Evacuate This, part 7
Log Info
- Title: Evacuate This, part 7
- Emitter: Whirlpool
- Characters: Eztli, Gramarye, Nemori, Robert, Jay, Magpie
- Place: Alexandros Wilderness
- Time: Tuesday, July 28, 2022, 10:00 PM
- Summary: The battle continues, one of the warped pixies flying high above the group, the second remains captured by bolas. The fake guards put up a good fight, their weapons inflicting wounds oddly undersized for what they seem to be. Robert, big dad, gently slams guards to sleep as Gramarye and Eztli sling their remaining spells. Magpie attempts to call the refugees back, and the fey finally abandon their attack. Swiftly, the caravan reorganizes and heads out.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Eztli 4'6" 140 Lb Sith-Makar Female A two-toned, short sith-makar. Gramarye 6'10" 320 Lb War Golem Female A golem girl with obsidian eyes and bronze plating. Jay 5'9" 145 Lb Eaglefolk Male A perky male Blue Jay with a discerning eye. Magpie 3'4" 36 Lb Gnome Female A blond gnome woman wearing a motley of colors. Robert 6'3" 235 Lb Human Male A middle-aged Cerenzan with a friendly, fatherly vibe. Nemori 4'10" 110 Lb Mul'niessa Female A tall and slender, dark skinned elf. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As the GM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Whirlpool Otyugh I am stinky! -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Previously
One of the false guards let slip that they are waiting for the wolves to come. Jay attempts to laugh it off and get the caravan moving, while Magpie shouts that the group has infiltrators. Nemori purges any invisibilities, revealing two fey. This gets the caravan moving - in all directions, as civilians panic and charge into the dark, DARK woods, while guards flail around with weapons unsuited to the fight. Battle ensues, the ugly flying pixies are brought down, by egalrin bolas and some well targeted spells.
"Grow!" The small makari hisses, waving her hand after getting stabbed by one of the guards, which nearly makes her lose focus. Unfortunately for the guard, it just revealed it wasn't actually a guard with how the stab wound didn't quite match up. Eztli hopped back, and raised her hand again, summoning another spear of bright orange flames that hit their foe point blank, burning away and leaving a large scorch mark on the wood, and one fallen foe. <Draconic>
Robert steps in with his fists, one making contact with a small foe threatening Jay.
Followed by retaliation from all the fae.
"Ow hey CAN YOU NOT?! TRYING TO DO A THING HERE!"
Extremely put out by all the stabbing, Magpie unlimbers a small, but wickedly-spiked ball on an iron haft, gets a good windup going, and two-hand smashes it into the false Guard's kneecap.
And the recoil nearly drives the weapon out of her hand, not even doing damage to the unseelie's imaginary pant leg.
"...Okay look in fairness this was never going to work out well for me."
The 'guard' sort of looks at her with a marginally befuddled look. "What was that?" He's so confused, he's just gonna stand there and stare.
Now
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+7: (11)+7: 18
An arrow plants itself in the ground near Jay.
The pixie looks at its bow, eyes Jay, then flies higher still. Nope. This isn't going well for it. It doesn't seem thrilled with the way events are unfurling on the ground either.
<OOC> Nemori says, "If I recall, my spells are all but spent." <OOC> Nemori will bit of luck Jay again, "and Stay near him." GAME: Nemori spends ONE use of BIT OF LUCK.
While the adventurers are doing quite well, the same can not be said of guards who were prepared for 'wights' and not 'fey'. '
They hack and fight and fire crossbows, but the 'fakes', when they even are sure they connected with a 'fake', aren't really impacted by all but the strongest, luckiest hits of their weapons. Seeing the rest of you do as well as you are is about the only thing that's keeping it from becoming a rout.
Nemori remains near Jay; she isn't up on the wagon, of course. No need to make herself a target. But her rapier is out in case one of the false guards draw close, and she continues to imbue him with the luck of the muse.
<OOC> Jay says, "okay, well the pixie is out of range, so attack one of the fake guards" <OOC> Jay says, "can I move to a flanking position? Robert seems near" <OOC> Whirlpool says, "Doable. Pose it :)" GAME: Jay rolls weapon2+2: (16)+8+2: 26 GAME: Jay rolls damage2+2d6: aliased to 1d6+1+2d6: (4)+1+(4): 9
"Thanks Nemori! Stay on the wagon!" Jay squawks, maneuvering to take a position opposite Roberts. He has time, a little time, to shake a fist at the pixie, high in the sky, "I'll get you later! Later!"
Then, thrust!
A faux-fex-guard gets a rude run-through from the egalrin's estoc!
<OOC> Gramarye says, "Okay. Gonna cast ray of frost at the pixie." GAME: Gramarye rolls ranged: (9)+2: 11 GAME: Gramarye rolls 1d3: (1): 1 <OOC> Gramarye fingerguns. That's all she wrote.
Gramarye's on the anti-fey measures. But her magical reserves are running low. "Mana reserves running low," she even informs, very helpfully. "Initiating frost ray module..."
Frost gathers in her hands, and she shoots it out at the pixie.
But misses. Also very helpful.
"Frost ray deployed. Target still remains. Combat status updated to: in progress."
<OOC> Robert says, "How high up are the not-sleepy fae? I'm 12'6" and have a 10' reach. I want to snag one if I can." <OOC> Whirlpool says, "The one remaining pixie has gone about 25 feet up." <OOC> Robert says, "Alright, yeah. FA the guards. Non-lethal. Not spending another charge for zappies. PA" GAME: Robert activates his Titan Armor, gaining: +4 Str GAME: Robert rolls weapon11-1: (11)+9+-1: 19 GAME: Robert rolls weapon13-1: (2)+9+-1: 10 GAME: Robert rolls 2d6+7+2: (4)+7+2: 13
Looming over the battlefield, Bob's head cranes about and his eyes narrow at one of the flittering creatures -just- out of reach. With some effort he rolls his shoulder and the joint skips loose with an enchoing *clunk.* He employs a draconian, hands-on approach to prompt an early nap-time but the second blow fails to connect as the armor continues to act out.
The disguised trickster reels from the force of the hit but keeps standing for now.
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Eztli can try to scorch the pixie!" GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+5: (4)+5: 9 (Ranged Touch - Miss) GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+5: (8)+5: 13 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+5: (19)+5: 24 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+5: (9)+5: 14 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+5: (5)+5: 10 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d6: (3): 3 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d6: (4): 4
The fake guards are getting weary, not to mention wary. With their pixie overlords seeming to be on the run, they're seeming less inclined to stick with the plan by the moment. At the fringes, a couple of them are dispersing and more are following suit. Those in the middle of things are a bit more late to the party on this front, attacking in good spirits and leaving wounds on Jay and Robert, minor though they are. Their blades, though sharp, are smaller than you'd think.
Eztli opens fire with a scorching ray. Though it misses, it's proximity to the pixie that remains flying sends it flying higher above still, trying to put more distance between it and the others. "Right, then! This isn't working," it squeaks, "They're gonna be mad."
The one on the ground is just biding its time, hoping its friends can hold out until it can turn invisible again. That's not looking likely, but it's plan is plain.
<OOC> Magpie says, "So the 'guard' menacing me. Can I take a 5' step away and still be on the wagon?" <OOC> Magpie says, "Gonna ignore the enemy on me in the hopes that I can materially aid the guards;" <OOC> Magpie says, "Is there one within 30' being hacked at by a fae?" <OOC> Magpie says, "Gonna throw a mage-booger at 'im. It's 1 acid damage per turn for three turns," <OOC> Magpie says, "but it also acts as a Tanglefoot bag." GAME: Magpie rolls ranged: (7)+4: 11 <OOC> Magpie says, "Then he takes -2 on attack rolls, -4 to Dexterity, DC 15 Reflex check to avoid being glued to the floor." GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+3: (8)+3: 11, "He is glued to the floor!"
"Okay seriously guy this is *not* gonna be any fun for you," Magpie promises her attacker as she scrabbles over luggage to get some breathing room.
Poking her head up over the cart, she glances over the battlefield, and finds the guardsmen struggling about as much as she is with their foes. Clawing at the air to gather loose specks of mana, she cups her hands to her face and makes the eldritch incantation;
- *SNRRRRRRRRRRKKKKKKKKK* *pthoo*
Winding up, she hurls a ball of dull-green colored, wobbly magical jelly at the guardsman's foe, and crows in joy as the goo splatters, turning into hindering ropes of jelly winding around arm and leg, faintly sizzling with corrosive energy.
Turning her grin back to her own assailant, she points at the friend of his she'd just booger'd. "Mostly because I'd rather be doing *anything else* than giving you the satisfaction of a fight I can't win."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Nemori channels." GAME: Whirlpool rolls 3d6: (10): 10
Nemori's healiong magics put good spirit into some of the guards who find themselves *no longer injured*. The fey make some sounds about 'cheating'.
<OOC> Jay says, "hah, yes, do some more stabbing" GAME: Jay rolls weapon2+2: (6)+8+2: 16 GAME: Jay rolls damage2+2d6: aliased to 1d6+1+2d6: (2)+1+(5): 8
"Ouch! Ouch!" The bluejay caws, stabbed by steely little knives, trickles of blood appearing on his feathers. He whips is rapier in a circle, hopping from side to side with Robert as a giant backdrop to his attacks.
"Huzzah!" He thrusts, returning the injury. "You can stop anytime!"
<OOC> Gramarye says, "I cast ray of frost. That's it. That's the tweet. On the Pixie" GAME: Gramarye rolls ranged: (11)+2: 13 (Miss)
Gramarye intones once again that her mana reserves are low, and once again that she is focusing her fire... err, frost... at the pixie, due to anti-fey measures.
She shoots, but she doesn't score. The pixie is just too resplendent of a creature, too majestic, too... tricksy of a pixie, to be hit by mere frost.
<OOC> Eztli says, "I think that still leaves a scorching ray!" <OOC> Eztli says, "shame 35 feet is within scorching ray distance" GAME: Eztli rolls 1d20+3+2: (8)+3+2: 13 (miss)
The small makari huffs once from the first missed attack, and quickly after she summons another flaming spear that she hurls up at the sky where she can see the pixie.
"Small little buggers, But there's only so many times I can miss." Eztli grumbles, torn between keeping an eye on the pixie and the fake guards.
<OOC> Robert says, "Same as last round. More NL thumpin." GAME: Robert rolls weapon11-1: (14)+9+-1: 22 GAME: Robert rolls weapon13-1: (19)+9+-1: 27 GAME: Robert rolls 2d6+7+2: (6)+7+2: 15 GAME: Robert rolls 2d6+7+2: (7)+7+2: 16 <OOC> Whirlpool says, "...two guards go down."
Another half-shrug and a crunch has bits of broken gearworks falling out from between breastplates and pauldron. That'll need to be fixed later but it's loosened up the sticking joint.
Bob swivels, opening and closing his massive gauntlets and snatches two of the pretender-guards up by the scruff of their collars. Little (relatively speaking) legs kick in the are as they're hoisted. Then the Cerenzan slams them together before dropping both dazed to the ground.
...there's a brief pause at the sight of two of their guard-friends being KO'd at once like that. It's a rather intimidating sight and the rest of them are just now deciding to nope out. In fact, one abruptly stops trying to stab Magpie and says, "Did he just ...? Yep. Yeah, that's about it. I'm out."
He hops off the wagon and bolts. Others are turning to bolt. Most of them aren't so injured that their two legs can't carry them away.
Up above, the Pixie sighs.
<OOC> Magpie says, "Full-round Diplomacy attempt to get folks back into the wagon." <OOC> Magpie says, "I'll summit Robert next round and try again if it doesn't take this time." GAME: Magpie rolls diplomacy: (11)+4: 15
"...fine. Let's get out of here. They're doomed anyway," yells t he tiny pip-squeak of a pixie. It can't save its friend, that one on the ground in the bola with Robert all but standing over it, but you know... them's the breaks, right?
They're outta here.
"Yeah you are!" Magpie shouts after her assailant, then clambers up to the highest point on the wagon and fills her lungs to deliver the Gnomiest rallying call she possibly can.
"OKAY! So now that we've cleared out the obstructions, we *really, really* need to get moving! C'MON, EVERYONE! WE GOTTA GIT, PACK IT UP AND LET'S GOOOOO!"
Robert leans against the nearest wagon, his size decreasing. His armour makes loud groans and clunking noises as the gears grind. "I'm fine with letting most of these folks escape. We need to focus on reorganizing the caravan and try to get people back together. I'll defer to the group, I need to catch a breather."
Nemori does her best to help rather than hinder, tempering her typical tersely and bluntly delivered words to a more coaxing, and hopefully reassuring tone. "Come along, come along. We have been given reason to push forward quickly! Do not be left behind! Look about you, be sure nobody is missing, and find a place on your wagons or be prepared to walk swiftly!"
"Do we have a headcount? How many were in each wagon, allegedly?" Jay asks, shaking his rapier as Robert knocks out the two closest guards. No one else is in range, so he leaps back up on the wagon, "Hey! Everyone! Come back!"
Gramarye's eyes flicker back to their normal color. Obsidian eyes scan the environment. "Combat module concluded," she states. "Thank you for using--"
Nope. Wrong script. "Error. Restarting."
A pause, and then Gramarye states, "I will return to a wagon and await further instruction there. All civilians who are not fey should follow my example."
Another beat.
"Please," Gramarye says. She's probably been told that word gets people to do what is sensible for their survival.
The mannequin girl hops back onto a wagon.
Eztli keeps staring up at the sky until it was seemingly clear that the pixie wasn't returning, and the others on the ground were fleeing. The small makari sighed, and slumped against the side of the wagon, exhausted.
"You heard what the others said. Make sure all the guards and refugees are accounted for, and back in the carts or in the convoy. They really wanted people into those forests, and I don't want anyone getting lost." She calls out.
"Nemori, Jay, Robert, Gram and Magpie, you all okay?" She asks afterwards.
"Lot less stabbed than I was a second ago, thanks for that Nemori!" Magpie chirps, turning slow circles from her vantage point.
"Anyone who can hear my voice and is too scared to come back: I promise you that you'll be a lot less safe out there than with us! Also we have the snacks, remember, and there's not a lotta hot-pie carts in the middle of nowhere!"
"I am fine," Nemori responds, keeping her attention on making sure there are no strays, or gather those who did stray, and that everyone understands the need to get moving, keep moving. "We can discuss what happened here another time. I do not wish to be here when..." She doesn't finish the thought. No need to panic anyone who didn't hear what the dark pixies said.
"Status: functional. Mana reserves: low." That is the answer that Eztli receives from Gramarye. It's probably the only one she's going to get.
"I'm ok, okay! It's just a flesh wound." Jay says, "I agree, we need to keep moving!"
... it's not easy work. The reality is that people in the caravan went every which way with their wagons to get away from the fighting when they could. Some stayed and hunkered down. Getting the latter on board is easier. Getting the former before the wolves get here, as was indicated when all hell broke loose, much harder. Seems like the fey's job was to delay you long enough for them to get to you, and to sufficiently confuse, replace, and mess with the guards to make it easier to prey on the caravan.
At least, that's the best guess you've got until you can talk to the Pixie, who isn't eager to talk just yet.
Regardless, seems they had a deal with 'the wolves', and now you've got a bunch of wagons out there that need rescuing *and* werewolves on the horizon, somewhere.
Or maybe even amongst you too. Who can say?
Nemori will get the Pixie to talk. Best that there are no witnesses for this.
Gramarye keeps watch on the pixie. She may not have mana reserves, but she will blast that pixie back to Quelynos if she can.
It is, after all, part of Father's protocol to eliminate fey at all costs.
There's really not a lot that magpie can do to go help the stragglers, beyond using Flare cantrips aimed skyward, to help the stragglers find their way back to the caravan. But given their situation, she's loath to even do that much, without talking very, very seriously to the remaining guardsmen. "So yeah," she says, after explaining her idea. "Upside is, I can throw up a nice, bright light that'll tell everyone in the general area where we are. Downside... I throw up a nice, bright light that tells everyone in the general area where we are. So uh.... your call, guys. I'm just here to help."
GAME: Nemori rolls diplomacy: (3)+8: 11 GAME: Nemori rolls bluff: (5)+9: 14
Nemori does her best to coax some of those who have fled to return back to the caravan. However, she finds it difficult to hide the fact that she only cares that they do so long as them being apart continues to delay the caravan's departure... it shows through, with some, in her exasperation. Maybe a few accidental word drops.
When you're ready to drop them like a hot coal that's suddenly grown eyes and a prehensile tentacle mouth the moment you can, it can be difficult to come across as sincere.
Eztli did what she could to help out where she could. She helped a few people onto the wagons, and talked with the remaining guards, hoping to put them a bit at ease, but also note that they need to remain vigilant. Such a dichotomy didn't help, but she was trying, growing increasingly more nervous.
Until the small makari was simply exhausted. She climbed up into the wagon, and promptly flopped onto her back on some of the sacks. "Just shout if the werewolves show up. I wasn't expecting to be so exhausted by all that."
"There's possibly a werewolf within the caravan. Allegedly." Jay says, returning from the woods leading a refugee, "That's what people have been saying. The light helped Gramarye, thanks."
He looks over the Caravan, and takes out a scroll. He made a list, he's checking it twice, his beak buried in the scroll then popping up to look over the group. "We're all here, allegedly. We can head out. I'm ready."
He hops up on the frontboard, moving over so Nemori has some room beside him. "Let's Roll."
They evacuate. Finally.
OOC
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Sorry, dad needed me."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "I had to sit by him for a few minutes. He was having some emotional distress and I need a minute to recover."
<OOC> Magpie understands.
<OOC> Eztli says, "That's all good"
<OOC> Jay says, "Oh, that is rough."
<OOC> Gramarye says, "<3 It's perfectly okay."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Thank you."
<OOC> Nemori says, "You do what you gotta do."
Dace Zinskas
<OOC> Nemori says, "Might be a decent place to pause."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Honestly, we're very close to wrapping up. :)"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "I'd like to do that rather than drag this out another week."
<OOC> Gramarye says, "I am ready to get it wrapped up, then."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Besides, ya'll have lerarned something of value about the name of someone connected to the werewolves, and captured a fairy for questioning. :)("
<OOC> Magpie says, "Fetch... THE COMFY CHAIR!"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "That legwork, will need to go into the queue and Aftershock will take care of it. :)"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "I might actually CC her to the loot job and let her weigh in there instead."
<OOC> Nemori says, "Okies."
<OOC> Nemori says, "There was a name? :("
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "THere was, a couple weeks back. I'll renote it in the job."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Becasue.. it was a couple weeks back."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Jay can probably find the pose too :)"