbiro and Neridah begin to argue about the way to town, he bounds up a large fir and cups his paw over his eyes, trying to detect hints of civilization over the treeline.
Navigation/Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.727132
>>727097I look around and try to orient myself in the direction I came from. I let out a rumbling hum as I try to pinpoint which direction I came from.
>Or, if it's not where I came from, which direction this city might be if I've been there before.[1d10]Navigation
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.727134
>>727097Having cooled off from the temple's escapades, the sorceress remains content to plot in relative silence, glaring out into the horizon.
"Hmm.. Riverss are often the bedss of civilization, perhapss following it's flow may yield resultss?"
No.727135
>>726449"Two cat no good. Scheming."
>>727097Noghu grunts, going back to washing himself.
Once the group scatters and starts heading on their way, however, he continues to follow the saurian from afar, pseudo-discreetly."Scales makes bone walk. Gem is not much food, she want gem. Claim her tonight, give gem for bone hunt pack." He thinks to himself. No.727136
>>727135[1d10+2]
Roll #1 2 + 2 = 4 No.727137
>>727097[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.727138
>>727131Neridah sees you looking over your meager haul. "Maybe we'll luck out and run into a bandit camp on the way or something. Easy way to get some money if you're any good at being seen. …Which you're not, from what I've seen so far." She gives you a cheeky grin.
You scramble up a particularly tall tree, getting a view from the canopy. Seems like the forest extends behind you, sloping up the side of a mountain. Down past where the temple was, the terrain turns into the rocky valley Kothbiro pointed out, sloping upwards abruptly. A plume of smoke is coming from just beyond, suggesting a camp of some sort.
>>727132You haven't been to Galatian, but have heard of it. It's a fairly significant town in the region, and a trade connection for many other major cities. A mercenary group called the Sparrowhawks operate out of it.
After surveying the landscape, you spot a dirt path leading off through the woods. You recall having taken this path to get to the temple, having mostly carved it yourself as you traveled. You also recall there being a tiny hamlet about half a day from it, on the banks of the river that winds through the region. You passed through it briefly, pausing only for supplies, and can't even remember its name. Barely a settlement at all, as you recall, but it might be better than nothing.
>>727134>>727135The surrounding landscape is mountainous, and rife with plantlife. The valley Neridah pointed out seems devoid of civilization at first, but eventually, you spot a single boat docked at a port, which seems to trail off towards… something. It's too far off to be able to make out much, but where there's a port, surely there must be a town of some sort.
>>727133https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmDoUuc5uMgThe itinerant royal, lastborn of her family, followed whispers on the wind that spoke of a rising shadow over her homeland. Seeking answers on preventing calamity, she followed her people's tales to an ancient temple, far, far from home…You walk on your own, following the directions you'd been given at the last nameless settlement, taking a long forgotten path through a dense patch of forest. There seems to be no end to the thickets, vines and brambles, but you're almost there.
Suddenly, you hear something. Voices from nearby. Other adventurers, perhaps. Or bandits. Before you can decide on what to do about it, however, the ground itself quakes beneath your feet, as if disturbed by the stirring of a slumbering giant. The trees themselves tremble, and you hear the momentous cracking and crumbling of stone in the distance.
No.727139
>>727138I adjust my pack and start on the path I took to get here. After that little adventure I'd rather not be on the road longer than I have to be, even if it means adding another day or so to my travel time. If anyone is going to follow me then they'll follow me.
No.727140
>>727138any good at not being seen*
No.727141
>>727138Neridah pointed out*
No.727142
>>727138Spotting the boat, the sorceress gestures to the others nearby. "Ah, a boat there, ssee? The town may be there after all."
she spots the minotaur wandering off into the woods.
>>727139"Sslkinking off into the woodss? There may be a town towardss the river, if the boat iss proof enough."
No.727143
>>727138"What in Soa-Kitl?!" Tlawīli gasps as the very earth shakes beneath her.
She instinctively leaps up and attempts to fly off the trembling ground.
Thinking to herself "What more can this cursed land offer? The ground moving on its own? What is next, rains of fire and winds of knives? Such a strange land, so different than Trakali."
Flying [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.727144
>>727142I briefly stop. "Way I came," I grumble, before continuing back into the woods.
No.727145
>>727138Noghu looks for cover as he waits for the others to get a move on.
[1d10+2]
Roll #1 8 + 2 = 10 No.727146
>>727144"Oh very well, perhapss we will join you ere long, if the otherss cannot make their choice." the sorceress replies, waving you off with a claw.
No.727147
>>727138Defensively, he retorts, "I might not be the sneakiest, or the fastest, or the strongest… Or the smartest…" He trails off, having lost his train of thought. Blinks, turns back to her. "Really, I'm more of a jack-of-all-trades." He grins winningly.
Climbing down carefully from the tree (why is descending always so much harder than ascending?) Kalidan shares what he's gleaned.
Addressing the group, he says: "Looks like there's a fire somewhere in that direction," pointing toward the rocky valley. "But that might not be a good sign. Didn't seem like a full-fledged town, probably just a camp. No idea if they're friendly or not." He scratches at one of his fresh wounds, winces as it hurts more than he anticipated. "I'd rather not get involved in another scrape right away."
>>727144The cat watches Thungr take off alone through the woods. "Hey wait!!" He scrambles off behind the huge minotaur.
No.727148
>>727147I stop, close my eyes, and let out a long, low breath. Slowly, I turn my head toward the kitty, frown, and cock my eyebrow.
No.727149
>>727148As the minotaur turns towards him expectantly, Kalidan falters. "I… uh, well, I just thought maybe we could go together. Campfire music is better with more than one musician, after all, and, uh, well, to be honest, I kind of got my ass kicked in that stupid temple. You're a big guy," he explains.
No.727150
>>727138with the cat and minotaur stalking off into the forest, Vajra turns to follow, the soldier clattering after her.
"Kothbiro, it sseemss the others have chossen the forest path. Perhapss we should follow."
No.727151
4U>>727149I give him a brief nod. What, does he think I'm going to stop him from following me? I already said it'd make more sense to head back to town in a group if we were all going that way anyway.
>>727150>>727138I turn to everyone else with my eyebrow still cocked and continue to wait. Didn't think I'd have to hold anyone's hand.
No.727152
>>727151"Do not give me that look." glares the sorceress, her tail rattling quietly. "You are usseful to me. Allowing you to wander off iss foolissh thiss deep into the foresst."
No.727153
>>727145The undergrowth is sparse enough throughout the woods that it'd provide decent cover if a fight breaks out. You notice that while Kothbiro hasn't spoken a word to you, she is eyeing you with what you feel is misintent.
>>727150Kothbiro nods. "We shouldn't let that one out of our sight," she says in a low tone, gesturing slightly to Noghu.
>>727147Neridah raises an eyebrow. "But master of none," she replies simply.
She considers what you've seen. "Hm. Might be worth checking out. Let's go. ….Or not," she adds as everyone follows Thungr.
>>727139>>727142>>727145>>727147Kothbiro looks pleased with the decision, and follows Thungr onward. Neridah reluctantly slips into line, looking a little miffed at not getting her way.
After a bit of uneventful walking, you hear a voice coming from up ahead, and the beating of wings. Sounds like another traveler somewhere close by.
>>727143You manage to fly up off the ground as the earthquake ensues, the trees shaking ominously, leaves and branches falling around you. The moment passes as quickly as it came, however, and things return to normalcy, for now.
It seems your troubles aren't over yet, though. The voices you heard before are getting louder. It sounds like a rather large group of individuals heading in your direction. It's likely they heard you just now.
No.727154
>>727153I stop, pull out one of my javelins, and continue down the path, this time more slowly. I keep my eyes and ears focused on the voice to try and get an idea of what's further down the path before I run right into it.
[1d10+3]perception
Roll #1 6 + 3 = 9 No.727155
>>727153Hearing the commotion above, Vajra flicks her tongue out a moment, tasting the air.
[1d10] DC -2 (detect life)
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.727156
>>727153The big cat grins impishly. "Wouldn't you like to know?" Kalidan offers Neridah a look and a shrug as they all take off after Thungr through the woods.
Kalidan takes it on himself to stalk through the wilderness offside of the path, keeping an eye out and an ear open for threats.
Sensing the presence of a flying creature nearby, he quickly scales a tall oak, hiding himself above and near the party while steeling himself for a fight.
Stealth [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.727157
>>727153Tlawīli is just above the treeline when she realizes the earthquake is gone, but the voices have only gotten closer.
"Other scaleborn?" She thinks to herself "No, not friendly in these lands."
She remains in the air, spreading her wings and trying to look intimidating.
"If it is feral, it will run, if it is not, hopefully it also runs."
Intimidate [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.727158
>>727153Noghu follows at a distance.
No.727159
>>727155Seems like only one person. Winged, large, and cold blooded. A dragon. But not a fully grown one at that.
>>727154Kothbiro wordlessly follows you, her axe slung over her shoulder. As you inch a bit closer, you spot them. A bipedal dragon, female, golden like the sun, flapping her wings idly to remain aloft. She is above you, close to the treeline, looking down at you. Her intentions are unclear.
>>727157You fly upwards, spreading your wings as wide as they'll go as two newcomers emerge. The first is an enormous beast of a minotaur, with a shaggy, unkempt beard and a great spear. Dressed in furs, he looks rather wild to you. The other is a zebra in a hooded coat, with a short mane, wielding a mean looking axe. She doesn't look very friendly, and stops dead in her tracks as she sees you, trying to suss you out.
>>727156Neridah clambers up a nearby tree as well, joining you in hiding. You both peer out at the newcomer, an impressive specimen of a dragon, with glittering gold and white scales. She doesn't seem to have seen either of you yet, currently engaging Kothbiro and Thungr.
>>727158You remain in hiding for now, staring as Vajra senses her environment. You hear the beating of great wings coming from further on, where the newcomer is. Whatever it is, it sounds large, and menacing.
No.727160
>>727159A damn dragon? Don't think I seen many of them. I squint at her, keeping eye contact as I tighten my grip on my spear and I slowly sidestep along the path. If she attacks I'll attack back, but for now it's best just to avoid confronting her and continue about my business.
No.727161
>>727159Glaring, The sorceress snakes her way forward to meet up with Thungr in the clearing, the soldier lurching forward to keep up.
No.727162
>>727159Noghu turns his attention away from the snake for a moment, trying to get an view of the flying creature.
[1d10+1] percep
Roll #1 6 + 1 = 7 No.727163
>>727159The big cat watches the winged lizard carefully above even his high perch. He nods at Neridah across the way, trying to make momentary eye contact, hoping to coordinate any actions if possible.
The cat's eyes are wide, ears back, swishing his tail ever so slightly. He slowly crawls along the high branch, steadying himself with his tail movement, positioning himself to keep watch for, and potentially capitalize on, an opening on this potential threat.
No.727164
>>727159Sunbeam gazes wordlessly over the group, considering what to do next
"I did not expect a pack… perhaps intimidation was not a quality choice"
She floats down slowly, trying to not seem too menacing in this awkward situation.
"I apologize for my appearance. It is a strange sight to see a fellow sapient out in such wild lands."
She tries to speak eloquently to Thungr, hoping that he is domesticated enough to understand.
"I am Tlawīli. Of the Koalti family of Trakali. It is my-"
She trails off, taking the moment to actually study the minotaur.
"Perhaps you are more accustomed to a less formal approach. I am Sunbeam. A fellow traveler."
She hopefully extends a claw to Thungr.
No.727165
>>727164Oh, she's approaching me? I move to point my spear at her, but as she actually starts speaking I relax and stand up more or less straight. Guess she ain't a threat after all. I reach out and take her claw in my grimy, slightly sweaty hand. Lot of folks wanting to shake hands today. "Thungr," I grumble.
No.727166
>>727162You catch a glimpse of glittering golden batlike wings through the treeline. Whatever it is, it looks big to you.
>>727161You move forward, seeing the gleaming golden dragon descend to the ground. Kothbiro looks unsure of what to make of her.
>>727163You continue to watch as the dragon, whose name is apparently Sunbeam, introduces herself to Thungr and Kothbiro. Seems friendly enough, for now. Neridah clings to her branch like a lifeline as she watches, looking intimidated by the newcomer.
>>727164As the situation is defused somewhat by your friendliness, the zebra accompanying the minotaur sheathes her axe and nods to you in greeting. "Seems everyone's out looking to make connections today," she comments. "My name's Kothbiro. Thungr here and a few others accompanied me into the sun temple back there. We only barely made it out alive before it collapsed. I'm assuming you felt it just now."
Before you can reply, two more figures approach from the trees; a snake-like saurian, draped in wraps. The other is the skeleton of a turtle-like saurian, wearing ill fitting, rusted armour. It looks like some sort of mindless minion.
No.727167
>>727166'
See if others die. If not, look closer.'
The dog muses to himself, listening in for any conversation or dialogue .
No.727168
>>727166Kalidan relaxes a bit as the dragon approaches alone, peacefully. He does not fully put down his guard or show himself, however, choosing instead to wait and watch, and listen for any other beings nearby which might signify a possible ambush.
Perception [1d10]
He launches a reassuring glance to Neridah across the way, motioning with his paw to wait and watch.
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.727169
>>727165"Thungr." She repeats back.
"Are you native to these lands? I could use some help with navigation."
>>727166"Ah, the rest of your pack."
She then turns to Kothbiro.
"Kothbiro. Ah, blessings upon you that you made it out safe. Or at least, I assume that I am meeting your whole pack and you did not lose anypony inside."
She realizes the morbidness of what she just said and quickly apologizes.
"Oh I should not have said that. I am sorry. Blessings upon any of your companions that did not make it."
She then notices the Saurian and her less-scaled companion.
"Ah, fellow scalekin! A friendly sight. You did not tell me you had so many friends Kothbiro."
She glances away from both and sighs.
"If that temple is gone… surely the stone inside is gone as well. Another trial in my quest…"
No.727170
>>727169I look back down the path, ready to get moving. "Dog's got the rock. We're goin' back to town." I turn to walk away, stop, give Sunbeam a sideways look, decide to wave, and finally actually start walking away.
No.727171
>>727166>>727169Slithering out of the tree cover, vajra eyes the dragon with suspicion as she links up with Thungr.
"What'ss thiss? Another ssoul here to claim the jewel'ss power? Hmm.. A pity. The temple'ss collapsse saw to the heart'ss destruction, mosst unfortunate." she adds, waving away the thought.
"I am Vajra, ssorceresss of abyssinia."
No.727172
>>727170Vajra audibly chokes as Thungr immediately shatters the lie. "A sstone of that power and you would ssimply tell whoever assks of it the truth?!"
No.727173
>>727172"Don't care. Don't got it. I'm leavin'."
No.727174
>>727171"Varja." she repeats back.
>>727170 " 'A hydra of two heads is always a liar.' "She quotes.
"It seems you have conflicting stories. Which of you speaks truth?" Sunbeam asks, sounding of genuine curiosity rather than anger.
No.727175
>>727169"We're not really friends," she clarifies. "I met them last night, as a matter of fact. There's also a few more of us. The two cats are probably skulking somewhere, and so is the fool." She looks around, but can't spot them right now, putting her rather ill at ease.
>>727167Everything seems to be going rather well. The dragon seems friendly enough to you.
>>727168Neridah nods and flashes a OK sign as you wait to see what happens. Sunbeam doesn't seem to be hostile, and is oblivious to the faint sound of movement you hear off in the distance. Looking back, you can see a trio of silhouettes at the edge of the treeline, packs laden with loot and supplies.
Neridah does a double take and almost falls out of her tree as Thungr mentions Noghu having claimed the gem.
No.727176
>>727174The sorceress glares at Thungr as she replies, rattling her tail.
"..He iss correct, the sstone iss free, for now. That
sssands-touched dog hass it.." she replies, her words trailing off, dripping with venom.
"He chosse to sslink off ssomewhere, i know not how far away."
No.727177
>>727175'
nother want snack. Wonder who hunt better..'
Noghu lets off a soft, slow-paced chuckle as he is mentioned by the others.
No.727178
>>727174>>727176I pause again and pinch the bridge of my nose. She's still talking to me. Slowly turning around, I quietly grumble something incomprehensible under my breath and nod toward the witch. "Don't know nothin' bout no hydra," I say, "But I got no reason to lie. Now I wanna get back to town before sunset. That's roundabouts a half day hike. Find the dog and talk to him if y'all want."
No.727179
>>727170>>727175Kalidan strokes his furry chin. So they were successful at retrieving the artifact after all. Too bad that skulking hyena has it. Anyone less paranoid would be an easier target.
Kalidan nods knowingly at Neridah as she reacts to the news of the Heart of the Sun. He offers a look of solidarity.
Noticing the trio of silhouettes, he gestures surreptitiously toward them to Neridah, and begins to attempt to stealthily get a closer look. Friends? Or targets?
Stealthy Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.727180
>>727175"Felids I presume? I have always wanted to meet one. And you said something about… a Fool? I have not heard of that species…"
>>727176"Felids and a Diamond Dog… I do hope they get along without too much trouble. If, perchance I could speak with him? I would like to see this shard of topaz."
>>727178"It was nice to meet you too Thungr."
She says without a ounce of sarcasm, irony, or self-awareness.
No.727181
>>727178>>727166"Yess, yess, fine. Back to town then." replies the sorceress, trailing behind him, the soldier following.
>>727180"Hmph. He hass disssappeared, for now. Perhapss we may yet sspeak with him later. For now, Thungr iss correct, a return to ssafety is mosst important."
No.727182
>>727180I nod. "Likewise-" I pause as I realize I've already forgotten her name. Sunsomethin'? I decide to just leave it at "likewise". Good enough.
No.727184
>>727181"Quite. This is not the turn I expected my journey to take, but I will go on. Do you mind if I accompany you on your way back to town? I am not familiar with this land and am low on supplies." She speaks, trying to keep composure in this awkward time. "Vajra, does your friend here have a name?" She says, gesturing to the soldier.
>>727182Sunbeam walks towards Thungr as to keep his attention. "Sunbeam. It is a translation of my Trākatal name, Tlawīli. Given to me by my father shortly before my second birthd-" she stops, realizing she is rambling on again.
"Sunbeam. My name is Sunbeam."
No.727185
>>727180"The Dog," Kothbiro clarifies, crossing her forelegs. "He didn't give me his name, and didn't object to being called Fool instead. It's an apt one, believe me."
>>727179You and Neridah are both forced to leave the trees in order to creep closer. The three appear to be travelers like yourselves.
The first is a black-bearded, curly haired pegasus with bright golden eyes. He bears a broadsword strapped to his side, along with a lyre. He has a mischievous sort of look to him.
The second is a griffon wearing a long brown cloak. She bears no weapons, save for a pair of wicked looking metallic gauntlets over her left foreleg, accentuating her natural talons. She has some sort of brand or scar on her chest, but you can't make it out too well.
The third is a musclebound saurian resembling a monitor lizard. He seems to be the porter for the group, carrying several backpacks full of materials on his back, shifting his weight around periodically. He has a large iron mace for a weapon.
The three seem to be discussing their next plan of action, now that the temple's fallen, but you can't make out their words from where you are. You recall the three figures that were at the top of the hill when you camped the previous night, which Kothbiro seemed to be wary of.
>>727177>>727176>>727178>>727179>>727180You continue onwards, Kalidan, Neridah and Noghu remaining somewhat out of sight still. Thungr leads the way, going mostly by memory; however, the trees begin to all look the same after a while, and your stomachs rumble. It is mid afternoon by this point, and none of you have had a chance to eat yet. Kothbiro starts to doubt Thungr. "Are you sure you know where you're going?" she asks after a while.
>everyone roll Navigation, and foraging if you wish No.727186
>>727184I cock an eyebrow and watch her out of the corner of my eye as she walks along with me. This one talks even more than the kitty does. I just grunt in response and continue walking. Sunbeam. Right.
No.727187
>>727185I give the zebra a quick nod. Without saying anything, I stop on the side of the path, drop my pack, and sit down to take ten. Unrolling my blanket pack, I pull out a couple of hard-tack biscuits, some dried meat, and my water skin.
[1d10]Navigation
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.727188
>>727185Watching the strangers, Kalidan's fur begins to stand out a bit. He retreats into the underbrush a bit, beckoning Neridah closer to whisper.
"I don't like the looks of these three. They're headed the same direction as us, which could mean a few things: They may be trailing us, or just headed the same way. Either way, interaction seems inevitable. Perhaps we should warn the others, plan an ambush. Just in case."
He moves as quickly as he can while being somewhat stealthy, darting through the ground cover back toward the friendly party to warn them.
No.727189
>>727185"I will take your words for it, Kothbiro."
As the day wears on Sunbeam follows the group, trying her best to get to know her new companions. She switches from flying just above them and walking with the rest intermittently. She occasionally asks about the rest of the group. As she notices her hunger growing she instinctually looks around for any edible plants.
Foraging (Special Talent) [1d10+2]
Roll #1 7 + 2 = 9 No.727190
>>727184The sorceress fixes Sunbeam with an incredulous look for a moment, before cackling loudly, covering her face with her claws.
"kekekeke!, a name, a name! Oh, you are funny. It iss a ssimple minion, nothing more. Perhapss in life it had one, but to me, it iss ssimply a meanss to an end."
"Still, of what i have pulled from the temple pitss, it hass sserved me well than mosst. Perhaps i sshall repair it when i have the time, raissing good help iss sso diffucult after all."
The soldier stands at attention, empty sockets staring blindly at the dragon.
>>727185Having traveled for some time, Vajra takes the time to taste the air, searching for something palatable to eat.
[1d10] Foraging
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.727191
>>727185Hunting for game larger than a quick snack doesn't sound particularly appealing to Noghu, given the bulky gemstone he carries around. Instead, he forages for something to make cordage out of to tie the gem to himself, and not discounting any weird bugs he might try and eat too.
[1d10+1] nav to follow
[1d10+1] forage
Roll #1 9 + 1 = 10 /
Roll #2 1 + 1 = 2 No.727192
>>727187You take a breather and assess the landscape as you chow down. Kothbiro joins you in doing so, thoughtfully munching on some flowers. "Hm… That rock formation seems familiar," she muses, looking around pensively.
Eventually, your surroundings click with you, and you get reoriented, figuring out which way to go. You just have to keep moving a little past this clearing and you'll find a dirt trail that leads onwards.
>>727188Neridah nods in agreement. "Those dudes give me the creeps. Though, the big guy looks easy to topple over. Feel like we could live like kings if we made off with his bags."
You move back towards the party, soon catching up with them. You and Neridah both come out of hiding. Kothbiro does a bit of a double take. "You again. Have you just been stalking us this whole time?"
>>727189Your companions seem a quiet bunch, for the most part, though Vajra is chattier than the rest. Kothbiro seems very stern and no-nonsense, as well as perhaps a little paranoid. You get the feeling she's hiding something.
You manage to forage some delicious ripe oranges from a bush. Must be the season for them in these parts. Before you can properly tuck in, however, two more figures emerge from the undergrowth, joining the party. Both are Felids, one tall, black and longhaired, while the other is grey and scrappy looking, with a large sword strapped to her back. The latter makes introductions. "Hiya. We're with these guys, don't worry. We were just doing recon before coming back." She extends her paw. "I'm Neridah."
>>727190Sadly, you don't manage to find much, save for a small rodent that evades your grasp effortlessly. You watch as your soldier chases after it ineffectively.
>>727191You keep following them, digging through the dirt expertly. Alas, you find nothing to munch on, as the only bugs you come across are poisonous. No roots thin enough to use as rope either. Perhaps one of the others could help.
No.727193
>>727192Rattling her tail, the sorceress continues to quietly skulk around the forest floor, tasting the air in an effort to pinpoint lunch.
[1d10] DC-2 detect life
[1d10] Forage
Roll #1 8 = 8 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 No.727194
>>727192>>727189The large black long-haired cat follows up Neridah's introduction with one of his own. "Kalidan." He extends his own paw in greeting.
He addresses the whole group.
>>727187>>727190"That trio from the temple are back. They don't look friendly… A pegasus, a griffon and a saurian. They look like they've seen a fight or two… but they ARE carrying goods. So they might be less likely to attack us, ill-equipped as we are."
He looks around the group, assessing reactions. "I say we lay an ambush, but we don't need to spring the trap unless they turn out to not be friendly."
No.727195
>>727192I quickly wolf down my food, and water dribbles down my beard as I take a long drink of my waterskin. I move to stand up, but realize not everyone is finished yet and sit back down, remaining silent. I continue to say nothing as the cat and the second cat come out of hiding finally.
No.727196
>>727192"Neridah. I am Sunbeam. How interesting to finally meet a Felid. I have only heard of your kind in history books. Is it really true that you always land on your feet? And do you really have nine lives? I have so many questions."
She places the oranges in her satchel, save one which she offers to Neridah.
"Forgive me if this is inappropriate, I am not aware of Felid customs. …or dietary restrictions. Who is your longhaired friend?"
No.727197
>>727194"Gonna stay here," I say. "See if they don't just walk on by. No sense stirrin' up trouble if we ain't gotta."
No.727198
>>727197"Perfect," the cat responds. "That was going to be your role in the ambush anyway. You don't strike me as the stealthy sort. All you have to do is not start a fight."
No.727199
>>727198I grunt and turn my attention back to relaxing.
No.727200
>>727192'
Mmn.. Carry it is.'
Noghu licks one of the bugs before remembering their danger.
No.727201
>>727196>>727194"Kalidan. I am Sunbeam. How interesting are Felid names."
She grasps his much smaller paw with her claw and shakes.
>>727198"A group of fellow travelers? Most of the random travelers I have met today have been friendly… but if they are not, I will stand by you all."
She says, trying to sound calm and determined.
No.727202
>>727193You sense plenty of wildlife in the area, but all of it evades you, leaving you with the sole option of a fat, hairy caterpillar.
>>727194Kothbiro looks sour. "Then we should keep moving. I'd rather avoid having to deal with them. At least not until we get to that town."
Neridah asks what's probably on everyone else's mind. "Who are they?"
"Insurgents. They've been tracking me for at least a week. They wish to undo my master's work. Starting with killing me and taking the Heart for themselves."
>>727196She blinks in surprise. "We're not that rare, you know. …Er, kind of? It's a reflex thing, but we can fall like anyone else. And, uh, not really. I'm sure some sorcerers do, though. Ask away if you have to. Heh."
No.727203
>>727202scrabbling pathetically to try and hunt something yet disgusted by the idea of eating a bug, her hunger overrides her hesitation. she scans the trees for a hint of the others, before closing her eyes and quickly tossing it back.
Hardly satisfied but lacking many options, she struggles the caterpillar down and returns to the group's impromptu resting spot.
No.727204
>>727201The felid is a bit taken aback as the hulking winged lizard greets him with a strong grip and a solid shaking. "L..Likewise," he mumbles as he flutters his squished paw, trying to restore feeling to it.
"Hopefully we won't have to fight," he offers reassuringly.
>>727202As Kothbiro mentions getting to the town, Kalidan wonder's aloud, "Why? What would make it different fighting them there?"
As Kothbiro continues to explain who they are, he begins to understand. "Ah. So, is there safety in the town, or should we try to take them here and now?"
He tries to judge just how far behind the trio is.
Perception [1d10]
Nervous, he says, "Maybe we should just get a move on regardless. I'm not hungry right now anyway."
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.727205
>>727202I pull my bear-head hood back and rub my hand through my shaggy, sweat-caked hair. So they really are just headed toward us to attack. I sigh, pull myself to my hooves, and pack up. Turning toward the path, I start walking.
No.727206
>>727202Noghu stays and watches those remaining to rest, noting the minotaur walking forward.
No.727207
>>727202Sunbeams eyes light up as Neridah answers her questions.
"I have never seen one. Is your fur… soft? M-May I touch it?" She says, stuttering with excitement
>>727204"I hope not. A Trakal in another land takes an oath of pacifism. Among other oaths."
No.727208
>>727203While the texture is utterly vile, and the hairs burn your throat, it doesn't taste anywhere near as bad as you'd expect. Though it's not very filling at all. Overall, not a good time.
>>727204Kothbiro shrugs. "More risk of causing trouble in the town itself if they try anything, I suppose. I think we should make a run for it. Try to get away from them and to town as soon as possible."
Taking a look back, you can't see the insurgents anymore, but they can't be far behind, if indeed they've picked up your trail.
>>727207Neridah looks at you funny, not sure what to make of your request. After mentally deliberating for a bit, she concedes, sticking out her arm and looking away, seeming embarrassed. "Fine. Just make it quick."
The fur is as soft as it looks.>>727207>>727206>>727205>>727204>>727203You move on, a bit warier now due to the news of the insurgents in pursuit. After a couple hours of more uneventful trekking, you clear the treeline, and the village Thungr spotted is in sight. It seems to be nestled near another bend of the river, nestled between it and another patch of trees. The area surrounding it is mostly rocks and tall grass. The problem in getting to the village, however, is twofold:
First, it turns out that you are at the top of a rather steep incline leading towards the village. There doesn't seem to be an easy way down, meaning it would be very easy to lose your footing while descending. This isn't much of an issue for Noghu or Sunbeam due to their digging skills and wings respectively, but the rest would have to be extremely careful while moving downwards.
The second problem is that the village is on the other side of the river. You can spot an old wooden bridge leading across, but it looks to be mostly rotted. Thungr recalls having almost slipped and fallen while crossing it when he arrived. You would either have to find another way around, brave the wooden bridge, or just wade through the river, which risks being swept by the current.
Neridah frowns. "I don't like the looks of this." Kothbiro steps forward tentatively, jerking back as she dislodges an unstable rock, which tumbles down the slop and cracks loudly on a boulder below. "Anyone have some rope?" she asks. "I think I lost mine in the dungeon."
No.727209
>>727208I'm already pulling off my pack and uncoiling my rope before the second cat even says anything. I drop the rope on the ground and retreat back into the forest to forage for a hefty stick, sharpen it, and carve a notch into it on my way back to the cliff. Crouching down, I use the back of my axe to nail the peg into the ground facing the opposite direction of the cliff and tie a hitch into the peg notch.
[1d10+2]DC-2
Roll #1 8 + 2 = 10 No.727210
>>727209Packing my pack back up, I firmly take the rope in my hand and pull it taught. Slowly, I start to descend the steep hill while lightly keeping my weight on the rope.
No.727211
>>727208"Why do we not just fl-" Sunbeam stops, realizing.
"I am not yet used to the company of non-dragons."
She pauses awkwardly.
"I will fly down now."
No.727212
>>727208Noghu begins to dig steps down hill despite his ability to tunnel, without alerting the others.
[1d10+1] Burrowing
Roll #1 1 + 1 = 2 No.727213
>>727208Kalidan eyes the edge warily. He's pretty sure he could pick out a path to safely descend for himself, and possible Neridah, but the others might have a problem. And at the bottom, the river is still an issue. If there's one thing Mr. Kitty doesn't appreciate, it's getting W E T.
He bares his teeth awkwardly as Kothbiro mentions losing her rope in the temple, trying not to make eye contact.
"So, what's the plan?" He looks behind him nervously. "We gotta get to the village to fight these assholes, right? Let me remind you that two out of three of them can fly. We're at a big disadvantage if we stay here."
Kalidan tries to look around for a way that would circumvent the steep incline and/or the river.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.727214
>>727208>>727210Waiting for Thungr to descend down the rope, the sorceress curls herself around the rope and begins the process of crawl-sliding down to the bottom, the soldier creekily following suit after.
"My thankss, Thungr!" she calls down to him. "Ever prepared indeed."
No.727215
>>727209>>727210Kothbiro frowns as you get right to work making an anchor for the rope and start rappeling down. "Huh. I suppose that's one way to go about it."
>>727211Kothbiro gives you a slightly judgmental look, while Neridah just looks amused. "Wish I had wings," the latter comments. "Seems so convenient for getting around."
You fly down to the bottom easily, waiting for the others to descend.
>>727212As you burrow, you dig through into an open space. Before it sinks in for you, it literally sinks in, causing a small landslide as you hit a hole in the ground, causing a cavein on the surface. You are pummeled by dirt, grass, rocks and other detritus.
>Noghu takes 1 hit>>727213Kothbiro nods. "Let's just keep moving. We're almost there. Hopefully they'll know better than to pick a fight in the middle of town. Though I don't expect you or anyone else to help. It's not your fight."
There seems to be a more stable bridge further on downriver, but it would add at least another hour to your journey going that path. As for the incline, you seem to be at one of the less steep parts of it. Further on, it just turns into a sheer cliff face.
However, you do manage to find a relatively stable path to pick your way down the side of the incline. Neridah follows suit, stepping exactly where you step. Before long, both of you are at the bottom, safe and sound.
>>727214>>727210As you each in turn arrive at the bottom unharmed, Kothbiro follows suit, rappeling down rather awkwardly. She almost slips due to her lack of proper hands, but nevertheless manages to slowly and carefully bring herself down, dusting herself off promptly as she reaches the bottom. "Wasn't so hard," she comments.
>>727214>>727213>>727211>>727209After a moment, there is a soft rumbling noise from further up the incline, and rocks begin to loosen and tumble as a crater starts to form. After the dirt cloud dissipates, you see a filthy, browbeaten looking Dog sitting in the middle of it. Neridah gives Noghu a sarcastic little round of applause. Kothbiro just frowns. "And this is why I call him Fool," she says to Sunbeam.
>pausing No.727216
>>727214I nod.
>>727211Once reaching the bottom of the cliff, I turn to the dragon and clear my throat. "Y'all, uh," I nod toward the spike at the top of the cliff. "Iffin y'all wouldn't mind flyin up there to grab that I'd greatly appreciate it. Still gotta use it to get across the water."
No.727217
>>727216"Your accent is interesting."
She flies up to the spike and retrieves it and the end of the rope. Returning she hands both to you.
"That was a good idea there. I have never seen something like it. You seem familiar with the land."
No.727218
>>727217"Learned a long time ago," I say, coiling my rope back up to make it easier to carry. "Live in the mountains. Got a lotta practice. Gonna need your help carryin' it across the way, too, if it ain't too much trouble. Just gonna wade through the river."
No.727591
>>727215Safely scaling down the cliff, the sorceress' attention is drawn to the crumbling cliffside. Seeing the dog once again, Vajra glares, her tail rattling, but says nothing.
"Let uss move on. The sship wass further ahead, passst the river."
No.727592
>>727215I deadpan as I watch the dog tumble. "Fools gonna get us kilt if he keeps followin' us like this," I grumble. Shaking my head, I turn back to the more important task of crossing the river. Not trusting the bridge, I look around for another stick I can carve into a second peg to make a tight guideline from bank to bank.
[1d10+2]DC-2
Roll #1 9 + 2 = 11 No.727593
>>727215The cat picks his way over to the bridge, eyeing it appraisingly. He does not relish the prospect of wading through the river, so he's hopeful for the bridge to be sound enough for him and Neridah at least.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.727594
>>727215Noghu looks up to hear the clapping, growling and shaking the dirt off him much like the dog he is. Still feeling magnanimous, however, he tries digging stairs into the soil up the way he came from, instead of up the opposite side.
[1d10+1] Burrowing
Roll #1 2 + 1 = 3 No.727595
>>727215"I see now" Sunbeam says to Kothbiro.
>>727592"Do you want me to fly this rope across as well? I do not think the cats will be willing to swim across."
She laughs at her own non-joke.
No.727596
>>727595I nod. "Hammer the peg in on the other side tilting away from the water. Cats can do what they want."
No.727597
>>727592The river is thankfully shallow enough to wade across without getting swept away. You find a reasonably sturdy stick, fashioning it into a peg. Kothbiro looks impressed by your outdoorsman skills.
>>727593It seems sturdy enough for the two of you to cross easily. Neridah goes first, gingerly feeling it out and crossing one step at a time. After she gets to the other side, you take care to step exactly where she steps. Unfortunately, you miscalculate, and step on a rotten plank. Your heart leaps into your throat as your foot plummets through the broken wood, leaving you stuck with little recourse. Alarmed, Neridah picks her way back over, grabbing her greatsword by the flat of the blade and extending the hilt out for you to grab onto.
>>727594Unfortunately, the soil gives way to solid stone, leaving little room for burrowing from hereon out. The only route you manage to pick out takes you a ways around from the rest of the group.
>>727595Neridah overhears you. "Yeah, we're not touching that. Rather risk the rotting bridge." She's bristling just at the sight of the water. "I can't swim anyway. Don't really have a choice…"
No.727598
>>727596>>727595>>727597I kneel down, hammer the peg into the ground without tying the rope around it just yet, and hold my axe out to the dragon.
No.727599
>>727597The world not wishing for him to help, Noghu sets his sights back on serving himself. He tunnels up across the other side of the hill, away from the others.
[1d10+1]
Roll #1 1 + 1 = 2 No.727600
>>727598"On it" She flies over the water, close enough to occasionally dip her feet in. Once she reaches the other side she uses Thungr's axe to hammer in the other peg.
As she finishes this, she notices Kalidan hanging precariously off the bridge and flies over.
"I thought you did not want to get wet?" She asks. "The water is quite nice however."
No.727601
>>727600Once the peg is hammered in on her side, I crouch down, pull the rope taught, and tie a second hitch into the peg I hammered in. Adjusting my pack to make sure it stays above water, I grab on to the rope and wade in, using the guideline to keep my balance in the current in case anything happens.
No.727602
>>727597"Ack!" he yelps as his paw breaks through the rotted wood. He eyes the water wildly, his hair all standing up straight. Hanging on for dear life and dryness, he gratefully accepts Neridah's help, grasping the hilt of the greatsword and pulling himself up with it.
Recover [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.727603
>>727601[1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.727604
>>727597Holding for the moment as Thungr assembles a rope pully, i Wait for my turn to cross before beginning the move, the soldier following after.
[1d10] Vajra
[1d10] Soldier
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 No.727605
>>727599You pop up above ground well away from the others, popping up right as you hear a large rumbling sound. From the rocky slopes above, pebbles and debris start to fall, followed by an enormous boulder, which starts tumbling down the hill in your direction!
>roll to dodge>>727603>>727604You both get completely soaked to the bone from the waist down. The water is cold, and quite clear; you can see the bottom as if it were covered by a sheet of glass, large colorless fish brushing against you as they swim downstream purposefully. You make it to the other side in one piece, sodden but otherwise unharmed. Kothbiro follows you, grumbling indistinctly as she gets drenched, but makes it over safely, taking a moment to catch her breath after wading for so long.
>>727602You grab on to the sword, and Neridah pulls you up with a mighty heave. After a minute to recover, you pick your way over to the other side, a bit shaken but safe and sound for the moment.
No.727606
>>727605Noghu whines and lets out a worried cackle, rolling out of the way.
[1d10+1]
Roll #1 3 + 1 = 4 No.727607
>>727605"Thanks," Kalidan says as he is lifted to safety, casting one last resentful look at the river as they reach the other side. He sticks his tongue out at it and turns his back on it forever.
Rejoining the others, he asks, "How was the water? Looks cold." The hint of a smirk plays across his feline features.
No.727608
>>727600>>727600I shake one of my legs and brush a bit of the water off before letting my cloak drop back below my waist and pulling it tighter around me. I look at the dragon and clear my throat. "Mind grabbin that for me one last time?"
No.727609
>>727605keeping her bandages above the water, The sorceress emerges from the river worse for wear, the cold sapping the energy from her cold-blooded form.
>>727607"Jusst wonderful.." hisses Vajra, rattling her tail weakly. "I sshould have chanced the bridge."
No.727610
>>727607"The water was very nice." She says, oblivious to the sarcasm.
>>727608"We seem to do this quite often." She says as she flies off to retrieve the spike yet again
No.727611
>>727609>>727607"Fall while holdin the line ya slip and catch yourself. Fall on the bridge ya risk goin under and losin control, crackin yer noggin, fallin under debris or some other such nastiness. After my first run-in, weren't a risk I was gonna take."
No.727612
>>727610I give a nod in thanks, untie both hitches, drop both pegs to the ground, and coil my rope back up. After giving another nod confirming that I do do this kinda thing often enough, I turn around and continue toward the village.
No.727613
>>727606You try to get out of the way, avoiding getting crushed by the boulder, but you are clipped by some additional debris that falls in its wake, taking a painful blow to the back.
>Noghu takes 1 hit>actually at 4/5 now due to being out of combat for a while>>727607Neridah gives you a little wink.
"Awful, as expected," Kothbiro replies with a grimace, doing her best to get dry out in the sun. Neridah's curiosity gets the better of her, and she dips a toe in gingerly, only to recoil and bristle as if it were acid.
>>727607>>727608>>727609>>727610Kothbiro stops sulking for a moment and looks to the nearby village, taking a few steps towards it before turning back. "You coming?" she asks, before starting to hike there regardless. Neridah stops for a moment, then shrugs and follows onward.
No.727614
>>727613I walk along with Kothbrio and head into town. After a second, I stop, turn to the dragon, cock my eyebrow, hold out my hand, and say, "Axe?"
No.727615
>>727613pulling herself back upright, the sorceress Follows behind Kothbiro, the soldier clattering behind her.
No.727616
>>727611"Rather risk not getting wet. Yeuck."
>>727613"Let's go, then!" He takes off behind the girls, heading toward the village. He looks back to confirm the group is still together, then searches the ridge behind them for any sign of the trio trailing them.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.727617
>>727614"Ah, I had almost forgotten." She says as she hands his axe back to him. "It is heavier than it looks. I am not used to a weapon of such weight."
No.727618
>>727617I take the axe, grunt, hook it into the wooden frame of my pack, and continue on.
No.727619
>>727613Miffed, Noghu sits down and licks his own wounds, watching in silent dejection as the others make their leave.
No.727620
>>727619Sunbeam walks over to the hyenadog.
"Are you… okay? That all looked quite painful."
She pauses awkwardly.
"Do you need help?"
No.727621
>>727614>>727615>>727616You enter the village, passing through a small wooden archway reading "WELCOME TO BYWATER!". It is a small little hamlet, consisting of a handful of stone buildings with thatched roofs. It is quite small, consisting mainly of farmland. You can see a lumber mill in town, as well as a forge, a tavern, and a general goods store. It is mostly rural and self sustaining; many of the houses have a vegetable garden attached, and as you approach, you can see a cart full of fresh fish being pulled into town. It has a few roads leading from it off into the mountains or to the river. Most of the townsfolk seem to be saurians, griffons and hippogriffs, though there are a few ponies around as well. Overall, the atmosphere of Baywater is quaint, and not unwelcoming. Many of the townsfolk look surprised to see outsiders coming in, but you don't sense much hostility.
"Oh this is comfy," Neridah comments, looking around with a smile. "Good place to hole up for the day, don't you think?"
Kothbiro has other things on her mind. She looks around with an unhappy frown. "Where's the fool?" she asks all of a sudden. "We need him."
No.727622
>>727620Noghu looks up, puzzled.
"You not bird horse nor bird."
No.727623
>>727622"This is… true." She says with a delay. "I am not a horse or a bird. Come, we should catch up with the group. I can carry you across the river."
She says, gently extending a hand to help Noghu up.
"Do you have a name?"
No.727624
>>727621I split off from the rest of the group. I doubt there's much in the way of places to sell what I picked up in the temple, but there's at least gotta be a place to hunker down, grab a drink, warm up, and relax. I keep an eye out for the former, but primarily set out to find the latter.
[1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.727625
>>727621Kalidan smiles as Neridah describes the town as comfy. "Sure," he agrees. "We can grab some supplies and hunker down."
He sniffs the air, catches sight of the cart of fresh fish, and trails behind it, intent to follow wherever it's headed. If the situation presents itself, he intends to swipe a tastyfish.
Stealy Kitty [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.727626
>>727623Noghu blinks, pulling himself up.
"Yes."
No.727627
>>727626"Ah, good." She says, gesturing towards him to follow her back to town. "I am sure it is not Fool, as those others call you."
Sunbeam walks towards the river, hopefully followed by the hyena.
No.727628
>>727621"digging hiss way through the river, no doubt. With luck, we may pluck the gem from the flooded tunnel."
equally grumpy Vajra also scans the horizon for a moment. "Where wass that dragon? did sshe wander off too?"
the sorceress' hunger catches up to her, prompting a search further into the town for the tavern. "He will sshow up eventually i'm ssure. For now, i musst tend to the cold and the hunger."
No.727629
>>727627A bit dejected after his digging failures, Noghu acts less cautiously and follows, walking with an even greater hunch than normal.
No.727630
>>727629"You seem to enjoy digging very much. Dragons cannot do that; or at least I have never tried."
She says, as she reaches the river.
"Should I carry you across? Or do you have another way?"
No.727631
>>727624>>727628Thungr's been here before, and vaguely remembers which way to go for the inn. You find it eventually, after a bit of looking around: the Dancing Maenad Inn is a squat little one story wooden building, with a rickety sign depicting a mare in a dress in a strange pose. Inside, the structure consists of a stone floor with a bear skin rug, with a few benches, tables and chairs set up, as well as a stone chimney. The fireplace isn't lit yet. A few doors lead to private rooms, and the bar at the far end is well kept and boasts fresh kegs ready to be tapped.
There isn't much of a clientele at this time of day; the bartender and a barmaid are around, both homely looking black and white griffons. The latter seems to be the former's daughter. There are a few citizens of Bywater staying out of the sun and secluding themselves to tables and alcoves. All eyes are on you as you enter, most seeming intimidated by the sight of you all, especially Thungr and Vajra's minion. Some barflies visibly shrink away from you fearfully, and ill murmurs rumble across the room. Kothbiro looks a bit frustrated by the reception. "Maybe you ought to leave it outside," she whispers into Vajra's ear.
>>727625You follow the fish cart for a while, pulled by a large, shaggy earth pony. As his back is turned and he heads into a building, you look around to make sure the coast is clear before striking like a snake, pilfering a large, fresh salmon. Neridah snatches one for herself and flits into the shadows before anyone can tell her otherwise.
No.727632
>>727631"Can't blame nobody for bein' worried about a witch's witchin'," I mumble. I walk away to find the nearest seat with my back to the wall, sit down, and offload my pack beside me.
No.727633
>>727630"Can try and vault."
Noghu says, rubbing his chin.
No.727634
>>727633"…I think it would be better if i just carried you."
No.727635
>>727634"Could make it." Noghu protests.
No.727636
>>727635"I am sure you could. Perhaps we will try sometime. Sometime later."
She says this as she come up behind him and holds him up by his armpits as she attempts to fly across.
[1d10] Flying across
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.727637
>>727631Kalidan follows Neridah into the shadows, holding his prize like a proud new father carries his firstborn. He snuggles back into the darkness with it and begins to feast. He smiles at his new companion, cheeks stuffed with sweet salmon flesh.
After eating his fill, he stashes what he has room for in his pack and sets off to explore the town. He clambers to the roof of a building to catch a look around.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.727638
>>727631Vajra rolls her eyes but relents, shooing the soldier out the entrance to stand nearby.
"Very well."
as the soldier stomps back out the door, the sorceress slithers further in to take a seat.
No.727639
>>727636>>727635Noghu is much, much heavier than he looks. Sunbeam barely manages to stay aloft as you cross the river, holding him in a death grip. Just as you're about to get to the other side, however, Sunbeam's arms give way from the exertion, and the Dog falls into the river, landing on all fours and startling a school of salmon.
>Noghu takes 1 hit No.727640
>>727637She smiles back as you scarf down the delicious, tender salmon together. No words are exchanged, as you're both quite hungry at this point. Neridah practically inhales hers, leaving nothing but the head, tail, and a scattering of bones.
You try to haul yourself onto the roof of a building, but you can't seem to find a good spot to do so. There are no trees around, having been cut down for lumber, and the architecture of the buildings makes it hard to clamber onto a roof without a ladder of some sort. You get funny looks from a passing pony. Neridah is as dogged as you are, however, and starts looking for a way up to get a vantage point.
[1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.727641
>>727639Sunbeam panics, and immediately reaches for Noghu and attempts to pull him back onto land with her.
[1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.727642
>>727638>>727632The soldier leaves, but it doesn't help diffuse the townsfolk's apprehension towards you. Kothbiro takes a seat as well, drumming her hoof on the table impatiently, her mind clearly still on Noghu.
After a while, the griffon barmaid reluctantly approaches, clearly intimidated by you all. She forces a smile as she comes up to the table. "What can I get for you?" she asks politely.
No.727643
>>727639Noghu aims down with his spear as he falls, hoping to catch a fish on the sharp end as a surprise
aerial attack.
[1d10+1] DC-1
Roll #1 4 + 1 = 5 No.727644
>>727642Oh. Guess they're sitting with me. "Ale," I say without looking at the barmaid. "And somethin hot."
No.727645
>>727643>>727641Sunbeam manages to grab Noghu by the scruff of the neck as she dives down, hoisting him onto the river shore, but not before he's able to spear himself a particularly fat salmon.
No.727646
>>727645>>727641Noghu shakes himself dry with little regard to the dragon nearby, looking particularly proud of the fish.
"Could have jumped."
No.727647
>>727645As she pulls Noghu back onto land she apologizes profusely.
"I am so so sorry about that! You just ended up being a lot heavier than I exp-"
>>727646She sighs.
"Oh. Yes, perhaps that would have worked better."
She says, upset as she walks towards town.
No.727648
>>727640Kalidan watches Neridah as she struggles to climb up. "Here, what if I boost you?" he suggests, putting his paws together to form a makeshift platform.
No.727649
>>727647Noghu follows a few meters away, occasionally taking a bite of the raw fish.
No.727651
>>727647>>727649You enter the quiet little town of Bywater, getting odd looks from the residents. See
>>727621 for a description.
No.727652
>>727648Neridah pauses and nods. "Co op works, yeah." She doesn't hesitate to step up on your paws and spring off, struggling to haul herself onto the roof. Once that's done, she extends the hilt of her sword again to you to help you up. "Good thinking!"
No.727653
>>727642Vajra fixes the barmaid with her serpentine gaze "A meal to warm the sscales, pleasse. It hass been quite the ordeal to get here, ssomething cooked would be nice."
No.727654
>>727651>>727647Noghu looks uncomfortable upon reaching the town's limits, staying to the outskirts.
"Not my pack."
No.727656
>>727654"Your pack? I did not see you wearing a satchel of sorts. Did you lose it in the river?"
No.727657
Kalidan tries not to look too pleased with himself as she compliments him. He takes the sword hilt and pulls himself up, nodding a thanks to her. His gaze lingers on her a short moment before he turns to the village below them.
"So, where to next? Still gotta hawk that emerald, maybe get some supplies. Or do you want to just grab a drink and catch up with the others?"
No.727658
>>727656Noghu laughs in his odd canine way, "This place, different tribe."
No.727659
>>727644>>727653"I'll just have some mead," says Kothbiro. "Thanks."
The barmaid writes down your orders. "One ale, one mead, one hot cocoa, and one beef stew, coming right up!" She walks off to go hand in the order. You hear her breathe a sigh of relief as she leaves your table.
Kothbiro looks uncomfortable, occasionally glancing out the window as if expecting her pursuers to pop up at any moment. "I was hoping this place would be more heavily guarded," she avers. "It's better than camping in the woods though."
"By the way. Thungr, is it. I was speaking to Vajra before about a possible employment opportunity in one of the larger towns. My master, Styr Thenn, would like very much to have someone of your… skills… under his wing. You'll be well rewarded, I assure you. The only thing is we'd have to separate the fool from his gem. What do you think?"
No.727660
>>727657You get a nice view of Bywater from the roof. It's not much to look at, but it's cozy enough.
"Should look for a store in town," she suggests, stretching out her legs and getting a bit more comfortable. "Maybe see what the others want to do. Maybe even catch up with the Dog and see if we can't nick that gem off of him. Eh? Or-"
"Excuse me!"
She is interrupted by a portly, middle aged griffon hauling a sack of vegetables, looking up at you both. She doesn't seem happy at all. "Would you mind getting off of my house! You can't be up there!"
No.727661
>>727658"Ah. I understand."
She pauses for a minute, contemplating what to say next.
"I am a far way from my tribe as well. It is hard to be so far for so long. But I know I must continue on."
She sits beside him, outside of town.
"What takes you so far from your tribe?"
No.727663
>>727659I tap my finger on the table as I think about it. Suddenly I realize that, having still not sold the thing I found in the temple, I've left all my money at home. "Cover the tab," I say, "And we'll talk."
No.727664
>>727661"Took food. Need to live."
He looks at the half eaten fish on his spear, then to the dragon.
"You no take food."
No.727665
>>727660Kalidan nods. "Store would be a good idea. And we'll have to get the gem off the dog eventually, of course."
The cat stares at the griffon as they are told off, then laughs and gives her a rude gesture. "Why don't you make us?" He stands and leaps to another nearby roof, more to get away from the annoying griffon than to comply with her *rather rude* request.
"Geez, what an old biddy," he remarks to Neridah.
He begins to make his way to the general store, his 35 gold pieces figuratively burning a hole in his pocket.
No.727667
>>727664"Ah you were committed to exile because you stole food? What a harsh culture."
At the talk of food, Sunbeam realizes she is hungry as well.
"I didn't take your fish because you earned it yourself. And I much prefer eating animals of land, not the sea."
She thinks for a moment.
"Perhaps there is more food for us in town?"
No.727668
>>727667Noghu growls, "Not steal, alphas steal. No more alphas, just Noghu."
he thinks for a while about entering a town, eventually coming to a conclusion. "That was not sea."
No.727669
>>727659>>727663"Excellent! With your sstrength, the gem will be ssurely be ourss!" replies the sorceress, suppressing a gleeful cackle.
No.727671
>>727665Without replying, the griffon grabs a broom and swipes at you, trying to shoo you off the roof. You dodge it and scarper, Neridah following you. You come to realize you're on the roof of the local goods store now. "Good timing," she remarks, and the two of you hop off the roof and enter the shop.
The interior is dimly lit, consisting of little more than a wooden counter with an odd metal cat effigy that seems to be rigged to wave at you. The shelves are loaded with all manner of useful items for an outdoorsman: rope, torches, lanterns, collapsible ladders, rations, canteens, hammers, hatchets, firestarters, antivenoms, bedrolls, healing potions, backpacks, and binoculars are all on display for a disparity of prices. Behind the counter is a crystal pony with a short grey beard, who seems to be taking a nap. Neridah grins like a Cheshire cat as she sees this. "Score!" she whispers to you excitedly.
No.727672
>>727663"I can try," she nods. "Don't have much money on me, but enough for some meals and a room, at least."
>>727669"He didn't agree to anything yet," Kothbiro points out.
>>727663>>727669The barmaid comes back with the food and drinks, serving them to you in turn. The ale is served in a frothing metal tankard, while Vajra's beef stew is steaming hot, and looks delicious. Kothbiro cradles her mead moodily, not taking a drink yet, looking out the window again. "Enjoy!" the barmaid says cheerily, and leaves you all to it.
No.727673
>>727668"Ah. You are not a thief. You left to leave the thieves."
She pauses.
"I will not steal from you."
She pauses again.
"And you are right, that fish was of river, not sea. How foolish of me. We should try to find the others now."
She says, getting up and walking towards town.
No.727674
>>727669"Said we'd talk," I add. "Ain't promisin nothin yet, witch."
No.727675
>>727672"You too," I say. I pause, realizing what I just said, slowly pick up my ale, and sip it.
No.727676
>>727673Noghu shifts uncomfortably, looking away from the village.
"Mark tree first."
No.727677
>>727675>>727674>>727672Pretending that didn't just happen, I look up at Kothbrio and cock my eyebrow, waiting for her to go on.
No.727679
>>727676"Mark…tree? I am afraid I do not understand. Is this a diamond dog ritual?"
No.727680
>>727679Noghu blinks again. "Need to go."
No.727681
>>727680"Ah."
…
"I will be in town."
She walks into town, staying near the entrance.
No.727683
>>727681>>727672Noghu finds a place with a rock or tree that's unassuming enough and digs a small hole, burying the gemstone and doing his business over it later in case he needs to find the burial spot later by means other than sight.
No.727684
>>727674Rattling her tail at the dismissive 'witch', Vajra takes a moment to drink some of the stew.
"It would be wisse to agree. I am told Sstyr Thenn iss a warlord of great power, ssuch that your alliance will be mosst fruitful, provided you are sskilled enough to be chossen."
No.727686
>>727684I just grunt, put off by the 'warlord' part.
No.728123
>>727675The ale is quite pleasant, warming the cockles of your soul.
>>727677>>727684"Warlord is a strong term. I would use the term unifier. In a period of civil war, he managed to bring his land together, connecting them as one people. The Nicanorian Empire. Many others have sworn fealty to him since, expanding his territory further. Those who refuse him come to realize their folly in time."
"In any case. It is his - our - intent to refashion the world we live in into one unified kingdom. My master and his retinue are currently north from here, in the town of Galatian. His armies are working to secure the region. I am certain if you were to speak to our people, they would have a place for you. Especially with your skills. Both of you, really."
"If not, well, Galatian is a good place to go regardless. It's the nearest city from here. Much more useful than this little hamlet. Vajra here has already agreed to it. What say you?"
No.728124
>>727683You find a dead tree with a distinctive shape, bury the gem at its foot and relieve yourself for good measure, soon rejoining Sunbeam.
>>727683>>727681The village of Bywater is small and rural, mostly self sustaining. It has a pleasant and inviting atmosphere. Its inhabitants seem like simple folk, toiling off the land in order to keep their village running. Agriculture, lumber and fishing seem to be the main professions practiced; most of the stone, straw-roofed buildings have an adjacent animal pen or vegetable garden, and every once in a while, you see a passing wagon carrying fresh produce. It seems to have a few roads leading from it into the distant mountains to parts unknown, or towards the river. You get the feeling they don't see foreigners like yourselves often, but you don't feel unwelcome here.
It has a few buildings of note:
A tavern called the Dancing Maenad stands on the main road leading through the town, a small, squat little building. Seems to be gaining traction with the day winding on.
There seems to be a general goods store as well, uncreatively named "Dolomite's Goods". It is an unremarkable wooden building.
There is a forge, currently being worked by a powerful looking earth pony, as well as an adjacent lumber mill.
There is also a tiny market active right now, mostly selling fresh food of all kinds.
Bywater does not appear to have very many guards. Those that are on patrol seem to be volunteers from its populace. Seems nothing much happens in this place, at least not enough to warrant an official security force.
No.728125
>>728124>>727681Noghu looks around, sticking close to the dragon lady, curious but unimpressed.
"Not with pack, need many to take food. Why here?"
No.728126
>>728123I take another long pull of the ale as I think it over. On one hand I don't want to get myself tied up with the nasty stuff wars bring. On the other, there's probably some good money in it. I click the tankard against the table a little harder than I meant to and sit up straight in my chair.
"No contracts," I say. "I help until I don't."
No.728127
>>728124Sunbeam takes in Bywater, a little off-put by its… simple appearance.
>>728125"I believe this is where the others went. My journey with you all was only to here, but I feel the need to give farewells to your friends."
She surveys the town, searching for signs of where the party went.
"Do you know where they would be?" She says to Noghu
Searching [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.728129
>>728127"No, not friends."
No.728130
>>728127>>728125Sunbeam wagers the tavern would be a good place to check, and so you both enter the Dancing Maenad. It is an unassuming little inn, befitting the rest of the town. The floor is made of stone, with a bear skin rug at the fireplace, and a few benches, chairs and tables set up. There are a few private rooms for rent, and behind the polished wooden bar are several fresh kegs. The staff seem to be an older black and white griffon as the bartender and her daughter the barmaid, who has the same feather patterns. There's a few other patrons, including Thungr, Vajra and Kothbiro at a table. The villagers look at Noghu oddly. He stands out like a sore thumb next to everyone else.
>>728126She frowns. "That's not how this works. You'd be in the service of my liege. Deserters and traitors aren't treated with kindness. But if you value your freedom so highly, I won't hold it against you if you refuse to join. It would be in your best interests, but I can't force you."
>>728126>>727684The negotiations are interrupted as Sunbeam and Noghu enter the tavern, the latter drawing a bit of attention.
No.728131
>>728130I drain the last of my tankard, let out a loud belch, slam it down, and shrug. "Ain't no skin off my nose, miss Zebra. Y'all came to me. Still got some stuff to sell off that I doubt this place can pay for, but I gotta drop by my cabin to resupply before that little journey. Don't got no job to turn in, so it ain't like I'm in a rush."
No.728132
>>728131>>728130"very well.. if you wish to ssell the treassure, you may asss well journey with uss to Galatian, i am certain you could part with it eassily enough there."
>>728130The accursed dog.. Vajra rattles her tail upon seeing him, but holds her tongue, meeting Kothbiro's eyes and nodding her head towards Noghu.
No.728133
>>728130Unnerved by the number of people staring at him, Noghu keeps near the door, knowing not to enter a bear's cave when it is occupied. He snickers nervously.
No.728134
>>728132I cock an eyebrow. "Y'all-" I pause. "Y'all're actually gonna hike halfway up Mount Staralfur to my cabin with me so I can travel with ya? I gotta grab more 'shine, fresh clothes-" I look down and open my cloak slightly, reminding her that I am, in fact, pretty much entitely nude underneath. "And a bunch'a other stuff. It's a couple few days outta the way."
No.728135
>>728130Sunbeam enters quietly, taking care not to step on the bear rug. She sees Noghu uncomfortable and stands between him and everyone else, trying to look intimidating.
No.728136
>>728134The sorceress hisses in irritation. "Of coursse not. I had asssumed it would be closser, but that far away iss a wasste of time."
No.728137
>>728133[1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.728139
>>728131Kothbiro looks a bit annoyed at the idea of you bouncing. "Well I can't stay here for long. Not with those three after me. I'll be heading for Galatian come morning, and from there we can meet up at the city. If you're willing to travel there, that is. Though, perhaps it would be easier to simply travel there first and stock up on supplies? Seems they'd have more to choose from than your own stockpile."
>>728132Kothbiro gives you a meaningful look. You sense she's wondering how to get the gem off of Noghu. Brute force doesn't seem like a viable option.
>>728133>>728137You take a good look around the village. You don't feel very welcome here. Most people look at you with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity.
At the far end of the main road leading through the town, coming through the archway, you spot three silhouettes entering the village: a cloaked griffon, a pegasus accompanied by a dog, and a large saurian carrying some cargo. You recall Kothbiro and Kalidan's talk of being followed by three figures. You don't get the feeling they have good intentions.
>>728135Your size draws attention as well. Most townsfolk don't look like they've seen a dragon before. Eventually, you are approached by the barmaid, who gives you a polite little smile. "Welcome! What can we do for you?" she asks softly, trying not to look intimidated.
No.728140
>>728139Sunbeam drops the visage when she is approached, pulling her wings in.
"Ah, I did not mean to-" She stops herself in a flustered mess. "Just water would be fine. I do not have the currency of this land."
She continues to awkwardly stand in the tavern.
No.728141
>>728140"Water it is then." You continue to stand there for a moment before the barmaid asks you if you'd like a seat, and you opt to sit with the other three. Kothbiro raises an eyebrow at the awkward moment, tilting her head in confusion. "You're not from around here, are you."
No.728142
>>728139"And hope the little statue thingy I found is worth enough for what I need. I can refill my water skin at the stream, but I'm low on shine, nekkid, and all I gots in the way of food is some pemmican and oats. Enough for two days, but," I chuckle. "Oats don't sit so good on my belly. Ain't too bad, but let's just say y'll wanna be down wind a piece a couple hours after dinner or more." I sigh and rub my nose, just realizing something. "But I guess that also means I don't got what I need to get back home without huntin in the first place. Shoot."
I shake my head and slump down in the chair a little. "Guess it couldn't hurt. My cabin is three days or better out, and that ain't accountin on the time it'll take to get back. Alright. Guess I'll just go with y'all."
No.728143
>>728141"That is true, Kothbiro. My home is very far from here. South from here. Such a different land, so many different ponies."
She says, almost caught in a daydream of home.
No.728144
>>728142She does a bit of a double take as you start talking much more than usual. “Hm. Probably for the best if you do. It’s like the cat said: safety in numbers. Perhaps if you wish to return home, we might find aught worth selling in Galatian afterwards.”
No.728145
>>728139Naturally curious and wanting to see what the strangers approaching the village are up (with the added benefit of getting away from judging eyes), Noghu slinks off to shadow them as they enter town.
[1d10+2] Lurk
Roll #1 2 + 2 = 4 No.728146
>>728143You seem to have piqued her interest. “What’s it like?” she presses, curious to know more.
No.728147
>>728144I nod and move to take a drink of my ale, realizing too late that it's already gone. Guess that's it. Ain't going home yet.
No.728148
>>728145You creep around the buildings, through a carrot patch and try to tail them as they walk into town. You get a better look at them in the process:
The griffon wears a brown cloak, and a single metal gauntlet over her left talon. She bears some sort of brand or scar on her chest.
The pegasus has a dark, curly mane and a short beard, wearing a fancy orange tunic and bearing a broadsword strapped to his side and a lyre on his back. His dog is large, grey and shaggy, with doleful brown eyes.
The saurian is the largest of the three, with black and beige scales, fierce claws for climbing, and a long, narrow head. He resembles a monitor lizard. He carries an iron mace, a rope, and several packs worth of gear.
As you watch them from the garden, the pegasus' dog picks up your scent, and starts sniffing you out, barking in your direction. The three of them seem wary, starting to move in your direction. "Something wrong, girl?" the pegasus asks, looking around suspiciously. He has an odd accent you haven't heard before.
No.728149
>>728143"Hmm.. perhapss you would be interessted in our work asss well? We have businesss in Galatian, a few dayss travel from here, to sspeak with Sstyr Thenn the unifier."
No.728150
>>728146"Warmer. Much more vegetation. Much more… dragons. Less travelers like you. Rains a lot more often."
Sunbeam sounds like she could just keep listing things. She stares into her water, lost in her reflection a bit.
No.728152
>>728148Noghu burrows out of sight, interested in the prospect of a meal.
[1d10+2] Burrow
Roll #1 10 + 2 = 12 No.728153
>>728152You start digging up the carrot bed, disturbing the soil greatly and tunneling a good six feet or so below the surface, being sure to cover up your tracks as you go. There's no disguising the turned up soil, however, and you can feel the dog above digging and growling where you were. The others seem dismissive of this, however.
"Reckon he found something?" the saurian asks, having a deep, bassy voice.
"Probably just a mole," the griffon answers dismissively. She has a low, husky sort of voice. "Come on. We've almost caught up to her." They seem to leave after that.
No.728154
>>728150She listens politely. "I've never been to a dragon land before. It sounds… different. But not unlike my homeland really. Where I'm from, there's nothing but trees and vines as far as the eye can see. Quite warm there as well. I don't think I'll be going there for a long time though. Duty calls."
>>728149>>728150She nods intently as Vajra brings up the idea. "I've actually been working on recruiting some of these misfits to my master's cause. Would you be interested? You seem quite capable."
No.728155
>>728153Noghu follows underneath deep enough not to obviously disturb the surface as he did back at the temple, wondering who they're stalking.
No.728156
>>728154"Ah, I can understand a longing to return home. But this "duty" calls me as well."
The dragon seems a bit confused at the proposition.
"I have much cause as it stands." She asserts. "But now I realize I may not have been seeking the right answer."
She trails off, looking back into her water.
No.728157
>>728156>>728154>>728149All this conversation is nice and all, but still can't figure out why everyone keeps sittin with me. I look down into my empty tankard, and, not wanting to spook the barmaid who is obviously already uncomfortable, I just hold it up and stare at her.
No.728158
>>728155While you can't see them, you keep following the vibrations of their footsteps, digging tunnels underneath the town. You hear them asking questions to the townsfolk nearby, but you can't quite make out what they're saying.
>roll Perception if interested No.728159
>>728158[1d10] snooping on snoopy
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.728160
>>728156"I should clarify. What my master seeks is a unification of the world. No more isolated towns, but one empire. Many have joined his cause already. He's currently stationed in a city a few days from here. Thungr and Vajra here are accompanying me. Would you like to join such a cause? There'll be plenty of lucrative work in it for you."
>>728157If anything, this puts her even more ill at ease, but she forces a smile. "Another ale?" she asks. As you (presumably) confirm, she takes the tankard and gets you a refill.
>>728157>>728156>>728151As the barmaid returns with more ale for Thungr, she asks you a question. "Will you be looking to hire rooms for tonight?" she asks politely.
No.728161
>>728159You hear the word 'zebra' thrown around. Presumably Kothbiro. After asking around a bit, they seem to go off in the direction of the tavern.
No.728162
>>728161Hoping for a confrontation to make for a good distraction to take the small animal following the pegasus, Noghu continues to stalk beneath the ground.
No.728163
>>728160I blink as she seems even more uncomfortable. I wasn't loud or nothin. Shrugging it off, I nod and take the tankard. "Thank ya," I say. I turn back to Kothbrio. "I can spend the night outside town if y'all don't got enough for all these rooms."
No.728164
>>728160"Ah, you do not have understanding."
She pauses for a second, thinking if she said that right or not.
"I would join your cause. I do not know much about it, but I am far from home and short on… what are they called here? Bits? Those. But my conviction is true, and my homeland endangered. I must press on my own path."
She says, somewhat proud of her decent english.
No.728165
>>728162As they draw closer to the tavern, it becomes harder and harder to track them, until, as they ascend the steps to it, the trail fades altogether.
>>728163Kothbiro handwaves the notion. "If we're going to be working together, the least I can do is cover accommodation until we get to Galatian. It's on me. This time."
>>728164"Endangered?" she asks. "Endangered how? Perhaps if your homeland joined my master's cause, he could defend them against outside threats."
>>728164>>728163>>728151The conversation is cut short by the sound of approaching footsteps, and the sound of a few plucked strings from an instrument. Kothbiro looks over, and her demeanor instantly grows icy. Standing in the doorway are three individuals, staring her down with misintent. See
>>728148 for a description. The room goes deathly quiet. Though words aren't exchanged at first, it's clear they don't intend on peace.
"Kothbiro."
The griffon approaches, being handed the broadsword by the pegasus before doing so. She walks over to your table, unsheathing the sword. "Remember this? It's the same sword."
The zebra's eyes narrow as she stares down the scarred griffon. "Hypocrite," she hisses. The latter ignores this, turning her attention instead to the rest of you. "We won't waste your time. We just want her, and the Heart. We'd rather avoid any bloodshed here if possible, so just give us what we want and stay out of our way." Kothbiro's expression remains inscrutable, eyes fixed on the griffon.
No.728166
>>728165As Sunbeam is about to respond, the trio interrupts.
"Ah, then we are in agreeance. No bloodshed." She rises from the table, standing at full height and spreading wings. "Then you will all leave now. Yes?"
Nobody is quite sure who she is addressing, but the message is clear.
Intimidate [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.728167
>>728165the sorceress glares at the newcomers, rattling her tail threateningly. "You dare threaten
me?! The Heart will be
mine, and i will not stomach the demands of foolss who get in my way!"
"Be gone, before i parade your corpssess through this town!"
[1d10] intimidation
in preparation for the commotion, the sound of rattling bones and chains can be heard from the entrance. The soldier is returning from its vigil.
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.728168
>>728165Unaware of where exactly they have lead, Noghu tries his hardest to pinpoint the location of the dog by burrowing underneath the tavern.
[1d10] perception
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.728169
>>728165>>728166I grumble, shake my head, and pull myself to my hooves. "No trouble is right," I say. "Now,I ain't got no problem with y'all yet, but if you plan on makin a scene I suggest we do it outside of town instead of inside this poor griffin lady's nice bar."
[1d10]Intimidate
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.728170
>>728166"No bloodshed. Not yet," the griffon agrees. "We'll leave when we get what we want," the pegasus chimes in, his dog sniffing around warily. "We don't want any trouble with you. I'm guessing you're no friends of hers. You're not with the Nicanorians, are you?"
>>728167The three exchange a glance, seeming skeptical of your claims. "I don't even know who you are," the griffon replies, looking a bit amused. The pegasus has to suppress a laugh.
>>728168You keep tunneling in their general direction, trying to dig up into the floor. Unfortunately, you dig right into solid, flat rock, the flooring of the tavern, breaking a nail on it. You hear snarling and barking coming from directly above you.
>>728169The griffon looks to her two companions, who nod in agreement. "Outside, then. We don't want to make a scene."
>>728169>>728167>>728166Before you can head outside like Thungr suggests, one of the stone tiles shifts under their feet, which drives the pegasus' dog into a frenzy, barking and snapping at the floor. No prizes for guessing what's moving the floor. The three seem on edge all of a sudden, backing away. "What is this?" the griffon demands, watching the moving stone like a hawk. Kothbiro looks stony, but can't help but smirk. "An idiot," she replies.
No.728171
>>728170Noghu halts, realizing his prize is above him. He backs up slightly, not wanting to pull attention to himself and his great plan.
No.728172
>>728170I sigh and rub my eyes with a thumb and forefinger. "We can't get rid of this damn dog, can we?"
No.728173
>>728170"You will bring no harm here."
Sunbeams intimidating presence falters for a moment as she asks
"Nicanorian?"
No.728174
>>728170As the pegasus chuckles, Vajra twitches in anger, quickly losing her temper!
Leaping up from her seat, she raises her claws as ethereal bandages flow into the ground.
"From ssoil, bone and magic bind, i call below a beasst inside! Wretched three who mock my power i offer thee to sshread and devour!
Reaper!"
[1d10] Raise Ancient
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.728175
>>728174"We really shouldn't do this in the building. Or in the town at all," I say, sounding more than a little worried. "Just in case."
No.728176
>>728175Still boiling over, the sorceress notes the injuries of the others and takes pause.
"You would ssuggesst i take ssuch an inssult without retaliation? To
laugh at my threatss, ssuch inssolence from them.."
No.728177
>>728170Hissing at the laughter from the pegasus, the sorceress rattles her tail in anger.
"Wretched creaturess! would that we met before navigating that ssandss-touched temple, i would prove my power to you!"
"..In any casse, the gem iss not here. The dog hass it."
No.728178
>>728171You back up, scooting backwards back into your little tunnel, avoiding attention for now. They seem to be moving outside now.
>>728172"Apparently not," Kothbiro shrugs, not taking her eyes off the trio.
>>728173Your confusion seems to confirm his beliefs. "If you don't know, then you can't be one of them. So we don't have any qualms."
>>728177"We're not looking for a fight, we just want Kothbiro and the Heart," the griffon reiterates. "We don't want to have to hurt anyone, but we will."
The saurian, who has until now remained silent, tilts his head in confusion. "Dog? What dog?"
"He'll probably show up soon enough," Kothbiro grumbles.
>>728177>>728172>>728173As the situation de-escalates, the large saurian grabs Kothbiro by the shoulder, forcing her to stand up. She struggles, but is outnumbered, and seemingly unsure whether you'll defend her if it comes to it. Reluctantly, she follows them outside. "You should come with us," the griffon suggests before they do, looking oddly at Vajra's minion. "You know where the Heart is, after all. We'll need to find this dog you mentioned."
No.728223
[font6]test
[font6]test[/font6]
No.728829
>>728176I knit my brow. "No, no, it ain't that, I just- well, you seen the fight with that monkey. Last I we need is that happening in town. Someone could get hurt what don't deserve it."
>>728178I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh. Can't just wait til we ain't with her anymore. Gotta go makin a scene. I shake my head and grumble as I follow them out.
No.728830
>>728178Not wanting to make the mistake of possibly revealing himself, Noghu chooses to trail underground further back, knowing they will have to stop again at some point.
No.728831
Kalidan:
Without replying, the griffon grabs a broom and swipes at you, trying to shoo you off the roof. You dodge it and scarper, Neridah following you. You come to realize you're on the roof of the local goods store now. "Good timing," she remarks, and the two of you hop off the roof and enter the shop.
The interior is dimly lit, consisting of little more than a wooden counter with an odd metal cat effigy that seems to be rigged to wave at you. The shelves are loaded with all manner of useful items for an outdoorsman: rope, torches, lanterns, collapsible ladders, rations, canteens, hammers, hatchets, firestarters, antivenoms, bedrolls, healing potions, backpacks, and binoculars are all on display for a disparity of prices. Behind the counter is a crystal pony with a short grey beard, who seems to be taking a nap. Neridah grins like a Cheshire cat as she sees this. "Score!" she whispers to you excitedly.
No.728832
>>728178Glaring, the sorceress follows, rattling her tail slightly at her wounded pride. The soldier plods along after her.
"What Bussinesss have you with Kothbiro? She musst have caussed quite the sstir to chasse her all the way here.."
>>728829She fixes you with an incredulous look. "Oh? The sstoic hunter hass concern for these ssimple villagerss? You did not sstrike me ass ssentimental Within the temple."
No.728833
>>728178"No "qualms" is correct" She says, not sure what a qualm is.
She takes a single step forward, and lowers her arms to her sides, holding her claws out slightly.
>>728829"Thungr is right. If you insist we fight, let us do it elsewhere."
No.728835
>>728830You double back and stay underground, just beneath the surface such as you can hear what's going on above you.
>>728829>>728832>>728830>>728833You are all assembled outside, Noghu still completely hidden from view. The three strangers walk Kothbiro to the outskirts of town. The villagers give you a wide berth, most of them hiding away, the few guards there are looking at you with trepidation.
"Suppose we owe some more explanation," the large saurian keeps a vice grip on Kothbiro's foreleg. The zebra looks uncomfortable. Fearful, even. "I suppose we owe some more explanation," the sly pegasus says. The griffon nods. "It's clear you're not affiliated with Styr Thenn, at least not yet. My name is Berenike. My companions are Firmament and Titus." The pegasus and the saurian nod respectively. You notice Firmament's dog still sniffing around.
"You probably don't want to get too entangled with us, so we'll keep it brief," Berenike continues. "We've all suffered greatly at the hands of her master. We want revenge. To undo his work. If it weren't for this treasonous little
spotchka," she says bitterly, "we wouldn't be as fractured as we are."
"I had no choice!" Kothbiro protests. "They would have killed us all if I hadn't-" She is cut off as Titus squeezes her even more tightly, constricting her foreleg. Firmament stares her down with burning resentment. "If it weren't for you, Vril would never have fallen," he says quietly."My daughter would still be here if you hadn't sold us to that butcher…" His grip on his sword tightens.
Kothbiro sees this, and looks down at the ground. She looks regretful, her lip trembling a little. "Do it then. Get it over with."
"No." Titus speaks this time, refusing to relinquish his grip. "The living aren't done with you yet."
Berenike looks on vindictively, but turns back to you. "We'll take her from here, unless you really wish to get in our way. As for the Heart, well, it's no understatement to say that we need it more than anything. It will help our people's cause immensely. Please, give it to us, and don't get in our way. We don't want to spill any more blood than what's been done already."
Firmament's dog keeps sniffing, but not around where Noghu is this time. She starts perking up, her ears on point, her head raised high. Firmament notices this and turns away from Kothbiro for now. "What is it girl?" he asks softly.
Berenike doesn't notice this, and continues. "So how about it? Won't you help us? We can end this peacefully, here and now."
>roll Perception No.728836
>>728835Noghu waits patiently, trying to get an understanding of what's going on above.
[1d10] Percep
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.728837
>>728835"Sso.. you three are a part of a rebellion againsst Sstyr thenn? It iss no ssimple tassk to raisse weaponss againsst a figure ass he. What power drivess you forward? Ssimple passsion? A grand leader? or mere numberss?"
No.728838
>>728835"If what you say is truth, Kothbiro must face
Iki-Tal , or your deity of justice. If it is not truth, your reckoning will be for both deception and betrayal."
She turns her head to the sky.
"But it is not the place of a Trakali to judge the matterings of others. I cannot put my claws on the scales of justice. I am sorry Kothbiro."
She turns her head back to the ground.
"The topaz however I must have."
Sunbeam firmly states, absolutely uncompromising. A moment later, she blinks slowly, and closes a claw, wavering ever so slightly.
No.728839
>>728837>>728835[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.728840
>>728838[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.728841
>>728832I grunt. "Ain't sentiment," I ssy. "Just nice having places tonpass through without bein attacked."
>>728835I study them quietly as they talk, keeping my spear ready. When they're finished, I shake my head and run my hand through my greasy hair, smooting it back. "Got my own business with her," I say. "Can't it wait?"
[1d10+3] Perception
Roll #1 2 + 3 = 5 No.728842
>>728836While you can't see anything for obvious reasons, you sure sense it. A faint, distant rumbling, like dozens of footsteps running towards your location. They stop all of a sudden, as if to regroup before continuing forward.
>>728837"It used to be numbers," Firmament answers, not taking his eyes off of Kothbiro. "Only a dozen or so of us left now. You can thank her for that. She told the Butcher where we were hiding, and he came down and burned it all down. Nothing left of it now but dust and echoes…"
>>728838They seem satisfied by your refusal to help Kothbiro. "She'll be coming with us then," Titus nods. He pushes her to the ground, taking the strand of rope on his belt and starting to tie her up firmly. Berenike frowns at your firmness on the second condition, however, but presses the matter. "Maybe we can come to some sort of agreement then,
gadji? If you don't mind me asking, what do you need it for? You seem quite set on it. Maybe we can find mutual use for it."
>>728841Firmament eyes you with suspicion. "No," he says firmly. "What's your stake in this, friend?"
>>728839>>728840In the background, you see one of the guards on the outskirts of town suddenly slump over and topple off the bridge leading away, struck dead instantly by an arrow to the neck. Sunbeam quickly deduces it must have come from somewhere in the surrounding tree-ridden hills.
No.728843
>>728842Her mild interest is interrupted by the sight of the guard tumbling over dead. "It sseemss you three were followed." she states, pointing the dead out to the trio. "And they care not for this village either."
The soldier perks up, it's eyeless sockets turned to the guard as it shuffles towards vajra, while the sorceress flicks out her tongue, tasting the air for the source.
[1d10] Perception (detect life, DC -2)
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.728844
>>728842"Money," I say. "Startin to get the impression it's more trouble than its worth."
>>728843I follow where she points, deadpan, uncork my shine skin, and take a swig. "Dern it," I say. "Shoulda just gone home."
No.728845
>>728842'
Chance to ambush, is good luck.' Noghu thinks to himself, positioning himself should whatever the source of the footsteps are come closer.
No.728846
>>728842Sunbeam swallows uncomfortably.
"A darkness overshadows my home. A prophecy speaks of a shard of topaz that may help my people in their dar-" She is cut off by the guard being shot.
"There. An arrow from above. We are not alone here."
Sunbeam flies up to better get a view, while noting to ask what a
gadji is when they are safe.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.728847
>>728843"Followed?" Titus echoes, looking bewildered. "Impossible," Firmament argues. "Marlene would have… sensed it…" He looks down at the alert dog with a frown.
You can sense several lifeforms. A dozen. Perhaps more. They are creeping in the undergrowth, poised to descend upon the village.
>>728844Firmament cocks an eyebrow. "Money? I didn't take you for a sellsword, friend. Whatever you need, we can do our best to provide."
>>728846You fly up to get a better view, but can't see much movement at first. After a moment, you hear a faint whizzing sound. Before you can react, an arrow flies straight for you, clipping your wing. You are knocked out of control and forced to land. Whoever these new foes are, they are expert marksmen, and adept at hiding.
>>728844>>728843>>728845>>728846Firmament's dog starts barking and growling, hackles on end, straining at her collar, pointing in the direction of the dead guard. All three of the rebels forget about their current quarrel and turn around, scanning the treeline curiously. Kothbiro struggles uselessly against her bindings, trying to follow their sight. "What's going on?"
"Company," Titus growls, readying his rope. The other two follow suit, Berenike flexing her armored talon while Firmament draws his sword. Seeing Sunbeam get shot, some of the villagers behind you start to notice something's wrong, hurrying into their houses and taking whatever goods and belongings they can carry with them. A panicked whisper breaks out among them. You get the feeling this isn't the first time they've dealt with these foes.
No.728848
>>728847Sunbeam is caught unaware by the arrow, causing her descent to be uncontrolled. She hits the ground with a thud, landing on her shoulder.
"
Atchkali!" She curses as she slams the ground with a closed claw and rips the arrow out, snapping it in two and throwing it aside.
"Not average enemies." She grunts through the pain. "Smart. Fast." She glances at the broken arrow. "Cowards."
No.728849
>>728847 Couple days worth of rations aughta give me enough time to hunt somethin up, and as long as I boirl it I can just grab water from the stream. I sigh, shake my head, and adjust my pack. Not bothering with any kind of goodbyes, I turn, and head toward the forest.
No.728850
>>728847Grumbling at the group moving again, Noghu has no choice but to follow his prey.
No.728851
>>728849[1d10+3]Perception, trying to watch the trees and avoid any attackers as I head off into the woods.
Roll #1 8 + 3 = 11 No.728852
>>728847As the three prepare to fight, Vajra realizes the true numbers of the group (and seeing Thungr turn and leave) she opts to back away from the struggle as well.
"There are a dozen ssoulss at leasst in thosse treess. I would ssuggesst taking Kothbiro and following uss if you wissh to live."
[1d10] Persuasion
The soldier and the sorceress keep an eye on the treeline as they retreat with Thungr
[1d10] perception
Roll #1 10 = 10 /
Roll #2 2 = 2 No.728853
>>728848>>728850>>728849>>728852The rebels look intimidated by the news Vajra brings. Nodding to her, Titus grabs Kothbiro and slings her over his shoulder, and they begin to retreat into town alongside Thungr. As you do so, an injured guard runs into town from the back road, stopping to catch his breath as he moves to an archway. Frightened, and breathing heavily, he barely acknowledges you as he dashes up a wooden watchtower, starting to ring a loud iron bell in warning.
As if on cue, the assailants begin to emerge. Diamond Dogs, mostly, along with a couple of minotaurs, all bearing fierce war paint and ragged, mismatched furs. Their weapons are of wood, stone and sharpened bone, yet as deadly as any iron blade. A flaming arrow heralds the raiders' descent into the village, setting the watchtower alight and forcing the guard within to evacuate in a panic, still clutching his bleeding chest. There must be about twenty or so of them, and they take to the streets of the town, breaking into buildings and pillaging whatever they can. A few guards bravely try to fight, but are outnumbered easily. The rebels look intimidated by the sight of them, and keep backing up, eager to run for it.
Three of the raiders, wielding crude bows, take potshots at Vajra, Sunbeam and Thungr indiscriminately!
[3d10]
Roll #1 8, 4, 5 = 17 No.728854
>>728853My eyes widen as they take shots at us even though we're leaving, and I let out a loud, angry huff. I swap my spear to my off hand, pull a javelin off my back, and chuck it at the raider that attacked me without a second thought.
[Restrained Strike]
I take a deep breath let out a thundering bellow and hold my spear over my head like I'm trying to scare a bear.
[1d10] Intimidate. Just go pillage the damn village.
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.728855
>>728853Weaving between fleeing villagers, Vajra makes an attempt to avoid the arrowfire during the retreat.
[1d10] dodge
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.728856
>>728853Hearing muffled commotion, the time to strike is almost at hand. Noghu spends his last moments before he strikes getting an exact idea of where the dog is.
[1d10] perception
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.728857
>>728854Aimed Shot. Not Restrained Strike
No.728858
>>728853Sunbeam makes sure to be between the arrows and the party as they retreat, wings spread wide to catch any arrows aimed at the rest.
She thinks to herself. "What strange ones, how do they expect to fight as they go away from the enemy?"
No.728859
>>728854The arrow with your name on it misses. Your javelin hits the raider in the shoulder. He shrieks and stumbles backwards, frightened by the strike and by your bestial roar. He goes to flee, but is stopped by a large hulk of a minotaur, with a necklace seemingly made of pony skulls. He looks like the leader of the raid. He grabs the archer, snarls something inaudible and forces him to stand his ground, taking command of a contingent as they start throwing torches at a house with a straw roof. The fire starts to spread, and before long you can hear terrified screaming coming from inside.
>>728855An arrow hits you square in the chest, driving deep into your body. It takes you a second to acknowledge the injury; mercifully, it hit the right side of your chest and not your heart, but after a moment, you feel weakened. Before you know it, you have fallen, propping yourself up on your hands to prevent from collapsing completely.
>Vajra takes 7 hits, helpless>>728856You keep burrowing, following the sound of your allies. Before long, you're pretty sure you're right below the dog that tried to expose you earlier.
>>728858You keep retreating, making sure to keep watch over your companions as you do so.
>>728858>>728854>>728855Two more arrows are fired, this time at Sunbeam and Titus!
[2d10]
The latter grabs a large rock and throws it at his attacker in response!
[1d10]
Seeing Vajra fall, Firmament doesn't think twice about helping a stranger, flying over to her and trying to help her up.
[1d10]
Roll #1 1, 10 = 11 /
Roll #2 2 = 2 /
Roll #3 3 = 3 No.728860
>>728859"Thungr. Keep running. I can keep them here."
She stops, turns and faces the leader minotaur. Her claw glows as she stands still in front of him.
"Go no further."
Purify on self [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.728861
>>728859Her slithering escape falters as the arrow finds it's mark, slowing vajra to a shuddering stop, limp on the floor. Breathing heavily, the sorceress tries to push herself back upright.
[1d10] Recover
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.728862
>>728859Not wanting to wait, instead of trying to help the witch up I instead try to pick her up, sling her over my shoulder, and sprint for the treeline. Can't spend time dallying like this.
[1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.728863
I briefly nod an acknowledgement before running.
No.728864
>>728859Finally jumping up from the hole and unaware of what's going on, Noghu jumps from his hole and slings a bola at his unsuspected prey.
>Word of Power and Bola on target, Lucky Dog applies[1d10+1] Bola (DC-1, Crit DC-2)
[1d10+1] Word of Power (Crit DC -2)
Roll #1 3 + 1 = 4 /
Roll #2 6 + 1 = 7 No.728866
>>728860He doesn't seem to be paying much attention to you as he leads his men in ravaging and reaving the defenceless little town. You try to cast a spell, but are forced to break your concentration as you see an archer getting ready to fire on you again. The arrow flies through the air, and with a swift movement, you manage to swat it away. You're not quite sure where you managed to get those reflexes from. Chalk it up to divine intervention. In any case, the end result is the arrow getting snapped in two like a twig, and the archer being too intimidated to fire on you again, instead slinking away.
>>728861Despite your grievous injury, you manage to get back up, assisted by Firmament. "Are you alright?" he asks worriedly.
>>728862Vajra has already recovered of her own accord, and you put even more distance between yourself and the rest of the group, leaving them to their fate. You are out of the raiders' range, and they seem to have forgotten about you already. You watch from afar as they close in on the rest of the team, engaging them in combat.
>>728864Your quarry above is a dog alright, but as it turns out, not the dog you're looking for. A massive, jet black Diamond Dog with a pointed snout and a wicked looking axe looms over you, almost twice your size. He flinches and snarls as you impede his approach, causing him to stumble slightly as you pop up and bark in his face. He manages to free himself of the bola well enough, but is a bit disoriented from the ambush.
>>728860>>728861>>728864Titus is hit with an arrow straight through the hand. He lets out a guttural cry and stumbles backwards, clutching his bleeding, impaled hand to his chest. Firmament tries to help him up, while he bares his teeth and tries to recover on his own.
[1d10] Firmament help
[1d10] Titus recover
Marlene the dog starts barking and snarling at the minotaur that shot Titus, rushing towards him and going for a harrying gnash to the raider's throat.
[1d10] Autocrit
Kothbiro falls off of Titus' back during this, and takes the opportunity to struggle hard against her bindings, trying to free herself.
[1d10]
Berenike cracks her knuckles and charges into battle, delivering an ironclad punch to a raider's face!
[1d10+2]
The raider's leader seems to recognize the threat. He seems to be accompanied by four larger, better equipped raiders, their faces painted white as skulls, who seem to act as his personal soldiers. Surveying the battlefield, he sends these four out to fight the party. They start wading through the remains of the village purposefully towards you all.
The black Dog fighting Noghu swings, but misses his attack, still disoriented.
A raider with a rusted iron mace sees Vajra's minion and does a double take before swinging at the walking bones!
[1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 /
Roll #2 5 = 5 /
Roll #3 9 = 9 /
Roll #4 1 = 1 /
Roll #5 5 + 2 = 7 /
Roll #6 9 = 9 No.728867
>>728866Cackling with confusion at how the dog grew so large and found an axe, he strikes not the dog but the axe itself, trying to damage their weapon.
>Shatter: recharge 2, weapon; Breaks the target's defenses to open them up for attack. Deals damage and increases the Crit Range for all attacks against them by 2 for two rounds. Can be used against inanimate objects or armor to break and damage them efficiently.
>Trying to damage the big-ass axe[1d10+1] DC-1
Roll #1 6 + 1 = 7 No.728868
>>728866Having managed to struggle herself upright, the sight of one of the three's pity enrages her enough to perk back up!
"I will ssurvive, Focuss on the battle!" she spits at him, tail rattling.
enraged, she sends ethereal bandages fluttering into the soil.
"From boness deep, dissturbed from sslumber come to me to sslay thesse otherss Dessecratorss that loot and plunder kill them all, no foolss to ssuffer!
Reaper!"
[1d10] Raise ancient
The soldier, squaring up against the raider, makes an effort to dodge to the side, in a bid to miss the swing of the mace.
[1d10] Dodge
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 No.728869
>>728868Alright. Welp. If they wanna stay and fight, s'pose that's their business. I retreat just a little deeper, drop my pack, and decide to take a break to catch my breath, even though my breath isn't heavy. Entirely out of curiosity and for no other reason, I watch the fight.
No.728870
>>728866>>728868Sunbeam stands between Varja and the raiders, trying to buy her time to complete her summons.
"Whatever it is that you are doing, I hope it works."
No.728871
>>728870"Do not doubt my magic, dragon." she says distantly between motions, her rattling tail holding the note. "You will ssee my power, jusst as i wisshed upon thosse three within the tavern."
No.728872
>>728867You smack the stone blade with the haft of your spear, exploiting a crack in it. The weapon weakens, bits of it falling away and crumbling. He growls in disbelief and yells obscenities in an unknown language at you.
>Raider deals -1 max hit, min 1 on success>-2 crit range vs Raider>>728868Out of a fenced off area nearby, the ground begins to shake and roil. One bony, misshapen claw bursts out, then another - then another, and another. The monstrous, bony amalgamate that clambers out of the roiling earth resembles a spider, made out of mismatched bones in a vaguely animalistic congeries. All the bones are in the wrong places, a hodgepodge shambles of interwoven skeletons in a vaguely arachnid shape. The legs, all made of interlinked vertebrae, end in claws made from assorted tailbones, while the body is almost nonexistently small, and the head is made of several skulls clumped together. At the sight of this monstrosity, your newfound allies recoil in horror, while the raiders look intimidated, beginning to retreat. Even their leader looks shaken, but seems to order them to stand their ground, redirecting his elites to focus it.
Your minion's hard exterior is cracked dramatically by the raider's mace. While sharpened blades do little against solid bone, blunt weapons are another story, and the tortoise saurian's chest is shattered into dozens of shards, some of which are assimilated into your Reaper.
>Soldier takes 4 hits>>728870>>728868>>728867Kothbiro fails to free herself, and is stamped on by a passing raider inadvertently. She curses at them in another language, but it falls on deaf ears.
Titus manages to get up, shaken by the blow but still in one piece.
Marlene downs the raider with a single powerful bite, tearing into the raider's throat. He lets out a strangled cry and thrashes about, grabbing at his mangled neck, slowly bleeding out.
Marlene doesn't give up, going for his thighs next!
[1d10]
Berenike cracks the raider's jaw with her left hook, sending a few teeth flying every which way. The raider teeters in place, dazed from the punch. She doesn't let up, grabbing him and delivering a powerful headbutt!
[1d10]
The black Dog swings at Noghu with his broken axe!
[1d10] -1 hit dealt
Seeing Sunbeam just standing there, one of the elites breaks off and points at her with his greatsword, challenging her as he strides towards her purposefully, winding up a powerful swing of the sword!
[2d10] Highest roll used
The other three start moving towards the Reaper, engaging the monster!
The chieftain lets out a bellowing war cry, raising his club high to rally his troops!
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 2 = 2 /
Roll #3 5 = 5 /
Roll #4 8, 6 = 14 No.729243
>>728873>>728831Kalidan licks his lips silently, nodding to Neridah. He quickly eyeballs the pricetags, takes the lowest price and switches its tag with the healing potions. He then grabs a pack, stuffing it with rope, as much as he can fit, as silently as possible.
Stealth [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.729244
>>729243You proceed to unleash mischief on the shoppe, swapping price tags around and filching as much rope as you can carry. You end up fitting about 15 metres worth of rope in your bag; a decent, sturdy coil for all purposes. Neridah takes to filching rations, as well as a firestarter and a ladder. The latter is quite an ingenious design, folding into itself several times do as to be portable just about anywhere.
"You gonna pay for that?"
The shopkeeper seems to have woken up at some point, pretending to sleep while you went about your usual business. "You'd better have the coin to, drifter."
No.729245
>>729244Kalidan freezes at the voice, then relaxes and saunters up to the counter. "Oh, but of course my good man." Kalidan jingles his meager coinpurse as if it were more bountiful than it is, and makes to start counting it out as slowly as possible. "Oh!" he stops midcount as if just realizing, "but I also need some healing potion!" He turns to take one off the shelf. "How much are these again..?"
He tries to catch Neridah's eyes, making covert head gestures to indicate she should begin making her escape. Meanwhile he eyeballs the exits to the room, whether there are any windows or backdoors.
No.729246
Perception [1d10]
Persuasion [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 / Roll #2 4 = 4
No.729247
>>729245Neridah's way ahead of you, having all but vanished the second his voice rang out. You can only see a pair of pricked up ears silently skulking around the shelves. There are two windows you could go through, as well as a back door from the looks of things.
The shopkeep doesn't look impressed. "30 bits a bottle, or equivalent," he says firmly. As you look over to Neridah, he starts growing more suspicious, narrowed eyes darting around the room.
[1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.729248
>>729247"Ah," the cat nods, "but the pricetag here says otherwise. See?" He vaguely points at the sign he himself placed in front of the display of phials. "I wouldn't pay 30 gold for 5 potions! I would need to imbibe it immediately after such a gouging! I'll give you five gold." He begins inching his way towards a window while haggling as subtly as possible.
Persuasion [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.729249
>>729248"That's not what I set it to," he retorts obstinately. "I've run this place for a decade. I know my own prices. 30 each. Take it or leave it."
No.729250
>>729249"Take it or leave it, eh?" He looks at the phial in his hand as if weighing the choices, standing next to a window as if to use the light to examine it. "Well, when you put it that way, I suppose my answer must be to take it." He pops the single potion into his newly acquired bag and smiles with his pointed teeth. "Ta-ta!"
And with that the cat deftly opens the window and dives out in a feat of sudden athleticism, hitting the ground running.
[1d10] if needed
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.729251
>>729250The window is pegged shut.
The shopkeep just gives you a soul crushing stare, as if he's seen this kind of bullshit before many, many times. He gets out of his chair."Look, either pay for what you were going to steal or give it back and get out of here. This is getting ridiculous. Don't do something you're going to regret, son."
No.729252
>>729251Kalidan blinks twice as he considers his options. Finally he sighs, bringing the bag with the rooe and the potion to the front.
"Alright, here's the deal," he drops the act and sounds sincere. "I caused my new friend's rope to be lost due to my own haste and lack of planning, and I'd like to replace it. I don't have the coin for the healing potion, but it's not for me anyways…. My actions caused someone to get hurt and I just want to make it better. I'll give you what I have but I'm not sure it's enough." He shows the rope and the potion to the shopkeep, then plops his meagre coin on the counter. It totals 35 bits.
"Oh, also I have this," he adds, pulling out the flawed emerald.
"I just wanted to help my friends," he explains, trying to position himself so that the open door is behind the shopkeep.
No.729253
>>729252He doesn't seem very moved by your confession, looking at the coin unimpressed. When you pull out the emerald, he looks surprised at you having such a rare treasure, but shakes his head. "What, you want me to buy that or something? This isn't a pawn shop. If I bought every trinket and bauble a drifter brought in here, I'd be out of business. I'm just trying to make a living here." He crosses his forelegs. "That coin'll get you one healing potion, or the rope. Take your pick."
You notice by this point that Neridah has completely vanished. She seems to have snuck out.
No.729254
>>729253Kalidan, quietly relieved to see his partner has made away, slumps in defeat. "The rope it is, then." He pushes the coin on the counter forward. Putting the potion back, he deposits the emerald in the bag with the rope and slings it over his shoulder.
"You drive a hard bargain, stony. Maybe I'll see you again when I hawk this gem."
He makes to leave.
No.729255
>>729254He passes you 5 bits change and gives you a stiff little nod. You can feel his eyes on you as you leave.
As you exit, you notice a few things:
One, Neridah is still nowhere to be seen.
Two, all the townsfolk seem to have gone indoors.
Three, your companions are all the way on the other end of town, accompanied by the trio that were tracking you earlier. They seem to be staring off into the treeline, as if having spotted something dangerous.
You get a bad feeling about this, as if there's trouble brewing on the horizon.
No.729256
>>729255Kalidan pockets the change and leaves with his new rope and bag, thankful that it didn't go worse. Perturbed by the quietitude of the town, he looks for his companions, stealing to the rooftops to close distance without being noticed, hopefully.
No.729257
>>729256Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.729258
>>729257>>729256You shimmy up the side of a house and start hopping effortlessly over the rooftops towards where you can see your companions. All of a sudden, they start retreating. You soon see why. Over a dozen wild looking pillagers, Dogs and minotaurs mostly, start bursting from the forest, swarming towards the village greedily. What few guards there are pose little threat to them, and it's not long before they're crossing the bridge, armed to the teeth with crude weapons and armor, attacking anyone they come across indiscriminately. Luckily, they don't seem to have noticed you yet, more focused on the party for now.
No.729259
>>729258"Raiders? Shoot," he curses under his breath. The town is defenseless.
Kalidan has seen what desperate armed men do to peaceful settlements, and it's never pretty, though an opportunistic soul can find profit from the direst situations.
Still, it behooves him to at least see what happened to his companions. He has a rope to replace. He looks for Kothbiro.
He also needs to keep an eye on that hyena if he is to pilfer the Heart, so he listens, ears perked for the distinctive sound of canine laughing.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.729260
>>729259It doesn't take long to find Kothbiro. The largest of the mysterious trio, a tall, heavyset saurian carrying several boxes of cargo, is currently slinging her over his shoulder, all tied up and taken prisoner. Oddly, the party seem okay with it. There's no sign of Noghu for now, though.He must be tunneling underground.
As all hell begins to break loose and the raiders start breaking into houses, torching buildings and gathering anything they can carry, the party keep retreating. Thungr seems to be the first to leave, outright ignoring the rest of the group and heading on the path leading out of the town, while the rest of them seem to get caught up in the fight. You see that the trio are actually a quartet; the older, black maned pegasus has a large, shaggy dog with him, who is currently harrying a raider fiercely.
Out of the corner of your eye, you spot a glint of steel. Neridah seems to have been spotted by the raiders, and is beset by three of them, all mangy, brown and black Diamond Dogs. She wields her large sword as if it were almost weightless, straight up beheading one with a single swing, keeping the other two at bay with the long range of her blade. Despite being outnumbered, it looks like she's handling herself rather well.
Neridah swings at the two remaining Dogs!
[1d10+1] [1d10+1] Cleave, using the larger roll
Both Dogs try to make their move on her with their rusted blades!
[2d10]
Roll #1 7 + 1 = 8 /
Roll #2 9 + 1 = 10 /
Roll #3 8, 4 = 12 No.729261
>>729260Kalidan is taken aback by the violence of Neridah's assault. "Damn," he sucks air through his teeth. "That cat can fight." He counts his lucky stars she didn't decide to swing that huge sword at his own neck. He rubs it unconsciously.
Looking to Kothbiro, he is disturbed that she is bound, but as long as she is still with the group, Kalidan supposes it's alright. At least she's safe, able to be freed at a later date.
He turns his attention to the raiders. If the friends are safe, and the town is already boned, might as well take what one can. Kalidan waits and watches the atrocities spread, hopefully back to the shop. Maybe he can get that healing potion after all.
No.729262
>>729261As you watch, she takes a stab to the shoulder. Gritting her teeth, she powers through it, cutting them both down with one fell swoop. She sheathes her sword with her good arm and starts running for it, clutching her injury as she tries to make her way to rejoin the rest of the fleeing group.
In one corner, the saurian porter is forced to put Kothbiro down as he is menaced by a raider. As the raider goes to attack him, the saurian uses the weight of his cargo to slam into him, knocking the minotaur off balance. As he deals with his attacker, you see Kothbiro trying (and failing) to get away.
In the center of town, the apparent leader of the raid, a massive slab of a minotaur with one cracked horn and a necklace with three pony skulls on it. He is flanked by four other minotaurs with white face paint, who he commands to fight an enormous spider-like skeletal creature Vajra has called up from the village graveyard.
In another corner, Noghu has popped out of the earth, having a one on one with a black Diamond Dog.
The pegasus and the griffon are back to back, fending off raiders as they try to retreat with everyone else.
Sunbeam and Vajra seem to be fighting together. The latter looks hurt.
Thungr is well and truly gone at this point.
Many of the villagers are starting to flee at this point before the fire spreads too much, choking on acrid smoke and making for the river on the western end of town. Many of them are being apprehended by raiders. The overall scene has escalated into sheer chaos by now. It's hard to keep track of it all.
Eventually, you start feeling the roof beneath you warming up. It doesn't take a genius to notice that the fire's spreading to this building as well. Smoke is starting to build up around you, making it harder to see - and breathe.
No.729263
>>729262Kalidan senses his chance is nigh. He jumps down from the roof, landing lightly and sticking to the shadows as he makes his way back to the shop. Hopefully that pesky shopkeep has already fled.
He has it in his mind to procure the healing potions before these dicks can. With luck, everything of value will already be gone by the time those nasty looking minotaurs can pillage.
No.729264
>>729263You jump soundlessly to the ground and scamper over to the shop. Surprisingly, the shopkeep is in there, holding his own quite well. He's managed to knock out a raider using nothing but a broken chair, and is toe to toe with a second raider, a shabby, fierce looking griffon, using a nearby broom as a quarterstaff. You get the feeling he's not just some innocent shopkeep. As you enter, he manages to fend the griffon off just long enough to sloppily quaff a healing potion before keeping up the attack. He gives you a glance as you enter, giving you a very brief but very dirty look before continuing to fight the griffon.
No.729265
>>729264Kalidan slides around the combat and into the shop. In one motion he slides his new pack around his shoulder, throwing a few potions, a pair of binoculars, a hatchet, and a firestarter.
He heads back to the entrance. Seeing the crystal pony battling, he hesitates. He shakes his head and mutters to himself, "…probably a mistake…" before launching his feline body like a missile at the Griffon raider, claws first.
Unarmed [1d10]
Dual: add [1d3] to attack
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 2 = 2 No.729266
>>729265You lunge at the griffon, grabbing on to him by the shoulders. Letting out an angry screech, the griffon flails to throw you off, buying the shopkeep a moment. Without missing a beat, he jabs the griffon in the throat, then the belly, then finally slamming him over the head with the brush end, knocking the raider out cold. As the oversized pigeon collapses, the shopkeeper looks at you with suspicion, though seeming grateful for the opening. He nods before taking another swig of healing potion.
"You stole my stuff, didn't you."
He doesn't wait for an answer. "Get out of here," he says simply, and starts scavenging whatever he can to hit the road himself.
No.729267
>>729266The cat nods guilelessly. "Of course I did. You knew I was going to, and you let me, and, uh, thanks." He turns to go, but hesitates again. Shaking his head at himself, he turns back.
"Look, the town is a write-off at this point. You should burn the shop so these assholes don't get your supplies. I can't offer any protection, but my friends are also getting out of Dodge, and if you'd like to join… well, I know you and I might have a score to settle in the future, but I'd rather not see you dead."
Kalidan produces one of the pilfered potions and tosses it to the crystal pony.
"Follow us, or don't. If I see you again, I'll find a way to pay you back."
He turns to leave, prepared to slink into the shadows and unknown places only cats can find, determined to meet up with Neridah.
She seemed like she had a handle on her situation, but she might like one of his potions. He smiles to himself as he imagines her grateful expression.
Stealth [1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.729268
>>729267He just gives you another hard look. "These raiders have hit us before, and they'll hit again. The town always rebuilds after an attack. Seen it happen far too many times." He looks down at the griffon, who stirs slightly and groans, giving him a swift kick in the head and knocking him out for good. "Wasn't always like this. Used to be you could make a decent living without having to worry about selfish bastards coming to take your hard earned goods." He gives you another soul crushing stare.
He shakes his head at the prospect of leaving Bywater. "I'll wait out the storm and go find some proper help from honest folk. Whoever survives, they're going to all hands on deck to rebuild, after this is all over. Then they'll come back in a year or so, when our guard's let down. Round and round it goes."
He catches the potion and scoffs slightly at the prospect of you paying him back. "No you won't," he says simply. The last you see of him, he's starting to strip the looters of their belongings.
You exit the building and fade into the shadows, moving amidst the acrid, stinging smoke, covering your footsteps. You're all but invisible amidst the chaos of the raid. It doesn't take long to locate Neridah. Four raiders seem to have chased her up a tree in her attempts to escape. You can see them whooping and mocking her, jabbing at her threateningly with their crude weapons as she swipes at them with her good arm. She seems to have lost her greatsword in the fight.
No.729270
>>728872I watch as the fight seems to go on and it doesn't look like anybody is pulling away. I grumble and shake my head. Probably not gonna save the damn zebra, either. I rub my eyes, stand up, and head right back into the fight like an idjit. First I look for the witch and the dragon and, if it seems like they're not in too much danger right away, I look for the zebra.
[1d10+3] Perception
Roll #1 7 + 3 = 10 No.729271
>>729268Kalidan shakes his head at the shopkeep as he leaves.
"See ya next time, then. Thanks for the stuff. Don't get killed."
Kalidan, approaching invisibly, assesses the situation with Neridah carefully. He looks around for her greatsword, trying to trace the tracks of the battle.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.729273
>>728872Sensing the rumble of the earth nearby with her serpentine body, she takes a moment to cackle as the skeletal spider rises above the low-built shacks.
"Yess! You will learn your place now, wormss! To sstrike me iss to know DEATH!"
Without much pause, she continues her dance macabre, more bandages fluttering into the soil!
"From ancient soil, i call to me! A creature of bow and arrow free!"
[1d10] Summon esper, Marksman shot
The soldier, having had its torso shattered, reacts with a haymaker into the mace-swinging raider!
[1d10] Melee
The amalgam slowly plods forward through the village street, rearing up to strike the nearest raider with a barrage of stomps!
[1d3] Reaping strikes, Raider
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 /
Roll #3 3 = 3 No.729274
>>729273>>728872[3d10] melee
>oopsRoll #1 8, 7, 9 = 24 No.729275
>>728872Cackling, Noghu looks the larger dog directly in the eye with a manic gaze, meaning to scare off the combatant not with his strength, but a look of sheer wildness.
[1d10+1] Word of Power, CritDC-2
Roll #1 7 + 1 = 8 No.729276
>>728872Sunbeam recoils from the hit, nearly falling over. She repositions and stands back at full height.
"You strike well, but not like a scalekin. Allow me to show you."
Wrath [1d10+2] (Autocrit) (Calm until Provoked)
Roll #1 1 + 2 = 3 No.729282
>>729270From the high ground, you can see most of the village raid. The fire from the first few buildings is spreading rapidly, engulfing much of it in smoke. Noghu is having a 1v1 with a large black Dog, while Vajra is summoning allies to her cause, giving the raiders even more competition. Three of the raid leader's elite warriors are fighting her Reaper, while the fourth is challenging Sunbeam. Looks like she's not doing too well. You can see what looks like the Felid Neridah stuck up in a tree, wounded and haplessly fending off four raiders. Kothbiro is struggling on the ground, while Berenike, Titus and Firmament are busy cleaning up shop. Kalidan is nowhere to be seen.
>>729271You see a raider off to the side of the battlefield, grinning mischievously and twirling the sword around. Seems he managed to grab it in the confusion.
>>729273A phantom rises next to you with a slow, echoing rush, cloaked in a grey, flapping cloak like the wings of a crow. Two red eyes like coals peer out from its hood, and visible within the folds of its rippling cloak are many, many throwing knives, sharpened to perfection.
The raider manages to parry the soldier's punch, swinging the mace again and cracking its skull. It doesn't look like this one will last much longer…
The Reaper's many legs lash out at the advancing elites, slashing them across the chest and limbs. They grunt and snarl in pain, but power through it for now.
>>729275Your feral shrieks and snarls seem to intimidate the much larger raider, who stumbles backwards and falls on his haunches in the process.
>>729276You take a blow from the sword to the chest. As you charge up a blast of magical energy, the raider seizes the opportunity and slams you with the pommel of the sword on the head, sending you stumbling backwards in a daze. Your vision is blurred from the blow, and you find it difficult to focus.
>Sunbeam takes 5 hits, helpless>>729276>>729275>>729273>>729271>>729270The fire consuming the village begin to flare up, blanketing the battlefield in foul, acrid smoke.
>-1 to Perception checks while on the battlefieldThe trio call their dog over, and Titus seems to go to grab Kothbiro again. Looks like they're retreating.
The raiders keep attacking the Reaper, while the one fighting the Soldier swings again!
[4d10] First 3 vs Reaper, last vs Soldier
The Dog fighting Noghu tries to get back up!
[1d10]
The elite fighting Sunbeam swings again mercilessly!
[2d10] Take larger roll
Another raider sees Vajra continuing to summon fell creatures and takes a shot at her with her bow!
[1d10]
Roll #1 3, 8, 6, 6 = 23 /
Roll #2 6 = 6 /
Roll #3 8, 1 = 9 /
Roll #4 2 = 2 No.729284
>>729282Taking advantage of the situation, Noghu quickly binds the legs of the raider, stabbing at his neck with his spear.
>Wild Hunt: passive; After rendering a foe helpless, the Wildguard's first action next turn becomes Automatic. Rendering an enemy helpless with this automatic action does not activate WIld Hunt again.
>automatic Bolas to interrupt helpless rollbasic attack
[1d10+1] DC-1, CritDC-2
Roll #1 6 + 1 = 7 No.729286
>>729282"
Akatul-Aki! I cannot fall here."
Sunbeam attempts to rise to her feet.
Recover from Helplessness [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.729287
>>729282Kalidan coughs and squints against the nasty smoke. He spots the sword on one side of the battlefield, steals a quick glance up at treed Neridah. Hopefully she can hold out. He dashes to retrieve her weapon from the raider carelessly spinning the sword like a toy.
From the darkness Kalidan slides in low on the raider, batting at him with his hefty paws, razor-sharp claws extended. He aims to disarm and disable.
Unarmed [1d10] + Riposte [1d3]
Roll #1 3 = 3 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 No.729291
>>729282The soldier ducks into the remainder of it's shell, shielding itself from the majority of the attack!
>hunker downVajra, fueled by her fury, continues the summoning spree, sending strands of gauze to touch a raider corpse.
"From death i call, your soul not free! Bound by gauze return to me!"
[1d10] Raise dead
The Talonghast red eyes glint from under it's cloak, producing a shimmering knife which cuts through the air towards the raider striking the soldier!
[1d10] Marksman shot
The Amalgam continues its rampage, attempting to swipe away the foes facing it!
[1d10] Melee
Roll #1 7 = 7 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 /
Roll #3 8 = 8 No.729294
>>729284You manage to quickly wrap the bolas around his legs. He struggles for a moment, and before he can break free, you stab him in the neck, ending him then and there. Easy hunting.
>>729286The raider manages to slash you across the chest again, but you power through it, regaining your balance and ready to keep fighting.
>Sunbeam loses a wound, now at 5/3>>729287You swipe at him, but are forced to feint as he twirls the sword close to you. The Dog does a double take as he spots you, readying his new weapon in surprise.
"Ahh, shakka tulurgh!">>729291The soldier retreats into its carapace, protecting its extremities from further harm. The mace glances off the thick bone shell.
The black Dog Noghu just slew begins to twitch, and with heavy, sluggish movements, it rises once again.
The knife goes wide and hits a building. The raider doesn't even notice the attack.
One of the elites is swept off his hooves by the attack, hitting the ground with a loud thud. The others manage to get some hits in on it, scattering the Amalgam's bones!
>Amalgam is helplessAn arrow whistles by, narrowly missing you.
>>729284>>729286>>729287>>729291The Dog with Neridah's sword swings it at Kalidan!
[1d10] Crit DC-1
The raid leader spots Noghu from his vantage point, pointing at him with his own winged spear and shouting a command. Two more raiders stop their pillaging and start making a beeline for the Dog, hellbent on avenging their fallen companion!
The trio see Sunbeam in danger, and Berenike adjusts her metal gauntlet as she goes to help the dragon!
The elite attacking Sunbeam keeps up the offensive!
[2d10] Higher roll used
The archer nocks another arrow and fires at Vajra!
[1d10]
The two remaining elites keep attacking the Reaper!
[2d10] [2d10] Take higher rolls
The mace wielding raider keeps attacking the Soldier!
[1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 /
Roll #2 1, 8 = 9 /
Roll #3 10 = 10 /
Roll #4 2, 1 = 3 /
Roll #5 3, 5 = 8 /
Roll #6 5 = 5 No.729295
>>729294Seeing the two catbirds start running at him, Noghu yelps, burrowing under the ground to flee their wrath.
[1d10+1] Burrowing
Roll #1 8 + 1 = 9 No.729297
>>729294Hearing the arrow whiz past her, the sorceress scrambles for cover around one of the buildings!
[1d10] Dodge
The dog rises again, wrapped in bandages which glow with a cobalt light. it shambles forward towards the raider engaging the soldier.
[1d10] Melee (if in range, otherwise a move turn)
The ghast, operating with some degree of autonomy, avoids the rooftops as it scans for the archers above
[1d10] Perception
The Soldier, hiding within its shell, continues it's attempts to batter the mace wielder!
[1d10-1] Melee
The amalgam's bones scatter along the walkway, stationary for a moment before beginning to coalesce into it's main mass
[1d10] Recover
Roll #1 3 = 3 /
Roll #2 6 = 6 /
Roll #3 3 = 3 /
Roll #4 4 - 1 = 3 /
Roll #5 4 = 4 No.729298
>>729294As the elite swings Sunbeam deftly dodges, planting her back claw on their sword as it hits the ground and mercilessly tearing into their flesh with her claws.
"Do not swing where you may fail." She says, staring into their eyes.
[1d10] Basic Attack (Draconic Talons)
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.729301
>>729294Kalidan hisses and spits as his attacks fall short. Eyes wide, he throws himself backwards in an attempt to not get chopped in two by Neridah's beast of a sword. Apparently he has vastly underestimated this mook's ability to swing a greatsword.
Dodge [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.729304
>>729295Between that and the Dog you just killed rising from the grave, you hightail it, rapidly burrowing away. You feel talons brush against your foot as they swipe at you to try and grab you.
>>729297You lurch as the arrow hits you straight in the gut. Luckily, your scales prevent it from going too deep, but the pain is still immeasurable.
>Vajra takes 4 hitsThe Dog trudges towards the Soldier and the raider it's fighting. While the Soldier's blows are clumsy and easy to punish, the raider's blows do almost nothing against the shell.
>1 due to smokeThe Talonghast doesn't spot any other archers. The raiders don't seem organized enough to bother with proper positioning.
The bones animate on their own, stabbing one of the elites and downing him. They start recoalescing, but it's not quite there yet…
>>729298You deftly counter his swing and ravage the raider. He roars in pain and stumbles backwards, planting his sword into the ground and taking a knee.
>>729301Her sword is much, much lighter than it seems, slashing you across the torso mercilessly and kicking you to the ground.
>Kalidan takes 5 hits, helpless>>729295>>729297The leader shouts a command, and a Dog raider starts digging around where Noghu escaped!
[1d10] Burrowing
The sword wielding Dog goes to swing at Kalidan again, but is slammed over the head with a cast iron pot. He teeters and collapses, knocked out cold. "Still here?" the shopkeeper grunts as he steps over the hapless brigand, making for the bridge out of town. He doesn't stop to help you up.
Berenike steps back as Sunbeam downs the elite. "Thought you might need a hand," she says. "Look, this place is
nyugdíjas. We're outnumbered. The minotaur has the way of it. Grab your friends and make for the hills. There's not much else we can do here." With that, she rejoins the rest of her companions and starts doing just that.
The archer sneers as he hits his mark, taking careful aim at Vajra…
The mace wielding Raider snarls as he's faced with the undead Dog, swinging at his skull!
[1d10]
The remaining elite keeps attacking the Amalgam!
[2d10] Higher roll
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 /
Roll #3 7, 8 = 15 No.729305
>>729304"Ah, you have learned the first lesson. Unfortunate that you will not learn more."
She takes a step back, and puts her arms out slightly.
Wrath [1d10] DC-1 (Calm Until Provoked)
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.729306
>>729304Noghu burrows deep and towards the forest, knowing that the raiders are unlikely to search for those fleeing
towards them.
No.729307
>>729304Sunbeam replies to Berenike.
"Ah, perhaps. I cannot do much here. By some greater force I am weakened. If this was a fight of equal odds I would take it but however, something is against me."
She surveys the battlefield, looking for a quick way out.
Perception [1d10-1]
Roll #1 5 - 1 = 4 No.729308
>>729304The injured feline, lying in the dirt, stares at the shopkeep making for the bridge. "Uh, thank you! Again!" he shouts after the receding figure.
Kalidan climbs to his feet painfully, seething at the deep wound in his torso. He pulls out one of the purloined potions and pops the cork out, pouring some into the newest opening in his gambeson and downing the rest in one gulp.
He picks up Neridah's sword and makes his way back to her tree silently, assessing the situation as he slinks through the smoky darkness.
No.729309
>>729304Another arrow blooms from the sorceress, this time from her stomache. with the air knocked out of her, she struggles behind the cover of a nearby building.
"Sssands touched archer.." she hisses, Peering over cover to see the archer in the distance. She directs the Talonghast to the location, a knife flying from it once again.
[1d10] Marksman shot
The Dog, now within range, brings both of it's paws down onto the mace raider in a heavy strike!
[1d10] Melee
The Soldier Turns it's shell towards the mace, in an attempt to force the cudgel to glance off!
[1d10-1] Block
The amalgam continues to pull itself together, more bones finding their way back to the mass..
[1d10] Recover
Roll #1 1 = 1 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 /
Roll #3 1 - 1 = 0 /
Roll #4 5 = 5 No.729313
>>729305You extend your arms, radiating a sudden pulse of blinding light and howling wind. The minotaur grabs his sword to brace himself, but it's no use, and he's bowled over by the attack, hitting the ground hard.
>>729306You start burrowing towards the throng of raiders. Before long, you feel dirt scrabbling behind you. A quick glance reveals a Dog raider crawling through your tunnel, trying to catch up with you!
>>729307You can see a path leading up into the hills on the opposite end of town. Merely retreating would take you there, but it's likely you'd be chased by the raiders. You can't see many other routes through the smoke.
Berenike nods. "Our thoughts exactly. We'll be up ahead." She flies off to rejoin her team, who appear to be heading off up that path.
>>729308He looks back and gives you a slight nod.
You pop the cork and quaff the potion. Almost instantly, you feel the sweet relief of wounds healing. Looking down, you can see your skin and muscle physically sealing back together, the broken flesh knitting together and closing the wound for good. All that's left is a slight scar and a few missing clumps of hair.
>Kalidan is healed for 1 woundThe sword is extremely lightweight, made of some intricate, patterned steel you don't recognize. What should be a cumbersome weapon is light enough to swing around with one hand.
You slink over to where Neridah was. She seems to be growing feebler by the minute. One of the raiders has lost interest, but the other three are still taunting her, trying to goad her into coming down. One of them is trying to climb the tree now to get to her, fended off by her frantic kicks.
>>729309The knife misses once again as the archer takes cover. He still has a bead on you.
The Dog's attacks are easy to avoid. The raider swings at him and cripples one of the Dog's arms instantly, shattering his arm bones.
The mace breaks straight through the already weakened shell, sundering the soldier and scattering its bones across the ground.
>The Soldier is no moreThe Amalgam keeps trying to reconstitute. As its central body reforms, however, the elite swings his mighty sword down onto it, shattering its remains.
>The Reaper is no more>>729309>>729308>>729307>>729306The Dog chasing Noghu continues to tunnel after him!
[1d10]
The archer fires a carefully aimed shot at Vajra again!
[1d10] Autocrit
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 6 = 6 No.729314
>>729313Noghu continues to burrow further and further into forest, hoping to get the two of them separated from any other combatants before unearthing.
[1d10+1]
Roll #1 8 + 1 = 9 No.729316
>>729313With her minions falling to the raiders and several arrows peppering her hide, the sorceress swallows her pride and scrambles away from the fight, making her escape
[1d10] Disengage
Her scramble away drops her control, the dog slumping over dead as she shifts her attention elsewhere.
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.729317
>>729313>>729316The Ghast slings another knife towards the archer's position, trying to dislodge their aim!
[1d10] ranged
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.729318
>>729313Kalidan, breaking cover, sprints up to the tree and right past the raiders, leaping up from branch to branch, quick as he can, to Neridah's side. He hands her a healing potion and holds her sword out to her, offering a winning smile as well.
"Nice bit of work back there in the shop. I went back for seconds. Let's blow this joint and check out the haul."
"But first," he kicks out at the raider trying to climb the tree, "we gotta take care of these clowns." His clawed feet rake at the raider's face and eyes.
Unarmed [1d10] + Riposte [1d3]
Roll #1 10 = 10 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 No.729320
>>729313Sunbeam tries to flu above the smoke, observing the forest near the path and attempting to fly to that area and lay low.
"
Htkil, protect my friends."
[1d10] Flying.
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.729321
>>729314You keep digging expertly, tunneling at record speed through the village and towards the treeline. However, you hit an obstacle: the steadily increasing dampness of the soil suggests you are getting close to the river, beyond which the treeline lies. You will either have to try and dig deeper, and risk hitting stone, keep moving forward and flood the tunnel, or dig upward and try to wade across instead.
>>729316You try to get away, but are stopped by an arrow that tears straight through your tail, pinning you to the ground. As you twist around, you see the archer take a knife right to the eyeball, dropping dead on the spot.
>Vajra takes 4 hits, helpless>>729318Neridah doesn't look so good. Her arm is torn up, and she's breathing heavily from the exertion. She offers you a grin back. "Thanks. Sorry to leave you hanging. Just saw a chance to bail and went for it."
She sculls the potion and takes the sword in her good hand, balancing precariously in the tree with a grin. "Yeah, we're just asking for trouble sticking around. Let's get out of here."
You extend your claws and gouge at his face, blinding the raider. He screams and falls out of the tree, clutching his face in pain and staggering away.
>>729320You fly up, observing the battlefield. Noghu has disappeared, and it looks like Vajra is badly injured. Kalidan and Neridah have reappeared, fending off some raiders as they too try to get away.
>>729314>>729316>>729318>>729320The Dog continues in hot pursuit of Noghu!
[1d10]
The two remaining raiders prepare for a fight, one of them lunging at Neridah knives out!
[2d10] Dual Wielding
Neridah expertly twirls her greatsword and slashes at the raider in a low blow!
[1d10+2] Crit DC-1
The other raider, an axe wielding griffon, swings at Kalidan!
[1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 3, 2 = 5 /
Roll #3 7 + 2 = 9 /
Roll #4 10 = 10 No.729322
>>729321Kalidan watches the axe flying toward him as if in slow motion, having just enough time to curse again. Tonight is turning out to be a rough one.
He awkwardly attempts to dodge the blow, trying to put some tree branches in the way of the deadly weapon.
Dodge [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.729323
>>729321Hissing wordlessly in anger, the sorceress tries to dislodge the arrow from her tail!
[1d10] Recover
The ghast, intangible, opts to scan the area for incoming threats.
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 1 = 1 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 No.729324
>>729321Planning his ascent carefully, Noghu breaches the soil as he reaches the shoreline of the river, quickly scrambling to stand knee deep in the water to prevent the enemy from tunneling underneath him.
He snarls, making it clear to the creature underground that he's willing to fight.
[1d10+1] WoP
Roll #1 1 + 1 = 2 No.729325
>>729322At the last second Kalidan changes his awkward dodge into an awkward swipe at the axe-wielder, followed by another, accepting he will get hit hard and thankful that he was able to steal those pots.
Unarmed [2d10]
Roll #1 1, 8 = 9 No.729326
>>729321"Oh,
Hkitil you have protected none of them."
She drops down with a sigh towards Varja and tries to help her up.
Recover [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.729327
>>729323You only succeed in opening the wound further, wracking your body with a jolt of pain.
>Vajra takes 1 wound
>-1 due to smokeThe ghast spots Sunbeam flying overhead, but not much else.
>>729324You dig upwards and snarl into the tunnel, but it is drowned out by the sound of the flowing river.
You feel the tunneling stop all of a sudden. You get the feeling he's up to something.
>>729325You dig your claws into the axe-wielding griffon's chest, taking the full brunt of the axe on your shoulder blade. Both of you fall, the raider clutching at his chest haplessly. You can barely move your left arm from the powerful blow; luckily, it stopped short of completely maiming you.
>Kalidan takes 5 hits, helplessNeridah slashes the raider across the belly, throwing him to the floor, and doesn't skip a beat in moving to help you up. "Giving up already?"
[1d10] Help
>>729326You fly down and try to help her up, but she is deceptively heavy, and the arrow through her tail has her pinned.
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.729328
>>729327"Ssss.. even in death, the archer plaguess me!"
Breathing heavy, she braces herself, working the arrow out of her pinned tail.
[1d10] Recover
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.729329
>>729327>>729328"Ah, the cowards come after you as well. Allow me to assist."
If Varja can't remove it, Sunbeam will try.
Recover Other [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.729330
>>729327Not to be ambushed by the enemy dog, Noghu swims across the river, knowing the diamond dog won't be able to know where he's standing afterwards.
[1d10+1] swim
Roll #1 5 + 1 = 6 No.729331
>>729329At the offer, she makes an attempt to rattle her tail, but recoils in pain from the arrow. She instead only nods.
"Hmm.. very well."
No.729332
>>729327Kalidan accepts the help gratefully, wincing as he is pulled to his feet. He carefully takes another potion from his bag, realizing this will leave him with only one left. Sighing, he looks at his shoulder for a rueful moment before uncorking the bottle with a claw and throwing it back.
As it sets in, he tries to see through the haze to locate any of the party members.
Perception [1d10-1]
Roll #1 8 - 1 = 7 No.729333
>>729329>>729328Between your combined efforts, you manage to free the arrow from Vajra's tail, sending another spasm of pain up the saurian's body. She is heavily injured and weakened, but can move about freely now.
>>729330You manage to swim across the river easily, clambering to the other shore in one piece. Looking back, you see the Dog burst out from the ground like a land shark, only to be met with no prey. He looks over to you and curses, making a break for the bridge to catch up with you.
>>729332You down the sweet, biting potion, the gaping wound in your shoulder stitching back together as if it was never cleaved.
Peering through the smoke and flames, you see the silhouettes of Sunbeam and Vajra not too far away, on the other end of town. Neridah follows your gaze, taking a few steps towards them before looking back expectantly.
No.729334
>>729333Kalidan nods and follows her toward the snake and the dragon, bounding quickly through the burning chaos to their side, looking for danger as the cats make their approach.
Perception [1d10-1]
Roll #1 10 - 1 = 9 No.729335
>>729333Pulling herself free with Sunbeam's aid, the sorceress Hisses in pain as the arrow is removed.
"Hshsss! Enough of thiss.. Let uss make out leave while the village sservess asss the disstraction."
She carefully picks her way through the streets away from the fighting and towards the outskirts of the village, keeping the injured part of her tail away from the dirt road.
No.729336
>>729333Noghu snickers, sneaking off as the other diamond dog has to make a detour in order to chase after him.
[1d10+3] hide
Roll #1 4 + 3 = 7 No.729337
>>729333>>729335"Ah" Sunbeam says as she looks towards the ground. "We must go."
She looks towards Varja, still concerned.
"Can you wal- Can you still move? I could carry you." She offers.
No.729338
>>729334It seems in all the bedlam, the raiders have chosen to ignore you for now, taking to busting into houses and taking anything valuable. You're in the clear to make a getaway.
>>729335>>729337>>729334Before you get away, you are reunited amidst the smoke. Neridah bounds up with a grin, despite her injuries. "Heya," she says to Vajra and Sunbeam. "Sorry we gave you guys the slip before. Let's get out of here before they decide to flay us or something, yeah?"
Taking advantage of the lull in combat, you start heading up towards the hills, away from the village. It's not long before you start moving through a patch of thick shrubs, where you are harder to spot by the raiders.
"Psst!"
The voice comes from behind a nearby tree. You see Berenike there, hiding, as you are, from the prying eyes of the raiders below. Like the rest of you, she seems pretty banged up, having a rapidly swelling eye and several cuts and bruises. "We found a clearing a bit over there. Was waiting to see if you guys would show up." She frowns as she sees the state of you both. "We have some poultices to spare for that, but nothing more immediate, I'm afraid. Come on,
gyorsan, gyorsan!" She beckons you towards the treeline.
>>729336You find some tall grass and sapling to lay low in, lying flat on the ground and avoiding detection. It's near impossible for him to see you from here.
The Dog pauses, gritting his teeth in frustration as you seemingly vanish, scanning the area with scrutiny.
[1d10-1] Perception
Roll #1 8 - 1 = 7 No.729339
>>729337Despite being riddled with arrows, she still manages a weak glare.
"Sss.. Do not asssume me weak from battle, Dragon" she hisses. "I will sstand on my own."
>>729338Flicking her tongue out, the sorceress nods, following Berenike into the relative safety of the forest.
No.729340
>>729339"I do not assume you weak. You are strong, you still move despite scars of combat."
She looks to the wound from the arrow. While following Neridah.
"We should still tend to that however."
No.729341
>>729340She eyes you for a moment, before looking to her tail and nodding. "Yess, in due time. once we are clear of thesse banditss, we can find time to tend to our woundss."
No.729342
>>729338Trying to slow his breath and calm his heart, Noghu sits perfectly still.
No.729343
>>729338Kalidan notes that the griffon that was following them earlier is not apparently outright hostile. He idly wonders whether he is blundering into another trap as he follows the group into the forest.
No.729344
>>729341Sunbeam notices Varja did not acknowledge her comment on her strength.
"I mean what I said. You did well there, Varja. You should have pride."
No.729345
>>729339>>729340>>729343You follow Berenike through to an almost comically small clearing, little more than a patch of sunlight amidst a conifer grove. Her companions Titus and Firmament, along with the dog Marlene, are all there nursing their wounds. Titus, the large monitor lizard saurian, is watching over a bound and gagged Kothbiro, cleaning up a spear wound on his side. Firmament is bandaging his foreleg and trying not to breathe too heavily due to a wound to his chest, while Marlene is lying flattened against the ground, resting after all the chaos they just went through. They turn and greet you with half hearted mumbles and nods.
Neridah looks a little wary. "Aren't you the guys that were following us?" she says, made even more on edge at the sight of Kothbiro captive. "…What are you going to do with her?"
"Relax, friend," Firmament replies. "We don't have issues with you. Only her. We're not here to pick a fight. Besides, we've all gone through hell already." He looks Kalidan and Neridah over. "Er, where are my manners. I'm Firmament. My companions are Titus, Berenike and Marlene. Travelers, like yourselves. I'm sure you don't want to get involved in our squabbles, but there's just one thing we need to sort out with you and your friends before we part ways."
Berenike addresses Vajra and Sunbeam. "Have you seen any trace of your minotaur friend? Or this dog we've heard about? We'd like to speak to them as well."
>>729342You peer through the reeds and tall grass, waiting to see the Dog's next move. He stalks about for a while, searching up and down the river bank, but doesn't spot you. He curses something in his own language, stopping only a few feet away from you, and turns to start heading back to the village.
No.729346
>pausin
No.729347
>>729344"
Pride? What iss there to be proud of?"
"I Sshould have sslaughtered them all.." she hisses darkly. "To flee from
vagrantss, from thosse foolissh enough to attack me.. It iss pathetic."
No.729348
>>729347"Ah.. In my culture, any warrior that returns is honored. We fight to survive, and if you survive, you fought."
She looks towards the sky.
"I am fighting… and I hope I survive."
No.729756
>>729345Following the direction the others went, I manage to track them to the clearing. Noticing the folks kidnapping the zebra, I slip my spear off my frame. Instead of making any threatening gestures with it, I keep it pointed skyward like a walking stick as I qietly step into view.
No.729757
>>729345"Firmament. Titus. Marlene." He nods to each of them in turn. Berenike, of course, he has already met. He shoots a worried look to Kothbiro, and if she happens to be looking at him he gives a surreptitious shrug, and half a reassuring grin for half a second.
He find a comfortable spot among the pine needles and sits, dropping his pack beside him.
"So, what's the plan? Do we wait for the raiders to finish off the village and get bored? Do we try to meet up with the villagers who managed to flee?"
No.729759
>>729345The sorceress slumps wearily onto her coiled tail, taking the time to apply the poultice from earlier today onto her arrow wounds, grimacing from the stinging medicine.
"Thungr iss sstill missing. Perhapss he hass found his own way out of the town."
"That dog, however, i have not sseen ssince the temple."
No.729760
>>729345Grinning and leaping from his hiding place, Noghu jumps up and tosses a bolas at the marauder, letting out a gleefully crazed laugh.
>Lucky Dog[1d10+1] Bolas; Crit DC-2, DC-1
[1d10+1] Word of Power; Crit DC-2
Roll #1 7 + 1 = 8 /
Roll #2 10 + 1 = 11 No.729761
>>729759I cock my eyebrow, surprised the witch remembered my name, but less surprised she hasn't noticed me yet. Not totally sure what to say, I just clear my throat.
No.729762
>>729757"You may do asss you like,
I have had my fill of thiss place. Let thesse vagrantss keep the wretched place, my bussiness is with Galatian now." replies the saurian, waving you off.
>>729761"Ghk!"
startled, the sorceress turns to glare at you. "Do not ssneak up on me, fool! Where were you during the raid?"
No.729763
>>729762I grunt. Fool? I ain't the one who stayed behind in the middle of an attack for nearly no reason while outnumbered. "Woods."
No.729764
>>729759"Surely Thungr knows when to retreat. He will be here soon. As for our canid companion, I am not sure if he will arrive."
Sunbeam notices Varja healing herself
"Ah, that is a… forgive me, I do not know how to say it in your language. It burns the scales not as much if you add
Khola. Perhaps…
She trails off, searching for this specific type of herb.
[1d10+2] Foraging.
Roll #1 5 + 2 = 7 No.729765
>>729763>>729762"Thungr does have the point. Not all battles are meant to be fought. However I do still wonder what will happen to the people of that town. I hope they are okay."
She says, as she continues to look for her plant.
No.729766
>>729763"Hmm.. very well. And i ssupposse you didn't sspot the dog while you were here, did you?"
No.729768
>>729756The trio perk up as you approach, seeming ready for a fight, but relax as they see it's you. "Oh. Hello again,
gadjo," says Berenike. "We were just discussing our next plan of action. Have you seen the Dog, by any chance? The one with the Heart. We can't move on without it."
>>729757Marlene starts sniffing you and Neridah out. She seems to approve.
Firmament cocks an eyebrow. "Oh. You haven't heard. Here's the deal, friend. We're looking for the Heart. If it is half as powerful or valuable as we've been led to believe, it would work wonders for helping our struggle against Styr Thenn's forces. Her employer." He shoots a loathing look at Kothbiro, who looks away with a mix of fear and shame.
"But it's not that simple," Titus chimes in. "Your friend. The feral Dog. He's the only one who knows where it is now. So we need to find him and take it." "Have you seen him?" Berenike asks. "We can't move on until we speak to him." All three of them look to you expectantly.
>>729759Titus rubs the back of his scaled head. "Something of his, then. Marlene could track him if so. Anything at all that can help us find this Dog."
>>729760You spin a bolas and hurl it, ensnaring the raider rightly. He grunts and stumbles a little before faceplanting hard, snarling in pain and struggling against his bindings. Your cackles ring out loudly, frightening the already panicking raider.
>roll Perception>>729764After a bit of searching, you find the plant you're looking for: a plant with long, tongue-like leaves, with tiny serrated spikes along their sides. One of these leaves, when broken in half, reveals a sort of transparent gel inside the plant, which is known to soothe pain when applied.
>>729764>>729763>>729766>>729758Marlene's ears prick up all of a sudden, looking intently in the direction of the burning village. Firmament looks down with a frown. "What is is, girl?"
>roll Perception No.729769
>>729768I shake my head again. Already answered that dern question once. Ain't like I was watchin'em. As the dog tenses and reacts to sometbing, my eyes shift in the town's direction. This is really gettin to be too much work.
[1d10+3]
Roll #1 2 + 3 = 5 No.729770
>>729768"Ah, Varja! This will feel better."
Sunbeam says, happily walking toward her scalekin. As she arrives, she notices Marlene and Firmament's unease. Not making the mistake from last time, she stays on the ground and looks to identify anything that would raise suspicion.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.729771
>>729768"He travelss with naught but a loincloth, nothing to help uss find him, at leasst."
With their dog barking, the sorceress looks to the village, tasting the air briefly.
[1d10] perception
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.729772
>>729768Noghu cocks his head and grins, looking down at the helpless dog. "Prey."
With a quick thrust, Noghu lodges the greatspear into the neck of the downed diamond dog.
>Wild Hunt: Automatic ShatterHis ears perk at a distant sound.
[1d10+1] perception
Roll #1 10 + 1 = 11 No.729773
>>729768Kalidan listens as Firmament speaks, even tolerating Marlene's invasive sniffing. He looks a bit grossed out by the dampness of her nose, but gives her a perfunctory pat or two. Just as he starts to warm up to petting her, she wanders off. Scowling, the big cat turns to Firmament.
"No idea. Can't help ya. Good luck finding the yeen. He's a strange beast, truth be told… Think it's likely he's already disappeared with the Heart."
I know I would've, he doesn't add.
Looking to his companions, he wonders how many of them will be swayed by the newcomers' sob sorry about an evil ruler. Kalidan has never met a ruler that wasn't at least a little evil, and there are more important things to worry about than the morality of one's king when war is afoot. Namely, the slippery nature of power.
Kalidan tries to examine the nature of Koth's bonds without being noticed, whether or not they could be easier slashed through or untied.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.729774
>>729771You finish the raider off quickly, with one swift motion. Looking around, you notice a couple more raiders breaking away from the village. They seem to be searching for you still, having heard your laughter from nearby.
>>729773Marlene has other things on her mind, but seems to appreciate the extra attention.
Titus frowns. "Well, we're not going anywhere till we get answers," he says stubbornly. "This is everything," Berenike agrees, folding her forelegs.
Looking over to Kothbiro, you see that the rope binding her is quite thick. One good stroke of a sharp blade would do the trick, but untying it would be tricky. Titus seems to be extremely handy with rope.
You suddenly notice Neridah has gone off somewhere, simply slipping away to parts unknown.
>>729770You notice everyone on alert and look around for the source of whatever's bothering them. In the process, you stumble into a large, tangled spiderweb, whose inhabitant crawls on you and into your satchel. When you open it up to try and find it, it's nowhere to be seen. You get the god-awful feeling it's going to come back to haunt you someday.
>>729769>>729770>>729771>>729773You very faintly hear a familiar echoing cackle on the wind. The others look unnerved, but Kothbiro smiles slightly. "Fool," she says to herself. Firmament clicks his tongue, and Marlene joins him by his side. The two head off on their own, going to investigate the strange sound.
Berenike looks a bit uncomfortable, but attempts to make conversation. Titus in the meantime starts a fire, setting up camp for the night. "So, wanderers. Any idea where you'll go from hereon out? The nearest major settlement is Galatian, to the north, but we'll be heading due west with the bounty, towards the city of Roan. You're welcome to join us if you like."
No.729775
>>729774Annoyed at the persistance of the raiders, Noghu collects his bolas and dumps the body in the river, burrowing once he finds some reeds to hide the hole.
[1d10+3] Burrowing and hiding
Roll #1 2 + 3 = 5 No.729776
>>729774Kalidan ignores Berenike's attempts at conversation, scoots himself closer to Kothbiro and attempts to engage in quiet conversation.
"You're in quite a pickle here. I've a mind to free you because you saved my ass in the temple, but beyond that, you're on your own. You got a plan, assuming we can't recover the rock from the dog?" He mutters as if to himself, loud enough only to be heard by the bound zebra.
He notices Neridah's absence, but doesn't react. Either she is planning something or disappearing, and either way, trailing her won't help either of them. He reckons that cat has been more trouble than she's worth. Still, he tries to sense where she might have gone off to.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.729777
>>729774The sorceress looks pensive for a moment, nursing her wounds with the remainder of the poultice.
"Hmm.. What do you know of thesse citiess, Galatian and Roan? I wissh to ressearch the arcane, yet i know not where i may find a library large enough for the tassk."
No.729778
>>729774Sunbeam desperately pours out her satchel, searching for her new arachnid friend, but searches in vain, and carefully puts everything back in, each thoroughly being inspected for spider.
"Whatever that creature is, I do not like it." She says to herself
She glances in the direction of the sound.
"Ah, should we… retrieve them?"
She considers Berenikes question for a while.
"I do not know where I will go yet. I have yet to see the topaz. If it is the one I seek, I will be taking it back to my homeland. If it is not." She uncomfortably pauses. "I have heard of a kingdom of fellow dragons to the north. I would think to speak to them and attempt to have them assist my people but I do not know where this place is, or how I will be getting there."
As she finishes she looks to the setting sun.
No.729779
>>729774I sigh. Guess he's still back in town. I shake my head. Getting to the point I'd rather just go home, not to mention we let our last companion get captured. Not sure why they'd want me with them to begin with.
No.729780
>>729779"Why?" I finally add.
No.729781
>>729775You start burrowing, but keep hitting the bridge foundations and having to dig around. You don't manage to get very far under before three raiders show up. One of them points at you and snarls something unintelligible from across the river, while another grabs a mean looking rock and hurls it at you from a sling!
[1d10+1]
You hear a familiar bark coming from somewhere nearby.
>>729776Kothbiro hesitates, then shakes her head. "I go back empty handed, I'm dead," she whispers back. "I need this more than they do."
You see some light pawprints and trampled bushes, but following them is fruitless, as the trail stops dead. She must be going through the treeline.
>>729777Titus takes the question. "Galatian is well guarded. Kind of a center of trade around these parts. There's a big mercenary company that operate there. I can only imagine the Nicanorians will want to buy them out."
"As for Roan, well, there's not much to it really. Small town. Quiet. A bit isolated." He shrugs. "Good for laying low for a while."
"Honestly you'll be hard pressed to find much on the arcane in these parts," Berenike comments. "The only real place for
boszorkányok like you is Litharge, but that's a long, long way away. In the Shadow Lord's domain."
>>729778"A dragon kingdom?" Titus parrots. "Well, news to me."
Berenike considers your lack of direction. "Have you thought about my offer from earlier? We could use someone like you in our ranks. The same goes for all of you, really."
>>729779>>729780Berenike looks a bit taken aback at your blunt question. "…Well, if you don't have anywhere else to go, the more the merrier. Right? Plus, if you managed to loot the temple, you'll be wanting to sell your goods. Roan is as good a place as any to do so. Also, you stick with us, there might be work in it for you. We're desperately low in numbers after the last Nicanorian attack."
Roll #1 9 + 1 = 10 No.729782
>>729781Kalidan nods at the bound zebra, eyes full of understanding. "Alright. I'll be back," he murmurs to her.
Without hesitation, he hops lithely to his feet, dons his pack and darts off into the underbrush. He follows the sound of Noghu's cackle, and the bark of Marlene. Taking to the trees easily, he conceals himself even as he follows as quickly as he can, branch to branch through the thick canopy.
Navigation/Tracking [1d10]
Stealth [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 No.729783
>>729781My nostrils flare as I consider. "Got any loquor?" I ask. I think I only have enough shine left over for a night or two, and I'd rather actually sleep.
No.729784
>>729781Letting out a quiet whine, Noghu throws a bolas as quickly as he can in an attempt to throw the aim of the slinger off. He then hurriedly continues to try and burrow to safety.
>Lucky Dog, again
>ola; instant, recharge 2, weapon, ranged: Throws a bola to temporarily disable a target. Bola does no damage, but on hit interrupts the target's current action and prevents movement, requiring them to break free of the binds that turn. On crit, it also sends the target helpless without dealing a wound of damage.[1d10+1] DC-1, CritDC-2
[1d10+1] Burrowing, CritDC-2
Roll #1 3 + 1 = 4 /
Roll #2 8 + 1 = 9 No.729785
>>729781Sunbeam answers Berenike simply.
"I have more important things to do."
No.729786
>>729781"Litharge? Hmm.. and jusst how far away iss it? Forgive my ignorance, my temple wass quite issolated from the great citiess, i have much to learn."
No.729787
>>729782You hide easily amongst the trees, following the trail Marlene and Firmament left as they search for Noghu. Eventually, you spot them near the edge of the treeline, heading towards the bridge leading into town. They seem to be onto something.
>roll Perception>>729783Titus pauses as you ask, nodding slightly. He starts rummaging through the cargo, producing a bottle of a dark reddish liquor. Berenike frowns in disapproval. "That stuff's meant for special occasions," she says.
Titus shrugs. "Just a swig, Bee. Asides, we're making new friends, aren't we. I'd say that calls for drinks." He uncorks it and fills up two canteens with it, passing you one before raising his in a silent toast to you.
>>729784The bolas goes wide, and you take a rock right to the head as you start to burrow. Your head spins and your vision blurs. You feel blood trickling down your face from the impact.
>Noghu takes 5 hits, helplessThe barking starts to get louder, and you hear the raiders start to cross to get to you.
>>729785She tilts her head slightly. "Oh? What might that be, if you don't mind me asking? The pilgrimage to dragon lands? Or something other?"
>>729786"Far enough," Titus answers as he takes a swig of liquor. "It's not the sort of place you can just get to that easily. A year on foot. Maybe more. Far north in the Cold Waste. Lethal to you and me if we're not careful. Not a place I'd ever want to go."
No.729788
>>729787I hold the canteen up in a toast before sliding it into my pack. Gotta remember to give that back to him later. Well, guess I got stuff to sell anyway. No sense changin plans now.
No.729789
>>729784You manage to burrow deeper, but have to stop to recover after getting hit in the head. You're not quite sure what's happening up above anymore, but you're deep enough that nothing short of another skilled digger could unearth you.
No.729790
>>729787"You are persistent. Perhaps one day. But not today. But it seems that going to these dragon lands is my only option if the topaz is not the one I seek. Or if I will never see it. If you do not know where they are, I will find somepony who does."
She states firmly, looking away from Berenike.
No.729791
>>729789With a yelp and a whimper, Noghu flails helplessly in his own hole, trying to get back up on his feet so he can dig far away.
[1d10+1] Helplessness
Roll #1 5 + 1 = 6 No.729792
>>729787Kalidan follows quietly, watching for any sign of the dog with the gem, careful to stay out of sight.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.729793
>>729787She flicks her tongue out as the mention of the cold. "Mosst unfortunate. Perhaps the knowledge i sseek will be found elssewhere."
"Galatian remainss the clossest city to here, correct? It will be a welcome change to return to civilization."
No.729794
>>729790Berenike nods. She seems a bit ashamed for prying. "…Well," she points out, "the sooner we can find this Dog, and therefore the Heart, the sooner we can figure out where to from here. Right?" She gives a friendly smile.
>>729788Titus looks a bit annoyed that you put it away, but lets it slide. "So. Where you from, friend?" He looks interested in making conversation.
>>729791You manage to clear your head and come to, just in time to hear the sloshing of water from up above. Seems that if you won't come out of your hole, they're going to pour water in from the river until you do.
The barking gets louder. You hear yelling coming from up above.
>>729792You don't see him directly, but you see where he's most likely been. A large Dog-shaped hole has been dug into the ground near the bridge, while a trio of raiders are busy gathering water to flood it. As you watch, however, they are forced to stop what they're doing, as Firmament and Marlene run out of the treeline, ambushing the group. A vicious fight starts breaking out between them.
>>729793She nods. "If you want to go there, we can't stop you. I hope you don't join up with the Nicanorians. It'd be a shame to meet as enemies." She seems quite sincere saying this, and it doesn't come off as a threat to you.
No.729983
>>729794I study him for a long, lingering moment. Feels like I've been asked that more times this one day than I have been the past ten years. "Mountains," I say. "When we leavin?" I'm pretty sure I already know the answer. They probably wanna look for the dern dog and the rock first, from the sound of it.
No.729984
>>729794Noghu digs off to the side of his hole and frantically collapses the exit behind him, holding his breath as he cuts off his oxygen supply for a short while to prevent them from flooding the hole.
No.729985
>>729794Kalidan watches his newly-acquired companions intercept the troublesome raiders with interest, but isn't tempted to intervene. He tries to trace the dog-tunnel, trying to extrapolate Noghu's direction and approximate exit-hole, hoping to intercept the hyena on his way out of the underground.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.729986
>>729794Sunbeam agrees.
"This is correct. Has anypony seen Fool?"
She says, completely unaware of that words intention as an insult.
No.729987
>>729986"Hmph.. sskulking around here ssomewhere, no doubt."
"How troublessome. I wissh to be done with thiss affair of templess and villagess, but i cannot finissh thiss without the gem."
No.729988
>>729983He looks frustrated at your reticence, but doesn't seem to have given up yet. "…Right. I'm from the Southern Reach myself. Ever heard of 'em? A more beautiful country there never was."
Berenike looks up to the darkened sky. "First light tomorrow. It doesn't do to be traveling these lands at night. You're welcome to camp out the night with us here if you like."
>>729984You hold your breath and cut off the exit, but the water never comes. You hear a fight breaking out, then a few bodies hitting the ground. There is a prolonged silence, followed by continued barking. The same dog you heard before. "Hey down there!" an unfamiliar voice calls. "The raiders are gone. It's safe to come on out now. …It's starting to get real dark up here, and odds are they'll be back soon. I can take you to friends."
>>729985It doesn't seem like Noghu's trying to dig away, more holing up inside and waiting it out. Meanwhile, Firmament and Marlene make short work of the trio in a brief but bloody skirmish, from which they emerge without much of a scratch. Firmament seems to be trying to goad Noghu out of hiding now.
"Much of a view down there?"
You hadn't even heard Neridah climbing up the same tree as you. She herself at home, climbing up to an adjacent branch and crouching on it as she peers out at the rapidly darkening scene above. You see she's tied a few dead rabbits to her waist, presumably for dinner.
>>729986Berenike shakes her head. "It doesn't seem like it. I hope Firmament comes back soon. Maybe some of us should go and see what's taking so long?"
>>729987"Whoever this Fool is, they seem like more trouble than they're worth," Titus agrees from the sidelines. "If we'd found him by now we could've moved on. It doesn't seem like we'll have time to now. Sun's getting real low."
No.729989
>>729988Knowing the voices above to be lying due to Noghu's lack of any friends, Noghu digs far enough down not to form any hills above and tries to get a distance away before needing to come up for air.
[1d10+3] diggy hidey dig
Roll #1 8 + 3 = 11 No.729990
>>729988I nod, look up at the sky, and squint, trying to get an idea of what the weather's gonna be like. "Tracked a big pig a ways down that way," I asently say. Wish I'd brought my tent hide instead of just a blanket. Didn't think I'd be gone more than a couple days. "Lots'a skeeters. Gotta keep bug dope with ya."
[1d10+3] what's the weather look like?
Roll #1 6 + 3 = 9 No.729991
>>729988"I would not do that. Our canine companion has a way of popping out unexpected. Searching for him would make us much less likely to find him."
With this, she sits on the grass beneath her and looks towards the sunset.
"Until then, we should sit and reflect on the day."
>>729990"Ah, more of your regional dialect Thungr. Fascinating."
No.729992
>>729988Kalidan tries not to jump in surprise as Neridah gets the jump on him… again. He thanks his lucky stars that she is (mostly) friendly, as he repositions himself as if he knew she were there the whole time.
"Looking for that sneaky hyena. Think he has the stone. Might be in some trouble. Or maybe not," he amends as Firmament and Marlene make short work of the raiders. Thinking twice, he realizes that he knows next to nothing of the newcomers.
"Well, maybe so, after all," he concedes, watching the aftermath of the brutal combat. He turns to look at Neridah. "Let's not intervene. You saw what they did to the zeeb. If they capture the dog, I could…" He launches a sideways glance quickly. "I mean, WE could snatch the stone for ourselves."
No.729993
>>729991I spare the dragon a brief glance and grunt.
No.729994
>>729988"Sso long as he hass the gem, he iss worth enough to try" replies the sorceress with a dour look.
No.729995
>>729989You dig even further down, making a large, precarious pitfall for anyone that would try to go down. You hear the dog up above whine, and indistinct grumbling.
The voice rings out again. "Look. Whoever you are, we need your help. We're not looking to hurt you. We just want to talk. We have food, shelter, and companionship. Please don't make this difficult." He sounds like he's borderline desperate for you to hear him out.
>>729990Titus nods. "Yeah, the bugs can be a nuisance. Less so for my folk though. Harder for 'em to get through us." He raises one muscular hand, showing off his scales.
"So, mountains, huh. Can't say I'd fancy going there. Far too cold for me. Not my type at all."
The sky above seems cloudy. There might be some rain through the night, and in the morning. Nothing to worry too much about though.
>>729991Berenike nods, resting on her haunches for a moment. "Yeah. Been a long day for everyone, I suppose." She digs around in her bag for a moment, producing a pouch full of strips of dried meat. She offers you some before munching down on it herself. "Not much to look at, but it's all we have for now."
>>729992She looks on at Firmament and Marlene with a low whistle as she sees their handiwork. Their attempts to coax Noghu out of hiding are fruitless. "Or," Neridah suggests, "we could help them get the dog out, get them on our side, and then while they're asleep or distracted, we go for the big rock and hightail it." She cocks an eyebrow. "Eh?"
>>729994Titus nods. "Yeah. This is everything. If we don't leave with that gem, we came all this way for nothing."
"It's not like there wasn't always a risk of leaving empty handed," Berenike points out. "For all we knew it was just a myth. Still. We've come this far. Just a little more of a push, and it'll be ours."
She offers you some of the jerky she's sharing with Sunbeam.
No.729996
>>729995Noghu draws inwards, promises of companionship and shelter only being foreign concepts to the dog. He begins his dig sideways away from the original hole.
No.729997
>>729995I nod along as the lizard talks. After a moment, I sigh. Looks like rain. Not waiting for him to finish, I turn around, pull out my axe, and head back into the bush to look for firewood and the materials I need to build a debris lean-to big enough to shield me from the rain. Not interested in gettin wet again.
[1d10+3] Shelter building
Roll #1 5 + 3 = 8 No.729998
>>729996You start digging sideways, noting that the soil gets damper from the nearby river.
There is a prolonged silence before you hear something falling down the pit. Going over, you find it's food; nuts, strips of dried fish, and flavorless biscuits. Meager snacks, but better than going hungry for the night. "There's plenty more where that came from if you come out," the voice calls.
No.729999
>>729995Kalidan nods. "My kind of plan," he grins, then his face drops. "How to coax a dog who doesn't trust anycreature, though? I doubt adding our voice to the milieu will help." He pauses for a moment, watching Firmament try to convince the hyena unconvincingly.
Tapping his furry chin with a single outstretched claw, he begins to formulate a plan. "Seems like a loner, who doesn't trust anycreature. Best to play to our strengths, and his weakness. What if we make him think he has escaped notice, then follow? I doubt this lone wolf plans to bunk with other adventurers. Maybe we can find his lonely hideout ourselves, steal the stone, free the zeeb and disappear into the night." He looks to Neridah as if to reaffirm his own thoughts, then continues to stare at the large dog-hole, trying to notice any disturbance of the ground-level forest debris.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.730000
>>729999You both watch as Firmament tries to tempt him with food. "Don't see that working," Neridah comments with a wry smile.
"Maybe. The problem is," Neridah points out, "it seems like either he's the one with the stone or he hid it somewhere around here. I suppose we could search, but he's probably buried it somewhere. Plus, those goons are still lurking around." She points out the raiders, who seem to be starting to trail off back into the woods from whence they came, their work complete. "So either we start looking everywhere, or we interrogate the mutt ourselves."
The soil doesn't seem to be disturbed any more than it already is. If anything, you'd probably guess he's going to dig as deep as he can.
No.730001
>>729995"Ah. Your people say 'Thank you' now, do they not."
She says, gratefully taking a piece.
>>729999"He will come when he comes. In my lacking research of the species of this lands, I have seen it noted that diamond dogs are usually found in groups or packs. I do not think he will be alone too long."
She says, uneasily chewing on her jerky.
No.730002
>>729995Having had the stew what must feel like a lifetime ago, the sorceress accepts the jerky with thanks.
Curious, she asks between bites of meat "What do you know of thiss gem? It'ss mineral worth iss obviouss, but what have you heard of it'ss magic potential?"
No.730003
>>729998'
Bait for prey.'' Noghu thinks to himself, though even still his stomach rumbles, having not eaten all day. He whines softly to himself, but remembers the days foodless days in his pack. '
Noghu strong, Noghu own pack.'
Noghu follows parallel to the damp dirt as he continues to dig, trying to stay at a certain soil dampness that neither gets too muddy that it risks getting close to the river, or dry enough to lose his bearing.
No.730004
>>729997Titus seems to read your mind, and starts scouring the area for materials as well. Between the two of you, you manage to find plenty of firewood. Before long, you have a sort of makeshift shelter set up for the night, big enough for one. It's mostly made of fallen branches, but it's quite sturdy. Titus nods in approval at your handiwork, offering some of his spool of rope to put towards the shelter.
>>730001>>730002The jerky is dry, and salty, but not unpleasant. It goes down quite easily, though you are left a little thirsty from it.
>>730001She nods. "You're welcome. I didn't expect our group to grow so much, but I'm sure we'll make do."
She mulls this over. "Maybe we should go get Firmament, and tell him to call off the efforts? If he's a lone wolf, he probably won't be coming out of his own will. Maybe he'll just… show up." She shrugs. "Still. We can't move on without him. Frustrating, I know."
>>730002Berenike shrugs. "Only rumors. It was the object of worship for an entire civilization of sun worshipping saurians, in the ancient times. Precursors to the dragons, by some accounts." She gives Sunbeam a side glance. "Whatever it's capable of, it must be mighty indeed. …Though, in the event that it doesn't have magic powers at all - unlikely - it'd still be worth a king's ransom. Enough to put a lot of money towards our cause."
No.730005
>>730003You continue to dig, eventually reaching what must be the river bed. Any further than this, and you'd risk drowning.
"Well, when you're ready to come out," the voice calls, "we're setting up camp on the other side of town. You're always welcome there." You hear more food get tossed down. The voice stops after that, though it's unclear if they're gone or if they're just sitting around waiting.
No.730006
>>730004"Obliged," I say, giving him back his rope. Taking one of the larger logs, I lay it sideways in front of my shelter, build up a fire, drop my pack, and sit down. Reaching in, I pull out some oats, a piece of pemmican, my waterskin, and my jaw harp. Before anything else, I eat the pemmican to tide me over, mix some water with the oats, and set it aside to give it a couple hours to absorb. Finally, I pull out the liquor the lizard gave me and set it beside my seat.
I don't start playing anything yet, instead deciding to take the time to relax.
No.730007
>>730004"I have… hmmm… there are not words in this language I know. It is a strange faith I have in him. I apologize. I do not know how to say. Perhaps I am incorrect."
She goes to gnaw on her jerky anxiously again, but realizes she is already finished.
"If it is not trouble, may I have more?"
No.730008
>>730000"Hid it somewhere…?" Kalidan has a look of realization on his face. "Of course he did…! I don't know why I didn't think of that. I had assumed he was carrying it around. Now that you mention it, it's super obvious he would have buried it somewhere safe." He taps his chin again. "Where would an Abyssinian consider safe?" He has a pondering look on his face as he studies the ground around the dog-hole, even as Firmament throws offerings of food into it.
"Goons," he thinks out loud, "come in all shapes and sizes. I wouldn't put it past these guys," indicating Firmament, Marlene, and by association the other three newcomers, "to try to coax, bully, or even abduct the holder of the stone. Seems everyone has a vested interest in grabbing the thing," he notes, glancing at his fellow felid in the tree. Except me, he doesn't add. Which might be just why I can get it. A sly smile spreads across his feline features.
"I would rather not deal with the trackers. Looks like they are after the zeeb as well as the stone." He glances at Neridah again. "I owe her one, by the by. She… helped me in a rough spot. I aim to cut her free, but beyond that I don't owe her, or anycreature else, jack shit."
A guilty twinge as he recalls the crystal pony shopkeep. "Well, mostly anycreature."
He sighs and looks around. "Maybe we can find where he hid the stone. It must have been somewhere we passed since leaving the Temple, and probably in an obvious place. Maybe on a hill, or near some sort of landmark. Dogs aren't that smart."
No.730009
>>730005Noghu backs himself up against a dirt wall and crosses his large bulky arms, closing his eyes and stomach grumbling. '
Hunt night, food then,' he thinks to himself, trying to convince his own digestive system.
No.730010
>>730008She listens as you ponder the situation. "Well, that's up to you," she points out when you bring up the captive Kothbiro. "I don't even remember her name. Give me an incentive to help you with that." She flashes a grin.
She surveys the landscape, her pupils widening as she adjusts to the encroaching darkness. "It wouldn't be in the village. That's not his style. We could go now that it's dark. Be easier to slip by the looters. Scout the area, see if we can find the big rock, then just dip. Leave these chumps to search for it themselves, while we're laughing all the way to the bank."
She shimmies down the tree, eyes gleaming with the prospect of untold riches. "You coming?"
No.730011
>>730009You hole up for a while. Time passes, and no one else comes looking for you. Seems like the coast is finally clear, for now.
No.730012
>>730007"Confidence?" Berenike suggests.
She nods, taking a handful from the bag and giving you the rest of it. "By all means. Plenty more where that came from."
>>730006You sit back and relax for a while. Titus does the same, sitting on a nearby log and chowing down on a bag of what look like dried insects. To each their own.
There's a long silence as the two of you just sit around for a bit, taking in the day's events. Titus tries to break the ice once again. "Not much for talking, are you," he says with a slightly cheeky grin. "Bit for your thoughts?"
No.730013
>>730011Noghu drums his large digits against his chin, eventually deciding to dig one more offshoot away's away as an escape in case there are some waiting to capture him when he pops up. He then returns to his resting place and pops his head up slightly from his hole near the riverbed.
[1d10+3] stealthy
Roll #1 5 + 3 = 8 No.730014
>>730013You dig up and poke your head out. While it's gotten quite dark, it seems whoever was trying to cajole you out has given up. You're alone, as far as you can tell.
No.730015
>>730012"Thank you. We do not have such food where I am from. Hmm. Con-fi-dence. That could be the word but I apologize, I do not know."
She takes a few pieces of jerky and places the bag between them.
"Where are you from Berenike? Griffons are from north lands, yes?"
No.730016
>>730012I glance up at the lizard and cock an eyebrow. Do I really seem interestin enough to offer money for what I'm thinkin? "Gonna rain," I say. "And I left most of my supplies back at my cabin. Low on liquor, too. Wish I could head back, but the city we're goin to is closer. Also low on liquor. Have trouble sleepin through the night without a drink or two before I shut my eyes. Just hopin the stuff I found will sell for enough for everythin I need." I pause, trying to think of anything else. "And I guess I'm wonderin a little if y'all're gonna kill-" I pause again, trying to remember her name. "The zebra."
No.730017
>>730014Knowing the village likely not to be a safe place to return to, and the light too dark to hunt properly, Noghu crosses the river to explore the forest again, hoping to find a dead villager or bandit amidst the trees.
No.730018
>>730017[1d10+1]
Roll #1 3 + 1 = 4 No.730019
>>730010"We could follow his scent back. He can't have taken too labyrinthian a path, right?…" He sounds less than certain. "Right?"
"Kothbiro. Her name is Kothbiro," Kalidan tries to inform her, but Neridah is already gone. He sighs. "Coming," he replies, more petulantly than he intends.
He follows her down the tree and away from the excitement. Nothing to see here, anyway. He looks backward to make sure he knows how to get back to the allies campground before taking off behind her, just hoping he can keep up with the slighter, quicker felid.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.730020
>>730015"Usually, yes. My people's homeland is up in the Archbacks. I'm not from there, though. I was raised in the Hearkenlands. My parents found me as a child, and raised me as their own. Saurians, both of them. It's… not a land I'd like to go back to. Lava farming isn't something I'd ever like to touch again." She smiles humorlessly. "But I'll always be grateful for what they gave me."
>>730016"Kothbiro," says Titus, looking stony. "We would if we could. Especially Firmament. We all have reason to want to gut that one. But she's useful to us. She works for Thenn. She must know something we can use in our war." He goes silent for a while. "Don't suppose you'd be interested in joining our cause? ..Nah, you don't seem the type."
No.730021
>>730017>>730018You don't find much in the surrounding forest, save for the flickering light of an encampment. Judging from the harsh, guttural tongue you can hear them speaking, they must be part of the raider horde. They seem to be arguing over something, from the tone.
No.730022
>>730020"I'll tell you what I told her," I say. "Ain't signin no contracts. Ain't makin no long term promises. Iffin y'all can't just point and pay, I ain't interested. Don't take kindly to bein trapped."
No.730023
>>730019You make a mental note of where the clearing is before heading out with Neridah. Your eyes quickly adjust to the gloom, and you stick to the shadows, exploring the surrounding wilderness.
Climbing up onto a nearby boulder as a vantage point, you see a few areas that Noghu may have visited:
One is a large,dying tree, a bit away from the village, on the other side of the river.
Another is a cluster of smaller boulders on the foothills overlooking the western end of town. The way up looks a little unstable.
The third is a patch of mushrooms right on the treeline, also past the river.
Finally, there is a tiny cave at the base of the foothills. Seems like as good a shelter as any.
No.730024
>>730020"Ah, I cannot imagine."
She says, having heard that phrase but not completely sure on its meaning.
"I knew I liked you for some reason. You are scalekin! …Well, you are sort of scalekin. I am from Trakali. It is far from here. Trakali is a
kiāwitl-kuāuhtla or as you would call it, a rain-forest. Our people call it
kiātla which also is our word for home."
The word "home" makes her pause.
"I am sorry if I have spoke too much. I have not had the time to talk of my home to anyone in a long time. It makes me… hmm… miss my home? I do not know the words."
No.730025
>>730021Noghu grumbles, edging closer to the village where the battle had taken place, betting on the fact at least one body was missed.
[1d10+1]
Roll #1 1 + 1 = 2 No.730026
>>730022He nods, with a tinge of regret. "Yeah. That's about what I expected. We don't have the money or resources to hire folks. Not yet anyway. Once we get that gem, we'll be able to get anything we need…"
>>730024She smiles. "Not at all. It's always nice to get to know fellow travelers better. Trakali, hm. I know the name, but I've never been there. It must be quite something."
>>730024>>730022>>730002The idle chatter is interrupted as Firmament and Marlene return to camp. Berenike brightens up. "Hey! Find anything?"
Firmament nods. "Yeah. Kind of. I think I found our Dog. But he's very stubborn. Just dug himself into the earth and refused to come out. I tried everything short of going down there and grabbing him myself. Too dangerous to do that. I can't dig."
Titus frowns. "So you just left him there?"
Firmament nods. "It's a lost cause. Best plan of action now I think is to wait and see if he shows up, then tomorrow, see if he's stashed it somewhere around here."
No.730027
>>730025You look around. You can see - and smell - most of the bodies of the fallen have been heaped up and burned alongside the rest of the village. With most of the raiders having gone, there's a few left behind to keep watch over the village for any stragglers or intruders like yourself.
Closer to the bridge, you can see two raiders struggling to carry a dead villager and throw the body on the bonfire. They pause to catch their breath, and one of them perks up, looking in your direction. You're not sure if you've been spotted, but if you have, they don't seem to be hostile to you.
No.730028
>>730026"Is he far away? I could speak with him."
She says, with a tinge of worry in her voice.
No.730029
>>730026"This rock actually worth all this money? Lots of folks tryin pretty hard to get it. Don't seem no account to me, sides maybe the ghost what guarded it."
No.730030
>>730026Vajra rolls her eyes. "Wonderful. Were i ressted, i could tear him from the soil with my minionss, but my focuss waness. He rarely travless far underground; we will unearth him tomorrow."
No.730031
>>730027Noghu crouches low, once again hiding and wincing yet again. '
This why Noghu hunt in plains. Dumb snake thing.' Not even more people chasing after hmi, he takes cover behind a tree.
[1d10+3]
Roll #1 10 + 3 = 13 No.730032
>>730023Kalidan surveys the situation, trying to put himself into the dog's mindset. He turns to Neridah.
"I figure he figures himself better able to navigate hills than others who don't dig so much. Perhaps we head toward those boulders, on that hill overlooking the town?" He points out what must be the hardest climb of all the options.
Without waiting for her to agree, he sets off, using his limber claws to traverse from stone to stone, jumping up the cliff as best he can manage, sniffing the air for traces of the hyena's distinct aroma.
Navigation/Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.730033
>>730028"Could be anywhere by now," Firmament shrugs. "If you want to go looking for him, be my guest. Maybe he'll listen to you."
>>730029"As valuable as any gem. If it's as flawless as the rumors would have one believe, we could live like kings with it." "Ghost?" Titus asks, with a slight head tilt.
>>730030Firmament nods. "Yeah. Might be better to just sleep on all this. He won't get far on foot, anyway. There's nothing but wilderness for days."
No.730034
>>730033I scratch my head and grumble a little. "Ghost statue?" Wonder if that even makes sense. "Had to pick who got the rock. Picked the dog."
No.730035
>>730031You run and hide, peering out after a few moments. The raiders seem to have shrugged it off as their imagination, and continue to keep transporting the body. Why they're incinerating them is beyond you.
No.730036
>>730033Recalling the guardian within the temple and it's words to her, the sorceress' temper flared with a rattle of her tail and a low hiss.
"Yess, the sandss-touched sstatue buried with the gem, holding it until it judged uss all."
"Inssolent golem, giving the heart to the
Dog, of all asssembled! I would have torn it to piecess, if it hadn't collapssed along with the temple.."
No.730037
>>730032Neridah shrugs and follows you, clambering up the slope towards the cluster of boulders. You don't find much of interest up here, save for a shallow pit dug in the ground, lined with twigs, with a single huge brown and black egg in the middle. Seems like a bird nest of some sort, but there's no bird around.
You sniff the air. There's a foul, acrid smell on the air, like burning flesh. It's coming from the village. Unfortunately, this overpowers any other scent you might be able to pick up. Neridah wrinkles her nose. "What are those creeps doing down there?" she wonders out loud.
No.730038
>>730033Sunbeam silently takes the rest of the bag of jerky and slips off back towards town. She flies occasionally, but stays mostly to the ground.
She thinks to herself "He must be hungry by now, I hope."
She searches for signs of a hyena diamond dog.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.730039
>>730036"Dout y'all coulda kilt a statue. Don't even got no iron."
No.730040
>>730034>>730036Berenike frowns. "Curious," she muses. "Of all of you, it picked the Dog to give the gem to? Did it say why?"
No.730041
>>730040I shrug. "He didn't want it."
No.730042
>>730038You leave the clearing and head back the way you came, flying up to get a better vantage point. You can see some activity in the surrounding area; there seem to be some figures lurking in the foothills near a cluster of boulders, while in the village itself, you can see the raiders hard at work burning their dead for some nefarious purpose. No sign of Noghu, though.
No.730043
>>730042Sunbeam presses on, trying to stay out of sight and approach the entrance to town. While doing this, she takes a piece of jerky and waves it a bit, trying to spread the scent.
"This is foolish" She thinks to herself "But I cannot leave without the Topaz. I need it. Trakali needs it."
She continues to search
[1d10] Find doggy
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.730044
>>730039She glares at you. "Sss.. perhapss not alone, then. enough of the dead to topple it." she adds, waving you off. "The ssentiment sstill sstandss."
>>730040"The sstatue judged the reassoning for taking the gem. Of uss there, the Dog remained the only one foolissh enough to refusse it, By ignorance or ssimple-mindedness i know not, thuss he wass chossen."
No.730045
>>730035Dejected about even the last-choice food being wasted in a fire, Noghu makes to listen in on the argument closer to the encampment.
No.730046
>>730037"Hmm," Kalidan scratches his fuzzy chin with the same outstretched claw. Looking around, he drops his pack, pulls out the length of rope and begins to wrap it around the egg in a protective cocoon. He carefully loads it into his pack, making sure to insulate it as best he can before slinging the bag onto his shoulders.
Launching a grin at Neridah, he offers the barest of explanations. "Never know when you might need something," he states before sliding down the hill, angling himself toward the small cave at the base of the foothills.
No.730047
>>730041Berenike scoffs a little. "I find that a little hard to swallow."
>>730044Titus blinks. "He was chosen because he didn't want it?" "That's… very strange. Very strange indeed. To entrust someone as… well, base as this Dog with such a rare and powerful gift… Well, who are we to fathom the wisdom of ancient beings. Maybe he was chosen for some higher purpose." "Or maybe he's just another fool we need to deal with," Berenike comments, growing more restless.
No.730048
>>730043You keep flying about trying to find a trace of him, but can't seem to spot him anywhere. He's more than likely hiding, given the other company present.
No.730049
>>730045You sneak closer, but can't understand what they're arguing over. They're not speaking a language you know.
No.730050
>>730046You steal the egg as best you can. Neridah just shrugs. "Might be worth something to someone."
You head off towards the cave, taking a quick glance around. It's rather dark, but doesn't seem to go back that far. You can see a few gnawed bones scattered around, but they look like they've been there a while. Overall, the cave seems to have been the lair for some beast, but has since been abandoned. There might be something worth pocketing here, though. Neridah takes to it like a fly to rubbish, eagerly sifting through the remains of who knows what in search of forgotten treasure.
No.730051
>pausing
No.730341
>>730047I pick up a branch, prod at the fire, and shrug again without looking up. Ain't like I gave it to him.
No.730342
>>730050Kalidan joins Neridah in sifting through the bones and refuse.
"You think some adventurers passed through here?" He thinks about what he said and chuckles. "Passed through a GI tract, maybe."
Search [1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.730343
>>730047"I would not account the choice to 'wissdom'. When you learn jusst who the sstatue entrussted it to, you will ssee as i do what foolss they were." grumpily replied the sorceress.
No.730344
>>730342"A what?" Neridah looks confused, but shrugs it off as she continues to pick through the remains.
You find the remains of what must have been a fellow Felid. All that's left is a skull, and a skeletal paw clutching an old leather bag. There's still some coin inside, too! Seems whatever had its way with this poor soul had no use for them.
>+100 bitsYou also find an oddity among the remains; a dagger, inscribed with an unfamiliar alphabet, the blade a strange, undulating pattern, the guard curved sharply upward. Neridah doesn't seem to find much, save for a pewter ring with a flawed gem. She looks over, clearly jealous of your find. "Looks evil," she comments. "Nice."
With that, she gives up on her search, and starts looking for a way to sneak across the bridge to the other areas of interest without being spotted.
No.730345
>>730343>>730341Conversation starts to peter out after a while. Firmament starts setting up, plucking at his lyre aimlessly, while Titus pulls out a Go board from the cargo he's carrying and starts playing it with Berenike, wordlessly offering to play a round with either of you once they're done. Marlene starts sniffing around the area for more food.
Eventually, Sunbeam returns empty handed. Seems Noghu's simply vanished. Firmament looks frustrated. "Say," Berenike comments, looking up from the game for a minute, "whatever happened to those two cats? They just up and vanished on us." "Got the feeling they were up to no good," Titus comments.
No.730346
>>730345As conversation dies down and I hear the pegasus pluck a little on his lyre -musta been who was playin along with us last night- I take my jaw harp in one of my hands. Lifting up the canteen the guy gave me, I pop it open, drain it in one long pull, hand it over to him, and nod in thanks. Finally, I lift my jaw harp to my lips and absently pluck a couple of notes, tapping my hoof to establish a bit of a rhythm. Cats left. Ain't much more to say.
No.730348
>>730344Kalidan pockets the bits, continuing to sort through the mess of bones and debris. Coming upon the dagger, he examines it closely, then puts it carefully in his pack next to the egg.
Perception (looking at the knife. what is this alphabet? how many characters? was it stamped into the blade or carved at a later date? is the knife sharp? can i use it? can i throw it? is it balanced? can i sell it? should i sell it? how much can i convince someone to buy it for?) [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.730349
>>730348The large black felid shrugs, gives up on the dagger, puts it away and follows Neridah.
No.730351
>>730345Sunbeam rejoins the group at the camp and sits next to Berenike.
"I could not find the diamond dog. I do hope he is safe."
As she sits places the jerky bag between herself and Berenike, responding to her question.
"Perhaps they are with the dog? Hmm… Oh, I do not hope that is the case. Dogs and cats do not get along, correct? Though, I am sure they will return in time.
No.730352
>>730348The words on the dagger are not in an alphabet you've seen before. There are dozens, presumably forming a complete coherent sentence. It looks good enough to use as a weapon still. Touching the blade reveals it's still sharp enough to do some damage.
>Unidentified Dagger>Crits on 9+. On Crit: target bleeds out, losing 1 hit/rd for 3 rds or until helpless.Heading back towards the village, it seems like the bridge is the only way in or out of there, short of swimming across the river itself. Unfortunately for you, there are some loitering raiders nearby, sharing the spoils of their pillage in the form of booze. Doesn't look like they'll be too hard to sneak past, or take out if you're feeling daring.
No.730353
>>730345"Off to ssift the village for coin, no doubt. They may have that wretched place for all i care. The ssooner i am rid of the ssight of thosse raiderss the better."
No.730355
>>730346The whiskey in the flask burns your throat on the way down, but in a good way. Titus doesn't approve, looking up from his game with a frown. "Hey. There's only so much of that to go around. Could've saved some."
As you pluck a few notes, Firmament pauses before mimicking the same notes, following up with a simple little melody of his own. He seems to be looking for a rematch.
>>730351Berenike takes a few strips of jerky as she focuses on the Go board. "Yeah. Be a shame not to run into each other out there when all this is done."
After a few rounds of Go, Titus grunts in frustration as Berenike beats him. "I don't know how you do it. Every time I think I've got you, there's always something I miss," he grumbles.
"That's because I don't play to win. Just to make patterns," Berenike retorts. As they reset the board, she looks over to you. "Fancy a round? I can show you how to play if you don't know this one."
>>730353"Can't say I wouldn't be down there myself," Titus admits. "But we have a job to do." He looks over to you as the Go game wraps up, leaning back. "So, what's your story, then? You seem quite eager to get that gem yourself. Maybe even more than us."
No.730356
>>730355I pause as he seems annoyed that I drank the whiskey. Oh. I thought he was giving me the rest of it. Oh well, ain't nothin to be done now. I shoot the pegasus a sidelong glance, lick my lips, work my jaw a little, and tap my hoof as I twang away at an old folk song I learnt a time ago.
[1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.730357
>>730355"I have not seen a game much like this one before."
She studies it for a moment.
"I would like to try. How do you play?"
No.730358
>>730355"My interesst in the gem iss.. sscholarly, yess." replies Vajra, after a moment of pause.
"I too have heard mention of itss power, and wissh to ssee for mysself. The ssun'ss power infussing my own.. an interessting idea indeed."
No.730359
>>730352Kalidan catches Neridah's eye and nods, toward the darkness. Stalking through the forest around the raiders, he leaps into a tree, stepping along a branch with all fours as comfortably as he would the ground. Keeping an eye on the raiders, he tries to bypass them silently, moving towards the bridge.
Stealth [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.730360
>>730356Firmament listens as you play the tune expertly, copying it with a bit less flair, trying to compensate by trailing off at the end with a bit of noodling. He takes the lead this time, transitioning into a rather complex tune you don't recognize. He's just showing off at this point.
>>730357"It's actually quite simple. It's meant as a simulation of battlegrounds, as I recall. The goal is to take up as much space on the board as possible and deny the other player. You place your pieces in patterns, and aim to surround the enemy's pieces yourself to take them off the board. Like so." She demonstrates, placing two adjacent black pieces, then surrounding them with white pieces to remove them.
"That's all there is to it really. Simple rules, but hard to master. Care to go first?" She scoops up the black pieces and offers them to you.
>roll to see how well you do>>730358Kothbiro makes a muffled sound that insinuates doubt. Berenike nudges her roughly with her foot to silence her. "Scholar, huh," Titus muses. "Didn't take you for the bookworm type."
"I'm just wondering if it's even worth pursuing at this point," Berenike comments. "What if it doesn't have any powers at all? I mean we can still sell it for a fortune, but we're kind of banking on its magical strength. What if it's a dud?…"
No.730361
>>730360Instead of trying to show him up I try to play a little to match what he's playing. Harmynize a bit.
[1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.730362
>>730359Neridah follows you, taking the high ground to sneak past them. As you approach the bridge, you run out of trees to hide in, climbing down the last one and sneaking behind the guards undetected. They speak amongst themselves and laugh drunkenly, stumbling about the area. You could try and cross the bridge now without being detected, or try and jump them. A quick survey reveals you could cling to the outer edge of the bridge and shimmy across easily, though there's a risk of breaking some of the more rotted planks.
No.730364
>>730358>>730361I miss a note and the twanger clacks against one of my teeth. I pull the jaw harp away from my mouth, shake my head, and run my tongue over my tooth. "Thought y'all said somethin bout takin over the world or some such nonsense."
No.730365
>>730360"Ah! I have heard of a similar game! The traders who passed through home spoke of it… I never learned all the rules however. I think you have explained it well enough. So I place my piece here…"
Berenike goes.
"So I would go here"
"And here"
"Then there…"
Playing Go [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.730366
>>730362The cat looks back toward Neridah, confirming that she is with him, before scampering across the bridge as quickly as possible.
Stealth [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.730367
>>730364"Take over the.. goodnesss, you musst have missheard me, Thungr." chuckles the sorceress lightly, though the quiet rattling from her tail tells otherwise.
>>730360"With power asss that, i could quite eassily pave the way to resstoring a peace to the desssert of Abysssinia. A goal not disssimilar to your own." she adds, nodding to the trio.
"It'ss material worth meanss little to me, in the end. Sshould it prove mundane, i will turn my attention elssewhere."
No.730368
>>730367I grunt. It did sound silly. Maybe I did hear wrong.
No.730370
>>730361You hit a sour note. Firmament looks disappointed and trails off, but nods with approval. "Hey, you're not half bad. Guessing that was you we could hear last night then, yeah?"
>>730365For a first timer, Berenike is impressed by your aptitude for it. She beats you ultimately, but it's a remarkably close game. "Looks like you have some talent for it," she smiles as she resets the board. "Are you sure you haven't played before?"
>>730364>>730367>>730365There's an awkward, uncomfortable silence as all three of them look at Vajra with suspicion. Kothbiro just smiles under her gag, like she knows something the rest of you don't.
"Well, there's only one way to find out, I suppose," says Berenike. "Come tomorrow, we'll scour the area for that gem, Dog or no Dog, then get a move on. Up to you if you want to come with us or not."
No.730371
>>730366You manage to cross the bridge easily, stepping nimbly over the planks and getting to the other side without much distraction. You can see a few points of interest; the treeline, for one, where the raiders came from, as well as the patch of mushrooms in the field, and a single lone tree off in the distance. Neridah looks around. "Hm. Which one first? Eenie meenie minie moe…"
No.730372
>>730370I nod to Firmament. "T'were. With the cat."
I sigh and shake my head at the mention of hunting down the dog. I just wanna get moving.
No.730373
>>730370"Ah, that was a close game. Hmm, maybe I have played, when I was young…"
She almost drifts into thought, but reels herself back in.
"No, no, though I do remember a Trakali game. Perhaps I can fashion a set of it for us sometime."
After Berenike mentions tommorow, Sunbeam lays down where she is.
"I agree. It is much too late. I do not usually remain awake this long past sunset."
No.730375
>>730371The line of trees from which the raiders emerged catches Kalidan's eye more than some mushrooms or a lonely tree.
The large cat in the tattered gambeson veers toward the origin of the raiders, driven by his curiosity. He thinks to himself that it would be nice to know where these fellas came from, and whether more of them may be on their way.
No.730376
>>730370Faced with such scrutiny, the sorceress offers a hopefully disarming, serpentine grin. "yess, tomorrow it iss, then. With luck we may yet find what we sseek."
No.730384
>>730375You start heading towards the treeline, sticking close to the shadows. Neridah trails you, keeping her eyes peeled for any raider activity. You notice trampled undergrowth where they were lurking, and beyond, the faint orange glow of a campfire. You can hear muffled, harsh voices coming from it, speaking a language you don't recognize. Raiders. A closer peek reveals them to be sentries keeping watch, presumably on the borders of their hideout. They're not doing a very good job of it, though. You're completely undetected to them.
No.730387
>>730384Kalidan notes the position of the fire, as well as marking how many sentries are posted. Wouldn't do to have one of them drunkenly stumble into him while going for a piss. He sneaks around them and tries to get a closer look at the hideout, though being careful not to reveal himself.
It's not hard to blend into the shadows, and these raiders don't seem particularly vigilant, but one can never be too careful. Kalidan has had enough of combat for one night. Peering through the trees, he tries to learn what he can from afar.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.730388
>>730387It doesn't take long from the sentry outpost to reach the main encampment. They seem nomadic by nature, much of it consisting of crude, makeshift tents and wheelbarrows carrying supplies. It doesn't seem very lively, seeing as most of them are back at the village. There are a few guards on patrol, and you can see what look like captive slaves in some parts toiling away, either making food for their overlords or performing menial day to day tasks. As one of them pauses ever so briefly, you see a raider shove the thrall to the ground before barking something in their unknown language. Neridah looks unusually repulsed at the sight of their barbaric practices, practically bristling with anger, eyes narrowed to slits. She lets out a quiet involuntary hiss at the act of violence.
No.730389
>>730388Kalidan feels his own hackles rise involuntarily at the same time as Neridah's reaction, managing not to let out an audible hiss through brute force of will. He glances sidelong at her. "Not our fight," he murmurs to Neridah, trying to convince himself as much as her. "Bast knows I'm no saint myself." Still, the cruelty towards othercreatures rubs him the wrong way, evidenced by the poofiness of his long tail.
He takes a moment to ponder. His experiences in Abyssinia on the outskirts of more organized army camps lead him to the conclusion that he should search for a commander's tent.
"The best loot can be found in the nicest tent," he explains as he pulls the binoculars out and searches for it.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.730390
>>730389Neridah manages to tear her eyes away from the slaves and nods, swallowing as she starts looking around alongside you. You spot one tent that seems larger than the others, slightly away from the rest of them, protected by a fence of crude wooden spikes, decorated with bones of unknown creatures. It seems to be occupied, judging by the shadows on its walls. Two inside. Maybe more.
No.730391
>>730390Kalidan catches Neridah's eye and nods toward the large tent. Pocketing the binoculars, he quietly begins making his way towards it.
As close as he can get without risking detection, he stops, turning toward his companion. "Couple ways to approach this," he explains, stripping off his gambeson and putting it into his pack. This leaves him mostly naked. "I'm leaning towards subterfuge. We play as messengers, maybe slaves or something, delivering a package of importance. We could even say it is the Heart of the Sun. That oughtta get their attention." He grins, displaying his sharp canines.
"Instead," he lifts the egg still wrapped in coiled rope, "we have the decoy. My guess is that the mama of this here giant egg will be looking for it, and sooner rather than later. Lets hold for the right moment, smash it all over the tent, and hightail it outta there before mama catches wind. Hopefully she swoops down, covers our tracks with some well-deserved mayhem. We disappear into the night. Hopefully with a few cool trinkets of our own, with regards to the shit-head slavers. Whaddya think?"
No.730392
>>730391Neridah frowns. "I dunno if that would work," she replies with unease. "I don't think these guys even speak the Common Tongue. Why not just sneak around, lob the egg at the tent, then hightail it and wait for the bedlam? Cut out the middle man."
No.730393
>>730392Kalidan nods. "Shucks, that's definitely a better plan. Any way we can cripple them in secret beforehand? I just don't want them to be able to strike back." He stares at the camp for a moment. "Sabotage their wagons? Roads? Heirarchy? Messengers? What if we just keep an eye on who comes to the tent and tries to leave in a hurry, then take out the messengers before they can get to where they're going?" He shakes his head. "Seems risky. Not much we two can do, without time or overwhelming force. I have seen your combat skills," he eyes her impressive sword as he speaks, "but there's only so much we can do if they fight."
Sighing, he takes another long look at the camp. Preparation is the heart of success.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.730394
>>730393"Plus," she points out, "we're not exactly in great shape, are we. We could try torching something, like they did to the village." Her eyes linger on your pocket, where you're keeping the firestarter. "Though that could get out of control real fast. Especially here in the woods. Hm…"
Your thoughts are interrupted as you hear the sound of snapping twigs coming from somewhere behind you. A scan of the surrounding area doesn't reveal much. Whatever's upsetting the foliage, it's somewhere rather far off. Certainly not close enough to be worth worrying about. Yet.
No.730395
>>730394"Fighting fire with fire? I'm liking this idea more and more," Kalidan says appreciatively. "Who cares about the woods? Bywater is already screwed. Not like the whole countryside is gonna burn down."
Imagine. A whole country burning. Kalidan snorts despite himself.
At the unmistakeable sound of company, Kalidan's furry head whips around, ears at attention. Understanding that Neridah certainly heard the same thing, he barely glances in her direction before soundlessly leaping into the nearest tree, ensconcing himself in shadows. His eyes and ears are desperately attempting to discern the source of the disturbance in the woods.
Giant Pupils, Satellite Ears [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.730396
>>730395She frowns. "I happen to," she says, with uncharacteristic determination.
Neridah joins you, ears pricking up intently as she stares out into the darkness of the woods. From the treeline, you can see a silhouette moving. Something much larger than you is shifting about in the gloom. From the glimpses you get, you see two long, bony legs, almost like those of a bird, though the body they are attached to is difficult to make out. Whatever this creature is, it's drawing inexorably closer to your location. Neridah swallows and looks to you with apprehension.
No.730508
>>730396Kalidan watches with Neridah in anticipation. Seems like something kinda messed up is intruding on their space.
The cat realizes with a gulp that this might be exactly what he is afraid of. Without waiting for the beast to get closer, he silently removes the egg from its bag and hurls it, rope and all, toward the commander's tent.
Kobe [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.730509
>>730508You hurl the egg, but it's more unwieldy than you thought. It lands a whopping two feet from where you're hiding, splattering loudly on the ground and staining the foliage yellow. You hear murmurs coming from the camp, and a trio of mean looking griffons come out to investigate. Both they and you are startled by a sudden ear-piercing SCRAW as the creature starts booking it towards you. You can see the silhouette in the moonlight; it looks like some sort of large, flightless bird, almost resembling a 6 foot tall chicken, with a large, powerful beak ending in a vicious hook. The raiders jabber something, grabbing their axes and standing their ground, peering into the gloom. Meanwhile, you're caught right in between them and the enraged avian. Neridah freezes and frantically starts looking for escape routes.
No.730621
>>730509Kalidan stares at the ruined egg lying on the ground. "Wow. Totally biffed that, huh?" He looks towards the raiders, then back to the giant bird, then to Neridah. "Maybe we shouldn't stick around for this?" he suggests, watching the situation for the moment when everyone is too distracted to notice a black cat scamper away.
No.730626
>>730621Neridah nods, looking eager to get out of here as soon as possible.
As you sit tight and watch from above unseen, the creature comes more into view. It's a flightless bird, six feet tall, with powerful talons and a long, broad beak ending in a sharp hook like an eagle. Its feathers are brown and black, layered over each other, having a similar texture to stone. Its eyes are bright yellow, and on the nape of its neck sprout several long quill-like feathers. The raiders yell in alarm as the terrorbird starts attacking, enraged at the sight of the destroyed egg, sprinting at them at terrifying speed and kicking one of them to the floor. A bloody fight ensues between both parties, though you can hear more raiders coming from the nearby camp. The terrorbird makes short work of one of the raiders, sinking its talons into his neck. It screeches and kicks the corpse into one of the other raiders before pecking the third into submission, faltering somewhat as it takes axe blows to the legs. Neridah starts shimmying down the tree rapidly. "Time to go," she mouths silently to you as the carnage continues.
No.730633
>>730626Following Neridah down to the ground, Kalidan looks longingly at the large raider tent, but it seems like it might be too dangerous to try to sneak in while the raiders are on full alert. He resolves to come back when it's less dangerous, maybe when the raiders are drunk on their spoils of war.
He threads through the underbrush quietly, heading back toward the party's temporary camp in the glade, keeping an eye out for any sign of the gem-hiding hyena along the way.
No.730638
>>730633Sneak [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.730642
>>730633>>730638You manage to sneak past, taking advantage of the sudden mayhem, sprinting through the woods. Staying within the treeline, you even find a path that will lead you over the river by climbing from tree to tree without alerting the raiders in the village. It's not long before you return to the camp safe and sound. No sign of Noghu, but at least you got out in one piece.
No.730723
And though it had only been a day, our heroes slept that night as if a lifetime of burdens weighed upon them. A deep and dreamless slumber soon washed over them, though their hearts were heavy, and their minds set on what the morning would bring…Noghu:
You awaken that morning in your usual spot, having dug a burrow for the night. Emerging, you find the coast all clear. The raiders from the evening prior seem to have rescinded to their hideouts, allowing for safe travel to and from the village. The surviving villagers who weren't captured seem to have taken to the hills, while from nearby, you can smell the strangers you adventured with the previous day.
>roll Perception>>730638>>730376>>730373>>730372As the dawn chorus of birds brings about the morning, you awaken one by one amidst the glade to find the strangers from the night before have vanished, and Kothbiro with them.
"Huh. Where'd they go?"
Neridah seems to have awoken before any of you, emerging from the trees carrying a freshly hunted hare. "They were here when I left. …You don't think they went after the rock without us, do you?" She looks suspicious all of a sudden.
No.730724
>>730723Stretching and yawning, Kalidan appears to not realize the absence of Kothbiro et all, at first. Once he sees they are missing, he jumps up, fully alert. "Ah shoot!" he curses.
Furious, he begins trying to trace their footprints, determining which direction they departed.
Tracking [1d10]
As Neridah approaches with her breakfast, he nods at her. "Obviously they went after the stone. What else? Also they took Kothbiro with them." He smacks his own forehead with a hefty paw. "Should have cut her free last night. Falling asleep! What was I thinking??"
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.730725
>>730723I run my hand through my hair as I look around at camp. My jaw locks as I see they ran off some time in the night. Shaking my head, I stand up and start breaking down camp and packing up. I pick up my bowl of covered and now thouroughlly absorbed oats, wolf them down, and rinse my single dish without needing to use much water.
Woulda been nice to help the zebra. I'd planned to do it in the middle of the night, but I guess I fell asleep without realizin. Oh well. Best to get a start toward town now instead'a stickin around burnin daylight.
I turn away from everyone try to remember if there was a path that I can maybe find by cutting through the woods and avoid gettin too close to the village. Wouldn't be surprised if the raiders left some folk behind for the night.
[1d10]Navigation
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.730726
>>730723With a struggle to get up after the bruising of yesterday, the sorceress rises to the sight of the trio and kothbiro missing.
Having been hoodwinked, Vajra rattles her tail, aggressively tasting the air around the camp for a trace of them!
[1d10] perception, DC-2 (detect life)
"Ssands-touched wretchess! I sshould have expected a doublecrosss, the nerve!"
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.730727
>>730723> +1 Wound Healed overnightHaving trouble sleeping due to the lack of food, Noghu goes bird hunting in the morning, using his bolas to ensnare small game for quick snacks to ease the hunger.
[1d10+1] DC-1 Bolas
Roll #1 9 + 1 = 10 No.730728
>>730727[1d10+1] eyes
Roll #1 1 + 1 = 2 No.730729
>>730727Sneaking around for a quick meal, you manage to ensnare an unwitting pigeon, downing it easily. Curiously, in this neck of the woods, you find a huge array of feathers scattered, as if there had been some tussle recently.
Before you can settle down to enjoy your breakfast, however, you find yourself face to face with the tip of a spear. Its owner is one of the raiders from last night. It seems you're near their camp, and one of their scouts ran into you while patrolling. A mean looking griffon with black and white feathers, the raider thrusts the spear at you menacingly and barks something in their unknown language; you have no idea what he's saying, but his menacing intent is quite clear. He's warning you to back off from their turf.
No.730730
>>7307292
Noghu growls at the spear point, quickly snatching up the pigeon and biting off it's head while staring at the raider, attempting to intimidate the gryphon before slinking off away from their camp.
>Word of Power to make miss next attack (if they do attack)
[1d10+1]
>Walking away afterwards
Roll #1 10 + 1 = 11
No.730732
>>730723Sunbeam rises when she hears the others talking.
"The rest are gone? I have been awake since before sunrise, but did not see or hear anypony leaving or coming. Perhaps I was too invested in prayer."
She stands up, stretching with a yawn.
>>730726"I do not think they would be after the topaz. They have as little an idea of where it is as we do."
No.730733
>>730732"It's what they came for, right?" Neridah points out. "I don't think they'd move on without it."
>>730724>>730726>>730725>>730732Neridah folds her arms and tosses the rabbits aside impatiently. "Great. So they're gonna go and grab the gem and take whatshername with them. Why would anything be straightforward." She joins in trying to track them down.
Vajra finds no traces of them close by. They must have left the area a while ago now. A few more tastes reveals they went down the hill, towards the town. Thungr's sharp eyes detect some broken branches and trampled bushes, while Kalidan spots four sets of footsteps leading out of the area, backing up Vajra's findings. It seems they've doubled back and gone searching near Bywater.
>roll Perception>>730730The raider takes a few steps back, still having his spear trained on you, but clearly unnerved by your savage display. He seems relieved that you back off, and stops pointing the spear once you are out of range. You can feel him staring at you as you leave.
You make your way out of the woods and towards the treeline, surveying the landscape. You have a good view of the surrounding acres from here. There are no signs of life in Bywater; it seems to be little more than a ghost town, clouds of smoke still billowing from its remains. Up on a nearby hill, you can see the tree where you buried the gem, while further up going towards the mountains, you can see an abandoned cave. Past Bywater is another patch of trees, from which you can just make out your companions from yesterday emerging, seemingly searching for something.
From somewhere nearby, you hear a very faint, familiar bark on the wind.
No.730734
>>730733I shake .y head. "Be more straightforward if we forgot about the dern rock and moved on. Ain't been nothin but bad luck anyhow, and I specially don't wanna head back into that town. Don't got enough supplies to keep this up." I give a pointed sideway glance at the bug-eating witch. "And I get the feelin I ain't the only one."
[1d10+3]Perception
Roll #1 4 + 3 = 7 No.730735
>>730733"I thought they came for Kothbiro? Ah, but I understand. Why would they not take both if they could."
She thinks for a moment.
"Ah, if they are looking for the topaz, they are looking for our dog friend, yes? We can follow them to him."
Sunbeam, hoping that she isn't going to get hit by a stray arrow again, flies up to observe any signs of where the group could have went.
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.730736
>>730733Having had something to eat, Noghu slinks off stealthily, deciding to check in on the tree from below the earth.
[1d10+3] Burrowing / Stealth
Roll #1 10 + 3 = 13 No.730737
>>730733"Ah, sso they've returned to the town.. Perhapss they have found the dog after all."
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.730738
>>730733Kalidan points out the tracks to the others and grabs his stuff, bagging it all together in the stolen pack. He also grabs a rabbit from Neridah's stash with a grin at her that is two parts thankful, one part mischievous, as if daring her to react. He begins consuming it raw, starting with the squishy bits first, as they start trekking off in pursuit of the dog and/or the trio. His face is soon covered in blood and he is left with the exhausted handful of fur and bones, which he tosses into the brush casually.
>>730734"Sure, I'm with you on the stone being more trouble than its worth. Heck, let those four troublemakers keep it for all I care. There's more loot where that came from. I do owe Koth one, though, for back there in the temple, and I intend to find her and cut her loose."
No.730739
>>730738After his cheekily pilfered breakfast, he joins the others in being vigilant about the search.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.730740
>>730738I grumble, but continue following because he's right.
No.730741
>>730734"Suit yourself," Neridah shrugs. "Be a shame to let such a valuable thing fall into their hands though. Think of all the things you could do with that money! …Also, what about that prisoner they grabbed? Isn't she a friend of yours? Seems cold to just let them have their way with her."
>>730738Neridah scrunges in disgust as you devour the rabbit raw. "I was going to cook one later, but okay. Suit yourself. …Wipe your mouth."
>>730735>>730734>>730737>>730739After a bit of surveillance, you think you can hear Marlene barking somewhere nearby. Sunbeam follows the sound, flying overhead. She spots them as she does her reconnaissance. They seem to be following the dog, closing in on a solitary oak tree on top of a nearby hill. Marlene seems to have picked up a scent there. They don't seem aware you are following them just yet. They pause as they arrive, letting Marlene sniff something out, after which they pull out some shovels and start digging. They seem to be onto something.
>>730736You start burrowing in the general direction of the tree, keeping your ears peeled for movement on the surface. As you close in, you hear muffled voices from overhead, and more barking, followed by equipment rattling; then, you hear shovels striking dirt as someone on the surface starts digging nearby.
No.730742
>>730738Sunbeam watches Kalidan devour the hare with amazement.
"Are you sure you are not part dragon?"
>>730741"They are not far, just over on another hill. It would seem the diamond dog is there too, underground."
No.730743
>>730741"Don't wanna kill 'em," I say. "Don't seem right." And it feels like if we do this then they'll make us.
No.730744
>>730741Kalidan smirks at her and draws the back of his paw against his face. It is not entirely effective at cleaning him, but he keeps at it, licking his paw then grooming his face again and again as the gang tracks down the rascals. By the time they hear Marlene's bark, he is looking much less gruesome.
"There!" he points to the lone tree on the hill uselessly. "Ah heck," he curses as he realizes what they're doing. "Under the tree the whole time?…" he mutters ruefully.
Turning to the others, he asks, "So what's the plan? Seems like they've found something. Could be the dog, could be the Heart. Either way we're not really prepared for a frontal assault. Should we just follow them and wait for them to make camp? Or maybe just go up to them and ask 'pretty please?'"
He searches for any sign of Kothbiro.
No.730745
>>730742Kalidan looks flattered, but shakes his head. "Nope. Purebred feline." He thumps his fuzzy chest with a thick paw. "Admittedly, raw meat isn't quite as good as a nice roast, but it'll do in a pinch."
He looks thoughtful for a moment. "Perhaps dragons are kind of like the cats of the lizard world?"
No.730746
>>730741Hesitant, Noghu thinks over the outcomes of if he decided to abandon the gem or steal it. At best, the gem could feed him for a day, but having three + one dog chasing after him, plus the others, does not seem worth the effort. whining to himself, he digs away, upset at the loss of his meal.
No.730747
>>730744"Hm…" Seems like they wouldn't'a gone outta their way to convince me to go with em if they wasn't gonna meet back up with us at camp. I also look for the zebra, keeping my eye out for anything else i might need to look out for.
[1d10+3]
Roll #1 3 + 3 = 6 No.730748
>>730741>>730742"Aha! Sso they've found it after all!"
flicking out her tongue, the sorceress searches for Kothbiro among the assembled.
[1d10] detect life, DC-2
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.730749
>>730742Neridah's ears prick up. "You think they found it already? Seems awfully quick, but they do have that dog with em. Never liked dogs myself…"
>>730743"Who said anything about killing them? We can just go in, grab the magic rock, cut your friend loose and haul tail before they can do anything. Nice and easy."
>>730744Neridah just rolls her eyes as you start grooming yourself and walks off with the rest of them.
>>730744>>730747>>730748You can see Kothbiro lying on the ground as the four of them dig, still tied up. As their backs are turned, she briefly tries to escape by rolling away, but Marlene's barking convinces her otherwise. "I reckon a hit and run operation would be best if you really want to get her back," Neridah points out. "Maybe one of us could cause a distraction, while the others go and grab her?…"
>>730748>>730747>>730744>>730742As you look on, you see them continue to dig, eventually unearthing something. Eagerly, Berenike starts scrounging around in the hole, pulling up something slightly hidden from view. You catch a tiny glint of brilliant amber light reflected off the item. It's clear they've found it. Neridah holds her breath. "Well. If we want to do something about it, it's now or never," she points out. "Otherwise they're just going to get away, rock and zeeb and all."
>>730746You continue to listen to them dig. Excited barking from the dog.
"I think I see something!" says a male voice. You remember hearing the same voice trying to coax you out of hiding the previous evening. "Over there!"
"Let me at it," says a husky female voice. You hear grunting and scrabbling.
"…Gods be praised," says a gravelly male voice. "The legends are true. Is it…?"
There's a long silence. Then-
"Nothing. It's just a gem," the female voice says, rife with bitterness and disappointment.
"…W-well it must be worth a lot, right? A king's ransom!" The first voice sounds shaky and desperate. "Look at the size of it! The beauty! It's a treasure fit for a demigod!"
"A bauble, far as I'm concerned," the woman replies. "Let's just get a move on. Those idiots from last night will probably come looking for us soon."
No.730750
>>730745Sunbeam takes a moment to figure out that last statement.
"Dragons are… cats of.. lizard.. Oh, oh! I understand. Perhaps. I know of tribes of dragons who are very nimble like felids."
>>730749"Dogs track scent, yes? They did not see it, they uhh… had smelled it? I do not know how to say that correctly."
>>730749"We confront them then." Sunbeam states, trying to stand tall and intimidating, looking towards the others.
No.730751
>>730749Knowing now that the gem is the brigands, Noghu tries to think of what to do next. If he was awarded a gemstone for following the snake before, perhaps it could happen again. Peeking his head up aways away from the hill and looking for the naga.
[1d10+1] Perception
Roll #1 1 + 1 = 2 No.730752
>>730749"Hmm.. a disstraction?" mutters the sorceress, before chuckling darkly. "I would be happy to oblige. Thesse wretchess require a lessson in resspect."
Moving with haste and mindful of her injuries, Vajra closes the gap with serpentine speed. Close enough to call forth something worthwhile, she raises her claws as bandages flitter into the soil.
"From village torn and livess plundered, a creature freed from earth to ssunder! twissted ssouls i call to me, a foe to sslay and gem to free!
Reaper!"
[1d10] Raise ancient
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.730753
>>730747"I don't know whether to be relieved or disappointed they found the stone and not the dog. At least that might have been something of a distraction."
He looks thoughtful, tapping his fuzzy chin. "A distraction, eh? If only I had kept that egg," he ponders wistfully. Looking around at his comrades, he sizes up the options and tries to formulate a plan.
"What if we… uhh. Hmm," he falters. "So there's no way we can sneak up on them. They have the high ground."
>>730750Tapping his chin still, he looks to Sunbeam. "How fast can you fly? If they were distracted, do you think you could swoop in fast enough to cut our friend loose?"
>>730747"You said they invited you to join? What if you approached them peacefully and told them you decided to accept their offer, thereby gaining their trust enough to lower their guard for a moment?"
>>730749"Neridah, would you be able to dash up
the hill from a hiding spot while they're distracted, wait for the right moment, and maybe grab the gem?"
>>730748"Do you have to have remains nearby for your magic to work? Could you summon one of those… things… to hold them off if we needed to? Oh. Oh shit," he says as his careful plotting falls apart before his very eyes.
>>730749>>730750>>730749"Welp."
No.730754
>>730749>>730750>>730752I rub my eyes. Welp. Guess we're doin this. Just hope I can back out if I gotta.
>>730753I grunt. "Think they were gonna leave without me anyway.'
No.730755
>>730754>>730753"A disstraction wass called for, and i will oblige. Now quickly, free Kothbiro and ssteal the gem!" shouts the sorceress from further away, focusing on her spell.
No.730756
>>730749Kalidan looks to his allies to see if they are coming, but doesn't wait as he begins to sprint on all fours at the quintet of creatures atop the hill, a determined look on his face. He has the found dagger clutched in his teeth, beelining towards Kothbiro's bound figure.
No.730757
>>730756Stealth [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.730758
>>730751You are forced to duck as a black object flying overhead almost takes your head off. As you peer out, you see it is actually a charred bone, one of many that are coalescing in front of the strangers' horrified eyes. The strangers include a tall, muscular monitor lizard saurian, a cloaked griffon with a single metal gauntlet, a middle aged pegasus with a short black beard, and a shaggy grey dog at his side. The bones are knitting into the form of a monstrous creature, just like you have seen the sorceress do before.
"Three preserve us!" the gravel-voiced saurian exclaims, shying away. "Witchcraft," the griffon hisses, readying herself for a fight. "They're here. The snake, she did the same last night!" The dog's hackles spring up and it growls as her master takes to the air, shortsword in hoof.
Nearby, you see the zebra, bound and gagged, looking vindictive as the monster begins to form. You also see the black cat from before approaching.
>>730753"I could, but I don't want to," she replies smugly. "This isn't really my fight."
>>730750>>730752>>730753>>730754Vajra's spell works. Remains from the nearby village begin to float into the air, answering her call, stitching themselves together in front of the trio in gruesome, unnatural ways. The resulting Shambler is a 7 foot tall monstrosity of charred black remains, with powerful retrograde forelimbs, and a gaping maw of finger bones refashioned into teeth. Neridah looks like she's going to throw up at the sight of it. "Well, that's one way to cause a distraction," Neridah shrugs.
>>730757The trio are too distracted by the hideous Shambler to notice you sneaking in. Kothbiro's eyes are set on it, but as you approach, she reads your intent and nods with gratitude, staying quiet as a mouse.
Before you can get to work freeing her, you are aware of being watched. Looking to your right, you see Noghu standing there, looking rather aloof.
No.730759
>>730753Sunbeam calmly approaches the group.
"Friends, you missed breakfast. In my culture, leaving a gathering without telling the host is quite rude."
Sunbeam keeps her arms at her sides, letting her claws slide out while tightening and then loosening her grip.
"I forgive your manners, but I am suspicious of what was so important."
She looks up as she finishes her approach, standing a fair distance from them.
"I believe the phrase translated from Trakali is,
'The worst place for a dagger is a back.' So, tell me where your dagger is." Sunbeam demands, standing tall and looking right at them.
No.730760
>>730759[1d10] Intimidate
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.730761
>>730759>>730760You catch them with their pants down, Titus and Firmament getting ready to leave while Berenike is about to put the gem away. It's roughly the size of a pony's head, perfectly oblong, without a single flaw on it. The amber gem glitters and scintillates beautifully in the light of the morning, giving the impression of a fallen star made material.
"…Look, friend," Firmament begins, taking a step away, "there's a lot going on here that you don't understand. We're at war. We need this more than you can ever imagine." "We can't let you and your friends get in our way," Berenike adds, adjusting her gauntlet. "We don't know you, and you don't know us. It was a pleasure to get to know you,
gadji, but this is where we part ways." "Just walk away," Titus says, in his low, gravelly rumble. "Don't make us go through you. Forget you ever met us, and we'll both be spared a lot of trouble."
Before the situation can escalate, however, Vajra's Shambler begins to coalesce, drawing their attention away from you considerably.
>assume you see and hear everything in the reply to Noghu in the previous post No.730762
>>730758I decide to sit back and watch for now. Maybe we can get out of this without a fight.
No.730763
>>730758Knowing that the zebra wasn't at least outright hostile to him, and that he would've saved their life twice now, Noghu digs behind the zebra to start untying them discreetly, giving them a tunnel to escape out of as well.
"
It fool."
No.730764
>>730758Kalidan slides to a stop next to the zebra, spits the knife into his paw, slices Kothbiro's bonds, and slips the dagger to her before turning to the trio to see if he's been noticed, his fur all standing up. He pants a bit from the sudden exertion, his eyes darting around wildly, full of adrenaline.
Next he tries to see if the griffon with the metal claw still possesses the stone. If she isn't holding it, he assumes she already pocketed it.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.730765
>>730758"Kahaha! Their time is nigh! Crussh them, my creature of war, to asshess!" commands the sorceress, the shambler roars in response, swinging wildly at the closest of the three.
[3d10] Reaping strikes
Wasting no time, the sorceress continues her chanting, more bandages soaking into the torn earth.
"Tortured earth, i call to me, a creature of steel and ssoul free!"
[1d10] Summon esper: slam
Roll #1 10, 5, 7 = 22 /
Roll #2 5 = 5 No.730766
>>730761Sunbeam's voice becomes a low grumble, almost speaking through her teeth.
"Show me it."
She takes a single step forward.
"Let me see the stone and I may let you walk away."
As she goes to take another step forward the shock from the monster being formed causes her to fall to a kneel for a moment. She turns to get a better look at it.
"I don't think any of us will be walking away from here."
She says, planting her backclaws in the ground, ready to jump away if necessary.
No.730767
>>730763Kalidan notices the dog already freeing the zebra, but pays him no mind as he accelerates the job and equips her. He sends a side glance at Noghu, not sure whether this means he can trust the dog, or whether to consider him an enemy.
Shrugging, he mutters something about enemies of enemies, and turns his attention back to the quartet of hostiles.
No.730768
>>730762You watch as the situation begins to get right out of hand. You are dimly aware of Neridah sitting down next to you, munching on dried trail mix like it's popcorn. She offers you some, clearly entertained by the shenanigans up above.
>>730766"You've already seen it," Berenike replies defensively, refusing your request as she puts it in her bag.
It seems Vajra isn't making it attack you, only them.
>>730765You fail to summon an Esper. Magical energies don't seem to have much sway in these parts.
The Shambler lashes out, knocking Berenike to the ground with a powerful swipe and slashing Firmament across the chest. They both growl as they take a beating from the monster.
>>730763>>730764Noghu digs a tunnel away, leading towards a small patch of dense bushland. With them still distracted by the Shambler, Kothbiro wastes no time in moving through as quietly as possible. Before you can all make a clean getaway, however, you are distracted by the all too familiar bark of Marlene, alerting the others to your presence. They turn and scowl as they spot the three of you. "A distraction," Firmament growls. "Nothing but a bunch of parlor tricks!" Titus bellows, grabbing for the rope on his belt and marching towards the lot of you. "Come 'ere, you!" he yells to Kothbiro.
>>730767>>730766>>730765>>730763>>730762Firmament soars up and drives the shortsword into the Shambler's skull!
[1d10] Cheap Shot
Berenike tries to get back up!
[1d10] Recover
Marlene barks and lunges at Noghu, recognizing his scent!
[1d10] Attack
Titus lunges and tries to restrain Kothbiro!
[1d10] Grapple
Kothbiro retaliates by bucking him in the head!
[1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 /
Roll #2 10 = 10 /
Roll #3 1 = 1 /
Roll #4 8 = 8 /
Roll #5 7 = 7 No.730769
>>730768Growling and knowing that the others are actual enemies, he goes to protect Kothbiro by tossing a bola and barking madly at Titus.
>Lucky Dog
>Bola; instant, recharge 2, weapon, ranged: Throws a bola to temporarily disable a target. Bola does no damage, but on hit interrupts the target's current action and prevents movement, requiring them to break free of the binds that turn. On crit, it also sends the target helpless without dealing a wound of damage.[1d10+1] DC-1, Crit DC-2
>Word of Power: Use a mix of authority and your own personal methods to extract information from a target that you would not normally get from basic means. In combat you can force an enemy to miss their next attack. On Crit you render the target helpless.[1d10+1] Crit DC-2
Roll #1 10 + 1 = 11 /
Roll #2 3 + 1 = 4 No.730770
>>730768Kalidan yowls and leaps at Titus. He doesn't try to attack the saurian, however; he
jumps on his armored shell and slashes at the ropes with his wicked claws, slashing them to useless pieces before he can restrain her.
Unarmed Claws [1d10] + Riposte [1d3]
Roll #1 3 = 3 /
Roll #2 2 = 2 No.730771
>>730768"Hmph, sso be it!"
shifting her focus, Vajra moves in time with her rattle, bandages sifting through the soil.
"Ancient boness, risse into ssight! A masster callss to aid this fight!"
[1d10] Raise dead
The shambler bats away Firmament's assault, charging forward to pummel Berenike!
[1d10] Melee
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 9 = 9 No.730772
>>730768I give her a nod, thanking her as I take some and shove it in my mouth. Don't think its gone too far just yet, but just in case I try to find a heavy stick on the ground.
[1d10+2]Survicalist, -2 DC
Roll #1 5 + 2 = 7 No.730773
>>730768Sunbeam grunts as she realizes they aren't going to cooperate.
"Fine. I had seen it enough."
She kicks herself into the air, trying to spot Varja amidst the chaos. As she flies over she thinks to herself in frustration.
"I should have known, I knew, I knew! Graaaaahh">>730771She lands near Varja and addresses her.
"Scalekin. What. Is. That."
No.730774
>>730769You hurl a bola at Titus' feet, tripping him up face first before he can grab Kothbiro. She presses the offensive and kicks him in the head, dazing him somewhat. Marlene lunges at you, but you jump out of the way, and the dog falls down the hole you made, completely disoriented.
>>730771As Berenike struggles back up, the Shambler pummels her. She counters with a swipe of her gauntlet, protecting herself from being swept off her feet once again, but still taking a heavy, disorienting blow.
>>730770You slash at the rope he uses as his weapon of choice, but he knocks you away in his charge before you can do so.
>Kalidan takes 2 hits>>730772You find a thick fallen branch. It's a bit unwieldy, but it could be used as a makeshift club. Neridah continues to watch the fight with amusement. "I suppose we should go help 'em, or something," she comments.
>>730773You take a back seat in the conflict, flying back down to where Thungr, Vajra and Neridah are. "Had enough already?" Neridah says casually.
>>730769>>730770>>730771>>730772>>730773Titus tries to break free of the bola!
[1d10]
Kothbiro attacks him again!
[1d10]
Marlene tries to right herself, squirming about and whining!
[1d10]
Berenike flies up and rams the Shambler's jaw in an uppercut!
[1d10+1]
Firmament takes a glancing blow but rights himself, swooping at the Shambler again!
[1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 /
Roll #2 5 = 5 /
Roll #3 4 = 4 /
Roll #4 1 + 1 = 2 /
Roll #5 7 = 7 No.730775
>>730773"Why, my magic at work, of coursse." she responds, pausing her motion to rattle her tail for emphasis. cobalt blue bandages continue to flitter into the soil around her, sinking out of sight.
"I wass ssurprissed i could find the material for a
ssecond amalgam sso ssoon from the firsst."
No.730776
>>730774"My my, drained of ssouls already?"
more of her dance ensues, feeling around for a creature to bring forth.
"From sspiritss losst, a creature gained, of ssteel, sshield and ssoul resstrained!"
[1d10] Summon esper: slam
The shambler rebukes bernike's attack, sending her reeling away as it swipes at Firmament above!
[1d10] melee
Roll #1 4 = 4 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 No.730777
>>730774Taking both hands onto the shaft of his greatspear, Noghu slams the spear's blunt end into Titus' back, directly over his spine.
> Wild Hunt: passive; After rendering a foe helpless, the Wildguard's first action next turn becomes Automatic. Rendering an enemy helpless with this automatic action does not activate WIld Hunt againAutomatic Shatter on Titus
>Shatter: recharge 2, weapon; Breaks the target's defenses to open them up for attack. Deals damage and increases the Crit Range for all attacks against them by 2 for two rounds. Can be used against inanimate objects or armor to break and damage them efficiently. No.730778
>>730774 Kalidan is knocked away from the big lizard's charge. Landing on all fours, he looks up to Berenike's form and decides to reorient his efforts. He bounds over to where she is engaged in combat and slashes at her pack, trying to get at the stone by ripping it off her, or ripping it open.
Purse Snatcher [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.730779
>>730775"Your magic is considered… my word for it is
vitel I do not know yours. We will speak of this later. As for now, this… is a good distraction. If you can control it, keep it on Berenike. I will take the bag."
>>730774Sunbeam braces herself, getting a running start before she starts flying low to the ground, kicking herself up when she reaches the bottom of the hill, flying full speed towards Berenike. As she flies, she readys her left claw to tear the bag, and maybe Berenikes flesh, open.
"They do not need the stone. But…" She winces as she refocuses and moves in to slash.
[1d10] Attacking Berenikes bag
the one with the topaz in it not his dick Roll #1 10 = 10 No.730780
>>730774I give the branch a practice swing and thump it against my hand. Well. At least it probably won't kill anyone. "Probly." I suss out who looks like they're still ready to fight in hopes if ending this quicker, making them my target.
[1d10]Marked for Death
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.730781
>>730776Firmament manages to avoid the Shambler's swing, hacking at its hand, severing its claw at the wrist. The Shambler is knocked off balance and crumples to the ground!
>Shambler takes 4 hits, helpless>>730777You slam the spear onto the saurian's back, shattering his tough scales. He snarls at the blow and flinches, struggling to flip over.
>>730778>>730779As Berenike is knocked out of the air, Sunbeam soars over and rips the bag off her coat, while Kalidan catches it in a team effort.
>>730780The fight is too chaotic to be able to make out much. Neridah just shrugs and slinks off into the tall grass, vanishing from sight as she makes her approach.
>>730780>>730779>>730778>>730777>>730776Titus, Berenike and Marlene keep trying to recover!
[1d10]
[1d10]
Kothbiro looks around for her axe!
[1d10]
Firmament keeps attacking the Shambler with blows to the head!
[1d10] Cheap Shot
Roll #1 8 = 8 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 /
Roll #3 8 = 8 /
Roll #4 7 = 7 No.730782
[1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5
No.730783
>>730781Welp. Spose it was worth a shot. I finally move into the fight, picking the saurian out first. Before he can stand up, I walk up to him and bonk him on the noggin afore he can join the fight again. Looks like we got both the zebra and the bag, so maybe we can get out of here soon.
[1d10]
[1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 No.730784
>>730781Turning his gaze briefly to Firmament, he barks loud enough to throw the attacker's next attack off.
[1d10+1] Word of Power
Roll #1 4 + 1 = 5 No.730785
>>730781Kalidan grabs Berenike's sack
lol out of the air, rolls gracefully, landing on all fours. He quickly throws the bag over his shoulder and begins sprinting away without looking to see if anycreature follows him, heading into the thickest part of the woods where he can find a hiding spot ASAP.
Run Away! [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.730786
>>730781Sunbeam lands next to Kalidan. Quickly inspecting herself and him for any wounds.
"We are okay. Take the gem and retreat. I will get the others."
After she says this, she flies back into the air, finding Vajra and landing by her.
"Kalidan has the stone. He should be retreating now. Leave your
vitel to distract our enemies."
She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes.
"We must go. We must
all go."
No.730787
>>730781Roaring as it shatters, the shambler attempts to stand back up, sending soil flying in the effort.
[1d10] Recover
>>730786"Aha! excellent work." replies the sorceress, catching her breath as she halts he ritual and withdraws.
"What newss of Kothbiro? Have we managed to ssecure her?
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.730788
>>730787"Kothbiro and the Diamond Dog are still in battle. Can the
vitel do something to get them?"
Sunbeam is visibly exhausted, and looks like she is upset with something.
"If it cannot, we can get them."
No.730789
>>730788"It iss a fragile consstruct, though it will reform. until it iss ready, you will need to intervene." explains Vajra, pointing to the collapsed shambler a ways off.
No.730790
>>730783Titus gets up before you can attack him, bearing down on you menacingly. "You too, huh. Thought we saw eye to eye on something. …You owe me a vial of whiskey," he grunts.
>>730784Firmament ignores your barking for now.
>>730785>>730786You sprint/fly into the nearby bushes, away from prying eyes. Sunbeam notices Kalidan's taken a bit of a beating, but is otherwise in good shape.
>>730787Firmament's repeated blows keep the Reaper from recovering, starting to hack at its limbs, slowly breaking it down.
>Shambler takes 1 wound, now at 0/1>>730783>>730784>>730785>>730786>>730787Firmament moves to finish off the Shambler!
[1d10]
Titus looks over to Noghu, putting up his dukes and readying himself for a fight, twirling his rope. He opens with an unexpected right hook!
[1d10] Attack
>Counter activatedKothbiro, having retrieved her weapon of choice, runs off after Kalidan without a second thought!
[1d10] Escape
Berenike tries to recover!
[1d10]
Marlene slinks off to lick her wounds.
Roll #1 8 = 8 /
Roll #2 6 = 6 /
Roll #3 9 = 9 /
Roll #4 8 = 8 No.730791
>>730786Kalidan nods wordlessly, out of breath from exertion.
>>730790Kalidan sprints into the woods and into a well-foliaged tree, safe from prying eyes. He pauses for a moment, still in fight/flight mode, then sighs and collapses into the tree, closing his eyes and just breathing for a beat.
After a moment, his yellow eyes shoot back open and seem to shine with a light at his prize. He rummages through Berenike's pack for the topaz, and anything else good worth taking for himself.
Rummage [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.730792
>>730790Seeing an attack coming at him, Noghu instinctively throws a bolas at Titus' feet again, barking at him.
>still one more turn of shatteredBolas [1d10+1] DC-1, Crit DC-2
Word of Power [1d10+1] Crit DC-2
Roll #1 3 + 1 = 4 /
Roll #2 9 + 1 = 10 No.730793
>>730789>>730790"Ah, of course."
Sunbeam readies her wings again. Struggling to get them raised. She thinks to herself
"mihkuāniah tlasōhtla in tonatīu. 'Move like the sun' She flies off towards the melee, trying to identify Noghu and Kothbiro to signal them to retreat. Once they are safe, she stands between the rest and the retreating party.
"I thought we had agreed you would be leaving when we first met."
No.730794
>>730790"Really am sorry bout this. I'll pay ya back for the whiskey in town." I follow after the cat and the zebra, assuming we're runnin away now that we got what we came for. Bout dern time.
[1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.731211
>>730790the shambler struggles with a great roar as it flails its limbs in the effort!
[1d10] Recover
With the shambler being torn apart, Vajra adjusts her magic to allow it to reform shortly, sneaking along the treeline to meet up with the others.
[1d10] Navigation
Roll #1 8 = 8 /
Roll #2 10 = 10 No.731212
>>730792The bola interrupts his swing, causing him to stumble. Despite being ensnared, he still looks like he's ready to interrupt a swing from you.
You notice that your tenuous allies are beginning to retreat. Seems like they got what they came for. Looking up, you can see Sunbeam flying about, seemingly trying to tell you to fall back.
>>731211The Shambler recovers, starting to fall apart at its joints from the continued harrying blows.
>3/0Firmament and Berenike attack it from the skies in unison!
[1d10]
[1d10]
>>730791>>730794>>730793>>731211>>730792(unsure if Noghu will retreat or not, added in case)
Kalidan frantically scours Berenike's belongings, finding 50 bits, a set of 20 lockpicks, a small wooden totem of a creature you don't recognize, and a ball of yarn. Most significantly, though, within is the object of your search: a gigantic topaz, round as an eye, glittering and scintillating with golden radiance, refracting the morning sun in ineffably beautiful patterns you didn't even know existed. It's hard to look away from its gross incandescence.
"Dibs."
The familiar smug tone heralds the return of Neridah, who comes trotting through the tall grass into the clearing, greatsword over her shoulder. She ogles the gem alongside you for a good while. "There's an eye opener, eh," she says under her breath, taking in every detail of its beauty. "Worth more than a whole kingdom, I'd wager."
"You have no idea." Kothbiro speaks now, having caught up with you. She looks a bit transfixed by its beauty herself, but then looks over to you with a genuine smile, the first you've seen from her. "You did me a good turn back there. Thanks. Really. I appreciate it. Now let's get out of here before those idiots come after us." She looks around. "Which way?"
"Hold on," says Neridah. "We still haven't decided what we're going to do with this bauble." She taps the gem in Kalidan's hand with one playful claw, as if about to swipe it. Which of course, she doesn't.
"I thought it was obvious," says Kothbiro. "I'm taking it to Lord Thenn. If any of you are interested, you could join his cause. Don't listen to those caitiffs back there. They'll hit you with all these sob stories about how their families were killed
Roll #1 10 = 10 /
Roll #2 6 = 6 No.731213
>>731212Kalidan stashes the lockpicks, the bits, and even the totem before tossing away the bag. He absentmindedly kicks at the ball of yarn as he gazes at the glittering yellow gem. He barely looks up as Neridah approaches, merely grunting in response to her words. As Kothbiro addresses him, he meets her gaze, returning the smile before looking back down at the gem he holds in his paw.
"Such a small thing," he murmurs to it.
As Neridah playfully makes as if to snatch it, he recoils violently, his fur standing up, his pupils huge behind slitted eyelids, hissing loudly as he clutches the gem to his body protectively. In an instant he regains his composure, smoothing his hair back and smiling apologetically at her, but still cradling the gem. He clears his throat. "Ahem. Sorry." He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "Cat-like reflexes, you know."
Looking to Kothbiro, he nods sincerely. "Of course. It rightfully belongs to Lord Thenn. We shall escort it safely to him." He grins, baring lots of teeth at the zebra.
"I've heard my fair share of sob stories. In my experience, you only hear them when someone wants something from you."
No.731214
>>731212>I didn't even finish the post like a genius"about how their families were killed, their lands salted, their homes burned, when really they brought it all on themselves. And where are they now? Little more than pillagers themselves. You can't quench a fire with a glass."
No.731215
>>731212[1d10] Titus recovering etc
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.731216
>>731212Noghu growls, intent on finishing what he started. Noghu once again slams the base of his greatspear on the prone back of Titus, continuing his attempts at paralyzing the lizard.
>Wild Hunt: passive; After rendering a foe helpless, the Wildguard's first action next turn becomes Automatic. Rendering an enemy helpless with this automatic action does not activate WIld Hunt again.Automatic+1 Shatter
>Shatter: recharge 2, weapon; Breaks the target's defenses to open them up for attack. Deals damage and increases the Crit Range for all attacks against them by 2 for two rounds. Can be used against inanimate objects or armor to break and damage them efficiently. No.731217
>>731212My jaw clenches as I walk alongside the rest of the group. Dead families. Right. "Assume I'm gettin paid for this," I say. Not only did I put a bunch on the line, but I feel real bad about doin them folks like I did em. Specially if the guy she's workin for really is as bad as he sounds.
No.731218
>>731213My nostrils flare and I draw in a sharp breath. "Weren't them what told us," I point out. "Just said she deserved it. Don't think they was bad folks. Just a bad situation."
No.731219
>>731212Sunbeam walks slowly behind the group, occasionally looking back to make sure they aren't pursued. Once they seemed far enough, she caught up with the rest.
"I am glad we are all safe."
She hears Neridah speaking about the gem.
"Ah, if it is of any help, I do not need or want the gem."
She pauses for a moment, somewhat distraught
"It is not the one from Trakali legend."
No.731220
>>731212The shambler swipes at one of the pair attacking it at random, the roar of it in the distance as we continue away.
[3d10] reaping strikes
Vajra eyes the gem with a wide-eyed hunger, seeing it glitter wildly in the sunlight.
she restrains herself for a moment, clearing her throat before asking:
>>731213"If you would allow, i musst tesst the gem'ss power for mysself. Thosse foolss could not have grassped the nature of it in ssuch short time."
Roll #1 5, 8, 8 = 21 No.731221
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 8 = 8
No.731222
>>731213As he breaks the bonds on the bola and starts getting back up, you slam his back with the spear. He falls to the ground with a soft groan, unmoving. Doesn't seem like he's getting up any time soon.
As Vajra's Shambler begins to fall, Berenike and Firmament both turn to you, almost in unison. Seeing you standing over the hapless Titus, they turn to you with violent intent. "Hands off,
spotchka," Berenike growls, adjusting her metal gauntlet. Firmament twirls his sword and whistles for Marlene, who dutifully comes to her master's side, hackles up as she growls at you, baring her teeth. All three start walking towards you menacingly.
>>731213"I know," she parrots with a cocky grin.
Kothbiro extends her hoof. "It's my burden to bear," she says softly, clearly not trusting anyone here to keep their word. "Give it to me."
>>731217Kothbiro nods. "Of course. You'll all get shares if you help me get to Galatian safely. Like I said, you did me a good turn. Thenn rewards those who help him."
>>731220The Shambler rakes Firmament across the chest with its long, bony claws before succumbing to repeated blows from the duo, crumbling to charred bony shards.
>>731219>>731220>>731221"It isn't?" Neridah looks at Sunbeam with confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Well, it's certainly not magical, far as I can tell," Kothbiro points out. "It won't bring you arcane strength or anything. Money, yes. Power, no. Though, they aren't too far removed."
Vajra can sense that she's telling the truth. There's no energy, arcane, divine, or otherwise, coming from the glittering gem. For all its splendor, it's completely powerless.
No.731223
>>731222Kalidan looks hesitant as she holds her hoof out.
"It's mine, isn't it?" he says with an edge.
Blinking, he seems to take a mental step back and reassess himself. He looks at the gem in his paws and drops it, backing away.
"I, uh, shouldn't carry this, I think," he states, sounding unsure of himself. He starts shaking and withdraws, clutching his belongings like a life preserver.
No.731224
>>731222She squints as she appraises it, flicks out her tongue and turns away, glaring.
"Sss.. Merely a bauble. How dissappointing."
"Perhapss assissting Thenn will prove more fruitful, if thiss gem iss to prove worthwhile for him."
No.731225
>>731222I nod, satisfied that I'll at least be getting something out of it.
No.731226
>>731222Noghu growls again, going to lower the spearhead onto the lizard's skull, stopping just before it would make impact. He crouches down, holding the saurian's head with his large paws to look up at him.
"Learn, scalething. Start only what plan to finish."
With that, Noghu burrows into the earth away.
No.731227
>>731222"Trakali history speaks of a great warrior,
Tenīstik. He was a great white dragon with scales that glittered when caught in the light. He fought valiantly for Trakali, defeating any evil that would threaten our home. Eventually, he realized he cannot simply wait for the evil to come to Trakali, and that he must defeat the evil before it comes. He set out across all of
Akashin slaying any threats to our land. In turn, Trakali land expanded and our people grew to the size they are today. But when
Tenīstik returned he was… different, said to be much more aggressive, the sparkle of his scales more red and threatening. He was not banished, but the royal family asked him to continue his questing. Many moons later the Queen received a vision of
Tenīstik's final moments. He was deep in a tomb of a slumbering Saurian demigod." She looks to Varja, worried. "Locked in battle with the fiend, his blade broken, his scales flayed and facing his final moments. The snake lunged at him with their sharp fangs but
Tenīstik dodged at the last moment as a large gem behind him shattered into many pieces. He thought quick and grabbed a piece out of the air and put it into the snakes eye. However the damage he had suffered was great, and the snake's venom claimed his life soon after, with that shard still in his claw. Days after that a Saurian courier brought news to the Queen of this event. With both of us deeply hurt by the tragedy, many Trakali laws were put into place…"
Sunbeam realizes how long she has been talking.
"Oh, I did not mean to speak so long! I will not bore you with Trakali law, but that shard is said to be imbued with powers of harmony, as legend states that the topaz would be blessed to save both
Tenīstik and the Saurian demigod from a cruel afterlife."
She doesn't say anything for a few moments.
"I… uh… hope that does explain it."
No.731228
>>731223She blinks, confused. "Why would it be yours?" Giving you a bit of a hairy eyeball, she takes the gem herself and tucks it away in her bag. She clutches it a bit more closely than before. "You alright?" Neridah asks. "Look like you've seen a ghost. Won't be any use to us trembling like that."
>>731226Titus looks up at you with agony and confusion, struggling but failing to get up. Seems like you crippled him pretty bad.
Before the others can reach you, you burrow away, heading towards the distant treeline, where you can hear the voices of your tenuous allies. They seem to be planning their next course of action.
>>731227Neridah is only half paying attention, though Kothbiro seems genuinely interested. "Right," says the former, looking up from checking her nails. "Well, if I see the shard of a dragon god anywhere, I'll let you know. Maybe."
>>731224>>731225>>731223>>731227Kothbiro nods deeply to Vajra. "I can guarantee it will. My master would be very interested in meeting someone with your skills."
"Now then. Lord Thenn is currently in Galatian, two weeks from here as the crow flies. Regardless of whether you'll be joining me or not, it seems like it would behoove you to go there. If not, there's a crossroads at Hangman's Hill a few days from here which will take you to the city of Roan. Either way, it seems we'll be traveling together for a time."
"Now, if we could only find the path…" She starts heading deeper into the trees, both to put distance between herself and the trio and to start trying to find a way forward. Neridah starts doing the same, giving Kothbiro a wide berth as she scouts ahead on her own. Neither of them stray too far from the rest of you.
>roll Navigation No.731229
>>731227"Hmm.. Now
that would be a gem worth ssearching for.. If the legend iss true."
"For now, we musst disstance ourselves from the enemy. Until we reach the city we remain in danger."
>>731228Following Kothbiro, the sorceress tastes the air on occasion to get her bearings as the group winds its way through the woods.
[1d10] Navigation
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.731230
>>731228I tense up and grit my teeth. Two weeks? Ain't sure I can take three weeks of these guys. I purse my lips, grunt, and keep following.
No.731231
>>731230[1d10]Navigation
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.731232
>>731228"I… I guess I'm fine," Kalidan offers. He blinks a few times and pats himself all over. He looks into his pack and seems to gain strength from the newly acquired goods, nodding to himself and trying to smile. He picks up the ball of yarn, rewrapping it before depositing it in his pack, and proceeds to pretend to listen to Sunbeam as she speaks of a foreign country's ancient lore.
No.731233
>>731228"Oh no, the Shard of the Dragon God is located in the Trakali capital, in the museu-"
She stops herself.
"Ah. I understand. I also did not enjoy learning all this when I was a hatchling. But it is important to know the history of where one is from, and as I grow older and more distant from home I have gained a… enjoy-ness to it?"
She says, sure she is missing a word.
>>731229"That is wise Varja. Perhaps in this city I can obtain directions northwards."
[1d10] Navigation
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.731234
>>731228Noghu follows the others discretely until they stop again to talk.
[1d10] nav
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.731235
>>731232>>731228Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.731236
>>731233"Yeah, I guess," Neridah shrugs. "I'm just not one for history and what have you. Didn't take as a kit, don't take now."
Kothbiro ignores her. "What's the Shard of the Dragon God?" she asks, genuinely interested in learning more.
>>731233>>731229>>731231>>731234>>731235You start making your way through the woods before the trio come looking for you, making your way through dense patches of bushland. Progress is slow, as the further you go, the thicker the undergrowth becomes. You can't go two steps without scraping against some thorns or forcing yourselves through some bushes. Flying is out of the question too, for those with wings, as the foliage is too dense and the canopy too low. Everywhere is the buzzing of insects, the rustling of undergrowth, and the chirping of unseen birds.
However, it is not impossible to traverse. Three paths present themselves to you:
You can hear running water nearby, and see sunlight poking through the leaves. Pushing in this direction would seem to lead you to another branch of the river you crossed earlier, this time flowing northwards, towards your destination.
Further ahead, you can see a patch of burned trees. Someone or something seems to have scorched the undergrowth to make a path at some point. The fact that the whole forest hasn't burned down suggests the flames were done in controlled bursts, somehow.
Going around takes you one of the borders of the treeline, which leads to a steep, rocky hill, littered with tall, wild grass and huge stony boulders. A potential vantage point to get a better lay of the land.
"I say we follow the river," says Neridah. "Where there's a river, there's usually some signs of civilization further on, at least in these parts. I don't fancy sleeping outdoors."
Kothbiro looks ahead with a slight frown. "The hills might be a better choice. At least they'd give us some reprieve from these blasted brambles…"
No.731237
Kalidan still looks a bit haunted as he follows Neridah through the woods. He keeps glancing at Kothbiro's pack.
As they reach the impasse, he looks alive for the first time. He sniffs the air for a clue.
As Neridah mentions civilization, Kalidan perks up. "I'm with you on sleeping indoors. But following the river sounds bunk. These fires were obviously started intentionally and controlled. Certainly caused by someone who lives around here." He nods and looks confident.
No.731238
>>731236"That is an even longer story than that of the topaz. Years of history, the entire tale of
Kōl-Ti themselves. To be quick, it is said to be a piece of
Kōl-Ti's left wing, encased in amber shortly before his death at the hooves of the
māsatl. It is one of the only items the Trakali possess that directly relates to our greatest ancestor."
>>731236"I will survey the paths ahead."
Sunbeam flies up, and searches all three paths from her aerial vantage, looking for any threats she wouldn't see from the ground.
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.731239
>>731236I look both at the scorched path and the hills for any signs of danger. In particular I linger on the hills, looking for any signs of recent landslides that might show some kind of danger outside of traversing the steep hills themselves.
[1d10+3]Perception
Roll #1 5 + 3 = 8 No.731240
>>731236Noghu unburrows from following the others, not announcing his arrival but following within sight a short distance away.
No.731241
>>731236with her scaly hide protecting her from the worst of the brambles, the only annoyance is the suffocating density of the greenery. careful to avoid snagging her wrappings on the brush, she trails behind the others as we reach the paths ahead.
"Hmm.. a view from above to clarify the path
would be usseful.. Perhapss we could sspare a moment to look from the boulder?"
No.731499
>>731236perception [1D10]
No.731500
>>731499oops
[1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.731501
>>731236>>731240>Burrowing actually, heading towards the hills as well.[1d10+1] percep when popping out occasionally
Roll #1 9 + 1 = 10 No.731502
>>731237>>731500Neridah frowns, but falls in line behind you anyway. "I dunno. Might be a dragon or something like that. Anything goes south, I'm out of here."
You smell something foul in the air as you explore the burned path, a wretched, inescapable stench of rotting eggs. Sulfur. The burned foliage carves out a tall, narrow path from the river, leading deeper into the woods, towards a cliff face.
After a few minutes, you come to the end of the path, a round hole in the cliff face. It seems to lead straight into the rock itself, as if something had burrowed into the cliff, somehow eating through solid stone. It's not too small to climb into, being approximately the same height and width as a pony, but it is quite cramped, and difficult to move through, not to mention painful. You notice the smell of sulfur is strongest here, but peering into the tunnel reveals little but darkness within. It might just be the wind, but you hear a faint whistling sound coming from the tunnel, like the breathing of some strange creature.
"I don't like this," says Neridah with unease, backing away from the tunnel. "Let's go back and rejoin the others. This stinks. Literally."
>>731238"Incredible," Kothbiro remarks. "And your kin still possess this artifact to this day? It must be quite a sight."
While the foliage is too dense to be able to fly in, you scout the river for a bit. It seems to go on for many miles, leading up and over hills and mountains. Occasionally, you find beaches of smooth white rocks, with little paths leading into the foliage. One such beach seems to have been visited by fellow travelers at some point; you spot an abandoned boat of ash wood, left aground and abandoned, beginning to be reclaimed by the surrounding foliage. It looks good enough to use still.
You also get a good view of the surrounding lands; it seems the river bends around and flows into a great valley, while the hills and forest both stretch naturally and descend into the same. Beyond are more hills, then a barren, rocky expanse, with only the occasional shrub for foliage. Beyond this you cannot see; it stretches on for quite some time. It seems if you're to reach the city of Galatian, you'll have to brave the expanse sooner or later.
>>731239>>731241>>731238>>731501The boulders that line the surrounding hills don't seem to be particularly dangerous. No signs of any recent landslides. It seems safe enough, if rather precarious and unwieldy to traverse. The largest threat would be whatever potential beasts or other foes inhabit the hills. You can see that they go on for quite some time, eventually culminating in a fort of some sort. It hasn't been used in what looks like decades, or perhaps centuries, little more than a ruin, nigh indistinguishable from the surrounding rocks. It seems like it'd be an interesting spot to investigate, if nothing else, but it'll take an hour or so on foot.
>>731238>>731239>>731241Kothbiro surveys the landscape with you. "Hmm. There might be something worth investigating over in yonder ruins," she muses, "but it's a bit out of our way. We'll want to keep moving in that direction, at any rate." She points a bit further right of where the fort is, towards the edge of the hills. "…Say. Where did the cats go?"
No.731503
>>731238>>731502Noghu perches himself atop a boulder, once again not announcing himself but watching the large dragon fly above.
No.731504
>>731502I shrug. Has she really not noticed the cats constantly wandering off? Seems like the idjits make a habit of it. I sigh as I make my decision. Pulling out my knife, I grumble and shake my head and look around for branches to carve what's probably my sixth dern stake in two days
[1d10+2]DC 4, Survivalist. Carving four notched stakes.
Roll #1 6 + 2 = 8 No.731505
>>731502Sunbeam lands near Noghu and speaks to the group.
"The river would be well to travel by. Perhaps we could catch… ah, those small swimming creatures? I have heard this is a meal favored by felids."
She says, directing the end towards Kalidan and Neridah, who might require some extra convincing.
"I am sure we are all hungry by now."
She says, silently pulling some jerky out and offering it towards Noghu.
No.731506
>>731502"Ruinss
that old rarely hold more than dusst, but iss ssomething we could mention to the otherss. The catss sseem fond of rissking life and limb for ssome gold."
No.731507
>>731505Noghu blinks, looking at the outstretched claw with the meat, eventually taking it considering he has no gem to try to steal at this point.
"
Had food saved." Noghu grumbles quietly.
No.731508
>>731504>>731505"Iffin we could go by water we could save lots of energy, too. We had a raft or somethin it's what I'd suggest. Could do some fishin on the way too. Just hikin along the river ain't the best idea, though." Hiking takes a lot out of you, and I'm low on supplies as it is.
No.731509
>>731508"I saw a fair looking boat by the river. Perhaps somepony like you could make sure it is functional?
>>731507"Now you have more food. This is informal of myself, but I do not know your name. Could you tell me?"
Sunbeam looks on hopefully.
No.731510
>>731508>>731505>>731509If there's a boat, though… I drop the stick I was about to start carvin and instead pull my axe out and wander off in search of a long, flexible sapling. Once I find one I chop it down and hew off the knots and branches. Carrying it back to where everyone is, I pull out my rope, take out my knife, and cringe as I cut into part of it, severing where one of the wound strands are joined. Unwinding the string, I cut it to roubdabouts fifteen feet, notch the sapling, and tigh a tight knot around the notch. Last, I find a good piece of wood and whittle a little gorge hook to tie onto the end. Definitely like the sound of fishin.
[1d10+2]DC 4
[1d10+2]DC 4
Roll #1 5 + 2 = 7 /
Roll #2 9 + 2 = 11 No.731511
>>731509I nod, stand up, and stare at her as I wait for her to lead the way.
No.731512
>>731509"Told you, others hear too in temple. Still call Fool." Noghu shrugs, "What matter at this point."
No.731513
>>731502Kalidan's nose wringkles as he sniffs the air.
"Smells like your house," he mentions to Neridah. Chuckling to himself, he pauses at the end of the path, at the hole in the tunnel. Looks like the hole is large enough for his furry head to fit inside.
"Hey. Hold this," he hands his pack to Neridah. "Gonna check it out."
He slides into the nasty-stench tunnel headfirst.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.731514
>>731505"Small swimming creatures?" Kothbiro parrots. "…You mean fish?" She looks puzzled by your lack of grasp on the common tongue. You notice that Kalidan and Neridah seem to have taken off again.
"Perhaps the cat is right, in any case," Kothbiro muses, nodding to you in agreement. "It might be best to follow the river for a while. It seems to wind in the direction we're heading, after all."
>>731506"It doesn't seem as old as the temple we explored," Kothbiro points out, "and that was rife with treasures still. Still. We should make our choice soon. I don't like the look of those clouds." She points out some grey clouds in the distance. Looks like there'll be rain to deal with later.
>>731513"How would you know?" she replies, watching as you begin to crawl in the tunnel. She takes your bags, then you hear her promptly drop them unceremoniously.
There's no way to go in this tunnel but squirming forward. It goes for several feet before beginning to subtly widen, eventually opening abruptly into a pitch black cavern within the cliff. It's too dark to be able to make out many details, but you can see something at the far end of the cavern, glowing dark red like dying embers. The whistling sound is coming from it. Whatever this creature is, it seems to be fast asleep. While you can't make out what it looks like, you can tell it's very big and very long, like a snake. Evidently, this is some creature's lair. If you strain your eyes hard enough, you can see other tunnels leading in haphazard directions from this cavern, branching off in different directions.
>>731509>>731511>>731506>>731507You make your way towards the river with Kothbiro, Sunbeam leading the way to the boat. It is large and sturdy, not yet having succumbed to rot, with even two pairs of oars kept within. It does not take much to remove it from the brambles, and it can be pushed fairly easily along the smooth, bone-white stones of the river bank into the cool, clear waters. You notice that there is a saddlebag within the boat, but inspecting it reveals it to contain nothing but rotten food and a page seemingly torn from a book, rendered illegible by stains.
>>731510You use the surrounding wilderness to your advantage, crafting yourself a fine fishing rod. The sapling is flexible enough to bend without breaking, the string difficult to snap, and the hook knife-sharp and sturdy. Overall, a fine piece of impromptu craftsmanship. All that's missing now is the bait. Kothbiro nods in approval in the background. "Fine work," she comments.
No.731515
>>731514I nod to zebra. "Thank'ye," I mumble. Honestly a little excited to do some fishin. Setting my pole to the side for now, I look around for some bait, turning over rocks and using a stick to dig into softer soil for grubs and worms. Gonna eat me some fish tonight. Just wish I had a pot to make up some soup.
[1d10+2]DC 4
Roll #1 5 + 2 = 7 No.731516
>>731514"Hmm.. that
iss true.. Though perhapss it iss besst to make hasste to the city. We are low on ssuppliess, too low to sspend time ssearching ruinss."
Following Kothbiro and Sunbeam to the river, Vajra looks to the boat in curiosity. "Ah, a usseful find! With thiss, our travel will proceed much fasster."
dipping her tail into the river to test the water, she recoils and pulls back, before warming herself up in the riverbank's sun.
>bask: raise dead No.731517
>>731514Noghu washes the dirt off his body in the river, looking to see if there's any easily noticeable fish to stab at in the rivers.
[1d10+1] fishin perception
Roll #1 5 + 1 = 6 No.731518
>>731514"Ah yes! Fish! I apologize. I know how to place words together in this language, but not many of the words.
As Sunbeam reaches the riverbank, she assists in removing the boat before searching for a few smooth stones, preferably wide and flat and puts them in her satchel.
Perception for stones [1d10]
>>731516"We cannot go until our felid friend returns. Until then, I agree to basking in the sunlight."
Sunbeam sits besides Vajra, enjoying the warmth of the sun with her.
>>731515"Perhaps the smell of cooking fish will bring Kalidan towards here?"
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.731519
>>731518I grunt. Wasn't plannin on fishin til we was on the river, but I guess it couldn't hurt if we're waitin around anyways.
No.731520
>>731514Kalidan squirms through the tunnel, dropping as silently as he can into the cavern.
He looks around for treasure.
stealth [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.731521
>>731518"I'm ssure they've gotten into ssome form of trouble by now. Ssearching for them oursselvess may prove the better option."
No.731522
>>731515You dig around. You're not as good at it as Noghu is, but you do manage to find some bugs to use as bait. You manage to find an earthworm, two beetles, three grubs and a dragonfly in the immediate area.
>>731516"We'll have to find some supplies on the road," Kothbiro points out. "We're two weeks away still, assuming no delays, and as is, supplies won't hold out until then."
The water isn't cold, just pleasantly cool. The current isn't too strong either. A warmer blooded creature would find it good for swimming in. The sun is shining strong today, unhindered by the wispy fragments of cloud that can be spotted dotting the sky here and there. You lie there for a while, taking in newfound strength from its radiance. You feel much better already.
>+2 to Raise Dead on the next use>>731517As the group begin to explore the river bank, you spot a pair of very long eels resting near the bottom of the riverbank, staying away from the shallows. They are quite large, but seem harmless enough. It's likely they are aware of your presence.
>>731518Kothbiro investigates the boat, smiling as she sees the condition it's in. "Excellent find!" she calls to you. "This will make our journey much faster, with any luck."
You find a trio of very wide, flat stones, about the size of your palm. To your surprise, however, one of them sprouts a pair of beady black eyestalks, then large claws and many legs. It's not a stone at all, but a river crab, which squirms to get out of your grasp in a panic. The rest do appear to be ordinary stones, though.
>>731520It's too dark to be able to spot much of anything as far as treasure goes.
A beam suddenly shines through the darkness, as if someone had suddenly shone a spotlight on you. Looking to the source of it, you can see it is a single huge, lidless eye, with no pupil to speak of, fixed on you, glowing pale yellow. You can make out the details of the monsters whose presence you share; it appears to be a great serpent, glowing red like coals, its body stretching into one of the many tunnels to an unknown length. Its head is almost the size of your entire body, a single glowing eye fixed in the middle of its head, bearing down on you with curiosity. The rest of its body begins to strobe red, great crimson streaks running down its body and flaring up, hot as lava. The smell of sulfur begins to become overwhelming as the creature begins to flare up, not out of a desire to attack, but a desire to investigate. Waves of unbearable heat radiate from it, hot enough to melt rock and flay skin from bone, almost bringing you to your knees. The flame serpent does not stir, but just stares at you, as if daring you to make the next move.
No.731523
>>731522Hungry and uncaring to wait and sit still for the eels to calm, Noghu aims his spear slightly off to account for refraction, making a quick thrust at one of the eels.
[1d10+1] DC-1 feesh
Roll #1 8 + 1 = 9 No.731524
>>731522Kalidan's irises slit up as a strange source of light hits them, then quickly pool out as he recognizes a source of danger, namely the humongous serpent.
"Oh," he murmurs to himself as he involuntarily shudders, realizing the danger he finds himself in. "Hi!" he halfway greets the serpent as he scrambles for the exit tunnel.
No.731525
>>731522I gather the bait, satisfied with the bit that I've found. Wonder how the boat is going. I put the bait away in one of the leather pouches and hang it on the edge of my pack frame before joining everyone else at the boat.
No.731526
>>731522Having taken a moment to relax in the sun, vajra draws herself to her full height, sending bandages into the loamy river soil.
"While the otherss are away, i will call fourth our oar-bearer."
"From river ssoil, hear my plea, of claw and sstrength i call to me!"
[1d10+2] raise dead (bask)
Roll #1 8 + 2 = 10 No.731527
>>731522Sunbeam recoils from the crab, tossing it into the river.
"What in Soa-Kitl!"
She attempts to wash her hands in the river, fearing that it might be poisonous.
"Vile creature, whatever that is." She says, as she gathers her rocks and moves away from Vajra and her spell.
No.731528
>>731523The other eel twitches just as you thrust your spear, skewering the larger, slower eel in the head and ending it instantly. It's almost as long as you are tall. Looks like meat's back on the menu for the foreseeable future!
>>731524The serpent does not react as you scramble for the exit. You don't stop crawling until you get to the other end, where you find Neridah plucking the feathers off of a forest pigeon she caught. "What was that all about?" she asks casually as she litters the floor with green and purple feathers. "Should probably find the others eventually, hm."
>>731525Kothbiro seems to have gotten the boat to the edge of the water, and is waiting for the rest of the party to gather before venturing forth.
>>731526Dark energies course through you as you attempt to summon forth a servant. For a while nothing happens; then, you see something disturbing the water. First one skeletal claw shoots out onto the shore, then another, then the Boatman comes into view. The remains of a fellow saurian resembling a crocodile, it is a hulking beast of bone and gauze, still as powerful in undeath as it was in life, sodden from head to tail and covered in river algae dripping from its gaping jaws. Kothbiro backs away instinctively as the Boatman dutifully takes over managing the boat, awaiting your command to push it into the water.
>>731527The crab stares at you reproachfully before scuttling into the shallows. "What, you've never seen a crab before?" Kothbiro asks incredulously.
No.731529
>>731528"Ah, our oar-bearer hass arrived! Quite the ssurprise to find a body in ssuch good condition here, perhapss a recent death?"
overjoyed to see her work board the boat in wait, she places her claws on her hips as she look around the treeline expectedly, tasting the air.
[1d10] Dc-2 detect life
"Now.. where are thosse foolss? We are wassting valuable daylight."
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.731530
>>731528"There was, uh, a big snake, or something. Es muy caliente in hocho. Or something." He eyes her catch. "Gonna share?" Snatches halfheartedly at her dinner, not really expecting to take anything from her, in the same manner she pretended to snatch at the Heart of the Sun earlier.
"Find the others, eh? What do you even care about them?" He is on to his own wildlife chase, sitting motionless staring at the sky until he finds something to hunt.
Forage [1d10]
His eyes are always slightly distracted because he, of course, is tracking Kothbiro, who (he assumes) still possesses the gem.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 6 = 6 No.731531
>>731528My nose curls as I see the witch making more dead slaves. Shaking my head, I turn back to the woods and look for a fallen log I can bring onto the boat to sit on while I fish. When I find one, I hoist it onto my shoulder, climb back onto the boat, set it at the back, sit down, and wait.
No.731532
>>731531[1d10+2]Survivalist if I need a roll
Roll #1 3 + 2 = 5 No.731533
>>731527"If that is what that was, than I have not."
She shudders at the thought.
>>731529"Ah, another
vitel. Hmm, I was always told a
vitel would burn in the sun's highest. It does not seem to be burning…"
Sunbeam quizzically studies it.
No.731534
>>731528Noghu looks especially pleased with himself as he slings the large eel around his neck like an oversized scarf, looking at the boat now with slight curiosity. "Logs not sink with standing on?"
>>731529The mention of fool catches Noghu's attention for the briefest moment and he turns his head towards the snake, before realizing the lack of attention toward him. He returns to his reveling over the food.
No.731535
>>731533"When i wass an acolyte, it wass common to ssee the dead asssisting in temple care. Once the ssoul hass left, it iss little more than a puppet."
No.731536
>>731529"This one must have been dead a long time, to be naught but bones," she points out. She gives the Boatman a wide berth, unnerved by its sinister leer.
You can sense the two cats nearby, off to your right somewhere, where the burned path was. Kothbiro turns her gaze skywards. "It will be midday soon. We still have plenty of sunlight left before dark. Hopefully we can cover a good portion of ground before then."
Neridah comes into view, popping out from the treeline. You see she's carrying a dead pigeon. She gives you a fancy little wave before trotting over to join the rest of you. "Kally's coming. Think he's just grabbing lunch. Or second breakfast."
>>731530"…What?" She has no idea what you just said.
"Sure. Was gonna save it for lunch though. Dibs on the legs."
"They're our ticket out of here," she points out, with a slightly condescending tone, and leaves it at that.
Your keen eyes spot the movement of mice in the undergrowth. Chasing them leads you to the edge of the bushes, which open up into the riverbank from earlier. You can see the others nearby, seemingly waiting around to see if you'll show up. Neridah loses interest in the chase and leaves you to it as she goes to rejoin the party.
>>731531You find a reasonably lightweight log to support your weight, setting up a seat for yourself there apart from the central bench.
>>731533You take a closer look at the Boatman. It is little more than a living skeleton, crooked, crack-toothed jaws agape, bones creaking eerily. It stands unsettlingly still as it waits for a command from its master. "From what I've heard," Kothbiro chimes in, "only weaker, lesser undead will burn in sunlight, as well as other beings of shadow. Our companion here is quite the sorceress to be able to raise them in broad daylight," she remarks.
No.731537
>>731535"Acolyte… is that a priest for
vitel? It relieves me to hear the soul has journeyed beyond here, we must be set free after our lives."
She says with reverence, closing her eyes for a moment.
>>731536"I remember as a child we would play games where one would be the
vitel, trying to catch the others while avoiding any patches of sunlight that struck the forest floor," Sunbeam says, laughing a bit before continuing "Ah, the teachers never were happy about that one…"
No.731538
>>731534Noticing the dog in the open for once, Vajra makes an effort of speaking with him. "If we are careful not to let water into the boat, it will not ssink. Thiss doess mean no digging holess while on it."
>>731537"It ssimply meanss one who caress for the temple." explains the sorceress "thesse 'vitel' are only a part of the temple processs. Our ceremonial gauze allowss uss to raisse the dead, though it wass only meant for bringing them to the grave or if more clawss were needed to aid the temple."
No.731539
>>731536I pull out one of the grubs out and slide it onto the hook. Since it seems like we're gonna be here for a bit, I toss the line over the edge and wait.
[1d10+2] (If fishing is affected by Survivalist.)
Roll #1 1 + 2 = 3 No.731540
>>731538>>731536Noghu squints, "Wood, not dirt. Use eyes. Like say use water."
No.731541
>>731538"If you do not mind my asking, what does your temple decide what will be done with your body, physical and spiritual, after your death?"
Sunbeam asks with no harsh intent
No.731542
>>731536Kalidan sneaks some of Neridah's lunch, then continues to search for his own.
After elevensies, he moves, stomach full, to rejoin the group at large.
"Hi," he says, mouth full. Spitting up coloured feathers, he coughs a moment then gathers himself.
>>731537>>731538"I met someone you might know," he mentions. "Big guy. Scaly. Seemed like he liked his space."
>>731539Kalidan offers a caught rat to the minotaur. Doesn't seem like much, but he knows the big guy likes food, and he hasn't much to give.
>>731540Giving the stinkeye to the dog, he turns his head to the side. "Oh. You came too."
No.731543
>>731534Kothbiro blinks. "Don't they have boats where you're from?" She steps into it, rocking the boat slightly to show how sturdy it is. "It's designed not to sink," she explains. "All of us can fit on it and we won't drown. …Hopefully." She hesitates for a moment before stretching her hoof out to help you board.
No.731544
>>731542"Food taken. if no return, then stay till get good. Save twice anyway, this pack weak." He grins and tilts his head, taking a chomp out of his eel scarf, "Not cat fault, born cat."
>>731543"Always moving, why make big thing. Swim water or use pony stones." Noghu engulfs the hoof with one of his giant paws, joining them on board. "How you live this long anyway?"
No.731545
>>731541"Hmm.. For mosst of the village, the dead are mummified and buried within the temple underground, ass a meanss of presserving their bodiess for the afterlife. If needed, acolytess will be ssummoned from the chamberss below to maintain the temple for ssacred eventss, ssuch ass ssandss passage, the celebration of the year'ss movement."
No.731546
>>731539You toss the line out and wait.
And wait.
And wait.
Nothing goes for it. In fact, looking down to the waters, you can't see a living thing anywhere below. It seems all the movement in the water from you and the others has scared off any potential fish in the vicinity, save for Noghu's eel.
>>731542Neridah notices you swiping some of the pigeon, but doesn't seem to mind. "You're not meant to eat the feathers, genius. We're not savages."
>>731544The eel meat is sweet and refreshing. Just one bite is practically enough to fill you, and there's plenty more where that came from. Kothbiro looks away in slight disgust.
"It's faster," she explains patiently. "We can cover more ground by boat than we could by swimming. Plus, not everyone here can swim. So boat it is."
>>731542>>731541>>731540>>731539>>731538As Kalidan returns to the party, Kothbiro hops onto the boat and makes herself comfortable. Neridah follows suit, nimbly leaping on and perching herself at the front, staring out to the river with ears pricked up eagerly. "All aboard, I guess," says the zebra, inching away from the Boatman and waiting for the remaining party members to hop on.
No.731547
>>731542"Oh? do you have the name of thiss one? I have met many ssaurianss over my sstay within the temple."
No.731548
>>731544She tilts her head slightly in confusion at your question. "What do you mean? I'm not old."
No.731549
>>731546"Wonderful, let uss be off now that the otherss have arrived."
slithering up to the boat's side, the sorceress is aided onto the ship with the careful grip of the boatman pulling her on, coiling her tail under her to get comfortable.
No.731550
>>731546I shake my head and pull my line back in, a little annoyed but not all that surprised. Trolling the river while we move it is. I look up as both the cats get back. Turning back to the back of the boat, I lean forward and wait.
No.731551
>>731542"An
amo-nikan? An old one has not been seen in very long. I do not think one would be so far from Akashin, let alone Trakali."
>>731545"And after their use? Are they returned to their rest?"
She says, asking questions like an engaged student.
>>731546Sunbeam sits herself near the back of the boat, trying to keep her weight near the center so she doesnt throw the balance off.
"A small tribe of dragons lived upriver from Trakali, we called them Atōyatl. They would carve whole boats from the largest trees and every twenty-four moons they would float many boats downriver, each lit with a torch as they visit the far away ocean."
Sunbeam says to nopony in particular, looking off towards downriver.
No.731552
>>731548"Yes, old would be more surprising." Noghu nods. "Rely on packs then, me think."
Noghu eats more than his fill of the eel, his hunger getting the better of him and happy to actually have something to fill him till he's full for once. His tail occasionally makes a dull thud against the wood logs forming the raft.
No.731553
>>731546Kalidan spits out some more multicolored feathers. "Savages?" he manages, looking confused, before picking several more smaller fluffs from his teeth.
The cat reluctantly hops aboard the boat and makes himself comfortable, taking Neridah's lead and seating himself near the front, He immediately begins grooming himself with his tongue, not forgetting nor being shy about cleaning the nether regions of his body.
He keeps an eye on both Kothbiro's pack, and the shifty diamond dog/hyena/gremlin combo that the group has apparently decided to pick up.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.732003
>>731551Kothbiro yet again shows interest. "That reminds me of a story mymother used to tell me, about the first of our kind to come to my ancestral homeland. The stories say they came on ten times ten canoes across the sea, from the Green Place, fleeing the Spider. …I wonder if there's any truth to it."
>>731553Noghu seems mostly harmless for now. Kothbiro clings to her pack like a lifeline, evidently not trusting the party enough to let her guard down for an instant.
>>731553>>731552>>731551>>731550>>731549Most of the day passes in relative quietude. The eerie Boatman, incessant in his rowing, takes you upstream, heading northwards. The buzz of insects, the singing of birds, and the rustle of the wind serve as a backdrop to the lush, verdant scenery. Huge, overgrown trees flank you, great flowering vines dangling from their boughs and trailing into the water. Every once in a while, you see little paths into the wild, dug by animals or wayward travelers. Lunch consists of leftovers from the previous night; trail mix, mostly. And a few bits of jerky Neridah keeps.
As you travel, and the day begins to wane, the trees become a bit thinner, and you see two distant hills of stone, half obscured by the foliage. Drawing a bit closer, and you begin to realize they are not hills at all, but two enormous statues carved into the surrounding cliffs, one on each side of the river. They are in the likeness of great kings of ponies, stern of face, clad in armor and crowns befitting their exalted status. Most impressive are the great swords each statue carries, each king facing the other and pointing their great stone blades forward, forming a high, distant bridge over the river.
Neridah stares up at the great statues, taking in the details of the great colossi in silent awe. "The Path of the Kings," Kothbiro says quietly. "We're on the right path. This is the southern border of Galatian. And beyond…"
Looking past, you see what has her trailing off. Beyond the Path of the Kings lies a great, rocky waterfall. End of the line for your boat, it would seem.
>roll Perception to find paths to take[2d10] Koth, Neri
Roll #1 5, 8 = 13 No.732004
>>732003At first I'm still a little annoyed that the dog scared all the fish away, but as the boat floats down the river I ease up a mite. By the time we're a half hour out I've tossed my line back out to troll the waters for fish instead of just sittin around doin nothin. Only way it could be any nicer is if I had some ale with me. Almost not able to help myself, I start quietly singing under my breath as I reel my line and recast it. My voice ain't much account, but if I gotta listen to these idjits bicker and moan they can listen to me for a bit.
[1d10+2]DC 4 fishin
[1d10-2]Singin
[1d10]Navagatin if I can actually do that while facing the back of the boat.
Roll #1 4 + 2 = 6 /
Roll #2 1 - 2 = -1 /
Roll #3 2 = 2 No.732005
>>732003Noghu snickers, watching the others eat their dried nuts and berries while he has his long fatty fish-thing all to himself. Originally sitting near the center of the raft afraid of falling in the water due to the raft's instability, but with later testing and confirming it's stronger than just one or two floating logs. Eventually, he sits near the edge, swapping between watching the water below or looking out at the landscape ahead of him.
[1d10] (+1 from Child of Gaia negated due to awful singing)
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.732006
>>732003"That is fascinating Kothbiro. I adore hearing the stories of other lands."
Sunbeam lays with her eyes closed for most of the trip, not asleep, but simply basking in the warming light of the sun. As sound of the waterfall approaches, she sits up and admires the twin statues.
"Oh, we must be close to something. I do not think something like that just appears in the wilderness."
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.732007
>>731551"Of coursse, it would be rude to their sspirit if we left them out to work." replies Vajra.
>>732003Dozing off a few times in the sun as the boat travels down the river, Vajra wakes in time to see the approach of the statues flanking the river and the waterfall ahead.
Commanding the ferryman to halt with a wave of a talon, she sits up to look for an alternate path.
[1d10] perception
"Ah, what in interessting find! Thesse two musst have been legendary to recieve ssuch a monument."
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.732008
>>732003Kalidan stares up at the huge stone pony kings, relics of a past long forgotten.
"Dang," he whistles, admiring the humongous blades crisscrossing each other to form the stone bridge. His eyes travel to Neridah's greatsword. "Why don't you get one like theirs, eh??" as he swipes another piece of jerky from her supply. He leaps to the edge of the boat, rocking it precariously, his eyes expressing humor as he chews the stolen meat, watching her for any sign of a reaction.
Eventually, he tears his gaze away from the catgirl and joins the search for their next path.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.732009
>>732004Your off tune singing inexplicably scares off the fish, more so than the boat. You do manage to catch a young trout later on though, as well as a freshwater pufferfish. "Ugh. Throw that one back," Neridah comments. "Trust me."
>>732006"The Path marks the southern border of the kingdom of Galatian," says Kothbiro. "We'll only be seeing more signs of civilization from hereon out."
>>732007Kothbiro nods pensively. "These lands have been inhabited for centuries. So many kings have risen and fallen, I'd wager these two have even had their names forgotten."
>>732008She doesn't seem to hear you at first, looking amazed at the great monuments. She gives you a side glance after a beat. "…Meh. I could probably take 'em," she says dismissively with a grin.
>>732005>>732004>>732006>>732007>>732008A bit of searching reveals two paths, which Kalidan, Vajra and Sunbeam spot before the rest. A gravel beach on the eastern bank leads off into the tree-covered hills, potentially leading up to the statues themselves, while the western bank has a small, overgrown path that seems to twist and turn through dense thickets, eventually leading to the shore at the bottom of the waterfall. Both seem more or less equally precarious. "Up, or down?" Neridah comments offhandedly as Kothbiro silently assesses the situation.
No.732010
>>732009"More game near water. Eat better down."
Noghu says offhandedly, dipping his paws in the water occasionally.
No.732011
>>732009"I mean. I don't really care. I'm just along for the ride," Kalidan says off-hoofedly. He eyes Kothbiro's pack for about the hundredth time.
He eyes the waterfall coming up. "Probably better to pick sooner rather than later, though. Would rather land the boat on a beach rather than ride it over the edge."
No.732012
>>732009"Surely a path towards the statues would lead to the city quicker, yes?"
Sunbeam says, mostly interested in admiring the craftsmanship.
"We could also see many things from such a height."
No.732013
>>732009I cock an eyebrow as I throw the puffer back. "What?" I ask. "The trout? Them's good eatin." I pull my knife out and stab the fish in the head before stringing one of the worms I found and tossing my line back in. Glancing over my shoulder at the paths, I grunt. "Might be best to stay away from the waterfall. Wind up caught in rapids."
[1d10+2]DC 4
Roll #1 2 + 2 = 4 No.732014
>>732009"Hmm.. perhapss we sshould continue down the path to the fall'ss bottom? following the water sshould lead to civilization, yess?"
No.732015
>>732012>>732009"Hmm.. perhapss you are right. It would at leasst allow uss to ssee a path ahead from above."
No.732016
>>732010>>732011>>732012>>732013>>732014"I think Sunbeam's right," says Kothbiro. "A good vantage point will help us get a lay of the land." "Up it is then," says Neridah. "Wonder if we'll find anything up on the bridge."
You take the boat to the gravelly shore, bringing it aground. The boatman trudges behind you, dutifully following you onward. You start exploring the path, struggling to get through the dense underbrush, startling small animals as you carve a path through. Progress is slow and painstaking, moving only a few inches at a time through all the foliage while also struggling to move uphill.
As you progress, the path starts clearing more and more, and you begin to find pre existing paths all over the hill, leading in every conceivable direction, as if something has been forging paths for itself for a long time in these parts. The lair of some creature, perhaps. Kothbiro looks around tensely, while Neridah falls to the rear, sparing an occasional glance behind her nervously. "Thought this was going to be simple," the zebra growls. "This is like a damned maze…"
>roll both Navigation and Perception No.732017
>>732016The large black cat trails behind the group with Neridah. His preference would be to climb a tree, if able, and if not, he just tries not to get anything caught in his fur.
Navigation [1d10]
He looks down all the paths as they pass by, his eyes quickly darting around, naturally drawn to any movement in the underbrush.
His tail swishes in bored agitation. He wouldn't say no to chasing a small rodent or bird.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 /
Roll #2 5 = 5 No.732018
>>732016"These parts are nothing like home. So many of these paths seem carved to only confuse us further."
Sunbeam looks up at the sun, then points in some directions.
"I think we should all go…"
Perception [1d10]
Navigation [1d10]
"…that way."
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 No.732019
>>732016Noghu grumbles having gone mostly unheard, paying especially close attention to the surroundings to find some sort of fault in the other's choices.
[1d10+1] perception
[1d10+1] navigation
Roll #1 4 + 1 = 5 /
Roll #2 1 + 1 = 2 No.732020
>>732016The sorceress eyes the paths ahead, looking for the tell-tale slope of an upward route.
[1d10] Navigation
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 10 = 10 /
Roll #2 9 = 9 No.732021
>>732016I string the trout I caught through the fishing line and hang it and the fishing pole off my pack frame. Following the others, I hold a javelin at the ready and watch the path for any indication of whatever wore it down.
[1d10+3]Perception
[1d10]Navigation
Roll #1 8 + 3 = 11 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 No.732022
>>732017>>732018>>732019>>732020>>732021As you press on, you get turned around more than once, ending up in loops, dead ends, and unwanted places. As you do so, Kalidan finds what he's looking for, though not in the form he'd like. Clumps of matted fur and feathers can be found in the tunnels on occasion, looking almost melted by some outside force. At one point, you even find a few half-digested pony skeletons. Neridah curls her lip at the sight. As the path gently slopes upwards, you start hearing things in the tunnels; faint skittering noises, the clacking and chittering of mandibles. Whatever's in here with you seems to be following, always just out of sight.
After several minutes of tense wandering, Vajra manages to lead you to a way out of the maze of foliage; though, it won't be easy to get to. You've hit a dead end, but there's a hole in the bushes that leads to a ray of sunlight, signaling the exit. You'd have to climb up the foliage and to safety, no easy task considering the unwieldiness of the paths. Not to mention, the sound you've been hearing has completely stopped, as if the thing has either given up or is right upon you.
Kothbiro just shrugs and starts trying to climb to the exit, wincing as she gets pricked by thorns and branches.
[1d10]
Neridah follows suit, albeit a bit more nimbly.
[1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 10 = 10 No.732023
>>732022I grumble and pull out my axe. Couldn't be a straight shot. Had to get more hikin in. Knowin I'm a good bit bigger than these other folk, I chop around a little, trying to clear myself more of a path.
[1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.732024
>>732022passing through the increasingly worrying foliage, Vajra's spotting of a way out is a welcome sight!
eyeing the path up, the sorceress makes a first attempt, the ferryman climbing up after.
[1d10] climbing
[1d10]
"Almosst there!"
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 5 = 5 No.732025
>>732022Sunbeam takes care to be the last to climb, keeping a close eye on the others as they ascend.
She climbs without the assistance of her wings, taking care to be as silent as possible.
Climbing [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.732026
>>732022Despite the eel around his neck being ample food supply, Noghu makes sure to pack a few of the pony bones around his simple leather belt in case of an emergency. Knowing the roots won't be any more fun to deal with than the folliage itself, Noghu hacks and slices through the path with his spear.
[1d10+1] Climbing and the like
Roll #1 8 + 1 = 9 No.732027
>>732022Kalidan wrinkles his nose at the remains of prey, but as he realizes the ramifications of this, his fur rises from the nape of his neck to the tip of his tail. His ears swivel around and his pupils, wide as saucers, never stop quivering. A low noise starts in the back of his throat.
Climbing [1d10]
He does not indulge in the meat of the unknown predator's kill. Instead he continues to search for his own.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 No.732028
>>732023You manage to widen the path for yourself and the others as you climb up the brambles to safety.
>>732024The Boatman gives you a boost up, and with no small amount of exertion, you make it up to the exit.
>>732026You take a page from Thungr's book and help open up the path for the others before climbing up and out.
>>732027You don't find much. Mostly long-dead prey of the unknown creature. Observing as Neridah jump up the branches easily, you follow where she jumped and pull yourself out.
>>732025You exit last, squirming a little to get out of the maze. Something brushes against your foot as you haul yourself up, but you manage to get out before whatever it is can grab you.
>>732027>>732026>>732025>>732024>>732023As you all manage to get out without a hitch, you look back for a brief moment, seeing many black, soulless eyes peering out at you through the gloom. You catch glimpses of many segmented, hair-covered legs, a giant crab-like pincer, and a powerful tail with a bloated stinger, before the creature scuttles off into the tunnels, out of sight. Kothbiro recoils at the sight of the giant scorpion, grateful for having been able to get out without having to face it. There's a tense moment of relief before you take in your surroundings:
The scorpion's lair is built beneath the roots of an enormous tree, its roots serving as the foundation for the tunnels. Through its boughs, the sun is much more visible, and other trees in the area are sparse. You can see a few mushrooms growing here and there, which Kothbiro is quick to snare, recognizing them as edible.
As far as landscape goes, you can see the head of the eastern statue up ahead, marking the stone bridge made from their swords. Turning south you can see the river you've been traveling on up till now, while to the north, the waterfall leads into a great valley, which Sunbeam saw from further away earlier in the morning. It looks like it'll take a few days to cross, longer if you decide to stick to the cliff paths which the bridge connects. Both the cliffs and the valley eventually open up into flatlands, marked by an expanse of razor sharp rocks. Beyond you can see more trees, which turn to swampland, but further than that you cannot tell.
Neridah looks to the skies. "We're losing light," she points out. "Best we start looking for somewhere to hole up. Plus…"
You hear a faint rumble of thunder. Looks like tonight and tomorrow will bring rain.
She looks around, eventually pointing out what looks like an abandoned watchtower at the other end of the bridge. "There looks like it might be good. Hopefully no one lives there."
Kothbiro points out a path that leads down a rather steep incline towards the treeline marking the edge of the valley, following the river. "I say we look for a clearing down there. We'll cover more ground if we keep moving that way. I'd rather not take the high road."
No.732029
>>732028I hum in thought. Normally I'd agree with the zebra, but them clouds don't look good and I ain't got any campin supplies for rain. I put my axe away and head toward the bridge on the way to the watchtower.
No.732030
>>732028Vajra breaths a sigh of relief, having just avoided a nightmare of a beast. freed from that undergrowth, she looks to the tower Neridah pointed out, nodding.
"I would take a ssturdy roof over a clearing, ssurprisse guessts or no. Anything to avoid
rain." she adds, shivering at the thought.
No.732031
>>732028Noghu looks at the strange unnatural spire, figuring he can always dig himself a hole in case it doesn't work out. The others are heading that way anyways, and he'd much rather have them to act as natural barriers to predators, knowing if he positions himself right they'd have to fight whatever it is before it got to him.
No.732032
>>732028Kalidan looks to the ominous stormclouds with obvious disdain and nods as Neridah suggests finding cover.
"Not too fond of rain, to be honest. Be nice to hole up somewhere dry for the night." He falls in behind the group heading for the watchtower.
No.732033
>>732032"Who like rain?" Noghu asks roughly.
No.732034
>>732028"Ah, a storm. It is finally feeling like home here."
Sunbeam looks fondly towards the approaching clouds.
"But we should seek shelter. That watchtower seems safe enough."
No.732035
>>732031>>732030>>732029>>732032>>732034Kothbiro grumbles indistinctly at being outvoted, but has little choice but to tag along.
You head towards the bridge, finding it adorned by an overgrown archway with some writing on it. It's not in a language any of you can read. Neridah observes it. "'Swordsbridge'. How creative."
"You can read that?" Kothbiro asks quizzically.
"Yup," Neridah replies proudly, and does not elaborate.
You move on over the great stone bridge formed by the statues, getting a breathtaking view of the landscape beyond. Seems if you go into the valley, you'll be following the river for quite some time to come. The solemn stone visage of the king, you see, has been reclaimed by nature, covered in vines, moss, and the occasional bird nest. It seems to form a crown on top of the crown.
You press on, walking for about an hour before reaching the watchtower. The sun is almost gone by now, and it's getting harder and harder to see. Kothbiro struggles to light a lantern, holding it up for visibility and taking the lead.
The watchtower is wide and circular in form, the main gate being wide open, flanked by two statues of sword-wielding ponies, similar to the Path of the Kings you just came through. Looking around, you can see that there are actually more statues, six in total, positioned around the perimeter like guards.
As you begin to look around, you can't help but feel that something is off. There's a distinct chill in the air, and it's not just the first droplets of rain. It's an unearthly cold that makes the hairs on your necks stand up. Neridah finds some cover and tries to get a fire going, only to find it impossible to. "I have a bad feeling about this," she muses nervously.
All of a sudden, the cold seems to flare up, and inexplicably, Kothbiro's lantern goes out, along with all other light sources. It's like all the warmth in this place is snuffed in a heartbeat. Kothbiro curses and fumbles in the gloom. "What the hell is going on?…"
No.732036
>>732035coiling up in preparation for what may come, Vajra hisses in surprise, tasting the air.
[1d10] perception
The ferryman, sensing the sorceress' distress, stands protectively nearby.
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.732037
>>732035I tense up for a moment, pull out my axe, sigh, and leave the watchtower. Nope. Rather take my chances with the rain than with spirits. Maybe it ain't too late to cobble together a debris shelter before the storm hits. Won't be much account, but better'n whatever's in here.
No.732038
>>732035Sunbeam stands adamantly at the bottom of the watchtower, her back to it as she exhales and casts Purify on herself to calm her nerves and allow her to focus.
"Beings of shadow and darkness, show thyself. I Tlawīli Koalti, stand before you, unshaken."
Purify targeting self [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.732039
>>732035Disliking the feeling, Noghu pulls a meerkat and burrows into the soft wet soil, knowing he can always set up alternate tunnels to divert any water flowing in for the most part.
[1d10+3] burrow
Roll #1 4 + 3 = 7 No.732040
>>732035Kalidan pads along patiently, eyeing the sky occasionally and seeming to shiver every few minutes or so in anticipation of the rain.
When the cold presses in, his fur all bushes up and he huddles close to the group. Realizing they are all afraid, he shakes his head and reaches for his flute.
"It's alright, no worries, I'll play us a totally non-spooky flute music in the sudden quiet. to unspook us out of this funk, gang." He begins to noodle on the flute.
Song of My People [1d10] (While not in combat, allies within hearing range receive +1 to all rolls)
Whatever the effect, he looks around the darkness warily and tries to enter the watchtower, perhaps with comically jiggly knees and amidst exclamations of "Jinkies!" and/or "Zoinks!"
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.732041
>>732036You sense nothing at all. Not even your allies. Just the dark and cold. Even the stars themselves seem to go out.
>>732038Your words fall on deaf ears, and you fail to cast the spell, producing little more than a flicker of light which promptly goes out. You're not even sure if you believe them yourself.
>>732039You do what you do best and start digging into the soil, digging a somewhat shallow hole for yourself to hide in. You notice an uncomfortable amount of bones in the earth.
>>732040You don't manage much but a shrill shriek out of your flute, adding to the eerieness of the situation. Stepping forwards, you feel an uneasy snap under your foot, like the crunching of bone.
>>732037>>732036>>732037>>732038>>732040As Thungr tries to turn around, he comes face to face by a shadowy figure emerging from the gloom, towering over him even at his considerable height. It appears as an earth pony, clad in regal armor, resembling the six statues around the perimeter. Its visage is sunken and terrible, flickering between skeletal and living. The crown it wears is oddly familiar. Bearing down on him as he attempts to flee, the apparition hisses words in a dark, bygone tongue, as a similar figure appears behind the rest of you, essentially trapping you between them. You hear the cracking and grinding of stone from the perimeter as the six statues begin to come to life, a fell form possessing them, occasionally visible as they come to life, as if some evil spirit possesses them. As the rain begins to fall and the possessed statues stir, the fallen kings keep speaking in tongues, beginning to hover above you menacingly. Neridah nervously draws her sword, and Kothbiro grits her teeth and readies herself for a fight. "We should've gone down…"
No.732042
>>732041Shoulda gone down. Never woulda guessed. Focusing on the statue at the exit, I grit my teeth, tighten my hold on my axe, and look for anything to strike at.
[1d10]Marked for death
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.732043
>>732041Kalidan scrunches his nose at the squeal his flute makes and puts it away, resolving to work on that later.
Suddenly realizing the predicament they find themselves in, he attempts to fade away from the group into the darkness of the night, hoping to avoid being seen by the undead horrors approaching.
Stealth [1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.732044
>>732041Hearing the cracking and thumping up above of creatures other than the party, Noghu positions themselves behind via tunneling.
[1d10+3]
Roll #1 2 + 3 = 5 No.732045
>>732041Sunbeam stands between the other statues, buying time for the rest to take out the first two.
"They will go no further." Sunbeam says, bracing herself.
No.732046
>>732041The ferryman swipes at the ghost blocking our exit with a mindless fury!
[1d10] Melee
"I will take rain over thiss messs! Quickly, before the sstatues arrive!
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.732047
>>732042The statues are solid stone, but they are old. Perhaps some powerful strikes would break them. You consider this as you keep an eye on the leftmost statue as it approaches, watching it carefully.
>Left statue is marked>>732043You back away and slip into the darkness, unseen by the undead, for now.
>>732044You dig a bit further down and below one of the statues, though it's hard to say which from your perspective.
>>732046The Boatman swipes, but nothing happens to the ghostly king, a twisted reflection of the regal statues you saw earlier. Mocking, bone-chilling laughter issues from it, reverberating around the accursed watchtower.
>>732046>>732045>>732044>>732043>>732042The statues shamble towards you inexorably, twitching unsettlingly as they walk, like a marionette dancing on unseen strings. With stone blades in hoof, they are upon you quickly.
The leftmost statue lunges at Thungr!
[1d10+1]
The rightmost statue swings wildly at Kothbiro and Vajra!
[1d10] Cleave
Neridah tries to hide!
[1d10+2] Stealth
Kothbiro grits her teeth and swings her axe at the right statue!
[1d10]
>pausingRoll #1 4 + 1 = 5 /
Roll #2 10 = 10 /
Roll #3 5 + 2 = 7 /
Roll #4 4 = 4 No.732863
I let out a quiet, annoyed grumble. Ain't no use smackin it with my axe or spear and busting em up. Don't suppose they look mighty stable. Maybe I can just- I hook my axe into my pack frame, take a deep breath, get a little low, and rush it as it lunges at me. I bellow as I try to wrap my arms around one of the statue's legs to tip it over.
[1d10] Autocrit. Judo slam this two ton statue.
Roll #1 3 = 3
No.732864
>>732047>Combat begin, forced destealthSpringing up from his hole, Noghu strikes the statue he was below with the base of his greatspear with stone shattering strength, using that time to see who's most in danger and tossing a bolas at the feet of the rightmost statue.
>Lucky DogShatter, ??? Statue
[1d10+1] Crit DC -2, DC -1
Bolas, Rightmost Statue
[1d10+1] Crit DC -2, DC -1
Roll #1 8 + 1 = 9 /
Roll #2 7 + 1 = 8 No.732865
>>732047Kalidan slips out of notice just behind the group of 7 awful undead living statues. He turns as if to slink away, sighs silently to himself with a visible slump, and turns back to help his allies. He has ample time to consider his move as the lumbering statues begin closing in on his companions. His tail swishes ever so slightly back and forth, his pupils saucers.
From the darkness he baps at the feetsies of the closest four of the moving statues in one frenzied motion. He targets the back 3 and the one which has swung at Kothbiro and Vajra.
>Dual Wield, Cleave Feetsies Bapping [2d10] autocrit, critfail +4
Roll #1 9, 6 = 15 No.732866
>>732047As the statues rush towards the party, the boatman lets out an airy hiss as it swipes it's broad clawed hand at the rightmost statue!
[1d10] Melee
with her minion swinging, the sorceress intones a spell of summoning into the ground, bandages drifting into the soil!
"Sspiritss trapped 'neath tower sslumber, i call to me to sstatue ssunder!
Reaper!"
[1d10] Raise ancient
Roll #1 7 = 7 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 No.732867
>>732047Sunbeam dashes between Vajra and the statue attacking her, trying to draw their ire away from her as she casts.
"I have you, scalekin."
She says, raising her forearm ready to intercept.
No.732868
>>732863The possessed statue meets you head on, swinging its foreleg in a backhand swing. Seeing the blow coming, you feint and minimize the impact. The solid stone blow still smarts, but it could have been much worse.
>Thungr takes 3 hits>>732864You burrow upwards rapidly, lashing out at the statue attacking Thungr with a mighty blow. The two ton statue is knocked off balance, solid rock splintering in every direction from the force of the blow. Colorless wisps begin to pour from the impact zone. A weak point revealed, perhaps. It teeters unsteadily in place, trying to regain its balance.
You follow up with a bolas, interrupting the second statue, knocking it off balance. Wrapped in thick rope from your attack, the statue is tripped, collapsing to the floor with a resounding crash.
>>732865As Noghu brings them down, you follow up with a powerful flurry of blows, taking advantage of the weakened state of the first two statues.
>>732866As the statue is downed, the Boatman charges forward at your command, clawing at it and carving away at the ancient stone.
You sense many corpses beneath your feet, but none of them seem to hearken to your call, for now.
>>732867You rush to Vajra's side, ready to take a blow, but no such blow lands. Noghu seems to have saved your hides again.
>>732867>>732866>>732865>>732864>>732863As one of the possessed statues falls, Kalidan's flurry of blows seem to work; a fell, wispy presence departs the animated stone, and a mindless, eldritch scream echoes through the night, raising the hairs on the back of your necks. It becomes, becoming little more than an ordinary broken statue.
The second statue tries to get back up!
[1d10]
The fallen kings let out an eerie, echoing snarl, raising an accusing foreleg and pointing at you. A nameless, creeping dread crawls up your spines, gripping you with ineffable fear.
>roll to resist Fear effectTwo more of the statues start coming into view. One swings a flanged mace at Sunbeam!
[1d10+1]
The other attacks Kalidan with a greataxe!
[1d10+1]
Kothbiro swings at the statue trying to right itself!
[1d10]
Neridah draws her greatsword and lunges at the statue attacking Kalidan!
[1d10] Autocrit
Roll #1 3 = 3 /
Roll #2 3 + 1 = 4 /
Roll #3 9 + 1 = 10 /
Roll #4 3 = 3 /
Roll #5 10 = 10 No.732869
>>732868>Wild Hunt: passive; After rendering a foe helpless, the Wildguard's first action next turn becomes Automatic. Rendering an enemy helpless with this automatic action does not activate WIld Hunt again.Emboldened by his success, Noghu shows now fear at the creature's scream, barking back at the statue that's still downed.
>Automatic Instant Fear Save due to Wild HuntWord of Power on Helpless Statue
>Word of Power: Use a mix of authority and your own personal methods to extract information from a target that you would not normally get from basic means. In combat you can force an enemy to miss their next attack. On Crit you render the target helpless.[1d10+1]
Roll #1 7 + 1 = 8 No.732870
>>732868A chill runs through my whole body, and my vision flashes red for a moment as the scream tears through me. Nope. Nope. Nuh-uh. Ain't gonna stick around to fight no gol-dern screamin spooks. I pull one of my three remaining javelins off my back, heft it to center, and back toward the door. On my way, I take aim and throw the javelin at the statue attacking the cat.
[1d10]How spooked am I?
[1d10]Marksman shot
Roll #1 3 = 3 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 No.732871
>>732868Sunbeam is ready for the attack and catches the mace in her claw, bearing the damage and pulling it down to the ground as that claw begins to glow with sunlight.
"You are not meant to be as you are."
Wrath targeting the statue [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.732872
Kalidan sees the greataxe flying at him and throws himself backward from the statue.
Limber [1d10]
"Oh sorry, were you trying to axe me a question?" he quips. Wincing, he prepares himself for an incoming blow in retribution for his stupid joke.
Counter
Roll #1 2 = 2
No.732873
>>732871(Calm until Provoked Autocrit and +2)
No.732874
>>732868As the first statue shatters into screaming spirits, the ferryman fixes it's eyeless sockets on the other, struggling statue, clawing away the rough stone with inequine vigor!
[1d10] melee, second statue
Failing to coax out an ancient, Vajra refocuses her magic to dredge up a more specific target.
"Ancient ssoldierss of bow and quiver, i call to armss! An archer deliver!"
[1d10] Summon esper: Marksman shot
Her heart grows cold as a silent dread reaches her. The sorceress makes an effort to focus on her casting, to push back the growing panic.
[1d10] Resist
Roll #1 1 = 1 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 /
Roll #3 8 = 8 No.732876
Spooky? [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9
No.732877
>>732868Resist Fear
[1d10+2]
Roll #1 5 + 2 = 7 No.732878
>>732869You shake off the feeling of dread, barking and snarling at your unearthly foe. Somehow, it seems intimidated by your adversity.
>>732869Your javelin misses. An unearthly chill shoots through your body, gnawing at your heart and holding your limbs in a death grip.
>-1 to all rolls next turn>>732874You manage to power through the lurking fear, but no esper avails your calls for help. The statue lashes out with its sword as it struggles, severing the Boatman's hand at the wrist!
>Boatman takes 5 hits, now at 5/1>>732872>>732876You steel yourself and try to dodge the incoming attack, but take a terrible blow to the chest. The axe cleaves you at the shoulder downward, leaving a terrible, gaping wound. By some mercy, it is a mere flesh wound, albeit grievous. The blow knocks you to the floor, slumping against the wall.
>Kalidan takes 5 hits, helpless>>732871>>732877You are filled with determination as you stop the swing, searing the statue with light. It recoils and takes a panic swing, knocking you off balance with a powerful crunch.
>Sunbeam takes 3 hits>>732869>>732870>>732871>>732872>>732874The axe-wielding statue is poised to finish off Kalidan, only to be slammed and thrown off balance and to the ground by Neridah, who exploits a crack in the ancient rock to drive her blade into it. It is weakened, but not downed just yet.
It and the sword-wielding statue try to recover again!
[2d10]
The mace-wielding statue takes another swing at Sunbeam!
[1d10+1]
The remaining two statues start coming into view!
Neridah plunges her sword deeper into the axe statue!
[1d10]
Kothbiro takes a blow, but shakes it off and swings at the mace statue!
[1d10]
The fallen kings raise both forelegs, draining any semblance of light from the area!
>DC-2 to all rolls>roll Perception with your next post to negate this, instantRoll #1 10, 2 = 12 /
Roll #2 2 + 1 = 3 /
Roll #3 5 = 5 /
Roll #4 4 = 4 No.732879
>>732878I squeeze my eyes shut as the fear takes hold, trying my best to will my heartrate to slow. Hard as I try, it don't do nothin. Just leave, I tell myself. Ain't your fault they ain't tryin'a run. I grit my teeth as my vision flashes red again, and I shake my head.
Turning away from the battle, I rush to and out the door like a damn coward.
No.732880
>>732878Spotting the final two statues on their way, the sorceress faces to them, searching for their path through the dark as the light is drained away.
[1d10] Perception
To halt their advance, the sorceress calls once again to the dead, more bandages fluttering into the tower's base.
"Ssoulss passt, now, to me! A wall to ssplit the sstatuess 'tween!"
"Risse,
Bone Cage!"
[1d10] raise ancient
The Ferryman continues its scraping, oblivious to the missing claw and it strikes the stone!
[1d10] Melee
Roll #1 10 = 10 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 /
Roll #3 1 = 1 No.732881
>>732878Noticing Noghu's discomfort Sunbeam attempts to ease him. Sunlight travels from her claw to Noghu.
[1d10] Purify
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.732882
>>732878[1d10+1] DC+2 perception
Despite having had past success, Noghu's strikes becomes more cautious as the light dims, making sure not to accidently get hit while attacking the mace statue.
>Restrained Strike: weapon; Stab at an enemy with an aimed strike that doesn’t leave you exposed. This attack doesn’t cause counterattack damage, but can only deal 3 hits at max.[1d10+1] DC+1 (DC+2 and DC-1)
Roll #1 5 + 1 = 6 /
Roll #2 10 + 1 = 11 No.732883
>>732878Kalidan falls, more in shock at his wound than the pain of it, which doesn't set in for just a moment as he looks in disbelief at his beautiful black coat split down the front. Not to mention his actual shoulder.
Oh. There's the pain. "Ow," he remarks, as a searing agony strikes him all at once, a punch in the kisser to a kisser who's already on his back. The pain gives him some strength and he whips his body up immediately on to all fours, his tail raised threateningly.
Escape Artist (recover) Automatic
In the sudden darkness, his blackhole eyes soak up any traces of movement.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.732884
>>732881[1d10] Perception DC-1
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.732885
>>732879You back off and make a break for it, heading back towards the great stone bridge. You feel the fallen kings gazing at you as you do, and low, spine-tingling laughter rings through the night sky, mocking you as you turn tail and flee.
>>732880You strain your eyes, managing to see through the infernal blackness. You manage to pierce through it after a moment of adjusting.
The Boatman is run through by the sword statue, then decapitated in a single stroke. It bursts apart into individual bones, scattering wildly across the rocky ground.
The bandages flutter, and the ground quakes as skeletons begin to claw from their graves, each grabbing the other, converging on the one spot. They form an impassable lattice of bones, blocking in the statues, impeding their progress.
>>732881The minotaur seems to be gone before you can cast anything on him.
>>732882With a cautious jab, you join Kothbiro in downing the mace statue, dealing some damage to it. Not enough to bring it down, but a significant blow nonetheless.
>>732883You get back up, still dazed from the powerful blow.
>>732883>>732882>>732884You fail to see through the encroaching darkness, unable to tell friend from foe.
>>732879>>732880>>732881>>732882>>732883Both downed statues get back up, and all three of them start trying to bring down the Bone Cage, along with the two other statues that have arrived![5d10]
One of the fallen kings turns to the one statue that has fallen and drifts towards it, evidently meaning to possess it himself!The other fallen king begins to reach towards the party, gripping them with dread once more!>roll Fear save again, as well as Perception if you didn't pass the first time, both instantKothbiro starts trying to get away, panicking in the sudden dark![1d10]
Neridah tries to slip away![1d10+2]
Roll #1 5, 7, 5, 7, 3 = 27 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 /
Roll #3 9 + 2 = 11 No.732886
>>732885Not wanting to stick around in darkness much longer, Noghu burrows away from combat for the time being.
[1d10+1] DC+2 perception
[1d10+1] thing that's supposed to be secret
[1d10+1] Burrowing
Roll #1 2 + 1 = 3 /
Roll #2 9 + 1 = 10 /
Roll #3 4 + 1 = 5 No.732887
>>732885As darkness shrouds the area around her, Sunbeam retreats away from where she thinks her statue opponent was.
As she retreats, she prepares herself for the worst, while hopefully making a little light to see by.
Chromatic Scales (Automatic)
No.732888
>>732885I don't stop at the bridge, instead opting to get as far as I can for now. Maybe take up beyond the treeline. The canopy seemed pretty dense. Maybe I can weather the storm there. The other idjits can keep fighting if they want. Don't got nothin to do with me.
No.732889
>>732885Despite his feline senses being finely tunes to the darkness, and his completely fine eyesight, the cat finds it hard to make out anything in the inky blackness of the magically dark night. His whiskers quiver in the air, trying to pick up any sensory data in absence of his trusty vision.
Perception [1d10]
He slips into the darkness like a trout into a pool, without a splash and immediately moving, in his element.
Stealth [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 No.732890
>>732885"A cursse on thesse sstatuess! I have them bussy, we musst flee while we sstill can!"
Able to see through the darkness, the sorceress makes her escape, attempting to direct the others to follow by the sound of her voice.
[1d10] escape!
Another spike of fear plagues the sorceress! She focuses on the task at claw, fleeing with the others in tow!
[1d10] resist
The skeleton lattice attempts to slow the statues down, grabbing their weapons with bony limbs and scratching at their stony hide!
[1d10] Block
Roll #1 8 = 8 /
Roll #2 6 = 6 /
Roll #3 1 = 1 No.732891
>>732890The poor cat is too confused and stupid to do anything but follow the sound of the snake lady. He tries to orient himself to the sound.
No.732892
>>732885Kalidan finds himself shivering and tries to steel his resolve.
Spooked [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.732893
>>732887[1d10] Perception DC-1
[1d10] Fear save DC-1
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 No.732894
>>732886Another wave of fear grips you, but you ignore it and start trying to dig. It's hard to do so in the dark, however, and you just hit solid rock.
>>732888You start heading back over the bridge towards the distant trees. As you do so, the first drops of rain start hitting you, ignoreable for now, but bound to become an issue later. You can see the great tree under which the scorpion dwells, and just past the treeline is a view of the valley you spotted earlier.
>>732889You slip away as best you can, but you're fairly sure they can still sense you.
>>732890You watch as they manage to break through the bone cage, marching towards your group inexorably, pushing through it with ease.
>>732893>>732892You fail to see anything through the darkness. A nameless fear grips you, and despite yourself, you find your actions slowing.
>-1 to all rolls next turn>>732886>>732887>>732888>>732889>>732890The king's spirit distorts and flickers, turning into a formless cloud as it seeps into the statue, animating it once again!The bone cage falls, and the statues start pushing through to get to you![6d10]
Kothbiro trips in the dark, falling to the ground. She struggles to get back up and run for it![1d10]
Neridah disappears into the shadows completely!
>roll Perception if you haven't yet passed the rollRoll #1 7, 7, 3, 5, 3, 6 = 31 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 No.732895
>>732894Right. Scorpions. Forgot about those in all the commotion. I turn and head back down the path into the valley.
No.732896
>>732894Sunbeam falters, falling to her knees, desperate to see anything through the darkness. She attempts to call out to her friends but chokes on her own words.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.732897
>>732894Kalidan
follows the sybillant voice of the serpect on instict, friendly kitty not thinking too hard about the impications of being saved by what could another day be his dinner. He wrankles at the thought .
Once outside combat, he cracks his knuckles. "I coulda taken them," he explains.
No.732898
>>732894Despite not being afraid, Noghu still scurries with his tail tucked between his legs, disliking the magic at play.
[1d10+1] percep
[1d10+1] dig
Roll #1 6 + 1 = 7 /
Roll #2 10 + 1 = 11 No.732899
>>732894The skeletal lattice, split apart as a number of the statues push past the grasping claws and hooves, try to direct themselves back into a secure shape, trapping the few remaining within!
[1d10] recover
>>732894The sorceress manages to escape the wild tower, falling back further down the bridge with Kalidan.
"yet more curssed sstatuess plaguing me! I will fobid their consstruction when i rule thiss land." she mutters, glowering at the shrouded tower.
>>732897"Their magic provess a greater threat." points out the sorceress "While thosse sspirits remain, they would make fighting the sstatuess impractical."
"Have more of uss esscaped?"
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.732900
>>732895You start heading down towards the distant trees. As you progress though, it becomes harder and harder to walk down; the slope becomes rapidly steeper, until you're essentially trying to walk down a cliffside. The lack of light and the rapidly strengthening rain doesn't help either.
>>732896You can hear the others nearby, but can't see where they are. You follow their voices, and start encroaching on their position steadily.
>>732897"As if," says Neridah. She seems to have appeared out of nowhere, as is her way. You can't see her, but she can evidently see you. "Looks like the zeeb's in a bit of a pickle. Maybe we should let the have their way, then come back and grab the bauble. Eh?"
>>732898Following the muffled sounds of the others' voices, you dig blindly through the soil towards them, until you're fairly certain you're near their position.
>>732899>>732899The bone cage reconstitutes, sealing half of them away for the time being. Looking back, you can see Neridah having popped out of nowhere to reconvene with the rest of you, as well as Sunbeam struggling to make her way towards you. Kothbiro has the worst of it, being menaced by the other three as she struggles blindly, swinging her axe at thin air.The three that are stuck behind the wall try to bring it down, while the other three encroach on Kothbiro's position![3d10]
vs Bone CageRoll #1 10, 4, 4 = 18 No.732901
>>732900"Dern it," I mumble, trying to keep my hoofing on the cliffside. Don't matter. This is better than dealin with them ghosts. I'll get down there, find a clearin, and just set up a lean to with my blanket. Won't be much account, and it'll get cold, but it'll be dry and I won't end up possessed, cursed, or any other nonsense.
[1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.732902
>>732900with a hissing sigh, Vajra makes an attempt to summon another undead, bandages drifting into the bridge's stone.
"On swift claws i call to me, a soul to aid, to ally free."
[1d10] Raise dead
>>732897>>732900"Her alliess are important, and sskilled ass i am i cannot return a ssoul to a form. ssave her and her masster's debt will prove valuable."
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.732903
>>732900Hearing the devious act of the cat, Noghu goes to tunnel back to seek out the zebra, intent on dragging her to safety, conscious or not.
[1d10+3] technically out of combat so get the +2, tunneling to object that feels/sounds most like a horse.
Roll #1 1 + 3 = 4 No.732904
>>732900Sunbeams fear subsides as she stumbles towards the voices of her companions. Her vulnerability weighs on her conscious as she wordlessly approaches, not sure what to think of herself or the situation as a whole.
No.732905
>>732901The dark and the rain take their toll, and you lose your footing on a loose rock. Before you know it, you're tumbling down the side, painfully slamming against rocks, trees, and anything else that happens to be in the way. You are brought to an abrupt and painful halt by a bramble bush. You can feel blood trickling down from your nose, and your ears are ringing from the blow. It hurts to move, even to breathe. You might also have a fracture somewhere. It's hard to tell. You've never craved a warm bed as much as now.
>Thungr loses 1 wound>>732902The bandages seep into the bridge and disappear. For a moment, nothing happens; then, from a small patch of trees on your end of the bridge, you hear a loud disturbance. Slowly and dutifully, the weathered skeleton of an ancient enormous she-bear lumbers out from the undergrowth, ready to serve.
>She-Bear: 10/1>Racials:>Animal: passive; Even the smartest Bear is still just an animal. They cannot communicate with words to the other sentient races, but they can make general gestures to get their point across. Being an animal though allows them to speak to other fauna they may meet.
>Bear Hug: passive; Bear hugs are the strongest grip known to ponykind. Your arms are like a vice-grip, anything you grab, unless it’s bigger than you, has no chance of escaping. You also lift, carry and move heavier objects than most other races.
>Massive Claws: Recharge 2; Bears can toss their weight around, but they can toss around everything else better. You can roll to knock a stationary object, something that is held, or a being reasonably smaller than yourself a sizable distance away. If used to disarm, the object is knocked far enough away that it cannot be retrieved in one turn.>>732903You try to burrow back, but when you pop your head out you find nothing but darkness. You have absolutely no idea where you ended up.
>>732904You follow their voices, finding Neridah, Vajra and Kalidan. Thungr and Kothbiro are conspicuously absent, as is Noghu, but you can never rely on him to be around anyway.
>pausing, will reply separately to Kalidan when he posts No.732979
>>732900Kalidan takes obvious offense at her insinuation. "Of course I would never… What do you take me for?" He squints at where he thinks her voice is coming from, and then his eyes dart to the side. "On the other hand, I'm not much for fighting. You think they're gonna win? I can't see for dung in this."
>>732902Seeing his chance, Kalidan chimes in. "I agree. Let's save Kothbiro." Or at least her pack, he doesn't add. He licks his paw and slicks his hair back, ears satellites, eyes giant pools. The cat tries to find his bearings, orienting himself towards the ongoing battle.
Perception [1d10]
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 No.733251
>>732979"Really? I can. Doesn't look good either. I'd say she's about ready to join the other corpses back there. Shiny rock included."
You stumble in the dark, still completely lost. You feel a sudden hand on your shoulder grabbing you rather painfully. Neridah's. "Hey. I can get wanting to run but jumping off the bridge isn't exactly the best idea. …"
This seems to have turned a light bulb on in her head. "Hm… If we want to stay and fight, what if we were to lure the statues out here? They're big, but they're pretty unwieldy. Maybe if we got them to slip…"
No.733252
>>732905Noghu doesn't give up hope, driven by the want to show the zebra how dependent she was to him yet again. He keeps burrowing, burrowing in search of a zebra-weight pressure on the surface.
[1d10+1] Perception/Burrowing
Roll #1 9 + 1 = 10 No.733253
>>732905For a long moment I stare up at the sky, watching the rain fall on my face as I try to catch my breath. Every last bit'a me aches. Mighta broke somethin. Least I'm away from those damn ghosts. I close my eyes and lie there as my breath comes back to me. More and more it feels like I shoulda just gone back to my cabin. When I actually feel like I can stand, I slowly pull myself to my hooves and check on my fish.
No.733254
>>732905Nodding satisfactorily at the sight of the bear plodding into view, the sorceress issues a silent command to retrieve Kothbiro, the bones charging forward with a clatter.
[1d10] Grab and run
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.733255
>>732905As Sunbeam joins the others, she silently counts them.
"We are missing some."
She turns to charge back into the darkness, then falls to a knee and winces.
"Ah, but I am hurt, I hope the others can find their way out."
No.733256
>>733255"I have ssent a minion to retrieve Kothbiro, and Kalidan iss..making an effort to asssist. Sshe will rejoin us momentarily."
No.733257
>>733251Kalidan blinks his blind eyes at her suggestion. "That's… a pretty good idea, actually. How do we go about doing that without breaking our own necks in the process?" He tries once more to sense anything through the thick shroud of darkness.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.733258
>>733252After a bit of sniffing around, you manage to reorient yourself, digging right under where Kothbiro is. You can hear something else aside from the possessed statues, some sort of giant creature. Presumably one of Vajra's servants. You don't waste much time in digging upwards before anything can happen to her. She falls promptly into your tunnel, gracefully faceplanting next to you. "What in the… Where am I?!"
>>733253You take a minute to convalesce, checking on your food supplies as you do so. Of the five fish you managed to catch, one is completely ruined, while another is somewhat flattened, but still mostly edible. The other three are in good shape.
You can hear something moving around in the undergrowth, just out of sight. Some feral beast, perhaps, or worse.
>>733254The she-bear charges forward towards Kothbiro, making the murderous spirits pause and turn to face it. The sudden distraction buys time enough for Kothbiro to suddenly vanish into a tiny sinkhole. Presumably Noghu's doing.
>>733255Neridah looks you over with a frown. "Just flesh wounds. You'll be fine. I thought someone like you would be used to taking a bit of a drubbing." She rummages before pulling out a small pouch of medicinal herbs. "Here. Rub these in if you're that worried. It'll help with the aches, and infection."
>>733257"Lure 'em out. We'd need a distraction for them to follow. Something big…"
As your eyes slowly begin to adjust to the gloom, you see Vajra's newly summoned she-bear charging in, beginning to cause mayhem among the statues as it faces them down. Neridah shrugs. "Suppose that'd do it."
No.733259
>>733258I scrape the fish paste off of my back and flick it to the ground. I grumble, but at least most of em came out well enough. About all I can ask for. At the sound of movement I pull out my spear, hold it tight in both hands, and wait. Can't get one second of peace.
No.733260
>>733258"
Fool. Crawl, you follow."
Noghu says quietly, tunneling a small circle so the two don't have to crawl backwards, and returning through the same way he already tunneled.
"
Three time now."
No.733261
>>733258"The wounds are further than my scales, but your kindness, I appreciate."
She takes the pouch.
As she does, Sunbeam notices the she-bear coming in.
"Vajra does not even suprise me anymore with these things." She sighs.
No.733262
>>733258The bear, it's original target missing, turns it's attention to the menacing statues, swiping at the nearest one to send it flying!
[1d10] massive claws
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.733263
>>733256>>733255>>733258Kalidan squints against the darkness, trying to make out meaning to the shifting shadows.
"Well, ladies, should we try to set up a trap? I have…" he rummages around in his pack. "Some rope… and some firestarter. Other than that, not too much that would help us. Welp," he sits back on his haunches. "Any ideas?"
>>733262"How long will that big… thing… of yours last?"
No.733264
>>733259You see its eyes long before the rest of it; a pair of glittering yellow pinpoints in the bushes. Approaching you leisurely is a lone wolf - or at least, something with a wolf's semblance. It is huge, coming up to your chest, with coarse, matted fur in stripes of brown and sickly yellow. It opens its mouth slightly, and you catch a glimpse of several rows of teeth like a shark, with a vibrant crimson interior. This creature, whatever it is, is not immediately hostile, however. It approaches you curiously, attracted by your scent, sniffing you out.
>>733260Kothbiro winces from her injuries, but follows, crawling behind you and following you out. "I count two," she gripes.
>>733261"Yeah, well, you're no good to anyone dead," she shrugs.
You apply the herbs to your wounds. While the effect is not immediate, they do seem to have some soothing, healing properies, as the dull pain of your wounds subsides. It stings at first to apply them, but it quickly passes, and you pack your injuries with them. You feel a bit better already.
>Sunbeam recovers all hits>>733262The she-bear knocks one of the statues away, sending it stumbling. One foreleg crumbles and falls off of it in the process.
The statues begin to cluster a bit more defensively. It's like they're trying to protect the watchtower, instead of just blindly attacking anything that moves. The fallen king that hasn't taken a statue himself watches from above as they move into formation.
Two of the five standing statues poke at the she-bear with spears!
[2d10]
The statue that got hurled away tries to get up!
[1d10]
Neridah looks on with interest. "What do you suppose they're guarding? Other than their graves. Think it's worth it to keep dancing with these guys?"
>>733263Neridah crosses her arms. "I'd say it's just a matter of luring them near the edge, then finding some way to push them backwards. Don't think those tools of yours would be much help. If we had time, I'd set up a swinging log trap." She looks around. "Say. Where'd the big guy go? Don't tell me he chickened out…"
Roll #1 3, 1 = 4 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 No.733265
>>733264I tense at the sight of the wolf, and ease up a little as it doesn't immediately attack. H'm. Ain't used to animals not attackin me on sight. After a second of silence I reach around, pull off the flat fish, and toss it to it.
No.733266
>>733263"It will lasst for a time. The boness are ssturdy, but there are many sstatuess sstanding."
"If the dog hass ssaved Kothbiro, we sshould be off. I have little interesst in fighting thesse sstatues for a roof over our head. We would be better off ssleeping outsside at thiss rate." adds the sorceress, grumbling as she trails off.
The bear, knocking away one of the statues and swatting at a second, withdraws from the battle, sensing it's master's intent.
[1d10] Withdraw
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.733267
>>733264"More than you." Noghu snickers, leading her out of the range of the magical darkness.
No.733268
>>733264>>733266"I'm with slithers," Kalidan says, beginning to groom his tail, flattening the fur back down where it had been recently poofed.
"Not gonna poke my whiskers into there unless there's some awfully rich loot to be had. And even then, there's gotta be another way in. Those statues pack a wallop. Did you see the size of that axe?" He pokes tenderly at his wounded shoulder, wincing.
No.733269
>>733264"We do not need to fight them. They are not alive. They will not die. What is the point in fighting something so unnatural?"
"It would be best if we simply left."
No.733270
>>733268"'Sslitherss'?" replies Vajra, glowering at the felid as she rattles her tail.
No.733271
>>733265It doesn't seem interested in the fish at all, not even sparing it a glance. Its gaze is fixed on you, coming within a hand's breadth of you. It begins to sniff at you, prodding you gently, as if trying to determine how strong - or weak - you are. There is something singularly uninviting and sinister about the way it looks at you, a malign intelligence behind its cold yellow eyes. These ancient lands are rife with all sorts of witchcraft, from what you've seen so far, and this creature is no exception.
>>733266The she-bear shatters one of the stone spears with a powerful blow before retreating, trudging leisurely to your side and bowing its massive head.
>>733267She gives you a narrow eyed stare, her pride wounded. She reluctantly follows you back through, coming to where Vajra and the others are, near the bridge. Thungr is unaccounted for.
>>733268"Oh don't be such a baby," Neridah chides. "You've fought bigger." She sheathes her greatsword to make a point. She pauses briefly to examine your wounds before passing you the pouch of herbs and a water canteen. "Here. Won't help much, but you should at least clean that gash. Last thing we need is you getting sick and dying on us."
>>733269>>733266Neridah nods in agreement. "Hear hear. I don't fancy dying to a bunch of spooks. Maybe we should go and see if we can't find whatshisname. The big guy."
No.733272
>>733270He smirks at the necromancer. "Alright, 'rattles' then." He sticks his tongue out, then continues grooming.
No.733273
>>733271The cat takes the pouch of herbs, sprinkling them on his bloody fur and rubbing them in with a pained expression, then washes the wound with the water from her canteen. He is now wet but the wounds help with the pain. "Ugh. I hate being wet." He looks ruefully up at the rainy sky.
"Whatever we do, let's grab some cover. Can't we just set up shop under the bridge or something?" He leans out over the edge to take a peek, searching for any kind of suitable dry spot they could hunker down for the night.
Perception [1d10]
As the others arrive, he nods to Noghu and smiles at Kothbiro. "Looks like we all made it." His eyes linger on her pack for just a moment before he realizes. "Oh yeah, except Thungr, I guess. Didn't he run away when the statues starting kicking our butts?"
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.733274
>>733271"What wounds have?" Noghu says, looking the zebra over. Despite the gruff expression he still holds, he still spends time to look over the zebra's body, "Can carry."
No.733275
>>733271I let out a long, low breath, and my eyes widen. I stare down at it and drop my spear, pulling my axe off my back. "You ain't done me no wrong, but if you make me fight," I say, opening my hand near its head. "I'll kill ya and wear ya like a goldern coat."
[1d10]Intimidation if that's the needed roll.
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.733276
>>733275"If I don't eat ya first," I add.
No.733277
>>733271"Hmm.. in the sstruggle he appearss to have wandered off."
drawing herself further upright, Vajra tastes the air around them, searching for Thungr's scent.
[1d10] Perception, DC-2 (detect life)
>>733272halting her tail rattling, the sorceress resolves herself to glaring at you, before turning her attention to finding Thungr, clearly annoyed.
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.733278
>>733271"We go then."
>>733273"Rain does not upset me, it reminds me of home. I take it it does not rain often in your homeland. But I agree, we should settle for the night."
Sunbeam also searches for a good spot to camp.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.733279
>>733273The herbs only really help with the pain. It's unlikely this injury will heal on its own any time soon.
>>733274You rejoin the rest of the group. Kothbiro takes a few steps away and shakes off the dirt like a dog. "I'm fine," she says begrudgingly. "Just got stuck by one of them is all. I can deal with it. …Thanks."
>>733275The wolf, or whatever this is, doesn't seem very intimidated. Its strangely colored fur bristles as it lets out a low, guttural snarl. You get a good look at the vibrant crimson interior of its mouth, with broad, triangular teeth in several rows, and a thick forked tongue, black as tar. For a moment, you think it's going to leap at you; then, it throws its head back and lets out a low, mournful howl, ending in sharp raspy sounds, almost like hollow, mocking laughter. It doesn't take its eyes off you as it retreats into the undergrowth, vanishing into the night all of a sudden. You hear a chorus of howls in the distance, answering its call, but nothing more happens. You are left with a faint feeling of dread after the unsettling encounter.
>>733273>>733278>>733277>>733274Noghu burrows upwards with a grubby, battle-worn Kothbiro.
You are currently standing at about shoulder height for the two massive statues of the fallen kings you encountered. Looking down, it's a solid 80 foot drop till you hit rushing water, followed by the waterfall. There don't seem to be any banks either. Overall, not a viable option unless you have wings.
Following Vajra's senses, Thungr's scent leads you in the direction of a steep but not unmanageable cliff, leading downwards into the valley you spotted earlier. It will not be easy to make your way down, less so because of the rapidly intensifying rain. Neridah frowns and folds her ears back as she starts to get soaked. "Wish there were some sort of portable shelter against the rain," she grumbles.
You hear the faint sound of howling wolves in the distance.
No.733280
>>733279"Is call hole." Noghu says, pointing to the hole they just came out of.
No.733281
>>733279"Ah, sso Thungr fled down thiss cliff face? Sstrange, but perhapss he could ssee a way down we cannot."
With some struggle, Vajra positions herself to make the climb downwards to the valley below, the bear following behind in it's clumsy way.
[1d10] Navigation
[1d10] minion nav
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 6 = 6 No.733282
>>733279Sunbeam perks up to the noises of the wolves.
"Oh! I have heard these spirits before. They are your spirits of the moon, yes? I have been hearing them when the moon is full. Though I have not seen one myself. What are they like? Can you even see them?"
No.733283
>>733279A chill runs through my entire body as the howl shakes me to the bone. I close my eyes, breathe, and shake my head. Shoulda just kilt it right there. Picking my spear up, I limp into the woods to look for a clear area to build a nice, big fire and put together a shelter.
[1d10+2] DC 4 fire
[1d10+2]DC 4 shelter (If you want both rolls on the same post)
Roll #1 9 + 2 = 11 /
Roll #2 4 + 2 = 6 No.733284
>>733282[1d10] Navigation
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.733285
>>733282"They are not native to the ssandss of Abyssinia, but yess you can ssee them."
"Night iss falling, ssomething that bringss them out to hunt."
No.733286
>>733279Kalidan eyes the cliff face dubiously. "Big guy climbed down that? No way. He had to have found another path. Especially in the rain." He begins searching out said alternative path down the descent, certain it must exist.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.733287
[2d10] NPCs Nav
Roll #1 4, 2 = 6
No.733288
>>733280[1d10+1] nav
Roll #1 3 + 1 = 4 No.733289
>>733280Neridah raises an eyebrow. "Holes aren't portable."
>>733281You manage to slither down by pacing yourself and doing it a few inches at a time. You slip and nearly fall more than once, but overall manage to descend unscathed.
>>733282"They're not spirits. They're just wolves," says Kothbiro bluntly. "Wild dogs. You're not meant to talk to them, you just stay away and hope they don't decide you'd make a good meal."
>>733283You manage to find a clearing with more shelter from the rain; not nearly enough to shield you, but enough to be able to get some sort of fire going. You start gathering some scantling of dry kindling from nearby and light it ablaze. Before long, you have a small, merry little campfire going, the warm glow keeping the dark and cold at bay. Peace and quiet. For now.
>>733284You try to navigate the cliff, but your large frame makes it considerably more difficult for you. You slip on a loose rock and start staggering forward, almost running right into a dead tree. By digging your claws in, you manage to stop yourself from completely losing your balance.
>>733286"Maybe he fell," Neridah shrugs.
As for you, you find a longer but much less steep path downwards, winding around a ridge and to the bottom. You are forced to take a bit of a leap of faith at the end, as it's too sheer to climb down, but it's only about 3 feet, and you land nimbly on your feet.
>>733288You lose your footing as you descend the rocky incline, but you manage to stay in control of the situation by falling on your butt and riding it out to the bottom. You're a bit sore afterwards, but mostly unharmed.
>>733288>>733286>>733285>>733281Kothbiro slowly picks her way down, stumbling precariously several times before reaching the bottom in one piece, brushing herself off and cracking her neck. Neridah takes a few confident steps down before promptly tripping extremely ungracefully. She lies there for a moment, face buried in the dirt, then picks herself up and shakes violently, continuing her way down the cliff as if nothing had happened.
After a bit of traveling through the dense thicket, you spot a faint reddish glow through the trees. Someone's trying to get a fire going, evidently. You can hear running water, the gentle patter of rain on the leaves, and the rustling of small, unseen animals in the undergrowth.
No.733290
>>733289Noghu looks towards the fire up ahead, "Kill, take camp?"
No.733291
>>733289Sunbeam ungraciously slides her way down, her claws ripping up the ground as she does. When she reaches the bottom she gets up slowly, her eyes affixed on the glow in the distance."
>>733290"Depends on who they are."
She approaches slowly.
No.733292
>>733289Finally. I grab three long sticks from my kindling. After a quick guttin with my knife, I clean all the fish, includin the flat one I was gonna give that ornery wolf, skewer em, and stick the sticks in the ground above the fire to roast. Digging around in my pack, I pull out my large wool blanket and set up a makeshift lean-to, expecting the naturally water resistant wool to shed most of the rain making it through the trees. Ain't ideal by any stretch, but it oughter do'er.
Finally, I drop on a small log, pull out the last of my oats, and pour water into them.
[1d10+2] (If you need another survival roll)
Roll #1 10 + 2 = 12 No.733293
>>733289taking a moment to listen to the quiet of the rain and night, Vajra's stomach growls ominously, hearing the small animals scurry about.
"Ssearch the fire ahead, i will rejoin sshortly. There iss much to eat here, i will not be denied a meal again."
leaving the she-bear as protection for the group, the sorceress begins to slink along the ground, using her sense of smell to attempt an ambush of these small animals.
[1d10] Perception, DC-2 (detect life)
[1d10] Hunt
Roll #1 7 = 7 /
Roll #2 5 = 5 No.733294
>>733291>>733289Noghu nods, sneaking forward to see who's camping ahead.
[1d10+3] Skulk
Roll #1 2 + 3 = 5 No.733295
>>733289He raises an eyebrow as Neridah mentions holes not being portable, giving her an appraising look. "I don't know about you, but I always take a few holes everywhere I go," he chuckles.
"Wild dogs, eh? Sounds like bad news," he responds to Kothbiro as he eyes Noghu. "Better steer clear of them."
"Maybe he fell?" The cat begins to laugh imagining the giant manly minotaur running away from the spooks and accidentally tumbling down a cliff. "No way. Too goofy." He takes another look at the precarious edge, and sounds less sure as he utters, "Either way, I hope he's okay."
He makes his way down the cliffside without major incident, picking his way carefully in the darkness. As they approach the signs of a burgeoning fire, the cat slinks into the underbrush, trying to spy without being seen.
Sneak [1d10]
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 No.733296
>>733290"That's… a hefty assumption," Neridah says with visible concern.
>>733292As you start finally getting some peace and quiet, you hear some familiar voices, and footsteps from nearby. Seems like you just can't get rid of the others.
>>733293"Oh, good idea. Bit hungry myself." As soon as you look away, Neridah's gone without a trace.
You follow the scurrying sound, trying to track it to its source. Sure enough, you find a large brown rabbit foraging and rooting near the base of a tree. It freezes as you approach, staring you down apprehensively, ready to bolt at a moment's notice. The instant you move even a tiny bit more, it starts hopping away frantically, absconding into the undergrowth.
>roll to chase the rabbit if desired>>733294>>733291>>733295"I'll stay here while you look around," Kothbiro declares, and does just that.
You creep forward a bit. Seems it's just Thungr again, taking initiative and setting up camp for himself.
No.733297
>>733296>>733292Kalidan walks out of the underbrush. "Oh, hi! I see you made it down the cliffside path? You wouldn't believe they thought you fell down." He laughs while making himself cozy around the small fire, removing his pack and sitting on the ground.
He pulls out his flute, feeling safe, and begins to pipe a small tune to himself.
(The Song of My People) Kalidan plays a hand-made flute, inspiring allies. While not in combat, allies within hearing range receive +1 to all rolls.
Fireside Melody [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.733298
>>733296I pinch the bridge of my nose. I knew they'd show up again. Whole reason I cooked all four fish. Still hoped they wouldn't. "Y'all're some bad luck!" I yell out at'em without looking up. "Barely seen any ghosts'n ghoulies my whole goldern life, an I been with y'all for ain't even a week and seems like it's the only dern thing I run into." I shake my head and lean forward. Pulling the bear head back over my shaggy hair, I try to relax some.
>>733297I grumble and shoot the cat an annoyed look, but don't say anything. "Shut up and eat yer fish, cat."
No.733299
>>733296Narrowing her eyes, Vajra gives chase, pushing branches out of the way with her claws as she rapidly slithers through the undergrowth!
[1d10] Pursuit!
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.733300
>>733296Noghu sits down, not saying anything else. With the rain providing plenty of water, Noghu cleans his eel off again, placing it on the end of his spear and cooking it over the fire.
No.733301
>>733296"Best to leave them be I suppose."
Sunbeam sits by the fire with Noghu. She closes her eyes and tilts her head up as she basks in the warmth.
No.733302
>>733297You play a cute little melody for a bit, until Thungr tells you to shut up.
>>733298"What, don't tell me those ghosts back there spooked you," Neridah scoffs. She descends from a tree behind you carrying a freshly dead bird. "Didn't take you for the craven type."
>>733299You rush towards it, following the sound of its frantic rustling. With a lightning swift swipe of your claws, you manage to grab the squirming rabbit by the back legs. It struggles frantically and thrashes about, trying to escape.
>>733300You skewer the lengthy creature and start roasting it over the fire, turning it occasionally to get it cooked properly. "Looks good," Neridah comments, dropping a heavy hint. "You sure you can eat all that though? Be a shame to let it go to waste."
>>733301You just sit and enjoy the warmth of the crackling fire for a bit, getting pattered by the occasional raindrop. After everything you've been through today, it's good to finally get some respite.
>>733301>>733300>>733298>>733297Kothbiro joins the group after hearing Thungr's voice, carrying with her some salvaged kindling for the fire. She gives the minotaur a nod of greeting and takes her seat. "Still a long ways off from Galatian," she comments to no one in particular. "About five days, as the archbat flies. Shouldn't be too hard of a slog if we stick together." Neridah starts plucking the bird in the corner.
"Say." She looks over to Thungr. "You didn't see any wolves before, by chance? Heard 'em howling before. Might have to fend them off later."
No.733303
>pausing, continue to RP if you wish
No.733304
>>733302"Ain't no coward," I say. I visibly shiver. "Just ain't good with spooks and such, y'hear? Ain't never had a good day what involvrd sorcery and spirit nonsense. Ain't a one. And trust me when I say I had plenty'a bad ones."
I nod to the zebra. "Witch wolves, they was." I point two fingers at my eyes. "Piercin yella eyes what looked inta yer soul. I ain't gonna sleep tonight. Gonna keep my axe handy, too. It's cold iron. Ain't no witches what like cold iron. Kills em dead." I'm doing my best not to seem too shook up about the whole thing, but I think with how much I'm talking I ain't doin too good.
No.733740
>>733302>>733304"What you're saying is that you are afraid of ghosts," Kalidan offers. "Spooks, creepers, bogeymen." He scoffs derisively
"You obviously have a prejudice against those on the undead spectrum."
No.733741
>>733740"Ain't some prejudice," I say, shooting the cat an annoyed look. "Y'all seen-" I trail off and shake my head, turning my attention back to the fire. "Well, whatever I turn inter. T'ain't somethin that came about natural like. That was because of a spirit. So no. Ain't gonna lie about it. Ghosts, ghoulies, and witches and such put me on edge somethin fierce."
I take a deep breath and shake my head again. "Ain't nothin can be done about it," I continue. "'Ceptin avoid em when ya can, and kill em when ya can't. Probly travellin with a corpse lovin witch what causin this bad luck anyhow," I mumble. I hunch over and pinch the bridge of my nose. "No," I say. "Pardon, that weren't right'a me to say. She done helped us out plenty. Ain't got no reason to grumble and groan about the snake. Just all shook up is all. Don't know how y'all ain't."
No.733742
>>733302With the rabbit in her claws, Vajra stares wide-eyed at her prey, drooling in anticipation, before shaking her head and opting to carry it back towards the glowing campfire.
No.733743
>>733302Noghu tilts his head, looking at Neridah as if they said something incredibly stupid and his small but nonetheless existent brain cannot fathom how they could come to such a conclusion. He turns to Kothbiro, gesturing with the eel,
"Want some?"
No.733744
>>733302"Five days… not very much time if you consider how long we have been traveling. I know how long I have been with all of you, but how long have you four been together?"
She says to the Thungr, Kalidan, Vajra and Noghu.
No.733745
>>733304"Well, you'd better get used to it," Neridah quips. "What with Vira around and all. Looks like there's a bit more magic in these parts." You assume she means Vajra.
Kothbiro blinks. "That… doesn't sound good. I was almost hoping they'd just be regular wolves. Hopefully it's the last we see of them." She looks over her shoulder, as if expecting to get jumped by one at any moment.
>>733741"I haven't," Neridah comments as she plucks the dead bird. "What are you, some sort of werewolf? Thought they were a myth."
>>733742You go to the campsite, meeting up with the others. Kothbiro doesn't spare you much more than a nod, while Neridah is drawn to the rabbit in your hand. "Caught something, huh? Need a hand with it? Only one proper way to prep a rabbit."
>>733743Neridah blinks. "I don't know why I even bothered to ask."
Kothbiro looks over from her extremely busy schedule of looking into the fire broodingly. "I don't eat meat," she says simply. "But thanks." She pauses for a moment, then offers you some of her trail mix. "Should be rationing it more," she muses to herself.
>>733744"About the same as you," Kothbiro replies. "We met the night before we entered the temple. It must have been the day before you arrived. Or maybe it was two days. Being on the road like this tends to make me lose count."
"Truth be told," says Neridah, now roasting the bird she caught, "it'd be a shame to split up after we get to Galatian. We make a pretty decent team, the seven of us. When we don't wander off," she adds as an afterthought.
No.733746
>>733745Noghu shakes his head, holding his paw up, "You too weak to hunt. Keep."
>>733744Seeing as the zebra didn't want any cooked eel, Noghu turns to the dragon who had dropped him in the river earlier. "Want?" He questions, ignoring Sunbeam's own question.
No.733747
>>733745"Yeah," I tell the Zebra. "Like I said. Ain't sleepin. Gonna keep watch."
I fall quiet for a second as the second cat asks me if I'm a werewolf. After a moment I say, "Bear." Ain't seen myself, but I seen the tracks and claw marks. Don't take much to put two and two together and figure out what the curse turns me into.
>>733746I cock an eyebrow, surprised the dog is sharing his food. Pegged me for a food aggressive mutt. Suppose since he's sharing it couldn't hurt if I ate one of the fish. I grab the flat one and start picking at it, trying to avoid the jagged, broken bones.
No.733748
>>733745Nodding to Neridah, Vajra hands her the rabbit. "It iss appreciated. Tempting ass it iss to eat it fressh, it iss for the besst to have it cooked."
No.733750
>>733745"Ah, you all seem so… knowing of eachother. I would have thought you had been together for a long time."
>>733746"Yes." She says equally as blunt, tearing off the tail piece and chewing on it.
No.733751
>>733750I cock my eyebrow and stare at her. Don't know nothin about none of em. Cat talks too much. Zebra and Witch are crazy. Barely been around the dog. Ain't really sure how it comes off otherwise. I grumble and turn my attention back to the fire.
No.733752
>>733750"It wass an alliance of convenience, i'm ssure. Perhapss once we have sspoken with Sstyr thenn our arrangement could be made more ssecure."
No.733753
>>733751"Oh? Do you think you are an exception, Thungr? This is funny, in my culture, you would seem very much like the leader of our group."
>>733752"I do not like the sound of a "secure" arrangement… Mortality is important, but freedom is as well, Vajra."
No.733754
>>733753>>733752>>733746>>733745>>733740I knit my brow and look around at the group. Ain't nohow nobody here thinks of me as the leader. I just been doin what I'd always do.
No.733755
>>733750Noghu nods, returning to eating his own piece.
No.733756
>>733753"I had meant cooperation under Sstyr Thenn, but you have raissed an excellent point. Sshould you fall from woundss ssustained, i asssure you your body will be treated with resspect under my care." adds the sorceress, chuckling darkly.
No.733757
>>733746"Weak to hunt?" Seems you struck a nerve. "You really are a fool. I could take you any day, any time," she boasts. "I can prove it too." She rolls up her coat sleeve with defiance, challenging you to an arm wrestle. You notice an odd brand on her upper foreleg. Neridah looks over with interest with a bit of a smirk. "This should be fun.
>>733747Neridah nods knowingly, as if you'd said something sagely. "Bear," she parrots, staring at you with newfound curiosity. "…Indulge me, if it's not a sore spot. How'd that come to be? You get bitten on a full moon or something? That's usually how it goes, so I've heard."
The fish is perfectly edible. Nothing spectacular, but not bad at all.
>>733750"Feels like it," Neridah shrugs. "Having to hang around a bunch of strangers all day tends to do that."
>>733748Neridah wordlessly takes the rabbit and turns away. You hear a nasty crack. Without missing a beat, she starts expertly skinning it, and before long, the coney joins the bird in roasting on the campfire.
No.733758
>>733757"Yes, you have hoof. I see." Noghu nods, "Noghu take advantage of injured animal. Make exception." Noghu says, crossing his arms and reclining.
No.733759
>>733745Kalidan's stomach rumbles as everyone prepares their meals. He pulls out his dried rations and takes a small bite of the corner, makes a face and stares at the fish longingly.
>>733747"But of course you're the leader," the cat deadpans. "You led our retreat back there, right?"
No.733760
>>733757"I think it would be best to simply accept the gift, Kothbiro."
She says, trying not to attract the ire of either her or Noghu
No.733761
>>733759I clench my teeth and my eye twitches a little. "Clearly y'all decided messin with them statues was a bad idea without me needin to point it out. Less y'all won the fight?"
No.733762
>>733757I smooth my hair back and sigh. "Guess it don't hurt nothin if we're gonna be travellin together. First hunt when I was a boy I kilt a totem spirit. Another tribe's guardian. We was huntin and she scared me somethin fierce. Cursed me so now when I get too hurt or too scared I change. Real bad juju. Rest of em seen it already, I think."
No.733763
>>733757the sorceress eyes the rabbit hungrily, waiting for it to cook, the lack of a meal since the village all the more obvious.
"Exccellent, thiss will be a wonderful cap to a difficult day'ss journey."
No.733764
>>733758Neridah gives you a bemused smirk. "She's challenging you to an arm wrestle," she explains with a slightly condescending tone. Kothbiro looks like you forced her to suck on a lemon, but still eyes you expectantly.
>roll a Strength check if you accept the challenge>>733759Neridah, now chowing down on the bird, breaks off one of the roast legs and hands it to you. "Have some real food," she prompts. "None of that kibble."
>>733762Neridah listens with interest. "Huh. Sounds like it must've been rough." She takes a bite of roast bird. "Does it hurt when you…? I mean, are you even in there when you go bear?"
>>733763After a while, the rabbit is ready. Neridah goes the extra mile and sprinkles it with salt a bit before handing it to you like a shishkebab. "Bon appetit," she grins. It's as good as it looks; a bit like chicken, but stronger and less dry. Quite filling for such a small creature.
No.733765
>>733759"Also," he adds, "Told y'all you could have some fish. That's why I caught four. So's I could share."
>>733764"Worst pain I ever felt in my life. Worst fear I ever felt in my life, too. Like I'm dyin and somethin else is comin to life. Don't seem like it happens when there's an accident. Just when it's somethin else what injures me. Been livin on my own in the mountains for goin on twenty years now. Better for everyone, I reckon. Probly talked more since I seen y'all than I have in maybe the last five of em."
No.733766
>>733764Kalidan takes the bird leg gratefully and immediately sinks his teeth into it. "Fank oo," he sprays around a mouthful of meat. The leg is not long for this world and is quickly exhausted. Kalidan throws the bone into the firepit and puts his rations away.
>>733765He blinks at the minotaur. "I mean if you're sure…" He snatches up one of the fragrant fish and begins dissecting it with a claw.
"Define winning. We got out alive, didn't we?"
No.733767
>>733764"Stripe pony strange."
Noghu obliges the zebra, putting an arm out and shrugging.
>Lucky Dog[1d10+1]
Roll #1 8 + 1 = 9 No.733768
[1d10] Kothbiro strength check
Roll #1 5 = 5
No.733769
>>733764>>733765"
Paleui-koma ti el et. It is what my people say when one is sick. It means something like… 'May your wounds heal themselves.' Do not let this curse bare on you Thungr. We are more than our weakness."
She says, trying to be consoling as possible.
No.733770
>>733769I nod. Don't change anythin' but it's nice to hear. Even if it's from someone who ain't seen it. "'Preciate it."
No.733771
>>733764Tearing eagerly into the rabbit, Vajra fills her belly for the first time in a while, settling into a coiled pile happily with her meal complete.
>>733765"A sstrange affliction indeed."
"Nature magic iss an elussive concept to me, but have you conssidered sspeaking with sscholars of that magic for a ssolution? If Sstyr thenn iss ass powerful ass mentioned, he musst have a retinue of magess who might know more."
No.733772
>>733771I snort. "And make it worse? Or some evil witch try and enslave me? Better off keepin to myself and doin what I can to keep it from hapenin."
No.733773
>>733765"You haven't spoken in five years?" she says incredulously. "Well, guess this is a turning point then. Cause you might not be much of a talker, but the rest of us are. …Some present company excepted. So I guess you're kind of screwed, huh." She grins. "Be a shame to split once we get to Galatian."
>>733766The bird might as well be chicken as far as flavor goes. Neridah finishes most of the rest, storing a wing for later. She rummages through what's left for scraps of meat she might have missed; in doing so, she finds the bird's wishbone, holding one end out to you with a meaningful look.
>>733767Kothbiro puts up some resistance at first, but you trounce her easily, forcing her foreleg down with a bit more effort. Neridah snickers on the sidelines. Kothbiro just looks embarrassed, and sulks for the rest of the night.
>>733769"That's a bit much, innit," Neridah comments. "We haven't even had drinks together and you're talking like we're old friends. Sadly, we probably won't be seeing much of each other after the next five days. Can't imagine we'll all be sorry about that though." She gives Thungr a side glance.
No.733774
>>733773I chuckle. "I talked. Just not much. And yeah, figured that much out." I fall silent for a second. "Dependin on how much this statue I found sells fer I might have to take a job in town just to resupply to get home. Might need help."
No.733775
>>733773"Before I left home, I spent time training as a healer for Trakali wounded. I thought the idea of royalty treating common folk would… help bring the two together. I was taught to console and care for many I did not know."
Her thoughts drift off to home as she absentmindedly looks towards the stars.
No.733776
>>733773"Strange game. Am mostly arm. You are injured." Noghu shrugs, speaking eloquently to make Kothbiro feel better. Using his spear, he puts the half? finished eel up in the tree branches for later.
No.733777
>>733773Kalidan looks at her, then down the wishbone. He shrugs and takes one end of the collarbone.
Wish Come True [1d10]
"Sounds like we've got a long walk ahead of us." He lays his pack down by the fire and drops onto it, curling himself into a ball of fluff. "Should get some rest, we can get an early start."
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.733778
>>733774"Hm. Can I see?"
You show her the brass figurine, though you don't let her take it. She takes a close look at it. "Hm. Not a style I'm familiar with. Seems these temple lizards had their own secret ways, huh."
"First the old language before, now this," Kothbiro comments. "How do you know so much about cultures?"
Neridah just taps the side of her nose knowingly.
>>733775Neridah lends you an ear. "You've done an alright job keeping us alive so far. You one of those magical healers, then? Type to heal wounds with touch and all? Not many of them around."
>>733776"I'm not injured," she replies bitingly. "If it were serious, I'd have bent your arm backwards. You'll see."
>>733777Neridah snaps it fair and square, taking the large end. She lets out a raucous "Ha!", nibbles a bit of meat off the end, then tosses it into the bushes.
>>733774>>733775>>733776>>733771>>733777The rest of the night goes by without much incident. Thungr hears the wolves again in the distance, but there is no trace of them. He and Kothbiro change places in their vigil at around midnight. As dawn breaks, you snuff out the campsite and start moving again.
The next leg of the journey is uneventful, mostly traversing the woodland terrain. You move through hill and valley, swamp and stream, always heading due north-north-west, to your destination. There are precious little signs of life out here, all wild, overgrown flora and fauna. The occasional cairn on a side path, remnants of a long-abandoned campfire, or mossy, reclaimed stone structure of some forgotten civilization are the only signs of intelligent life you see. You only get a handful of reprieve, which is mostly spent foraging for food, water, and other essentials. Otherwise, you are walking, struggling to get through the terrain.
Eventually, the little rivers and overgrown woods of the valley lead you uphill, and down into a jagged pass of razor-sharp rocks and cliffs, all covered in a thin layer of fog. Even with the light of the sun, it seems difficult to navigate. More than once you think you pass the same rock formation, until you begin to suspect you are starting to get lost. To make matters worse, the previous evening, you heard the baying of wolves again. You can only hope it's not the same wolves stalking you from a distance.
"I swear we're going in circles," Neridah comments. "That rock looks damnably familiar."
"It's a rock," says Kothbiro. "They're all familiar."
Lacking a witty comeback, Neridah climbs up a boulder to try and get her bearings a bit better, while Kothbiro takes a short stop, breaking a bread bun with whoever wants some. She also lights a smoking pipe she has, gathering her thoughts for a while.
>roll Navigation No.733779
>>733778"We have traveled simply, how have we lost our way? We go north west…"
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.733780
>>733778Having been previously sure of their path, the sorceress hesitates, looking around in confusion.
"Hmm.. which way wass it again.."
[1d10] Navigation
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.733781
>>733778My face grows a little hot as I put the statue back away. Just got lucky, but I decide to keep my mouth shut.
—
I take some of the bread from the zebra and nod in thanks. Can't just decide you're movin straight. Gotta actually navigate. I squint and look up at the sun to try and get an idea of which direction we're headed. Should know by what time of day it is, least well enough to get us back on track to the city.
[1d10]Navigation
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.733782
>>733778Kalidan climbs up beside Neridah and shield his eyes from the sky as he gazes outward at the expansive broken landscape.
Navigate [1d10]
"I hate getting lost. How much longer before we make camp for the night?"
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.733783
>>733778"Will make sure rock stop following."
Noghu slams the back of his spear into the rock, attempting to shatter it.
[1d10+1] DC-1 shatter
He then continues looking where to go.
[1d10+1]
Roll #1 6 + 1 = 7 /
Roll #2 8 + 1 = 9 No.733784
>>733782Kothbiro looks up at the cloudy sky. "About eight hours. If you don't like it, you can try and head off on your own," she says bluntly.
>>733783You hit the rock. It sprouts several insectoid legs and scuttles away, evidently some sort of bizarre native arthropod. Kothbiro stares as it vanishes into the surrounding landscape, but neither she nor Neridah opt to bring it up.
>>733779>>733780>>733781>>733782>>733783You keep traversing the rocky terrain, trying to reorient yourselves to head in the right direction. Unfortunately, the twisting paths begin to descend further downwards, and the cliffs grow around you, teaming up with the denser fog to block out the sun and make it even harder to navigate. At one point, you even run straight into a wall. The soft crunching beneath your feet belies the skeleton of some previous unfortunate wretch.
Noghu is fairly confident that he's found a path through the rocks, however, and leads the party onwards, with Thungr close behind. You start to see a light at the end of the figurative tunnel, as the fog begins to clear slightly the further you go.
As you keep trying to find your way through, you can't help but get the feeling you're being watched. More than once you think you see shadows flitting through the mist…
>roll both Navigation and Perception No.733785
>>733784"
Māwi… We should not be here."
Navigation [1d10]
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 No.733786
>>733784slithering forward with the others, the sorceress tastes the air as she follows the dog Noghu, wary of the shadows around her.
[1d10] Navigation
[1d10] perception, DC -2 (detect life)
Roll #1 9 = 9 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 No.733787
>>733784I shake my head and grumble. "Dern witch wolves…" I mumble, pulling my axe off my back. Warned em what I'd do. GuessI'm havin dog tonight.
[1d10]Navigation
[1d10+3]Perception
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 6 + 3 = 9 No.733788
>>733784Noghu stays low to the ground, stalking and searching.
[1d10+1] nav
[1d10+1] percption
Roll #1 7 + 1 = 8 /
Roll #2 6 + 1 = 7 No.733789
>>733784Kalidan shoots the zebra a dirty look. "I'm just asking. Still got any of that bread?" He tries to take advantage of the small break they have.
As they continue, the cat picks his way around the errant skeletons lying on the ground, his eyes open for a fresh one to try to loot. He is so intent on this mission he doesn't notice the calls of the wild.
Perception [1d10]
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 No.733790
>>733789She rummages around before producing a torn off hunk of slightly stale bread, half tossing it to you and half beaning you over the head with it.
You manage to find the skeleton of a Felid with roughly your proportions. If you didn't know any better you could even say it was you in a past life. Whoever they were, they're still making themselves useful even in death.
>+30 bits>>733785>>733786>>733787>>733788>>733789You press on for a bit. It seems you're on the right track at last; you can see brighter light ahead, signaling the end of the rock pass. Then:
"SHAKARRA!!" You stop dead in your tracks as a javelin is hurled violently from somewhere in the mists, landing only inches from Noghu's feet. Huddling together, you see shadows emerging from the rocks above you. Wearing rough wooden masks with intimidating leers, your assailants appear to be a pack of about half a dozen diminutive Diamond Dogs, eager to drive you off their turf. They bear bows and spears with stone heads, and their fur is painted earthy shades of brown and grey, blending in with the surroundings. They're moving around you, popping in and out of tunnels they've carved in the stone, such that it's hard to keep a bead on them. They fire off a few arrows in your direction, seemingly trying to intimidate you, or goad you into a fight.
Neridah starts sizing them up, trying to find a way to climb up and teach them a lesson. Kothbiro clutches her axe and backs up, assessing the situation. Another arrow whizzes overhead and clatters against the wall, narrowly missing her head. "What do these goblins want?" she hisses.
No.734041
>>733790Kalidan jumps back as arrows fly in the party's direction. Luckily he is hit by none of them, but the cat isn't particularly keen on testing his luck. His slitted eyes dart back and forth, following the dog's motion.
"Well shoot. What do you guys say we just hightail it through this pass, make a run for it? I don't love the idea of fighting here, to be honest."
No.734042
>>733790"They wissh for an early death, blocking our path." replies the sorceress, rattling her tail irritably.
Drawing herself to her full height, she raises her claws to the dogs above.
"Ssandss-touched beassts!" she shouts "Flee with your lives while my patience holdss, elsse i will make sserventss of your corpssses!"
the she-bear raises itself onto it's haunches, letting out a dry growl for emphasis.
[1d10] Intimidate
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.734043
>>733790Noghu stands up and holds his spear up, pointing and barking. He steps forward with authority, seeing how small they are.
"
Where your Alpha?" He growls, baring his teeth to any that come close.
>Word of Power: Use a mix of authority and your own personal methods to extract information from a target that you would not normally get from basic means. In combat you can force an enemy to miss their next attack. On Crit you render the target helpless.[1d10+1] Noncombat use of WoP
Roll #1 8 + 1 = 9 No.734044
>>733790I shake my head and grumble, grab the javelin from where it nearly hit the dog, and watch for one of the dogs to peek its head out. As soon as it does, I fling the javelin at it.
>Aimed Shot: weapon; Take aim on an unexpecting target. If this is your first attack on your target this combat or if you have not dealt damage to them in the past 3 turns, then this skill becomes Automatic and deals 3 damage. No.734045
>>733790"No quarrel. We do not seek conflict."
Sunbeam says to the dogs, trying to be as simple as possible with them.
No.734046
>>734045Persuasion [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.734047
>>734044>Not actually attacking yetSeems like the others think they can get through without fightin. Ain't much for words, so I keep my mouth shut for now. Least they ain't magic.
No.734048
>>734041"We might have to," says Kothbiro, her brow furrowed as she stares up at the figures in the mist. "They have the high ground."
>>734042They don't seem to understand what you're saying, but the She-Bear's ghostly snarl gets the point across. They back off some, clearly intimidated by the skeletal minion, but not letting you go that easily.
>>734043While they don't speak your language, your intentions are clear to them. After some scurrying, they bunch together at the top of one of the cliffs, seemingly debating something.
>>734044>>734047You grab the javelin from where it was thrown. It seems like quite a useful weapon. You could potentially use it as part of your arsenal.
>>734045>>734046They seem to back off a bit. They don't seem to be looking for blood themselves, more warning you to stay off their turf.
>>734047>>734046>>734043>>734042>>734041The Dogs seemingly hold a quick discussion before one of them separates from the pack, climbing down the cliffside expertly before jumping off and landing with catlike grace in front of you. He is larger than the rest, with ash-white fur. His mask is painted with a toothy snarl, depicting a forked tongue lolling out from behind pointed teeth. He bears a wicked stone axe, and tied to his belt is the skull of some unknown animal.
The alpha stares you all down before beginning to mime some actions. He points at you, then back the way you came, then outstretches his palm. Neridah frowns, trying to make sense of his gestures. "He wants something from us?…"
No.734049
>>734048"Hmm.. perhapss a tribute? What would we give to a ssavage? Food? Gold?"
No.734050
>>734048"Tribute for passage?"
Sunbeam searches through her possessions before continuing.
"We have not much to offer."
No.734051
>>734048>>734050>>734049I continue to remain silent, but I'm startin to get a little agitated. Ain't got nothin I'm gonna give a buncha backwards tribals as some kinda bribe.
No.734052
>>734048Noghu draws a line in the dirt with his spear, pointing to the alpha, then himself. He cracks his knuckles, gesturing to not involve the rest of the tribe or his allies.
No.734053
>>734050"Seems like it," he agrees with the dragon. "I don't think any of us have much to be honest."
>>734048Kalidan fishes around in his pack, withdrawing 15 gold that he plucked from the dead. He shows the shiny metallic coins to the head dog from a safe distance, pantomiming a giving action. "You take cash?" he suggests.
No.734054
>>734052>>734051>>734050>>734049>>734053As Kalidan offers the gold, the alpha swats his paw dismissively, gesturing at the miscellaneous camping equipment Thungr carries with a soft grunt. "They're after our gear," Kothbiro surmises. "Let's just give him what he wants and move on. I'd rather avoid a fight."
>>734052"Or not."
>>734052>>734051>>734050>>734049>>734053The alpha looks down at the line, then to Noghu, growling softly behind his mask. He throws down his axe, throwing his arms out and taking a few steps towards the challenger Dog. Up above, the other Dogs whoop and titter, clearly excited to see their leader accept the challenge. You notice he's got several small cuts across his chest and shoulders. They look like ritual scars. He does this little display of intimidation before falling back into a fighting stance, balling his paws into fists, clearly expecting Noghu to do the same. Seems he's letting him throw the first swing.Neridah rolls her eyes. "We don't really have time for this. Let's just give them some food or something and be done with it."
No.734055
>>734054I glare at the zebra. Easy for her to say. It's
my gear. My nostrils flare and I start to take a step forward, prepared to fight before I give up my favorite axe and favorite blanket. When the dog steps in, though, I decide to wait to see how it goes.
No.734056
>>734052"Perhaps… we have something to offer… A good fight! No greater honor than that of a noble duel."
"
Tonāli teuatl Noghu. May luck be with you."
No.734057
>>734054Tilting her head in curiosity, the sorceress cackles as the two dogs prepare to do battle.
"Sso the dog hass fangss after all! Thiss will be a grand display i'm ssure."
"I sscertainly wont interfere, if it meanss we can avoid tribute." she adds, slithering off to the side, making room for the pair.
No.734058
>>734054Noghu cracks his neck, putting his spear in his back straps. He'd much rather fight with his weapons, but he intends to show off. Baring his teeth, he swings with his big paws.
[1d10+1] Punch, Lucky Dog
Roll #1 9 + 1 = 10 No.734059
>>734054>>734052Kalidan shakes his head derisively. "Dogs. Go figure you'd pull some caveman machismo stunt." A half smile spreads across his feline face. "Go get him, gladiator."
He climbs up onto a flat rock and sits, warily eyeballing the other dogs to make sure they don't try to interfere or make any moves during the bout.
No.734060
>>734059>>734057Seeing everyone else step back to make room, I decide it's probably a good idea and put a little distance from the fight myself.
No.734061
>>734058You deliver the opening punch, hitting him square in the chest hard enough to knock down a bull. Yet somehow, he takes it head on, stumbling backwards into the wall but springing right back up. He's much sturdier than he looks.
Reeling back from the powerful blow, he swings a haymaker at your jaw!
[1d10+2]
Roll #1 9 + 2 = 11 No.734062
>>734061Realizing the powerful swing about to hit him, Noghu decides to go all in and go for a double KO.
[1d10+1] Punch, but with other paw
Roll #1 10 + 1 = 11 No.734063
>>734062The fist connects with your jaw with the force of a sledgehammer, knocking you backwards and into a boulder. Your ears ring and you can barely see, but you throw yourself forward, catching the alpha off guard and throwing him to the floor with a sucker punch of your own, cracking his head on a rock. The Dogs above scream with excitement and fear as the brief but brutal scuffle seems to come to an end. You can taste blood, and one of your teeth knocked loose in your mouth. The alpha isn't faring much better, groggily trying to pull himself back up, bleeding profusely from his head injury. Neridah grins as it seems to be a draw, while Kothbiro moves to your side. "Not an unimpressive performance," she concedes, offering you some water. "Can you stand?"
>Noghu takes 1 wound No.734064
>>734063I cross my arms and let out a quiet chuckle, staying put for now. Damn. Dogs got some fight in him. Hopefully we won't have to waste our time killing a bunch of dogs now.
No.734065
>>734063Sunbeam hastily moves to Noghu's other side, doting over him for injuries and such. She takes what few of her hand wraps off and applies them to any of his bleeding wounds.
"You did very well. We are all impressed."
As she tends to Noghu, she occasionally looks over to his opponent, making sure he is receiving adequate care as well.
No.734066
>>734062>>734063Kalidan's eyes are wide, and despite himself he feels a rush of excitement. He can't help but cheer as Noghu puts the smack down on the alpha dog. "YEAH!" He punches the air triumphantly, then hops down and heads over to Noghu's side.
"That was… actually pretty impressive." He claps the dog on the shoulder with a heavy paw, looking at him with new appreciation.
Looking out at the other dogs along the cliffside, Kalidan tries to judge their mood.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.734067
>>734063The sorceress' laughter halts as she sees the damage the dog did, mockery making way for interest as she claps her claws.
"A ssurprissing dissplay! Perhapss their leader will have the ssense beat into him and allow uss passsage."
No.734068
>>734063>Wild Hunt: passive; After rendering a foe helpless, the Wildguard's first action next turn becomes Automatic. Rendering an enemy helpless with this automatic action does not activate WIld Hunt again.Noghu bounces back quickly, taking the water. He takes a swig of it, but then tosses it to the alpha, giving a nod and no other emotions towards him.
>>734066>>734065Noghu growls at the cat touching him, but allows the dragon to tend to his wound.
"I wait till he rise."
No.734069
>>734068Kalidan withdraws his paw, smiling sheepishly. When the dog looks away, he sniffs at his toebeans, gags a little and wipes it on a nearby rock.
No.734070
>>734065>>734064>>734066>>734067>>734068The Dogs above are worked up with excitement, cheering and hollering with the thrill of the fight. They don't seem to mind their leader getting his ass kicked, since he did the same to Noghu.
Despite having his bell thoroughly rung, the alpha catches the water midair with one paw, removing his mask and pouring it over his bloodied face, drinking some in the process. He throws it back to Noghu, readjusting his mask before giving a small nod of approval, which is met with louder cheers from the rest of the pack. He stands aside to allow you all unhindered passage through their territory, but not before offering Noghu a small token of kinship from his pouch in the shape of a smooth river stone, painted with an elaborate symbol depicting a snarling maw. Neridah looks over in curiosity. "Seems we made a friend. I think."
No.734071
>>734070Satisfied enough that he steps aside, I continue past him in the direction we were travelling, only sparing a brief glance at the alpha and pack.
No.734072
>>734070As they are offered passage, Kalidan sticks his tongue out at the dogs above.
Walking next to Neridah, he elbows her. "Do you think they all smell as bad as ours? Is that a dog thing, or just a Noghu thing?"
No.734073
>>734070"
Ikniutli! May you all have a friend in Trakali."
Sunbeam says to the dogs as she leaves, beaming with joy.
No.734074
>>734070Noghu takes the rock and clutches it close to his heart, pounding it against chest once.
"Dog understand dog. Power is most respected. Give tribute mean ask again later."
No.734075
>>734070Nodding to the alpha, the sorceress continues ahead with the others, the she-bear following along behind.
"A sswift end to a would-be lengthy effort."
No.734076
>>734072She shrugs. "Don't pretend like you're all roses yourself, mate."
>>734073>>734071>>734072>>734074>>734075As you leave, the alpha raises one paw to you in silent farewell, and the other Dogs follow his gesture almost in unison. With that, you come to the edge of Mistrock Pass, as Neridah has taken to calling it.
Beyond is another stretch of uneven, and quite frankly unpleasant, terrain. The rocks continue for a bit before descending into a boggy marsh, which stretches on for quite a while - at least one day of travel, if not more, assuming you don't get lost. Beyond, it turns into more fertile farmland, marking what are presumably the outskirts of the city-state of Galatian. You could go around the marsh, but this would mean taking a few more days, and having to traverse a region of tall grasses and foothills. Neither path looks very promising.
Kothbiro starts to call for a lunch break, unpacking and setting up an impromptu picnic while you decide which path to take. "If it were up to me, I'd go through the foothills," Neridah comments, looking down at the marsh beyond with unease. "I've never liked marshes. Too wet. Too muggy. And we're not in much of a rush, are we."
"I'd prefer to get to Galatian as quickly as possible," Kothbiro counters as she rummages for food. "It may be unpleasant, but traversing the marsh would be the most expedient option, I think." They both look to the rest of you for a decision.
No.734077
>>734076I shake my head, sigh, and make my way in the direction of the marshes. If we had even barely enough supplies to extend the trip I'd go through the hills, but as it stands we're on the verge of livin off what we can hunt down. Marshes ain't gonna be nice. Don't got no bug dope, and there's lotsa nasties, plus if it lasts too long then there could be some real problems ploddin through the water like that, but least we won't starve.
No.734078
>>734076The cat stops and watches as she continues walking. After a moment, he lifts his front leg and sniffs underneath questioningly. Drawing back, he shakes his head as if to dismiss unpleasant thoughts and hurries afterwards.
As they break for lunch, his stomach lets out an audible growl. He sits and pulls out more of his cat-chow, looking at it without excitement before beginning to chew slowly and without relish.
Eyeballing the marsh, he pipes up. "That place looks like a shithole. Let's take the longer route along the hills. At least we won't get all muddy, and keeping the high ground means it will be harder to get lost."
No.734079
>>734076"No wet. Wet means infections."
No.734080
>>734077>>734078>>734079I stop, drag my hand down my face, and cut toward the hills. Probably ain't gonna be any more fun than the marsh, but they're probably right. Here's hopin we don't starve along the way.
No.734081
>>734076"I do not mind either. Flight is a blessing."
No.734082
>>734076"Sss.. Traveling through a marssh? And rissk sscale rot?"
"Extending travel to avoid the bog iss far ssimpler, i'm ssure."
No.734083
>>734080>>734078>>734079>>734081>>734082Kothbiro looks a bit annoyed at being outvoted, but shrugs. "Hills it is." Neridah looks exceedingly smug at having won.
After a meager lunch, you start making towards the hills. The rest of the day passes without much incident, and you reach the hills by nightfall, setting up a camp in a small grove.
That night, you hear the wolves in the distance again. In the morning, you even find their tracks, though Thungr's encounter seems accurate; the prints in the dirt are far too large to have been caused by any ordinary wolf. Nevertheless, you are given little choice but to press on for now.
Most of the day is rather uneventful. The hills are covered in tall grass, making navigation difficult, but with Sunbeam scouting you manage to stay oriented, trekking towards the farmland. More than once you spot ancient stone structures and foundations, long reclaimed by the wilderness, left by a forgotten civilization.
The day after that, early in the morning's travel, you come across something a bit more intact; the ruins of a long-abandoned village, all mossy stone and rotting wood by now. It looks like it's been like this for centuries, and is at first indistinguishable from the surrounding greenery. It's a bit out of the way, but investigating it may prove fruitful. "What do you say?" Neridah asks, looking toward the ruins with interest. "Should we investigate?" "As long as there's no ghosts this time," Kothbiro grumbles.
No.734084
>>734083I shift as I look at the abandoned village. Liable to be some ghosts or undead villagers knowin the luck I've had.
I decide to let them investigate while I turn around and decide to do a little huntin. Don't seem like the witch wolves is gonna attack in the day. At first I start to walk away without saying anything, but pause, clear my throat, and look over my shoulder. "Gonna hunt if y'all are gonna be here a bit."
No.734085
>>734083"Night time best to. Sleeping means vulnerable." Noghu says dryly.
No.734086
>>734083"Best to leave spirits where they are."
Sunbeam looks towards the village, then to Vajra.
"Anything of interest you can sense?"
No.734087
>>734086>>734083"Hmm.."
closing her eyes, the sorceress waits for a headwind from the village before tasting the air.
[1d10] perception, dc-2 (detect life)
"We are sstill too far away to ssense lingering magic, but perhapss i may yet ssense life hidden there."
"Unlikely asss it iss, perhapss there may be aught of usse within."
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.734088
>>734083Kalidan gleelessly exhausts the rest of his kibble throughout the journey. He throws the empty ration packs to the wind as they cross the foothills.
As they come upon the forgotten village, his ears perk up. "Might have something worth scavenging," he agrees with Neridah. "There may be some good hunting around there too." He licks his whiskers.
He hops up to whatever vantage point he can find and tries to survey the abandoned village, whiskers quivering in the night.
Perception [1d10]
"If there's more spooks, we can just pull out before we catch an axe to the face." He rubs his recent wound with care thoughtfully. "We could use some more resources to replace our spent rations."
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.734089
>>734084Kothbiro nods. "Good thinking. Just don't stray too far."
>>734085"Night time is also when witches and wraiths come out," Neridah points out.
>>734087Apart from the usual small creatures, you sense some sort of cold-blooded creature in the town. It seems to be coming from a stone dome-roofed building, which seems to have been a place of worship at some point. It seems large. Not dragon-large, but large enough to be a considerable problem.
>>734088You climb up a tree and survey the village. While most of it is indistinguishable from the surrounding foliage, you can make out the general layout of the houses and shops. Because they're so overgrown, most of the buildings will be difficult to access. The notable exception is the remains of a campfire in the center of town - seems a week old or so - and a tall stone building with a domed roof, ostensibly a church or temple. The door to it seems to have been broken down not too relatively long ago, but it's still very much part of the wilds at this point. Overall, it's looking like the main issue with accessing anything left over in this place is the weeds that have grown to cover every building - save for the aforementioned dome.
No.734995
>>734089Noghu tilts in head in confusion, unsure of either of the terms. "Food?"
No.734996
>>734089Kalidan shakes his head at the prospects, then returns to the others to report.
"Town's definitely haunted. Some creepy old church? No thanks. Recent campfire might be convenient, if we wanted to stop. Can't imagine there's anything worth scavenging. We should keep going."
He rubs his stomach, thinking to keep an eye out for anything to hunt or gather for a meal.
No.735016
>>734089I nod, pull out a javelin, and give the place a quick look-around to decide where to start.
[1d10+3]Perception
Roll #1 2 + 3 = 5 No.735019
>>734089>>734086"Hmm.. It sseemss the town iss empty, while the dome remainss a threat. There iss a creature within, large enough to be contained for now. Perhapss exploring the resst of the town could prove fruitful." mentions the sorceress, having finished tasting the air.
No.735021
>>735019"Perhaps it is best we do not disturb this… being. We are treading on it's domain."
She says, carefully stepping towards the town.
No.735034
>>734995Neridah looks dumbfounded. "What? No, not… not food. Evil. Like the ghosts we fought at the Kings' Pass."
>>734996"Doesn't feel so haunted to me," Neridah comments. "Just abandoned. If it were haunted we'd be getting all sorts of uneasy feelings. Remember the watchtower? Sent chills up my spine just looking at it. Probably just a big monster. Which is preferable, because at least you can attack monsters."
>>735016You can hear running water nearby, and there is a small copse of trees to your right, heading down a rather steep hill. Both seem like decent spots to hunt and forage. You also passed a small cluster of mossy boulders a few minutes before arriving at the overgrown village. It could be fruitful to double back and take a better look.
>>735019>>735021>whoever else is followingKothbiro nods. "Best we tread lightly."
She and Neridah accompany you into an exploration of the abandoned town. Most of the buildings are relatively inaccessible, being too run down or overgrown to hold anything of value, but there are signs of them having been rummaged through at some point. You see four points of interest:
An abandoned forge. It seems to be in better shape than most other places. The interior is still accessible, at least. Kothbiro seems interested in investigating it for leftover gear or usable ore.
The campfire. It seems to be at least a week old. There are small bones from a meal scattered around, but nothing else from it is immediately obvious to your eyes. A closer examination would be required.
The dome-shaped building, ostensibly a church. Keen ears would be able to hear the faint sound of heavy breathing coming from inside. Whatever's taken up residence appears to be asleep.
A long dried up fountain with a crumbling statue of a Felid with a sword. The head has long fallen off, lying at the statue's feet. A little crown of flowers has grown on it. Neridah thinks she spots the sparkle of coin in the fountain's remains.
No.735038
>>735034"It does not seem like they left in a hurry. This place died slowly. As if of disease, not of wounds."
As she carefully steps into the forge she continues.
"I do not know which is worse."
No.735041
>>735034"Haunted, big scary monster, what's the real difference here? Seems like an avoidable risk."
Noticing his words go completely unheeded, Kalidan rolls his eyes and follows the group with decided hesitation. Along the way the cat's eyes dart around distrustfully, as if expecting a bogeyman to pop out at every corner.
He catches sight of the crumbled fountain with the headless Felid, sauntering over and kneeling down to examine the floral-crowned figure.
Perception [1d10]
"Hey," he says to Neridah. "Who do you think this guy was?" He picks the head up, separating it from the mossy growth and holding it toward her with both paws.
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.735046
>>735038"A dissease long passsed iss of no concern to uss." replies Vajra, waving off the idea. "moresso it providess uss a chance to ssee if there iss aught of usse here."
>>735034With sunbeam examining the forge, the sorceress turns her attention to the campfire ahead, eyeing the spent area with interest.
[1d10] Perception
"We may be too late, if thiss fire iss recent enough. Perhapss the creature in the temple sscared them away?"
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.735047
>>735034With out another word to the group, I head down to the water. Probably at least some fish or some tracks I can trace back to a trail.
No.735049
>>735034Noghu goes to taste the bones, wondering if it was a meal brought here or hunted nearby.
[1d10] perception
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.735052
>>735046"Not a literal disease. I meant a slow death, this town was abandoned over time."
No.735061
>>735038>>735046You enter the forge. It looks ancient, likely having belonged to a forgotten civilization, but you can still recognize the elements of a more contemporary smithy. A huge, dormant firepit, a great iron slab for an anvil, and racks with long rusted tools and weapons all line the walls. A second floor seems to lead to the erstwhile owner's living quarters.
Kothbiro starts looking around the main smithy area for anything of interest.
[1d10]
>roll again if you didn't before>>735041The statue is clad in robes, clutching a downward pointing sword in its left paw and making a strange gesture with its right. The design is reminiscent of the colossal statues at the Kings' Pass. The visage of the head is stern. Rather imposing, really. It's also surprisingly heavy, and the overgrown vines don't help. You're forced to put it back down eventually.
Neridah shrugs. "Some despot, I guess. Who cares?" She keeps looking for valuables.
[1d10]
You don't have to look much yourself; a glint in the light catches your eye, sitting at the bottom of the fountain. Reaching in and shifting aside some vines and fish bones, you manage to find a clear, uncut gem, ostensibly a long forgotten propitiation. It's tiny, about the size of a coin, but it looks quite valuable to you.
>>735049The campfire doesn't hold much of interest. The bones have been gnawed and picked clean, both by whoever camped here and other foraging animals. You do, however, notice some dry black stains around the surrounding tall grass. They seem to form a small trail that leads towards the church.
>roll again for looting if desired>>735047You notice a few tracks on your way to the stream, most likely from whoever camped in the abandoned village. They look like Dog tracks.
The stream is quiet and pleasant. A conveniently placed log would make for a good fishing spot. On the other side, a heron perches on a branch, eyeing the dark waters, while in the distance, a family of ducks float idly.
A small cairn near the aforementioned log leads you to discover something rather valuable; a fishing net is stashed here, presumably left by whoever came this way for future drifters to use.
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 No.735064
>>735061"Not unlike the forges of my home… seems like the crafting of steel is the same no matter where."
She rummages through the weaponry.
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.735065
>>735061Noghu digs around sniffing about and following the trail after checking over the campfire one last time.
[1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.735071
>>735061"Just some despot. Hmm."
He spends a moment frowning at the statue before something catches his eye in the turbid depths of the fountain.
"Hello, pretty!"
Kalidan fishes out and holds the gem up to the light, admiring the sparkle before pocketing it. He grins at Neridah before hopping off to join the others at the old campfire.
He notes the bones picked clean on the ground. "Nice camp. Seems cool. Let's leave." He looks nervously at the large domed edifice. "Don't we have places to be? Sooner, rather than later?"
No.735072
>>735061Watching Sunbeam fumble through the weaponry, Vajra peers over her shoulder to glance through the weapons before making her way upstairs.
[1d10] Looting
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.735073
>>735061I take in the serene setting and smile. Closing my eyes, I take a deep smell of the fresh crickside air. Quiet. Calm. Don't get no better'n this.
My eyebrows raise as I see the net, and I pick it up and look it over. Probably been what I'da made if I had the time and rope, but the rod worked well'nuff before. Now, though, this'll make it a good bit easier. Taking the net in both hands, I move upstream a little to find a good place to set up.
[1d10+3] perception for a good place. Probably a drop or somewhere the water is carrying fish a little faster.
[1d10+2]DC4 to castanet if I find it.
Roll #1 1 + 3 = 4 /
Roll #2 3 + 2 = 5 No.735083
>>735064Several of the swords crumble to rust as you sift through them, and you nick your finger on a broken blade.
>-1 hit>>735065While you don't find anything of value at the campsite, you pick up the very faint scent of dried blood from the stains.
The trail leads you into the church interior. It's more of a shrine than a church, though the interior has long since gone to pot. Grass and the ubiquitous vines have long since started to grow inside, and much of the stone structures that once lined this place have crumbled to dust.
What gets your attention the most, however, is the creature curled up around a stone altar in the center of the shrine. It resembles a cross between reptile and mammal, with a long, serpentine body, squat bowed legs, and a thick, pointed tail. In lieu of scales, it has a thick, rubbery hide, dark in coloration, with white streaks along it. The most striking feature, however, is the head - or rather, heads. Two slender necks sprout from its torso, each ending in a vicious reptilian maw with no visible eyes. Strewn in a corner are the grisly, rotting remains of a Dog.
The beast is fast asleep, for now.
>>735071Neridah looks over as her own attempts are fruitless, scowling with jealousy at your find.
She accompanies you to the campsite, determined not to leave without a keepsake. She starts scouring it with abandon.
[1d10]
>roll looting again if desired>>735072Upstairs is in significantly worse condition, the living quarters being almost unrecognizable, covered in mold and other plant life. However, shifting through the remains yields an interesting find. A dagger sits atop a stone table, not of tempered steel, but of black volcanic glass. Its blade is cut in a peculiar undulating
shape, while the handle is made of sturdy wood. It's still sharp too. It looks to have a ceremonial purpose, but it's still a viable weapon.
>>735064>>735072Kothbiro manages to find herself something useful; a few steel ingots sit forgotten in the long dormant forge. She brushes the dust off them and holds them up to the light, satisfied with her find. "This is good metal," she comments. "I'll be able to get something made for myself with this."
>roll looting again if desired>>735073You find what seems like a decent spot and throw the net out, unsure whether you'll be able to catch any fish. Nothing happens for a while; then, the heron tilts its head imperceptibly before diving into the water, emerging with a struggling pilchard in its beak. You could swear it's taunting you.
Alas, the most you manage to fish at first is a manky old boot from the bottom of the riverbed.
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.735086
>>735083Kalidan scowls at Neridah still scrabbling about, then decides that since they're already there, might as well play archeologist for a minute. He paws around the area for anything interesting left behind.
Looting [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.735090
>>735083Skulking out quietly [1d10+2], Noghu searches after Kothbiro, knowing the direction she went earlier.
"Found beast. Sleeping."
Roll #1 4 + 2 = 6 No.735091
>>735083I remove the boot from the net and shoot the dern bird a glare. Ainz't gonna be showed up by no lankey chicken. Taking the net, I pause, watch the water for a second, and cast it again.
[1d10+2]DC4
Roll #1 8 + 2 = 10 No.735092
>>735083Sunbeam curses in Trakali under her breath.
Sucking on her wound she looks around once more, brushing dust and ash away from the firepit with her good claw, looking for any markings of interest.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.735096
>>735092Looting [1d10]
totally not a rerollRoll #1 4 = 4 No.735097
>>735083"Finally Ssomething worthwhile." chuckles Vajra, picking up the dagger from the table. She eyes the onyx blade with interest, before giving one final look around the living area, heading back downstairs.
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.735101
>>735086You spot it about a second after her; something is tangled in the undergrowth, forgotten by the mystery camper. Looks like a brooch or pendant of some sort. It's made of a thin sheet metal with a bluish green tint, like a beetle's shell. It's shaped like a leaf.
She looks from it up to you, not going for it yet, but clearly ready to pounce. "Dibs," she says firmly, with a bit of a pout.
>>735090You find her with Sunbeam and Vajra at the forge. She's inspecting some metal bars she found. "Well, at least we won't have to deal with it," she muses. "What is it, anyway?"
>>735091It flies off with the fish still in beak as you throw the net out, but a second overlook reveals it's still watching you from afar.
You cast the net out, this time feeling something wriggling within. As you pull the net back up, you find you've caught four large, healthy trout. Quite a good haul, all things considered; usually just one is enough to feed several.
>>735092>>735096You find a shortsword in relatively good condition. It's dulled and rusted, but salvageable. The pommel is round, with a semicircular hilt, while the blade is short and straight, coming to an even, well balanced point. Seems it'll be a good weapon if you get it tended to by a proper smith, but as it is now it won't be of much use.
>>735097You don't find much else of interest in the upstairs area. It's 95% gone to pot, and the dagger is the other 5%.
No.735108
>>735101Sunbeam takes her remaining bodywraps and ties them around the sword, fashioning both a scabbard and a strap to keep it over her back.
"This blade is odd. Sharp on both sides." She says as she walks out of the smith, wearing only dust and ash now.
No.735109
>>735101Noghu shrugs. "Two heads."
Noghu pokes around, wondering what the strange rocks are all about.
[1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.735113
>>735101Kalidan's eyes narrow as he looks back and forth between Neridah and the leaf-brooch. After a long tense moment, he says "Pfft," lifting his tail and making a show of walking away as if disinterested.
He notices everycreature has more or less gathered at the forge. He moves to follow. He doesn't enter, just pokes his head in.
"Hallooo, what say we make tracks soon? Burning daylight." He tries not to sound worried.
No.735114
>>735101Satisfied in turning over the upstairs area, the sorceress takes her new dagger and makes her way out of the forge.
No.735125
>>735101I nod. Well, that's good enough for now. I grab each of the fish and use the hook from my pole to string them through the gills and throw them over my shoulder. Bunching up the net, I start to head back, stop, look back down at the net, and instead stop near the log.
Tucking the net back where I found it, I give a quick nod. Hope it helps the next person too. I can always make one down the line.
Adjusting the fish over my shoulder, I make my way back to the ghost town.
No.735129
>>735125[1d10+3]
Roll #1 10 + 3 = 13 No.735131
>>735109Kothbiro looks the blade over as you depart. "I'm not sure that's a real sword," she comments with a slight smirk. "More of a letter opener. Now this is a proper sword." She moves to show off with a greatsword leaning against the wall, only to have it crumble to rust. She just frowns and follows you out.
>>735109"Two heads?" she parrots with slight bewilderment, but shrugs it off.
You can't make head or tail of this place. It's obviously used for something, but not anything you've seen before. Kothbiro notices you curiousing about. "This is a forge," she says patiently. "For making things out of metal. Weapons, armor, tools, anything. They don't craft with metal where you're from?"
>>735113She snatches it up jealously and starts making a point of wearing it on her traveling cloak.
Kothbiro is already on her way out, following behind Sunbeam. She nods to you. "Think we've found about everything we can here. More than I expected to find." She opens her side satchel to show off the ingots she found. You catch the briefest glimpse of the Heart of the Sun still in the bag before she snaps it shut promptly.
>>735114You exit the forge with everyone else, including Kalidan and Neridah, the latter of which is sporting a fancy little clasp on her cloak.
>>735125You string up the trout and tuck the net neatly back where you found it before heading back towards the abandoned town. You see the rest of them on the outskirts of it, near a long dormant forge.
>>735129As you make your way towards the town, you hear something rustling in the tall grass. Turning to investigate would reveal nothing but snapped twigs, and a few coarse brown hairs, like those of a wolf. No sign of the perpetrator.>>735108>>735109>>735113>>735114You gather outside the forge, ready to head off. Neridah does a head count. Thungr still hasn't come back yet. "Hm. Any idea where he went?"
"Maybe he tripped on a rock and broke his neck," Kothbiro suggests.
"Well that's… morbid."
No.735134
>>735131"Stone kill, wood kill. Why more? Waste time not hunt. Some tribe like steal though. Like pony tool."
At the mention of Thungr being missing, he checks the room, looking under some of the nearby tables. "He not here."
No.735138
>>735131I meet back up with the group and take a brief look around. Guess they ain't runned into any ghosts. Squinting, I look up at the sky to get a general idea of the time.
No.735142
>>735131The big cat does his best to pretend not to notice the great gem in Kothbiro's pack. He clears his throat. "Nice ingots."
>>735138"Oh there you are." He notices the line of fish over the Minotaur's shoulder. He licks his (own) lips. "Need any help with that?"
No.735144
>>735142I shake my head. Wish the dern cat would calm down. Ain't like I ain't gonna share.
No.735148
>>735131"Likely he ssaw little usse in ssearching overgrown ruinss. All the better to ssave the spoilss for me." replies the sorceress, showing off her obsidian knife.
"Now, we musst be off while there iss light left to travel. I believe we chosse the hillss, correct?"
No.735153
>>735131"Now it is not." Sunbeam says simply.
>>735148"This travel is over? I expected… more?" She says, refering to the little detour into the village.
No.735156
>>735134"You can make anything from steel," she says firmly. "Not so for stone or wood. Take this." She shows off her weapon of choice, a long-hilted, double headed battle axe. It glints in the sunlight slightly. You see it has some runes on its head in a language you don't recognize. "Can your tribe make anything as fine as this?" she boasts.
Neridah does a little double take at your search. "…So he isn't. Thanks."
>>735142"Aye. Not sure what I should have made with them yet. I'm thinking a shield of some sort. Or maybe a pauldron. What do you think?"
>>735142Neridah admires the kris. "That's a fancy one," she remarks. "Looks a bit brittle though, but you could do some nasty damage with a blade like that. Nice find. I'd have joined you guys looking for new weapons, but I'm good with Joyeuse here." She taps the greatsword sheathed on her back with affection.
>>735138Kothbiro glances at you as you approach from the tall grass. "Oh. You're not dead. That's good." She admires the fish you caught, while Neridah just stares hungrily. "Good hunting out there I see. Not much to look at in this place, but I did find a little knick knack at least." She taps the little leaf brooch on her cloak.
It's afternoon right now, about 2pm. Still plenty of daylight left to cover ground.
>>735153"Unless you'd rather dance with whatever horrible thing's in that building," says Neridah, "I reckon we're done here. Good little detour, I guess."
>>735148>>735138>>735149>>735142>>735153"If we hurry," Kothbiro remarks, reading Thungr's thoughts, "we might be able to reach the outskirts of Galatian by nightfall. But we won't reach the city by then. About half a day's march till we're there. Maybe more, depending on the terrain. Our journey's almost over."
"Hard to believe it's been less than a week," Neridah comments, folding her arms. "Feels like we've been on the road for months." She takes initiative and starts walking out of town, with no real direction in mind. "What do you reckon will happen to this little fellowship when we get there?" she asks, hoping to make some conversation to pass the time.
No.735160
>>735156"I do not know if the old ones were good dancers." She says with a slight giggle.
She ponders Neridah's comment for a moment.
"I do not know what I will do. I am trying to think in… uh… the not very far future. I am only planning until the next sunset it seems."
No.735161
>>735156I grunt and turn back toward the way outta town. Course I ain't dead. They was probably in more danger here than I was at the crick.
Before we leave I go ahead and gut the fish both to lighten the load some and so I don't gotta bury it when we set up camp.
No.735162
>>735156"Why make?" Noghu asks again, "Can take if want. Spend time get food, live longer, take more."
Noghu shakes his head, "No, only feel like days."
No.735163
>>735156Kalidan replies to Kothbiro. "Shields are always nice! Though, I suppose it would depend on how you use it." He taps his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps some gauntlets. Protect your hooves, add some weight to your punches."
In response to Neridah's wistful pondering, Kalidan stretches as he walks. "I have no big plans, the last adventure I was on kinda fell through. I'm really just looking for the next big thing."
He prods Kothbiro. "You said your boss might have some work for us, right?"
He stops, squints, looks around. "You sure you know where we're going?"
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.735164
>>735156"My planss have not changed." States the sorceress. "I intend to align mysself with sstyr thenn, through him with luck I will have the ressources to further grow my sspell masstery."
"A humble beginning, but a necesssary sstep to be ssure."
No.735165
>>735160She nods thoughtfully. "I'm like that as well I suppose. Assuming you guys don't go and join her lot, I'm sure we could find reasons to stick together. I think we make a pretty good team!" Kothbiro looks annoyed as being dismissed as "her lot", but bites her tongue.
>>735161You clean the fish with expertise. Much lighter now. Neridah looks a bit offended at being ignored.
>>735162"You tend to live even longer if you make friends instead of fighting everyone for scraps you can get yourself," Kothbiro points out dryly.
>>735163"Gauntlets would be good too," she muses. "A bit more cumbersome, though."
She nods. "I'm sure you'll be able to serve his goals well. His conquest will go much easier with people like you all on our side. Not like those upstart rebels we ran afoul of." She looks sour at the memory of the three hunters.
"Of course I do!" Neridah says boastfully. "It's this way!" She proceeds to go in the same direction you've just figured out, definitely not following you.
>>735164Kothbiro nods in approval in the background.
"Galatian's a big place," Neridah points out. "Who says you'll need him to advance your fancy knowledges and all that? He sounds like more the military type, not the sort to be dabbling in black arts like you."
>pausing No.735166
>>735165"Could taken axe three time, more if want. You not do good at live long, unless being near Noghu is plan for rest of life." Noghu muses, giving a toothy grin.
No.735623
>>735165I briefly glance over my shoulder at the lady cat. "Nice leaf," I mumble. Hoisting the fish back over my shoulder -now way easier to carry-
I set back out on the trail, and my brow knits as I lose myself in my thoughts. Probably gonna set up a smoker when we get back to camp so the last of the fish don't go bad after we split the first couple tonight. Long as we don't get held up too bad seems like we'll make good time. Least we're almost there. Seems like
somethin is followin us. Maybe one'a the dog savages. Maybe the wolves. Ain't too sure. I let out a long, low sigh and shake my head. Least we're almost there.
No.735639
>>735165"Our companionship I value, yes. But I cannot forget my quest. Well… that is… as soon as I discover what I am doing next."
She says, somewhat upset with her lack of direction currently
No.735656
>>735165"Hmm.. perhapss. Once we have entered the city, I will ssee for mysself what can be done to further my magic. For now, it iss ssomething to conssider."
No.735674
>>735166"But you didn't take it. In fact you could've just slit our throats and run off with our belongings by now. But instead you're helping us. What does that say about you? Hm?"
>>735623"Thanks, I stole it myself," she quips.
>>735639"I wouldn't worry about it too much," she says offhandedly. "I try not to overthink my plans much myself. Never goes right if you do, y'know?"
>>735166>>735623>>735639>>735656You leave the village behind you and press on. The next day or so consists mainly of travel; it rains a little that night, but not enough to be a nuisance. You think you see the wolves again atop a hill, but the silhouette blends into the surroundings before you can get a good look.
Before long, you begin to see more signs of civilization as you get closer and closer to Galatian. Tiny hamlets dot the rather arid landscape in this region, hardly enough to stop to explore. Greenery becomes more scarce, little more than a few saplings or bushes here and there. The atmosphere is dry, and the weather is mostly temperate, with flares of heat around midday.
At last, the city is in sight. You follow a dirt road leading up to the great sandstone walls of Galatian. A great archway marks the entrance, decorated with an ornate bas relief, and the city's skyline is dotted by great square towers of brick and stone. It is built atop a great hill, overlooking a lake. At the top of the hill, seeming to preside over everything below, is an ancient castle.
The road you travel is lively, dotted with caravans of traders and farmers coming to and from the great city. The population consist largely of horses, in lieu of ponies, large enough to meet Thungr eye to eye. Camels are not uncommon as well, as are Dogs, felids and saurians.
You notice the presence of a faction of varied races on the road to Galatian, mixing with the other travelers. These figures are clad in a maroon and black uniform, faces concealed behind dark helmets with cloth veils. They are carrying weapons openly.
Kothbiro seems relieved at the sight of these warriors. "Soldiers of Thenn," she points out with a soft smile. "My master's hold on these lands has not wavered."
Neridah just seems glad to be close to civilization again. "Finally! It's been too long since I saw other people. Hope we get to stay here a while."
No.735678
>>735674Sunbeam wavers slightly when she notices the guards strange uniforms. Something about the intimidating visage combined with the masked identities puts Sunbeam far off, almost walking directly into a horse along the path.
Flustered and stumbling along she speaks up "There are… so many individuals. How can so many different species live in harmony?"
She stops there for a moment, then adds:
"Ah, what seems like harmony. Something about those… same-dressed ones… frighten me."
No.735687
>>735674I shoot the lady cat a small smile and chuckle. Stole it herself. That was funny.
>>735674As we enter the town I try to pull my shoulders in a little. When I notice how huge these horses are, though, I'm a little less worried about knockin someone over. "We gonna get paid?" I ask the zebra. If we're not gonna go straight to her boss I'm gonna go try to sell some of this stuff and resupply.
No.735692
>>735674"Pick my fights." Noghu answers simply, not exactly able to think over the moral or philosophical inclinations of his own actions.
on approaching it, Noghu slinks carefully, spear held at all times, "Many fighters, ambush likely."
No.735704
>>735674"Ah, civilization at lasst! And sso well protected too." says the sorceress, eying the guards wandering the street.
>>735678"Frighten? Good. They will frighten thosse who would raid the city more."
"You have sseen the alternative, the village left in flamess. A cruel world requiress a crueler claw to tame it."
No.736168
>>735674Kalidan watches the travelers and their steeds pass by with a curious look. When none of them are around to hear, he leans in close to Neridah. "Think any of these guys have anything worth plucking?" He wiggles his kitty eyebrows and makes a plucking motion with his agile front paws.
Catching sight of the castle, he blinks a couple times. "Now THATS gotta be where the good stuff is."He coughs as the guards pass by, trying his best to pretend to not have been considering aloud the prospect of royal appropriation.
>>735704"A cruel claw leaves much room for a smaller, pilfering claw to clutch." His eyes gleam at the perceived 'riches' of the city.
No.736180
>>735687"Of course," she says matter of factly. "I'll just have to see about locating him first."
>>735692"Only if you pick a fight," says Kothbiro. "Which he probably will," Neridah adds, looking amused at your precaution. Holding your spear close gets you dirty looks from the Thenn soldiers. You feel their eyes on you at all times.
>>736168"It's not these guys I'm thinking about," she answers back, out of Kothbiro's earshot. She shoots a glance at the zebra, hanging back a bit. "If we're gonna go for it," she says conspiratorially, "the window's closing fast. She's gonna go to her boss any minute now and then we're done. No gem, no nothing."
Kothbiro notices you lagging behind. "You coming?" she calls.
>>736168>>735704>>735692>>735687>>735678You press on. Your arduous travel through the wilderness has taken somewhat of a toll on your appearance; you are painfully aware of how scruffy and out of place you look next to the others on the road.
As you near the great archway leading into the city, Kothbiro splits up and starts talking to one of the guards, returning to your group after a moment, looking a bit sour. "Bad news. Styr Thenn's moved on without us. He established a garrison then went east. …It's not all bad though. I'll just have to speak to the one he left in charge of the city. I don't like him much, but it's better than having to leave immediately."
"In the meantime. We should get ourselves established. Or rather, you should. Food, drink, shelter, supplies, all that sort of thing. We should see about hiring rooms for you all first. I'll be welcomed up in yonder castle myself."
No.736187
>>736180I shake my head and grumble. Course we gotta wait. Well, won't hurt none to go ahead and sell the gems and statue and look around a bit. I turn around and walk away in search of some kind of shop or merchant gatherin place or somethin.
[1d10]Navigation
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.736189
>>736180"Hmm, more wandering in our future, it sseemss. No matter."
"You musst have ssome familiarity with thiss city, where might we find lodging?" the sorceress asks Kothbiro.
No.736191
>>736180"Too many pony to hunt, how find food?" Noghu scowls, "No cave either, too flat. Maybe fish in lake?"
[1d10] nav
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.736197
>>736180Kalidan nods at Neridah's surreptitious suggestion, but does not offer a verbal reply. He seems to sink into his own thoughtful repose as he walks alongside, but never quite part of, the group.
As Kothbiro returns from talking with the guard and delivering her speech, Kalidan pipes up. "I'm assuming all this will, of course, be paid for, by our illustrious host? After completing such an arduous task, certain amenities are to be assumed complimentary, of course." His attempt to put on airs is punctuated by his constant sidelong glances, sizing up any potential threats or opportunities. He licks his lips hungrily as he eyes a particularly vulnerable-looking group of travelers departing down the trail.
He sidles over to Neridah. "Big boss isn't here. Does that mean we'll have more opportunities for you-know-what?" He tries not to look at Kothbiro's pack, somewhat unsuccessfully.
No.736199
>>736180"Ah, I was so used to our camping out I forgot about typical living."
She says, searching for an establishment welcoming of a tall foreign dragon.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.736202
>>736197>>736180Kalidan scans the passerbys for a possible victim of his own fuzzy brand of petty larceny.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.736214
>>736189>>736180[1d10] navigation
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.736215
>>736187>>736189>>736191>>736197>>736199The streets of Galatian are spacious, yet crowded simultaneously. Citizens and visitors alike travel in large, cramped crowds through the streets, bustling from here to there. Thenn soldiers are commonplace, the garrison having replaced the previous guards, standing ominously on every street corner or patrolling the crowds in twos or threes. It seems that there are street performers, merchants, beggars and foreign emissaries on every corner of the bustling city, soliciting anyone who passes by for a moment of their time. As outsiders, you are prime targets for this, and you find yourselves being jostled to buy the latest groceries, watch an exotic fire eating show, or donate alms to the local church on multiple occasions. You can barely hear yourselves think in this thriving town.
"Looks like it's doing well for itself," Neridah comments. "How long has Styr Thenn held this place for?"
"Two months or so," Kothbiro replies. "It's not the first to bend the knee to him. Nor will it be the last."
The architecture consists mainly of sandstone, with many of the buildings rising up in spires, or being squat, dome-like structures. Greenery is not uncommon, consisting largely of palm trees and shrubs common to arid regions of the world. Feels homely for Vajra more than anyone else.
>>736187>>736199>>736189Amidst the hustle and bustle of Galatian, you find yourselves getting pushed and shoved inadvertently by the crowd, eventually getting completely split up from the others. It doesn't take you long to realize you're completely lost; no sign of any familiar faces in this part of town. You're near a circular fountain depicting some sort of seapony, decorated by bushes. There's a large colisseum-shaped building nearby that seems to draw quite a crowd, as well as a few squat, square buildings that seem to be residential areas. You can't see your companions anywhere.
>>736189"There's plenty of taverns and inns in town," she replies offhandedly. "As well as brothels, if it please you. I haven't been here in some time, so I can't remember any specifics, unfortunately."
>>736191You find nothing to hunt, nor any fish, nor any caves. You do, however, smell food. When in doubt, always follow your nose.
>>736197"Maybe," says Kothbiro. "You might be compensated if I manage to talk my superiors into it. We'll see."
Neridah just shrugs at your question.
You spot several wealthy looking individuals on the streets, but even more guards. Your rather unkempt appearance after your travels seems to attract a bit of attention.
>>736191>>736202Noghu seems to have smelled something and starts moving pointedly in one direction. You follow him, for lack of more direction, and come to what looks like some sort of inn. The name above the stone doorway is in a language none of you can read - save, apparently, for Neridah. "'Nadeem's'," she translates. "Looks like we can rent rooms here. Don't have much money on hand though, do we?…"
You notice that you seem to have lost Sunbeam, Vajra and Thungr amidst the crowds.
No.736221
>>736215Noghu gestures to the building, proud of his discovery, "Wait for sleep, then take food?"
No.736222
>>736215Sunbeam is enamored with the statue of the seapony, speaking to herself as she approaches it.
"It is… so fascinating…"
She looks around for any indication of who or what this is depicting.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.736228
>>736215shoved along, the sorceress hissses in annoyance, considering making room with she-bear but deciding against it, finally breaking away to the circular fountain.
"Ssands-touched crowdss.. where have we been dissgorged?"
Glaring, the sorceress slithers towards the residential area, eying the buildings for any sign of an inn.
[1d10] perception
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.736230
>>736215>>736191The larcenous cat begins to notice that his glances go not unnoticed by the passerbys, who clutch their purses closer to them and glare as they avoid his presence. He looks down at his dusty complexion, making his sleek chocolate-black fur look a matted brownish gray. He winces. "Better find somewhere to clean up real nice, real quick."
They arrive at the inn. "Nadeems, huh?" The cat gives the impression of making some sort of approximation. After a moment, he turns to Kothbiro.
"You think we'd have proper accomodations here? Something Styr Thenn would appreciate his best agents enjoying?"
He looks for a better place to compare this joint to, or any reason to complain in general.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.736237
>>736215I grit my teeth at the sound of the hustle and bustle or the city. For a little bit I just stand and stare at the statue, needin a breath for a second. Finally, I shake my head, turn around, and look around. Gotta be
somethin to tell me where to go.
[1d10+3]Perception
Roll #1 9 + 3 = 12 No.736246
>>736221"…That… That's not how this works. That's not how any of this works!" says Kothbiro in genuine exasperation, as Neridah stifles a laugh in the background. "Just… try to behave yourself and don't touch anything. Or talk to anyone. Or stare. Or do anything."
>>736222There is a name plate, but it doesn't seem to be in a language you can read, unfortunately.
>>736228It seems to just be houses, patrolled by dutiful city guards.
>>736230She shrugs. "I don't know this place, I've only been here once before. And briefly. Seems as good a place as any though."
You spot another inn nearby, but it looks a bit raggedy. Not much more than a hovel. It garners considerably less attention, but it's probably cheaper.
>>736222>>736228>>736237Thungr catches the eye of one of the guards on duty, a mean looking, musclebound lizard saurian. "You lost, drifters?" she asks, her voice muffled slightly by the helmet.
No.736247
>>736246Kalidan points to the other, seedier looking inn. "That's not the kind of place we want to be staying at. This joint," he gestures to Nadeem's, "seems a little more like the kind of place that the Styr would feel comfortable covering our stay." He shows his pointy teeth in a gesture of amicability.
No.736249
>>736246I grunt and slowly nod. "Sell and buy," I mumble, only realizing I might sound a little dumb
after the words leave my mouth.
No.736251
>>736246"Ah, I think we are, scalekin."
She says, apprehensive but apologetic.
No.736252
>>736246"Yess, we are in need of lodging but lack directionss. Perhapss you know ssuch a place?"
No.736256
>>736246Noghu grumbles with a soft '
RRrrr', staying put for now. "Strangeness… Rather be hunting."
No.736269
>>736247"…Are you done talking, or are you gonna stand around all day?" says Kothbiro, clearly impatient.
>>736256>>736247You enter the inn. It's a ritzy looking place, seemingly only just having opened for the day. Not many people around. The decor is quite nice, with red curtains and exotic paintings lining the walls and windows. At the counter is a young, bored looking Saddle Arabian mare, who perks up as you enter, greeting you with a friendly smile. "Hello, travelers! What can I do for you all?"
>>736251>>736249>>736252She gives Thungr a weird look, about to say something in return, but as Sunbeam and Vajra explain themselves better, she nods. "There's a general goods store a few blocks down that way. Look for the cow statue out front. Otherwise, up near the castle is the gathering place for the local Huntsmen's Guild. For accommodation, over that way you'll find Nadeem's Inn, as well as the Old Peculiar."
No.736272
>>736269I turn and head in the direction the guard pointed, keeping an eye out for the cow.
No.736273
>>736269"Ah, sorry for the minotaur. He is… charmingly distant."
As Thungr turns away, she speaks to Vajra
"Where shall we head, scalekin? Follow him?"
No.736278
>>736269Noghu opens his mouth to ask where the hunting grounds, but he remembers Kothbiro's words as if they were only minutes ago. He instead decides to investigate the strange cave art lined with wood on the walls.
[1d10] art analysis
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.736279
>>736273"Hmm.. perhapss we sshould ssecure a room firsst. I'm certain he will meet uss there."
>>736269Heeding the advice of the saurian, the sorceress begins to make her way in the direction of the inn, the she-bear plodding along, claws clacking against the street stones.
[1d10] Navigation
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.736282
>>736269Kalidan looks around, nodding in approval. He meets eyes with the front desk pony as she states her greeting.
"Howdy, new friend!" He sticks a weatherbeaten and quite dusty paw out for greeting over the counter. Whether it is met or not, he continues. "My friends and I are kind of a big deal," he begins humbly. "We've been on a long hike, and we've got another journey coming up if we're to catch up with the Styr." He pauses to let the gravity of his casual namedrop sink in.
"We've been really roughing it on the trail. You know what I mean?" He eyes Neridah disdainfully. "REEEAALLY roughing it. So, I heard tell that there might be certain establishments nearby that might pertain to, yknow, certain nighttime activities? If you catch my drift."
Kalidan has winked so many times during this speech that it's likely the Arabian has at least caught his draft.
He nudges Kothbiro. "Your boss should be paying for that too, right? We can't be expected to adventure without proper companionship, after all."
No.736297
>>736272It's not hard to find. There's a rather ugly stone statue of a cow outside the shop for unexplained reasons. Passersby don't seem bothered by it, giving the cow a wide berth. The store even has the same cow as a logo, proudly displayed above the door.
Inside the dome shaped building, the store seems rather small and homely, with a handful of wooden shelves with a variety of items and provisions for sale. As you enter, an older Saddle Arabian mare comes bustling over from the back room. "Hello, hello!" she says cordially. "Sorry, traveler, you caught me off guard. You'll find nothing but the finest wares here. How can I help you?"
>>736279The guards stare at you with suspicion, and the others give you a wide berth as you traverse the streets, heading towards the inn. It takes a while to find it, but you manage eventually, after pausing to ask for more directions. See
>>736269 for a description.
>>736278You examine one of the paintings. It depicts a pretty mare sitting on a stone floor, dressed in desert robes. She is playing a tambourine.
>>736282She seems charmed by your verbosity, if rather taken aback. She returns the handshake with a bit of reluctance. She looks a bit overwhelmed. "Styr isn't a title," you're vaguely aware of Kothbiro griping in the background.
"Well, you've come to the right place!" she says. "Nadeem's Inn is the finest in Galatian. We have rooms for travelers like yourselves, only 60 bits a night."
"I said," Kothbiro reiterates through gritted teeth, "we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
"Oh, m-my name's Amari, by the way," the barmaid says happily. "Always glad to meet someone new in town! I'm sure my mother would be glad to as well. …Er, sorry. Are you interested in a room then, or…?"
>>736282>>736278>>736279Vajra enters the inn. The young barmaid at the counter seems a little offput by the giant skeleton bear. "Er, sorry ma'am, we don't allow pets inside…"
No.736299
>>736297Sunbeam looks around with wonder as she enters, glancing over at Noghu and his painting before walking over to Vajra and the barmaid
"Ah, it is not a bother. I used to think that too." She says, smiling at the barmaid.
No.736300
>>736297I pull my pack off my back and set the box of gems, silver mirror, gem belt, sword, and brass lizard on the counter, keeping the puzzlebox for myself. "How much?"
No.736305
>>736297Noghu turns his head to Kothbiro, whispering and pointing to the painting, "
How they make pony so small?"
No.736310
>>736297the sorceress fixes the barmaid with a serpentine glare, before following her eyes to the she-bear
"Hmm.. very well. Iss there a sstable to leave her nearby?"
the sorceress then notices Kothbiro standing nearby, slithering over to lean in, lowering her voice.
"Excellent timing, Kothbiro. Do you have the meanss to help uss pay for the roomss? I.. have chossen to travel light, and lack the coin.." she trails off, looking away.
No.736312
>>736282In response to your not so subtle inquiry, she blushes a little. "Oh… Um… I'm not sure, actually. Sorry. This isn't that sort of establishment."
No.736314
>>736297>>736312Kalidan, leaning on the counter, gestures with one paw, as in at the audacity of the counter girl. He turns to her in exasperation. "Look Amari, and simply lovely to meet you by the way, you look stunning, darling, Amari, you must know that Mr. Thenn expects a certain level of hospitality for his charter." He casts a glance back at the rest of the group, then turns to engage Amari. He smiles. "I understand that not everything is within your reach, but I am sure that your employer would be pleased to see that you equip us, representatives of your mighty Styr, with the best rooms possible." He wiggles his eyebrows most profusely for effect.
Persuade [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.736327
>>736299She looks a bit perplexed, backing away a little from the group, clearly intimidated by the skeleton bear. "O-oh… Okay then. …It's just against house policy to…"
>>736300She blinks as a rather grubby minotaur presents glittering gold, trinkets and baubles, paid for (most likely) in blood. She looks a bit more businesslike. "…Well… we don't deal in weapons here, so I can't help you with those. The box of gems is too far out of my area, you'd have to see the jeweler up near town hall. As for the rest, though, I'd value at around 600 bits. How does that sound?"
>>736305"Hm? I told you not to… Wait. What? That's not… You know what, never mind."
>>736310"Yes, just outside the city gates. Sorry for the inconvenience, we just… can't really have… that… here. Sorry. …Please don't hurt me."
You catch her attention. "Hrm. I could pitch in, as a favor. How much do you need?"
>>736314She blinks, fiddling with the drawers before pulling out a keyring "W-well, all our rooms are more or less the same," she admits, "but they're all extremely good! Each room, has three beds, and…" She loses her train of though.
>>736314>>736310>>736305>>736299Neridah decides to cut the chitchat. "Dibs my own room," she announces, forking over a large sum of coin she's been carrying this whole time. She is rewarded with a key, and immediately vanishes up the stairs. Kothbiro blinks, then turns to address the rest of you. "I'll extend my offer to Vajra to the rest of you, I suppose. If you need money for rooms, I can lend you some.
Lend," she stresses.
No.736333
>>736327I fold the box of gems and sword back into my pack and sling it over my shoulders. Looking down at the stuff, I go to nod, but stop. "Gonna use some of it here." I step away from the counter and look around at the rations and camping supplies. Specifically a canvas tarp, a proper pack, new rope, medical supplies, and a cast iron skillet. Everything I have right now was supposed to be temporary. Be nice to have some proper supplies, and this crude pack frame is getting mighty uncomfortable.
No.736336
>>736327Noghu turns his head at the concept of staying here, "Will find cave. Maybe make. Pony cave need more tunnels."
No.736337
>>736327Kalidan flashes his razor-sharp pearly whites as he eyes the keyring, as well as the location it's kept, with a keen eye. Continuing to grin, he looks sidelong at Kothbiro, and back to the front desk girl.
"Amari, you are wonderful. Thank you very much. Do you happen to know, by the by, if there is a room with some kind of balcony? Roof access would be preferred."
No.736339
>>736327"There is… currency of this land. I only have coin of my land." She says, pulling a few small coins from her satchel, each with varyingly ornate flowers on them. "I am sure you do not want these."
She turns to Kothbiro. "Perhaps a debt would be in order."
>>736336"Or that would work."
No.736340
>>736327"Outsside the gatess?! You expect me to force my way through the crowdss to appeasse your ruless?"
"My minion iss under my complete control, you are more likely to have trouble with the other guestss than with me." She adds with a huff. The she-bear merely stares at her with eyeless sockets, sitting on its bony haunches near the sorceress.
[1d10] persuasion
"Loathe am I to be indebted to any creature, but ssixty bitss cannot be that difficult to repay. Very well.. your offer iss.. appreciated." She replies, struggling with the words as she addresses kothbiro's offer.
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.736342
>>736333You pick up all the new gear you want to grab. She looks it over, craning her neck a little with caution as you go through her supplies. "Alright. All this in total will come to 150 bits." She subtracts the amount, takes the remaining treasures and passes you 450 in return.
>>736336"There's no caves here," Kothbiro says dumbfoundedly. "Have you NEVER been in a room before?"
>>736337"Sure! Last room on the left at the end of the hall." She fondles the key and waits to receive payment.
>>736339She looks interested. "Oh! Those are pretty. I, uh, don't think we can take them, though."
>>736340She quails a little. "I-I'm sure he's very well trained! It's more an issue of s-space… It's not really up to me…" She looks very much frightened of the skeletal minion.
>>736337>>736336>>736339>>736340Kothbiro rolls her eyes and thumps a bag of coins on the table dramatically. Realizing the perceived intent, she quickly takes it back and counts out the coin for the rooms. Amari happily takes it and passes you two keys. "Just the two rooms at the far end of the hallway!" she says cheerily. "If you need anything else, I'm always here."
Kothbiro turns to you. "120 bits by tomorrow," she says sternly. "Or I'll call off the meeting with Thenn. For now, I'm going to go to the castle and speak to my people about what's been happening. You'd do best to find a way to pay that off." With a stiff little nod, she turns tail and leaves you all to your own devices, exiting the inn.
No.736344
>>736342I pack all my stuff awaybin the bag, leaving the wooden pack frame leaning against the counter. My axe hangs on one side, my pan hangs on the other, and the two javelins I have left I manage to hitch to the back. As I sling it over my shoulders the comfort is immediately apparent compared to the frame, and even though I have a bit more weight with the pack, tarp, and pan it'll be way more comfortable to carry.
I gather up my bits and slip them into one of my pouches. "Thanks," I mumble. Without another word, I turn around and leave the store and look around for any sign of the town hall so I can find the jeweler.
[1d10+3]Perception
Roll #1 4 + 3 = 7 No.736345
>>736344"…You too," is all the shopkeeper can think to say, clearly weirded out by you.
It doesn't take long to find the town hall. It's right in the center of town, in a long, oval building with a courtyard of flowering desert bushes. There appears to be some sort of priest holding an outdoors sermon nearby.
You move past him towards a rather fancy looking store with an image of a diamond on it. The store is bright, with ornate glass cabinets showcasing jewelry of all shapes and sizes, tagged with obscene price tags. The jeweler at the counter, a very tall beanpole of a Dog, blinks as you enter. "Can I… help you?…"
No.736346
>>736345I shrug my pack off, pull the box of gems and the sword out of it, and set them on the counter. "How much?"
No.736347
>>736346He blinks, recoiling a bit at the sight of you, but looking more surprised as you reveal the riches. "Oh… Hm. Welcome, sir. Allow me…"
He examines the gems one by one. "These are quite valuable. I haven't seen much like this before." He pauses for a while, thinking it over. "I'll give you 200 bits for them," he says finally.
No.736348
>>736347I nod, cock an eyebrow, and point at the sword.
No.736349
>>736348He looks confused. "This is a jewelers', not an armor," he says, enunciating slowly as if speaking to a foreigner. "Go see Blacksmith Nanssen down by the market square if you're looking to sell that."
No.736350
>>736348Also ain't too sure about 200 bits. Got way more for the stuff at the last place. I fix the dog with a glare, tryin to figure out if he's lyin or not.
[1d10]
Picking up the sword, I flip it upside down and point at the onyx on the pommel. "That ain't a gem?" Guess I got other stop after this.
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.736351
>>736350He backs away slightly as you stare at him and grab the sword, swallowing and examining the pommel. "…400 total. F-final offer." He does his best to stand firm on that.
No.736352
>>736351I nod. Sounds like a good deal. Means I came outta this with 1000 bits. Ain't bad. I set the sword back on the counter. "Deal. Thanks."
No.736353
>>736352He doesn't take his eyes off you as he unscrews the pommel and pops the gem out after a bit of finagling, handing it back to you. "Pleasure doing business with you."
+1000 bits total
You double back and start heading towards the market district, eventually coming across what you assume is Nanssen's forge. The titular Nanssen could be your twin; he is a mountain of a minotaur beneath a flowing beard and mane, with beady eyes hidden under bushy brows and powerful downward curving horns. He is beating a sword into shape as you approach, pausing in his work to regard you silently. He cocks an eyebrow.
No.736354
>>736353I pull out the sword and hold it with the tip facing toward the ground. Stepping just a little closer, I cock an eyebrow back and hold it out.
No.736355
>>736354He takes the sword, examines it, and takes a step back, giving it a few good swings at empty air to test its weight. After a beat, he gives a soft grunt of satisfaction, putting it aside and producing a small bag of coin. Seems to be about 75 bits. He nods and offers it to you.
No.736356
>>736355I take the bits, heft it a bit, grunt, and nod. Didn't seem like the sword was much account. More than I expected from it. Tucking the bits away with the rest of my profits, I turn and leave to look for a tavern.
No.736357
>>736356Nanssen replies with a grunt and nod of his own, and returns to forging the sword he was working on.
Satisfied with your earnings, you look for a tavern. Though you can't read any of the signs, you manage to find one after a bit of prying. It looks a bit posh for your liking, but it's better than no tavern. You find the others already inside, seemingly sorting out lodging with a nervous looking mare. She freezes a little as you enter, too overwhelmed by everyone else to even greet a new customer.
No.736671
>>736357I lumber up to the bar and try to find a bar stool. "Cheapest rotgut you got," I mumble to the mare. "Shine if you got any, but anytin'll do. How much yall's first, second, and third most expensive whiskey?"
No.736673
>>736357After a pause I decide to go ahead and ask, "Where's yall's bounty board? Huntin jobs if y'all got any."
No.737292
>>736671>>736673>Changing all that dialogue to"Cheapest liquor. Whiskey list. Huntin jobs."
No.737294
>>736342"Hills have holes, just need to find."
Noghu looks to the others,
>>736340>>736339>>736337"Hunt or take food? Sun still up."
No.737296
>>736342Kalidan takes the key from Amari with a flourish and a very fancy "Thank you oh-so-much, miss Amari! Looking forward to a long and fruitful," he eyes her up and down pointedly, "relationship." He winks one more time and scampers off to leave Kothbiro with the bill.
When he reaches the last room, he carefully locks the door behind him and searches around.
First he looks for any possible hiding places in the room that wouldn't be apparent.
Perception [1d10]
He then checks out the balcony, noting whether there is a lock on it (and if so, leaving it unlocked for later access). He also checks out any adjacent rooftops he might access from said balcony.
Lastly, he mentally charts the route to the nicest looking domicile he can find, maybe a palace or something.
Navigation [1d10]
Once all this is complete, he drops into whatever sleeping arrangements that have been made available and sighs deeply.
Roll #1 2 = 2 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 No.737299
>>736342"Thank you." Sunbeam says, nodding her head to the innkeeper as she takes the key.
Instead of checking her room, she walks back outside, searching for any sort of smith that could evaluate her newfound sword.
[1d10] Navigation
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.737314
>>736342"Sspace, hmm? Very well.. perhapss i can find a ssoultion.."
eyeing the She-Bear for a moment, the sorceress focuses her magic, loosening the bonds of the bones to clatter onto the floor, wisps of cobalt blue indicating the magic still around them.
"Hmm.. that will do. Now, do you have a tablecloth to sspare? I will need ssome meanss of bringing the boness to the room."
Hearing the irate tone Kothbiro badgers her with, Vajra glares at the zebra as she leaves, before hissing to herself.
"Sssnappy, issn't sshe?"
No.737323
>>737292The mare blinks, clearly not having understood you. "E-excuse me?… We are open for business, yes…"
>>737294Kothbiro's about to say something in response, but just shakes her head in disbelief and leaves.
>>737296She blinks and smiles, seeming a bit overwhelmed by everything to say much in response.
>>737314"Er… I suppose so…" She digs around behind the counter before producing a medium blue tablecloth for you to use, trying not to stare at the magic bones littering the floor
>>737294>>737296>>737299>>737314The upstairs rooms are all more or less the same, save for their positions; they have a large double bed, wooden floorboards, a faded old carpet, a bathroom, and some sparse furniture. The standard for any inn. Neridah pokes her head out from her own room. "Booooring," she remarks. "I think I'd have rather slept out in the wilderness. At least that had something going on."
You are aware of Thungr having entered the inn. He seems to be trying to communicate with Amari.
>>737296Most of the houses and buildings are fairly uniform, being made of sandstone or adobe. Galatian seems to be a town built on practicality, rather than extravagance. The castle on the hill at the far end of town seems like the most interesting target, but it's sure to be extremely well guarded.
>>737299You head outside, getting a bit turned around amidst the bustle of Galatian. Eventually, though, you follow your ears, and go right down the road to the blacksmith nearby. He has an outdoor forge, situated next to an armory shop. The blacksmith himself is a hulk of a minotaur, reminding you greatly of Thungr. Massive downward curving horns frame a powerful beard and thick caterpillar eyebrows, beneath which beady eyes survey you with curiosity. He stops in the middle of heating an old cuirass to reforge, waiting for you to state your business with a bit of a grunt.
No.737326
>>737323I rub my eyes with my thumb and forefinger and grumble. Taking a deep breath, I say very slowly, "I would like a bottle of y'all's cheapest liquor. I would like a price list of the whiskey y'all keep. I would like to know the location of y'all's bounty board, iffin it wouldn't be too much trouble."
No.737328
>>737323Given he was ignored by everyone beside the dismissal from Kothbiro, Noghu sets out to find food, looking for sources discarded by these strange peoples.
[1d10] trash huntin
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.737332
>>737323"Ah, greetings. Perhaps you could help me with the appraisal of this sword I have come across?"
She says, presenting the blade she had found earlier.
"I do not have the currency of this land, so I hope it sells well."
No.737333
>>737323Kalidan lounges for a moment in the too-hard bed, then flips himself up and heads out of his room (through the door, leaving the balcony unlocked) with his pack still in hand.
He wanders down to the street, smiling at Amari as he passes, out into the city to find some grub. He looks for any unguarded meats, pies, fruits, pastries, small animals, anything not nailed down, following his nose for some old fashioned grab n go.
Urban "hunting" [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.737336
>>737294"Hmm.. We
could hunt for ssomething outsside the city, though the landss are arid, it will prove difficult."
>>737328>>737323As Noghu wanders off, the sorceress refocuses on the tablecloth the innkeeper provided. Spreading it out on the ground, she takes the time to carefully position the bones on the cloth, folding it into something carryable.
[1d10] Folding
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.737345
>>737326"Er, sure…" She produces a bottle of very cheap rum, valued at 30 bits. "We only have a local whiskey, sorry." She pulls up a bottle of it. It's about 60 bits.
"We don't have a bounty board, but the local Hunters' Guild usually has freelance work available. You could check there," she suggests.
>>737328You slink away and start exploring on your own, coming across a large wooden crate of food behind the inn. Most of it doesn't smell edible, but you do smell some fish worth snatching somewhere within. A passing horse gives you a strange look.
>>737332He takes the blade, handling it gingerly and respectfully, owing to its ancient, delicate nature. He inspects it closely, giving it a few waves. "Not much to it," he says in a deep, gravelly voice. "Best melted down. But I can fix it if that's what you're after."
>>737333Amari is still being accosted by Thungr.
You head to what looks like some sort of bazaar further up on the hill. There seem to be many of the helmeted Thenn guards around, making it difficult to snatch anything unnoticed. You feel like some of them are just waiting for a chance to dispense "justice".
>>737336You manage to make a sort of bindle bag after a bit of finagling, containing the she-bear. Seems you could command her to reassemble and leap out of the bag as a surprise attack if need be.
No.737347
>>737345"Ah, a guild board, you ssay?" pipes in the sorceress, finishing her folding of the bear-bag
"It will be jusst what we need to repay Kothbiro. Where iss thiss guild?"
No.737351
>>737345I count out 90 bits and set them on the counter. "Both," I say.
>-90, 835 bitsH'm. Hunter's guild is perfect. I nod. "Where?"
No.737354
>>737345"Ah, I cannot pay for such. I only have coins of my land, not this one. How many of your coins would I receive for it?"
She says her inflection indicating she's a bit upset to part with the sword.
No.737363
>>737345Stymied by the omnipresence of victim-hungry guards haunting the bazaar, Kalidan attempts to locate the likeliest place to hawk his flawed emerald, in the hopes of acquiring capital to legally purchase (yuck!) some dinner.
No.737369
>>737345Noghu tilts his head towards the horse, digging into the trash can.
[1d10] anything else interesting besides fish
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.737374
>>737347I cock my eyebrow and give the witch a sidlong glance. Repay the zebra? She's the one who owes us. I shake my head and turn my attention back to the bar lady. Doesn't matter.
No.737377
>>737351"Both it is!" She happily counts out your coin in exchange for the booze.
>>737351>>737347"Oh, just up near the old castle." She gestures out the window towards the top of the hill Galatian is built on; at the summit is the castle itself, while surrounding it are a cluster of towers and important looking buildings. She points out one with a triangular, golden roof. "That one over there."
>>737354He looks it over for a while. At first you think he didn't hear you, then he just grunts a disappointing number. "Twelve."
>>737363You spot a jeweler store just past the bazaar. It looks uncharacteristically swanky, with several glass cabinets showcasing jewelery, listed with price tags you could never afford. Behind the counter is a very tall Dog, thin as a rake. "Welcome," says the jeweler. "How can I help you?"
>>737369You find a whole slab of meat in the crate. It looks perfectly edible, only a little dirty.
"Hey!"
Your attention is called by one of the helmed guards, who seems to have been called over by the horse. He advances on you with a wooden club in hand. "You can't be there!" he warns.
No.737379
>>737377"Why?" Noghu says simply, paws full of discarded meat.
No.737382
>>737377Kalidan greets the jeweler with a friendly gesture. "Hail! I've got a gem I'd like to sell." He fishes around in his pack and withdraws the flawed emerald he acquired in the temple some weeks ago. Placing it on the counter, he marvels at the contents of the shop. "Wowee, you sure have some nice pieces here!"
He looks to see if there's anything he might easily slip away, but doesn't act on his larcenous instincts just yet.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.737390
>>737377"Ah…" Sunbeam says, disappointed. "I think I will be keeping it then."
As she turns to leave, she speaks to the minotaur again.
"Is there anything I could help with? I owe a debt to the innkeeper and cannot keep it. I remember some of the smith practices of my homeland, or I could deliver pieces for you." She says, with a slight puppy eyes at the minotaur.
No.737391
>>737390Persuasion [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.737393
>>737377I nod. "Thanks," I say. Standing up, I slip the whiskey and rum into my bag, sling it back over my shoulders, and leave the tavern. Giving the area a brief look around, I try to find the building the barmaid pointed to.
No.737394
>>737377"Interessting.. It would be worth sspeaking with them while we have the chance."
taking the bear-bag with her, Vajra makes note of the surrounding buildings, in order to find the inn later, and slips outside to move towards the Castle and the golden roof.
No.737401
>>737379"Wh-" He looks dumbfounded at your response, but doesn't leave you alone. "Last warning," he says sternly. "Get out. We're watching you, scum."
>>737382While most stuff seems to be kept under lock and key, you do notice the store has a chimney. With a bit of acrobatics, you could break in through there…
He frowns as you look a bit distracted, but takes the gem anyway, examining it. "Hmm. This one's quite something. Not the best condition, but very usable." He places it on the counter. "I'll give you 120 for it."
>>737390>>737391He raises an eyebrow, stroking his beard slightly, thinking what he could have you do. His gaze moves back to the cuirass he was working on, and a lightbulb seems to turn on in his head. Not that you'd know what a lightbulb is.
"Castle's waiting on some swords from me," he grunts. "Got a lot of orders to fill. Almost done with 'em. Would save me some time if you ran the swords up to the barracks there. Do that and I'll see about getting 'round to your blade." He gestures to a nearby wheelbarrow, where you can see a good few dozen swords wrapped neatly up inside. It looks heavy.
>>737393>>737394You start making your way through the dusty streets, heading upwards towards the Huntsmen's Guild. It takes a few minutes, but you reach it in due time; built in the shadow of the castle, the golden hall is an ostentatious building, with horse motifs built into the architecture. The front has a pair of double doors with great knockers, while off to the side appears to be a training yard. You can see a griffon practicing archery there.
You are approached by a wily looking kirin. He has a golden orange coat and a fiery red mane, and is wearing leather armor. "Greetings, travelers!" he says jovially. "I haven't seen you around here before. New in town?"
No.737402
>>737401"Is it yours?" Noghu asks again.
No.737404
>>737401I stare at the kirin for second, let out a low, "Hrmmmm." turn to the door, and try to open it to step into the guild hall.
No.737409
>>737401Kalidan purses his lips, squints his eyes and nods while tapping his chin, a caricature of critical thought. After a moment, he tilts his head, still looking critically at the jeweller.
"150."
Persuasion [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.737411
>>737401"I will do the best I can, thank you, ah.. uhm… I did not get your name."
Sunbeam says, placing her sword down by the smith, and walking over to the wheelbarrow as he answers.
Once she has heard his name she sets off, making her way to the castle barracks with the swords.
[1d10] Navigation
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.737414
>>737401The sorceress regards the Kirin with a quizzical look, Allowing Thungr to push ahead and try the door.
"Indeed. Are you with the guild? We are in need of work, and have heard word that thiss iss the place for it."
No.737418
>>737402"Is it- Why you insolent…!" The guard's heard enough from you, and swings at you with the club for a punitive wallop.
[1d10]
>>737404"…Or not," he says, looking offended.
>>737414"That I am," he confirms, extending a hoof. "The name's Bonfire. Bonfire Night. If you're looking for work, well, this is about the right place. Plenty of small villages that trade with us that have got animal or bandit problems. Check out the board inside!"
>>737404>>737414The interior of the guild hall is, much like most of Galatian, rustic and practical. There are some benches with a dormant fire pit in the center, while the wooden pillars are lined with heads and pelts from wondrous beasts from around the wilderness. There seems to be a downstairs section which leads to guild member barracks. At the far end is what you're after, most likely; a large wooden billboard with some notes pinned to it.
There are a handful of other adventurer looking folk around the hall; a few are watching a pair of Dogs arm wrestle, while a hooded griffon is enjoying a smoke in the corner. A tall, muscular saurian is conversing quietly with a wicked looking ram off to the side. Overall, it's about what you'd expect for a company of hunters.
>>737409He blinks, his expression inscrutable. "…135. Final offer."
>>737411"Nanssen," says Nanssen. "I'm trusting you, dragon."
The wheelbarrow full of weaponry is exceedingly heavy, and slows down your progress considerably, even for someone as well built as you. The journey is long, and arduous, and eventually takes its toll; the wheelbarrow hits a rock and leans to the side, spilling the swords everywhere with a deafening clatter. Guards move out of the way in alarm; you can't help but notice that none of them lift a finger to help you.
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.737423
>>737418I look around for someone I can talk to about actually taking a job, but move straight to the board and try to find a job with a decently high number, but not so high the job is too hard. Maybe four or five hundred.
[1d10+3]Perception if needed
Roll #1 5 + 3 = 8 No.737424
>>737418Noghu steps aside, letting the guard swing into the crate of refuse, "If you want, there more."
No.737428
>>737424The guard crashes headlong into the rubbish, picking himself up indignantly, seething at your perceived slight. "Get him!" he barks, getting the attention of a few other guards. You find yourself outnumbered suddenly as three of them start heading towards you with ill intent.
No.737429
>>737418He makes a sour face, pretending to deliberate internally, then nods, sliding the gem across the counter as if reluctant. "Deal."
"Say," he drawls, leaning nonchalantly as he continues to let his gaze wander across the jeweler's wares. "I'm new here, just passing through Galatian. Anyplace you'd recommend for a bite?"
No.737433
>>737418"I ssee.. Thank you, Bonfire."
nodding to the kirin, Vajra follows Thungr deeper into the guild hall, eyeing the job board with interest.
"Here we are.. Now, what do we have here?"
[1d10] perception(if needed)
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.737434
>>737418As Sunbeam curses at her self in Trakali, she hastily collects all the swords again, putting them neatly into the wheelbarrow. Once she has all twelve again she lifts the wheelbarrow to continue but hesitates…
"Not many kind folk here" She thinks to herself.
She clears her head and continues on, hopefully with this part of the journey going better.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.737436
>>737428Taking the dirty meat in his mouth, Noghu shrugs, "Ofherhed tho sharhe."
Noghu climbs some structures and bounds away, half-good fish impaled on his spear to make it easier to transport as he hardcore parkours.
[1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.737443
>>737423>>737433The job board consists of listings for animals to be hunted:
There's a contract out on a pack of wolves that have been harassing a farm. 50 bits a head.
There's an open contract on bears in the area; their fat and pelts make for valuable resources. 60 per bear.
A pair of creatures known as devilbirds have also been spotted in the area. They are apparently responsible for the death of a griffon. 120 for both of them.
Finally, a rare and mighty beast is known to lurk the nearby canyon; a great reptile, named Harran in the local dialect, has claimed it as its domain. While the beast itself is not the target, its eggs are considered a delicacy. 300 bits per egg.
>>737429"Deal," he echoes, taking the gem and producing the money.
>+135 bits!"Hm." He thinks for a bit. "The bazaar usually has food for sale. Not many dedicated places for that, unless you count some of the local taverns. Nadeem's is the most successful in town, but there are others." He shrugs.
>>737434You gather the swords and press on, filled with determination to get the job done despite the shortcoming. You reach the castle gates, and, after asking for directions, head to one of the towers, which acts as the guard barracks.
You spot a stout looking guard in slightly fancier armor than the rest. Your arrival gets his attention, and he looks you up and down. "You working for Nanssen?" he asks, his voice muffled slightly by the chain veil.
>>737436You grab what you can and skedaddle. The three guards are hot on your trail, tracking you as you clamber up the side of a building like a squirrel and jump from rooftop to rooftop. The chase garners more attention from passing guards and townsfolk, and before you know it there's quite a crowd trying to catch up to you. Seems you'll have to think fast to give them the slip…
No.737444
>>737443Noghu is surprised just how needy for food everyone in the town is given it was just piled in some refuse. He tosses the half-rotten fish into the crowd from his spear, ducking in alleyways.
[1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.737445
>>737443"Yes!" Sunbeam says, exasperated. "Ah, I mean, yes, I am. Do you know where the barracks are? These swords are for there." She says, smiling through her exhaustion.
No.737446
>>737443Kalidan nods his thanks, and without much of an adieu, exits the jeweler's.
He heads to the bazaar to see if he can't slip under the radar of some of the nasty-looking Thenn guards' snoots as he attempts once more to pluck lunch from unsuspecting patrons.
He determines to not be as particular this time, as a low-pitched growl from his abdomen persuades him into lowering his standards… at least one notch.
Urban Forage [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.737447
>>737443H'm… I reach out and pluck the paper worth 120 off the bord and look around. No counter or nothin. I shake my head and sigh. Seems like at least one of em ain't doin somethin I'd interrupt. I walk up to the griffin, hold up the paper, and ask, "Who do I talk to?"
No.737448
>>737443>>737447Watching Thungr pluck the devilbird job from the wall, Vajra follows the minotaur as he searches for direction.
"Ah, an interessting choice of bounty, one that you could usse help with, perhapss?" suggests the sorceress. "It would be a ssimple matter, trapping birdss within a cage of bone. Like sshooting fissh in a barrel."
No.737449
>>737444You hurl the fish right in the instigating guard's face and take advantage of the distraction, hiding inside an empty barrel behind a shop. You peer out and watch several pairs of legs run past, missing you completely. Seems you picked your hiding spot well.
>>737445"You're here," he says bluntly. "I'm the quartermaster for these barracks. Don't worry, we'll take it from here." He calls over some guards to help him, and they proceed to ignore you as they go about unpacking the wheelbarrow.
>>737446There's a bit of a commotion as a couple of guards run past, chasing a familiar Dog as they dash across the rooftops. Some bystanders start rubbernecking, leaving a fishmonger's stall completely unguarded, and an entire mackerel ripe for the taking. A distraction presents itself!
>>737447>>737448You approach the griffon. He blinks as someone approaches him, putting down his pipe. "Hm? Oh, uh, usually you talk to the boss over there, but he's busy at the moment." He points out the saurian talking to the ram. "Might want to talk to Bonfire. He's number 2 around here. He can help get you rookies sorted."
No.737451
>>737448I give the witch a sidelong glance. Splittin 120 bits two ways don't leave me with much, but I guess the 60 from this job would be more than the 30 I'd get if I picked the next lowest paying one. The help wouldn't hurt, but why did it have to be the witch? Gonna end up with bad luck the resta my life. I grunt and give her a halfhearted shrug.
No.737800
>>737449>>737451I rub my eyes with my thumb and forefinger and grumble. There's the bad luck already. I think that was the kirin's name. Shaking my head, I return my attention to the griffin. "Thanks."
Well. Let's get this over with, I guess. I make my way back to the door to look around for the Kirin.
No.737807
>>737449Kalidan allows himself a chuckle as he recognizes Noghu's pursuit, resolving to thank the hyena later. For now, however, there's not a moment to lose as he snatches up a large fish, liberating it from the unguarded stall, and makes his escape into the shadow of a back alleyway.
He is almost swaggering as he makes his way back to Nadeem's with his prize (minus the occasional nibble).
No.737810
>>737449"Oh, that is well." She replies.
As the swords are taken, Sunbeam takes a moment to catch her breath. She thinks to herself, "The people here are so… obvious." She says, not quite sure what word she wanted in either language.
After a moment, she lifts the wheelbarrow and sets back to the blacksmiths.
No.737815
>>737449Nodding to the griffon, Vajra turns to head back outside, searching for Bonfire.
No.737822
>>737800>>737815You find Bonfire leaning against a wooden pillar, lighting up a smoking pipe. He glances up at you as you exit. "Find something that piques your interest in there?" he asks casually.
>>737807You swipe a particularly tasty looking mackerel and slip away before anyone catches on, making your way back to Nadeem's.
"You gonna share that?"
Neridah calls out to you from the roof of the inn. She's perched up there downing what looks like a bottle of wine, almost certainly not paid for. The lump in her satchel suggests she pilfered more than one. She raises it to you in a mock toast, swaggering a little.
>>737810With your errand run, you backtrack to Nanssen's forge, finding him poring over schematics for a helmet. He looks up as you return, nodding in approval as he sees the empty barrow. "Honest work deserves an honest reward," he grunts. He walks over and reaches out slightly to take the sword.
No.737827
>>737822"Yess, the Devilbirdss will make for ssuitable work.. what do you know of thesse creaturess?" asks the sorceress.
"It iss besst to arm oursselvess with knowledge, even for mere birdss."
No.737834
>>737822Kalidan starts a bit at the voice from on high, then relaxes as he sees who it is. He waves the fish, minus one or two bites he has already helped himself to, and deftly scrambles up the edifice to join her on her rooftop perch. He places the fish between them, slicing himself off a hunk of the meat with a long claw.
"Those Thenn guards are kind of a pain, huh? I mean, not too smart, but plenty mean enough. Mind if I just?…" He gestures at the bottle in her paw.
He's thoughtful as they eat. "Speaking of not too smart. Saw our tail-chasing friend leading a romp around the city. Always making friends, that one."
No.737837
>>737822I nod and show him the paper. "Who do I talk to?"
No.737838
>>737822"That I have heard before. You seem like a kind being. Unlike the rest of this city." She says not realizing how cruel it sounds until she continues. "Ah, I did not mean to insult this place, it is nice. Mostly."
No.737846
>>737827>>737837"Well, they're not just birds," he points out. "They're huge, nasty, flightless eagles. Normally they keep to themselves, but something's been driving them closer to us. They've been terrorizing the pig farm, killed a few livestock, and the farmer's daughter. Awful beasts. They're out in the plains, about two hours' march south. You seem like experienced trackers, so I trust it won't be too hard for you."
>>737834She sits down and takes another swig right from the bottle. Somehow, it doesn't seem to be affecting her much. She mumbles thanks and passes you the bottle as she carves off some fish for herself. There's a nice, quiet little moment as you just watch the skyline for a bit, chowing down on fish and wine.
"They're kind of dumbasses," she comments, watching with a frown as a few apprehend a beggar. "Can't say I care much for their lot."
"Yeah, I heard the ruckus," she grins. "Figured only one guy could be responsible for all that."
Another nice silence.
"So. When are we going to act?" She sounds a bit more serious now. "We are still going after this gem, right? You're not gonna back out on me?"
>>737838"Used to be better," he grumbles, giving a passing guard the stink eye. "Damn Thenns came like a storm. Took over the whole town in one night. Things have only gotten worse since."
He shakes his head and takes the sword, examining it again. "Come back at sundown," he says. "I'll have it done by then. Probably."
No.737849
>>737846I nod, gleaning the idea of the job from the witch and the kirin. Hunt some giant, ornery eagles, come back with proof, get paid. Seems like any other guild hall. "Thanks."
Turning around, I decide to head back to the general store to grab some rations, just in case. Probably gonna camp outside town tonight and leave in the morning.
No.737852
>>737846"
Tlasokamati, thank you. If all in Galatian were like you, it would be a better place." She turns to leave, but a question nags her.
"I am sorry, but you said Thenn came like a storm. They were not always here? What was this place before?" She says, half concerned and half curious.
No.737856
>>737846Kalidan swallows his mouthful of fish, washes it down with a long draught of Neridah's wine, wipes his mouth with the back of his paw. He belches in a self-satisfied manner, taking his time to think before answering her.
"I've been thinking about that, actually," he says after a while. "Of course I still want that gem. More than I've wanted anything in a long time. Something about it sort of calls to me. Something like… I don't know, destiny maybe. I mean," he readjusts, turning to look her in the eye, "what are the chances that I would steal the map that led me hundreds of miles, across desert and forest, right to the foot of that temple, which only opens for ONE NIGHT every other lifetime, on the night before it opens? You can't tell me that's coincidence." He looks into her eyes, searching for recognition.
After a moment, he looks away into the distance thoughtfully. "But on the other hand. I don't know what could be done with such a gem. I don't know what it could be used for, and it would be impossible to sell. To tell you the truth, I don't even know why I want it so badly. Seems like an awful lot of trouble for something that is going to condemn me to be hunted."
Sighing, he shakes his head, half a grin reappearing on his feline features. "But. On the other hand. Of course we're gonna take it. We can figure out what to do with it when we're far away from Galatian. If we DO manage to sell it, we'll have a king's ransom to play with. We just gotta get to it before the zeeb turns it in."
No.737857
>>737846"Flightlesss? How peculiar.. Perhapss thiss will prove to be more of a challenge than expected."
"You have my thankss, Bonfire. We will meet again, two Devilbirdss lesss, with luck."
Speaking with Bonfire, Vajra eyes Thungr wandering off wordlessly. she nods to the kirin, then follows Thungr, hissing under her breath.
>>737849"If we intend to hunt together, it would be wisse to inform me of your planss." says the sorceress from behind, catching up.
No.737859
>>737857I grunt and cast a sidelong glance at the witch. "Gonna buy rations, camp for the night, eat, and leave at dawn. Head south, track the birds, and kill 'em."
No.737866
>>737849>>737857You double back and head to the store run by the chatty Arabian mare. She looks similar to Amari, but older. "Oh, hello," she says with a smile. "How goes it? Forget something?" she asks Thungr, before turning to Vajra. "Only the finest goods and supplies here. What can I do for you?"
>>737852He blinks. "Invasion wasn't too long ago. Used to be we were ruled by a king. Things were simpler then. Then they came without warning, and spoke to him. He bent the knee. Now we know no king but the Horned King, Thenn." He scowls. "It was either that or be destroyed, I suppose."
He moves to start work on reforging the sword, mumbling something about work.
>>737856"Speak for yourself," she shrugs. "I got in through a secret entrance way before any of you. Security wasn't exactly tight in that old catacomb. What, you think the Three favor you or something? It's just luck. The only god you need."
At all the talk of 'we' you notice her look a bit apprehensive for the briefest of moments. "Yeah. Well. She's gone off to the castle with it now, hasn't she. So it's a bit late for that. I reckon we're gonna have to suss the place out and find a way to sneak in."
No.737867
>>737866I give her a nod and look for food that don't go bad. Oats, dried meat, cornmeal, somethin like that.
No.737868
>>737866"Vile." Sunbeam says. "But I do not think we can speak publicly about such things. This town seems… supportive." She says, glancing around at all the guards. "I should go now, thank you for all you have done."
No.737870
>>737449Giving a hearty cackle, Noghu replaces the discarded fish on his spear with the dirty steak, disappointed at the loss of the fish but content to have escaped with treasure in tow.
Unsure of where to head next, Noghu explores the city for interesting (and more secluded) places.
[1d10] explore
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.737873
>>737859"A ssound sstrategy. Between the two of uss i am ssure we will ssucceed."
>>737866As Thungr pushes past the clerk, the sorceress nods in greeting.
"We are here for ssuppliess, about a day'ss worth i asssume. Non-perishabless for camping."
No.737876
>>737866"Luck. Hmm. Kind of a fickle god, though, isn't she?" He thinks back on all the times his piecemeal luck hadn't quite been enough to save him from injury or embarrassment. "On the other hand," he ruminates, "my hide is still mostly intact, if not my pride." He rubs the mostly-healed scar across his shoulder, his most recent gift from Lady Luck.
Gazing thoughtfully at the castle on the edge of the town, he ho-hums a moment. "So. Getting inside. I'd love to have a chance to sneak over the walls, into secret passages, go all Rigid Reptile on it, but I'm afraid we might not have time to really explore, let alone find the treasury, if that's even where Styn is keeping the damned thing."
He taps his fuzzy little chin. "I wonder if we could find a… weaker link? These Thenn guards aren't too smart. I wonder how loyal they are. I once bribed my way into a princess's chambers with a handful of coppers and a piece of sea glass the guard mistook for a diamond."
No.737882
>>737867"…Uh, are you looking for something in particular, or…?"
>>737868"Not supportive. Afraid."
He nods. "Remember. Sundown." With that, he turns to start work on it, leaving you to your own devices.
>>737870"Oh, of course! Just over there, on the far shelf."
>>737867>>737873You find some packages of trail mix, hard biscuits, and jerky. Valued at 15 bits each.
>>737870You wait for the ruckus to die down and slink out of the barrel, prowling the more out of the way parts of the town. You start heading gradually uphill, generally in the direction of the castle, until you find yourself facing the main path that seems to lead within. The main gate seems shut, and a broad ditch separates the castle from the rest of it. The bridge across seems guarded, but after a bit of aimless wandering, you find yourself going down a broken path into the ditch itself. You get the feeling this isn't an intended path, but you have a good feeling about it regardless.
Looking up, you can see that there are a few guards standing around up above, though none in the ditch itself. You'll have to be careful not to be spotted if you want to keep exploring.
>>737876"Well, that's what matters, innit," she shrugs. "Long as we're alive and can keep putting one foot in front of the other."
She snorts. "Why do I find that hard to believe. …Truth be told, I've never been one for charming the pants off of folks. I prefer to just give 'em the slip and clobber 'em if they get too close. If you want to try chatting them up, though, be my guest. Just don't cry when you end up rotting in the dungeon." She starts gnawing on the fish's spine thoughtfully. "Maybe we could go now, scope the place out, get a closer look at the whole thing. There has to be a weak point somewhere. Right?"
No.737884
>>737882>>737882I hum, grab four packages, and take them to the counter. Without saying anything, I count out 60 bits.
No.737890
>>737882>Lurk; passive: +2 to hide while out of combat. Immediately becomes revealed once combat starts.Skulking about with trained sneakiness, Noghu explores the strange ditch and into the large stone structure in search of food and treasure.
[1d10+2] stealth
Roll #1 6 + 2 = 8 No.737891
>>737882"Alright, so it was less of a princess's chambers, and more of the scullery maid's chambers." He shrugs. "She was a princess to me." He grins wickedly. "Had a decent set of earrings, too. A trade up from the sea glass, anyway."
He stands, stretches. "You're right, though. We should at least see if we can't find a chink in the wall. We're both pretty good at squeezing in where we don't belong, so that should be plan A. Worst case scenario, it's back to the planning stage."
Leaving the fish carcass and the empty wine bottles in the sun, he hops lightly to the next roof over, toward the direction of the castle. He turns back to call to Neridah. "You coming?"
scoping out the joint [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.737892
>>737882Having no bits to call her own, Vajra opts to allow Thungr to continue the purchase, busying herself eying the various wares as he hoofs over the money.
No.737898
>>737882Sunbeam thinks for a moment on what Nanssen said. Conflicted, confused and somewhat afraid herself she walks back into town, unsure of where she is going. "Afraid…" She says to hereself. "…rule by fear is no rule at all."
No.737907
>>737898Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.737912
>>737884"You're, uh, buying those then? Would you like a bag?" She seems intimidated by your silence.
>-60 bits>>737890You manage to sneak around without being noticed, sticking close to the far stone wall. You go all the way around to the right side of the castle without being noticed.
You spot a potential entrance in the form of a gap, almost like a window or a sewer entrance, blocked by metal bars. Your experience tells you the bars could be pried free, with a bit of elbow grease. Shouldn't be hard for a Dog like you.
>>737891"You're the worst," she deadpans.
Neridah nods and joins you. "Never been much for plans. I just make things up as I go. Usually works out. …Usually."
Together, you both start heading towards the castle, bounding over rooftops and slinking through alleys, gradually heading uphill towards the castle. A large, stone fortress overlooking a drawbridge over an empty moat, the castle has an outer wall blocking entrance to the courtyard, beyond which is the keep. It looks quite heavily guarded, but it seems to you that the dried moat could house a significant weak point, if you manage to find a way down without being spotted.
>>737892You peruse the store's wares. Unfortunately, nothing particularly magical sticks out to you; they have mostly outdoors gear for sale, along with everyday food and supplies. The mare notices you inspecting the goods. "Looking for anything specific?" she asks. "If you can't find it here, I know just about every other shop in town. I'm sure you can find aught you need somewhere."
>>737898>>737907You wander through the streets of Galatian, just sightseeing for a while. You go through a small bazaar, full of merchants haggling with other merchants and outsiders for all manner of wares, ranging from arts and crafts to weapons and armor. There are also several beggars around, and, of course, the ubiquitous Thenn forces overseeing the populace with a keen eye.
One such beggar approaches you, a small, waifish Felid girl. She looks awfully raggedy. She doesn't seem to speak your language, but her request is clear as she holds up a wooden bowl with a single bit in it, looking up at you wide-eyed. "Cartos?" she asks hopefully.
No.737916
>>737912I shrug my pack off my shoulder and tuck the ration packs into the top. Why would I need a bag? Pulling my pack back on, I grumble a quiet, "Thanks." and turn to leave.
No.737919
>>737912Instead of bending the bars, Noghu hits the back of his spear into the stones holding the bars in place, skilled in finding fauntlines in stone.
> Shatter: recharge 2, weapon; Breaks the target's defenses to open them up for attack. Deals damage and increases the Crit Range for all attacks against them by 2 for two rounds. Can be used against inanimate objects or armor to break and damage them efficiently.[1d10] DC-1
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.737923
>>737912Sunbeam takes a Trakali coin out, and scratches a circle between two flowers on it, then gently places it in the bowl. "It may not be worth anything here, but if you are ever in Trakali, you will have a seat at any royal table." She reflects for a moment. "That coin is much like me… Worthless here, royalty there." She frowns and gently bows towards the beggar. "I do not mean to lecture you." She says, a bit awkward from speaking so much to someone who probably doesnt understand.
No.737927
>>737912"Hmm.. Perhapss. What can you tell me of the city'ss lesss mundane sstores, is there a peddler of arcane waress? A city thiss large musst have ssomething of note, yess?"
Seeing Thungr trudge out, the Sorceress lingers long enough to hear the shopkeeper and thank her for the time, before following the hunter.
No.737931
>>737916Briefly checking to see if the witch is following, I make my way outside town to start settin up camp.
No.737936
As they approach the castle, for lack of suitable skulking places, Kalidan takes to playing the part of a tourist on a walk about town, stopping at various shrubberies and making a show about scrutinizing each one. Following whatever herbs, flowers or weeds that lead the way, he casually strolls right up to the edge of the empty moat (more like a glorified ditch, really), leaning down and running a toebean along the edge as if feeling the moss, or if there is none, checking the quality of the soil, all while actually eyeing the ditch for spikes, wires, or other obvious traps at the bottom. Would be a shame to sneak himself right into an embarrassing situation, especially in front of Neridah.
Continuing his jaunt-cum-survey roughly encircling the fortress while pretending to be interested in the local flora, he surreptitiously marks the guards, looking for any points of entry that may be unguarded for any amount of time.
Perception [1d10]
He picks the nicest, brightest looking flower he can find along his path, turning and presenting it to Neridah with a flourish and a sweet smile.
Roll #1 10 = 10
No.737944
>>737919You give the stones a solid whack. It just glances off with a loud crack, and not much else happens. Someone's sure to have heard that.
>>737936There's not too many flowers in the arid places of the world, but you manage to find one. Neridah rolls her eyes at your display and swats your hand away. "Save it, lover boy. You couldn't handle me anyway."
You manage to find a way down into the ditch in the form of a broken stone path at the leftmost edge. Down below, you're a sitting duck for any guards that glance over, so you and Neridah will both have to be extra careful not to attract attention.
You hear a loud thwack of something hitting a stone wall from the other end of the castle. A few guards turn to investigate.
>>737923She blinks and looks down at the coin. She doesn't seem to understand, as you suspected, but seems to appreciate the gesture anyway. "Graza dona!" She gives you a big, toothy grin - you notice some teeth are missing as if she'd been punched in the face - and slinks off into the bazaar, soon vanishing completely.
>>737927She frowns. "We don't really do that sort of thing here… At least, I don't think we do… But I do know of someone who might be able to help if you're into… witchery." She lowers her voice a little, as if afraid someone might be listening in.
"She doesn't live here in the city, but out in the wilds, near Hangman's Canyon. She usually comes in a few times a cycle to gather supplies. A strange one, her. They say she speaks to wolves and birds, and sees faces in flames. You'll know her if you see her. A saurian, like yourself, hiding her face behind crimson robes. What her name is, I never heard, but the folks around here call her the Red Woman." She looks uncomfortable talking about her much.
>>737931You head back to Nadeem's Inn, finding Amari the barmaiden leaning on the counter, bored. She perks up as you enter. "Oh. Hello hello. How can I help?"
No.737945
>>737944Scurrying as not to have his steak stolen, Noghu hides in the shadows.
[1d10+2]
Roll #1 3 + 2 = 5 No.737946
>>737944I walk up and sit at the bar. "Food. Somethin hot." I glance over my shoulder to see if the witch is still followin me. If she is, I cock an eyebrow and ask,
>>737927"Y'all eat?"
No.737947
>>737944Kalidan makes a show of being hurt at Neridah's rebuke, but winks at her before turning away.
At the loud stone-sound, he ducks close to the castle-side of the moat, hoping to remain hidden from any guards patrolling the wall. Shooting a sharp look at Neridah, he slinks along the surface, keeping an eye out for any opening in the wall of the moat, or any loose stones that might suggest a secret passage into the fortress.
No.737948
>>737944"Graza… dona… to you as well." Sunbeam stands confused for a moment, then decides to return to the inn to check with her friends until sundown.
No.737949
>>737944"Interessting.." mutters the saurian, lost in thought.
Making note of this, Vajra follows Thungr close behind into the inn.
>>737946>>737944"Indeed, a meal would be mosst appreciated." nods Vajra, eyeing the menu.
No.737950
>>737949>>737944I nod. "Two of whatever she gets and some water."
No.737951
>>737945>>737947In his effort to get away, Noghu runs headlong into Kalidan and Neridah, almost knocking the latter over. She curses in an unfamiliar language as she regains her footage, shooting one paw up to her mouth to stop herself, looking upwards nervously as you hear guards crossing the drawbridge. "What are you doing here?" she hisses to the Dog once the danger has subsided. "…What smells like olives?"
>>737949>>737950You are presented with menus. The local cuisine seems to consist largely of ground meats, flatbreads and spices, with items such as kebab, shawarma, falafel and shakshouka being included, along with meat or vegetable stews. You are also served a jug of water.
You see Sunbeam enter the inn.
>>737948The Felid just looks confused as you return the phrase. You're not sure whether you just mispronounced or whether the response doesn't make sense. Or both.
You return to the inn, where you find Thungr and Vajra just getting settled for a late lunch. Amari greets you with a smile. "Hello! Just passing through?"
No.737952
>>737951>>737945"You!" Kalidan hisses, checking around nervously for guards. "First you lead the city guard on a spur-of-the-moment parade through the streets, now you crash my reconnaissance mission?"
He sniffs the air, then covers his nose. "Smells more like old fish." He narrows his eyes at the hyena in suspicion.
"Whatever. Don't get us caught. Did you hear that sound just now?" He pauses a moment, still squinting at the hyena. "Did you
make that sound just now?"
No.737953
>>737951"Ah, a meat sstew would be excellent." she says to the server, after looking into the menu.
>>737948Noticing the dragon, the sorceress waves her over.
"Ah, There you are. Have you come closser to paying out debt to Kothbiro?"
No.737954
>>737951"Taking a break. Galatian can be exhausting." She says, taking a seat with Thungr and Vajra.
>>737953After hearing Vajra remind her of the debt she had entirely forgotten about, Sunbeam slams her head onto the table. "No." She groans. When she lifts her head up she speaks "What about yourself then?"
No.737955
>>737951>>737952"Bad noses, is meat. Threw fish."
Noghu looks to Kalidan and then at the stones, pointing, "No, stone did."
No.737956
>>737951Having already told her I want what the witch gets, I just take a swig of water out od the jug, wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, and quietly wait for my food without glancing at the menu.
>>737953>>737954I eye her and knit my brow. There it is again. Debt? Normally I wouldn't say anythin, but- "Y'all do remember
we saved
her? What're y'all goin on about with this 'debt' nonsens?"
No.737957
>>737956"Hrmm. You are correct, but I wouldn't want to attract her anger. She seems to hold… recognition in this place." She says, with a twinge of fear.
No.737958
>>737957I deadpan. "That don't answer my question."
No.737959
>>737958"We did, but this is her territory. We are strangers, visitors." She stops and thinks for a moment. "I am not saying we must be good guests and servants but… She has the uh… being-at-home-help." she says, lost on the idiom.
No.737960
>>737955She blinks, a bit confused by Noghu's vernacular. "…Why are you even here?" she asks, continuing to whisper. "I mean we have reason enough to be skulking about, but what brought you here? There's no food, it's just a hole in the ground. …I suppose I can see the appeal for you."
>>737954>>737953>>737956Thungr and Vajra's orders are processed, and Amari looks to Sunbeam, waiting patiently for her own order.
>pausing No.737961
>>737959I pinch the bridge of my nose and let out a low "
Hrrrm…" After a second I take a deep breath and say, "I mean about the debt. Why do we owe her?"
No.737962
>>737961"Oh, she bought our rooms. I… I assumed you knew that."
No.737963
>>737962I slowly shake my head and continue to stare at her, expecting more details.
No.737964
>>737956"Sshe paid for our roomss, and iss currently holding our meeting with sstyr thenn over our headss. If we don't repay her, sshe will call it off."
>>737956"We have ssecured a contract with the guild. The death of two devilbirdss for my half to cover the room." explains the saurian, looking quite proud over the progress.
No.737965
>>737963After Vajra's much better explanation, Sunbeam doesn't respond.
>>737964"Oh, I know this word. We are mercuries! Or… uh Mercedes… I do not know this word. But what is this contract?"
No.737966
>>737965"Mercenariess, yess.. and our contract iss to kill the devilbirdss." says Vajra, nodding.
"Flightlesss, viciouss creaturess. The localss have created the contract, the birdss musst die, then we receive our payment."
No.737967
>>737964>>737965I sigh and slouch over the counter. Costin me too much. Meetin with Mr.Then better be worth it. It's hard to get out of my mouth at first, but finally I manage to say, "How much?"
No.738628
>>737955>>737960Kalidan blinks, shakes his head. "Whatever. Not sure why you're here, but we're looking for a way in. If you've got any ideas, I'm all ears." He tweaks his long pointy ears to punctuate the sentiment.
The felid leans in to murmur an aside to Neridah. "He may be a fool, but he's surprisingly good at putting his nose where it doesn't belong. Which is precisely where that gem probably ended up."
No.738638
>>737960>>738628"Finding cave to sleep in. Good cave there." Noghu gestures beyond the bars. "Ponies try steal my food."
Noghu then looks up where the guards are, "Ponies may try steal again, may burrow in."
No.738651
>>737960Sunbeam looks back at Amari, just as expectant. "I am unfamiliar with food of this land. What would you recommend?" She says, looking at the menu confused.
>>737966"Ah. Sounds not that difficult. We have been through much worse, yes Scalekin?" She says with a sense of camaraderie.
No.738653
>>738638"Stealing food, eh? How low can you get?" There's a strong hint of irony in his sardonic grin. He huddles close to the wall of the moat to hide from the guards around the fortress and begins to sneak his way around the rear, in the direction indicated by the wild dog. After a few steps he turns to look back over his shoulder.
"Well? You coming?"
No.738663
>>738628Neridah nods. "Might be useful, as long as we can keep him on a leash. Maybe literally."
>>738638"That's… that's not a cave," she says bluntly. "That's a castle. And it's crawling with ponies. Probably the worst place you could possibly pick to sleep in."
>>738653>>738638"So what," Neridah asks Noghu, "you found a way in then, or…?" She shoots a glance upwards at the guards, who are beginning to congregate at the ditch. You hear some winged guards fly down around the corner from you. Unless you find somewhere else to hide, it seems nearly unavoidable they'll spot you.
>>738651Amari blinks in surprise. "Oh. You're not too familiar with our cuisine then? Here, let me give you a hand…"
She explains the options a bit better, going through what their cuisine entails. After a bit of deliberation, you end up settling on a spicy butter chicken curry.
>>738651>>737966>>737956After a bit of waiting, your orders are brought out and served. The stew and curry are both equally hearty and delicious.
No.738664
>>738653"Food discarded, they fight anyways."
Noghu shrugs, following
No.738669
>>738663"Cui-sine. What an interesting word. And ha-nd. I have not heard of that." She says, enjoying her curry.
>>737967>>737966"Is this similar to cui-sine from your land Vajra? Or yours Thungr?"
No.738670
>>738663Kalidan continues circling along the bottom of the depression, ears folded back, trying to think of what he'll tell the guards when they are inevitably caught.
Perception [1d10]
He whispers to Neridah. "Okay, if they talk to us, this is our story. We followed our 'dimwitted friend' down here, concerned for his welfare, see? But then we all got stuck and we're just looking for a way out." He brushes his whiskers nervously. "If that doesn't work, we name drop Kothbiro. After that I'm about out of ideas."
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.738671
>>738651>>737967I rub my eyes with my thumb and forefinger and grumble. Dern dragon lost in her own world. "I said," I repeat. "How much?"
>>738663I take a little bit to quietly savor the stew. Feels like it's been too long since I've had a decent, hot meal not dried out by the fire. Least a week. I pick up the spoon and set it down by the bowl. With one hand, I lift the bowl up and slurp it down, attempting not to get too much in my beard. Once it's half gone, I set the bowl back down, wipe my beard, and let out a satisfied sigh.
[1d10]Wiping stew from shaggy food trap
>>738669Pretty well survive on stews back at my cabin. This one is dern good, though. I grunt and nod.
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.738674
>>738663>>738670[1d10] perception
Hearing the guards approach, Noghu looks to his meat, then to the cats. "We talk later."
[1d10+2] Burrow
Roll #1 2 = 2 /
Roll #2 7 + 2 = 9 No.738679
>>738671"I did not have these sorts of stews often. Not a great idea to leave a bowl of food unattended in Trakali."
>>738671"Oh! What we borrowed from Kothbiro? It was sixty. Sixty uh… what you call them."
No.738681
>>737967"Ssixty bitss for both of uss." grumbles the sorceress, gesturing to Sunbeam. "..My half exactly from the birdss."
>>738651"Yess, thosse creaturess are not a concern, flightlesss as they are."
>>738663"Excellent."
With the stew arriving hot, the sorceress blows on her bowl before sipping.
No.738682
>>738669"Mm.. It iss filling, and not dissimilar to the foodss of Abysssinia."
"The flavorss of the river are a unique flavor that iss difficult to find elssewhere."
No.738684
>>738681>>738679I nod. Was a little afraid I'd have'ta pay for 'em. Sounds like they got it under control with the bounty. Least the witch does.
No.738686
>>738669>>738682"Sspicess and sseassonings, mosstly. Abbyssinia iss a major sstop on the sspice road, after all."
No.738690
>>738670"Sounds like a plan," Neridah muses.
>>738670>>738674As you go around to the opposite end, Noghu starts digging a hole into the dirt, enough to conceal himself. He doesn't get too far before hitting solid rock though, only about 6 feet deep.
"Hey!" You are suddenly aware of two armored guards standing at the top, glaring down at you with javelins in hoof. "You can't be down there!" the left guard continues to berate. "The castle is off limits to citizens." She shakes her javelin threateningly.
No.738692
>>738682>>738686"Oh, I know those words. Traders from Keslik come with those. Some are quite strong." She says, trying to remember the name of a certain spice.
No.738695
>>738690Noghu stays quiet, waiting to hear the cats' responses.
No.738702
>>738695As the dog disappears, Kalidan's confident smirk disappears, replaced with surprised annoyance. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"
>>738690Immediately frozen at the sound of the guard, Kalidan hisses a slight curse between his pointed teeth before turning up toward the voice, a confident smile on his face.
"Ah, excuse us..! We were just looking for our friend. We thought he wandered down here. He's… a little slow," he shrugs apologetically. "We would never intend to trespass!"
Persuade [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.739750
>>738695>>738702The guards aren't having any of it. "Intent isn't relevant," she growls. "Get out or we'll have you scourged." The right guard just points the way out menacingly, and a few more guards show up and loom over you. You're suddenly aware of Neridah having disappeared once again amidst the distraction.
No.739754
>>739750Kalidan, ears back, droops visibly at the chastisement, humbled. "O-of course. I'll just be going, then." He turns to start to walk in the direction indicated by the guard.
He slows, turns back to the guards. "Oh! If you find my friend, please be gentle with him. As I said, he's a little slow… our employer, a certain favorite of Styr Thenn, wouldn't want to see him hurt." With that, he continues up the path and out the moat.
He looks around to try to find where Neridah could have gone.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.739755
>>739750>>739754Noghu waits patiently, hearing the cat fail with words where hiding worked far better.
No.739756
>>738681>>738679I hum and drum one of my fingers on the counter. Guess I didn't really see any of the actual jobs. Maybe there was an extra one we could pick up on the way or somethin. "Y'all see any you'd've picked? Guess the dragon ain't even seen any of em yet. Could maybe pull the others in to help or somethin iffin we gotta."
No.739762
>>739754They don't seem to buy it, and one of them just growls indistinctly as you depart. No sign of Neridah.
>>739755as Kalidan smooths things over and leaves, you hear one of the guards descend into the pit and start heading in your direction. He seems to have noticed the hole you dug. It's not exactly inconspicuous.
No.739763
>>739762Noghu gets down on his belly in his hole to allow him to more easily dig through the dirt and tunnels away moving slowly enough to hopefully not disturb the dirt too much.
[1d10+2]
Roll #1 1 + 2 = 3 No.739769
>>739756"We came here to work for Styrr, correct? I do not not appreciate the payments but… seems too much." She says, scratching her head.
No.739773
>>739769"I ain't countin on makin enough from this Then fella. Near as I can tell I'm a good week back from my cabin, and the supplies I'm grabbin now ain't gonna be enough. Y'all don't got nothin at all sides what you're gettin from him, and I already been told there ain't no workin for him without signin contracts. And I ain't sinin no contract. Leaves us with two options. Hope we make enough from this one job -'twixt all of us, mind y'all- or pick up more jobs along the way."
No.739774
>>739763Moving about just causes even more of a disturbance, and before you know it you're facing down an annoyed guard for the second time. He calls over a couple others, cornering you in the hole. Trying to dig away, you find nothing behind or below but solid rock.
No.739775
>>739773"He seems powerful. Perhaps we have proven ourselves capable enough to not have the usual work." She says, unsure if she is content or not with this fact. She leans in. "Something does not seem right with this place, but desperate times…" She stops, losing the phrase in translation.
No.739778
>>738690Finishing her stew, the sorceress looks to the hunter
>>738684"How long will thiss hunt take, i wonder? If we finissh here and move quickly we may collect the bounty before kothbiro callss our tab."
No.739779
>>739775I cock my eyebrow and fix her with a stern stare. Hope this doesn't mean what it sounds like. "Y'all
were plannin on helpin with them birds at least, right?"
No.739780
>>739773"My part of the debt will be payed, at leasst.. provided we ssplit the bounty evenly. I did not account for the inclussion of otherss."
"Perhapss their hidess may fetch ssome price?"
No.739782
>>739762His humbled demeanor melts away as he escapes the guards unharmed, the ghost of a cocky smile reappearing on his feline face. Looking around and not seeing Neridah, Kalidan curses again.
Noticing the commotion in the moat, he ducks behind whatever cover he can find, slinks low to the ground, and attempts to approach the edge of the moat unseen.
Stealth [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.739783
>>739782You approach the moat again, only to find the same ill tempered guard from before standing watch as the others deal with Noghu below. "You again," she growls. "I told you to get out. Are you looking for a flogging?"
No.739785
>>739779"Of course! That is just good fami- Ah, uh, friend fun. I will help."
No.739788
>>739780"Doubt it. Claws and feathers and such, maybe. Bird hides, even on big birds, don't tend to be anny account." I shake my head and sigh. Well. Guess we'll see when we visit Then then.
>>739785I nod. Good. Thought she was about to have me pay off her debt.
No.739791
>>739774Tilting his head, Noghu continues to dig in the only direction he can.
[1d10+2] scurryin away
Roll #1 9 + 2 = 11 No.739793
>>739783"Oh, uh, no ma'am. I think I misunderstood; you said not to be in the moat? As you can see, I'm not inside." He stands up and gestures to himself to demonstrate.
"I'm still hoping to find my friend. He wanders off sometimes, you see. It would be a shame if he were to come to any harm; I doubt Styr Thenn would like that at all. But, you know, maybe he'll be lenient. He's known for being a bit of a softy, right?" He eyes the guards near Noghu's hole meaningfully.
"I'm sure he would be forgiving. But then again, you probably know better than me." He smiles apologetically, sharp teeth glinting in the afternoon sun.
Persuade [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.739799
>>739780>>739788>>739785You finish your meals and pay the bill - or rather, Thungr does, since no one else has money.
You head off out of town, trekking due south as per the directions Thungr received, heading towards an open plains area. The area between there and Galatian is an arid, rocky pass of great sharpened boulders. You should be able to traverse it by sundown - assuming you don't get lost.
>roll Navigation>>739791You dig straight down, praying you don't fall into an underground lava cave. You can hear muffled voices from up above, and some dirt gets thrown on you, but eventually they seem to lose interest and leave you to your own devices. It's hard to tell where to go from here without just popping out and getting caught by them again.
>>739793She glowers at you from behind her chain veil. "Are you trying to be funny?" she says bluntly, tightening her grip on her spear slightly.
She blinks. "I find it hard to believe you work for Thenn," she retorts. "Stay out of our business if you know what's good for you, cat."
Nevertheless, she barks an order to the guards, calling them away from Noghu's hiding spot. Seems they have better things to do than stand around looking down a hole.
She looks back to you. "Why are you still here? Didn't I make myself clear enough?"
No.739801
>>739799I use my spear as a walking stick as I trek through the rocks to the plains. Way it's goin, least if it ain't
too far, should make it back by at most tomorrow easy enough.
[1d10]Navigation
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.739802
>>739799"This looks dangerous. Hopefully our enemy is not as fearsome as these rocks." Sunbeam says, keeping an eye on where she steps.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.739803
>>739799Noghu waits, having nowhere particular to be.
No.739806
>>739799As the group treks south, the sorceress takes a moment to untie the cloth bag and allow the bones of the she-bear to realign back into place.
Following Thungr, Vajra sticks nearby and watches the path ahead.
[1d10] Navigation
>>739802"I do not anticipate a great sstruggle. With the correct sspell, we will have these birds trapped and dealt with sswiftly."
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.739810
>>739799"Sure. Of course, ma'am. Have a nice day!" He cheerily waves, a perfect gentlecat in his tattered and stained travelling pants. He very obviously turns and walks away from the fortress toward the town. He retreats into the nearest deserted alleyway and hops into a tree, where he proceeds to clean himself with his tongue for a short while.
As the heat dies down and his dignity returns, he hops out of the tree and begins to casually look for a clothing vendor where he might acquire some sort of nicer attire.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.739817
>>739806>>739802>>739801Thungr leads the way on the expedition. About an hour in, he stumbles as the ground in front of him collapses, sending him tumbling roughly through the roof of an underground cavern. He lands hands and knees first, bruised and sore from the fall, but not seriously injured.
>Thungr takes 2 hits>Thungr roll Perception>>739803You wait for a while. Seems everything's quieted down. You can make out muffled sounds of movement from nearby underground. You seem to be near an underground room of the nearby castle.
>>739810You sit and wait a while before rejoining society. As the day wanes, you take to the dusty streets and head to the main market district, eventually coming across a stall stocked with fine clothing run by a she-goat with long, shaggy wool. "Greetings, traveler," she says politely, bowing her head. "What service may I do you?"
>roll Perception in addition to whatever else you do No.739819
>>739817I barely have any time to make any noise as I lose my footing and drop into a cavern below. Letting out a quiet groan, I give myself a quick once-over to make sure ain't nothin broke. Pulling myself back to my hooves, I take a quick look around.
[1d10+3]
Roll #1 9 + 3 = 12 No.739821
>>739817His good manners seemingly exhausted, Kalidan greets the lady almost dismissively as he peruses the wares. "Oi." He barely looks at her as he rifles through the clothes with a careful paw, looking for something that might suit him.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.739822
>>739817>>739819Slinking back slightly as the ground collapses, the sorceress peers into the dark of the cavern.
"Are you alright?" she asks, sticking her neck into the hole. "That wass an impressive fall."
No.739823
>>739817Hearing it quiet down, Noghu eventually pokes his head out of the hole like a prairie dog, checking to make sure the coast is clear to continue hunting for a cave to sleep in.
No.739824
>>739817>>739819"Oh!" Sunbeam exclaims as she flies down to Thungr, helping him recover. "That was unexpected. Are you alright?"
No.739825
>>739824[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.739826
>>739822>>739824I glance up as they pull me away from looking for a way out. "H'm?" Then it registers. "Yeah. Taken worse tumbles afore. Thank'ye."
No.739827
>>739817[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.739829
>>739827>>739825>>739819You see that there's a tunnel through the cave system that might lead to a way out; and, potentially, some more things of interest in this direction. Hauling Thungr out through the hole in the ceiling also seems like a more expedient solution, though.
Thungr thinks he sees two yellow pinpricks of a wolf's eyes staring at him through the gloom of the cave, but they're gone when he takes a second look.>>739821You find clothes made for all races, with a great variety in aesthetics. It seems this goat is quite skilled at her craft. One piece catches your eye: a dark, elegant piece of clothing about your size, having a bit of an upper class flair to it while not restricting movement. It offers little in the way of physical protection, but is aesthetically pleasing, and seems to be usable both within civilization and out in the field.
>>739823The guards seem to be gone for now. Looking around, you spot a familiar feline shape atop one of the nearby walls, running across it expertly. Neridah looks down at you and makes a shushing gesture before continuing on her way. Seems she's found herself a way in, without Kalidan.
No.739835
>>739829"H'mmmm…" Well. Guess we was bound to run into em again. Just didn't expect it so soon.
>>739825I sigh, shrug my pack off my back, pull out my fresh length of rope, and hand one end to the dragon.
No.739836
>>739829Kalidan plucks the garment with a careful claw, examining it. He turns to the polite goat, addressing her head on for the first time.
"May I try this on?"
No.739837
>>739829Seeing as he can't climb, Noghu tries at the grate again, this time just bending the metal instead of trying to hit the stone.
[1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.739838
>>739835"Oh I know this one!" She says, flying up to the top of the cave-in. "Ah, good memmories." She says as she flies up.
No.739839
>>739829With Sunbeam preparing the rope and Thungr readying the climb, Vajra tastes the air, ensuring that the delay doesn't leave the group exposed.
[1d10] perception, DC -2 (detect life)
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.739845
>>739835>>739838>>739839Vajra and Sunbeam lower the rope for Thungr to climb back up and rejoin them, which he does without a hitch. Vajra flicks her tongue out cautiously, and senses something very large nearby… then, inexplicably, the scent is gone. As if whatever it was had simply ceased to be. Curious.
>>739837The metal refuses to budge. You break a nail trying. Scandalous.
>>739836"I trust you won't run off with it," she says politely, but with a hint of genuine menace.
Trying it on reveals that the clothes fit you like a glove.
No.739847
>>739845"Watch out," I mumble. "Witch wolves is followin us. Saw them eyes down in the cave." I wind the rope back up, shove it back into my pack, and sling my pack back over my shoulders. Keeping my spear ready, I continue on my way to the plains.
No.739848
>>739845>>739847"We hope they have a bounty too!" Sunbeam forces out, trying to make a joke.
No.739854
>>739845>>739847"Hmm.. i had ssenssed a pressence a moment before.. perhaps that wass the wolvess in quesstion."
with thungr freed, the sorceress continues along the path.
[1d10] navigation
"There are many placess a creature could hide within the canyon, we musst remain alert."
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.739856
>>739845Noghu grunts, upset and leaving, looking around for the people that didn't try chasing him on spot.
[1d10] percep
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.739857
>>739845"Hmm," he purrs, patting himself down all over. He brings his ruined clothes up, placing them on a counter.
"What could I get for a trade?" He winks at the shopkeep.
No.739864
>>739847>>739848>>739854You move on. No more traces of Thungr's wolves reveal themselves as you continue your southern expedition. The climate is dry, and you can hear the buzzing of insects in the afternoon sun.
You trek over a barren hill and look down, coming across your destination. A great stretch of golden grassy plains stretch out before you, with only the occasional shrub or sapling to break it up. Overall, it's a rather monotonous landscape, and it's not easy to find hiding spots or vantage points here.
Far in the distance, you can spot what you assume to be your quarry. A pair of long legged flightless avian creatures stalk the plains elegantly, always moving as a unit. Their height gives them the advantage in this environment, and sneaking up on them will be especially difficult. You're too far away to get a better look at them.
>>739856You slink away and start wandering for a bit. You pick up a familiar scent as you get close to the entrance; it seems your companions have left town somewhere. You could go after them, or search for Kalidan, who's surely in town somewhere.
>>739857"For those?" she asks with a frown. "Not much. Sorry."
No.739867
>>739864I drop low as I see the birds, pulling out my spear. Shrugging my pack off, I drop it and pull my remaining two javelins to hold in my off hand. Narrowing my eyes I try to hone in on them and put their trail in the front of my mind.
[1d10]Hunter Sense on either one
Closing my eyes, I stick my finger in my mouth, wet it, and try to get a sense of which way the wind is blowing.
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.739868
>>739864Leaving town being something he wanted to begin with, Noghu follows their scent.
No.739871
>>739864Kalidan lets out an exaggerated sigh, feeling his new clothes out in a full display of emotion. Finding them to his liking, the sourpuss pulls his leather coinpurse from his pack, clinking the coins in his paw before tossing them to the counter.
"30 bits," he growls, meeting eyes with the goat, brow furrowed in an obvious inner conflict. After a tense moment, he blinks, shakes his head, looks at the ground for a moment. He takes a breath and stands up straight in his finery, looking much less distressed.
"This is some fine craftsmanship," he concedes, straightening his shirt a bit, then fluffing his whiskers out dowdily. He proffers a sideways grin at the goat.
"Thank you." He looks much more put together, both inside and out.
No.739872
>>739864"Hmm.."
lowering herself closer to the ground, Vajra follows behind Thungr.
>>739867"How sshall we sstrike the pair? at thiss disstance resstraining them with my magic may prove difficult."
No.739873
>>739864"Oh. We do not have those in my home." She says, walking idly forward, fascinated. "Such majesty…" She pauses, then turns back to the party.
"Do not mistake my admiration for mercy. How shall we approach?"
No.739875
>>739868You start following the trail, but quickly find yourself disoriented amidst the rocky wilderness outside the city walls. If nothing else, you feel a bit more at home here.
>roll Nav again if desired>>739867The wind is blowing against your favor, unfortunately. They'll be able to pick up your scent for sure.
You focus on one of the devilbirds, watching as it and its mate stalk the plains in the distance.
>>739871The goat takes the coins with a smile of thanks. "Thank YOU," she says proudly, admiring her craftsmanship on you.
>-30 bits
>pausing No.740322
>>739875>>739873>>739872I grumble and shake my head, starting to slowly circle them a little. Realizing I'm about to give the other two a chance to mess things up, I pause and explain, "Wind ain't no account. We get much closer they'll smell us. They ain't noticed us yet. Gives us the advantage right now. Problem is, they're tall, so we gotta be careful tryin'a sneak up on em, even against the wind."
I look up at the sun and squint. "Hate to tell y'all, but our best bet is to stalk 'em for a piece. Stay against the wind if we can. Take it slow. They're predators, and birds besides. They got good sight when lookin ahead. That's about it. Means if we can keep behind enough not to spook 'em, wait for 'em to slow down a bit for the day to either sleep, eat, or drink, we get a window to ambush 'em. Ain't quick, but it's the best choice iffin we wanna do'er right. They're a pair. I wing one with a javelin, the other
should stay and fight. If it don't," I look over my sholder at the witch. "Y'all say you can trap it somehow?" I close my eyes and take a long, slow smell of the air. "I got one's scent. I'll hit the one I can't track in case the other runs."
No.740327
>>739875Happy to be free of the restrictions of town, Noghu explores.
[1d10+1] nav
Roll #1 9 + 1 = 10 No.740333
>>739875Kalidan swoops the newfound finery around him, revelig in the way it wraps his body in shadows. He barely notices the old goat as he nods his farewell, disappearing into the dusky shadows.
Stealth [1d10]
He takes to the rooftops, avoiding any contact as he makes his way to the castle. He keeps his satellite ears open for any party headed into the fortress by way of the front door without revealing his own presence.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 5 = 5 No.740337
>>740322"Why yess, it will be ssimilar to the tower, a cage of boness to encircle and trap. If my consstruct holdss, they will go nowhere."
"From thiss disstance, however.."
She glares in the direction of the birds, gauging the range.
"..It sshould hold well enough. Once ssummoned, move quickly and pussh through the wall. We will have them cornered then."
No.740338
>>740322"Ah. Yes, Thungr." Sunbeam says, crouched next to Thungr. "You are saying we wait until they are weak? If that's what you are, you would make a good dragon."
No.740340
>>740337>>740338"Not weak," I say. "Don't never assume a predator is weak. Get yer behind tored up that way. Distracted. Gives us time to get in closer, pop one, and deal with the other while the first recovers. For now we're gonna follow 'em a bit."
No.740343
>>740327You keep wandering, eventually picking up the scent of your companions. You come across a hole in the ground that leads to a cave, where their scent is even stronger. It leads you past the cave and to the top of a hill, where you can see them looking down at the windswept plains below. You're not quite sure what has their attention.
>>740337>>740338>>740340You watch the birds patrol the grassy plains, occasionally stopping to preen themselves, or peck at something on the ground. They never venture too far from a certain area, marked by a cluster of bushes. Presumably their nest. Sneaking up on these feathered fiends will be no easy task.
You get the sudden feeling of being watched.
>>740333You sneak up onto the rooftops and make your way up the hill once again, drawing near to the castle. You find it easier to avoid detection if you shimmy along the castle walls; it gives you a better view of the surroundings, as well as a vantage point for potential entries. You think with some acrobatics and exceptional stealth, you could make your way into the castle through one of the windows without being seen. Otherwise, other potential entries could be found via the rooftops of the castle, or a sewer grate.
At the moment, you can see what appears to be a changing of the guard. The blowing of a horn heralds a small contingent of Thenns marching out in formation, with a second group waiting to go in. Another potential entry, though the chances of being spotted are extremely high.
No.740349
>>740343Noghu sneaks down into the cave, wondering if there's a hunt within.
[1d10+3] Skulk
Roll #1 3 + 3 = 6 No.740352
>>740343>>740338>>740337My nose twitches and I let out a long, "H'mmm…" Musta already ate. If we don't wanna be waitin' here til dark maybe we should come up with a different plan. If I weren't on no kinda time limit I'd spend as long as it takes stalkin em, but seein as we gotta be back by mornin… "If y'all wanna get this over faster we can try to push. Maybe they won't run, but if they do I'd call it til we can find them again. Predatory birds got stamina like y'all wouldn't believe, so ain't no catchin somethin what can run three times faster'n you for three times as long." I take my javelin and switch it with my spear, holding it in my main hand. "Ways I see it, we got two options. Push and try to take care of 'em now and risk 'em runnin, or wait til dark. Doubt they'll leave their nest at night if they're this active now. Could be wrong, and even if I ain't fightin by the light of the moon ain't easy. What do y'all think?" Throat is startin to feel a little sore. Ain't used to talkin this much.
No.740354
>>740340"Some predators are weak, and some prey are strong. But that does not matter here. We are both predators, preying on eachother." Sunbeam says, still crouched.
>>740343"Perhaps more predators than we thought." Sunbeam says, poking her head up to look for what might be watching them.
>>740352"Our problem is them running, yes? Can we make a fight happen somehow?"
Searching for watcher [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.740358
>>740352I look over my shoulder, glancing around as I notice the same thing as the dragon. We ain't alone. "If I hit the female I reckon the male'll probably stay'n fight. Means the female'll be down, and the male won't run. Just ain't totally sure which is female."
[1d10+3]Perception for whatever else is here
[1d10+3]Perception for sexual dimorphism if allowed
Roll #1 9 + 3 = 12 /
Roll #2 9 + 3 = 12 No.740364
>>740343The black-clad felid performs an unnecessary amount of acrobatics, flips while nopony is looking and ducking behind cover of nopony in particular. He does keep an eye out as he attempts to infiltrate the castle.
He attempts to steal his way into an open window, taking his chances with whatever may be on the other side.
Ass Ass inc REE'd [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.740371
>>740354>>740352"If they're interesst liess in guarding their nesst, they would not leave sso easily. Can you ssee if there iss an egg within the nesst?"
>>740343at that, Vajra tastes the air, sensing the nearby life of the plains.
[1d10] Perception, DC-2 (detect life)
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.740372
>>740349You make a note of your companions up ahead and shimmy into the cave. With the sun beginning to set and no real source of light, it's near impossible to see where it leads, but you can see that it seems to extend a fair way down. You get the feeling that you might not come out if you go this way.
>>740354>>740358>>740371As they begin to draw closer, Thungr makes an astute observation: one of them, presumably the male, is slightly smaller and has an impressive array of head quills. The other is larger and lacks these, and has less vibrant coloring. He also notices that they seem aware of your presence, but are not bothered by it.
Looking back, you see the hole in the ground where Thungr accidentally opened up a cave - and a familiar lanky, scruffy looking Dog descending into said cave.
>>740364While the guards are busy changing over, you run along the wall and use the momentum to jump to a window. You miss the landing, however, and only barely manage to stop yourself from falling and breaking a bone by grabbing onto a banner hanging from the outside of the tower. Your claws rake downwards on it, tearing it to ribbons, and eventually catching and stopping your fall. You're in a pretty precarious position now, to say the least.
No.740374
>>740372"They know we are here?" Sunbeam says, confused. "Strange they do not seem to mind." She is quiet for a moment, then looks back to see Noghu. "Oh, Noghu is here. Perhaps we can enlist his help?"
No.740376
>>740374"Hm. Sso he hass followed uss here?"
the sorceress grumbles, before her eyes light up with an idea.
"Perhapss he may sserve a purposse here. If he could build a pitfall, we could lure the one we fail to capture with my magic into the pit."
No.740379
>>740374"You know him more than I. Sspeak with him and ssee if he will asssist us."
No.740383
>>740372Noghu keeps his ear to where his party members might be.
[1d10+1] perception
Roll #1 8 + 1 = 9 No.740384
>>740372>>740374>>740376"Well, seein as how they know we're here and ain't even makin no noises or nothin that makes the choice easy. We push." H'm. Dog is here too. "Let him know we're gonna hunt and eat the birds anf we'll share if he helps."
No.740386
>>740379"You should know him." Sunbeam says with a smile.
>>740383Sunbeam approaches the pit from earlier, careful near the edge. She patiently looks towards Noghu, waiting for him to speak first.
No.740389
>>740372The cat, all dressed in black, wriggles around on the ledge, clutching the banner with claws as he simultaneously rips it into rshreds. Eventually he comes to a tenuous stop, barely holding on to the edge with his toes. He carefully sidles his way into the nearest window, trying his best to appear graceful even as he almost topples. This was, of course, his plan all along; his purposeful demeanor matches his decisive action as he springs into the room with a flair of
je ne sais quoi.
Entering A Window [1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.740390
>>740386He seems to be exploring the cave at the moment.
>>740383You hear Sunbeam approach. A tall, winged shadow is cast over the top of the cave.
No.740393
>>740386>>740390Noghu tilts his head up, "Smelled people."
No.740394
>>740393"Just us three. Vajra, Thungr and I. We are trying to fulfill our bounty on those birds." She says, pointing with one claw and reaching another down to help Noghu up. "Do you want to help?"
No.740396
>>740389With an almighty heave, you pull yourself up the banner and up the wall, grabbing hold of a few loose stones to haul yourself through the window. You land on all four feet and do a graceful forward roll to right yourself. Pity no one's around to watch.
Indeed, this room is unoccupied. You've successfully infiltrated the castle, it seems. You're in a bedroom; the walls are made of wood and stone, and it contains a large bed and some stray furniture. There's a painting of a smug noble on the wall. It doesn't seem like anyone noticed you come in; you'll have to be extra careful from hereon out. There could be guards anywhere.
No.740397
>>740394Noghu nods, "Hunting far better than pony city."
No.740399
>>740397"I must agree. I am no stranger to cities, but that place… disturbs me. Come, let us see what Thungr has planned." She says, walking back towards Thungr and Vajra.
No.740401
>>740396Kalidan, having successfully (and stylishly) entered the room, proceeds to search for any hidden passageways. There are always hidden passageways in castle bedrooms and such.
In the midst of the search, he happens to completely shred the portrait of the smug nobleman. "Nothing personal," he murmurs to himself as he slashes it to ribbons, searching behind it for a hidden safe.
Perception [1d10]
Surveying his work, he crosses his furry arms and nods his whiskered face at the tattered remains of what had previously been a pretty nice bedroom.
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.740403
>>740390>>740399Noghu follows dragon friend.
No.740405
>>740401You rip up the painting. You feel your sins weighing on your neck.
Behind it is nothing but a brick wall. No secret passages reveal themselves this time. There might be some finery worth filching in the rest of the room, though.
You hear some running footsteps coming from further down in the tower, followed by the sound of someone collapsing, then a body being dragged. Sounds spicy.
No.740411
>>740399>>740403>>740394>>740384You all reunite atop the hill. The Devilbirds have ceased their patrolling, and seem to be returning to the patch of bushes where they presumably nest. They seem a little more alert after having taken note of your presence, but don't seem to consider you a threat yet.
No.740412
>>740405Kalidan pulls out one of the empty sacks he carries around inside his bag, originally meant for carrying water, but which has been cleverly slashed open by a razor-sharp claw to accommodate any type of pilfered goods. He proceeds to stuff any finery worth looting into said modified gunney-sack, while keeping a keen eye on the door.
Looting [1d10]
If, after he is finished, he remains undisturbed, he attempts a courageously slow turning of the doorknob, keeping himself carefully hidden behind the door as he swings it open as quietly as possible.
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.740414
>>740412There's not much in the room, but quality over quantity. You find an extremely elegant knife kept in one of the drawers, with a golden hilt and a polished blade of patterned steel. The cross guard is in the shape of a dragon's claw. It's blunt, unfortunately, kept more as a trophy than a real weapon, but if sharpened it could be a valuable weapon.
You also find a silver pendant housing a peculiar aquamarine crystal. It also looks quite valuable.
Stalking out of the room, you don't find anyone around; at least, not on an initial search…
>roll Perception No.740415
>>740403>>740399>>740379I nod to the dog, assuming him coming back with the dragon means he's helpin out. "Gonna come at em from two sides," I say. "Assume y'all can dig under em without no fuss. Want y'all to take the witch. Come at em with one in front of the other, single file like. Less intimidatin that way. More likely to defend their nest than run. Gonna set my sights on the female -the bigger one without the head feathers- and hit her when I get close enough. Want y'all to focus on her while I switch my attention to the male. Both y'all can trap 'em, so I want y'all to trap each of em as soon as the fight starts. From there it's just wearin em down enough to get a kill strike in. How's that sound to y'all?"
No.740418
>>740415"Birds notice dig more, might notice me. Make pitfall, or just surprise from behind?" Noghu asks, clearly on board with the hunting plan.
No.740421
>>740418"Was thinkin surprise em from the back, but if y'all think a pitfall might work better go with that. Idea is to close in on em without spookin em too bad at first. All of us just roll up from the front they're liable to run."
No.740424
>>740421"Would dig around, aproach under. If feel tremor, they will move towards you."
No.740425
>>740415"I ssee. Attacking the female together while you occupy the Male'ss attention, corralling them into the trap when able." replies the sorceress, nodding.
"It may take time to create a hole large enough to stall one of the creaturess, but my magic sshould hold the other quickly."
No.740426
>>740415"Ah… yes." Sunbeam says, somewhat lost in Thungr's rambling. "I will do my best to keep us safe."
No.740428
>>740424I nod. Smart dog.
>>740425>>740426"Alright," I say, turning toward the birds and readying the javelin. "Ready when y'all are."
No.740429
>>740428>>740411Noghu digs under the ground, taking a long route to dig around them as not to alert them first.
[1d10+3] sneaky burrow
Roll #1 6 + 3 = 9 No.740431
>>740414Kalidan tucks away the elegant trophy-knife and the pendant into his pack, making sure to wrap them in useless-looking leather. He chuckles to himself as they are disappeared into his pack.
As he stalks out of the room, all low to the ground and hugging shadows, he sneaks a glance around.
Perception [1d10]
Remembering his purpose, he sneaks down to the next room down along the tower, hoping not to encounter anypony.
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.740432
>>740429Seeing the dog disappear into the hole, I start making my way toward the birds, looking as non-threatening as someone approaching their nest can. Looking at the female, I try to see if I can't take aim at any weak lookin spots. Maybe in the chest.
[1d10]Marked for Death
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.740434
>>740428>>740425"We go then, scalekin?"
No.740436
>>740428>>740414>>740434"I am ready. Let uss ressolve thiss quickly."
breaking away from Thungr, Vajra moves as suggested, slowly towards the creatures from the opposite direction as the minotaur.
No.740437
>>740436Sunbeam creeps along with Vajra, slightly ahead of her and ever so ready to defend her.
No.740438
>>740429You start burrowing, digging your way downhill and following your instincts to burrow close to them. You're in position to dig a pitfall now.
>>740432You make your way downhill, crossing the plains and approaching the nest. The female is huddled up in the nest, brooding quietly. She and the male both look at you, and the latter rears up and flaps his wings in warning, watching you like, well, a hawk.
>>740436>>740437You flank them, keeping low to the grass, letting Thungr serve as a distraction. You see them focused on him, warning him to back away from the nest.
>>740431You keep moving down the tower, till you find some evidence of what you heard before: a broken candelabra. As you are distracted by this detail, you feel a powerful arm shoot out and grab you, a furry paw wrapping around your head and dragging you into one of the adjacent rooms.
"Took your time, huh," a familiar female voice whispers. Needless to say, Neridah seems very on edge right now.
No.740441
>>740438Noghu excavates his underground trap.
[1d10+1] doggo dig beeg hole
Roll #1 7 + 1 = 8 No.740443
>>740438Kalidan is yanked. He starts to fight, recognizes the voice, relents. "Neridah!" he whispers. His voice is almost an accusation. "Where the heck did you… Nevermind. What have you seen? Where's Kothbiro?"
He surveys the room.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.740447
>>740438As the male flaps I heft my javelin, take aim, and fling it at the female, staying far enough back to give myself time to prepare for an incoming attack.
[1d10]Marksman Shot
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.740454
>>740438Within range of the pair, the sorceress raises her claws, cobalt bandages fluttering into the ground.
"Circle of bone from plains i scrape, encircle the beasts to halt escape!
Bone Cage!"
[1d10] Raise ancient: Bone cage
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.740457
>>740438>>740454"Do you actually need to say a poem before or do you just do that for effect?" Sunbeam asks, turning her head to the side.
No.740461
>>740457"It iss to direct the ssoulss of what i call to form. Without direction, my magic would only call them forth, not wield them." quietly explains Vajra, focusing on her casting.
No.740462
>>740441You dig underneath them, weakening the ground. One misstep and they should plunge right into your devious trap.
>>740447The male takes the hit instead, protecting her with his life. Your javelin pierces the bird's wing, and it flaps and stumbles wildly in a panic, flailing its now broken limb.
>>740454Bones rise from the ground - only, they're pathetically small bones from prey animals. Squirrels, rabbits, lizards, etcetera. They won't stop much. Certainly not angry seven foot tall birds.
>>740454>>740447>>740441The wounded male Devilbird charges forward blindly at Thungr, only for the ground to collapse under it, courtesy of Noghu. It flails about in confusion, trying to get out!
The female Devilbird spreads her wings and screeches, rushing forward to defend her mate!
>>740443"Not much yet, and no idea," she answers without missing a beat. "This place is crawling with Thenns. Haven't been able to make much progress yet."
You seem to be in a storage room at the moment, lined with locked crates and boxes. In one corner is a Thenn guard, knocked unconscious and stuffed into a crate himself. "I don't suppose you came in with any sort of plan either," she says offhandedly as she scours the room.
No.740465
>>740462I take my spear in my main hand, jabbing my javelin into the dirt beside me. "Git'er!" I bellow, readying my spear to fight the male.
[1d10]Marked for Death on female
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.740466
>>740462"Ah, finally. I have missed this fun!" Sunbeam shouts as she rushes towards the birds, hopefully giving Vajra time to recast.
No.740467
>>740462Hissing, Vajra sends the she-bear to assist Thungr, the skeletal ursine charging forward to bat at the distracted female!
[1d10] Swipe
Meanwhile, Vajra tries deeper into the earth, more bandages probing the soil.
"From wind to form i call to me, a spirit of spear to loose on thee!"
[1d10] Summon esper, marksman shot
Roll #1 2 = 2 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 No.740468
>>740462>Lurk; passive: +2 to hide while out of combat. Immediately becomes revealed once combat starts.>DestealthedNoghu springs from his hole having sprung his trap, throwing a bolas at the female Devilbird to prevent them from reuniting with their mate. Having done so, he cackles menacingly at the mate in the pit, trying to scare them out of their next attack.
>Lucky Dog: passive; Every dog has its day, and you have yours frequently. Your first turn in combat enjoys a higher chance to be critical, giving your actions Critrange -2 (i.e. An action that Crits on 10 now crits on 8+).
>Bola; instant, recharge 2, weapon, ranged: Throws a bola to temporarily disable a target. Bola does no damage, but on hit interrupts the target's current action and prevents movement, requiring them to break free of the binds that turn. On crit, it also sends the target helpless without dealing a wound of damage.Female Devilbird [1d10+1] DC-1, Crit DC-2
>Word of Power: Use a mix of authority and your own personal methods to extract information from a target that you would not normally get from basic means. In combat you can force an enemy to miss their next attack. On Crit you render the target helpless.Male Devilbird [1d10+1] Crit DC-2
Roll #1 9 + 1 = 10 /
Roll #2 2 + 1 = 3 No.740469
>>740462Kalidan takes her warning in as he scans the room with his slitted irises. "Looks like you finagled your way in as carefully as myself," he comments, his barbed tongue firmly held in cheek, running his paw against the top of the crate containing the unconscious Thenn guard.
Looking around, Kalidan keeps an eye open for anything worth looting from this room.
Perception [1d10]
"We should probably get moving downward. You hear that commotion? Sounded like a distraction to me." Kalidan appears unconcerned about the nature of the occurance.
"Should we go on the inside, or the out?" He peeks his head out the window to check the distance to the next opening downward.
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.740470
>>740467>>740466>>740465Vajra's bear charges, only to get knocked back by a flurry of swiping rakes from the female. Vajra invokes an Esper, taking the form of a floating arrowhead to be commanded at her will.
Noghu ensnares the female bird with his bolas, trapping her momentarily. She struggles to break loose!
[1d10]
The male bird manages to get out of the pitfall and gnashes its fiercely hooked beak at Thungr with lightning speed!
[1d10+1] Autocrit
>>740469It seems like all the boxes are firmly kept locked. If only you had a skeleton key.
"Kind of. Just came in through the bathroom window."
"That commotion was this idiot who tried to raise the alarm." She jabs a paw at the knocked out guard. "Now he's a few bits lighter."
"I'm going to the bottom level of this tower. See if there's some sort of sewer system we can use to sneak around. Try and get into the main interior of this place instead of being cooped up in a tower all night."
It's a solid 20 feet down or so. You'd probably hurt yourself at best if you tried jumping for it.
"Or, if we could find some uniforms that fit…" she muses out loud, ignoring you as she weighs her options.
Roll #1 4 = 4 /
Roll #2 8 + 1 = 9 No.740471
>>740470As the male attacks, I take a step back and duck down a little, leveling my spear at it. As it approaches, I lunge, attempting to stab it.
[1d10]DC-1
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.740472
>>740470>Wild Hunt: passive; After rendering a foe helpless, the Wildguard's first action next turn becomes Automatic. Rendering an enemy helpless with this automatic action does not activate WIld Hunt again.Emboldened by his success, Noghu cackles again, cracking the back of his greatspear into the hollow bones of the male devilbird
>Shatter: recharge 2, weapon; Breaks the target's defenses to open them up for attack. Deals damage and increases the Crit Range for all attacks against them by 2 for two rounds. Can be used against inanimate objects or armor to break and damage them efficiently.[Automatic +1] DC-1
No.740473
>>740470>>740472Seeing Noghu make his bold move, Sunbeam attempts to bolster his attempt with sunlight.
Purify [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.740474
>>740470"I am not putting on a guard uniform. First of all, they wouldn't fit me," he proclaims, the truth of which is apparent as all the guard's outfits are meant to fit a pony. "Second of all," he flips his hair back. "I am dressed fabulously enough. Look at me," he implores, looking into her eyes. "I am Lord Kittiban Snugglesworth III, and I will be addressed as such. Harrrumph." He crosses his arms and turns away.
Looking out the window, he muses, "You know, I'm pretty sure that I could drop 20 feet or so and not have an issue. The problem is the guards." He turns back toward Neridah, meeting slitted eyes with her. "Let's keep that as a plan B."
Kalidan works his way toward the door. Poking his head out, he tries to find the least traveled way downstairs.
Perception/Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.740475
>>740470The bear, battered away, returns to swipe at it's prey!
[1d10] Melee, female
The arrowhead, aloft by phantom claws, pings forward into the male bird, distracted by Thungr's attack
[1d10] Marksman shot
The sorceress, hissing in annoyance, tries to dig further into the soil for ancient's aid.
"Spirits trapped 'neath wind and ssoil, obey my call to trap and foil!
Bone Cage!"
[1d10] Raise ancient, Bone cage
Roll #1 3 = 3 /
Roll #2 2 = 2 /
Roll #3 4 = 4 No.740476
>>740474She snorts. "You wouldn't know royalty if it were staring you in the face. Don't kid yourself. ….Nice duds though."
You and Neridah creep down the stairs, coming to the tower basement. Peering around in the sunset light, you can see even more boxes piled up, as well as a few armor stands. There's an empty dog food bowl in one corner. There doesn't seem to be anything of note in here. Or is there?…
>roll Perception>>740471>>740472>>740473>>740475The male bird's beak tears into Thungr's left pectoral, tearing a vicious wound in his chest. Thungr retaliates by piercing its belly with his spear, bleeding it out. It pushes him away with a kick of its claws, knocking the minotaur to the ground.
>Thungr takes 5 hits, helplessNoghu takes the opportunity to run up and slam his spear into its collarbone. Disoriented, the male bird screeches and rears up to claw at him!
[1d10+2]
The female bird manages to get loose of her bindings!
Roll #1 7 + 2 = 9 No.740902
>>740476I grunt in pain as the bird slices into me, clutching my spear tight as it throws me to the ground. Snorting in anger, I try to put myself back in the fight.
[1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.740910
>>740476Holding up his spear defensively, Noghu doesn't strike with his spear back at the male bird, cautious of a counter attack. Instead his growls turn to a loud barking, trying to shake the bird's confidence.
>Word of Power: Use a mix of authority and your own personal methods to extract information from a target that you would not normally get from basic means. In combat you can force an enemy to miss their next attack. On Crit you render the target helpless.[1d10+1] Crit DC-2
Roll #1 7 + 1 = 8 No.740911
>>740476Kalidan slinks among the boxes and armor stands, looking as always for anything shiny worth relocating to his pockets.
Perception [1d10]
"There's got to be a grate, or a hidden passage or something here," he muses, running a paw along the exterior wall of the storage room. "Castles always have hidden passageways."
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.740914
>>740476Sunbeam notices the female bird begin to escape and rushes towards it to keep it distracted while the rest work.
As she does, light emanates from her as she casts purify on herself.
Purify (Crit effect) [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.740923
>>740476Hissing, the Sorceress opts to fish through the soil for a smaller soul to aid her.
"Ssoulss of brussh, kindle free, a pyre'ss fire i call to me!"
[1d10] Summon esper, alchemist fire.
The she-bear, knocked back, charges back towards the now freed female, swiping at it's exposed legs!
[1d10] Melee, female
The bone arrow realigns itself, zipping through the air to return to Vajra's side, aiming through the male to pierce his breast!
[1d10] Ranged, male
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 /
Roll #3 7 = 7 No.740928
>>740902>>740910>>740914>>740923Thungr gets mauled by the bird, its cruel beak ripping into him time and again, leaving him bloodied and broken!
>Thungr takes 1 woundThe male bird rakes Noghu across the chest and kicks him back, drawing blood!
>Noghu takes 4 hitsHe retaliates by barking and snarling, throwing the male off course as it lunges again. Vajra's arrow pierces its other wing, and it stumbles and falls, trying to recover quickly!
[1d10]
The female charges forward, lunging with its hooked beak and grabbing a hold of the skeletal she-bear's paw, ripping it off and casting it aside!
Sunbeam casts her spell as she approaches the female, drawing its attention. It screeches and charges at her, flapping its wings menacingly!
[1d10] Basic attack
>>740911As you run a paw along the wall, you stumble as you inadvertently push a trick wall, which rotates around with a loud rumble. You nearly fall into a pitch black earthen tunnel. Behind you, the fake wall clicks as it spins 180, and you hear Neridah pushing against it to no avail. It seems to have locked in place. "Kalidan? You there?" she whispers urgently, trying not to make too much noise. Someone's sure to have heard the fake wall moving, though. "Damn it…"
Roll #1 10 = 10 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 No.740929
>>740928I howl in pain as the bird tears into me. For a brief moment my breathing grows heavy and I can see a red haze closing in at the edge of my vision. With some effort I manage to calm myself, grip my spear, and use it to try to stand up.
[1d10]recovery
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.740930
>>740928>>740929Grunting, Noghu moves over to Thungr to help pull the minotaur up, "You more useful standing."
[1d10+1] Recovery
Roll #1 5 + 1 = 6 No.740932
>>740928"Sspiritss of wind and ancient sstone, obey my call, rend flessh from bone!
Reaper!"
[1d10] raise ancient, reaper
Bandages extend fully from the sorceress' wrists, like chains to the soil below.
The she-bear, partially disarmed, leaps to bite the extended beak of the bird!
[1d10] melee (bite), female
the arrow, now floating nearby, builds speed to rocket into the distracted female!
[1d10] Marksman shot
Roll #1 9 = 9 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 /
Roll #3 9 = 9 No.740933
>>740928[Calm until Provoked]
After recoiling from the attack, Sunbeam stands up, her scales emanating light.
"Fall."
Wrath [1d10+2] (Autocrit)
Roll #1 4 + 2 = 6 No.740936
>>740928"Trick wall! Classic." Kalidan pokes a bit at the wall that spun. "Seems like it's stuck now, though. I'm okay back here, there's some kind of tunnel. Might lead somewhere interesting. Try not to get killed, okay?"
He waits for a response from Neridah and then goes exploring carefully.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.740941
>>740929>>740930>>740932>>740933Noghu helps Thungr up, the enormous minotaur leaning on his spear, weakened but not mortally injured.
The female Devilbird strikes with terrifying speed, biting and pecking at Sunbeam's collarbone.
>Sunbeam takes 3 hitsVajra raises a whirlwind of bones from the ground, a formless amalgamate of remains of small animals, spinning around in the form of a miniature tornado. The bone arrow pierces straight through the female's neck, enraging her. She lets out a strangled scream and charges right at Vajra-
FWOOMSunbeam bursts with radiance, an obliterating pulse of energy coursing out from her and sweeping the plains, illuminating the darkening scene with a flare of pure white. You are all blinded by the flash of light and the sudden course of power, ruffling the tall grass and breaking saplings in its path. When you recover, you find that both the Devilbirds have been blown away by Sunbeam's blast, lying broken in the tall grass, both stone dead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d8iM21dc5M>>740936"Worry about yourself. I'm getting out of here before any more guards show up." You hear the soft patter of paws on stone as she does just that.
You follow the secret tunnel onwards. Your feline eyes quickly adjust to the dark, but it's still difficult to see where you're going without a light source. Thankfully, the tunnel doesn't seem to branch off, being directly linked to… a dead end. Nothing but dirt and rock here. …Or so it looks at first glance. A bit of half blind fumbling reveals a ladder carved into the stone, which seems to lead to a trapdoor. It seems to be jammed tight, though. Probably hasn't been used in years. You can see light glinting through the cracks, and overhear muffled conversations. Sounds like there's someone in the room above…
No.740943
>>740941I grunt as the dog helps me up, giving him a nod in thanks. Readying myself to get back into the fight, I freeze as the world in front of me goes white. As the light clears and I see the birds dead on the ground, my arms sag to my sides. "Huh. Damn."
Putting my spear away, I pull out my axe and knife and get to work cleaning both birds. "Well," I say. "Any'a y'all wanna start a fire so we can get dinner on?"
No.740944
>>740941After her display, Sunbeam kneels in pain, a hand on her bleeding shoulder.
She pants as she speaks. "That has… never had such a… direct result." She stands up, still with a claw on her shoulder. "May they rest." She says, looking over at where the birds once were.
No.740945
>>740941"Oho! Wots oll this then?" he murmurs to himself in his imaginary noble's accent. Truth be told, he isn't quite sure what a noble's accent might sound like, so he's just going for something vaguely foreign.
Huddling under the trapdoor, he tries to catch a glimpse of the room above through the cracks as well as dropping some eaves on whatever conversation he might be privy to.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.740946
>>740943>>740941Noghu assists in cleaning the bird Thungr isn't cleaning at the moment, using the stone skinning knife on his belt. "Good hunt."
No.740947
>>740941leaning low, Vajra covers her eyes with a claw as the she-bear digs in to avoid rolling away. when the light clears, the amalgamate and arrow slowly dissipate into dust and phantom bandages, leaving the sorceress stunned.
"..Well now. A ssurprissing dissplay."
>>740943"I will ssee about gathering wood for the fire, though i do not have a flint for it. Perhapss a pair of sstickss for friction will do.."
With the birds dispatched, Vajra takes a moment to compact the she-bear back into the tablecloth bag, looking around for suitable wood for the fire and briefly for the missing paw.
[1d10] Search
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.740948
>>740947"Y'all can use mine. Got some chatcloth and flint in my bag. Just use some of the nest for kindlin."
No.740949
>>740944"You carry ssuch power, yet wait until Thungr wass gored to usse it? How cruel." chuckles Vajra, stooping down to grab a piece of wood for the fire.
No.740950
>>740946I nod. "Good hunt."
No.740952
>>740948"Ah, that would do. Perhapss there might be an egg to return with. It may fetch a fine price to the right merchant"
No.740953
>>740949"I do not control it." Sunbeam says. "Trakali do not choose their blessings. We accept them, and live our lives around them." She continues, looking up towards the sun hanging in the evening sky.
"I apologize. I was hoping the birds would attack me sooner so that I may help sooner. I cannot control such either." She says, now looking visibly upset.
No.740954
>>740945While you can't overhear what they're saying, you do recognize one of the two speaking: a very familiar zebra. Kothbiro seems intimidated by whoever the other two speakers are: a man with a scratchy sort of voice, and a woman with a low, deep voice. Though you can't see them, you feel both of them have an aura of genuine menace.
You hear footsteps as the duo leave, then a slumping sigh. Sounds like Kothbiro's not going anywhere.
>>740943>>740946You pull out your hunting knives and get to business, making short work of cleaning both birds.
>>740947You find both; the paw in the grass next to you, and the wood in the form of the birds' next. They seem to have been protecting a clutch of eggs; three of them, about the size of your head each. They might fetch a good price.
No.740955
>>740954Kalidan goes to weigh his options, realizes he has none, and knocks on the trapdoor.
"Psst! Hey Koth! It's me!"
No.740957
>>740946>>740952>>740954I hang on to both heads in case I need proof, but the rest is ready to go. I butcher some of the male for dinner.
>>740953"Make camp here and head back in the mornin?"
No.740959
>>740953"It iss not
me that you could apologize to, Ssunbeam. Thungr recieved the brunt of the attack, after all."
"Limited you may be, your magic perhapss ssaved a very messsy hunt from being lethal, that i am ssure Thungr iss grateful for."
"With thiss, we may retire to dinner and prepare to return our kill to town. There iss a bounty to collect, after all."
>>740954Gathering the wood from the nest and slipping the paw back into the bindle, i return to Thungr's bag to make a clearing and attempt a campfire.
[1d10] firestarter
>>740957"That would be besst, i feel. It iss unlikely we would travel the canyon without incident at night."
"There were three eggss after all, in the nesst. We musst remember to take them before we go, they will sscertainly fetch a nice price."
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.740960
>>740957"I would enjoy that, but I have a dedication back in Galatian. Perhaps I will come to join you after sunset." She says, with a polite smile and nod.
No.740961
>>740955She starts, jumping out of her seat. "Kalidan? Where are you? What in the…?"
No.740962
>>740959"Perhaps it saved us. But such does not mean I enjoy it." Sunbeam says, conflictedly. "Vajra… you chose to learn your
Vitel magics, yes?"
No.740963
>>740957>>740954"Am not going back to pony place. Will stay here." Noghu nods, taking one of the bones and gnawing on it.
No.740964
>>740961"Down here! There's a trapdoor, but it's stuck. Can you lend a hoof?" He pushes at it to prove his point.
No.740965
>>740960I cock my eyebrow. "'Sides meetin with the zebra about that Then fella?" I shrug. "Suit yerself. Just don't wanna hike through the dark."
>>740963I grunt. "Don't blame ya. Place is a lot."
No.740967
>>740957You go about your grisly business with expertise, carving up the Devilbirds. There's not much meat on them, but it's better than nothing.
>>740959You manage to start a merry little blaze after flattening the tall grass to make a clearing. It almost spreads to the rest of the plains, but you manage to keep the fire in check.
>>740964You hear her grunting, and the trapdoor rattling, sprinkling you with dust and dirt. You give her a hand in pushing from your end. Eventually, with a little puff of dust, the trapdoor yawns open, and you climb up to meet Kothbiro.
She's not pleased, however. You meet her axe first, then the zebra. She looks at you with narrowed eyes, staring you down with fraught suspicion. "I'm not an idiot," she says, hissing in hushed tones. "There's only one reason why you'd be snooping around the castle. Give me one good reason not to call the guards right now."
No.740968
>>740962"Of coursse." she replies "It iss vital to learn the ancient sspellss before one could wield the burial gauze." she adds, holding a wrist up to show the tan bandages fluttering in the wind.
No.740972
>>740967I take my cookpot, and, after the fire burns a bit, use my spear's shaft to scoop out some of the burning coals. Setting the pot on top of the coals, I toss the meat inside. Gonna be a bit, but at least this way none of the fat drips into the fire and the meat won't dry out.
In the meantime I get to gathering a couple long branches so I can set up my canvas tarp as a big lean-to. Hopefully more than one of us can fit underneath us if we gotta, but if not guess I can always add my blanket.
[1d10+2]Survivalist, dc 4
Roll #1 7 + 2 = 9 No.740973
>>740967The cat climbs up, brushes himself off and manages to look offended by her accusation.
"Hey now, what do you take me for? …Don't answer that. Alright, alright, you caught me. I came snooping around to make sure you were safe." He licks his lips nervously. "Not buying it, huh? Fair. Here's the truth. I came to pilfer some neat castle-y stuff. So sue me! It's in my nature. And they've got so much stuff all over this place, who's gonna notice some missing jewelry here or there?"
He eyes the room, looking for some possible way out around the imposing zebra.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.740974
>>740967Experimentally, Noghu leans some bones on the fire as he gnaws on the surprisingly non-birdlike bone, interested in what it does to the marrow within.
No.740975
>>740965"That I do not joyfully anticipate, but I am to speak with a smith I met today. I will join you out here after perhaps."
>>740968Sunbeam replies with a simple confirmatory "Hmm."
"I think I will go now. Are you staying here Vajra?"
No.740977
>>740967sweeping the fire back and patting the ground flat with my tail, Vajra coils up to enjoy what little meat the Devilbirds produced.
>>740975"It iss ssafer to resst here than rissk another fall in the canyon." she replies "Though i do wonder what busssiness hass you flying off at thiss hour. It musst be urgent, yess?"
No.740985
>>740973You can't see much of a way around. You'd have to just rush it and hope for the best.
"I can't let you do that," she says. You notice she's trembling a little, as if nervous about something. "You know I can't. Especially not since I know what you're after." She takes a step closer. "It's the Heart, isn't it. Why else would you be here."
You hear footsteps in the distance.
>>740972>>740975>>740974>>740977You finish setup and tuck in for dinner. The Devilbird meat is tough and lean, but quite tasty. Unsurprisingly, the taste is not unlike their smaller, substantially less intimidating brethren, the humble chicken. The world is quiet here. For now. Unless…
>roll Perception No.740989
>>740985I lick the grease off my fingers, keeping an eye out for anything planning to sneak up on us.
[1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.740991
>>740985Noghu is content with both being served the meat and getting to have the bones, happily keeping watch after having the meal.
[1d10+1]
Roll #1 2 + 1 = 3 No.740992
>>740985Enjoying her bird, the sorceress listens to the sounds of the plains quietly, tasting the air to set her mind at ease.
[1d10] Perception, DC-2 (detect life)
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.740996
>>740977"I suppose I can wait until morning."
>>740985"Unless…" Sunbeam says, carefully looking around.
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.740997
>>740985Seeing no way out except through an axe, Kalidan swallows and clears his throat, his paws raised in a gesture of nonthreatening surrender.
"Kothbiro, look. This Thenn guy, he's not very nice, right? What do you think he's planning on doing with the Heart? Probably some not very nice things, yes? Now I may have a fairly loose grip on "morality" and all that, but doesn't it behoove us to, like, stop him or something?" He slowly lowers his paws, taking a small nonthreatening step toward her, eyes locked with hers.
"Look, why are you helping him anyway? You don't seem like the subjugating, extorting, conquering type of zebra. Aren't you, like, basically good, or something? You're better than this crap, at least."
No.741004
>>740989>>740991>>740992>>740996Your dinner is interrupted by an unwelcome visitor. Vajra spots it first; two pinpoints of yellow light, glinting through the fire, staring back at you all. It's one of the monstrous wolves that keep stalking Thungr, an enormous canine creature with brown and yellow striped fur, a bright red mouth, a forked black tongue, with several rows of teeth. As she points it out to the others, you see at least two more of the wolves emerge from the tall grass, surrounding the four of you. There might even be more. They look downright demonic, and doubtless have ill intent, but for some reason, they do not seem to attack you. They seem content to just sit and stare from afar. As if waiting for you to make the first move.
>>740997She hesitates, put off by your apparent surrender. Her grip on the axe trembles slightly. "…He…" She seems conflicted, her voice faltering. "…I don't have a choice. They'll kill me if I don't. I need to show them I'm worth something…"
She raises the axe, her lip quivering slightly. "Just turn around and leave. Don't make me do this, cat. I'll kill you if I have to."
The footsteps turn to running. You hear some clamoring. Something seems to be happening…
>roll Perception No.741006
>>741004>>740989"We go again?" Noghu tilts his head, readying his spear, "Could do with more food."
No.741009
>>741004I growl and stand up, wiping my hands on my fur. In one hand I grab my axe, while in the other I grab my two javelins. Gettin real tired of these witch wolves. Gonna nip that in the bud right now.
>>741006I look down at the dog and knit my brow. Huh. Didn't expect company on this one. I nod.
No.741010
>>741004"They hesitate. Do they challenge us?" Sunbeam says, looking confused at the others.
"What is it they truly seek?"
No.741012
>>741010"Witch wolves been stalkin me since the livin statues. Ain't havin it no more."
No.741017
>>741004Hissing, Vajra undoes the knot on her bindle, allowing the she-bear's bones to tumble out and reassemble, the undead letting out a dry roar.
>>741012"They have been following you thiss long without attacking?"
No.741018
>>741012>>741017"Waiting for weakness. We show no weakness tonight."
No.741020
>>741004Kalidan nods understandingly. "Look, I understand feeling like you have to do something that feels wrong. But is it really even worth having the respect of someone like that? Someone who hurts folks? Taking away their homes, their safety, their lives, their family? Don't you have a family?" He takes one more step closer to her, slowly. "If Thenn decides it's worth it to kill you, he'll do it anyway, regardless of how much you've helped him. That type, they've got no loyalty. Me, I might be a thief, and a drifter, but at least I know a friend when I see one."
The cat turns to the door as the noise picks up, too intent on his earnest plea to be ready for action.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.741021
>>741017>>741018I nod. "Dog's right. Ain't wakin up with no damn wolf eatin my throat."
No.741022
>>741012"They are persistant. But I do not think blood is all they seek." She says, turning to face them.
"But we may test that." She says, putting her closed fist over her chest as radiance beams from her towards Thungr. "It is your trial. You tell us how we may help."
Purify Thungr [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.741032
>>741017>>741010>>741009>>741006The wolves close in. There's five of them now. Maybe more. One of them steps forward, facing you all down; then, it transforms, its body rippling and shifting to become something else altogether. Where once a terrible wolf monster stood now stands an austere looking woman - a serpentine saurian, like Vajra, about as tall as Thungr, clad in a red hooded mask and cloak of brilliant, glittering scarlet. Vajra recalls the rumors she'd heard in town of the red witch of the wilds.
The mysterious Red Woman says nothing, but raises an index finger, pointing behind and up, in the direction of Galatian. Following her gesture, you see a faint fiery glow appearing on the castle wall.
>>741020She breaks eye contact, staying her hand for a moment. "…I used to," she says quietly in response to your question.
There doesn't seem to be anyone coming. Rather, everyone seems to be running away. You can smell a faint but unmistakable scent you haven't smelled since the raid on Bywater: smoke. Smoke and flame.
Kothbiro smells it too, her eyes widening as she turns to the stairs. Her attention on you is broken all of a sudden, realizing what may be going on. Without another word, she dashes out to see what's happening.
No.741034
>>741032I lower my spear as the wolf transforms, locking my jaw. Cursed. Like me. I let out a quiet grumble. Dern it. Following her finger, my eyes spot the red glow, and I deadpan. Dern it.
Turning my attention back to her, I fix her with a glare and take a menacing step forward, but keep my weapons lowered. "Why?"
No.741035
>>741032Kalidan sniffs the air. "Looks like we're out of the frying pan now, eh?" he quips, but Kothbiro has already started moving. He rolls his eyes. "They never hear the good ones," he sighs, dropping to all fours to scamper after the zebra toward the ruckus.
No.741036
>>741032"I… what is this…" Sunbeam trails off, her eyes turning to the burning light.
"What have you done? Sunbeam says, planting her back claws into the dirt. "Explain yourself."
No.741038
>>741032"Raid?" Noghu looks to the town, his days of traveling with his pack keeping him well familiar with the burn of a town. "Ponies panic, good time for food."
No.741039
>>741032"Hmm. The Red Witch, i pressume."
Vajra folds her arms over her chest. The she-bear sitting at her side.
"To what to we owe the pleassure of thiss.. Dissplay."
No.741042
>>741034>>741036>>741039>>741038"I have done nothing. But your companion has put something into motion that won't be undone easily," she says from behind the cloth mask. Her voice is low and husky, and lacks the saurian accent of Vajra. "I fight fires. I do not start them. And you have brought something into these lands that will unleash flame upon us all. If I - we - do not quell it."
The other wolves sit on their haunches as she walks over to your campfire, sticking her claw in. She is unharmed, and a tongue of flame clings to her palm. "Shall I show you what may come to pass?" she asks plainly. "Fortunately, this can be over quickly, and we can go our separate ways."
>>741034"You and your friends have been of particular interest to me for some time. But you perhaps more. I sensed it the moment you crossed my border. There is a fire within you, isn't there. A flame you cannot fully control. That would consume you, if you were remiss." She gives you a knowing look.
>>741035You head outside. You see several guards and castle dwellers running about in a panic as a flame begins to spread atop one of the towers. It doesn't take long to figure out which one either; it's where you were before, where Neridah was.
No.741043
>>741042I study her for a moment, drop my weapons, and sit back down under my shelter. "Talk."
No.741044
>>741042"Very well.. I have heard tell of your sspellcraft. Thiss will be an excellent opportunity to ssee for mysself."
Sitting back down in a coil, she watches the witch with no small amount of interest.
No.741045
>>741042Kalidan's mouth opens slightly in surprise before he snaps it shut. "That crazy little…" he mumbles to himself. Shaking his head, he bounds towards the burning tower, ignoring the panicked guards as he slips around them.
Navigation/Looking for Neridah [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.741046
>>741042The conversation having too many words, Noghu gets back to gnawing open bones for their marrow.
No.741047
>>741042"You are a… prophet? Seer of future things?" Sunbeam says, almost reaching out to stop her when she puts her claw in the fire.
"You are scalekin."
She is silent for a moment, weighing her options in her mind. Eventually she speaks. "I will see your visions. Perhaps they can explain mine."
No.741048
>>741046The witch spares you a glance. Despite her austere demeanor, she seems amused. One of the wolves vanishes into the grass all of a sudden, and just as quickly reappears with a dead rabbit in its mouth. It seems to be offering it to you, leaving it on the ground and stepping away. "Still hungry?" the witch asks as an aside, with a slightly kindly tone. "I mean you no harm. Nor do they."
>>741047"Half," she answers your observation. "I have a dragon's flame within me, but not the strength."
>>741043>>741044>>741047"Mistake me not. I know you have little desire for true heroism. That is not what I would ask of you."
She tosses up the flame, which quickly expands. Looking at it, you begin to see movement within the fire. Faces, people, places. You do not recognize them, but you can gander a guess as to the identity of the first one: a tall, imposing minotaur, clad in armor befitting a king.
Styr Thenn holds a sparkling stone in his hand, offering it to a monstrous claw attached to an unseen fiend. It reaches out and snatches it from his palm.
The beating of great wings. A draconic visage. Flames engulf hill and valley, town and countryside, spreading across the world, and never stop. Vajra's temple lies in cinders. Mount Staralfur is a flaming beacon. Even far-flung Trakali burns like a torch.
"This is what will come to pass if the conqueror grants his would-be ally what he desires."
"All I ask is that you return to Galatian. Find your friends the cats, who are doubtless seeking the gem themselves. And destroy it, or deliver it to me for safekeeping. I cannot set foot in the city, not since the conqueror came. Do this, and we can all be spared the dragon's fire."
>>741045She's up to her old tricks again; you spot her dashing on all fours along the castle wall, her tail pricked straight up like an exclamation point. While everyone else is distracted by the fire, she's making a dash for the inner keep.
Kothbiro follows your gaze, frowning as she spots her. "Is that…?" She puts two and two together, and her blood runs cold, running off in the direction of the keep.
No.741049
>>741048I pinch the bridge of my nose and shake my head. Gettin myself tied up in all this was a mistake. "Guess that means I ain't gettin paid." I sigh and shake my head.
No.741050
>>741048Sunbeams eyes are wide as she silently watches in horror. Her voice trembles slightly as she speaks.
"Dragons? An Old One? This… makes all too much sense." She says, still focused on the flickering flames. "I do not like this Styrr one, but I must ask you, what would you do with the stone? What power does it hold? It is not such from Trakali legend." She says, occasionally looking over towards Noghu and the wolf while speaking with the Witch.
No.741051
>>741048"Oh no you don't!" Kalidan redoubles his pace, sprinting towards the keep to try and head off the zebra.
The Game is Afoot! [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.741052
>>741048Noghu takes the rabbit and skins it, picking at the meat afterwards. "Kept eating, didn't think so. All talk too much."
At the mention of a gem, Noghu's ears perk up, "Was my gem, they took."
No.741053
>>741048Vajra hisses, glaring at the minotaur wreathed in fire as his monster blazes through the world.
"A cursse on him! Thiss world will be
mine, i will not have hiss ilk desstroy what i will rule!"
"Sso, he would burn the world with what wass my gem? Very well. Perhapss the thieving catss will prove usseful in recovering it."
No.741055
>>741049The red witch blinks; then, unexpectedly, laughs with genuine amusement. "Hahahaha! I took you for less material than to be concerned over riches."
>>741050"More dragon than you or I," she confirms solemnly. "A demon consumed by greed and wrath." She closes her fist to snuff out the flame.
"It holds none. Yet it is everything to a Consumed One. The conqueror would form an alliance, with the gem as a temptation."
"As for myself, I would bury it. And protect it from any that would enter my lands coveting it. Or perhaps simply have it destroyed. It would best be left to no one to claim."
>>741052"Yes. Yes, it was. It's about time it returned to the one it was given to, wouldn't you say?"
The rabbit meat is delicious.
>>741053"In my long years, I have found that it is best to live in harmony and let things grow, rather than force things to happen. Rarely will I intervene upon my visions, but in this case, I make an exception. We may not see eye to eye on this, but Thenn cannot be allowed to form an alliance with dragons. Destroy the gem or bring it to me, and this can all come to a halt. The world need not burn."
>>741051You run forward, soon catching up to Kothbiro; only, she's not going anywhere. You recognize the two minotaurs she's been stopped in her tracks by from their voices alone; a man with a beard but no hair, and a woman with hair but no beard. They give off the same aura of menace you felt when you heard them earlier.
"And who is this then?" says the man to Kothbiro with an icy tone. "An accomplice of yours, halfbreed? Did you have something to do with this debacle?" He refers to the rapidly spreading fire as if it were a mere inconvenience.
"I suppose you're here for the bauble Kothbiro delivered, cat," says the woman.
They block your path stoicly, fixing you with their steely gazes. Kothbiro mumbles something indistinctly, not daring to make eye contact with them.
No.741492
>>741055I feel my face grow a little hot and glance away, idly scratching the side of my nose. "Wilderness'll give ya all ya need, but can't rely on her. She's a mite fickle, and it's slow goin. Reckon it's best iffin you got other means to supply." Ain't too sure why I feel the need to explain myself, but there it is. Plus I can keep up with a blade, but I ain't much of a smith. If I want more than stone tools I gotta buy em like anyone else.
No.741493
>>741055Noghu doesn't look up from his meal, "Was gonna gem back one way or other."
No.741495
>>741055"Such greed… powers that destroyed and founded many an empire." Sunbeam says solemnly. "I admire the old ones, but their ways are long since gone."
"Perhaps once we have the gem again, we put it back? Maybe we have disturbed the natural order of things."
No.741496
>>741055Kalidan stops short, giving the two minotaurs towering over him a dirty look.
"Sure am," he replies flippantly. "And I'm guessing you two bullheads are gonna try to stop me? Don't you have a fire to put out, or are you too busy with your fat noses buried between the boss's cheeks?"
Trying to look around the imposing figures, he checks on Neridah's progress.
"Look, much as I'd love to keep you company here, I've got a date with a priceless topaz. So if it's all the same to you, I'll just be scooting along." He lunges past the duo, trying to scamper by before they can stop him.
Scamper [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.741498
>>741497"Ah." Sunbeam says, her tone lightening. "Perhaps that is the best place for it." She says with a small giggle at the end.
No.741499
>>741055"Very well. In thiss, we are alliess."
"It will prove difficult to pry the jewel from Kothbiro's hooves. Sshe hass likely hid it by now. Perhapss an ambussh while we travel beyond the city?"
No.741500
>>741492Her amusement doesn't wane as you seem embarrassed. "Rest assured, you'll receive ample riches for my proposal. And, something other to help with your… affliction." Her eyes, red as burning coals, seem to pierce straight through you.
>>741493>>741497>>741495She does a bit of a double take. "You would… destroy the Heart for good? …Perhaps it is for the best," she agrees. "No way for anyone to reclaim it that way."
>>741499>>741498>>741497>>741495>>741492She points a claw toward the nearby castle again, this time pointing at the back end. "There is a secret entrance. With the guards distracted, you will be able to enter the castle unseen. I have seen it many times, but I cannot enter myself. You, however, are able to come and go from Galatian as you please."
One of her wolves splits off from the group and starts moving in that direction, looking back expectantly. "One of my children will show you the way. Do what I have asked, and you will all be rewarded."
>>741496Their eyes narrow in sync as you give them sass. "This fire is only the beginning," the man with a beard but no hair remarks. "Styr Thenn will make the Pact, and the world will bend the knee or burn in dragonfire," says the woman with hair but no beard. "You can't honestly think you can contend with his will."
You try to rush past them, only to be met with a rush of pain jolting up your spine. Looking back, you see the bearded minotaur has stamped down on your tail, pinning you down and preventing you from making a runner. The woman moves forward, producing a curved, cruel blade. "You are insignificant to him," she says coldly. "We will show you."
>roll to escape! No.741501
>>741500"If destroying it is what is best." Sunbeam says, walking towards the leading wolf.
"But, Witch, I have one more question." Sunbeam says. "Destroying the gem does not stop the Old One from being subservient to Styrr's will. He will find another offering. Such is the greed of Old Ones. We must solve this problem at the root, yes?" She says, not fully sure what she is implying.
No.741502
>>741500I knit my brow, but nod. Somethin to help with the curse? That why she can control hers? Sounds too good to be true, but I nod.
No.741503
>>741500Nodding, i pack up the she-bear as the others are following, joining them shortly after.
"A ssecret entrance? Excellent. Perhapss thiss will be a ssimpler tassk than expected. Let uss make hasste, before our opportunity passess."
No.741504
>>741500"Gem and reward?" Noghu asks, following.
No.741505
>>741500Kalidan stops short with a yowl, looking back at his stomped tail then up to the bearded minotaur, raw hatred burning in his eyes. Deliberately, he yanks his tail out from underhoof.
Escape Artist: automatic, self, recharge 3; Break free of all immobilizing or restraining effects (i.e. grabs, roots, freeze traps etc.) and can be used to recover from helpless.
He brushes it down quickly with a paw, making sure it isn't seriously hurt, then drops into a defensive stance as the female minotaur approaches threateningly. "Bring it, cow."
Counter: instant automatic, self, recharge 3; Prepare yourself to intercept an enemy’s attack next turn. If they make a single target attack, you cancel the attack and any effects it would have had and gain a Bonus Action for Slam that turn against that target, allowing you to use Slam even if you do not know it.
No.741506
>>741501"You underestimate the significance of the Heart, scale-kin. That gem is more precious than any gold the Consumed One has hoarded. To one so driven by greed, losing the chance to claim it would be unconscionable."
>>741504She nods in confirmation. "You are a great hunter, are you not. I may have a gift that will make you even greater."
>>741501>>741503>>741504>>741502You follow the Witch's wolf onward across the plains, around the town wall of Galatian, to the back of the castle. Here, you find the secret path the Witch spoke of: Near the bottom of the wall, surrounded by a moat, is a sewer grate. The bars have been bent and pried open at some point, allowing one to slip right through. However, access to the grate will be tricky; you are blocked by the moat, after all. You'll have to find some way to get down.
Looking back, you see the wolf hanging well back. Her voice comes from its mouth.
"This is as far as I can go. You will find me here upon your return. Fire walk with you, travelers.">>741505You pull free and spin around to face them. Your tail hurts like nothing else, but you should be fine. In the background, you see the fire starting to die down a little. Seems they'll get it under control, luckily.
The woman spins the knife around and lunges at you!
[1d10]
The minotaur shifts around with surprising grace to grab your arms and restrain you!
[1d10]
>roll PerceptionRoll #1 10 = 10 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 No.741507
>>741506>>741502"Oh I know what this is." Sunbeam says, smiling towards Thungr.
No.741508
>>741506>>741501I pull out my rope, hold it out to the dragon, and cock my eyebrow. Should be a place to tie it around the bars.
In the meantime I set the other end of the rope down and walk into the woods to grab a couple of pieces of wood. One nice, thick, sturdy lookin branch, and one smaller one to stake the rope down.
After carving the stake, I pull out my old rope, notch the heavier branch to slot it into, and use the rope to tie a makeshift harness to sit into.
[1d10+2]DC4 Survivalist
[1d10+2]DC4 Survivalist
Roll #1 7 + 2 = 9 /
Roll #2 10 + 2 = 12 No.741509
>>741507>>741506"You drop in water again?" Noghu points to Sunbeam's wings.
No.741510
>>741508>>741508Arriving at the moat, the sorceress ponders a plan into the grate before noticing Thungr scurry about with the rope.
"You have a plan to enter the grate, i asssume?" she asks
No.741511
>>741508You manage to fabricate a strange sort of zipline to link to the sewer entrance, complete with a harness. It's extremely sturdy, and should be able to hold quite some weight. Getting in should be a piece of cake now.
No.741512
>>741511>>741510I nod, pull myself into the harness, slip the branch over the taught rope, and hang my legs over the edge of the cliff. Tightly gripping the branch in both hands, I let myself fall.
No.741513
>>741512The rope creaks and sags, but holds fast. You make it across to the other end in one piece.
No.741514
>>741507>>741513I look up at the dragon and hold the harness/handle out to her to take back to the top.
No.741515
>>741509"You might need the bath again." She says, joking. Mostly.
>>741514"Ah yes, on it." She flies back up to the top.
No.741516
>>741506A glint in Kalidan's eye as the minotaur swings. Although it was a skillful swipe, the cat is ready for it; he grips her wrist and uses her own momentum to throw her to the ground.
Slam [1d10]
In the same movement, he avoids the other minotaur's grip, throwing himself toward the keep in a less-than-graceful but serviceable tumble. Picking himself up, he bounds towards the prize, unwilling to waste any more time.
Scamper [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 No.741517
No.741519
>>741515Noghu watches Sunbeam fly away.
No.741520
>>741516You dodge her attack and try to counter, only to get pushed away by her backhand swing. You're a bit dazed, but unharmed.
As you try to run for it, you suddenly feel an impact on your back, followed by an agonizing, burning pain. You collapse, only dimly aware of the knife sticking out of your shoulderblade.
>Kalidan takes 5 hits, helplessYou look behind you, seeing them advancing with malicious intent… Then, something happens. One of the guards starts yelling something, drawing their attention. The man looks back at you with an odious glare, before both of them turn coat and leave you to bleed out, their attention called to something else for a brief moment. Now's your chance to get away!
No.741521
>>741519>>741515>>741514>>741510You make it across the zipline one by one. It threatens to snap, but thankfully, doesn't. Thungr's ingenuity strikes again!
You gather in the sewer entrance. It's about what you'd expect; dank and foul, with barely any lighting. Thankfully, it's not too much of a maze; you can hear voices coming from somewhere above you. Unfortunately, it's difficult to traverse when you can barely see a thing…
>roll Navigation No.741522
>>741521After collecting my rope and ditchung the wood, I join the rest of the group inside. My nose crinkles as I smell the sewer. Why ain't I surprised? I snort and wipe my nose with the back of my hand. Could be worse, but damn.
"Don't guess any'a y'all got any torches, oirl, or animal fat? Meant to pick some up when I got back." I squint through the dark as I try to navigate the sewer.
[1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.741523
>>741521After assisting Noghu and the rest down the zipline, Sunbeam travels into the sewer.
>>741522"My scales radiate light when I cast. Perhaps I could try."
As she casts she searches through the sewers.
Navigation [1d10]
Purify on self [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 No.741524
>>741521Noghu cracks his large knuckles, having navigated a stone maze in the dark before.
[1d10] nav
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.741525
>>741521Covering her nostrils with her claws, the sorceress shudders as she enters the sewer.
"Revolting.." she mutters, nearly hugging the wall to avoid the flow of water.
[1d10] Navigation
>>741522"I do not." replies the sorceress "Perhapss when thiss is over i sshould conssider preparing as well. We likely would have been sstuck without your ropess."
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.741526
>>741525I grunt. "Cordage is somethin ya absolutely need one way or another. Can't do nothin without it. Iffin ya don't carry it you gotta make it. Trust me when I tell ya y'all don't wanna make somethin thick as rope."
No.741527
>>741522>>741523>>741524>>741525Sunbeam leads the way, glowing to illuminate the path through the sewers. Thungr stumbles and nearly falls face first, but manages to catch himself by grabbing Sunbeam instinctively.
You find the way out after a bit of aimless wandering; there's a ladder leading to a trap door. Beyond, you can hear two voices arguing; they sound very familiar…
>roll Perception No.741528
>>741520Kalidan falls, forgetting even to yowl in pain. A gasp escapes his throat before hitting the ground, all the wind knocked out of him. He is dimly aware of the minotaurs leaving as he reaches a paw around and, in more than minor disbelief, fingers at the knife handle poking from his back. Grasping at it, he attempts to pull it out, retching at the pain. He steels his resolve, staring at the flames, and tries to clamber up to all fours.
Recover [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.741529
>>741527>>741523Glad the dragon is big enough to catch myself on, I avoid eye contact and mumble, "Thanks."
Looking up at the trap door, I close my eyes and listen, trying to keep my mind off the smell of the sewer.
[1d10+3]
Roll #1 9 + 3 = 12 No.741530
>>741527Noghu skulks ahead of the group, sticking to the shadows to see what's there.
>Noncombat Talent: (Lurk; passive: +2 to hide while out of combat. Immediately becomes revealed once combat starts.)[1d10+2]
[1d10] perception
Roll #1 9 + 2 = 11 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 No.741531
>>741527"Others down here?" Sunbeam says, instinctively moving towards the front to guard the rest.
>>741529"Oh. How forward of you Thungr. But we will have time for hugs later." She says, not upset, but confused.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.741532
>>741527Growing increasingly disgusted, the sorceress pauses to pick out the noises from above.
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.741533
>>741528You manage to pull the knife out, staring at it numbly for a moment. You somehow find the strength to pull yourself up and scramble on, practically throwing yourself through the doors to the keep. You can hear a heated discussion just ahead; both voices sound very familiar…
>roll Perception No.741534
>>741533Kalidan, still trying to catch his breath, wipes his own blood from the knife on the side of his pack before depositing it inside. Somewhat removed of his earlier pluck, he makes his way to the keep at his own pace, keeping eyes open for Neridah or Kothbiro.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.741535
>>741529>>741532>>741531>>741530You hear an exchange between Kothbiro and Neridah above, slightly muffled by the trapdoor.
"There's no time for this, cat. Give. It. To. Me."
"What, so you can give it to those overgrown bulls back there? It's mine. My own. I
need this."
"You're in way over your head. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into if-"
"
I'm over my head? You don't even know who I am, do you?"
"I've guessed. And I don't care. Your lot's nothing compared to what's going to come for you and everyone you know if you don't hand that to me right now." Kothbiro sounds almost pleading. "We really don't have time to discuss this."
You hear a sword being drawn. "You want it so bad, come and claim it."
"…You're out of your mind. You'll doom us all. …Fine. Have it your way. I won't feel bad about this."
>>741534Stumbling in, you follow the voices. It's definitely them. It sounds like they're having an argument over something. It's only getting worse too. It sounds like they're fighting. For real this time. It's coming from one of the lower levels!
No.741536
>>741535Sunbeam speaks hushed. "We have an advantage. They are too busy arguing to notice us. We could… uhh… startle them. Startle. Yes?" She says to Thungr.
"Perhaps your skills would be of use, Noghu."
No.741537
>>741536Yeah, I suppose sneakin up and surprisin them would be startlin. I nod.
>>741535I drag my hand down my face. Now the other dern cat is after it too. Great. I pull my spear and go to climb the ladder, but stop. Guess it would make more sense for the dog to sneak up first. I climb back down and step outta the way.
No.741538
>>741535"Hm. Perhaps it iss besst if we intervene?" Vajra whispers "Elsse they wound each other and we absscond with the gem."
No.741539
>>741535Growing impatient, Noghu opens the trapdoor to climb up himself, bearing teeth and growling at Neridah, while at the same time tossing a bola at Koth.
Bola; instant, recharge 2, weapon, ranged: Throws a bola to temporarily disable a target. Bola does no damage, but on hit interrupts the target's current action and prevents movement, requiring them to break free of the binds that turn. On crit, it also sends the target helpless without dealing a wound of damage.
[1d10] @koth DC-1 , Crit DC-2
>Word of Power: Use a mix of authority and your own personal methods to extract information from a target that you would not normally get from basic means. In combat you can force an enemy to miss their next attack. On Crit you render the target helpless.[1d10] @neridah, Crit DC-2
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 No.741540
>>741539As soon as the dog climbs up, I follow. The moment I scramble outta the sewer, I pull my spear from my back and look between the zebra and the cat. Guess both of em want the rock, so both are targets. Really don't wanna hurt either of em. Specially not the cat. I flip my spear over to the blunt wooden shaft and hold out my hand to the cat. "Rock."
[1d10]Intimidate
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.741541
>>741535Kalidan regains some of his muster as he hears familiar voices quarreling somewhere downstairs. He hides himself in the shadows while working his way down, pressing himself against the wall of the stairs. He approaches slowly, carefully, not interfering with the fight.
Stealth [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.741542
>>741536>>741538>>741539>>741540>>741541You all converge on the same location. It's a large open corridor, lit by torches; Neridah and Kothbiro are crossing weapons, axe against sword, each meeting the other equally in prowess. The ringing of steel on steel echoes loudly through the corridor.
As Kalidan enters the scene, they notice him out of the corner of their eye, stopping their fighting for a brief moment in confusion. "Wh… What are you d-"
The zebra doesn't get to finish her sentence. Noghu's bola trips her up and sends her stumbling, struggling to get back up. Neridah is about to make a runner, but fumbles slightly as Thungr comes into view, taken off guard by his domineering presence. She isn't about to give up that easily, though. "Not you guys again," she grumbles, and tries to scarper past Kalidan and out of the hall!
[1d10]
>pausingRoll #1 7 = 7 No.741937
>>741542I sigh. "Mighty sorry about this, kitty," I say. Dropping my spear and javelin, I dig my hoof into the ground, sprint at her, and try to wrestle her to the floor.
[1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.741940
>>741542"Neither of you have any idea what you are chasing. Leave the stone." Sunbeam says, moving towards Kothbiro to make sure she can't escape.
No.741942
>>741542Kalidan takes in the scene, eyes widening in surprise to see the rest of the group here as well. He does not hesitate for long, however, as Neridah tries to jump past him. He moves into her path to intercept her.
Stop the Cat [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.741943
>>741542Seeing the cat fail horribly to catch her own kind, Noghu sics himself on the fugitive cat, bounding after with an angry cackle.
[1d10] Catch
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.741945
>>741542Hissing, the sorceress turns on Kothbiro, unfurling the bindle to allow the she-bear to reassemble.
"We have learned the goal of your ssands-touched masster! He would desstroy thiss world with hiss bargain, a world that will be
mine."
"Give me the gem, or i will parade your corpsse through the sstreetss!"
No.741946
>>741945[1d10] intimidate
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.741947
>>741940"What do you know about it?" Kothbiro says with exasperation. She doesn't seem intent on getting away; in fact, she appears more anxious and afraid than angry about Neridah getting away.
>>741937>>741942>>741943>>741940>>741946Neridah stumbles slightly as Vajra unleashes the she-bear, making her falter. Thungr takes the opportunity to lunge at her, while Kalidan moves to bodyblock her, resulting in Kalidan nearly getting pinned by both the cat and the enormous minotaur.
Instinctively, Neridah squirms and tries to free herself from Thungr's grip! "Gerroffme!"
[1d10+2]
The gem slips from her grasp and bounces to the floor! Kothbiro makes a beeline for it!
[1d10]
You can hear footsteps coming from the hall entrance; including, Kalidan notices, two pairs of bovine hooves…
Roll #1 8 + 2 = 10 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 No.741948
>>741947Seeing as he seems to be the only one who wouldn't mind the gem being in bite size pieces, Noghu slams the dropped gem with the hard end of his spear.
>Shatter: recharge 2, weapon; Breaks the target's defenses to open them up for attack. Deals damage and increases the Crit Range for all attacks against them by 2 for two rounds. Can be used against inanimate objects or armor to break and damage them efficiently.[1d10] DC-1
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.741949
>>741947I do my best to squeeze my arms around the cat in a big bear hug to keep her from getting back to the gem, expecting the others to have the zebra handled. "I really don't wanna hurt y'all, miss."
[1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.741950
>>741947the she-bear, no assembled, rushes the gem to bat it away from the zebra!
[1d10] Massive claws
hearing the sound of of approaching steps, vajra hisses, scattering cobalt bandages into the stonework to bar them entry.
"From sstone to life, a wall for me! of bone to hold and ssouls impead!
Bone cage!
[1d10] Raise ancient, bone cage
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 9 = 9 No.741951
>>741947"As little as you do. And just a bit more than the others after it. Please, stop these ones.: She says, reaching a claw out to help Kothbiro up
No.741952
>>741947Kalidan, almost smooshed in Thungr's giant embrace, slips out and throws himself at the gem. "Give me that!"
Lunge [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.741953
>>741951She looks up and nods, accepting your help and getting up to go after the Heart.
>>741948>>741949>>741950>>741951>>741952The heavy stones shift and great bones of forgotten beasts burst out from the dirt below as Vajra conjures a bone cage to stop the incoming guards. The Heart bounces as it hits the floor, spinning away as Noghu tries to smash it, and right towards Kothbiro. She grabs it and looks around. "Quick," she says urgently. "Before they catch us."
Neridah, having slipped out of Thungr's grip with ease due to her naturally smooth fur, does a bit of a double take. "Wait, what?" She stares a bit dumbfounded as Kothbiro motions for you to follow, heading through the hall towards a staircase leading to a lower level of the castle.
Behind you, the doors slam open. About ten guards rush in, armed with swords and spears. Leading them are a pair of minotaurs with an imposing, sinister aura; a man with a beard but no hair, and a woman with hair but no beard. They all stop in their tracks at the sight of the bone cage, and the man wordlessly commands the guards to start breaking it down. They do so without question.
"Going somewhere?" the woman calls to Kothbiro. The zebra freezes in her tracks like a rabbit confronted by a starving wolf.
No.741954
>>741953As the guards bust in, Kalidan sees the minotaur duo, smiles and waves cheekily. He blows a kiss at them and turns to catch up with Kothbiro, headed toward the stairs.
As she freezes, Kalidan leaps at her, grabbing her and trying to bodily push her toward the stairs. "No time for the deer-in-headlights act sweetheart, we gotta jet!"
Encouragement [1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.741955
>>741953I knit my brow and glance back and forth between the minotaurs and the zebra. Welp. Guess that makes sense. I pick up my spear and javelin and wait behind for everyone else to follow into the path before I do.
No.741956
>>741953Seeing just how many guards are here, Vajra's glare of suspicion is replaced with urgent slithering after the zebra, The she-bear loping behind her.
"Hmph. Turning on your masster, are we?"
No.741957
>>741953>>741951Noghu tugs Sunbeam's arm, looking to the high up windows, "Cave exits there, take snack away for later?"
No.741958
>>741953"Go before you hurt yourself." Sunbeam says to the guards, attempting intimidation with her demeanor.
>>741957"Are you sure you could escape? I do not think we have much more time."
No.741959
>>741958"You can fly, I can dig. Good ways to hide." Noghu whispers.
No.741960
>>741954>>741955>>741956>>741957>>741958Kalidan seems to help snap her out of it. She blinks and nods, scarpering down the stairs. Neridah is quick to follow. "Oh no you don't!" Kothbiro ignores her, fleeing down the stairs towards the basement. She doesn't seem to have much of a plan at the moment other than to put as much distance between herself and the others as possible. "I'll explain later," she says hurriedly to Vajra. "We need to find a way out of here first."
Some of the guards seem intimidated by the sight of Sunbeam, but not the minotaurs. They stare you down angrily before joining the others in trying to break down the Cage. It begins to weaken, and one of the guards draws his bow, firing a quick shot at Sunbeam!
[1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.741961
>>741959"We go then. Seperate and reconvene outside of the the city. Some of us go with Noghu through tunnels, and some with me through the windows. Yes.
>>741960As the bolt hits Sunbeam, she turns to the guard without changing expression. "I did not ask you to do that."
No.741962
>>741960Kalidan scurries after Kothbiro, hastily glancing backwards once more at the guards hacking down the bone cage.
He looks for an escape route and fixes on the windows. Eyeing them, he tries to judge his chances of climbing up to them.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.741963
>>741960I twirl my javelin, pull it back, and fling it at the minotaur with a beard and no hair to slow them down before following everyone into the tunnel.
[1d10]Marksman Shot
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.741964
>>741960Vajra continues to chase Kothbiro, following her down the stairs.
"You
do have a plan to esscape, correct? It iss unlikely thiss will end well otherwisse."
No.741965
>>741960Noghu whispers to Kothbiro, "You give gem, wing lizard and me fly out and hide. Noghu good at hiding, won't find. They want gem, gem go, they go chase."
Noghu grabs for the gem, trying not to delay.
>>741961Noghu then raises his paws up at the dragon, "Up."
No.741966
>>741961He quails and trembles. The woman with hair but no beard takes the bow herself and shoots it point blank. "You talk too much, dragon."
[1d10+1]
>>741962You look around for a way out. Looks like if you go through one of the adjacent doors, you'll be going up the stairs to a dining room, which has windows you can climb to. The only problem is there seems to be someone in there. A janitor, it looks like.
>>741963He is taken off guard as you hurl the javelin, and it skewers his thigh. He grunts, then wrenches it free and hurls it right back at you!
[1d10+1]
>>741964"There used to be a path here… I think…" She doesn't seem to be thinking straight at the moment, too caught up in the panic of the current situation. She curses quietly as she stops to try and think.
>>741965She blinks, then nods. "Good idea. Guess you're not a fool after all." She hands you the gem.
"Wait a minute. What about me?!" Neridah demands angrily, making a move towards you.
"Oh shut it. You don't know anything about this, princess," Kothbiro snaps. Somehow, this shuts the cat up. She looks reticent all of a sudden. Kothbiro looks a bit smug.
Roll #1 2 + 1 = 3 /
Roll #2 1 + 1 = 2 No.741967
>>741966Kalidan seizes his chance, hopping in through the door. He nods to the janitor as he passes, offering a quick greeting in sing-song.
"Hi there, how ya doin? Don't mind me! Just passin through." He fires off a string of words with no chance for the janitor to reply, scuttling right by and up to the dining room.
No.741968
>>741965Sunbeam wraps an arm sround Noghu before getting ready to leap and fly up towards the outside. "Up."
>>741966"Oh, if you are so tired of me, I will leave then." Sunbeam says with a smile.
Fly with doggo [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.741969
>>741966I tilt my body a little and catch the javelin midair, twirl it, slip it into a loop on my pack, and the minotaur a nod in thanks. Turning, I walk quickly to catch up with the rest of the group. I wait for the Zebra to stop arguing and just decide on something, periodically glancing over my shoulder so I don't get randomly shot in the back.
No.741970
>>741968>>741966Noghu kicks off the ground, seeing if he can help.
[1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.741971
>>741966"You
think?!"
hissing in frustration, Vajra scans the area kothbiro is running towards, in the hope of spotting it quickly.
[1d10] perception
"think quickly, lesst we be torn to piecess!"
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.741972
>>741967You enter the dining hall. The janitor doesn't notice you at first, but when he does seems too tired or dead inside to care much. He gives you a wide berth to do your thing.
>>741968The arrow clatters off your scales. The minotaur blinks in slight villainous surprise.
>>741968>>741970Sunbeam manages to give Noghu a boost, flying up towards the elaborate castle window. There's just a layer of glass between you two and the outside. The woman nocks another arrow and fires, this time at Noghu!
[1d10+1]
They manage to tear open the Cage, spilling through and heading towards your friends!
>>741969The man's eyes widen, baring his teeth slightly both from the pain of the hit he took and in anger at the perceived slight.
>>741971>>741969You hear them break through behind you! "Ah screw it," Kothbiro grunts, and picks a door.
Wrong choice. This door leads up a flight of stairs and to the castle's battlements. Behind you you can hear the guards coming, while ahead are almost certainly more guards. Kothbiro doesn't stop to ponder her actions, running forward!
>roll NavigationRoll #1 7 + 1 = 8 No.741973
>>741972Hissing, the sorceress begrudgingly follows behind, sparing a few glances back as she goes.
[1d10] Navigation
"Hhsss! You'll be the death of uss, but it iss too late to sstop now!"
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.741974
>>741972Kalidan lets out a small sigh of relief that the janitor wasn't more of a problem, wiping imaginary sweat off his brow. He looks up at the windows, takes a breath and gets to climbing.
Scale the Walls [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.741975
>>741972Stuck in a narrow passageway. Can't think of much worse a situation to be fightin in. I grumble and follow the dern zebra, not really havin any other options.
[1d10]Navigation
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.741976
>>741972Sunbeam affirms her grip on Noghu before slashing at the window with her free claw.
[1d10] Smash window
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.741977
>>741972Noghu throws a bolas at the archer, trying to throw off their aim, barking to make sure they're shaken.
>ola; instant, recharge 2, weapon, ranged: Throws a bola to temporarily disable a target. Bola does no damage, but on hit interrupts the target's current action and prevents movement, requiring them to break free of the binds that turn. On crit, it also sends the target helpless without dealing a wound of damage.[1d10] DC-1 Bolas
>Word of Power: Use a mix of authority and your own personal methods to extract information from a target that you would not normally get from basic means. In combat you can force an enemy to miss their next attack. On Crit you render the target helpless.[1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 No.742887
>>741973>>741975You size up the situation quickly; six guards up on the battlements, who seem to be scrambling in confusion as you burst onto the scene, moving into a guard formation to block your path. There are several options that you can see:
A) Fall back and take on the enemies coming behind you in the staircase. It's cramped, and difficult to fight, but you do have the high ground.
B) Push on towards the guards on the battlements, trying to brute force your way through to the next adjacent tower and go down to ground level through there.
C) Make for a nearby ladder that leads down to the castle courtyard. There are even more guards down here, though they're a bit distracted at the moment and haven't noticed you yet.
D) Try and leap off the battlements. Perhaps the most expedient solution, albeit certain to result in broken bones. If only you had wings.
There's not much time to think; the six-guard phalanx advance on you with spears pointed, while behind you, the guards you're fleeing from start running up the stairs. Kothbiro takes point and swings her axe at a sword-wielding guard!
[2d10] Guard vs Kothbiro
>>741976>>741977The minotaur's aim is true. Her arrow flies through the air, skewering Noghu right through the thigh. It takes a moment for the pain to register, but when it does, it hits hard; the searing agony that courses up Noghu's whole body is one of the most intense he's felt in his life. He feels a dull throbbing spreading from the wound down his leg and up his trunk. His heart feels like it'll burst…
>Noghu is poisoned: takes 1 hit per round for 3 rounds or until helpless>Noghu takes 3 hits +1 from poisonNoghu's bolas goes wide, hitting a wall. Sunbeam rushes forward and pulls the Dog close before smashing through the ornate window. The patterned glass turns to cobwebs and splinters into a million tiny shards as the two of you surge out and into the night sky.
You're not out of the woods yet though. From your new aerial view, you have a good view of the battlements; including some archers that are positioned there, already in a state of disarray over the tower fire. They spot you and start jabbering instructions before firing a volley of arrows in your general direction!
>roll to dodge>>741974You manage to get a good foothold using a brazier. It buckles and snaps under your weight, but you manage to scramble to get a hold of the window sill just in time. After a bit of awkward one-pawed fiddling, you manage to open the window, haul yourself up and get a good view of the surroundings.
You are on the ground level of the castle currently. Looking up, you can see some commotion on the walls, as a group of guards start moving to intercept your companions as they try to make an escape. You notice something they wouldn't be able to see from their angle: a seventh guard is slinking off, making his way down a ladder to the courtyard. He seems to be running to fully raise the alarm!
Roll #1 7, 5 = 12 No.742888
>>742887The she-bear, shoving past Vajra, swipes at the phalanx of guards to knock them away!
[1d10] Massive claws
>>741975"I will delay our purssuers, you musst carve a path!"
Turning to face the stairs, Vajra scatters gauze of glowing cobalt into the stonework
"From gravess wrought to halt and ssnare, i call the dead to block the sstair!"
[1d10] Raise ancient: bone cage (stairwell)
Roll #1 8 = 8 /
Roll #2 10 = 10 No.742889
>>742887"Ohh,
amok axkan, amok axkan! Not now!" Sunbeam curses before talking to Noghu. "Hold on, friend! This is going to be difficult." She says, wildly understating that last part.
Dodging [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.742890
>>742887>>742889Noghu curls himself into a semi ball-like shape, prioritizing the gem remaining on him than his ability to dodge.
[1d10] Bracing for impact, emphasis of gem over health
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.742891
>>742887Kalidan scrambles to his paws, breathing heavy. He notes that half his companions appear to be on the battlements. Where are the other two, he wonders? More importantly, where is the gem?
Perception [1d10]
Noting the guard slinking to raise the alarm, he hesitates for just an instant, then steels himself to make yet another stupid decision. Bounding headlong at the ladder, he throws himself toward the snitch, heavy front paws swinging, claws out. (If he can't reach the guard, he tries to knock the ladder over.)
Unarmed/Riposte [1d10] + [1d3]
Roll #1 9 = 9 /
Roll #2 9 = 9 /
Roll #3 1 = 1 No.742892
>>742887I make my way toward the next battlement, holding my own spear out in front of me. I jab at one of the six guards in front, trying to keep my distance enough not to be stabbed back.
[1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.742893
>>742888With no bones in the immediate vicinity, you are forced to reconstruct the back half of the she-bear to form your cage. Legs, spine, and tail all float up and whirl around, forming a solid wall between you and them. The bear is still able to fight with only its front half. It barrels forward and knocks one of the spearmen off the battlements, taking them all off guard, sending him screaming into the courtyard below.
>>742892You have a little poke war before Vajra's she-bear barrels into them and takes them off guard. Pressing the advantage, you skewer one of the guards in the foot, then in the chest, piercing through his leather armor and knocking him off the battlements. You take advantage of the momentum to swing your spear like a club, knocking the other guards back some, making space for Vajra and the others.
>>742892>>742888Kothbiro's little skirmish ends in a stalemate as Vajra throws up another cage. There's a bit of a pause; then, you hear a slam from the other side as one of the two minotaurs tries to break it down…
Up on the battlements, the four remaining spearmen spread out a bit. Two attack the she-bear, while the other two take Thungr!
[2d10]
[2d10]
Kothbiro and Neridah don't waste time, rushing forward to press the attack while they can!
Down below, you see Sunbeam get downed by arrows, falling painfully to the courtyard below!
>>742889>>742890Noghu curls up as Sunbeam attempts to do a barrel roll. Not quite fast enough. Her wing is pierced straight through by an arrow, and she takes a second one to her belly, causing her to lose her momentum and nosedive to the courtyard, smashing straight through an old fountain in the process and reducing the statue to rubble. You are both left battered, broken, and dazed.
>Noghu takes 1 hit from poison>Sunbeam and Noghu both take 1 wound from the fall>both helpless at 0/3>>742891You sneak forward, sticking to the shadows, then do a little butt wiggle before pouncing. You slam the would be snitch into a stone wall, knocking him out cold before he can get any further. No one seems to have noticed your brutal takedown. Good job, Rigid Reptile.
There is a sudden commotion as you hear the flapping of wings and the cracking of stone. A badly wounded Noghu and Neridah land not two feet away from you, shot out of the air by archers.
Roll #1 3, 6 = 9 /
Roll #2 4, 2 = 6 No.742894
>>742893Ain't used to fightin ponies and such. A mite more complicated, but not quite as intimidatin as giant animals. Taking my spear, I swing the head wide at one of the guards, more like what I seen done with them axe spears than an actual spear. Really,
really ain't a good time to go furry right now, so I try to move toward the next battlement while we fight.
[1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.742895
>>742893Noghu tries to pull himself up, laughing weakly.
[1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.742896
>>742893Aching from the pain, Sunbeam frantically searches for Noghu while calling out towards him. "Are you there? Oh I hope you are not hu-" as Sunbeam stands to go towards him the pain hits her and she falls right back into the water. "Gods, Koal-Ti protect me.." she says, trying to get up and towards Noghu again.
Recover [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.742897
>>742893Kalidan smirks to himself as the would-be alarmist is taken out. As the dog and dragon slam to the ground, he jumps, fur standing straight up, landing on all fours, pupils fully enlarged. He takes in the situation for a moment before running to their side.
>>742895Kalidan moves to pick up the hyena, scrunching his nose in anticipation of the aroma. It's surprisingly not as bad as he remembered, or maybe he's just getting used to it.
"Get up, dummy! We gotta scram!"
Help Noghu [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.742898
>>742893The she-bear, moving as if fully assembled, moves to grab and throw one of the remaining Spearman!
[1d10] bear hug
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.742899
>>742894You rush forward, stomping down on the guard's spear and snapping it in two before grabbing the haft and hurling him off the edge with it. Another guard tries to spear you, but you knock him back with an elbow to the face.
>>742898One of the she-bear's arm bones is fractured by a spear thrust, but she manages to wrestle one of the guards to the ground and maul him before hurling him off the edge like a ragdoll.
>>742894>>742898The guard Thungr smacked in the face scrambles backward, dropping his spear and scrabbling to pull out a war horn to sound the alarm!
The other two guards, intimidated, start backing up to retreat!
The bone cage starts to give way…
>roll Perception>>742895>>742897>>742896Sunbeam manages to get back up, despite the throbbing pain of her wounds. Noghu is too weakened to get back up, mainly due to the poisoned arrow he took.
You think you hear more of them coming…
No.742900
>>742899[1d10] Noghu tries to pull himself up again,
>>742896"Fly without drop? Wasn't over river." Noghu groans.
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.742901
>>742899Hopin to stop him before he can blow into his horn, I grab him by his collar, drop my head down, and try to pull his face right into a headbutt.
[1d10]Headbutt
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.742902
>>742899With the lack of bone and the cage beginning to falter, the sorceress draws her knife and rushes the pair with the she-bear!
[1d10] She-bear, warhorn
[1d10] Vajra, other
Roll #1 7 = 7 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 No.742903
>>742899>>742900Kalidan looks around as he struggles to pull the surprisingly heavy dog to his feet.
"I SAID, let's skedaddle, bone-breath!"
Help Noghu [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.742904
[1d10]Perception
Roll #1 8 = 8
No.742905
[1d10] perception
Roll #1 5 = 5
No.742906
>>742900"Was intended to keep flying." Sunbeam says as she goes over to help Noghu up along with Kalidan. "Gem is safe?" She asks the dog. "Where are the rest" she asks the cat.
No.742908
>>742901>>742902The guard eludes you, backing up and blowing the war horn.
Behind you, you hear the bone cage get brought down, and even more guards spill onto the scene, spearheaded by the two minotaurs. Kothbiro freezes again before making a break for the closest available escape route, which happens to be the ladder, not waiting to see what the rest of you do.
No words are exchanged this time. One of the guards hands the bearded minotaur a bow, while the female one pulls out some throwing knives. She tosses several of them in a fan shape at Kothbiro!
[1d10+3]
The bearded minotaur fires a poison-laced arrow at Thungr!
[1d10] Marksman Shot
>>742904You notice Neridah is nowhere to be found again. She's given you all the slip.
>>742906>>742903>>742900Kalidan helps Noghu back on his feet.
"Got it? Good. Let's get out of here." Neridah seems to have appeared out of nowhere, looking a bit harrowed. "The others are distracting them. Shouldn't waste the chance."
>>742906>>742903>>742900>>742901>>742902You all hear the war horn blow, a low, thrumming sound that rings out throughout the castle grounds. In the distance, you hear even more guards start to mobilize,the whole castle alerted to the presence of intruders by now. It won't be long till they come down on you.
Roll #1 5 + 3 = 8 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 No.742909
>>742908Kalidan lets go of the dog as soon as he appears to be stable, steps back, looks at Neridah.
"You know, I'm not even surprised. Hey, why don't you make yourself useful and play interference?" He's a bit annoyed at the cat.
Without looking back, he bounds off toward the nearest escape from the castle yard,with an emphasis on climbing options.
Flee [1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.742910
>>742908the cage blown apart, Vajra quickly slithers to the ladder in a panic, sliding down behind Kothbiro!
The she-bear remains at the top of the ladder, swiping at any guards that approach!
[1d10] massive claws
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.742911
>>742908My eyes widen as he draws the bow and, everything else forgotten, I turn and sprint toward the second battlement, hoping I can avoid more guards and keep out of the way of his arrows.
[1d10]Sprint and srpentine
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.742912
>>742907"Good."
>>742908"Do we have a plan? I cannot carry all of you. I can barely carry Noghu." She says, a bit upset with herself. "I do not think we can fight our way through."
No.742913
>>742912>>742908"Don't need go far, get me to soil not covered by pony rock. Arrow no pierce earth."
Noghu implores Sunbeam, "Fly again, no drop."
No.742914
>>742913"You are sure?" She says, then wordlessly, reaffirms herself and picks Noghu up again.
Fly with Noghu[1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.742915
>>742910>>742911Kothbiro takes all three knives to the back, gasping and falling from the ladder to the ground below. She doesn't move for a while, but stirs and groans, curling up in a fetal position. The knives are still sticking out of her back.
Vajra slides down the ladder and lands next to her. Thungr, on the other hand, is struck by an arrow to the chest, narrowly missing his heart. The enormous minotaur collapses, almost falling on top of Kothbiro as he topples from the battlements. There's a soft crunch as he lands, and a blinding pain shoots up his right side.
>Thungr is knocked helpless>>742909>>742912>>742913"I don't know what you're planning, if anything, but I'm getting out of here. Not worth dying over a rock. Nice knowing you." With that, she bails, dashing off into the shadows as more guards approach.
>>742909You take the low ground this time, dashing forward and spotting an incline to slide down into the pitfall that surrounds the castle. You traverse the dirt ditch, spot an outcropping, and clamber back up the other side, in the clear for now. You're out of the castle, more or less empty handed, and free to go.
Looking back, you can see Sunbeam struggling to fly as more guards surround her and Noghu.
>>742912>>742913Sunbeam tries to take off, but a jolt of pain shoots down her wing, preventing her from taking off.
About eight armed guards pour out from the battlements, unsheathing their blades and starting to surround you in a circle formation. One of them, a bronze-clad guard captain, thrusts his glaive at you in warning. "Throw down your weapons. Surrender now and your lives will be spared," he demands, his voice muffled by his metal helmet.
No.742916
>>742914>>742915"Keep try, I try other way until."
Noghu begins digging until there's significant enough of a tug from Sunbeam to take him away.
[1d10] dig
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.742917
>>742915"I grow so tired of our friends betraying us." She says to herself as Neridah sneaks away.
"And die in your prisons? I will have no such thing." She says, pulling on Noghu yet again in a desperate attempt to take off despite the pain.
Fly with Noghu[1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.742918
>>742915I groan and roll onto my side, pulling out the arrow out. My chest heaves and a red haze closes in at the edges of my vision. I tremble and wobble as I try to stand.
[1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.742919
>>742915>>742918sliding down from the ladder, Vajra hisses in frustration as Kothbiro lies there, knives skewering her back.
"We do not have time for thiss.. Thungr, can you carry her?"
"If we move quickly we may yet avoid the guardss ahead. sstay near the wall, move around them." the sorceress mentions, gesturing to the crowd in the center.
No.742920
>>742919I hold my hand to my chest and look the Zebra over. "I can try," I manage to say. I can feel my voice rumble and catch in my throat. "Think I broke somethin. Ain't sure what."
No.742921
>>742915Kalidan slinks off into the night, licking his fur and pretending the whole thing never happened. He imagines what his next adventure might hold as he leaves burning Galatian behind him. A pang as he remembers the pretty topaz, then another as he recalls almost being a part of some semblance of a crew.
Whatever. His sleek fur reflects the flame as he saunters into the night, unseen.
No.743464
>>742916>>742917Noghu tries to dig, but hits solid rock. He is met with a jab from a spear to his shoulder. Sunbeam tries to take off, but suffers the same to the wing ridge.
>both take 3 hits"We have you surrounded," the guard captain barks, pointing his glaive at Sunbeam's neck. "It's all over, lawbreakers. Surrender or die."
>>742918>>742919A jab of agony shoots up Thungr's side from his broken rib, and he fails to recover.
>DC7 on recovery rolls until the fracture is tendedKothbiro slowly rises to her hooves, pale and blooded, breathing heavily from shock, but still alive. "The Heart… Don't let them…" In a daze, she limps towards a nearby circle of guards, at the center of which are a wounded Sunbeam and Noghu.
Up above, the guards continue to battle the she-bear, joined by reinforcements!
[5d10]
The bald minotaur nocks an arrow, takes time to aim, and fires at Thungr!
[1d10+2]
The female minotaur produces more knives, aiming at Vajra with a flash of steel!
[2d10]
>>742921You slink away as the guards close in on Sunbeam and Noghu, taking advantage of the distraction. The whole town seems to be abuzz; town guards rush through the dusty streets to aid the castle, and curious citizens peer from windows or venture out into the streets to ogle the commotion. There's a small throng of townsfolk starting to form at the gates that would normally lead up to the castle drawbridge. No one's paying much attention to you at the moment; they're all too busy with what's unfolding behind you.
>roll PerceptionRoll #1 8, 9, 6, 1, 3 = 27 /
Roll #2 1 + 2 = 3 /
Roll #3 5, 5 = 10 No.743465
>>743464I wince and drop back to the ground. Looking around at the chaos, I clench my teeth. Everyone who's still here is hurt pretty bad. If we don't do nothin this might actually be it.
>>742919"Get outta here. Get your devil bear to carry the Kothbrio, take Noghu and Sunbeam and leave. I think the other two are gone." I shrug off my cloak and slowly sit up, wincing as a sharp pain shoots across my chest. Reaching down, I unsheath my knife. "Ain't no sense in everyone dyin."
Taking a deep breath, I steel myself for what I'm about to do. Letting out a loud bellow, I jam my knife into my arm.
[1d10]If I need to roll to stab myself
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.743466
>>743464Noghu looks at the guards, then looks back down at the ground where there doesn't appear to be any guards, "Not surrounded."
[1d10] dig
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.743467
>>743464"Surrender is death."
Fly away [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.743468
>>743464>>743465The sorceress glares at the minotaur, before gesturing for the she-bear to grab kothbiro, leaning down to grab the limp zebra by the nape of her neck with her jaws.
"Hmm.. I know not what you plan, but do try to ssurvive.. You have proven usseful enough to keep among the living."
With that, Vajra slithers into the shadows, using the distraction to sneak along the wall.
[1d10] Stealth (if needed)
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.743469
>>743464Kalidan, ever the pragmatist, looks around for the easiest mark amongst the distracted townsfolk.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.743470
>>743466You start digging, yet again hitting solid rock from a sub-level of the castle. The hole's only about 4 feet deep, but its enough for you to curl up into a ball in at least.
>>743467You take flight, despite the piercing pain in your wings, just as the spearmen close in and thrust at thin air. You are out of their reach, for now.
>>743465Your vision clouds veiny red as you stab yourself in the arm. You lurch backwards and collapse on your hands and knees, inadvertently avoiding getting skewered by an arrow to the throat.
>Thungr takes 1 wound>>743468The she-bear mauls one and knocks out another, but is overwhelmed by the guards, getting slashed and speared relentlessly.
>She-Bear takes 8 hits, helplessKothbiro, despite her grievous injuries, stumbles after you, propping herself up with one hoof on the wall. Both she and you go unnoticed amidst the confusion.
>>743469You spot a wealthy looking merchant amidst the crowd. He has a satchel full of something hanging from his belt. Coins, most likely, or something else.
You spot a familiar silhouette up on the roof of a building. Neridah seems to be intent on laying low, just like you. She spots you below, and makes a silent 'shh' gesture before pointing out her own target; an older town guard that's split up from the main group some.
No.743471
>>743470>>743465>>743466>>743467>>743468The female minotaur's knives glance off of Vajra's thick scales, leaving only a smarting bruise. Undeterred, she unsheathes a scimitar and slides down the ladder!
The bald bearded minotaur provides ranged support, still trying to nail Thungr with an arrow!
[1d10+2]
The circle of guards surrounding Sunbeam and Noghu split up and break ranks. Most of them start moving towards Thungr, while two of them start trying to stab Noghu!
[2d10]
The guard captain pulls out a shortbow and tries to shoot Sunbeam!
[1d10]
Roll #1 2 + 2 = 4 /
Roll #2 8, 6 = 14 /
Roll #3 8 = 8 No.743472
>>743470The black manx licks his lips as he eyes the juicy coinpurse. He smooths his ears back, clearing his throat as he straightens his fine clothes. They are somewhat marred by dust and smell vaguely of smoke, which he tries to brush out with a vigorous flagellation.
He loses himself in the crowd, tailing the merchant at a short distance.
Stealth [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.743473
>>743470Thungr's pupils contract, and his body collapses, no longer my own. A pained howl resonates over the chaos before slowly dropping into a bellowing roar. His bones crack and shift, visibly moving beneath his skin like a writhing sack of serpents.
Bloody foam oozes from his mouth as his body deconstructs and reconstructs itself. He rolls onto his stomach, digging his fingers into the ground as his body grows, his teeth elongate into fangs, and his fingers transform into massive clawed paws.
After a short moment, where there was once an already rather large minotaur stands a gigantic bear twice his former size. It reers up on its back paws, scans the attacking guards, pulls its lips back over its teeth, and roars.
No.743474
>>743470>>743471Amidst the chaos, Sunbeam tries uses her high vantage point to locate Thungr and support him in his escape along with the rest. She recounts the rest to herself.
"Kalidan has left, Vajra has her
vitel, Noghu is underground, Thungr. Thungr. I must find him."
No.743475
>>743474[1d10] Search for Thungr
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.743476
>>743471Seeing as the hole is shallow enough to still be attacked, Noghu turns around and throws a bolas at the pokier of the two guards, before tying the gem to his loincloth with another bolas and going to tunnel horizontally on his belly.
>Bolas; instant, recharge 2, weapon, ranged: Throws a bola to temporarily disable a target. Bola does no damage, but on hit interrupts the target's current action and prevents movement, requiring them to break free of the binds that turn. On crit, it also sends the target helpless without dealing a wound of damage.[1d10] DC-1 Bolas
[1d10] Dig away
Roll #1 9 = 9 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 No.743477
>>743471Hearing the roar of something behind her, Vajra picks up the pace, practically pushing Kothbiro ahead of her!
"There will be time to resst later, move!" she hisses at the zebra.
No.743478
>>743472You sneak up on him. He seems to be busy trying to get a bead on the situation, but is going more or less ignored. Frustrated, he gives up and turns away, splitting up from the crowd and starting to head back home. You're not sure if he's aware of your presence or not.
>>743473>>743474Sunbeam sees the whole thing: Thungr transforms into a monstrous bear, even larger than his already imposing frame, bellowing with animal rage. This gets the attention of most everyone in the vicinity; the guard captain only fires one arrow at her before turning his attention to Thungr, along with the two minotaur leaders. She's not quite fast enough to dodge it; it clips her thigh, knocking her off balance but not out of the air yet.
>Sunbeam takes 3 hits>>743476There's not many places to dig to, you find. The dirt is quite shallow here.
You take a scrape from one of the guards, but your bolas interrupts the second's jab, slipping him up like he stepped on a banana peel.
A feral roar from nearby distracts them, leaving you to your own devices.
>>743473As you transform, just about everyone turns their attention to you. Many guards start trying to surround you, while others straight up nope out of there. The bearded minotaur falters up above in shock, while the woman hangs back, starting to move towards a doorway to retreat.
The guard captain is undeterred, firing his shortbow at you!
[1d10]
Four guards stand in your way, raising their spears to block your path!
>>743477She nods weakly and hobbles along after you. Everyone seems distracted by whatever it was, giving you a bit of time to find a secure way out of the castle.
>roll NavigationRoll #1 3 = 3 No.743479
>>743478Noghu makes to dig under the wall and escape.
[1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.743480
>>743478with the guards thoroughly distracted, Vajra takes her leave of the castle, skirting along the walls with Kothbiro in tow.
[1d10] navigation
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.743481
>>743478Kalidan walks behind him, catching up and acting incognito as he shadows the merchant. He keeps his eyes open for his opportunity to snatch and grab!
Opportunity [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.743482
>>743478The bear eyes the things surrounding it with a bloodthirsty fury. Lifting one of its massive claws, it sweeps it in a giant arc at the four guards.
[1d10+1]Cleave 4
Roll #1 2 + 1 = 3 No.743483
>>743478Sunbeam lands on a vantage point, away from the guards but where she can easily see Thungr or be able to fly away if needed.
"What do I do… Saving him would be my death but I cannot sit idle." She scratches the tower below her in anxiety. "This power he feared, if it could cause such terror in his heart, surely it is strength beyond my understanding. He will overcome." She says, trying to reaffirm herself. Sunbeam does not leave yet, and watches Thungr from afar.
No.743484
>>743479You manage to dig away with the distraction, emerging in the pit surrounding the castle. No one's paying attention to you here.
>>743480Kothbiro points you along, through a side path and across the drawbridge. You see several townsfolk and guards starting to gather to investigate what's going on, but you go unnoticed for the most part.
>>743481You manage to snatch it, but not unnoticed. He turns. "Stop! Thief!" The pony starts galloping after you himself!
>>743482You swat away the incoming arrow like it's nothing, barreling towards the guards. They stab at you with their spears, gouging into your massive foreleg!
>Thungr takes 5 hitsThe guards spread out some to impede your progress!
The guard captain fires again!
[1d10]
The bearded minotaur up above starts readying a poisoned arrow!
>>743483You perch on top of a watch tower like a pale gargoyle, watching the fight unfold. Despite his monstrous size, it doesn't seem to be going too well for him…
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.743485
>>743484The bear swipes at the nearest guard that stabbed him, trying to toss him away.
[1d10+1]
>Massive Claws: Recharge 2; Bears can toss their weight around, but they can toss around everything else better. You can roll to knock a stationary object, something that is held, or a being reasonably smaller than yourself a sizable distance away. If used to disarm, the object is knocked far enough away that it cannot be retrieved in one turn.Roll #1 5 + 1 = 6 No.743486
>>743484Kalidan snatches the satchel, "snatcheling" as it were, dashing off with it and trying to lose himself in the alleys! At the soonest possible moment, he clambers up the side of one of the squat houses, ducking onto the roof to hide.
Escape! [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.743487
>>743485"All I can do is hope, but hope is a weapon." Sunbeam says to herself as she closes the distance a bit to get in range for
Purify on Thungr [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.743488
>>743484crossing the drawbridge, Vajra joins what crowds around that are fleeing the area as she leaves the city, grumbling at her wounded pride but preferring to stay intact.
[1d10] escape
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.743489
>>743484Noghu searches for a path that'll get him to wilderness that ignores main paths, getting a move on.
[1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.743490
>>743485The guard tries to stab you. You stamp down on his spear haft, reducing it to splinters, and follow up with a mighty backhand that sends him flying into the nearby broken statue. He hits it with a thud and falls limp, curling up into a ball.
One of the guards breaks ranks and runs for it!
The other two start jabbing at you!
[2d10]
The guard captain fires an arrow!
[1d10]
The bearded minotaur keeps a steady aim, getting ready to fire!
>>743486You're much nimbler than he is. You jump onto a barrel and to a rooftop before he can round the corner, giving him the slip. The spoils are yours!
Nearby, you hear a familiar slithering, along with labored breathing. Seems Vajra's nearby.
>>743487You reach out to Thungr and bless him with your magic. It seems to strengthen him somewhat.
>>743488You manage to make your way through streets and alleys more or less ignored. Kothbiro's strength is waning with every step, almost collapsing more than once. You're in view of the main gate now, but there are two guards standing watch there. They haven't noticed you yet.
>>743489You clamber up to the other end of the pit and start looking for a way out. Unfortunately, in doing so you find yourself face to face with a burly armed guard. She seems to feel you're up to no good, pulling out a crude mace and threatening you with it. "Where do you think you're going?"
Roll #1 4, 2 = 6 /
Roll #2 2 = 2 No.743491
>>743490The bear roars, pulls back its arm, and tries to swipe at the two remaining guards.
[1d10+1]Cleave 2
Roll #1 1 + 1 = 2 No.743492
>>743491[1d10]Huge
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.743493
>>743490Noghu barks at the gnoll, before making to leave the city.
[1d10] Word of Power
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.743494
>>743490Fed up with her frustrations and wanting to end this, Sunbeam flies down between Thungr and the guards. Her eyes aglow with light.
"Enough!"
Wrath on all guards(Calm until Provoked) [1d10+2] Autocrit
Roll #1 8 + 2 = 10 No.743495
>>743490backing away for a moment behind a nearby building, Vajra sends a flurry of bandages into the earth to summon a distraction, intoning quietly.
"Ancient soldier, come to me, one to fight and set us free!"
[1d10] Raise dead
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.743496
>>743490Kalidan salivates, opening the satchel by himself on a rooftop.
Spoils [1d10]
Hearing Vajra, he peeks from the edge of the rooftop, watching her summon the undead in a singsong that he still finds somewhat off-putting. After a moment, he calls out to her.
>>743495"Oi! Snake-lady! You got away?"
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.743497
>>743496the shouting prompts a surprised hiss from the sorceress below you.
"Ksss! ..You have ssnuck away from the battle ass well, i ssee."
"What of the otherss? Thungr hass.. changed ssomehow. The guardsss are disstracted for a time, yet two remain at the gate." she adds, gesturing to the posted guards ahead.
No.743498
>>743497"Yeeeah. Battles aren't really my scene." He shows off his trophy, a snatched satchel full of perhaps coins. "I'm more of a scavenger."
Hearing her reply, he blinks, whiskers bristling. "..Changed? You mean he took a bath, or?" Chuckles lightly to himself.
"The guards are a problem. Luckily, I am the solution," he stands and poses jauntily, before almost falling off the roof.
No.743499
>>743498"I dared not look back, but the ssoundss of roaring from where Thungr once wass iss proof enough. Ssome magic or other, perhapss."
"Whatever form he took, it wass threat enough to draw the entire castle's guard."
As Kalidan recovers his footing, she raises a scaled brow. "Oh? and what plan have you to deal with the guardss?"
No.743500
>>743491>>743492They back up before lunging forward, stabbing you twice in the chest. It barely registers; you slash at the others with your massive claws, wounding them.
>Thungr takes 3 hits>>743491>>743494Sunbeam swoops down and unleashes a blast of light. A shockwave bursts from her body, blowing away all the guards in the surrounding area, snuffing out all other torches with the burst. When she fades, the guards have been quite literally blown away, lying flat on their backs or crumpled in awkward positions, nursing their wounds. Up above, the bearded minotaur is on his hands and knees, clutching his face and groaning in pain.
>>743493You take the guard by surprise by lunging at her and snapping and barking before barreling past her. She swings but misses, starting to chase after you!
>>743495You don't manage to summon a warrior, but you do pull up a few stray bones from the earth, floating in no particular pattern. One of the guards notices and jostles the other to get his attention. They start creeping towards the floating bones to investigate, slightly spooked.
>>743496Within are 60 bits, as well as a peculiar silver ring in the shape of a serpent with a second head where its tail ends. Both heads wrap around the ring's perimeter to face a black stone, their jaws wide open as if to devour it. It's quite pretty.
You see Vajra and Kothbiro. The latter is pale, sweating, and covered in blood. It doesn't look like she'll survive much longer.
No.743501
>>743500Kalidan checks out his new ring, tries it on. "Oh, ororoborus ring? Nice." He examines the stone, checking if it is precious or just pretty.
Examine [1d10]
>>743499"The guards? Don't worry about them. My thing is, I don't worry about guards. Sometimes they get in your way, but mostly, they are easily walked past, or if not, can be settled with gold." He shakes his balled-up paw. "Sometimes you have to settle them with force. Carrot and stick, y'know?" He almost falls off the roof with his energetic display.
>>743500He notices Kothbiro. "Oh. Hey there… Feline okay?"
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.744133
>>743500The bear reels back and closes its eyes at the new creature's bright attack. When the light dies down it sees the things that were poking at it are all on the ground. It looks down to the dragon, leans in, and sniffs it. Deciding it's not going to attack, it turns around and sniffs the air, setting its sights on the Minotaur.
Baring its teeth, it roars, charges, and slams into the base of thing the minotaur is on top of.
[1d10+1]
Roll #1 5 + 1 = 6 No.744180
>>743500Noghu continues to bark as he runs towards the edge of the town.
[1d10] WoP
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.744197
>>743501She hisses a sigh as you nearly tumble off the roof.
"We've neither cover nor gold to avoid the guardss ahead, and we are not the ssort to face our enemiess in the open, yess?"
"Perhapss thiss disstraction will do, thiss time." she adds, gesturing to the ghostly bones hovering a ways away.
>>743500Directing the spectre to drift opposite of our direction, Vajra waves for the cat to follow, dragging Kothbiro the long way around the path and through the gate, the undead serving as a distraction.
[1d10] Stealth
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.744738
>>743500After her wrath, Sunbeam quickly launches up to Thungr and starts pulling up on him in a panic.
"We go, we go, we go!" She says quickly.
[1d10] Fly
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.744739
>>743501Despite being about to shuffle off this mortal coil, Kothbiro weakly makes an obscene gesture towards you.
Examining the ring reveals it's much more intricate than meets the eye. It seems to have tiny mechanical components to it, though you can't figure out how to trigger whatever they may do.
>>744133The battlement shudders, and the wall cracks slightly under the impact of your blow, but it doesn't look like he'll be falling any time soon. Mighty as you are in this form, you can't take down a stone wall.
The bearded minotaur starts stumbling towards the stairwell, his vision impaired by Sunbeam's blast. Looks like most of them are retreating now.
>>744180Your barks do little to throw her off, just attracting more attention from nearby night-owls that are prowling the streets, roused by all the commotion at the castle. She's catching up with you now, in range enough to take a wild swing with her mace!
[1d10] Bonk
>>744197You manage to sneak past the guards as they investigate. One of them takes a cautious jab at the floating bones with their spear, to little effect. You press the advantage and sneak past them. Kothbiro stumbles past with you, almost staggering into the wall as she goes. She's about ready to collapse from blood loss.
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.744742
>>744739Halfway dragging the near dead Zebra out of sight of the gate, the sorceress carefully sets her down before adjusting her clothing to see the damage, hissing in annoyance as she goes.
[1d10] Examine
"Hss.. A healer i am not, but you are sstill of usse to me. Let uss ssee how you've fared.."
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.744743
>>744739Bear-Thungr is immensely heavy; you don't think you'll be able to carry him all the way out of Galatian, but you should be able to speed him along out of the castle at least. You manage to lift the bear up by grabbing the forelegs, hoisting it up a foot or two into the air. It feels like your arms are about to fall off.
No.744744
>>744739Noghu ducks and weaves, letting out a cackle, appearing malicious but inwardly being emitted out of nervousness.
[1d10] no reason to stop Word of Powering
>Word of Power: Use a mix of authority and your own personal methods to extract information from a target that you would not normally get from basic means. In combat you can force an enemy to miss their next attack. On Crit you render the target helpless.Roll #1 1 = 1 No.744746
>>744743"We.. need… to go…" Sunbeam says, tugging along at Thungur. "The rest of our friends are safe."
No.744749
>>744739Turning his attention away for now, the bear slowly turned to the fallen guard captain. A low rumble welled up from deep within it as it placed its paw on his body to pin him, lifted its head, and lunged down to snap its jaws around his throat.
[1d10+1] bite
>>744746Only to be lifted off the ground right after. The bear thrashes, trying to break free to secure its kill.
[1d10]
Roll #1 8 + 1 = 9 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 No.744752
>>744739Kaldan silently pads along behind Vajra and Kothbiro, snickering under his breath at the ones stabbing the floating bone distraction.
He realizes that Kothbiro might be genuinely hurt, and remembers he has one last pilfered healing potion in his bag. He rummages around for it, produces the phial of magic fluid, and uncorks it, offering it to Kothbiro to drink
No.744760
>>744742She collapses, now deathly pale, bleeding from her mouth a little. It would take only one knife to fell someone, and she's been pierced by many. Four wickedly sharp blades are jutting out of her back. Even in near-death, though, she retains her grit. "Just… just give me something for the pain and let me die," she hisses through clenched teeth.
>>744744You manage to avoid the swing, but only barely. She gains a burst of speed and lunges at you to tackle you to the ground!
[1d10]
The main gate is just in sight; it appears unguarded, for now.
>>744749Your jaws close, teeth like spears sinking into his flesh. A gush of warm blood pours from his throat, and he lets out a gurgling yell, thrashing ever so briefly; then, he is still.
>>744746>>744749Before bear-Thungr can relish his kill, he is hauled away by Sunbeam, the two of you making your way across the drawbridge. Miscellaneous guards and townsfolk clamor and shrink away from you, too frightened and confused to engage. You have a wide berth to make it to the main gate, it seems!
>>744752She fumbles to grab it with a whispered thanks, half drinking it and half splashing it on her face. She breathes a sigh of relief as some color returns to her face; though she still looks gravely injured, it doesn't seem the living are done with her just yet.
>>744752>>744742As Kothbiro begins to recover slightly thanks to Kalidan's efforts, she takes a moment to catch her breath, slowly sitting up on the ground. "Th… the Heart… Where is it? We need to… to be rid of it… They can't give it to him…"
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.744761
>>744760"I am sorry friend but we need to go." She says, exhausted between breaths as she tries to carry Thungr further.
[1d10] keep flying
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.744763
>>744760The bear roars again, but as the last of its prey grows further and further away, it grows weaker. After putting a good bit of distance between it and the castle proper, it gradually shrinks, transforming back into a nude, barely conscious, blood-caked Thunger. He stops fighting, letting Sunbeam drag him through the streets.
No.744764
>>744760Kalidan wipes some of the blood off of the zebra with the back of his paw. "The Heart is hopefully with the hyena. Don't worry about it for now, you have bigger issues than an oversized rock." He examines her to see if he can assist further with her injuries.
Playing Doctor [1d10]
>>744742The cat looks to the sorceress with concern. "She is right though. We need to find the stone before the minotaurs get to it. Do you know where it is?"
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.744771
>>744760Yipping, Noghu jumps back, tossing a bolas at her legs to cause her to trip up in her lunge, trying to dodge and run for the homestretch in the meantime.
>(Bola; instant, recharge 2, weapon, ranged: Throws a bola to temporarily disable a target. Bola does no damage, but on hit interrupts the target's current action and prevents movement, requiring them to break free of the binds that turn. On crit, it also sends the target helpless without dealing a wound of damage.[1d10] DC-1
[1d10] Dodge/Escape
Roll #1 2 = 2 /
Roll #2 9 = 9 No.744774
>>744752The sorceress eyes the potion, nodding to you. "Convenient. I wass concerned we would not sstaunch the bleeding in time."
>>744760>>744764Vajra hisses again. "The sstone wass losst in the confussion, and i wass not willing to fight the entire city'ss guard to retrieve it. Perhapss one of the otherss have it."
No.744784
>>744763>>744761As Thungr transforms back, the weight catches up with Sunbeam, and he is dropped promptly, falling from her grasp and to his hands and knees.
Looking back, you can see a handful of guards starting to mobilize, beginning an armed pursuit. You hear a horn blow, rallying the garrison to their side!
>roll to escape>>744771Your bolas goes wide. She grabs onto you, yanking out a tuft of fur, but you manage to give her the slip and run away. Climbing up to a roof, you see her run right past, looking around angrily for a bit before giving up. Seems you gave her the slip.
>>744774She groans. "We… we need to find it," she insists. "Thenn… he wants to make a deal with a dragon… I can't…" She tries to stand, but fails, still too weak to.
No.744786
>>744784I groan as a splitting headache bursts through my skull. The metal taste that I ain't at all unfamiliar with makes my stomach churn, and I almost feel too dizzy to stand. I only barely notice that my clothes, my pack, my gear, and my money are all still back at the castle, but the sound of the horn tells me we got more important stuff to worry about. Something I do notice is the dragon carrying me. That idjit actually stayed? Thought I was pretty clear. Stumbling, I do what I can to get away.
[1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.744790
>>744784Finally out of sight, Noghu burrows in the more open ground so he can't be spotted by flying scouts.
[1d10+3] burrow aways away towards somewhere with cover like a tree or a cliffside
Roll #1 4 + 3 = 7 No.744791
>>744784"And how do you ssuggesst we retrieve it? It iss a mercy we esscaped alive. Returning to the casstle while the alarm iss raissed iss a fool's errand."
"With luck, the dog managed to eat it. For now, we musst move to ssafety. Do you know of a place we may hide for now?"
No.744795
>>744784"A dragon huh? Like our companion? That doesn't sound too bad." Kalidan scratches his chin in contemplation. "Either way, the castle is swarming with guards on high alert right now. There's no way we're gonna be able to get in there unnoticed, and even if we did, we have no idea where the stone is. Best bet is to lay low, reconnect with our companions, and if the dog doesn't have it we'll launch another attack after the heat dies down."
No.744831
>>744784"Enough, enough!" Sunbeam says as she scrambles to escape.
Escape [1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.745115
>>744786>>744831Thungr, still dizzy and half-conscious from everything, lags behind some, but is promptly scooped up by Sunbeam, who powers through her wing injury to take flight, quickly outpacing the rallying throng and flying to the main town gate. You're not out of the woods yet, though. Two pegasi guards armed with shortbows fly up, blocking your path and nocking their arrows!
>>744790Relieved to be out of town, you burrow away, easily boring a tunnel away from all the commotion. You find yourself emerging on a hillside, overlooking Galatian. A bit further away, you can see Vajra, Kothbiro and Kalidan reconvening.
>roll Perception>>744791She stops to think, still dizzied from being brought off of death's door. "We… I suppose following Thenn's trail is out of the question. Hm. There's a fishing hamlet north of here, on the river banks. It seems like our best bet, but we'll have to move quickly. We're not safe as long as we're in these lands. It won't take long for word to spread of what happened."
>>744795She shakes her head. "Not like Sunbeam. Not like Sunbeam at all. He'd join forces with a true dragon, one consumed by greed and ire. I can't sit by and let that happen. Attacking settlements is one thing, but with a dragon on his side… Thenn would burn the world if it meant he could be king of the ashes."
>>744791>>744795Kothbiro nods, standing up now and leaning on her axe. "Kalidan has the right idea. We make a good group together. And we're outlaws now. Our best bet is to keep moving as a party, if we can find the others…"
>roll Perception No.745116
>>745115The sorceress nods.
"Very well. Once we have learned the fate of the otherss we will make for the Hamlet."
sitting upright, Vajra tastes the air, in an effort to pick up the trail of the others on the wind.
[1d10] Perception, DC-2 (detect life)
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.745121
>>745115Catching his breath and gemstone pulled from his loincloth, Noghu observes the others from afar. [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.745136
>>745115I groan, trying to get my vision to come back into focus. When things finally start getting less blurry, my eyes settle on two guards with bows. Great. Must not've gotten word of what happened to the others. Looking around for my gear, I realize for the second time I don't have it. Then, almost slumping over in relief, I see it on the dragon's back. Pulling my last javelin, I try my best to bring one of the guards into focus, bring my arm back, and hurl it.
[1d10]Marksman Shot
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.745161
"Alright, let's do this then." The cat doesn't sound confident.
Perception [1d10]
>>745115Roll #1 9 = 9 No.745663
>>745115Frustration mounting, Sunbeam stops ahead of Thungr and rises up above him. Eyes aglow and with her voice booming she wrathfully commands the pegasi. "Let. Us. Go."
Wrath [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.745664
>>745116>>745161In the moonlight, you see a familiar silhouette of a Diamond Dog from afar. And a cat. Neridah seems to be sneaking up on Noghu, sword drawn…
Kothbiro hisses sharply and springs up, ready to run to his aid. "That spoiled little minx again!"
>>745121You observe the trio from afar as you cradle the gem. They seem to be on the lookout for the others.
"Looking for someone?"
You turn around at the sound of the familiar voice, only to see a rush of steel being brought down on you!
>roll to dodge, instant>>745136>>745663Sunbeam's pulse of light does little to deter their arrows. Thungr's javelin, however, does. It catches the guard right in the chest, knocking him out of the air and plummeting to the ground, where he crashes through a rooftop. Intimidated, but not undeterred, the last archer takes a shot at Thungr in retaliation!
[1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.745665
>>745664I let go of the dragon and grit my teeth. Out of damn javelins. Gonna have to make some more when it's safe. Pulling my spear, I take a deep breath, and roar, charging at the pegasus in an attempt at intimidation. If it doesn't work well enough to get him to back down, I spin the spear, pull my entire shoulder back, and fling my weight into throwing it at him.
[1d10]Intimidation
[1d10]Throwing my main weapon
Roll #1 10 = 10 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 No.745666
>>745664Vajra slithers close behind Kothbiro, chasing after Neridah and Noghu.
"Ah, the dog ssurvived! Perhapss he knowss of the gem'ss location!"
No.745667
>>745664Noghu ducks and yelps, throwing a bolas in the direction of the voice.
[1d10+1] Dodge, Crit DC-2 if combat is starting cause Lucky Dog
>Bolas; instant, recharge 2, weapon, ranged: Throws a bola to temporarily disable a target. Bola does no damage, but on hit interrupts the target's current action and prevents movement, requiring them to break free of the binds that turn. On crit, it also sends the target helpless without dealing a wound of damage.[1d10+1] DC-1, Crit DC-2 if combat is starting cause Lucky Dog
Roll #1 10 + 1 = 11 /
Roll #2 9 + 1 = 10 No.745668
>>745665Sunbeam, seeing Thungr's spear going to miss, quickly flies up to it to finish its flight path manually.
She flies up and goes to put it right into the guard. "You were told to leave."
Become aimbot [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.745669
>>745664Kalidan's yellow eyes narrow into slits as he lets out a low hiss, his fur standing up. Hesitating only a moment, he bounds towards the cat and dog, readying himself for action, though he's not sure exactly what he'll do yet.
No.745670
>>745665>>745668You both rush the last archer, startling him into missing his shot. Thungr's spear clips his wing, and he corkscrews out of control and to the ground, hurt but not dead. Looks like you have a clear shot at the exit now. Somewhat. There's still an angry mob of guards on your tail, but you should be able to get away in time.
>>745667You roll out of the way as Neridah's sword plunges into the ground inches away from you. The Felid has a fierce, determined glint in her eye, fixed on the gem you carry. She goes to swing again, but is interrupted by your bolas. She struggles to get loose for a moment, cutting herself free with her greatsword. "We can make this easy, dog," she calls. "This is my ticket back home. That trumps whatever you could possibly want it for. Give it to me and we can go our separate ways."
>>745669>>745666You rush over and join Noghu and Neridah. The latter is ensnared momentarily. She flashes you all a grin. "Together again for the first time, huh."
Kothbiro scowls. "You don't give up, do you."
"Nope!"
No.745671
>>745670Kalidan's eyes go back and forth between Neridah and Noghu suspiciously.
"Wait. Are you two… an item??" he exclaims jealously.
>>745667He focuses on Noghu, looking him up and down. "But seriously. Do you have the gem?"
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.745672
>>745670"Talk to much, I fix."
Noghu pins Neridah down, biting into her neck.
>Wild Hunt: passive; After rendering a foe helpless, the Wildguard's first action next turn becomes Automatic. Rendering an enemy helpless with this automatic action does not activate WIld Hunt again.
>Shatter: recharge 2, weapon; Breaks the target's defenses to open them up for attack. Deals damage and increases the Crit Range for all attacks against them by 2 for two rounds. Can be used against inanimate objects or armor to break and damage them efficiently.[automatic+1] (not counting the DC-1 from single weapon because doing so with bite)
No.745673
>>745670"Just run. We can't fight them forever. We find our friends later and…" She pauses, panting. "We will be okay." She says to Thungr, exhaustion and her emotions weighing on her.
No.745674
>>745670>>745673I grunt and run to grab my spear before charging straight for the gate.
No.745675
>>745670"Sso it sseemss." replies the sorceress, watching the struggle with Noghu unfold.
No.745676
>>745671"That's usually how it starts, innit," she quips.
You catch a glint of gold on Noghu as the two of them duke it out. Looks like he has it after all.
>>745672She cries out in pain as you bite her, jerking away and bringing her free hand up to her neck. Cutting through the bolas, she stumbles backward, catching her breath momentarily before lunging at you with her sword!
[1d10+2]Crits on 8+
[1d3] Riposte passive if successful
>>745671>>745672>>745675"This is getting us nowhere!" Kothbiro yells over the fighting. "We have to destroy this thing before they find it. And they will find it. How much longer till they start coming after us? We need to break it and go. We're wasting time as is."
Down at the main gate, you see Thungr and Sunbeam burst through the gates. Sounds like there's guards on their tail.
>>745674>>745673You outrun the guards, making it through the gates. They're at your backs though; it won't be long till they start searching for you. You can hear them coming already. You'll have to find somewhere to hide out while it all blows over.
>roll PerceptionRoll #1 9 + 2 = 11 /
Roll #2 2 = 2 No.745677
>>745676I snort and briefly glance back. Great. They ain't gonna stop. Shaking my head, I look around for a place I can get away and rest for a dern minute.
[1d10+3]
Roll #1 10 + 3 = 13 No.745678
>>745676>>745671>>745666"Kill cat. You want destroy gem, I want destroy gem, she want sell gem. No purpose alive." Noghu grunts, not going down without a fight, defensively thrusting with his spear.
basic attack [1d10+1] DC-1, Crit DC-2
Roll #1 3 + 1 = 4 No.745679
>>745676>>745677Sunbeam dashes for cover, hopefully finding somewhere to hide her large stature.
Hide [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.745680
>>745676>>745678"Yeah, screw this," Kalidan mutters, before making a grab at Noghu, aiming for the Heart of the Sun glinting even in the night.
Snatch [1d10]
"I'll be taking this, if you two lovebirds don't mind!"
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.745681
>>745678>>745676As the pair continue to brawl, the sorceress eyes the gate as Thungr and Sunbeam burst through, presumably pursued by the guards. she hisses in frustration.
"Ssandss-touched cat.. Kothbiro, finish this quickly, i will prevent the guardss' arrival."
bandages flutter into the ground as Vajra gathers her focus.
"Boness of beastss, to gate i ssay, i call on thee to bar the way!
Bone Cage!"
[1d10] raise ancient
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.745682
>>745679>>745677You spot a log at the bottom of a ditch, surrounded by bushes. Cramped and uncomfortable, but it should be enough to conceal you. You curl up under it and wait a good long while.
Eventually, it seems the guards give up. Risking a peek out reveals the coast is clear. Or so it seems.
>roll Perception again>>745678She rushes forward and stamps down on your spear, countering with an offhand slash of her claws, then a two handed thrust to the belly. A shock runs up your torso as her blade pierces you, and you're barely aware of an impact to the chest knocking you to the ground. She stands over you, grabbing the gem. "Bad dog."
>Noghu takes 9 hits, helpless at 0/1>>745680Neridah acts first, snatching the gem as she stabs Noghu, dashing nimbly backwards out of the way. She tucks it into her vest pocket and points the bloody sword at you. "Oh, not you too," she gripes. "I thought we had a good thing going."
>>745681You raise some bones from deep beneath the earth, blocking off most of the guards. Some manage to slip past though, searching around for the dragon and the minotaur, but eventually giving up.
>>745681>>745680>>745678Kothbiro nods at Vajra's prompt. While still weak, she musters her strength and unsheathes her axe. "I don't want to kill you. But I will."
"Try me," Neridah taunts. She swings the sword in a two handed arc, aiming to strike down Kothbiro and Kalidan!
[1d10+1] Cleave
>roll Perception, instantRoll #1 3 + 1 = 4 No.745683
>>745682Noghu's eyes flutter as he falls unconscious, letting out a pitiful whine.
>assume no post unless helped No.745684
>>745682I clutch my stomach and peek out, ready to hightail it back into the woods.
[1d10+3]
Roll #1 9 + 3 = 12 No.745685
>>745682"If I was not in so much pain I maybe would be enjoying this moment, Thungr." She says, awkwardly.
As the coast clears, she surveys the scene, hoping to spot out any of her friends.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.745686
>>745682Hissing, Vajra now turns her attention to Neridah, more bandages cast into the soil.
"Enough of thiss! The gem will be ourss to desstroy, curssed cat!"
"Bone from ssoil i call now free, a soul to bring the gem to me!"
[1d10] Raise dead
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.745687
>>745682Forgot:
Kothbiro takes a swing at Neridah in retaliation!
[1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.745688
>>745685I snort and bite back a laugh, glancing down at how close we are. Kinda ain't the time, and a weird thing to say to someone naked and covered in pony blood. Still, I shoot the dragon an awkward smile. "Maybe," I mumble. Time to relax when we ain't gonna get pin-cushoned.
No.745689
>>745682Kalidan dances back as Neridah bites off a little more than she can chew.
"Sorry, sweetheart, but I only go for the pretty ones." He winks rogueishly at her before striking out with two paws, vicious claws fully extended.
Dual Wield [2d10]
Roll #1 10, 4 = 14 No.745690
>>745682[1d10] perception
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.745691
>>745689Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.745693
>>745685>>745684Now that the coast is clear, you poke your head out. The first thing you notice is that the entrance to Galatian is sealed by one of Vajra's bone cages. Looking around, you see her and the others at the top of a nearby hill. Neridah and Kothbiro included. The former seems to be… fighting them?
>>745686You raise the skeleton of a serpentine saurian. It looks a lot like you.
>On Crit you minion retains the racials it would’ve had in life regardless of its condition. >choose saurian racials to give this minionNeridah takes a step back, taken off guard by the minion. "What, you too? What do you care what happens to the gem? It's not magical."
>>745686>>745683>>745689Kothbiro dodges her swing and goes for a counterattack, but the cat dodges. Kalidan dashes backwards, then steps in and gouges Neridah across the face with a single vicious blow. She gasps and falls to her hands and knees, squinting from the pain, face bloodied. She starts stumbling away, trying to right herself. "It's… mine…!"
She crawls right into what Kalidan had spotted only moments ago. An enormous wolf, almost the size of Noghu, with brown and gold striped fur and a scarlet maw filled with serrated teeth like a shark. Vajra and Noghu know it as the Fire Witch.
Neridah gasps at the sight and stumbles backward, trying to get up.
[1d10]
Kothbiro freezes in place, readying her axe without a word.
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.745694
>>745693I hold my side and stumble out of my hiding spot, using my spear as a walking stick as I silently rejoin the others, naked, a little injured, and covered in blood, but slowly getting my energy back.
No.745695
>>745693"If we can just make it to them. Come quickly Thungr." She says, dashing off towards the hill.
No.745696
>>745693the skeletal saurian rises from the ground, its skeletal tail coiling around itself as it awaits orders, fangs dripping with black necrotic ichor.
>traits: Reptilian, withering biteThe sorceress pauses as she spots the wolf entering the clearing, nodding to the witch.
"Thiss one hass the gem. Her greed hass proven a greater lure than common ssense." speaks Vajra, gesturing to the wounded Neridah
"Do with her what you will."
No.745697
>>745693Kalidan looks down at the other cat with disdain. "You know, things could have been different. I did like you. Hope this doesn't take too long for you. " He aims a kick at her torso, trying to knock her toward the wolf-creature.
"Hey pupper! Soups on!"
Come And Get It [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.745698
>>745695>>745694You head to the top of the hill. A wounded Neridah is trying to escape now, blocked by one of the Fire Witch's wolves.
>>745696>>745697>>745695>>745694Neridah stops dead in her tracks as the wolf faces her down. As Kalidan calls to it, it looks at him with curiosity.
Thungr and Sunbeam join the group. Looking around, you see a second wolf approach, this one assuming the form of the Fire Witch: a serpentine saurian like Vajra, with dull red and golden scales. She wears a scarlet hooded mask that drapes over her back and shoulders, concealing most of her face save for her piercing orange eyes.
The wolf confronting Neridah gently reaches down, plucking the gem from her jacket, tearing it slightly in the process. It holds it in its mouth as it awaits orders. The Witch slithers over to Noghu, resting a claw on his head, seemingly healing him. "You've done well. It must have been no small task to retrieve this. My only regret is that I could not help you more in this endeavour."
Kothbiro looks steely. "I know who you are."
"And I you," she replies calmly. "If you are friend to these wanderers, then we have no quarrels. Despite your allegiances."
"Prior allegiances now. I suppose."
Neridah just looks frightened and confused, having no idea who this person is.
>>745683You feel yourself coming to. Your vision is blurred, and you have somewhat of a headache, but you can move again. The pain is lessening to a dull throb, along with a faint burning sensation. You are dimly aware of a hand resting on your head.
>Noghu is healed by 1 wound No.745699
>>745698Noghu stirs, letting out another small whimper as intiially flinches, eventually stirring and opening his eyes blearily, "Gem..?" He says to whoever's above him, unaware what's going on.
No.745700
>>745698Upon seeing Noghu come to, Sunbeam quickly brings herself over for a tired hug into him. "Are you alright?" She asks gently.
No.745702
>>745699"The witch and her alliess are here for the gem" mentiones Vajra. "They will dissposse of it from here."
>>745698"With thiss, the realm will remain intact, though Sstyr Thenn will no doubt be incenssed. We will have to flee, and ssoon."
No.745703
>>745698I let out a long, low breath and walk into the middle of the circle with the cat. If unopposed, I lift her by her scruff and push her in the opposite direction of the witch and wolf, out of the circle. "Go on," I say, waving her on. "Git. Don't wanna hurt y'all more than I gotta."
No.745704
>>745698Kalidan, still gazing at Neridah with something less than appreciation, responds to the witch, whose transformation he barely reacts to. "Do with it what you will." He slowly turns his back on the cat, turning to the rest of the group.
"What now?" he asks sardonically?
No.745705
>>745704"Kothbiro ssuggessts we take sshelter in a fisshing hamlet nearby. We will need time to heal our woundss and make planss."
No.745706
>>745703>>745699>>745702>>745700>>745704The Fire Witch smiles under her mask as she sees Sunbeam's reaction to Noghu. She takes her hand away, having healed him. "I, and the rest of this world, have your eternal gratitude. You have done far more than you can imagine this night."
"As for the fate of this one…"
The wolf backs off slightly, delivering the gem to the Witch. Neridah struggles to stand, looking around in dismay as she sees the wolf has the gem in its mouth. Realizing there's no chance she gets it and lives, she starts slowly backing away, retreating into the brush from whence she came, nursing her wounds.
The Witch examines the gem in her claw. "Such a beautiful thing," she muses. "Beyond compare. It is a shame it will have to be destroyed." Her eyes shift to Noghu. "Are you still hungry?" she asks, with a hint of humor.
>>745704"What now indeed. You will have to flee these lands, that much is certain. These lands are mine to claim, so I can provide you safe transport to the edges of my territory. From there, you will have to do as you will."
"Oh, but where are my manners. I don't believe we have been properly introduced. I have no name anymore, but I am a Fire Witch. One of the few of my kind. These lands are my domain. I've been keeping an eye on you and your friends since you crossed the threshold some days ago."
No.745707
>>745706I cross my arms, look her in the eye, and simply say, "Our deal."
No.745708
>>745706Kalidan turns back to watch Neridah slink into the forest with a barely audible sigh. He addresses the witch even as he watches her go.
"I've always been on the fly. Escort won't be required; I'll take my chances with the local gendarmes. Any chance of payment?" With this last question he turns to her with a twinkle in his eye, a trace of humor in his inflection. It's clear he doesn't expect anything from her… but it never hurts to ask, right?
No.745709
>>745706"Was my gem to begin with…" Noghu whines, embarassed now at being in a point of vulnerability and around powerful women.
>>745700"Thank." Noghu says with his tail between his legs.
No.745710
>>745706"In our sstate, an esscort to ssafer groundss would be mosst appreciated." replies Vajra with a nod.
No.745711
>>745707"Of course. I would be remiss of me to shirk my promise."
She makes an arcane gesture, and her claw catches alight in flame. She extends her burning hand to you. Oddly, you can barely feel the heat coming from the flames. "Give me your arm," she prompts. "I promise, it will not hurt."
>>745708"Perhaps. Even with the gem destroyed, a fragment of it will be worth plenty, to the right people. You seem competent enough to be able to find such a buyer."
>>745709She smiles under her mask again and laughs gently. She offers you the gem freely. "It must be destroyed, yet it can still serve a purpose in doing so." She motions to take your spear for a moment, if you'll let her.
>>745710"Very well." She gestures at the nearby wolf, who huffs slightly and treads over to your side, sniffing you out a little. "Saskia here will guide you to the end of my reach. And perhaps beyond, should she be so inclined."
"As for another gift, as a symbol of my gratitude." She reaches into her cowl, producing a single dull red stone. The veins on it seem to glow with cracks of flame. She offers it to you; you can feel a faint warmth coming from it, and a magical force. "A Pyrestone. Of my own design. Invoke it to channel the essence of flame."
>Pyrestone: catalyst, -1 DC to spells cast through it>grants access to Elementalist: Fire while using No.745712
>>745711I glance between her and the fire, gritting my teeth. At first I hesitate to let her witch me, but the taste of blood lingering on my tongue overshadows my fear. Slowly, in spite of everything tellin me this is a bad idea, I hold out my arm.
No.745713
>>745711Not in any place to resist, Noghu hands it over.
No.745714
>>745713>>745711Noghu hits the gem against the ground, trying to break it into more manageable pieces to eat.
No.745715
>>745711The sorceress eyes the stone with a keen interest, accepting the catalyst happily.
"Ah, a wondrouss artifact, far more usseful than that bauble of a gem. You have my thankss."
No.745716
>>745711Kalidan chuckles to himself at her response. "You know what? Save it. Good luck with your domain; to be honest it's been nothing but trouble for me."
He sets his pack firmly on his back and shrugs his shoulders, both to indicate his mood and settle his traveling gear.
"So? Are we going then?" He beams at his erstwhile companions.
No.745717
>>745712You extend your left arm, at her request. She grips you by the wrist firmly with her burning claw. She's right; it doesn't hurt. More of a minor discomfort. You feel an all-encompassing warmth flow from your wrist and up your arm, spreading downwards through your body to your head and toes. It's like stepping out into sunlight after hours in the dark.
She pulls her hand away. You feel a lingering warmth, and a sense of inner serenity. Like everything is right with the world. Looking down at your wrist, you can see a lingering mark on your arm, in the shape of her claw. You have the feeling it won't fade any time soon.
>Thungr can now attempt to regain control of his consciousness and retransform while in Bear form, at a DC8.>>745715"And you have mine," she replies.
>>745716>>745714>>745715>>745712Noghu takes the Heart of the Sun, then smashes it against a rock. Once, twice, three times. On the fourth, it gives way. The enormous topaz shatters into a million pieces with a resonant
CRASH, flying in every direction. The grass is stained with golden shards that dance and scintillate in the light of the moon above.
The Fire Witch breathes a sigh of relief. "It is done," is all she can say. She takes a handful of shards and conjures a flame, weaving them through some arcane means into the head of Noghu's spear. The jagged stone tip is woven with golden streaks which glow in the dark slightly, occasionally emitting a sparking ember.
>Noghu's spear may now inflict Fire damage on a recharge 2Kothbiro nods, moving to grab some pieces of the Heart for herself to sell later. "No sense in letting it go to waste." "Just so," the Witch agrees, offering Kalidan a particularly large shard.
"Now. You have a heading, yes? This hamlet you mentioned. I know of it. As I told your friend here, one of my kin will accompany you, if you would have her." The she-wolf Saskia lowers her head.
"And, if you wish to speak to me, you need only call to me, within these lands. This is my home, after all. I am always nearby."
"As for your other friend. That rapacious firestarter. I will be watching her much more closely from now on." She takes a much more stern demeanor when discussing Neridah.
No.745718
>>745717offering Kalidan a particularly large knife-shaped shard
No.745719
>>745717At the witch's words, Kalidan turns back toward her, ears perking forward in obvious interest. A slow cunning smile spreads across the cat's thin lips. "Far be it from me to turn down a reward twice," he murmurs, eyes glittering at the knife-shaped gem shard. He all but snatches it from her hands.
He finally looks up as she mentions Neridah. His eyes narrow, his smile falls. "That one's trouble, for sure. I would guess that the Heart was merely her latest scheme, and the whole town were her pawns. Us included," he sends a knowing glance at the rest of the party.
No.746599
>>745717Noghu side eyes the others taking pieces of the gem he was given to begin with, though figures it's enough for getting the gemstone back. Noghu chews crystals as he continues to rest to regain his strength, looking somewhat peeved at the Fire witch, "Can't hunt in dark now, spear makes light."
No.746603
>>745717"So." Sunbeam says, walking over to the shattered gem and picking up a shard. "This is it then? We have destroyed the gem we all sought."
She mulls the piece over for a few moments then puts it in her mouth. "It does not taste the way I had expected."
>>746599"Do you enjoy them?" She asks, taking the piece out of her mouth to hold it up to Noghu.
No.746604
>>745717I clench my jaw as the fire seems like it climbs into my skin, but relax when it don't burn. As the feeling actually changes to somethin soothin, I let out a slow breath. After lookin my hand over, I look back up at the witch and nod.
No.746623
>>745717"An esscort would be appreciated, yess. One verssed in travel here will be usseful in avoiding the city watch. Doubtlesss they are ssearching for uss sstill."
No.746625
>>745719She offers it to you freely after applying some wrappings to make a handle. It is a jagged, uneven piece, but it looks like it will make a good weapon. And valuable, should you choose to sell it.
>Goldenclad Dirk>single, -1 crit range, applies bleeding on crit: target takes 1 pt/rd for 3 rds or until helpless"Aye," Kothbiro comments in regards to Neridah. "Don't judge her on her greed though. She had a good cause, if she's who I think she is."
>>746599>>746603The crystals taste like a foreign citrus, having a powerful sweet/sour taste, dissolving in your mouth as you take bites. It's quite delicious, if you like that sort of thing.
>>746599"Only if you wish it to," the Fire Witch comments. As you look, the glow and spark of the spear fades, though the crystalline streaks of infusion are still clearly visible.
>>746603"And the world is better for it," says the Fire Witch. "Had it been kept around, it would have inevitably fallen into the wrong hands."
"Do not think I forgot about you, by the way. You deserve a reward as much as the rest."
She snaps her fingers, and her claw becomes wreathed in flame. "You are a luminous being, Tlawili. Allow me to help you channel it, with some magic of my own." She reaches out to touch your chest, if you will let her.
>>746623>>746604>>746603>>746599>>745719"Hey, do I…?" Kothbiro speaks up, seeing everyone but her get gifts from the Fire Witch.
"You have chosen a new path, Kothbiro. What your future holds, only the flames can tell. Allow me to elucidate what this may hold…"
Kothbiro hesitates, looks back at you all, then accepts with a small nod, looking up at the Fire Witch. Though she is large for a zebra, she suddenly looks very small and vulnerable.
The Fire Witch closes her eyes and extends her finger, touching Kothbiro on the forehead. Her claw begins to glow and crackle with flame, and after a few moments, the zebra jerks backwards with a sharp gasp, trembling slightly. She looks around at you all with a strange expression, as if she's reached some higher understanding of herself. She looks back at the witch with trepidation. "I… I'll do what I must."
The Fire Witch just smiles warmly beneath her hood.
She turns to face you all, clasping her hands together. "Now comes our parting," she says solemnly. "Saskia will show you the way to an old shelter of mine for tonight. This may not be the last time we meet, travelers."
"Until the stars align again, fire walk with you."
No.746627
>>746625Kalidan pops the knife away in his pack, careful to wrap it so that it won't damage anything with its wicked edge.
He gratefully looks from the witch to his companions, accepting gifts of their own.
"I guess that was a success, then, huh? Hey, do you think that Styr guy is gonna be a problem for us once we leave here? You really think he'll just let us get away after thwarting his plans?"
No.746629
>>746625"A vission of the future? how curious. Once we have taken sshelter, perhapss you may sshare what you have sseen." says the sorceress, watching Kothbiro's reaction with curiosity.
No.746630
>>746625"I have not heard that name spoken by another in many sunrises." Sunbeam says, looking towards the witch with a warm fondness. She gently extends her claw, guiding the witch's to her chest. "Trakali thanks you."
No.746632
>>746625>>746603"Care for food first, taste second." Noghu responds to Sunbeam, gathering shards from the ground, tying large shards to his belt using spare bolas, smaller ones going in his waterskins, "Much better than carrion."
No.746635
>>746625I briefly think of saying 'fire with you' or whatever, but just nod again. Taking my gear back from the dragon, I walk over to the wolf, quirk my eyebrow, and wait.
No.746636
>>746627Kothbiro shakes her head, still shaken a little. "We'll… have to deal with the fallout. …But not today." She smiles encouragingly. A rare sight from her.
>>746629She doesn't seem to hear you at first, but then shakes her head slightly. It seems she either won't or can't share her vision.
>>746630As she touches your chest, you feel a warmth spread from her hand, coursing through your body. The warmth grows into a fire burning inside you. It wells up, and you feel the urge to unleash it for a moment; then, it dies down some. You feel reinvigorated, and full of energy.
>Sunbeam gains +1 max wounds temporarily>Sunbeam gains access to Dragon Breath: Light Elementalist>Dragon Breath: recharge 2; Your dragon breath is far more developed than other dragons, able to cover a wide range and inflict damage. At character creation choose an Elementalist effect for your breath that will determine its element and effect. You can target up to 10 enemies with this attack, but the recharge increases by 1 for each enemy beyond 1 that you target. You can also use your breath to magically send messages, as long as established a link with your message recipient beforehand.>>746635>>746632>>746630>>746629>>746627A flame springs up underneath the Fire Witch, engulfing the sorceress in flame and obscuring her from view. When they fade, she is gone.
The she-wolf Saskia moves forward to lead you onward to the shelter. Kothbiro recomposes herself and nods, following her onward. As you travel under cover of night for a spell, you find yourselves reflecting on everything that's happened. Even though it's been only a few weeks, you feel you've made a strong connection with everyone present. The tale of the Sun's Heart is over. But there is still much more to come…
>Everyone gains 1 Enlightenment Point!It doesn't take long to travel. Saskia leads you through a path in the woods that would otherwise be unfindable, coming to a flare of bushes and reeds. Nudging them aside reveals a hidden cave. It is as the Witch said; this cave has been made into a makeshift shelter for travelers, with some firewood, tents, and fresh water and dry food supplies stashed away inside. Overall, it's everything you need for a comfortable night in the woods.
Saskia stands guard by the cave entrance dutifully, while Kothbiro gets to work starting a campfire. "We're lucky this Witch is on our side," she comments. "We should get some rest. We have a lot of ground to cover before we get to that fishing hamlet." She seems quieter than usual, less prickly. Probably due to her injuries, the weight of everything that's transpired tonight, and the vision she was granted. She seems to have a lot on her mind.
No.746637
>>746636"Thank you, Saskia," the cat says, his tone genuine. He follows dutifully, only casting a single glance backwards at the partially burnt city of Galatian.
"Hey, have you guys noticed that we tend to leave places a lot more… burning… than when we arrived? Just a thought."
As he journeys with the others, Kalidan takes stock of his supplies. They seem a bit light, and his stomach growls. He is visibly glad to see the cave supplied with food, and sets to rummaging through the dried rations immediately for something palatable.
No.746638
>>746636"Her motivations seems strange and elusive, but I seem to want to trust her. I believe I have seen her presence before but I cannot place it." Sunbeam says, assisting Kothbiro with the fire. "Like kin I had never met."
Once the fire is well, Sunbeam sits near it. "I never did get that sword." She says to herself quietly.
No.746639
>>746636>>746632>>746630>>746629>>746627I take a log from outside, shrug my pack off, and dig my jaw harp and non-whiskey -I forget what they sold me- liquor out. Uncorking the bottle, I take a swig and start passing it around.
>>746627Lookin up at the cat, I quirk an eyebrow and show him my jaw harp.
No.746641
>>746639Kalidan, mouth full of dried meat, cracks a food-stuffed grin and pulls his flute from its little scabbard. He quickly swallows his morsel (a little too quickly maybe), finishes choking with a thankful gulp of the minotaur's liquor, and sits down near Koth's burgeoning fire.
"Do you know this one?" He raises the flute to his lips and begins a slow melody, waiting for Thungr to join in.
No.746642
>>746636Noghu is happy not to have to hunt for their food tonight, and mostly stays quiet, cleaning his teeth with a shard of gemstone.
>>746639Noghu eventually takes the bottle and repeats the action thinking it's filled with water, flinching and quickly giving the bottle back, "Why drink spoiled water?"
No.746644
>>746642"Ta loosen up some." I offer the bottle to anyone else who wants it.
>>746641I lick my lips, place the jaw harp to my teeth, and twang out a little harmony to the melody the cat is tootin.
No.746645
>>746639Sunbeam takes a careful sniff of the drink first. "Oh, I have had this before. Visiting Earth Ponies had much of it. Though it was lacking color and did not smell the same." She says, taking a sip after. "Oh, that night was fun. The morning after was not." She says with a giggle.
No.746646
>>746636Avoiding the light as they travel, the sight of the shelter is a welcome one. The mad dash from the keep and the brawl afterwards proved to be very tiring indeed.
breaking down the skeletal saurian and placing the bones into the bag as before with the bear, the sorceress enters the cave, coiling up to the fire after finding something to eat from the supplies.
>>746639Vajra takes a sip from the offered flask. "My thankss."
>>746638"AsS we are, any ally we may find iss a welcome one. Galatian iss ssure to sspread newss of our flight from the keep."
"Ah, but that iss ssomething to worry over tomorrow."
No.746647
>>746637The wolf chuffs slightly and nods.
"It does seem to be a theme," Kothbiro nods with a slight wry smile. "Hopefully this hamlet won't suffer the same fate…"
>>746637>>746646You find some strips of beef jerky and some biscuits among the supplies. Nothing extravagant, but palatable all the same.
>>746638"Sword?" Kothbiro asks. "What do you need a sword for? You've got those claws, and your strange magics."
>>746639Kothbiro gladly accepts, taking it when offered. "To new beginnings," she toasts before taking a good swig.
>>746642There's a bit of a comfortable silence. Kothbiro eventually gets your attention. "…Seems I owe you an apology, dog. You're not as much a fool as I took you for. Where are you from anyway? Never seen your kind before."
>>746646Kothbiro nods. "We have a heading. And that's enough. With any luck, we'll be clear of these lands in a few days. From there, who knows where the road will take us. Maybe it wouldn't be bad to just wander for a while, put some distance between us and this place while we follow the roads. Or even off into the wilds." She muses as she munches on some jerky. Unusual for a pony, you notice. "Sometimes the best plan is no plan at all. Don't you think?"
No.746651
>>746645>>746646>>746647I nod a quick 'no problem', and stop playing long enough to take my flask, hold it up, take another swig, and put it back away. Guess we're headed to this fishing hamlet next. Ain't sure what's gonna happen after. Guess right now it don't matter. I put my harp back to my lips and start playin again.
No.746653
>>746647"It was more checking in on the blacksmith than anything. A sword in Trakali is a symbol of authority or a gift for ceremony. I have seen some marriage proposals performed with ornate knives." She says, a bit bemused with the thought.
No.746655
>>746647"Plains, multiple packs there. Not there anymore, my own alpha now." Noghu says, a dark expression falling over his face.
No.746657
>>746647"Hmm.. perhapss. The gem proved a fruitlesss endeavor, but time may yet pressent a new avenue of magic to sstudy."
"The rebelss we met mentioned one ssuch place to the north, though a path to reach it eludess me."
No.746661
>>746647Kalidan nods in between flute songs. It's been a while since he's played, and he feels a little rusty. He continues practicing as the others talk, sitting around the outskirts of the warmth of the fire.
No.746665
>>746661Kothbiro listens politely as you play. "Where'd you learn to play like that?" she asks curiously at one point.
>>746655She tilts her head slightly. "Oh? How come? …Sore topic?"
>>746653She blinks. "Hm. Perhaps we could forge you a sword next time we visit a good smith. If nothing else, it'd make for a good talking point."
>>746657"Most likely they were heading to Roan," she comments. "Though they're in for a rude awakening if so. It's planned to be the next target of Thenn's conquest. He'll have his work cut out for him. They won't bend the knee easily there."
>>746651Kothbiro watches you with curiosity, looking up from stirring the flames. "So, what's the deal with that bear transformation thing? I'm guessing you can't just do it at will. Some sort of curse, right?"
No.746670
>>746665Noghu shrugs, "Pack hunt food, alpha claim food, pack eat bones. Good hunters got weak, bone eaters wanted meat."
Noghu crunches on the gem he was sucking on, "I am not meat."
No.746671
>>746655Kalidan takes a quick break from playing to nod understanding at the dog. "I used to have a… pack, I guess you'd call it, too. Sometimes alone is better."
>>746665He resumes playing for a moment, but pauses when the zebra addresses him, silent for a moment. "A long time ago, when I was scarcely more than a kit, a… friend… taught me to make these. My first was terrible, no tuning at all. Over the years I've refined my technique. May not look like much but it sounds alright."
He holds up the roughly - whittled instrument, shrugging. It doesn't look like he has put any effort at all into decorating the rough branch, aside from fitting notches to perfectly fit his large paws.
"Always figured the point of a musical instrument is to sound good, not look nice."
He continues playing, this time a haunting melody that brings to mind the harsh winds of the desert sands.
No.746672
>>746665I lower my jaw harp and lick my lips again, this time from discomfort. Running my hand through my beard, I grunt. "Cursed." I confirm. "Happens when I get too hurt or too a'sceered'a somethin. Last one don't happen often. I don't spook easy, but… well, y'all seen me get hurt. Lose my mind. The animal takes over. Ain't nothin but claws, teeth, and anger til anythin what wants to hurt me ain't around to hurt me no more." I pause and linger for a moment, trying to decide if I wanna overshare. Finally, I continue. "Don't usually remember normally, but what happens when I change- it comes back in dreams. Drinkin a bit helps. Don't get much sleep otherwise."
No.746674
>>746665"Sstrange that we will be sseeking sshelter within a city we were prepared to asssisst in ssubjugating, but ssuch iss the fate we have made."
"Will they recognize you ass one working under Ssyr thenn?"
No.746675
>>746671>>746670I hum. Seems like we ain't completely different. "Had a pack myself, too. Sometimes alone is better," I agree.
No.746679
>>746675>>746671Noghu blinks, looking at the group, "Strange to say now."
No.746681
>>746679"Pardon," I say without a hint of sarcasm. "Don't know if y'all could tell, but I'm still gettin used to-" I gesture broadly at the party. "This."
No.746682
>>746681Noghu shrugs, "Am my own alpha, but packs can kill bigger prey."
No.746683
>>746681>>746679Kalidan nods again. "Agreed. It's been strange working with others again." He pauses a reflective moment. "But not bad. I don't know if I would have made it through some of those scrapes without you guys." He carefully avoids eye contact as he concedes this last point.
No.746688
>>746683I nod in agreement.
No.746694
>>746670It takes her a minute to wrap her head around what you're trying to get across. She nods when it clicks. "You didn't like the leadership, then? Guess we're in the same boat. Heh."
>>746671She nods in agreement. "You're quite good. Though, why not have both? You should take some pride in your equipment. Make it more your own." She motions to her propped up axe nearby. You hadn't gotten a good look before, but the handle is engraved with patterns, while the axe head is kept clean and well polished. It's clear she cares deeply for her equipment. "I should name her sometime."
>>746672"Ah. I've heard stories about that sort of thing. Wretches cursed to transform into beasts under a full moon. I guess the truth isn't so different. …Maybe it's not all bad, though. I don't think we'd be here if you hadn't ripped through those guards like that. It was pretty impressive. Maybe there's some way you could control it."
>>746674"Most likely not. I'm not anyone of particular renown, save to a few. I think I'll be safe. And if not, well, I'm sure I'll be able to talk my way out of it. It's not Roan I'm worried about anyway. It's those two minotaurs…" She looks uneasy all of a sudden. "It's the bed we have to lie in," she agrees.
>>746688>>746683>>746682>>746674She smiles at the ongoing conversation. "Strength in numbers," she agrees. "We'd all be dead or worse if we hadn't helped each other out. We make a good group together." She smiles and munches on some dried raisins for a while, watching the flames dance. For a moment, you can let go of any worries you have. You're in a safe place.
One by one, you go to sleep, whether in tents or otherwise, according to your preferences. Your dreams were pleasant, and you awaken feeling very well rested, despite everything that happened yesterday. Saskia shows up with some breakfast she hunted while everyone was asleep, in the form of a branch of edible berries, and a freshly hunted rabbit. She drops them for you near the dwindling firepit, along with some kindling should you wish to restoke the campfire.
Kothbiro stirs, mumbling indistinctly as she pulls herself out of the tent. She rubs her eyes and looks around. "Oh. Thanks, wolf. …We should get a move on as soon as we can. We have a lot of ground to cover. We should be able to reach the hamlet by tomorrow if we move quick. From there, we can stock up on supplies, then, head off to wherever we wish."
>roll Navigation when ready No.746702
>>746694Noghu nods, "We are fed, prioritize travel over hunt. Game would slow us down."
Noghu gets to work traversing, once again happy to be outdoors.
[1d10+1] nav
Roll #1 5 + 1 = 6 No.746704
>>746694Feeling far better about the situation, Vajra retires for the night, resting atop her coils near the fire.
Waking up rested, the sorceress nods in thanks to the wolf, applying the kindling to the fire and making an effort to try and skin the rabbit to cook, using her ritual knife with cautious cuts.
Once breakfast has been had by all, she joins the others in traveling to the waylay hamlet.
[1d10] navigation
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.746707
>>746694Kalidan looks at Koth's axe appreciatively. "You know I got a pretty good look at it when it was pointed at me, though I mostly just saw the business end." He lets out a chuckle to indicate his lack of rancor,then turns serious.
"Hey. Thanks for not cleaving me back there. I know you had every reason to. And… thanks for siding with us. You never explained why you didn't want to." He looks at her questioningly, but doesn't press the issue.
"Anyway, I always end up losing or breaking these things anyway," he chuckles again, looking at his rough hewn woodwind. Shrugs, puts it away. "Not a big deal to replace something you didn't put too much into."
By and by he curls up by himself closer to the slowly dying fire, using his pack as a pillow. He falls into a more restful slumber than he's had in weeks, snoring lightly as a puddle of drool slowly grows below him.
Waking with a start, he hops up, grabbing his pack and ready to go immediately. Surreptitiously he grabs a couple dried meats from the cave supplies and stuffs them into his pack, then sets off with his companions in the bright morning sun.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.746710
>>746704I pull out my bushcraft knife and help the witch butcher the rabbit. Grabbing my stew pot, I brown the meat chunks, letting them simmer in the small bit of fat that actually renders out.
[1d10+2]Survivalist DC4
Once I eat some dried fruit with the fried rabbit, I clean my pot, pack my gear, and get ready for the road.
[1d10]Nav
Roll #1 8 + 2 = 10 /
Roll #2 6 = 6 No.746716
>>746704>>746710You manage to skin and prepare the rabbit. Kothbiro joins you happily, finding a sharp stick to spitroast it with before cutting it into chunks for the stew. It's quite delicious, if somewhat tough.
>>746707She tries to explain. "I don't think I really made it clear how done for we'd be if the Heart hadn't been destroyed. Thenn wanted to give it to a dragon in exchange for his help in the conquest. Not a dragon like Sunbeam over there either, I'm talking an Archdragon. Winged hell. Nothing would be able to stand against him with one of those at his side. I… I couldn't let that happen. Think of all the people that would die, entire cities razed to the ground for defying him. It's… it's unconscionable. I couldn't sit by and let that happen."
>>746707>>746702>>746704>>746710Kothbiro takes a moment after breakfast to leave something behind. She digs a little hole, puts in a few coins and a waterskin, then buries it, marking the spot with a little stone cairn. "For the next traveler to stop by," she explains. "It's just common courtesy." Saskia rumbles softly in approval.
You head off into the wild. Saskia shows you hidden paths through the greenery, likely carved by the Fire Witch in her wanderings. Most of the day goes past without much incident. You stop for lunch at the top of a hill, looking down at a tiny creek. You feel like you've made great progress. Perhaps it's some enchantment of the Fire Witch speeding you along to your destination.
Later that day, at around 4pm, you come to a fork in the wilderness:
There is an overgrown path ahead that leads through a dense patch of woodland. It seems difficult to traverse, and will almost certainly slow you down.
There is a second path that seems to lead to a proper road, out to a more open area flanked by the shadow of a rocky mountain. This seems like the more direct path to take to reach your destination, but carries the risk of ambush from the inhabitants of the mountain above.
Saskia stops and sits on her haunches right in the middle of the path, staring at you expectantly, awaiting your decision with a bit of a head tilt.
No.746717
>>746716The cat stops and sniffs the air for a moment, then goes and sits himself down by the path through the underbrush.
"I for one don't feel extremely comfortable taking well-traveled roads at this point. Not while Thenn's lackies, and gods know who else, might be looking for us. I say we take the path less traveled."
No.746718
>>746716I adjust my pack and make my way toward the more heavily wooded area. Ain't lookin to get ambushed by no mountain folk today. Probably like them dern dogs.
No.746719
>>746716Noghu concurs with the other two silently, heading towards the woods.
No.746720
>>746716>>746717"An excellent point. An ambussh in an effort to ssave time helpss no one."
slithing towards the overgrown path, Vajra follows Thungr close behind, occasionally cutting through overhanging branches along the path.
No.746721
>>746719>>746718>>746717>>746720Kothbiro looks like she's about to protest, but shrugs. "Just hope it doesn't slow us down before we run out of resources."
You continue on the overgrown path, hacking away grasping brambles and vines that block your way. Progress is painstakingly slow; Kothbiro wears herself out from all the constant hacking and swinging. Any attempts by Noghu to dig under it don't work either; there's solid stone under a few feet of dirt.
After about an hour of this, you look back. You've gone less than a kilometer, and the light is beginning to fade. To make matters worse, you hear a faint rumble of rainclouds in the distance. Saskia whines, and Kothbiro has to stop to catch her breath. "I think we made the wrong decision," she comments. "Maybe there's an easier way around?…"
>roll Navigation No.746722
>>746721"No trying to travel with storm, we stop and build shelter, avoid getting sick." Noghu says, instead looking for somewhere with higher elevation so water doesn't flow towards them once a storm starts.
[1d10+1] nav but only the local area
Roll #1 8 + 1 = 9 No.746723
>>746721I grunt, grab a branch, wrap it in rags, and soak it with a bit of oil. Taking my flint and steel, I light the new torch. After I get back to making my way through the woods, trying to use what I can see of the sky to stay oriented. I sqint as I hear the thunder and smell the rain on the air. Dern glad I bought the tarp. Should be big enough to shelter everyone if I set it up as a fly. Hopefully.
[1d10+2]DC 4 survivalist
[1d10]Navigation
Roll #1 4 + 2 = 6 /
Roll #2 2 = 2 No.746724
>>746721Kalidan finds himself more frustrated with the larger, less agile creatures than the treacherous terrain as he clambers from branch to branch above their heads, spending almost as much time watching them as picking his way through the canopy. His thin limber frame is well-suited to squeezing through narrow passes and leaping from branch to branch, and he immediately concurs with Kothbiro's assessment of regretting their decision.
"You guys are soooo slow!" he complains for at least the tenth time. "You're also making such a racket! Any predators in this wood are already watching us, I'm sure." He looks around nervously into the darkening jungle.
"I'm going to go check out the surrounding area. I'd say don't go too far, but there's hardly a chance of that, is there?" He doesn't try to hide the disdain in his voice before bounding off into the brush.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.746725
>>746721Hissing in frustration at the lack of progress, Vajra looks through the area for some sign of clearer pathways. surely this forest can't be this thick all the way through?
[1d10] local nav
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.746726
>>746725>>746724>>746722>>746723"Your whinging's making more of a racket than all of us combined, cat," Kothbiro gripes.
A bit of searching reveals a better path; just to the west is a small hill where the bushes aren't as overgrown. Progress will still be slow, but at least you won't have to deal with constantly getting scratched by sticks and leaves and who knows what else. It'll also make for a better spot to be when the rain hits.
Kothbiro notices what you've noticed, and starts carving a path forward through there. It takes a bit, but the going does get a bit easier now. However, taking this path does leave you slightly more exposed to potential creatures in the area…
>roll Perception No.746727
>>746726I tighten my grip on my spear as we step into an area more prone to being picked out. For the most part I keep my eyes ahead, but cast brief glances to my sides and keep my ears open for anything important.
[1d10+3]Perception
Roll #1 4 + 3 = 7 No.746728
>>746726Eager to finally make some progress but wary of the open view, Vajra unfolds the blanket to allow her skeletal ally to reconfigure itself, living and dead saurians taking up the rear guard.
[1d10] Perception, DC-2 detect life
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.746729
>>746726Kalidan is already waiting as the gang cuts the last obstacle of of their way. "Took you long enough," he snarks, before casting a look around the slightly clearer area.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.746730
>>746726Noghu keeps his spear ready, staying aware of surroundings.
[1d10+1]
Roll #1 8 + 1 = 9 No.746731
>>746727>>746728>>746729>>746730Vajra gets a bit of a sensory overload as she tries to detect life. There's a lot of creatures nearby. A
lot.As she tries to recover, the rest of you notice some rustling nearby. Before you can react, however, a small, furry creature bursts out, biting Vajra's tail, then rushes back into the bushes as quickly as it appeared. You hear it let out a shrill staccato yelp, followed by an answering call of dozens of the critters all around. The bushes seem to come alive as more of them start rushing towards you from afar!
>Vajra takes 2 hits"This doesn't look good," Kothbiro comments, readying her axe. Saskia growls quietly and bristles, baring her shark-like teeth.
>pausing No.746980
>>746731I grip my spear in both hands. As more of the little critters dart out, I haul back and sweep it close to the ground, aiming to strike it with the shaft even if I miss with the blade.
[1d10]DC-1
Roll #1 7 = 7
