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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mathew_Freeman" data-source="post: 4651288" data-attributes="member: 1846">Journeys With A CakeOnce all were dried and ready, the group began their journey. The cake itself was to be pulled by an ox, a huge but docile beast that placidly trudged along the narrow path. The cart itself was a modified mining cart, with the cake securely wrapped in blankets inside to keep it from getting damaged.Yetta and Yuppi walked by the ox, keeping a careful eye on it. The path was frequently narrow, but the sure-footed beast walked along easily. Thunder and Aldis walked in front, guarding against any of the possible dangers that had been mentioned previously, with Aengus and Karl a further forty or fifty feet ahead of them, their eyes looking into every nook and cranny of the mountainous path. Behind the cart Sigurd and Iben guarded the rear. The plan was to make the first bridge crossing by nightfall.As the path wound higher into the hills, the river dropped away. Yetta explained that it was named the River of Knives , so called because of the high amounts of iron ore found throughout the area. She pointed to the rocks that broke the surface of the water, and the group could see that some of them looked almost rusty. Yetta explained that difficult though this trail was for the cart, it was still easier than trying to navigate the dangerous and unpredictable river.As the sun began to dip towards the horizon, the group reached the highest point of the days travel and began to descend again towards the first river crossing of the trip. The brake was applied to the cart and the ox was moved behind it to act as a further brake as it travelled downhill. The path wound through a twisting path towards a wooden bridge around fifteen feet across. On the far side of the bridge, woods clustered around the trail as it disappeared back up into the hills.Although Karl and Aengus had kept a sharp look out throughout the day, tiredness had taken its toll. Their only warning was a harsh, avian shriek as a large form launched itself from an overhanging ledge. Thinking quickly, and hearing Yetta’s cry of “Raptors!” Karl used the magical powers in his gloves to conjure the scent of fresh blood. Diverted from its original target of the ox, the huge bird-like creature instead latched on to Karl’s head with its talons and plucked him off the ledge.Karl could feel the raptor’s talons digging into his skull as it went into a glide across the mountainside. Through the pain, he managed to find the concentration to use the magical powers of his cloak Time To Exit Stage Right and teleport on to its wings. Drawing his shortsword and clutching hard onto the raptors feathers with his other hand, he stabbed downwards and was encouraged to hear another scream from the raptor in return.Aengus, angry with himself at missing the approach of the raptor, launched himself into a flat run towards the edge of the path and hurled himself in a leap towards it. Seeing he couldn’t make it on muscle power alone, he utilized his fey heritage and jumped through the Feywild, appearing next to Karl on the beast’s back. Grabbing onto a handful of feathers, he spat a curse at the creature, dooming it to die.Iben yelled and ran forwards, drawing his axe and scrambling down the slope to try and stay near the rapidly moving creature, as Thunder prepared a healing spell should Karl come back into range. Drips of blood from the Gnome’s head had splashed onto the rocks, and the Warforged feared for his friend’s safety. The raptor was moving rapidly away, beating it’s wings and flying as best it could with two unexpected passengers. It rolled from side to side, seeking to dislodge them.With all attention on the raptor, the only warning the group had was a second yelling shriek from above as a second raptor, this one even bigger, flew down and seized the ox in it’s talons, lifting it high out of reach back up onto a ledge above. The ox was ripped out of it’s harness, and the cart began to slowly rumble forwards down the slope. Yetta wedged herself in front of it, her feet sliding on the scree.Sigurd, seeing the cart move away from her, reached into her magical repertoire and conjured an Icy Hand spell. The magical construct reached out and grabbed the cart, lending it’s strength to help stop it rolling down the hill.Karl stabbed frantically again, triggering the power of his sword This May Sting A Little and feeling it slide deep into a vital muscle of the raptor. He shouted in triumph, enjoying every second of the wild ride he was on. Aengus, in turn, created a freezing vortex on the raptor’s back but unfortunately the raptor’s constitution proved to be stronger than Karl’s, and he shivered in the magical cold, feeling it seep into his skin.Turning, Iben ran back up the slope he had just descended and began to climb the wall towards the ledge of the second raptor, which was now busily attacking the loudly-lowing ox. He could see blood starting to drip down and the raptors beak came briefly into view, stained red. Aldis also began to climb, her Dragonborn limbs not quite as suited to the difficult terrain, but with determination she matched Iben in speed.Thunder, meanwhile, had parked himself in front of the cart, and grabbed at the brake. Using every ounce of force he could muster, he forced it back into place and stopped the cart in it’s tracks. Glancing left and right, Thunder could see that Karl and the first raptor appeared to be circling back round, and Thunder kept a careful eye out for the condition of the Gnome. Blood had splashed on the rocks, and it was hard to see from whom. The raptor was trying to scrape Karl off against the rock walls, and he had swung back round underneath it as best he could.Seeing the cart was now safe, Sigurd directed her magical hand to start climbing the rock wall, seeking to stop the second raptor from further injuring the ox. Looking up, she also fired a Ray of Frost up at it, impacting on it’s flank. Encouraged, Yetta and Yuppi began to climb up too, spears clutched in their hands.Karl was now hanging on for grim death underneath the increasingly ferocious raptor. Summoning up his strength, he wrenched his shortsword free and plunged it back into the beast’s side. At the same time, he heard Aengus launch an Eldritch Spear into the side of the creature, and with a final croak, it died. Aengus was able to teleport free, but Karl suddenly realized with a sinking heart that he was now riding a dead raptor, at speed, towards an incoming cliff wall.Note: This was all enormous fun - hats off to crater for coming up with it!Next time: A meeting with the Fey</blockquote>

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