As Cormorant and Britta continue to run toward the enemy, Cormorant will obscure his presence while Britta prepares to shock the enemy. As Sprthnt and Kuwaia continue to run forward, Sprthnt will thumb a pinch of the sulfur power as he prepares to heat an enemy. Kuwaia will camouflage her appearance.Once Antapkos and Siofrita reach short range, each will fire, as Antapkos camouflages his appearance and Siofrita takes a pinch of sulfur power to enhance her talent to corrode an enemy’s insides.
Before combat ensues, the image of Antapkos, Cormorante, and Kuwaia shake. Antapkos and Kuwaia both blend into the surroundings, somewhat. Cormorante is simply more difficult to notice, for an inexplicable reason. Siofrita, Britta, and Sprthnt are able to mystically assault the enemy, just after the enemy assaults everyone in the party, several seconds before anyone can close the distance. Lightning flies from the Deviards to the party and a single bolt flies back.
Fortunately, with the formidability of this enemy, there are only four. Being particularly wary of archers and bias against other Mhytres, only Cormorante and Kuwaia are spared in the initial lightning display. Antapkos, Siofrita, and Sprthnt are hurt badly. The lightning bolt, returned by Britta, fizzles before it reaches the Deviards. Two of them, however, falter in the charge as they are affected by some unseen harm.
About three seconds after the lightning flies, Cormorante reaches the enemy, swinging his hammer with all of his might. It connects with the shield of a Deviard, making a loud ringing sound. Cormorante almost blocks the return hammer blow, but it connects with his left shoulder, producing a bright flash of light, as it makes contact. The hammer blow, he could have ignored, but the flash of light has him momentarily confused. At the same instant Kuwaia also reaches an enemy. Despite her enhancements, the Deviard blocks her sword with his shield, clipping her with his hammer, in return. The blow is little more than trivial, but the accompanying flash of light causes her to lose consciousness. Being specifically chosen by one of the Prospectors, Britta, who employs the same tactics is a bit outmatched, though she manages to deflect the enemy hammer enough that it causes no harm. Both hammers flash as they contact the other’s shield, but Britta is a bit dazed, while the Deviard is unaffected.
A single Prospector reaches Antapkos and Siofrita, targeting Antapkos, who manages to stick the already injured foe with an arrow even though he staggers in confusion from the flash of the hammer. Making us of a second pinch of sulfur, Siofrita drops the enemy by corroding his insides. The Deviard is still dangerous because he is conscious and is a Bender. As Kuwaia falls, Sprthnt reaches the same enemy. He is far outmatched in physical combat, but the second wave of mystical heat nearly takes the Prospector’s consciousness as it incapacitates him.
There are two unharmed Prospectors facing Cormorante and Britta. The other two are down but still considered to be a threat.
Since the Deviard facing Antapkos and Siofrita has fallen, Antapkos intends to put an arrow in his neck from point blank range. Siofrita will attempt to assist Britta, who looks worse for wear than Cormorant, by mystically assaulting her opponent. She will again make use of a pinch of sulfur, knowing that the party is in trouble. Cormorant will press with his opponent, using his javelin in a feint, hoping to strike his collar bone with his hammer. Realizing that she is mystically outmatched, Britta hopes to use her shield to knock down her opponent. Sprthnt would like to mystically assault one of the two standing enemies but, instead, must finish his own, knowing that he can still manipulate waylines. Since he cannot defend himself, physically, Sprthnt will stab him in the neck with his javelin.
The camouflaged image of Kuwaia fades as she loses consciousness. The uninjured Deviards are able to act far faster than anyone else, but defending oneself is reflexive. Cormorante, again, partially deflects the incoming hammer, preventing himself from taking harm. His return blow is also partially deflected, making it ineffective, as well. Britta manages to completely block her opponent’s attack, but she cannot hit him in riposte. Both Cormorante and Britta are affected by the flash of light that accompanies the hammer blow of the Prospectors, causing both to lose consciousness.
Unfortunately, the incapacitated Deviard lying on the ground is still able to act faster than the injured Antapkos and causes another bolt of lightning to strike the Shimadow, causing him to fall to the ground, convulsing. The cumulative damage is enough that he is dying. He has only a few moments remaining to receive some help or he will be gone. As her heartmate falls, Siofrita causes some corrosive harm to the Deviard who had just dropped Britta, who now turns to face her. Fortunately, Sprthnt is faster than his injured foe, and he manages to stab the Prospector, ending his life. Having prepared a mystical assault, he is able to burn the uninjured enemy within half a second’s further thought, causing some significant harm, but not enough to take him out.
The two remaining Deviard Prospectors turn their attention toward the two remaining members of the Sojourn Six.
Siofrita and Sprthnt both hope to avoid physical combat with the Deviards. Trying to use the advantage of the space already between them, each begins to back away as quickly as possible, taking one last pinch of sulfur in hopes of finishing the two enemies with their mystical talent. Each suspects that if this fails, it will be the end of the Sojourn Six.
The weaves that had obscured the natural images of Antapkos, Cormorante, and Britta fade away to nothingness. The Deviard who is facing Siofrita is still more bodily able than she and acts faster. He strikes her left shoulder with his hammer which immediately produces a bright flash. Neither the flash nor the blow are enough to disable the determined Shimadow girl. As she backs away from her opponent in an attempt to fire her bow, Sprthnt, who is faster than his opposing Prospector, mystically assaults him, again with heat. The repeated damage cooks his insides, significantly. He falls before he can think to act. He is dying.
Siofrita gets off her point blank shot and mystical corrosion. The arrow punches straight into the Deviard’s gut. With the combined damage, he too is dying. Siofrita and Sprthnt are both still standing as Britta and Kuwaia both regain consciousness. Antapkos still has a few moments before his body cannot be compelled to repair itself.
Seeing the last Deviard fall, Siofrita runs, as best she can, to help Antapkos. Sprthnt will make sure the Deviards are dead. Since she realizes that despite having been unconscious, Kuwaia does not appear to have been physically injured. She too will aid Antapkos and then proceed to the others. Once everyone is medically tended, the Deviards will be stripped of any desireable gear and their bodies moved so as to not attract predators or scavengers from the smell. After such a ferocious battle, the party hopes to rest for a couple of days.
After Sprthnt makes sure that all enemies are fully dead and he returns to render his own aide to Antapkos, Cormorante, who is not physically injured, regains consciousness. Once the wounded are tended, he helps move the carcasses away from the site of the battle. Antapkos does not regain consciousness for another 3 hours, but the restoration of his body is very quickly obvious. Food is the main concern for everyone with accelerated recovery, but acquiring it is more of a routine for the party.
Of the four Deviard prospectors, two are male and two are female. Each is equipped with a heavy metal shield and hammer. The metal of both has a dark purplish tint, being identified as Manerin, an alloy of iron and manganese. Cormorante finds these to be very much to his liking so that he can give his extra javelin to Sprthnt and discard his simple hammer. The three remaining shields and hammers should have decent commercial value, making them worth keeping for trade. Unfortunately, the shield is too heavy for Cormorante to effectively use, but he can keep it for future use.
Each Deviard is also wearing leather shirts, skirts and kilts. Cormorante and Britta can easily wear these items, but they will need to be modified for everyone else. In the few days of rest, the party members can readily modify the items themselves to make them fit the others, if they so desire. Of greater value, each Prospector is adorned with pliable leather shin guards. Of the usual accessories, each Prospector is carrying food. As the injured members need extra food to accommodate the accelerated healing, these items are readily consumed while the healthier members set snares and hunt.
Each of the Deviards is also carrying a different curious stone and a different ingot. The total yields one Firestone, one Daystone, one Jade, and one Onyx, one ingot of Chromium, Manganese, Nickel, and Molybdenum. The Firestone can be used by any member of the party to augment overall wellness (Health +3) and the impetus of resilience and vitality (Confluence +3). The Daystone can be used by any member of the party to augment personal interaction (Persona +3) and the impetus for the physical function and intellectual cognizance (Cohesion +3). The Jade can be used by any member of the party to augment physical strength (Strength +3) and the impetus of resilience and vitality (Confluence +3), and the Onyx may be used by any member of the party to augment willpower (Will +3) and the inexplicable reason for autonomous life (Adhesion +3). The Onyx may also be sacrificed in order to increase resistance to heat for a single occurrence (Insulate x4).
The ingots may only be utilized by Britta. The ingot of Chromium may be sacrificed to increase personal influence (Compulsion x3). The Manganese may be sacrificed to increase leech life from a touched target (Leech x3). The Nickel may be sacrificed to increase the effectiveness of electrocution (Electrocute x4), and the Molybdenum may be sacrificed to increase the effectiveness of personal influence (Compulsion x4) or electrocution (Electrocute x4).
Siofrita sits by the side of Antapkos until he wakes. She waves off any of the spoils. Everyone else checks on them periodically; but since there is nothing more to be done, it is mostly just an offer of comfort and encouragement. She does take the offer of food. Cormorant dons one of the kilts and Britta one of the skirts. Sprthnt and Kuwaia take the other two and will modify them so that they will fit. Since none of the shirts are needed, they are rolled together and tied for easy transport. The plane is to trade them in South Road Fair, along with the three hammers and three shields.
Cormorant decides to keep the piece of Jade, while Sprthnt elects to keep the Firestone. Kuwaia keeps the Daystone, and Britta keeps the Onyx. Britta will carry all of the ingots. Since they were not really hurt, Cormorant and Kuwaia will set and check snares. The next day, Sprthnt will hunt.
Fortune showing some favor, hunting and trapping during the three days of rest produces an ample supply of meat, so much so that several days’ worth of rations can be prepared. Everyone recovers well and is in good spirits.
Completely unexpectedly, although that should not have been true, after speaking quietly with Antapkos, Siofrita announces to the party that she is expecting, though it is far too early to be showing. This is something that was not at all likely with the other two couples. Offspring were heard of between an Aedaman male, like Cormorante, and a Mhytre female, like Britta, but the non-viable hybrid produced is always male and almost giant-like. Being called Dahmres, they never fully develop mentally and are prone to violence. No pairing between a Faethrin male, like Sprthnt, and an Aedaman female, like Kuwaia, had ever produced an offspring. The party was currently between an eight and ten days walk to South Road Fair.
Antapkos: full wellness
Tunic: 58
Siofrita: full wellness
Cormorante: full wellness
Tunic: 59 - 2 = 57
Britta: full wellness
Tunic: 58
Sprthnt: full wellness
Tunic: 47
Kuwaia: full wellness
Tunic: 53
Coins: 113 clams
pliable shin guards: 4: 64 clams each
manerin hammers: 3: 40 clams each
manerin shields: 3: 800 clams each
lacquered elytra: 12: 12 clams each
swine hide: 60%: 24 clams
wolverine hide: 40%: 50 clams
