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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 721244" data-attributes="member: 2323">[PLAIN][Realms #210] The Best Laid Plans...[/PLAIN]The Archer was looking up at the trees overhanging the small knoll below and the grisly scene unfolding within it when the others caught up to him and peered down. Ledare and Ixin could readily see in the darkness what Finian had already noted and they both turned away, near to retching from the sight. Ruze and Draelond were spared by their human eyes and the cloud cover that had rolled in on the westerly wind and totally occluded the full moon.Finian motioned for them to move back down the trail a bit, away from the unfortunate horse and once they had done so, he outlined a quick plan. "Give me some time to sneak up and perch in a tree using the slippers. I'll then begin firing arrows," he explained, his eyes twinkling at the thought of a well-executed ambush. "Perhaps I can slay at least one of them before we have to get into combat. When they approach me to attack, then you four could attack the creatures from behind.""Um, excuse me," Ixin whispered. "I don't mean to interfere, but didn't you say we were just scouting?""We said that. But I too think that we should investigate the things eating the horses," Draelond said, nodding his great head gravely in the darkness. "Mostly because it might give us insight into where Kirnoth is and what happened to him.""We are looking for Kirnoth, not these creatures," Finian agreed. "But there is always information to find and I think we could get a sneak attack in and kill these things with little danger to ourselves.""Little danger to you, maybe," Ixin mused. "You'd be out of reach up a tree."Finian opened his mouth to respond, but Ruze spoke first. "Ledare, you know I will follow your lead, but I feel compelled to offer my suggestions even if they disagree, else I am not a good companion," he said and the Janissary gestured for him to go on. "You said the path we would follow, and we have followed it. Now are we about to engage these chaos-spawned mongrels, when we are weakened and weary and sorrowed from the loss of Kirnoth? I urge you to reconsider Finian's plan. Let us ask Ixin if the girl she seeks is near; let us then get her and away back to Rhem's. What say you?""Quite frankly, Ruze, I'm not here to rescue this girl for whom Ixin searches," Ledare replied casting a brief, icy glance at their horned companion. "I'm about Kirnoth.""Do not fight the Gods, Ledare," the cleric urged. "They are in control of Kirnoth's fate, not you or I.""Maybe so, but I'm not ready to give up yet," she stated. Her tone suggested that it might be unwise to challenge her decision but the Battleguard started to just the same. What might have happened had he gotten the opportunity to speak will never be known for Draelond chose that moment to weigh in on the discussion."I have been listening to your comments in silence for some time now, Ruze and I find it inconceivable that you would accept Kirnoth's death without some sort of confirmation," the warrior hissed. "It seems to me that considering the circumstances, we should search for Krinoth until we have valid proof that he is either dead or no longer the Kirnoth who was once a member of our party. Nethlar knows that any one of us could have been left for near dead any number of times. But we didn't do that.""Kirnoth is worse than dead," Ruze said simply. "His fleshly shell has been corrupted. All we can do is pray that his soul moves toward the light.""What if Finian hadn't gone back to dig you and Ledare out of the rubble when the temple collapsed on your head?" Draelond pressed. "It was a pretty safe bet that you were dead, but he went back anyway. And here you both are. We must try to do the same for Kirnoth. And if that means cutting our way through a couple of nasties in the process, then that's what we must do.""Don't be daft," Ledare countered. "We can't engage these creatures. For what purpose?""It seems rather significant to me that they're here in our path when we're following Kirnoth's trail," Finian said."Isn't it possible to go around?" the Janissary asked, gesturing to the ridge of the hill in which the cave mouth yawned. "Couldn't the trail continue beyond this strange site?"Finian considered this for a moment. Without getting closer, he couldn't tell whether the trail went into the cave opening or merely passed in front of it. It was certainly possible that it picked up again on the opposite side of the knoll. "Cover me from the crest of the hill," he said. "I'll circle 'round and check the opposite side of the clearing. If those things move toward me, I'm going to take to the trees and we'll pick up with my attack plan.""I'll pray it doesn't come to that," Ruze frowned as Draelond and Ledare readied their crossbows and Ixin stood nearby clutching her robe around herself tightly.Finian nodded and melted into the trees. He'd made it two-thirds of the way around the knoll when a branch snapped underfoot and his companions watched the two enormous green worms turn their heads in his direction. Their rubbery pink tentacles flailed at the darkness and they started to move warily toward the Archer's position."Dammit!" Ledare cursed under her breath as she and Draelond lined up their shots and fired. The Janissary scored a hit, but barely nicked her target. Draelond's crossbow bolt, however, managed to shatter as he pulled the trigger and jammed the weapon quite effectively.The element of surprise was lost and the creature that Ledare had struck whirl its tentacled head around in her direction. Its glittering black eyes fixed on them and it charged across the bloodied grass.True to his plan, Finian took to the nearest tree, walking easily up its trunk thanks to his Slippers of Spider Climbing. He made it to a stout limb about 15 ft. up and began to loosen his bow. He had a clear view from his perch and he saw one of the centipede creatures break off its pursuit even as the other came at him still. He lined up a shot on the advancing thing's head and fired; his arrow struck the chitinous exoskeleton between its large round eyes and splintered harmlessly away. The worm reached the base of his tree and Finain saw to his horror that the thing had no problem whatsoever climbing thanks to the dozens of segmented legs than covered its belly. It moved toward him, its tentacles flailing out at him hungrily.</blockquote>

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