Lone Wolf I: Shadows on the Dorn

[Paido]

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In the courtyard sits two large merchant's wagons. Tying supplies and crated trade goods into the carts is a tall, stringy-looking man with an impressive mane of dark hair and a long scar running down his face and right over his eye. He turns to the group and waves.

Jesabela starts to nod back, but quickly reconsiders and instead smiles at him, still a bit weakly.

"A seat where I can get a good aim," says Hoagar. "Not that we expect bandits, do we?" the dwarf smiles. "Still groggy from the drink, milady?" he says to Jesabela.

"Your Bor-brew packs quite the punch, Master Longbeard, I have to admit that," she mutters. She carefully lowers herself down on the place across from Hoagar. At least I'll have fresh air here in the back. And Hoagar won't glare at me all the time ... "Do you dwarves have any hangover cures able to stand up to it?" She smiles at him, though without much hope ...

 

[Krug]

"Well we don't have hangovers, my dear Jesebela," says Hoagar, smiling. He scans the Kai Lords. They need to have fun once in a while.

 

[Paido]

Jesabela chuckles softly at Hoagars words. "Now that's a good yarn!"

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

"OK, well if that's all then," Zane says, "I guess we're off." The wagons clatter off across the courtyard and out into the streets.

"Watch yourself, little lady," Shof says with an exaggerated grin. "You're looking green as the Kai's cloaks." Jesabela gives a half-hearted smile as a reply, and looks at her feet.

In a few moments, the gates of Holmgard creak open, and the merchant wagons pass into the Sommlending countryside. The three young Kai gaze about the wagons excitedly.

After a full day of riding, the drivers stop the wagons and tie up the horses. The dark forests surrounding the Mountains of Moytura are just visible on the horizon, and the dim outlines of the mountains beyond that. The three Kai leap out of the wagon, followed by Shof, then by Hoagar and Jesabela, who's found that the fresh breeze in her face served admirably well to get rid of her dwarven hangover.

"I'm guessing we'll camp here for the night," Zane says, walking over towards the others. Shof and Asojar are gathering wood for a fire. "No sense going into the wood of Moytura tonight."

 

[Eternalknight]

"Well, chaps, and lady, if you'll excuse me I'll go and hunt us down some food. Any preference?"

 

[Krug]

"Something edible would be nice," says Hoagar. "Rabbit, boar.. hopefully not chipmunk."

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

Shof and Asojar return with some wood, and Zane builds a fire. Silver Wind manages to capture a few rabbits, which Asojar wordlessly cleans. The group spends time telling stories of Vashna and the Battles of Moytura and Maakengorge, inspired by their proximity to the mountains of Moytura long into the night, taking turns watching over the camp. Finally, the night passes without incident.

Two days later, the wagon is in the depths of the wood of Moytura. Hoagar is sharing a rather amusing story about a spectacular mishap a fellow dwarf had while mixing his gunpowder, when a flaming arrow shoots down out of the sky. Shof yells out a warning to the driver of the wagon, and another fire arrow shoots into the wagon the Kai are riding in.

"Darg Agna-kor-Kona!"

 

[Krug]

"What is happening?" shouts Hoagar. "Who dares interrupt my story-telling?" Hoagar takes out his rifle and aims at where he believes the source of the fire-arrows to be. "Up ears and eyes; an ambush!"

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

Hoagar looks up. There, hovering above the trees, is a large, bat-winged form, a sack or some other object clutched in its talons. His years in the Durncrag border forts have taught him what it is. "Kraan!" shouts the dwarf. Then, "Most likely a few Giaks, as well."

Casting their eyes about, the Kai can see that another Kraan carrying a sack hovering above their wagon.

With a guttural cry of "tot zegor!", evidently from a human tongue, the Kraan drop their sacks. When they hit the ground, they unfurl and out rush several Giaks! The Kraan fly off towards the east.

Lightly Wounded = 75% health or above
Moderately Wounded = 50%-75% health
Severely Wounded = 25%-50% health
Critically Wounded = less than 25% health

Giak #1: unhurt
Giak #2: unhurt
Giak #3: unhurt
Giak #4: unhurt
Giak #5: unhurt
Giak #6: unhurt

Moon's Brand: unhurt
Dark Hawk: unhurt
Silver Wind: unhurt
Hoagar: unhurt
Jesabela: unhurt
Shof: unhurt
Asojar: unhurt
Zane: unhurt

A bit of explanation on how I do combats. Roll up your initiatives, declare your actions, after I have everyone I'll post a summary of the round's actions and an updated condition chart.

 

[Paido]

Jesabela rolled 20 for Initiative; +4 for Dex should make that a full 24 ...

Assuming the Giaks were dropped in front of us so we cannot just attempt to out"run" them, and assuming as well that the second flaming arrow did hit the wagon:

Jesabela quickly moves away from the back so the Kai lords can get out unhindered, then starts to put out the flames that lick at the wagon. All the while she keeps an eye out for Giaks that get past the defenders and might attack her.

How she goes about extinguishing the flames depends on their location and size, of course. Jesabela probably will grab up a bucket or pot, fill it with water from the wagon's supplies and drench the fire with that ...