these people are suspected of being Medderins, a hostile tribe of Mhytres known to be headhunters. How they came to be here without being in constant conflict with the archers that the party fought makes no sense. It must have something to do with whoever made the brands on the residents' forearms.
Star Wolfess whispers: "I think they're a slaves of this archers. Do you all think they'll attack us as soon as they'll see us? I bed they will. But in case we're gonna attack them, we should leave at least one of them alive, so we can ask him, what a fork are they all trying to accomplish by keeping attacking us without a word of explanation."
54,35
Wrenn quietly replies. “The archers were branded. I think all of these people are slaves under some else’s control, and we have yet to me those responsible. Before we move forward, we should be prepared to defend ourselves.”
Astrid responds, “I think Wrenn may be right; and yes, I think they will attack as soon as we are seen. It is their normal disposition, anyway.”
Astrid extinguishes the light source and Oorvid puts away the stick as everyone prepares to enter the room. Standing back and watching for a few seconds, a moment presents itself where the residents are all away from the hall where the party is located. When the party steps into view, the Medderins immediately draw their axes and move to attack. There is nothing peaceable about them. There are 8 of them crammed into the underground room, and they are all almost as large as Oorvid. It is obvious they will try to crowd the party to limit their movement, even if the coming fight moves into the hall, which would be disadvantageous to the party, except for maybe Oorvid or Star Wolfess. The ability of the party members to obscure their images does not deter the aggressiveness of the residents.
Astrid: full wellness
Mantle: 19
Stones: 20
Maka: full wellness
Tunic: 58
Ularin Arrows: 40, damage 8
Oorvid: full wellness
Tunic: 50
Star Wolfess: full wellness
Jerkin: 36 - 2 = 34
Wrenn: full wellness
Tunic: 51
Ularin Arrows: 40, damage 8
41 marks: currency
(helps Astrid)
Aluminum: 2, {shock x3}
(helps all characters)
Bat Guano: 5 measures, {heat x2}
Spider Claws: 3 sets, {toxicity x2}
(helps Maka & Wrenn)
Viper Blood: 1 measure, {athleticism x3}
(helps Star & Oorvid)
waterfowl skull: 2, ??
(helps all characters)
Coal: 6 stones, {heat x3}
Magnesium: 3: {Mend x 2}
Slate: 1, {sound x2}
Maka and Wrenn separate slowly, Wrenn moving left and Maka moving right. As both are archers, neither needs to move any closer but realizes in the tight space they need to defend themselves and try to fire. maka will improve his defensiveness by camouflaging his appearance. Wrenn will augment his shot by attempting to corrode the insides of his target. “So much for the peaceful approach,” Wrenn says.
Astrid runs straight at the enemy. She causes her hands to glow with an eerie blue light, as she fights without a weapon.
Astrid rushes into the room as the Headhunters are readying their axes. Being taller yet smaller than the enemy, she steps to the left of the one in the center and arcs her right overhand without closing her fist. The glowing hand leaves a streak of light burned into the air in the semi-dark room. The blow lands on the skull, along the right occipital lobe, and he perceives a bright flash as it does. The Medderin shakes his head and swings his right axe in a lateral motion. Astrid blocks the swing by striking a sensitive point on the arm just above the elbow. Her block cripples his arm, and the weapon falls to the floor, just before its wielder. A second opponent closes with Astrid and swings his axe overhand. The blade barely makes contact and does not cut through her own mantle.
Oorvid reaches the enemy next, a fraction of a second later, targeting a headhunter to the right of Astrid. A ripple runs over his skin as he moves. He punches his carving axes forward and upward. It cuts through his enemy’s mantle and across the pectoral muscle, causing significant injury. When the opponent tries to swing his own axe in response, Oorvid blocks it. A second enemy reaches Oorvid, as well, but cannot effectively attack him.
A fraction of a second after that, Maka releases his arrow at a headhunter to the left of Astrid. The arrow punches through the light leather mantle, causing serious harm. While that headhunter is not capable of retaliating, a second swings his simple axe. Like the other ones on Astrid and Oorvid, he does not cut through the clothing of Maka. Wrenn releases his arrow just after that, firing farther to the right of Oorvid. The arrow cuts through the mantle but is not significantly damaging. The shot enemy closes with Wrenn but cannot hit him.
Star Wolfess is last of the party but still faster than the headhunters. Because the Medderin is running in at her, she swings her own tomahawk as she generates a vibration of sound. The reflexive action with the small axe does not cut through his mantle, but the sound that only he can hear causes confusion, and he is unable to hit Star, though he chops with his axe.
Being somewhat psychotic, these headhunters continue to be aggressive but are quickly cut down by the party, being far outmatched. It seems more odd that they are even in the area rather than they continued to press a fight that they had no chance to win. The party members find themselves standing over the fallen forms of 8 psychotic Mhytres who would not naturally coexist with a clan of Aedamans, known as Nishurins.
Astrid: full wellness
Mantle: 19
Stones: 20
Maka: full wellness
Tunic: 58
Ularin Arrows: 40, damage 8
Oorvid: full wellness
Tunic: 50
Star Wolfess: full wellness
Jerkin: 36 - 2 = 34
Wrenn: full wellness
Tunic: 51
Ularin Arrows: 40, damage 8
41 marks: currency
(helps Astrid)
Aluminum: 2, {shock x3}
(helps all characters)
Bat Guano: 5 measures, {heat x2}
Spider Claws: 3 sets, {toxicity x2}
(helps Maka & Wrenn)
Viper Blood: 1 measure, {athleticism x3}
(helps Star & Oorvid)
waterfowl skull: 2, ??
(helps all characters)
Coal: 6 stones, {heat x3}
Magnesium: 3: {Mend x 2}
Slate: 1, {sound x2}
Astrid says, "Looking at those simple axes, I doubt these simpletons will carry anything of value, but we should examine the bodies, anyway, and give them a quick end if it is needed." She proceeds to do just that. "Based on what I remember seeing of this valley from above, I think we may be going in the wrong direction down here. I think whomever is really in charge will be deeper in."
Cycle: 497. Season: Rebirth. Day: 13
Searching the bodies confirms the suspicion of Astrid. The fallen headhunters are not carrying anything that the party members find useful, even their axes are only manufactured from Ocrin. While this is likely an improvement over what they naturally carry, it was the metal of the previous age and no longer of much value. Ocrin is now used to make coins, not weapons or armor.
Further examination however, reveals that these young men are all branded on the inside of their left forearm with a triangle, the same as the archers had been. It is concluded that neither these brutes nor the archers can be in charge. It seems more that they are under the control of some powerful sorcerer, hence the unmitigated violence against outsiders instead of being directed at each other.
Taking the suggestion from Astrid, thinking of no other recourse, the party travels back down the hall by which it arrived, which finally brings them back to the top of a descending flight of stairs from the first hall. It is suspected that this descent leads under the river that runs under the platform on which the party originally arrived.
Oorvid, once again, carries the light source illuminated by Astrid and Astrid takes the lead due to her augmented vision. The stairs descend a fair distance then the hall again flattens. Moisture seeps into the tunnel here and phosphorescent mold grows along the wall, emanating an eerie bluish light that is very faint when compared to the lampstick. The flat hall meets an ascending flight of stairs. The party stops before reaching the top, as faint light and the sound of voices comes from the top.
OOC:
The party is approaching room 1.
Astrid: full wellness
Mantle: 19
Stones: 20
Maka: full wellness
Tunic: 58
Ularin Arrows: 40, damage 8
Oorvid: full wellness
Tunic: 50
Star Wolfess: full wellness
Jerkin: 36 - 2 = 34
Wrenn: full wellness
Tunic: 51
Ularin Arrows: 40, damage 8
41 marks: currency
(helps Astrid)
Aluminum: 2, {shock x3}
(helps all characters)
Bat Guano: 5 measures, {heat x2}
Spider Claws: 3 sets, {toxicity x2}
(helps Maka & Wrenn)
Viper Blood: 1 measure, {athleticism x3}
(helps Star & Oorvid)
waterfowl skull: 2, ??
(helps all characters)
Coal: 6 stones, {heat x3}
Magnesium: 3: {Mend x 2}
Slate: 1, {sound x2}
