Chapter 25: Tooth and Claw

[ravenn4544]

Amethu attends to his studies as the drama unfolds in the camp. He also can't deny the smell of cooking fish is a bit distracting in his efforts.

He glances from time to at the interrogation and likely final end soon to come to the bound tribesman. Death comes in various forms, it seems, in this strange land...

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra watches the interrogation, even though she can't understand a word. If Dahinna can set up fish to be smoked, Zahra will help and learn. If not, she'll continue salting.

[jemmus]

Torix says to the companions from the city of the dead, I say in Pict, Cruloc say help and die like men, don't help and die like dogs. I say, say about this place, safe place, food. Raven Picts say they won't say, they die like men. He turns to Cruloc, looks him in the eye, and shakes his head. Now I tell them I take off men's chest and head armor. They get ready to die.

He glances around at the group and sees the kindling of a cooking fire, the salting of the fish, and the shaman studying the ink symbols on the paper of his book. Cruloc spear friend, we hurry. Friends strong in fights in the dead city. We're strong in forests and mountains and getting food. He kneels and cuts the rawhide laces of the bound cannibals' horrific helmets and breastplates, but leaves their masks. Ka taim. Gapas ngom. He plunges the flint spear blade between the ribs of the older Pict warrior, straight through the heart. Leaving the Cimmerian to finish off the other cannibal Pict. With less anger than he had against the older one.

[hedgeknight]

Dahinna

The Zamoran rogue watches and listens to all of this and says nothing. She has no words to say. These Picts would have gladly slayed them all and yet...well, she's seen enough death to last her a lifetime or two. She helps Zahra with the fish...

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri ignores the proceedings, guessing from the start they could go no other way. Instead, he casts Spider Climb, scales a tree and keeps a lookout for any indication that hostile entities have noticed the smoke from their fire.

[Inferno]

The Pictish Wilderness, the World of Hyboria
Day Seventeen. Midnight. 27th day of the month of Qrot, 1280th year of the Age of Aquilonia







The Pict captives are cleanly put to death by Cruloc and Torix.

But not before they cry out, "Raven Jhil! Jhebbal Sag, lord of beasts! Avenge your faithful sons!"

Despite the commotion, scholarly Amethu remains focused on arcane writings of the past. Dahinna and Zahra help with Cruloc's fish cook. The aroma of some twenty pounds of salmon fills the air, breaking Amethu's concentration.

Impossibly, the armored giant Kiri scales a towering tree! Away from the noise of the camp, he can hear the howling of wolves. The moonlight does not reveal their position but the sound comes from the north. For a moment, he could swear he heard a woman's voice among the baying. Perhaps he imagined it.

Before long, those in the camp can hear the wolves too.


Actions?!





PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 4/3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 4/17, Spells: 3/8 1st lvl, 3/5 2nd lvl
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 36/54
Dahinna: Zamoran Southwoman Thief 5: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 15/25
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 15/21, Spells: 0/3 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl
Torix: Pict Savage Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 2, HP: 24/38
Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 21/29

PC Magic:

Spider Climb (Kiri): Duration: 3 rounds

Player Resources:

The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[jemmus]

Torix
We knew something will come. We can eat wolf meat too. It's tough, to chew it you have to cut it into little pieces first. But not too bad. He watches for the arrival of the pack, holding his spear wrought by an ancient civilization.

[hedgeknight]

Dahinna

The rogue sighs and nods, looking at Torix. "I could use a fresh wolf pelt for a blanket. Let them come."

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra says nothing, just ensures that her weapons are within reach.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu sighs and packs away his spell books with care. He stands and readies his ancient staff for a likely battle to come. "I have not the time to commit spells to memory - we must use the force of our flesh to overcome this imminent foe"

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

"Wolves! This wilderness wants our corpses!"

Cruloc surveys the cliff above. "We don't know their number, but I do know that the ascent will defeat them. If we face ruin, this must be our escape. Kiri, Dahinna, Torix, and I can scale it unaided, but the cliff knows well it need not fear the approach of the Verulians."

Snatching the rope from the slain Picts, Cruloc ascends the cliff, fear and gravity mere whispers to his might.
Lvl 4 barbarian 88% chance to climb cliffs [1d100]=88
Without warning, a rocky outcrop beneath him gives way, and he is momentarily suspended midair! In that selfsame instant, his iron grip catches another, and a disastrous fall is averted! Thick fingers like pitons find cracks in the cliff face, battle-tested tendons strain, and the Cimmerian launches himself up and over the ledge, where he secures the rope to a tree before throwing it back down.
"A climb to stir the blood, but hardly a challenge!"

He descends the cliff, using the rope this time.
"It commands a wide vantage. A fitting place for an archer's perch," he muses.

[ChubbyPixie]

EDITED DUE TO USER ERROR. (THE "USER" IS "ME")

Kiri hustles to the cliff where Cruloc is climbing and affixing the rope.

"Amethu, how are you at climbing? Here, cling to my back..." he says.

Assuming the mage complies, he will briskly shuttle him up the cliff face, assuming he can do this before his Spider Climb spell expires.

[jemmus]

Torix considers climbing a tree to flank the pack, but decides that a unified defense might be more prudent. No need to lose anyone over fish. He says, By the river I met a Raven tribe... you say "druid." We see different wolf, leader wolf, we kill it first. He starts to climb the cliff face.

I can't get the dice roller to display on my phone.
DM Inferno, could I ask you to roll for Torix?

[hedgeknight]

Dahinna

With everyone else climbing, the rogue grabs the rope and begins to climb. "Hey, a little help?"
Climbing check: [1d100]=84

[ravenn4544]

Amethu holds on tight and helps where he can to ease the climbing burden. Mostly he holds on tight.

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra would prefer to stay at the base of the cliff, but it appears everyone else is climbing. She'll join them at the top of the cliff.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

Standing among his stalwart companions, Cruloc anchors his spear into the soft peat of the forest floor. Shoulder-to-shoulder in a tight V-formation, the Cimmerian, Verulian, and Kambujan form a fearsome phalanx.

"We shall soon see whether we face wolves or alley curs in disguise!"

[Urson]

Zahra
After a quick muttered discussion with Cruloc, Zahra steps away from the rope and readies her sword.
The rope will be our escape if the wolves start to overrun us.

[ChubbyPixie]

After depositing Amethu at the top of the cliff, Kiri will scuttle back down to the bottom to help in the defense.

[hedgeknight]

OOC: My bad, I thought everyone was climbing the cliff...no?
If not, Dahinna will stay on the ground and climb a tree instead.