Episode 1

Rhone
Round 3

Now with Rutcranna's shoulder bag fully unrolled, Rhone sifts through the many pouches looking for something. She pulls out a very small cylinder container, made out of a very thin reed tube with some sort of sealant paste on each in.

When Kray asks her the question, Rhone looks up briefly to look at the stranger but then sets back to work. She takes the small reed and places it just under Rutcranna's nose. Using her nails to pick away the sealant paste, she shifts the small reed tube around carefully, with the opening still near her mother's nostrils.

Rutcranna's face begins to twitch. He eyebrows furrow in, and her head tilts slightly. Then she draws a gasp intake of air and shifts her head fully to the side. Her fingers extend on her hand.

Rhone withdraws the reed, reseals it, and slides it back into the bag. She grabs her mom's hand and wipe's her brow.

"Mum, wake up," she says in a small, soft, calm voice leaning in over Rutcranna to watch her face carefully. "Steady yourself. All is well."

A tear streaks down the side of Rhone's cheek as she looks on longingly with hope.

Maeriks
BR3

Attack, Thrown Short Sword at Gorolach: Hit
Opponent must make CON Save vs. Poison effect(s)

Maeriks sees the hulking form of Gorolach burst forward through the fray at the top of the platform. The battle crazed man's monstrous right arm raises the Locust Spear high in the air.

Maeriks makes his throw. The blade spins end over end once in the short distance. His aim is true - the weapon sinks into Gorolach's chest.

Kray
BR3

Attack, arrow at Gorolach: Miss

Kray can tell that Gorolach spots him even before he looses the arrow. At the moment he let's it fly, Kray feels certain that Gorolach will side step and avoid the strike.

Instead, the big brute deliberately raises his beefy left arm up in front of his face. He uses his flesh and bone to block the incoming arrow, seemingly unconcerned that the missile just slid through one side of his forearm and out the other.

BR3
Boanna

Apply Fighting Style Protection with Great Shield.

After Maerik's throw, Boanna moves forward beside and slightly forward of him. She steadies the great-shield forward, looking for danger, a true shield maiden.

Gorolach stares briefly at the sword. More than half of the length of the long blade is buried inside of his chest, entering through the front of the rib cage, apparently cracking a rib on the way in. He knows that the blade is coated with the poison. He doused it with the blade himself moments before when he heard the fight against the hybrids.

Gorolach looks up from the wound long enough to see the archer ahead of him firing. No time and no need to dive away; the momentum would cost too much. Gorolach raises his left arm up in front of him.

The arrow slams into his bulky forearm, piercing thick muscle. The shaft extends through the flesh. The head of the arrow emerging through the inner side of the arm, stopping well before it reaches Gorolach's head, though it's halted trajectory points there.

Shifting his left arm down with a rough swing, and using the movement to shift weight in his entire body to build more momentum into his right arm and shoulder, Gorolach heaves forward with all of his strength to make his last throw.

Gorolach
TR4

Attack, Thrown Spear, Targeting Maeriks
Attack made at Disadvantage against opposing Protection Fighting Style.Poison Onset begins.


And then Gorolach falls forward, headlong down the stairs.

The Locust Spear heads straight for Maerik's heart, but Boanna leans into it's trajectory with the heavy shield held tight and braced firmly on her left shoulder.

The head of the monstrous spear crashes high in the shield, completely breaking through the front and breaking out through the other side with a loud crack of the splintering of wood. Boanna yells out and topples backward, knocked completely off balance by the force of the incoming blow.

She crashes into Maeriks standing just behind her. He is able to keep his footing and barely able to keep Boanna upright, catching her before she tumbles to the floor. The great-shield with the spearhead erupting from the inner side crashes to the ground in a loud clamor.

Boanna stumbles but rights herself, steadying her stance as Maeriks supports her. She is still woozy and slow to stabilize. When she looks up finally, Maeriks can see that she has blood on her face. There is a large cut that starts high on the bridge of her nose and continues at a downward angle across her right cheek. The presentation of blood on the face makes for a troubling picture at first glance, but on closer inspection it is found to be a superficial injury for the most part.

Meanwhile, Rutcranna opens her eyes. Though still blanked out and unresponsive for a few seconds even with her eyes open, she seems to get full recovery of awareness. When she does, and sees Rhone kneeling over her, she reaches up and pulls the girl close. The mother and daughter grip one another tightly, clinging to one another as if they might slip away, a strong loving embrace that goes on for several seconds.

In moments, Rutcranna sits up and looks around to see what is going on. She still seems extremely fatigued and has trouble talking when she tries, as if she is just so exhausted and mentally tapped out. She shakes her head an puts her head down, breathing in and out trying to recover. She puts her hand on Rhone's shoulder. The little girl goes back to her mother's bag and begins to add powder to a water flask, making some sort of remedy concoction apparently, which Rutcranna drinks appreciatively.As Rhone runs by towards the living quarters, hand in hand with her friend, she stops to look on at Thorn who is crouched over the treasure box that sits near the high boss chair of Gorolach.

It had not taken Thorn long to find it. He held Urdav's necklace and pendant in his hand. He stared down at the image of swirl and color that made an almost perfect copy of the Alornic Sea.

In his mind Thorn could see Urdav now, using a pine needle as a pointer to spot out where different cities would be on the map. "Look here, my boy. Poyam is here. The ships sail along the Jeresian coast here to stop in Lanberis. And from there, they might go here. That would be Siskanee in Korvar. Or many even cross the sea to go here: great Kortella City, the City on High."

Lost in nostalgia memory for a brief moment, Thorn looks up when the small fair-skinned red-headed girl asks the question, "Did you find some treasure that you like? It is yours now since you raided Gorolach's room and slew him. We are glad of it, to be sure." She speaks Dannein very clearly.

Then as Thorn may be slow to answer or comment as he thinks over what the girl says, she shifts to Youric. Also speaking precisely, fluently, but with a heavy Dannein accent, "I have learned some of the language of the Yuors. I am Rhone. This is my friend Sine. We thank you for saving us from the great villain Gorolach. We hope to escape. I have tools and writings that I must take with us. Also we may be able to get some of the Ulathi oils that could help Maeriks. Will you help us? We must hurry."

Fodla lies prone and limp, flopped down in a manner that looks uncomfortable and grotesque. When turned over, she is seen to be alive, but is completely unresponsive. She is drooling and her eye lids hang lazily, half-way open. It is a disturbing look of stupor.
All of the women hear Maeriks's bold words.

Rutcranna shoulders her bags again and walks with Kray towards the raised platform where the group is conglomerating.

"That servile sheep had an easy will to break," Rutcranna responds to Kray. She nods to Fodla lying on the stairs further on, presently being turned over by Maeriks. "Traitorous slut. She got what she deserved."

"It was Gorolach's strong will that was a heavy lift," she continues in a low voice, seeming weary. "He was committed to murder and full of hate. Staying his deadly hands even for a moment was a stone to crack. And my fatigue sets in as Glaaki continues his assault."

"No matter though," she wipes her head and heaves a deep breath, as if resetting. "The slug attacks me because he knows we are close to foiling him. With Rhone at my side, he is right to doubt and lash out. You will not carry me, Kray Mercon. I predict that we will all be fatigued and wobbly by the end of our flight, for we still have yet to spring from this grave. But all of us must stand up in our own strength, or we shall all fall."

Rutcranna trails off from the conversation and starts paying attention to the words of Maeriks to the women. Kray sees Rutcranna get tense perhaps, or more like a spring coming back in her step. He has seen her move before, like a cat with a prowling gait, poised to strike. Her hand shifts to her bag. Kray knows that she has her knife there.

Standing behind and to the side of Maeriks, back a considerable distance, letting him speak. But all the while she watches the group of women like a hawk watches a nest of rabbits. There she holds - watching, listening.

After Maeriks speaks, most of the women have a wide-eyed look of utter confusion in their eyes. They continue to scan around the room, carefully looking at Maeriks, at Gorolach's body on the ground, at Rutcranna, at the foreign invaders, and at the door that exits the chamber. In truth the majority of them look dumbfounded, locked in indecision and disbelief.

Not all of them though. Boanna is the first to move after the silence. She walks briefly up the stairs, stepping away from the cracked shield that is near her feet. At the top platform, near the body of Documa, she picks up a different great shield, one that lies on the floor but is nonetheless still intact. After picking up the shield and setting it solid in her left hand, with her right she reaches down and picks up the dropped gladius that had been used by Documa as well. Shielded and armed, she marches straight to stand beside Maeriks.

"I am with the Norach. All of you should stand with Maeriks Mac Mahan. He and his crew are the victors. Rutcranna stands as witness to his claim. Now he offers you a chance to stand again as a clan. To beat back our doom and our shame. I know not all of you know how to Shield Maiden, but do what you are told and look on to me. I will show you how to stand and defend, ... and FIGHT!"

Laoise steps forward, with Casidhe.

"Us Colverts will follow you Norach Maeriks. You should let me use those bows there and those javelins," she says pointing to the archery and throwing range. "Our fathers and brothers do not teach us shielding in the Ogolees, but we are sharp shooters and straight with atatls. And Casidhe would be better with that sling and bag of stones than with carrying treasure for those Gold Pressers. These Driftwood tarts are better suited for carrying. We are looking to save our own skins too, along with yours and these foreigners."Jilleen and Naohm both step forward and pick up shields. They seem too nervous to speak, but stand next the the crowd that is walking over to Maeriks.

"Go, women. Look around for weapons and shields," Boanna barks out, building on the encouraging show of unity. "Work quickly and assemble here."

Kray has nothing to add. With Maeriks rousing swamp dweller speech we should be ready to go. Really the only thing Kray would insist is that nobody is slowed down by what they are carrying. If so, he would *insist* they dump some shit lest they burden the group's move speed.

Small prize pieces is perfect. Let me know whatever Kray picks up that won't slow him down. Although Kray has access to Mercon house wealth, he likes to pull his weight and help flood the coffers.

Thorn walks with Rhone and Sine into the hallway to the back of the room. Rhone sees that Hinka follows behind at some distance."My mother will be able to walk under her own strength," Rhone says. "She is only exhausted for a time because of the mental stress of the feats that she has performed. Her powers and hexes always come at a cost."

Soon they are around the corner to another area of small personal living quarters. They are minimalist accommodations. Most have a straw bed on the ground, a hanging rack for a few clothes, and a small open box for items.

Rhone goes directly to a spot in the wall where she pulls out a large flat rock that had apparently served as a false block cover, revealing a small hidden cavity within the wall. She brings out 2 carrying containers. One is a shoulder bag with a top flap and strap buckle. The other is a cylindrical woven basket with papyrus and rolled skins in it. This one also has straps that allow for carrying the basket as a sort of backpack.

Rhone then leads the way around another corner to a wooden cabinet that is locked with an extremely old fashioned round lock. "Will you be able to break this lock? We need to get the supplies inside." As a faster and quieter option, Hinka picks the lock. Within the cabinet there are several shelves. Most of the shelves are barren, but a few small jugs and corked pottery cups sit scattered here and there on the shelves. Rhone sifts through the containers, picking which she wants. She moves out with 3 of them.Rhone comes back and shows the items to her mother. They talk briefly and Rutcranna calls Maeriks over, explaining that they have some unusual substances used by the Ulathi (Deep Ones) to close wounds and repaired damaged tissue.

Rhone calls the concoction simply Ulathi Sticky Oil Mix. She makes it work first by using an applicator to paint on a thick, gray, sticky paste on the wound. She warns Maeriks that the next step will burn. She then takes a separate container pours a thick pale yellow fluid on the pasted area.

The method does indeed sting. And causes smoke and sizzle. The heavy wound in Maeriks' abdomen is covered in a sludge that bubbles and snaps. Thin lines of smoke sail up briefly.

The discomfort does die down however, and it becomes clear that tissue is actually binding. Lines of blood loss are clotted and cauterized. It is like nothing that the crowd has seen before - a healing ointment mix that is verifiable and truly working.

Rhone says that she has seen the Ulathi use it on each other and on some of the girls who have had bleeding problems. It seems to have a burst of effect all at once initially, and then keeps healing over a time to close up wounds.