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[Respite] - Factions
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Re: [Respite] - Factions
#641Kou'rha sat waiting, silent. He suddenly became aware of someone else. Somebody was moving towards the outsiders, one taking great pains, such he, to keep hidden in the underbrush.
Looking over carefully, he caught sight of the figure - another outsider, dressed in green dyed leather. He carried a bow, but no weapons were drawn, he looked to be simply searching.
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Re: [Respite] - Factions
#642Jaegarmond began to dig around his companion, unearthing whatever roots the little tree had dug in after the wave of energy hit. If nothing else, he could replant it elsewhere, where it was likely to survive. As it was, the little thing wouldn't survive simply due to proximity to other trees in the forest. He spared a glance for the weather, debating whether it would be possible to set up some sort of shelter against the rain, or whether they should weather the weather inside the cave. "It appears to me that we're going to be weathering some rain. Do we want to do so in there, or should we be gathering branches to make a roof?" -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#643Toboran closed the pouch and tucked it inside his bag. Then he grabbed the handle of the "plug" and tugged. -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#644Kou'rha's grip on his staff tightened. Who was this newcomer, and what was he doing here? Hunting the band of Others, perhaps? Or seeking the strange stones below, where the dead Small One was found? There was nothing outwardly malicious about the man, his weapons hidden away. The hairs at the back of the Alun's neck made him fearful, though.
Another thought suddenly entered his head: could the band of Others he had been following be any more trustworthy than this one? Who could he rely on to find the Great Spirits? For a moment Kou'rha wished desperately that his uncle were here, but he banished the thought: this was his Spirit Call, this was what his uncle the shaman had directed, the quest was his alone to complete. Slowly, cautiously, he began to approach the green-clad figure, if only to get a closer look.
(OOC: Move Silently check, please. Not close enough for melee range, but close enough for a better look.) -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#645"Yes, Jaegarmond, we should improvise some sort of shelter." Jhoric began looking around for large branches and leaves to lean against the stone structure, this being the only way he could fathom building a shelter out of nothing. "Help me find some big sticks and leaves, or something." -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#646"Let's do so; I couldn't hide inside anyway!"
He proceeded to augment the natural umbrella of a conifer with branches and small trees, crating a natural tent.
"It won't be five stars, but I might manage four." -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#647Balin felt helpless, he could start a fire to help keep them warm perhaps but he had heard somewhere that it is not good to light a fire under a canopy and it took no genius to see that it wouldn't work as well in the rain. Toboran was busy searching the whole so he thought he would follow with his eyes that could see in the dark. -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#648A tug - nothing. Toboran strained his muscles a little more, and then he felt something break, and the hatch then opened easily.
It was quite a large opening, a round 4' diameter hole, with notched in hand-holds. Looking down, he saw an unnatural flickering green light perhaps 40' down. -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#649As they gathered branches and the like to fabricate a quick lean-to in advance of the apparent bad weather, the horison began to register bright flashes of light. Some time after, the low rumble of distant thunder made its presence known.
...
Kou'rha watched as the outsider moved closer to the others - he had the stance of a hunter. He also looked up at the sky with mild alarm, but kept to his task. Perhaps only moments seperated him from catching sight of the others.
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Re: [Respite] - Factions
#650"Well", Toboran called out to his companions, "I've found something in here that may work as shelter for those who can fit", he eyed Gideon and Fafnir, "Jhoric, would you mind watching my back while I descend? I might need some help once I get down there." -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#651"The skies claim what is theirs, be it buried or in the open." Rajani said, "I will stay with Gideon rather than enter into that place." She said. -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#652A look of nervousness flashed across Jhoric's face. The magic in there was powerful and he did not want to fool around with it. However, most of it seemed to have escaped when the door was open. Perhaps it was safer now?
"Uh, sure. I'll be right in." He looked around. The lean-to was serviceable and might hold against the weather. Jhoric decided it was fine to leave the rest outside now, they might be safer there anyway.
Still nervous, Jhoric entered the structure and maneuvered around to the opposite side of the hole Toboran was looking into. "If you actually intend to go in there, the best I can do is have your back. Good luck, my friend." -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#653The descent was uneventful and Toboran found that the ladder ended in a long tunnel. Mounted on the wall at regular intervals was what seemed to be torches, but where flames would be were instead masses of glowing fungi. The air smelled .. old, and dustry. Not a trace of moisture could be seen. The tunnel curved out of sight both behind and in front.
On the wall where Toboran came down was inscribed a single large rune, A circle with two diagonal slashes through it.
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Re: [Respite] - Factions
#654Slowly, methodically, Kou'rha reached for his sling and wrapped one end around his finger. He set the shot carefully in it. In the back of his mind, he heard his uncle: "Be patient!" But he knew that even for Uorlhan's stony patience, there were slides of rock and earth; this was a time for action. He stood silently, trying not to draw the man's attention. The other end of the sling in his hand, Kou'rha held it back and waited for the right moment to act.
(OOC: Waiting for the green-clad hunter to react. If he moves at all toward the party, let fly the sling.) -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#655Toboran looked hard at the rune, trying to commit it to memory. Then he ascended once again to tell the others of his discovery. -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#656The hunter suddenly leaned forward, something had caught his eye. He moved again, quickly, yet carefully, trying to make out what laid beyond. Distracted, he did not hear the whistle of the slingstone as it flew.
A loud, meaty thud followed by a piercing scream range out, the hunter clutching his bloodied head and staggering about in shock...
Gideon thought he heard something, but a nearby thundclap cut it off, whatever it was. Still...
Kou'rha - you have initiative.
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Re: [Respite] - Factions
#657Kou'rha let the sling fall limp hanging from his finger as he rushed forward, a grunt of satisfaction escaping his throat. Now I shall see how this Other fights, he thought as the green-clad man reeled from the stone's impact. With a quick thrust, Kou'rha brought his knee up to strike the man's gut.
(OOC: Unarmed strike attempt) -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#658"Magic places. Now they make thunder sound like screams..." Gideon grumbled during his work, then he realized that Occam's Razor pointed towards a different explanation. "If it sounds like a scream, it most likely is one."
He lifted his head, and tried to catch a glimpse of... whatever. -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#659"Screaming my friend? Are you sure? If that is true it may bode quite ill for us. We should not leave it to sneak up on us but try to discover its sanctuary." At this Fafnir perked his head and thoroughly searched the forest with his eyes.
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Re: [Respite] - Factions
#660The hunter did not have the honed instincts of the Alun. An archer by trade, close action was not his specialty.
Kou'rha's knee smashed into the man's stomach with jarring impact. He drew forth a dagger, but his swing was wild. Coughing he finally got a clear look at his opponent - his eyes widening with surprise even with the pain.
Am assuming non-lethal damage... Round the next.
Fafnir saw nothing, but he was certain he heard a grunt of pain some distance away to the north.
Edit: GM Screwup on names. For the reference, I do this in real life. A fair bit. :)
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Re: [Respite] - Factions
#661(OOC: Non-lethal indeed.)
Wary at the glint of metal, Kou'rha brought his arm across rapidly, striking for the man's neck with the calloused ridge of his left hand.
(OOC: Attempting Stunning Fist.) -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#662"Whoever you are, step out, or I'll come to get you!"
He was prepared to romp into those bushes and drag out whoever was sneaking up on them ... and give him a sound spanking. -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#663"Please, surrender peacefully and you will be unharmed and dealt with in a fair and honorable fashion. Play the knave, and I shall send my ogre to spank you." Rajani said. -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#664Jhoric watched as Toboran climbed out of the hole in the floor, but was distracted by the loud threats of an ogreish spanking. "We may have trouble outside." He told Toboran as he headed out of the building to see what was going on.
Recovering from the stone structure's cramped conditions with a stretch, he had to ask, "What is going on out here?" -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#665Even as the voices found his ears, Kou'rha's fist found the hunter's chin. The strike was such that only his training and discipline prevented the strike from being fatal. As it was, the hunter collapsed in a heap, knocked out and back by the force of the impact. The dagger dropped from nerveless hands....
If all of the outsiders were such, there was little to fear from them...
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Re: [Respite] - Factions
#666Fafnir unsheathed his scimitar and held it by his side. He spoke "They don't appear to be surrendering, we must not be ambushed. I am going in, follow if I do not return." He then bounded away into the underbrush.
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Re: [Respite] - Factions
#667Kou'rha snorted as the hunter's body made a satisfying thud. It was almost too easy; he considered briefly if there was less than the Others than his uncle thought. The fresh memory of the fallen Tree Beast changed his mind.
Nearby, one of the Others - the big one - yelled something in Kou'rha's direction. The Alun instinctively froze in place, listening and watching. He hadn't planned on revealing his presence to the Others yet - he still hadn't thought of how to explain the whole situation to them - but Uorl'han's Will was prevailing. It was time to finally meet these strange folk head on and, with any luck, with the fraternity of warriors.
As if on cue, the Scaled One began to approach. Kou'rha inhaled deeply and stepped forward, arms at his sides with his empty palms forward. "!הלוחמים, אני אחיך" he bellowed. "!אל פחד!" -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#668"Look, it was just a friendly... something. Someone. Hello!"
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Re: [Respite] - Factions
#669(OOC - on a tight schedule this morning, will pretty this up tonight when I get off of work)
(IC - Cast Comprehend Languages - I think I can cast that as a cleric)
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Re: [Respite] - Factions
#670The being was reasonably human in appearance, taller then a dwarf but nearly as stocky. His face was dominated by heavy features - eyebrows, nose, chin, though his mouth seemed to totally lack lips. By and large, he was more human looking then half of the outsiders he was facing.
As Rajani's magic took hold, the strange language began to take a more understandable tone to her.
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Re: [Respite] - Factions
#671"Warriors, I am your brother!" he bellowed. "Do not fear!"
(OOC: I'm using Hebrew, for future reference. :-) I thought it looked old and glyph-y.) -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#672Balin did not know what he was saying and wished for a spell that would let him do so. But he lacked one. So he was at a loss of what to do and simply stood there, awkwardly. -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#673Gideon simply stood behind Rajani, adding his weight to the weight of her arguments, whatever they were, projecting a 'she points, I punch' attitude. -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#674Fafnir slumped, sighing. "What a world this is. Creatures of earth, walking trees, plant monsters, and now complete nonesense in word form. -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#675Toboran followed Jhoric out of the building and moved quickly to Balin and began to describe the rune that he had found, lest it slip from his mind. -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#676Having long finished uprooting his companion, Jaegarmond was still working on the wooden shelter, gathering whatever branches he could. As with the wave of magical energy, everyone seemed to have the newcomer situation under control, so he considered it a much better use of his time to continue expanding and reinforcing the shelter. The storm wouldn't care whether or not they had stood around and inquired of the humanoid in their midst. There would be time later for him to talk to and inquire of the stranger, should he stay around.
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Re: [Respite] - Factions
#677"我的朋友," Rajani said, the blessings of the divine twisting her words and thoughts into a strange language, the true langauge she suspected. "我们是难民，并且流放，我们正在寻找什么我们需要，食物，水，矿石做工具，我们不是敌人，除非您首先是我们的."
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Re: [Respite] - Factions
#678Discussion underway, the crude shelter began to have its first test. Raindrops the size of small pebbles began slashing down, each hitting ground, tree and person with surprising force and scattering droplets about. Few at first, they and the sky promised a downpour.
At first glance, the lashed boughs appeared to be channeling the water thus far.
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Re: [Respite] - Factions
#679Thinking that the others had the 'situation' in hand, Toboran returned to the stone building. Even if it was a little small, at least it was sturdier than branches. Just because one can sleep under one's own creation, doesn't mean that one wants to. -
Re: [Respite] - Factions
#680"Let's hide! I don't want to be a lovely shade of rusty brown by morning!" Gideon added to the conversation. "We can take our mystery friend with us."