Zion: Light of the New Moon Part 2, Ch 3.2 Doen
Zion - Light of the New Moon, Part 2 Chapter 3.2
Doen A Wave of Crimson
Haldyn makes a successful Tactics check. Now, assuming everyone else can play their part, his excellent roll will provide the group a bonus to offense and defense. Go Haldyn! If the group succeeds at this Event Arc they will gain the following modifiers: - Danger, + Willpower, + Treasure, and something... special. If they fail, however, the other possibility is: -Luck, - Willpower, + Delay, ++ Danger.
The knock on my carriage door was a surprise and, although I was already up, Taggart was not, and he jumped in alarm. "It's alright... it's just the door." I calmed him. Wrapping my robe around myself I tied off my belt and went to answer the visitor. Haldyn stood impatiently beyond the portal, "Good morning." I offered.
"Pleasantries later." he said simply, "We'll be under attack when the sun comes up." Had I not been fully awake at that point I am certain that would have done it.
Taggart, who apparently heard the proclamation, fell out of our bed, "Did he say--?"
"Yes." the lion stated, "I'm gathering everyone by the fire pit. We don't have much time, so be quick." and, with that, he left. Looking back to Taggart I realized that neither of us had anything we could contribute to the announcement, so we both rushed to ready ourselves.
Haldyn wasted no time getting to the point once we were all gathered by the newly stoked fire, "We're surrounded by Blood Beasts."
"How 'surrounded' is surrounded, exactly?" Rust questioned.
"Thirty. Maybe more." Jasper spoke up, "I've been watching em for a few hours now."
"As have I." Haldyn acknowledged.
"And you figured waiting to tell us would be smart?" Dillan poked the fire with the end of a short sword.
"Blood Beasts only attack large groups at dawn and dusk." Zeke spoke up.
"That makes no sense." Dillan snorted, "I mean... they're beasts! It wouldn't make any sense for them to wait until--"
Narissa cleared her throat, interrupting the merchant. "The old stories tell of the first Blood Beasts being created by the profane defilement of a wayside by a--"
"Short version." the ferret stated flatly.
The tigress' ears flushed red for a moment. "They're afraid to attack people with either the sun or the moon in the sky."
"Which gives us time to plan our our defense." Haldyn explained, and he wasted no more time. His tactics were detailed... a little too detailed for me to understand the whole of it, but apparently Jasper and Narissa had no problem understanding what he meant. Zeke and Rust, the focus-point for each of the Lordling's flanks seemed to comprehend his battle orders the most, which was a good thing because the most I understood was that Taggart and I were supposed to stay near Zeke. Having a plan helped make me feel better, but only a little. When the unearthly snarling howls erupted from all around us however, those feelings of comfort left in an instant.
"Now!" Haldyn roared, and Narissa raised her paw. The tigress' arm caught fire immediately as she summoned forth flame, and pointed toward the ground to the east; around that time I realized that I smelled an awful amount of lamp oil. I understood at once the reason why Haldyn had left that flank unprotected-- a wall of fire would do that for us. Unfortunately, nobody seemed to take the wind into account... and the small spray of flame emerging from Narissa's paw didn't get anywhere near the oil.
Beside me, I heard Taggart's prayer begin; without that wall of fire protecting us it was only a matter of time until we were pressed into combat, and he prayed to Tah'aveen for the stamina and resilience needed to succeed. Even as he whispered his prayer to the Pregnant Moon I let my own voice rise up to the Full Moon.
If Taggart requested the will and stamina, then I decided I would seek her protection... and both our prayers were answered. Jasper, on the other side of the camp, issued a prayer of another type and, by the time the first Blood Beast came into the open, the Goddess' will was done and every last spark of life was drained from it, and suffused the rat with its vitality. Coupled with a prayer from Narissa, the glowing light of the Moon Goddess flowed through the camp, healing wounds, empowering, and invigorating us all.
"Oh, Goddess..." Zeke murmured, stepping back as he pulled out a short bow. I heard Taggart gasp next and turned to look in the direction of their gazes; it was my turn to freeze: at least a dozen of the red-furred wolflike-creatures were racing across the open ground toward us. Without the planned wall of fire, unfortunately that meant that they had a straight line to us. I readied my staff while Taggart took the combat stance Haldyn had taught him. Zeke released a single arrow before tossing his bow to the side, preferring his blade; despite the casual nature of the shot, it struck home.
"There's one." Taggart offered optimistically.
"And a whole pack to go." Zeke countered flatly. As the dozen-or-so beasts charged us, I couldn't help but identify more with the fox. My thoughts were pulled from our predicament, however, at the sound of the collision of combat from the other side of our camp... and it sounded bloody.
Haldyn continued to shout orders and directions from behind us, the sound of metal striking flesh, and teeth grating across armor almost pulling my eyes back to them, but I realized I couldn't afford the lapse in attention... and then, the Blood Beasts were upon us.
The first two jumped at Zeke and the fox pivoted, turning one way to avoid the first as it sprang on him and then, with all the grace of a dancer, turned and spun the other way, letting his blade lead his move until he guided it right into the open maw of the second Blood Beast, felling it immediately. The sound of a cry of pain from behind me pulled my attention away for just a moment.
Despite the dozen we had rushing us, I could readily tell that the other side of the camp had it much worse. Jasper was facing off against a half dozen Blood Beasts all by himself; despite the fact that three Blood Beasts lay dead at his feet one of his arms and one of his legs were bloody... and he still had to contend with two more.
"Fuck you! And fuck you!" Dillan shouted at his own problems, hacking wildly at two Blood Beasts as they tried to spring onto of the carriage where he was perched. The merchant kept kicking at the creatures each time they sprang up at him, forcing them back, but he was forced to switch over to his sword exclusively as one latched onto his foot after one such kick, drawing a huge tear in his boot... and foot.
"Zach!" Taggart shouted, and I realized just what my few seconds of attention lapse had done. A half of the creatures dozen had rushed by Zeke and were upon us. Taggart swung wildly with his sword, battle stance forgotten as he sought to keep them at bay. I moved to his aid with my staff but I couldn't do any better. I felt a moment of hopelessness as I registered the fact that they circled us and seemed to effortlessly drive us apart. With three against each of us, the odds were not very good.
I didn't realize an attack was coming from behind me, and screamed when the first beast's teeth sank into the back of my leg. I managed to push it back with my staff just in time to turn and face the other two. I knocked one back with a kick, though it didn't seem the least bothered by it, and the other I was barely able to jump back as its teeth closed around where my uninjured leg had just been... I knew if I was hamstrung it'd all be over.
Taggart's blade rang out as it struck bone, and I turned to see him pull his sword out from the neck of a Blood Beast that had latched onto his off-hand arm. Blood flowed freely from the bite mark once the slain creature fell to the ground. He glanced toward me and offered a confident smile-- I didn't have a chance to shout a warning as another bowled him over, sinking its teeth into his shoulder.
"TAGGART!" I exclaimed, helpless to provide aid as the Blood Beasts harrying me refused to relent. "Taggart! Get to Taggart!" I called.
Haldyn renewed his shouts, ordering the combat line on the other side of the camp to fall back to aid those of us who weren't quite as skilled. The lion's blade rang out several times, disaptching five Blood Beasts as he held the line so Rust and Jasper could get to us. Despite his success, there were still far more of the creatures to contend with, and he had to shake one of them off his leg after its teeth clamped down onto his thigh.
Rust, who was right behind the Lordling, casually smashed that one in the head with his hammer hand and crushed another's spine with the back-swing. He was quickly jumped by several more Blood Beasts, but he simply flexed his shoulders and they were met by a wall of spikes-- I do not care to remember the dying sounds they made as they were impaled. unfortunately, none of them were much closer to Taggart.
Narissa shouted arcane words of power, motioning towards the two Blood Beasts attacking Taggart and sending a crackling bolt of lightning into the one pinning the dog. She maintained her stance as the blast of electricity arced through the first creature and into the second, felling them both and leaving Taggart without assailant... but he was still not moving. The tigress screamed as one of the Blood Beasts nearest her sprang up and clamped down onto her outstretched forearm. She beat it back with the pommel of a dagger, and quickly spun away from two more that lashed out at her legs.
"Protect Taggart!" Haldyn shouted, "They'll try to drag him off!"
Responding to the lion's order, Jasper reached out toward one that was rushing the prone dog and, in the span of a breath, had siphoned out its life; the lesser wounds he had sustained in combat disappeared immediately. The three Blood Beasts circling me tensed, ready to attack again, but my own prayer to the New Moon was answered and, with nothing more than the faint sound of a chilling breeze, they dropped dead... and by then, our warriors had joined up with us.
Rust paused by Taggart long enough to kneel down and ask Tah'aveen for aid; the Full Moon was with us as Her power washed the injuries from our bodies. Narissa repeated an earlier prayer to the Pregnant Moon and her plea was answered by a renewed sense of purpose in us all. Despite the number of Blood Beasts that had attacked, we were still alive and most of us were still standing. I realized at that moment that we would survive the morning. Watching Zeke cleanly decapitate the last Blood Beast attacking him certainly helped reinforce that feeling.
Jasper, Haldyn, and Rust quickly butchered the last Blood Beasts around us while Dillan continued to fend off those at the carriage. Only once I had a moment to breathe did I notice something particularly odd: despite the number of mounts and draft animals we had, the creatures were only attacking us. I was unable to devote the time or thought to the strange situation, but I made it a point to come back to it once we were safe. It didn't take very long.
With a powerful blast of air, Narissa knocked all three of her remaining assailants back. The Blood Beasts rolled around on the earth, having difficulty standing because of the oil-soaked ground. I saw a vindictive grin spread across her muzzle as a predatory glint flashed in her eye-- a moment later a small spark flashed across her fingers... and then, we had no more Blood Beasts to worry about; between the power of the magic and the burning oil none of the other creatures thought it wise to hang around.
* * * * * *
Well, it appears that the morning of combat has come to an end and the group successfully protected themselves... unfortunately, the group is not out of the woods yet, and it's only a matter of daylight hours until the massing Blood Beasts will give it another go. At this point, Taggart is down for the count and will require major healing. Contributing Readers:
A) Narissa should use her Heartwood Poultice to get Taggart back into the fray. B) Narissa should use her Heartwood Poultice on <insert character> instead so they will be better able to help in the upcoming combat. C) Narissa should save that poultice for an emergency... it'll probably be needed all too soon.
And also, a vote regarding what the party should do:
1) Set camp and prepare for another attack at dusk. (+ Delay, bonus to the next combat). 2) Have Zachary be ready to repel the next attack with a divine ward. (- Favor, enough of a success will allow the party to avoid the next combat altogther). 3) Run like a bat out of the Eternal Flame and try to get beyond the Blood Beasts' hunting grounds. (-Delay, +1 Major Fatigue, everyone will roll and enough of a success will cut the encounters of this chapter down by 1... but there won't be any bonuses for the upcoming combat.)
Make your votes-- they're due by midnight on Thursday, January 19th. Also be sure to declare your stance and utilization because they're due by the same time!