Chapter 2b - Gang of Moral Relativists

[Enoch]

Yana takes a swing at the last standing kobold: Initiative: [1d6] = 1, To-Hit [1d20] = 8, Crit [1d100] = 34, Damage (S) [1d6+1] = 1+1 = 2

[Marullus]

The third Kobold drops; Arlandria tenses, unable to get a clear line on the two remaining foes through her allies. As she sees the blow draw Yana's blood, she curses under he breath. Certain the foes will fall from her companions blows, she holds her shot, closing slowly and scanning the tree line for any scouts or any foes trying to break and flee.

[MonkeyWrench]

Korok squares up on the Kobold in front of him, slashing out.

Initiative: [1d6] = 1
Two-Handed Sword: [1d20+2] = 5+2 = 7, Damage: S/M[1d10+3] = 4+3 = 7, L[3d6+3] = 11+3 = 14
Two-Handed Sword: [1d20+2] = 12+2 = 14, Damage: S/M[1d10+3] = 5+3 = 8, L[3d6+3] = 5+3 = 8

[AleBelly]

Date: 16 Rituals, Year 41
Time: 12:56
Conditions: 41F, breeze, thick woods, -2 to hit for every 50' increment
Known Spells in Effect: Bless (until 13:54)
Light bearers: Sun
Intended direction of travel: East (90 degrees), 6.4 miles traveled today

The two remaining kobolds seem fanatical or exceptionally brave - they do not look set to retreat. The one who scored a hit on Yana yells something in its foul tongue to the other.

Arlandria moves about in the forest to cut off any escape route and look to see if others are lying in wait. She moves north, seeing no signs of other enemies.

A flurry of melee action leads to little resolution. All seem to focus more on defense, and no significant blows are laid until Korok's second attack with his large sword cuts the speaker nearly in two. One kobold remains, squaring off against Ilfrien, sneering.

Actions?

[MonkeyWrench]

Korok turns and advances on the Kobold with a roar of his own, The half-orcs eyes turning redder as the fight continues, if Ilfrien does not kill it he will slice the creature in two.

Two-Handed Sword: [1d20+2] = 7+2 = 9, Damage: S/M[1d10+3] = 10+3 = 13, L[3d6+3] = 7+3 = 10

If only he had hit.

[Enoch]

Gasping, Yana Jez falls to her knees and raises her eyes to the noonday sun. "Vorja protect me from the spawn of Simargl," she pleads.

Cure Light Wounds:
Cure Light Wounds: [1d8] = 4

[AleBelly]

Date: 16 Rituals, Year 41
Time: 13:03
Conditions: 41F, breeze, thick woods, -2 to hit for every 50' increment
Known Spells in Effect: Bless (until 13:54)
Light bearers: Sun
Intended direction of travel: East (90 degrees), 6.4 miles traveled today

Ilfrien caves in the head of the final kobold, and the woods fall silent again. Yana prays to her god, who restores her to full health. A search of the kobolds' body find substandard weapons and a measly 55 copper pieces. They have no distinguishing marks or items of interest. They look a bit sickly, but then again, what kobold doesn't?

[Keehnelf]

"The sack on the left side of...Applehead...the pony, over there. It has copper coins in it. Let's just add this miserable pile to the lot so we don't have to re-sort later." Ilfrien seems very cross about something--maybe it's the terrible name she just gave the pony on a whim.

[Marullus]

Arlandria retrieves her arrows and joins the group. She looks down at the last smoosh-headed kobold as she cleans the blood and ichor off her arrowheads. "No questioning that one, then." She smiles slightly, fading quickly amid the somber group. She looks over Yana. "You alright, then? Glad it wasn't more serious."

Appraising the sun above through the thick canopy as best she can, Arlandria points off southeast, then to the kobold's pathway which is more or less south. "Continuing further southeast? I'd reckon we could back-trail these fellows south this way, see if they came from somewhere interesting before we come to dark. Might still be a few others, too. I'd like to get a few miles south, at least, so when we head back west we'll cover different ground."

(Did I lose any arrows?)

[Keehnelf]

Ilfrien slings her mace without cleaning any of the blood or brain from it, almost absent-mindedly. "Yes, let's follow their tracks south. Perhaps they have more copper coins for us to liberate from their bodies." She sighs. "Maybe there are giants..." she trails off, heading off down the kobold-track without a word.

[AleBelly]

(Did I lose any arrows?)

One was lost to the woods. Two of the three that hit kobolds broke upon impact. Please deduct 3

[MonkeyWrench]

Korok stands amidst the dead Kobolds, breathing a bit heavily. he stabs his large sword into the ground and takes one of the dead creatures by the head and chucks it through the woods with a short but loud roar. He calms himself down and goes to claim his sword, "Weak." The red tint to his eyes now fading back to a normal white.

[AleBelly]

The kobolds are small, and their tracks will be quickly lost amongst all the game trails. You can give a bearing if you'd like. I saw both southeast (135 degrees) and south (180 degrees) suggested.

[Keehnelf]

135 degrees is fine by Ilfrien. She wasn't really following the tracks anyway, just heading straight the way they appeared to have come.

[Marullus]

(Since Ilfirien and I are ranging, I think the direction is set by "wherever Yana leads the pony.". )

One was lost to the woods. Two of the three that hit kobolds broke upon impact. Please deduct 3

(Subtracted. Down to 19.)

[AleBelly]

Date: 17 Rituals, Year 41
Time: 7:00
Conditions: 41F, breezy (12 mph from SE), -1 to hit for every 50' increment
Known Spells in Effect: None
Light bearers: Dawn
Intended direction of travel: ??

After the disappointing yield from the kobolds, the party heads out in a southeast direction. Arlandria and Ilfrien scout ahead. Yana and Korok lead Applehead the pony. It bears both the burden of over a thousand coins and an owner with a strange system for naming pack animals.

Their travel is an uneventful slog through thick pine forest. They come to a halt when they run out of twilight, setting up camp. They spend a fitful night trading watches through high winds and a few hours of rain.

The group huddles near the campfire when not asleep, watching the thin pines sway in the moonlight. Finally, dawn arrives and they must decide which way to go.

[Marullus]

Arlandria volunteers for the morning shift, the smell of fried food waking the others with the dawn. "This rain will cut to the bone," she says, her damp cloak draped by the fire to dry after the rain ceased. "Best start with some warm food." Her cast-iron pan once again emerges, some mashed potatoes and sliced vegetables from her rations fried crispy brown and seasoned with pinenuts from the surrounding trees and a few herbs from her pack. Some dried meat soaked in water sizzles, the juices fixed with a dash of flour to make a thin gravy. She divides out portions for the four of them by ladling it over hunks of travel bread to soften it. If they're willing, she trades the hot breakfast for their cold, packed rations to redistribute.

She traces in the dirt. "If we went about seven miles east from the group, then about half that south, we should be able to angle back without much trouble. We might, though, be able to go back straight west to the river, then track it downstream to the campsite. Take a smidge longer, but still make it by night, I'd think, and the other group'd arrive first. Plus it ensures we cover new ground. Thoughts?"

I have about two miles east to the farmhouse, then 1 mile east to the road, then 1 mile to the perimeter gate. Then it was 3.5 miles to the kobolds. There was no milage to the campsite, but it was 4 or 5 hours of daylight left. From the gate it was six miles to the smoke and five miles to the lake. We walked southeast to the pine camp.

Attaching my attempt at a map. Yay Paint.

[Keehnelf]

"Sounds good to me," says Ilfrien, grabbing up her stuff and trotting off ahead due west.

[Enoch]

Yana chimes in. "Covering new ground sounds good to me."

[MonkeyWrench]

Korok simply grunts, grabbing his things and heading off, he eyes the pony that he has been forced to be near. He speaks aloud to the animal as they walk, his tone rough and loud enough for Yana to hear, "Ilfrien has decided to call you PamDyr, an odd name."