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Message: <blockquote data-quote="arwink" data-source="post: 1133031" data-attributes="member: 2292">Finding Selendar turns out to be more difficult than anyone expected.  There are precious little clues as to where he may be hiding, and the only way off the watch is down the path they originally walked along.  The kobold bodies are quickly hidden and all signs of the fight are cleaned away as best the group can manage.  With slightly dampened spirits, they return to the base of the hill."Look for tracks?" Geoffrey suggests."It's a travelers path," Halgo says.  "There are only a dozen people walking along it ever day.  I doubt any of us could follow a force smaller than an army across soft mud at the best of times.  How in hell are we going to find the tracks of a single renegade cleric on a paved road.""Kobold tracks," Blarth announces from the side of the road.  "Blarth think they come from forest."Halgo and Geoffrey look at one another."Not a word," Halgo says quietly.Geoffrey just smiles.  They head into the forest, following the light trail of kobold paws through the undergrowth.  The tusk forest has a thick canopy that only filters through a little light, and there's an earthy smell in the air that seems faintly oppressive.  After what seems like hours of aimless wandering, they stumble across a mail-clad figure lying in the midst of a clearing.  The body is brutally bloodied and partially eaten, large rents ripped through the chain-linked mail.  The pale blue tabard he wears is bares the symbol of St Cuthbert, and a heavy mace is gripped firmly in his hands."Perric," Geoffrey says as he kneels over the body.  "He was one of the assistants during the bell crafting, an apprentice justicar.  I remember Y'Dey mentioning that he was being sent after Selandar and hadn’t been heard from.  He was presumed dead or corrupted.""Dead is better, in this case," Halgo says quietly.  "Isn't it?""Yes, but look at the wounds," Geoffrey says.  He runs his hands along the edges of a wide gash.  "Something heavy tore through here, and I doubt it was a weapon.  What in the Nine Holy Laws does this to a man?"A sharp crack suddenly fills the air, followed by the sound of something forcing itself through the undergrowth.  Everyone turns to see a giant boar, easily five feet in height, crashing its way through the bushes around the clearing.  A single, baleful eye glares at the three adventurers, a red gleam easily visible as it stares from the shadowy fringe of the clearing.  Two long tusks, easily the size of pike blades, curve out from the boars face.  Both the tusks are streaked with dry blood."Blarth just guessing, but he think maybe that do it."With a grunt of pure rage, the boar charges.  The three Copperheads lurch into actions, weapons at the ready even as the boar crashes into their midst.  The boar's tusks swing wildly, tearing a rent in the side of Geoffrey's armor and opening a wound in the clerics belly.  He barely fills the wound as a cold rage fills him, the sight of the corrupted creature that killed his brethren fueling his anger.  Channeling the might of St Cuthbert through his blow, he smashes his mace down on the creature’s head.  The boar lets out a squeal of pain, and the blow staggers the creature, but it doesn't fall.  Blarth is quick to press the advantage, hammering his sword against the boar’s head.  The creatures flailing tusks deflect the worst of his blow, but the half-orc still opens a jagged gash along the snout.Everyone looks a little surprised when the boar is still standing after both blows.  Even more so when it swings around and gouges a tusk into Blarth's leg.Halgo rattles off the words to an extended daze, his magic boring through the boars rage and leaving it momentarily glassy eyed.  "You've got a ten-count," the wizard calls.  "Kill it."Everyone sets to with a vengeance, hammering at the boar with whatever weapon is at hand.  None of it seems to do any good, swords barely cutting through the thick hide and maces bouncing off the thick skull.  Although the creature is easy to strike, neither Blarth nor Geoffrey seems to hit it hard enough to break the skin.Halgo silently counts off the effect of his spell, calling a warning mere seconds before the Boar shakes free and swings its tusks towards him.  The dwarf's arcane defenses hold out against the boars tusk, but the force of the blow leaves him winded.  The boar snorts heavily and takes a step towards the wizard."Nay!" Geoffrey shouts, and his mace lashes out with an arcing blow. Even before it reaches the boar, he can feel the force in the blow - a smooth combination of human muscle and weighted core coming together in a deadly symmetry.  The mace connects with a tusk first, snapping it with barely a pause, then buries itself in the boars remaining eye with a sickening squelch.  The boar takes another step towards Halgo, an act of pure instinct, then keels to one side and falls to the ground."It dead?" Halgo asks.Blarth pokes it a few times with his sword."Think so," he says."Good."Halgo looks at Geoffrey for a few moments, then glances down at the pig."Next time I stun something, do you think perhaps you could hit it like that before it recovers?"Geoffrey shrugs."I'll see what I can do."</blockquote>

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