To Con the Con-man

[Zerith]

[sblock=I'm not dead yet, heal me you damned Gnolls >_<]
Alexander did not know the implications of entering Jefron, but at the same time, just waiting before the gates wondering what was beyond would drive him to madness; he knew what madness would bring. He wanted to know, Halnaior’s demeanor made him want to know more, and Telimir’s indifference intrigued him further. He did not have to ask himself at this point, he wanted to know too much to refuse, and the added bonus of infuriating Halnaior further was just too delicious for him to even have a second thought about it.

“Do yee think I could stand here now and not seek to see what was beyond these splendid gates?” Alexander asked before a brief pause and answering more directly. “Yes, I will undergo thy test,” after a brisker pause he turned his head to face Halnaior once more “and I think thee much too rash, a guardian should know well the difference between an annoyance and an honest threat; through both action and word thee have ernestly invited needless conflict before both Sepritia and Telimir.” Alexander spoke, blatantly unimpressed by Halnaior; he was highly tempted to verbally thrash the guardian more but he thought better of pressing his luck again just yet.[/sblock]

 

[Herobizkit]

Tio frowns. I must be mad with boredom to chase after the screams of some random monster. Well, I'm here now... wait. What's THAT noise? Wild dogs?

Ugh, I HATE dogs! They drool, and they smell, and...

Tio paused, straining his ears to determine... well, he wasn't sure.

Maybe they're just hunting and I can ignore them...

 

[HolyMan]

The cat continues it's savage attack as the gnolls look on. It lashes out and Alden holds his own for as long as he can fighting off the attacks, but a claw swipe gets through scratching him and bring out a scream of pain and fustration.

The gnolls start to beat their spear butts onto the ground in unison. The yip out something that sounds like a war chant.

Nobody notices Alex inside the circle give out a small moan.

[sblock=Combat]

Character      AC  HP  InHand/Condition
Alex           ??[COLOR=Orange]  [COLOR=Red]-2[/COLOR][/COLOR]  rapier/[COLOR=Red][I]stable[/I][/COLOR]
Alden          [COLOR=RoyalBlue]16[/COLOR][COLOR=Orange]   1[/COLOR]  s.sword/[COLOR=RoyalBlue][I]fightingDef[/I][/COLOR]
gnolls(2)      13  11  spears/none
gnoll          13   [COLOR=Orange]1[/COLOR]  spears/none
Wet Nose       17  [COLOR=Yellow]-2[/COLOR]  b.axe/[COLOR=Yellow][I]damage taken not current HP[/I][/COLOR]
krensharA      15   [COLOR=Orange]6[/COLOR]  none/none

[/sblock]

 

[HolyMan]

[sblock=Alex]"Very well," Sepritia states to Alex. "Name the greatest foe you have..." she stops in mid question, her eyes looking past Alex.

"You see! You see! He is not even dead in the mortal world how can his spirit be brought to Jefron?" Halnaior says pointing with his spear to the other side of the bridge.

Alex turns to see the cave at the end of the bridge. It takes up the whole end and one would have to enter it to leave the bridge. Before it had been a dark foreboding cave, but now Alex sees the center lit up with a white soft glowing light.

"Is this true? You have not died? But how...?" Sepritia asks confused.

"It matters little the mortal world calls it back. Send it away." Telimir says off-handily.[/sblock]

 

[HolyMan]

Tio cautiously approaches the bend in the road. He takes what cover he can and creeps forward.

As he gets a few of the road once more he sees a group of gnolls standing in a circle around what looks to be a human. Three gnolls have their back to him and block what it is the man in the middle of the circle is doing.

Suddenly the man cries out as if wounded and the gnolls all beat their spears to the ground and chant. Whatever is going on it can't be good for the guy in the middle.

 

[Zerith]

[sblock=these are annoying ^^;]That, greatly annoyed Alexander greatly; he loathed when anything made decisions for him, even if it were fate and even if it was for his own benefit and it annoyed him yet more when something undid his own decisions for its own. But still, whatever the trail was he needed at lest a majority, or so he assumed. Two of them were blatantly ready to keep him out and the third was bewildered to the point she was not likely to let him in weather. That said, he was relieved to, apparently, not be dead, Relived, but still highly annoyed.

“I’ve said once that I do not know why I am here, thine is a name I’ve only heard a night ago and only now have I heard their names.” He spoke to Sepritia with a raised brow before turning about face. “Also, it would appear I’m more stubborn than death itself.” He said with a devious chuckle as he started down the bridge; he would have stayed to chat, but nothing good ever came from antagonizing fate.[/sblock]

 

[Herobizkit]

Tio's eyes opened wide. Gnolls? Here? They... they're huge! I don't know what's going on... but that guy is in trouble.

Tio sheathes his sword and draws his sling. Twirling it above his head, he calls out, "I'll try and distract them, stranger!"

OOC: Attack the "lead" gnoll.

OOC: Man, there's nothing less discouraging than missing your first attack roll. *LOL*

 

[Axel]

Alden was starting to panic. The last claw had caught his leg just above the knee. Between a bleeding sword arm and a wounded leg it was getting difficult to fight properly. And I haven't even scratched it yet!

Then the chanting starts... What in the nine...

DUCK!

...hells is going on?

BLOCK! COUNTER!

I'm DYING here...

BACKPEDAL! Try to suck in air...

There has to be...

STEP RIGHT. CIRCLE...

...a way out! I'm not dying on some fool's errand.

Alden's head flicks left, then right....looking for a gap in the circle.

One last attack, just to...

BLOCK!

...keep it off guard.

DUCK! STAB!

Missing wildly, again, Alden desperately hopes his flailings have distracted the demon-cat for enough time to get away in a mad dash.

Where is my horse? There were healing potions there!

[sblock=OOC]
Welcome to the party Herobizkit. And don't the eDice hate the party... :|

Standard action: Attack! (defensively)
Move action: Move 30' towards the nearest horse.

Score 1 attack of opportunity for the krenshar. Forgot tumble is trained only...
[/sblock]

 

[HolyMan]

Alden's fighting style is odd but the gnolls watch on with much enthusiasm. He blocks with his sword and moves quickly out of the way right before another claw can rip open his flesh. But they are perplexed by the warrior suddenly showing his back to the beast, is this some human tactic they have never seen.

Before whatever grand move Alden was about to make can be finished the ghost cat reaches out and bites the warrior in the thigh. Alden falls with a scream face first into the dirt.

__________________________________________________________

Alex moves to the bright cave and is embraced by the warm light. He has the sensation of floating before everything becomes dark.

__________________________________________________________

Tio's bullet flies way to high, but it does gather one of the gnolls attention. It turns it's head and growls, then turns to it's companopns to get their attention.

At the same time Alden screams in pain and pass out from the shock. Tio sees the human fall and then all of the sudden every one of the gnolls is stabbing into the center of the circle.

Tio watches in horror as the spears move quickly up and down and blood flies into the air. "NOOO!!! STOPPP!!" he screams swirling his sling over his head once more.

The gnolls all stop and look up and at the young bard. Then one barks a harsh word in gnoll and they start to scatter. They run down the road and into the bushes. The barker stoops to pick up something that looks like a lump of bloody fur. It too runs off and disappears into the woods.

Tio rushes over to where the gnolls stood. Lying in the middle of the road are two young human men. Both looked like they were mauled by some ferocious cat.

OCC: I'm glad things fell into place so nicely. AoO 1d20+2=21, DMG=2

 

[Axel]

Alden's last conscious thought, before an explosion pain ripped through his mind, was one of regret.

I'm going to die and meet my ma! But what do I going to tell her I've done with my life...?