The Lion's Way

Jun 20, 2021 2:33 am
The dawn is especially cruel this morning.

Aiwe and those who accompany her (or creepily follow her from a distance) make their way back to the site of the ambush just as the morning’s rays illuminate the area. The night’s rain has washed away most of the signs of battle… except for the bodies. The archers remain where they fell, with several carrion birds digging in happily. Keggruk’s armored form doesn’t seem to have been bothered yet. The ogres…

The ogres’ corpses are feeding a half-dozen wolves. The canine beasts rip and tear with bloody muzzles. Occupied as they are, they don’t seem to have noticed the newcomers yet.
Jun 20, 2021 3:14 am
"Just as hungry in the south," Shelur mutters to herself. "Not as big though." She climbs into a tree where she can get a decent view of the bodies, as well as their surrounding area, without being too exposed herself. She is very aware the site may become that of a double-ambush. "Be on the lookout, Snitch. There might be traps, and we don't want to be seen by anyone at all, just in case."

Aiwë is looking for any signs of traps, watchers, oncomers on the road, etc.
Last edited June 20, 2021 3:23 am

Rolls

Survival - (1d20+1)

(13) + 1 = 14

Snitch helps! - (1d20+1)

(14) + 1 = 15

Jun 20, 2021 4:34 am
"Well, that Orog fellow never liked me, nor how I do things. But that's mostly because he's one of them. If you don't mind tossing me over near one of those archer chaps, I think I'll make a new friend."

Ossein looks around for Bert and Happy.
Last edited June 20, 2021 4:34 am

Rolls

Investigation for Happy - (1d20+4)

(15) + 4 = 19

Jun 20, 2021 9:24 pm
Wirrow, given that they've made it to their destination, makes her way next to her friend... and the metal contraction with her... and the odd knife looking to get itself a new host. As she nears them, the smell of blood mixed with corpse invades its way into her nose. Not a very pleasant combination. Well, really any combination involving corpses wasn't.

"So, what are we doing, then?" Wirrow's whispered use of the plural pronoun is as matter-of-fact as can be. She pulls out an arrow and gestures questioningly to the wolves. Are we going to be the ambushers this time? her expression says.
Last edited June 20, 2021 9:26 pm
Jun 20, 2021 9:52 pm
"Not yet," Aiwë appeases the weapon at her belt.

"We." It echoes in Aiwë's ears strangely.

"We're making sure the ambushers didn't wait for us to come back, or set traps," Aiwë whispers. "And that there aren't travelers coming, who could spot us and get word to them. The wolves are whatever. They won't bother us. I just need Keggruk." The last sentence does that funny echo again, and her throat hurts for some reason.

"And one of the archers, I guess?" she adds, nodding to Ossein.
Last edited June 20, 2021 10:06 pm
Jun 20, 2021 10:17 pm
"Well, I could use one if those ogres, but based on what the wolves have done to the bodies, I'd be pretty...drippy...after. the archers seem more intact. Do you happen to see Bert? I'd like to get Happy and a secret package Keggruk gave me before he died."
Jun 21, 2021 12:09 am
Aiwe carefully scans the scene for a few minutes and finds no other threat than the wolves. Every so often one of the beasts turns and nips at another for coming too close.

Ossein easily spots Happy in the dried mud near the bodies of Bert and Keggruk. The torch has only the smallest flame burning at the moment. No doubt it didn't enjoy being left out in the rain overnight.

Rolls

Mystery Roll - (1d20+5)

(20) + 5 = 25

Jun 21, 2021 12:32 am
"All clear."

Aiwë weighs her options carefully while she ties her rope into a lasso. If they run out of time, she can toss Ossein to the bodies, she decides. Keggruk first.

She swings the lasso around a few times, aims carefully, then tosses it toward Keggruk. It lands neatly around his foot and catches on the metal boot covering. A sharp tug tightens the lasso, and Aiwë begins carefully and slowly dragging Keggruk toward her.
Last edited June 21, 2021 12:36 am

Rolls

Lasso (athletics) - (1d20+5)

(15) + 5 = 20

Jun 21, 2021 12:51 am
As Aiwe starts dragging the orog's body (not something Wirrow had expected, but it seemed to be working), the pale ranger nocks the held arrow and takes up a hopefully-concealed position a dozen or so feet away. If the moving body interested the wolves and they came this way, she'd hopefully be able to surprise them before they attacked.

While they wait, Wirrow takes a deeper breath. Like it or not--mostly because it was all unfamiliar--this weapon was one of their allies now too. "If you get one of the archers, make sure to bring their arrows too," she mutters to Ossein.

Rolls

Hiding (Stealth) - (1d20+7)

(14) + 7 = 21

Jun 21, 2021 1:18 am
"I'm not sure how much time we have, and we need to be as far as possible," Shelur murmurs to the others as she pulls on the rope. "What's my priority, Ossein? Bert or the archer?"
Jun 21, 2021 1:24 am
"I agree with Wirrow. We should really get the archer and his arrows first."
Jun 21, 2021 1:29 am
Aiwë twists one arm to secure the rope around it in the same motion that she pulls a dagger from her belt and points it at the girl with the other.

"What are you doing here?"
Last edited June 21, 2021 1:32 am
Jun 21, 2021 1:35 am
"Bert is the priority. I'm not sure if I could stomach my things falling into the wrong hands or getting lost. Raising the archer will take several minutes. You can always throw me and I'll catch up later if something happens. I'm very easy to delay, but extremely difficult to be put down for good.
Last edited June 21, 2021 1:36 am
Jun 21, 2021 1:36 am
Imoen shakes her pink hair out of her face. "Um, adventuring, duh." She looks down at Aiwe's dagger. "Is that real? Nice!" Her voice, though chipper as always, is pitched carefully not to carry over to the feasting wolves. "I brought a weapon too!" She holds up a shortbow and raises her eyebrows. "I stole it. I'm such a rebel! I just... uh... forgot to steal some arrows to go with it..."
Jun 21, 2021 1:40 am
Imoen's chipper voice grates in Aiwë in a way she can't explain. "Good for you," she replies. "Forgot arrows?"

She sheaths her dagger and begins pulling Keggruk again. She thinks over Ossein's words. Something about them made her pause, but something else about Imoen was still bothering her, and she can't figure out what he's getting at.

"Bert next. You got it."
Last edited June 21, 2021 1:42 am
Jun 21, 2021 1:48 am
"Oh, thank you! I just knew we would make best adventuring buddies! Hey, where's Stella? And-"

It seems that for the first time, Imoen sees who Aiwe is dragging. "Is that..." Suddenly her voice is very small. "Oh no..."
Jun 21, 2021 1:52 am
"Dieter is dead, too." Keggruk arrives below their branches, and Aiwë cuts the rope as low as she can. "Go home, Imoen." She reties the end into another lasso.
Jun 21, 2021 2:03 am
Aiwe finishes dragging Keggruk's over-sized body to her, and... it isn't a pretty sight. It's immediately apparent, however, how the orog was slain. A neat hole more than a half-foot deep is where one of his eyes used to be. It's a garish wound, but also eerily precise. How could a man score such an accurate blow in total darkness?

Wirrow notices the wolves acting strange. Several of them start pawing at their own faces, and the others are dancing forward and back, as though something is keeping them from finishing their meal.
Jun 21, 2021 2:05 am
"There's no way they'll let me back in. I was only kind of partially an Avowed. An honorary one, you could say. And so... um... I'd need a book to get back in. A rare one." Imoen looks down at poor Keggruk again. "I... I'm sorry, Aiwe. He was such a nice man..."
Jun 21, 2021 2:10 am
"You're a child. If they won't let you back into your father then they deserve their ruin more than I thought." Aiwë throws the lasso around Bert's neck. She doesn't respond to the condolences. Snuck away from home and didn't even take a key?

Aiwë is so incensed she almost misses her shot, but Snitch flies by and adjusts her aim as the rope leaves her hand.
Last edited June 21, 2021 2:13 am

Rolls

Athletics - (1d20+5)

(2) + 5 = 7

Snitch help - (1d20+5)

(18) + 5 = 23

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