"Foul creatures," says Fayne, spitting upon the body of the one he had speared. Sparing a glance at the weakened Abrielle, he asks "Are you alright?"
__________________ -Rhun
"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge - myth is more potent than history - dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience - laughter is the cure for grief - love is stronger than death." -Robert Fulghum
Mri'Thas: "Useless primates... " Sheng Zim: "Your existence brings the world out of balance. The chaos I bring shall revert it; unfortunately, your soul will be destroyed in the process."
-------------------------------------- Tuk Heavy Hands Apeldan: "Trolls are afraid to cats. Good to know" (Yttermayn's "Saga of the Dragon Cult") Cnosos: "I bet there's plenty of wonderful devices in that ship. Let's scavenge them at once!" (Blackrat's "After Earth") Metliz: Sounds like fun! (Arkandus's "The First") Thok: "Thok eats a lot, Thok big. Thok not good at first impressions." (MnL's "Valley of the Dead")
Abrielle was releived beyond words to have the bloodsucker off her body. "Some adventurer i am..." She smiled, tucked her hair behind her pointy ears, and went over to the human lad that had aided her.
Fayne was young looking, which for a human meant he was around 20 years of age, one-fifth of Abrielle's own age. Still, he was quite focused and useful in battle, and the girl was very grateful for the assistance. "I am well, thanks to you." Abrielle smiled, hugged the human lad and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"His eyes are funny." she thought, as she looked at the lad's face. "Not a pretty boy by any standards. But manly, and he protected me..." Abrielle wanted to become an adventurer and a hero, but some part of her still enjoyed being looked after and rescued as a damsel in distress.
Fayne blushes a bit. "Ah, well...um," he stutters at the elf lass' hug and peck. "Just here to help," he says quickly. He nods his head and hurriedly moves off to join the others as the prepare to continue on.
__________________ -Rhun
"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge - myth is more potent than history - dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience - laughter is the cure for grief - love is stronger than death." -Robert Fulghum
After the short battle with the stirges, you prepare to continue on. Selua finally calms down her mule with a few minutes of further coaxing and soothing, and then Tarven asks "Everyone alright for moving forward?" With no objections, he says "Alright," and starts leading the group along the trail left by Rickard's running escape from the gnolls. Merrick marches alongside, both guardsmen carrying their crossbows in-hand as they go.
After almost another hour, you find the smashed remains of Rickard's cart and some of the goods and personal effects strewn about there. Blood is spattered about, and a large amount of it is pooled around where the horse must've fallen. However, it looks like the horse-carcass was hauled off, since only a faint trail of blood-drops and heavy footsteps leads away from the ambush site, no corpses. They must've drained out most of the blood here before hauling away their catch. Many broken candles and blocks of wax lie amidst the splinters of the broken cart.
The old forest trail, barely wide enough for that one-horse cart, winds through here and continues on, probably towards the lumberjacks' exit you saw outside the forest a few hours ago. Tarven and Merrick start poking around the cart and investigating the scene for a few minutes.
The blood, splattered around the otherwise scenic fall forest, made Abrielle reluctant to touch anything. "It smells like iron." she thought, as she walked around to see if there is any clue left that might help the group. "This will be hard while trying to keep my boots clean."
"I know little of tracking," says the tall, lanky Fayne as he looks about the bloody scene, "But it seems to me that those heavy prints and a blood trail should make these gnolls fairly easy to find."
__________________ -Rhun
"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge - myth is more potent than history - dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience - laughter is the cure for grief - love is stronger than death." -Robert Fulghum
Tarven, Merrick, and Abrielle find nothing useful or informative on the scene of the ambush, except for signs of how many gnolls must've been involved. Five tracks of gnoll's feet lead around to the cart, the pool of horse-blood, and back to the tracks leading away. Tarven informs the others that there were five gnolls here, so there'll be at least that many back at wherever they're lairing or camping.
Evanar tries climbing a tree to get a better look around, while Selua keeps watch around the ambush site.....
ooc
Roll Climb, Evanar.
Spot checks from everyone except Selua, since she already rolled. Listen check from everyone as well (except Selua; her Spot check is high enough by itself).
Fayne looks around a bit, but not very closely. He figures that if there is something to be learned, the others will discover it. The polearm wielding warrior was more interested in cutting down a few gnolls.
"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge - myth is more potent than history - dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience - laughter is the cure for grief - love is stronger than death." -Robert Fulghum
Abde'Ragman looks about, trying to find if there is any sign of magic being used on the battle. If there was a shaman or any other spellcaster, it would be wise to know.
Mri'Thas: "Useless primates... " Sheng Zim: "Your existence brings the world out of balance. The chaos I bring shall revert it; unfortunately, your soul will be destroyed in the process."
-------------------------------------- Tuk Heavy Hands Apeldan: "Trolls are afraid to cats. Good to know" (Yttermayn's "Saga of the Dragon Cult") Cnosos: "I bet there's plenty of wonderful devices in that ship. Let's scavenge them at once!" (Blackrat's "After Earth") Metliz: Sounds like fun! (Arkandus's "The First") Thok: "Thok eats a lot, Thok big. Thok not good at first impressions." (MnL's "Valley of the Dead")
Abde'ragman finds no signs of magic at work in the earlier ambush.
As Evanar tries to get up a tree for a better point of view, and the others inspect the site of the ambush, Selua keeps watch and spots something flying closer from the north, three thin, yellow-white, man-sized forms...... Merrick hears something while he checks around the ambush site, standing up and turning as he tries to determine where the sound is coming from......
Then the trio of long, thin forms get close enough to discern details, and Selua can see that they're giant, skeletal bats! They are flying about 30 feet above the forest floor and are about 40 feet away from Selua when she finds them.
Merrick faces northward and holds his crossbow up, but doesn't see the critters yet. He just says quietly "There's something approaching...." No one else is aware of the critters just yet, just Selua.
Merrick raises his crossbow and looks around to the north, but doesn't spot his targets yet, having trouble figuring out where it was he heard the sound of flapping wings coming from.
Everyone, roll initiatives!
Selua, post your surprise-round partial action as well. I don't know where in the initiative you'll act, but for reference, bonebat #1 will be diving at Tarven on initiative count 12, bonebat #2 will be diving at Merrick on initiative count 8, and bonebat #3 will be diving at Evanar on initiative count 8. Just so ya know where they'll be at those points in the surprise round for purposes of figuring out what you're gonna do.
The map, such as it is.....
R R * 1 2 3 * X X
* R R X X X X X *
X X R R * X X X X
X X * T R M X X E*
* s X X R R * X X
X X * X * R R X a
A X X F X X R R *
* X X X X * X R R
X X * S X X X * R
* X X m * X X X *
A = Abde'ragman, a = Abrielle, E = Evanar, F = Fayne, M = Merrick, m = mule, S = Selua, s = Storn, T = Tarven, 1-3 = bonebats, R = empty 5-foot space of road/trail, X = empty 5-foot space of light undergrowth, * = tree (half cover, effectively heavy undergrowth for moving through the space)
Last edited by Arkhandus; 27th April 2009 at 10:31 AM..
Abby heard the warning but couldn't see or hear anything else. She was preocupied with her left boot splashing in a puddle of bloody mud. "Eww, this will take magic to clean!"
Fayne is fairly oblivious to the danger as it approaches. He eyes the edge of his axe, frowning as he notes a burr in the otherwise perfect steel blade. I'll have to hone my blade tonight when we camp.
"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge - myth is more potent than history - dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience - laughter is the cure for grief - love is stronger than death." -Robert Fulghum
Selua sees the skeletal horrors and her mind recoils in horror for a moment. She steels her nerve, however, and allows Sehanine's will to fill her being, her own voice louder and more forceful than the members of her group have ever heard it as she holds forth her holy symbol.
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