Crossed Paths, Part II

[Manzanita]

October 17th

Please do decide who is carrying the spearpoint, but as it my want, I'll keep pushing the action.

The party continues Northward. Brioc acts as guild, looking to the sun, stars and other signs, known only to him, to guild their path. The party travels though the rough, cold forest, often having to hew their trail, and lead their horses. The grimness of mood lightens somewhat as several days pass without hostilities. The men sleep a little extra each night until everyone again feels at top condition. In fact, everyone feels a bit sharper in skill than before, as the weeks of adventure have hardened them more than years at home. Octar notices significant skill increases in Mendicus' and Marcus' swordsmanship in their evening training sessions.

By mid afternoon of October 17th, Sevastopol is 4 days behind them. Brioc seems distant from the others, lost in thought. He has done as much as possible to find the spot where the map indicates the underground city lies, but the map is not detailed enough to know exactly where to go. He needs some clue...

Octar is riding in the lead. His horse breaks into a clearing. Suddenly he sees the first intelligent life since the battle with the orcs. About 50 feet ahead sit two humanoids with dog-like faces. They are wearing some sort of quilted armor and have polearms on the ground before them. They are speaking, waving pieces of meat as they talk. On the ground beside them lies a man, prone, dressed only in a tunic, with his hands bound behind his back.

Surprise round: Octar
1st round Initiative
Prisoner
Ehldannis
humanoids
Octar
Brioc/wolf
Dhormium
Marcus

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

Please do decide who is carrying the spearpoint, but as it my want, I'll keep pushing the action.

"I will take it," Octar volunteers. Assuming no one objects, he wraps the spearpoint in two pieces and places it in a pouch on his belt. "If Sergius wishes to retrieve it, he will have to take it from me," he says with a certain degree of grim satisfaction.

Octar is riding in the lead. His horse breaks into a clearing. Suddenly he sees the first intelligent life since the battle with the orcs. About 50 feet ahead sit two humanoids with dog-like faces. They are wearing some sort of quilted armor and have polearms on the ground before them. They are speaking, waving pieces of meat as they talk. On the ground beside them lies a man, prone, dressed only in a tunic, with his hands bound behind his back.

There are probably many measured responses to finding two humanoids standing over a tied up man. After all, he might be a dangerous fugitive, and they might be officers of the law. Attacking them might cause unneeded difficulties with the native population, especially if they are killed.

Octar, however, is a Roman, and there are certain predjudices that come with the position. He does not know what the beasts are, but he has little doubt they are no better than the Orcs or the Wendol. He spurs his horse forward and pulls it to a sudden stop in front of the two beasts so that it stands next to both of them. While moving forward he draws his sword and once he comes to a stop, he says in common "I reccomend you explain yourselves." His tone and actions are not immediately violent- but violence is clearly a possibility if either of the beasts decides to attack him.

ooc: Move forward to be adjacent. Both the horse and myself should get attacks of oppotunity against the creatures when/if they attempt to pick up their weapons.

 

[eoghanbt]

The prisoner looks up as the hourse approaches, attempting to bend one knee and get some leverage to stand. As he does so, he shouts, "For the Glory of Rome!" in Latin.

His blonde hair is dirty, unkempt, and his tunic stained and torn, decidedly un-Roman like, however it was, perhaps, once more civilized dress.

 

[doghead]

Marcus had been about to agree that the dwarf was perhaps the best one to carry out the task, when Octar speaks up.

"I will take it," Octar volunteers. Assuming no one objects, he wraps the spearpoint in two pieces and places it in a pouch on his belt. "If Sergius wishes to retrieve it, he will have to take it from me," he says with a certain degree of grim satisfaction.

The tone of Octar's voice and the look in his eye is enough to convince Marcus that the spear will be in good hands. He nods his agreement.

***

Octar, however, is a Roman, and there are certain predjudices that come with the position. He does not know what the beasts are, but he has little doubt they are no better than the Orcs or the Wendol. He spurs his horse forward and pulls it to a sudden stop in front of the two beasts so that it stands next to both of them. While moving forward he draws his sword and once he comes to a stop, he says in common "I reccomend you explain yourselves." His tone and actions are not immediately violent- but violence is clearly a possibility if either of the beasts decides to attack him.

Marcus, Nathanial's horse in tow, pulls his horse up as soon as he notices what it is that has galvanised everyone into action. He considers dismounting or getting the crossbow ready, but decides to wait and see what happens. Fight or flight. He does check to see that his sword is loose in its sheath.

ooc: based on the fact that he is last on the initiative sequence.

 

[Manzanita]

Surprise Round

If you'll allow me a little variance to the initative system to account for reality, the humanoids start as Octar's horse gallops towards them. Before he can finish his speech, they are already reaching for their weapons. As they stand, he can see that they are tall, about 6 and half feet. One carries a battle axe, the other a longsword. It is these that they reach for, not their glaives.

Octar slashes at one with his sword, as it becomes evident they will attack him. His blade catches the beast across the chest, spilling blood, but he knows well enough it is not a killing blow.

 

[Krilith]

~Dhormium's scowl's at the scene before him, Nathaniel's death fuelling his anger. Orcs with a prisoner, alive, this man is either fortunatly lucky, or an important enough a person not to be killed immediatly. He curses the orc race in his native dwarven tongue and dismounts, to draw his battleaxe as he runs towards Octar~


ooc: dismount and draw the battleaxe while running (40 feet) towards Octar and the orcs, standing 10 feet away from the melee. (The person who said that dwarves are deadly at a short range didn't have my stubby leggs)

 

[Jarval]

Nathaniel's death has affected Brioc deeply. Feeling entirely responsible for his friend losing his life, he has been withdrawn over the last few days, reluctant to engage in conversation with his companions.

Finding a path through the difficult terrain has given him a sense of purpose, and for the most part kept his mind away from dwelling too much of matters of mortality, but even so the Briton has sunk into deep depression.

**********

"No! Wait..." Brioc half-calls the warning as Octar rides forwards.

Damn it, don't get yourself killed as well... His anxiety turns to action when the dog-faced humanoids make their move. Dismounting quickly, he sprints towards the fight, furiously swinging his scimitar at the closest target that presents itself. Wolf leaps, trying to pull the strange dog-man to the ground.

 

[Inez Hull]

Trouble, and that man seems ill prepared to meet it if those gangrel creatures attack him

Ehldannis quickly searches his mind for some way of protecting the prisoner with his magic but comes up with nothing certain. A sick fear descends on him as he realises the most effective contribution he can make is not through wizardry but rather physical action. By the stars and trees, there must be some other way. What am I even doing here, miles from any semblance of civilisation, trying to help a ragtag group of men save an empire that few of us wish to see stand..... Enough you coward, a man's life is at stake and the others do not expect you to be a warrior, simply do what you can. You could learn much from these men Ehldannis, they act when action needs to be taken

Ehldannis spurs his horse forward to within ten feet of the dog men and their prisoner and calls out to the ragged looking roman, his hand extended, "Quick, upon my horse!"

 

[Manzanita]

Round 1.

Ehldannis presses his horse bravely forward, swinging around the humanoids to the prisoner, who struggles to stand up without his hands.

The axe-wielding humanoid attacks Octar, ripping a gash in his thigh (4 pts). Octar returns the blow, striking the beast across the skull and sending it crashing to the grass. The other pauses, glances around, then turns to flee. Its flight comes too late, however, as Brioc slashes it across the back, and the wolf leaps up, pulling its body to the ground, then ripping upward, the humanoid's throat in the wolf's sharp teeth.

Octar reigns his horse, and surveys the scene. He was distracted by combat, yes, but did the spearpoint not seem to lose its heat for a moment as he charged? Perhaps his imagination, as it is as hot as ever now.

 

[Krilith]

~Dhormium stops towards the campfire and spies the clearing, aftermaking sure there is no immediate visual threat he walks over to the bounded roman, and ask in latin if he's hurt while he cutts his bonds loose.~

"Are you hurt? tell me, so I can treat you if there is need. My name is Dhormium, who are you?"

~Awaiting the roman's answer Dhormium will turn his head towards Octar, he'd seen the axe strike Octar's legg. Questioning eyes ask if he's alright~

ooc: Dhormium will heal who is in need, discarding augury for the roman to cast cure moderate (2d8+4) and bless to cast cure light (1d8+4) on octar.
Concerning the spearpoint, dhormium has no objections to Octar holding the spearpoint, but will check on him later on...