Spurred on by the sounds of terrible screeching behind him, Shin scurries across the murky river on his block of ice. Once he reaches the other side, he leaps onto the muddy bank and begins his mad dash towards the other folks he saw earlier, his tiny legs pumping furiously beneath him. Behind him, he hears the sound of several large creatures leaping into the river, splashing wildly as they attempt to cross the body of water.
Both Pinky-Toe and Korrinth are able to see the large, reptilian beasts as they leap into the river. Standing about as tall as a man, they rush forward on their back legs which end in wickedly sharp talons on their feet. They have small front legs, but they too are clawed. They snap at and screech at each other anxiously as they ford the river, hunger driving them forward.
EVERYONE ELSE
Silvana easily finds a place to hide; there’s plenty of foliage and terrain that can hide her from the sight of whatever is coming. After she does so, you all see a short goblin burst from the line of jungle trees not too far away from you, his tiny feet crossing the distance between you as quickly as prey flees from a predator. Behind him, you can hear the sound of creatures racing through the undergrowth in hot pursuit. You have mere moments before whatever is screeching breaks through the tree line.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
With the screeching announcement of reptilian predators in the tree-line, Atax tries to find a place from which to hide and to assess what is looking for its lunch. As Atax hurriedly looks for a spot that can cover his large body along with the others, he looks back over to the forest to see another halfling but green, a goblin. ‘Why is everyone so small in this place?’ Atax thinks to himself and comes to the decision to help the goblin if it gets close enoughto save it from the predators, unless of course it would be better to allow the reptiles to eat the green-skinned creature to escape their claws with Silvana and if possible Euphemia in tow, ‘ you’ll never know when you’ll need bait in the future’
As Silvana deftly hides in the midst of a gulley full of dense foliage, Euphemia follows her lead, scrambling after her, hoping that Atax and Donnyl will be right behind her. She snaps a glance back just in time to see a goblin--a goblin!?--barreling towards them. Well, let whatever's chasing it have it! Good riddance!Euphemia has fought too many goblins in her time, and found them to be overall surly creatures. Well, there was that one fellow... more civilized than the Northmen he was, at any rate... bad blood doesn't count for everything. Oh, come on! She waves at the goblin and then dives into the bushes after Silvana. She tumbles into the mossy, decay-smelling ground underneath, disoriented for just a moment, and looking up, realizes she can't see anything at all out of the bushes--not if her new companions are joining her and the cat--whom she also cannot see with her dappled coat in the bushes--or where the screeching animals are, or if they're still coming for them... Oh, I don't like it, no, not at all... The halfling's skin crawls with trepidation as she lays low, her heart pounding.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Atax, realizing that Euphemia and Silvana found a good enough spot to hide their bodies waits a second longer before entering, trying to make sure the goblin dashing across the ground to notice where he tries to escape the screeching reptilian predators.
Pinky-toe, with her 60' flying speed is able to easily outpace Shin with his 30' ground speed and circles back at a safe distance to form an estimate of how many reptiles are approaching, using owls' Keen Hearing and Sight.
Oh come on, she needles the goblin telepathically, turn and fight like a man! Or whatever it is that you are. What's the worst that could happen?
Attempting to ignore his familiar's jibe but listening to the estimated count of pursuing reptilian predators, Shin barely notices the halfling with the strange wind instrument disappearing into the underbrush as if no one had ever been there, briefly waving to him as she goes. Impressive. Perhaps the song was hers. And did you say there was a cat-like humanoid as well Pinky-toe? I see no sign of one. I suppose hiding becomes a very important skill in this land.
The goblin doesn't miss the huge lizardfolk of course, making direct eye contact (Shin Passive Perception: 15). He nods at the towering warrior, almost formally, then very intentionally does not follow any of the humanoids into their specific hiding spots, not wanting to draw the reptiles to them in case they have spotted Shin already. It would be a poor greeting indeed to give away their positions!
Unsure if these strangers speak Common, he tries nonetheless. Speaking as if to himself (as if no one else is there): "I wonder how the reptiles' sense of smell is? If they can follow my scent, they will find my hiding spot even if I remain silent and unseen." (A sincere worry, Shin does not know).
He mumbles and gesticulates, barely remembering what he is doing, and a slight, shimmering field of green encases him (Mage Armor). He then enters the bushes on the opposite side of the clearing from where the others concealed themselves. (Bonus action hide using goblins' Nimble Escape). He does not yet start his bladesong, but wills his breathing and pulse to return to normal in case he needs to do so.
In a moment of poor judgment, Korinth elects to emerge from the river in hopes of silently tracking the strange beasts and striking from the rear... Shit!
So lost in his thoughts is he, his emergence stirs a nest of brightly colored birds, the occupants of which scatter in a flurry of bright feathers and audible flapping. Throwing caution to the wind, he leaps back into the water, hoping to be long gone before anything comes to investigate. He instead continues downriver. If he can track them by their movements, maybe he can catch them from the side. For now, though, he focuses on swimming.
From her perch, Pinky manages to catch sight of the lizard beasts as the rush towards Shin. She counts 8 of the creatures, but she notices that two of the creatures at the pack of the pack stop, cock their heads as they notice something, and then turn about to race back towards the river. Maybe they notice Korrinth back there?
Moments after Shin dives into some bushes near the rest of the group, the pack of raptors emerge from the dense foliage. They hiss and screech as the look cautiously around the clearing. It looks like the lost track of the goblin as they were making there way through the trees. A few of them being their heads close to the ground, sniffing a few tracks pressed into the mud as the slowly begin making their way towards the general area the group hides.
With everyone in their places, you notice that one of the reptilian beasts has a bright orange crest of feathers that lay flat against its head and back. It’s slightly larger than the others, and the other beasts give it a slight berth. You assume it’s some sort of alpha.
KORRINTH
After swimming downriver a ways, Korrinth cautiously peeks out of the murky river. As he does, he spots two of the creatures standing at the river bank where he just stood a few moments ago. One of them sniffs the ground as the other looks around it, hissing as it does. They don’t seem to notice you.
Seeing that everyone she has met is safely hidden away for the moment, Silvana slowly takes out her bow and holds her breath. She really doesn't want to give her position away. She wonders about the goblin, but not now... they needed to stay not eaten.
Six of them, with two more remaining back at the river, perhaps having caught wind of the anonymous aquatic humanoid just as these have caught wind of me. Or of us. Six is likely too many... too many... unless perhaps we all fight in concert... and even then...
Slight hints of frost form at Shin's fingertips and almost, almost he begins humming his bladesong, but not yet. Not yet.
He glances out at the carnivorous lizards, attempting to gauge whether it is inevitable that they will find Shin, or any other hider. Unfortunately his low stature and intervening bushes make his analysis more difficult and he stifles a querulous grumble.
Frustrated at being unable to see, Euphemia quietly stands up again, rising up on her bare toes to just peek through a dense twist of leaves and branches. And she sees the animals. The sheer strangeness of them chills her blood. Their teeth, claws, scales, feathers... What are they? Drakes? Oh, they're awful.As she watches them move, however, their behavior doesn't remind her of drakes. She can't really even remember what drakes are, or--no, that's not the right word, it's dragons--but they are alien and terrible and magical. And somehow these creatures don't feel like that. The way they move and behave reminds her of birds, of hounds, of snakes, all rolled into one.
They are just beasts of some kind...The smell of them, like rotten meat, is beginning to drift towards the group's precarious hiding place. Hunters. And there's a lot of them. But they're social, see? They've got a little pack order. That one with the orange feathers. Euphemia steals a silent glance back at her companions, the cat and the lizard, waiting tensely. There's a bow in the cat's paws. Wait a minute... where's Donnyl? He must've hidden somewhere else. We're wily ones, we halflings... I didn't even see the lad!
But the strange animals are coming towards their hiding place, sniffing the ground. Euphemia swallows. They're going to find us. And then what? Caught in this gully, no clear shot for broadswords or bows, and blasted if I could shake out me pipes without catching myself in a tree here.
The halfling drops back down, and begins to crawl swiftly and silently through the underbrush, trying to circle around, to get out of sight of her companions, to move far away from their threatened hiding place, and, perhaps, offer the creatures some diversion. She chuckles to herself as she nimbly crawls through the scrubby foliage. Wade away, wade away, through the water, and you'll get away, get away, they can't follow...The slope towards the base of the cliff rises up in front of her, and she angles around it. Right about here. Then, taking a deep breath, she slowly stands, pulling the bag of her pipes under her arm, and the chanter to her lips, until her head pops above the undergrowth. Oh, they're so close. The stench of rotting meat hits her full in the face and she gulps. Thirty paces, no more. The tiny halfling pulls herself up to her full height, knowing that the animals will see her.
And she begins to play. A warbling sort of tune, oddly reminescent of the animals' own screeches that had echoed through the jungle in their pursuit. And something shifts as she locks gazes with the orange-feathered leader of the pack...
As the strange warbles of the bagpipes echo into the air, Euphemia drops the chanter from her lips, still staring at the orange-feathered alpha. Somehow, she knows that whatever she's done, whatever she has communicated, that it is listening, that it won't hurt her now. Wish I had something to feed it, she thinks, morosely. Keeping her bagpipes tucked under her arm, she reaches out her other hand in a non-threatening way, speaking loudly and reassuringly.
"Hey there, lad, hey now, you're all right, I bet you're hungry, eh? You and your friends? I'm not going to hurt you. You won't let your pals eat me, will you? Maybe we can help each other. There's some friends of mine hiding nearby, they don't want any trouble, if ye don't hurt me, they won't hurt you either." She tries to project this sentence especially, hoping the others will hear it, and not make a move against the raptors unless they try to attack her. I know this one, with the orange crest there, I know it won't. I don't know about the others, though. She starts walking towards her new friend, and despite her intuitive understanding of the effects of her own spell, she is totally unsure of how to gain its protection. She carefully looks for some sign or body language to instruct her.
Animal Handling: (with advantage) 20 Insight: (with advantage but it's the same without, second roll was lower) 11
Silvana is stunned as she catches glimpses of what creatures were responsible for the screeches she and the others heard before diving into their hiding spaces. She watches them with wide almost bulging eyes, trying to decide which beast to peg with her arrow.
That's when the brave little halfling emerges close to them,what was she doing?Silvana watches as Euphemia pulls out her pipes and starts playing. Is this woman mad? She is going to get herself and probably us killed! Just as she is about to send an arrow to the closest beast to Euphemia, she hears what the halfling is saying. No way. What was she trying to pull?
The tabaxi readies her bow to release if any of the creatures attack.
Rising from the water, Korinth takes aim for a moment and then releases an arrow towards the reptilian beasts. Water droplets cascade from the thin shaft as it hurtles through the muggy air for a mere moment before it embeds itself deeply in its body near its thick leg. That beast, which you suddenly recall as being named a raptor, screeches in pain, nearly collapsing as its injured leg weakens beneath it. The other raptor drops low to the ground and hisses as they both turn to face you. You have their attention now, though you're not quite sure that's the best thing to happen to you.
Everyone Else
Suddenly docile, the creature, which you too suddenly recall being named a raptor, with the brilliant orange plumage looks at you curiously. The other raptors, however, aren't as inclined to be as friendly as the alpha. A few of them yowl loudly and then race towards Euphemia, their stomping feet trampling grass brush in their haste. The alpha suddenly turns to face its companions and screeches at them, plumage flared aggressively. The raptors stop their charge, looking confused. The alpha hisses and chitters at the other raptors, and then it turns back towards the halfling woman that charmed it. Head cocked, it starts slowly walking towards Euphemia, head low in an almost submissive manner. It stops within a few feet of you, and now that you're close to it, the scent of rotting flesh is almost overpowering. You see that its toothy maw is stained with rivulets of dried blood, and a few flies flit about in search of rotting morsels of previous meals to feast upon. The other raptors slowly approach Euphemia as well, though they seem a bit more wary. The alpha brings its head close to you, and you can't help but notice that this creature could probably eat you in one bite. Instead of doing so, the raptor starts sniffing you. Its large nostrils bump and rub against you as it unabashedly begins investigating you. The other raptors approach and also start sniffing the air. These were definitely curious creatures.
Suddenly, you hear a pained screech come from within the jungle. All the raptors snap their heads up and turn towards the sound. Then, with plumage flared, the raptor screeches and begins charging back towards the jungle, the other raptors wailing as they too hurtle back towards the direction they came from.
Silvana breathes a sigh of relief as the raptors take off. Replacing her arrow back in her quiver and shouldering her bow, she is still nervous to show herself. She crawls towards Euphemia until she is within whispering distance, "You ok? How'd you do that?"
Euphemia feels like she might have a heart attack as the other raptors--raptors, they're called that, like the birds--start to charge her, only to feel all her adrenaline drain out as the alpha stops them. Her knees feel like water, but somehow she stays standing, her hand still outstretched.
"There's a good lad," she says, encouragingly, despite the fact that her heart is still pounding like a hammer inside of her chest, as the orange-plumed animal approaches her. She tries to hold her breath against the smell as it bumps and sniffs her. "Good lad," she says, in the high-pitched sort of voice in which one talks to a dog that has just done well. "Good lad." She very gently touches the scaled snout.
As the pained screech echoes from the jungle and the pack suddenly looks up and wheels around, Euphemia gasps. Something happened out there. Did one of its packmates get hurt? As the animals charge away, Euphemia's knees finally give out and she sits down, the grass and brush around her nearly hiding her small form from view again. "By the Invincible," she gasps.
Then she hears Silvana's whisper behind her. "Oi, I'm right all right, lass... not a scratch. How'd I do it, eh? There's something about the music. I don't really remember, but I guess there were things I could do with it, and it came back to me. To convince an animal not to hurt you, and be a bit friendly, even. I figured if that orange plumed one did well, he'd tell the others to lay off, and so he did. Right lucky, it was, eh? Oh, Archpaladin, that was terrifying." She laughs, wringing her hands a bit as she stands back up and turns to look for her hidden companions. "And it'll last a good day or so, him being friendly to me, that is. So long as we don't hurt him, or his packmates either, I guess. Sounds like one of them got in some trouble out there. How many forgetful travelers are there, do you suppose? Might be what they feed on..." she shivers. "They're hunters though... we're right sure to be hungry after a bit ourselves... would be nice if they stayed friendly to us, maybe we'd share some food."
Euphemia realizes she's rambling, and looks down to take stock of herself. Still all there. No missing limbs. Not bleeding. Just... oh, my sleeve. The ragged tear in the threadbare sleeve of her robe hangs loose where the bird bit her, some clotted blood still spoiling the wound. Another song starts to rise into her mind, and she sings, softly, "There's a hole in my britches, dear Liza, dear Liza, there's a hole in my britches, dear Liza, a hole..." She draws one finger along the ragged tear as she singsongs the silly little ditty, and, to her amazement, the ragged edges mend back together as if the fibers had never been torn. "Well," Euphemia says. "Would you look at that!"
Smiling, she looks up and again to see if she can spot her companions, and turns around to look at the jungle and see what she can hear of the commotion of the raptor pack.
Pinky-toePerception on departing raptors using Keen Hearing and Sight: 15 (rolled as Animal Handling on Shin's char sheet, same +3 bonus). ShinArcana to guess at what type of magic Euphemia must have used: 18
Despite his fear, Shin observes with acute interest as the halfling with the strange wind instrument appears to work primal friendship magic upon the lead reptile pack hunter. Through foggy memory, he seems to remember hearing of such spells before, though they are outside the scope of his arcane knowledge. It is a good thing that these Raptors... yes raptors is their name... anyway, it is a good thing she guessed correctly that they are relatively unintelligent or I believe such primal beast friendship magic may have failed, to her woe - and ours!
The goblin waits until Pinky-toe, watching from the tree above, gives the all-clear. Emerging from his hiding spot, absent-mindedly unaware of the small twigs and burrs in his clothing, Shin gives the halfling woman an odd bow, keeping his voice low, but his tone friendly but urgent.
"Well done, madame halfling, well done indeed. I believe I have heard of such magic, but never before seen it put to such topical use. And perhaps the same of your... song? I am Shindo, or Shin to my friends, and this is Pinky-toe, my familiar." (The owl glides down to settle on Shin's shoulder).
"I apologize sincerely for fleeing in your direction as the raptors came, but I thought of safety in numbers, not knowing that a sole, skilled halfling would suffice. I did see you had a large lizardfolk companion, and perhaps one or two others, likely well-hidden."
(Assuming Silvana has not come out of hiding yet?)
"Yet, there is another. An acerbic aquatic humanoid who would not provide his name. He helped me cross the muddy river back in that direction, yet himself remained concealed below the waters as the reptiles arrived. Pinky-toe tells me that two of the raptors remained behind at the river. That pained cry may have been one of them. I am not certain if the aquatic humanoid was responsible, though it seems plausible that he was. The question is now, should we help him? And if so, can we? From my brief encounter with him, I admit, I did not receive the impression that he wanted help."
Back at the river, Korinth pulls his bow taut once more. He wings it, hoping the second shot might down the first creature. If possible, he thinks, I may be eating well by sundown... Or dead.
...Oh well -- easy come, easy go. The arrow flies...
As Pinky swoops high above, she’s able to catch a glimpse at some kind of kerfuffle happening down at the river. She spots two raptors on the shore and the aquatic man from before a little downstream of them. She watches as both the raptors begin sprinting along the river bank towards him…
KORINTH
The arrow grazes the side of the injured raptor as it veers to the side, the arrow ricocheting off its stony scales. Your failed attack seems to spur them into action as they both begin sprinting along the riverbank towards you, mud squelching and twigs snapping under their clawed feet. They close the distance between you and then frighteningly fast, and the uninjured raptor leaps into the river after you. Much splashing and flailing ensues as it struggles to get close to you.
The injured raptor stays on the shore, favoring its wounded side with a noticeable limp. It shifts foot from foot warily as it regards you, a sound similar to clicking emanating from its throat.
Deeper in the forest, Korinth can hear other figures trampling through undergrowth as they approach they river.
Actions:
Raptor 1, injured: Move 40 feet and then takes the Dodge action
Raptor 2, uninjured: Move 40 feet and very unsuccessful attempts to Dash into the river
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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SHIN and KORRINTH
Spurred on by the sounds of terrible screeching behind him, Shin scurries across the murky river on his block of ice. Once he reaches the other side, he leaps onto the muddy bank and begins his mad dash towards the other folks he saw earlier, his tiny legs pumping furiously beneath him. Behind him, he hears the sound of several large creatures leaping into the river, splashing wildly as they attempt to cross the body of water.
Both Pinky-Toe and Korrinth are able to see the large, reptilian beasts as they leap into the river. Standing about as tall as a man, they rush forward on their back legs which end in wickedly sharp talons on their feet. They have small front legs, but they too are clawed. They snap at and screech at each other anxiously as they ford the river, hunger driving them forward.
EVERYONE ELSE
Silvana easily finds a place to hide; there’s plenty of foliage and terrain that can hide her from the sight of whatever is coming. After she does so, you all see a short goblin burst from the line of jungle trees not too far away from you, his tiny feet crossing the distance between you as quickly as prey flees from a predator. Behind him, you can hear the sound of creatures racing through the undergrowth in hot pursuit. You have mere moments before whatever is screeching breaks through the tree line.
With the screeching announcement of reptilian predators in the tree-line, Atax tries to find a place from which to hide and to assess what is looking for its lunch. As Atax hurriedly looks for a spot that can cover his large body along with the others, he looks back over to the forest to see another halfling but green, a goblin. ‘Why is everyone so small in this place?’ Atax thinks to himself and comes to the decision to help the goblin if it gets close enoughto save it from the predators, unless of course it would be better to allow the reptiles to eat the green-skinned creature to escape their claws with Silvana and if possible Euphemia in tow, ‘ you’ll never know when you’ll need bait in the future’
Perception (survival adds the same): 18
As Silvana deftly hides in the midst of a gulley full of dense foliage, Euphemia follows her lead, scrambling after her, hoping that Atax and Donnyl will be right behind her. She snaps a glance back just in time to see a goblin--a goblin!?--barreling towards them. Well, let whatever's chasing it have it! Good riddance! Euphemia has fought too many goblins in her time, and found them to be overall surly creatures. Well, there was that one fellow... more civilized than the Northmen he was, at any rate... bad blood doesn't count for everything. Oh, come on! She waves at the goblin and then dives into the bushes after Silvana. She tumbles into the mossy, decay-smelling ground underneath, disoriented for just a moment, and looking up, realizes she can't see anything at all out of the bushes--not if her new companions are joining her and the cat--whom she also cannot see with her dappled coat in the bushes--or where the screeching animals are, or if they're still coming for them... Oh, I don't like it, no, not at all... The halfling's skin crawls with trepidation as she lays low, her heart pounding.
Stealth: 17
Perception: 5
Atax, realizing that Euphemia and Silvana found a good enough spot to hide their bodies waits a second longer before entering, trying to make sure the goblin dashing across the ground to notice where he tries to escape the screeching reptilian predators.
Stealth:4
Pinky-toe, with her 60' flying speed is able to easily outpace Shin with his 30' ground speed and circles back at a safe distance to form an estimate of how many reptiles are approaching, using owls' Keen Hearing and Sight.
Pinky-toe Perception: 17
Oh come on, she needles the goblin telepathically, turn and fight like a man! Or whatever it is that you are. What's the worst that could happen?
Attempting to ignore his familiar's jibe but listening to the estimated count of pursuing reptilian predators, Shin barely notices the halfling with the strange wind instrument disappearing into the underbrush as if no one had ever been there, briefly waving to him as she goes. Impressive. Perhaps the song was hers. And did you say there was a cat-like humanoid as well Pinky-toe? I see no sign of one. I suppose hiding becomes a very important skill in this land.
The goblin doesn't miss the huge lizardfolk of course, making direct eye contact (Shin Passive Perception: 15). He nods at the towering warrior, almost formally, then very intentionally does not follow any of the humanoids into their specific hiding spots, not wanting to draw the reptiles to them in case they have spotted Shin already. It would be a poor greeting indeed to give away their positions!
Unsure if these strangers speak Common, he tries nonetheless. Speaking as if to himself (as if no one else is there): "I wonder how the reptiles' sense of smell is? If they can follow my scent, they will find my hiding spot even if I remain silent and unseen." (A sincere worry, Shin does not know).
He mumbles and gesticulates, barely remembering what he is doing, and a slight, shimmering field of green encases him (Mage Armor). He then enters the bushes on the opposite side of the clearing from where the others concealed themselves. (Bonus action hide using goblins' Nimble Escape). He does not yet start his bladesong, but wills his breathing and pulse to return to normal in case he needs to do so.
Shin Stealth: 15
Pinky-toe alights atop a nearby tall tree, looking all around, above and below for threats and relaying them to Shin.
Mud(Paladin2):Frandal's Scourge/Inge(Barbarian1):Krayveneer's After the Fall/Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1):Uhtred's Windward Isles/Shin(Wizard2):Dimir_MTG's Surviving
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric3):Vos' Beyond the Veil/Soren(Druid4):Bartjeebus' Ravenloft/Nivi(Rogue3):Raiketsu's CoS/Lyra(Warlock2/Bard2):BlameItOnWinter's Will of the Ancients
Joren(Fighter5):NotDrizzt's Simple Request/Quyen(Adept1):Constance's Nentir Vale/Rel(Warlock2):Uhtred's Phandelver/Xarian(Fighter1/Wizard1):ShieldHero's Drakkenheim
In a moment of poor judgment, Korinth elects to emerge from the river in hopes of silently tracking the strange beasts and striking from the rear... Shit!
So lost in his thoughts is he, his emergence stirs a nest of brightly colored birds, the occupants of which scatter in a flurry of bright feathers and audible flapping. Throwing caution to the wind, he leaps back into the water, hoping to be long gone before anything comes to investigate. He instead continues downriver. If he can track them by their movements, maybe he can catch them from the side. For now, though, he focuses on swimming.
EVERYONE
From her perch, Pinky manages to catch sight of the lizard beasts as the rush towards Shin. She counts 8 of the creatures, but she notices that two of the creatures at the pack of the pack stop, cock their heads as they notice something, and then turn about to race back towards the river. Maybe they notice Korrinth back there?
Moments after Shin dives into some bushes near the rest of the group, the pack of raptors emerge from the dense foliage. They hiss and screech as the look cautiously around the clearing. It looks like the lost track of the goblin as they were making there way through the trees. A few of them being their heads close to the ground, sniffing a few tracks pressed into the mud as the slowly begin making their way towards the general area the group hides.
With everyone in their places, you notice that one of the reptilian beasts has a bright orange crest of feathers that lay flat against its head and back. It’s slightly larger than the others, and the other beasts give it a slight berth. You assume it’s some sort of alpha.
KORRINTH
After swimming downriver a ways, Korrinth cautiously peeks out of the murky river. As he does, he spots two of the creatures standing at the river bank where he just stood a few moments ago. One of them sniffs the ground as the other looks around it, hissing as it does. They don’t seem to notice you.
(Stealth Roll-20{17+3})
Tentatively, Korinth lifts his head above the surface, bringing his bow up, arrow knocked and ready...
Seeing that everyone she has met is safely hidden away for the moment, Silvana slowly takes out her bow and holds her breath. She really doesn't want to give her position away. She wonders about the goblin, but not now... they needed to stay not eaten.
Six of them, with two more remaining back at the river, perhaps having caught wind of the anonymous aquatic humanoid just as these have caught wind of me. Or of us. Six is likely too many... too many... unless perhaps we all fight in concert... and even then...
Slight hints of frost form at Shin's fingertips and almost, almost he begins humming his bladesong, but not yet. Not yet.
He glances out at the carnivorous lizards, attempting to gauge whether it is inevitable that they will find Shin, or any other hider. Unfortunately his low stature and intervening bushes make his analysis more difficult and he stifles a querulous grumble.
Shin Investigation: 9
I'm perfectly safe up here, thank you for asking, Pinky-toe offers telepathically inside the goblin's mind.
Mud(Paladin2):Frandal's Scourge/Inge(Barbarian1):Krayveneer's After the Fall/Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1):Uhtred's Windward Isles/Shin(Wizard2):Dimir_MTG's Surviving
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric3):Vos' Beyond the Veil/Soren(Druid4):Bartjeebus' Ravenloft/Nivi(Rogue3):Raiketsu's CoS/Lyra(Warlock2/Bard2):BlameItOnWinter's Will of the Ancients
Joren(Fighter5):NotDrizzt's Simple Request/Quyen(Adept1):Constance's Nentir Vale/Rel(Warlock2):Uhtred's Phandelver/Xarian(Fighter1/Wizard1):ShieldHero's Drakkenheim
Aiming for the nearest creature's center mass and wary of his disadvantage against their superior numbers, Korinth fires with assured precision.
Frustrated at being unable to see, Euphemia quietly stands up again, rising up on her bare toes to just peek through a dense twist of leaves and branches. And she sees the animals. The sheer strangeness of them chills her blood. Their teeth, claws, scales, feathers... What are they? Drakes? Oh, they're awful. As she watches them move, however, their behavior doesn't remind her of drakes. She can't really even remember what drakes are, or--no, that's not the right word, it's dragons--but they are alien and terrible and magical. And somehow these creatures don't feel like that. The way they move and behave reminds her of birds, of hounds, of snakes, all rolled into one.
They are just beasts of some kind... The smell of them, like rotten meat, is beginning to drift towards the group's precarious hiding place. Hunters. And there's a lot of them. But they're social, see? They've got a little pack order. That one with the orange feathers. Euphemia steals a silent glance back at her companions, the cat and the lizard, waiting tensely. There's a bow in the cat's paws. Wait a minute... where's Donnyl? He must've hidden somewhere else. We're wily ones, we halflings... I didn't even see the lad!
But the strange animals are coming towards their hiding place, sniffing the ground. Euphemia swallows. They're going to find us. And then what? Caught in this gully, no clear shot for broadswords or bows, and blasted if I could shake out me pipes without catching myself in a tree here.
The halfling drops back down, and begins to crawl swiftly and silently through the underbrush, trying to circle around, to get out of sight of her companions, to move far away from their threatened hiding place, and, perhaps, offer the creatures some diversion. She chuckles to herself as she nimbly crawls through the scrubby foliage. Wade away, wade away, through the water, and you'll get away, get away, they can't follow... The slope towards the base of the cliff rises up in front of her, and she angles around it. Right about here. Then, taking a deep breath, she slowly stands, pulling the bag of her pipes under her arm, and the chanter to her lips, until her head pops above the undergrowth. Oh, they're so close. The stench of rotting meat hits her full in the face and she gulps. Thirty paces, no more. The tiny halfling pulls herself up to her full height, knowing that the animals will see her.
And she begins to play. A warbling sort of tune, oddly reminescent of the animals' own screeches that had echoed through the jungle in their pursuit. And something shifts as she locks gazes with the orange-feathered leader of the pack...
Stealth: 22
Casting Animal Friendship on the alpha
As the strange warbles of the bagpipes echo into the air, Euphemia drops the chanter from her lips, still staring at the orange-feathered alpha. Somehow, she knows that whatever she's done, whatever she has communicated, that it is listening, that it won't hurt her now. Wish I had something to feed it, she thinks, morosely. Keeping her bagpipes tucked under her arm, she reaches out her other hand in a non-threatening way, speaking loudly and reassuringly.
"Hey there, lad, hey now, you're all right, I bet you're hungry, eh? You and your friends? I'm not going to hurt you. You won't let your pals eat me, will you? Maybe we can help each other. There's some friends of mine hiding nearby, they don't want any trouble, if ye don't hurt me, they won't hurt you either." She tries to project this sentence especially, hoping the others will hear it, and not make a move against the raptors unless they try to attack her. I know this one, with the orange crest there, I know it won't. I don't know about the others, though. She starts walking towards her new friend, and despite her intuitive understanding of the effects of her own spell, she is totally unsure of how to gain its protection. She carefully looks for some sign or body language to instruct her.
Animal Handling: (with advantage) 20
Insight: (with advantage but it's the same without, second roll was lower) 11
Silvana is stunned as she catches glimpses of what creatures were responsible for the screeches she and the others heard before diving into their hiding spaces. She watches them with wide almost bulging eyes, trying to decide which beast to peg with her arrow.
That's when the brave little halfling emerges close to them, what was she doing? Silvana watches as Euphemia pulls out her pipes and starts playing. Is this woman mad? She is going to get herself and probably us killed! Just as she is about to send an arrow to the closest beast to Euphemia, she hears what the halfling is saying. No way. What was she trying to pull?
The tabaxi readies her bow to release if any of the creatures attack.
If released, Attack: 14
Damage: 5
BA to hide: Nat 1
Korinth
Rising from the water, Korinth takes aim for a moment and then releases an arrow towards the reptilian beasts. Water droplets cascade from the thin shaft as it hurtles through the muggy air for a mere moment before it embeds itself deeply in its body near its thick leg. That beast, which you suddenly recall as being named a raptor, screeches in pain, nearly collapsing as its injured leg weakens beneath it. The other raptor drops low to the ground and hisses as they both turn to face you. You have their attention now, though you're not quite sure that's the best thing to happen to you.
Everyone Else
Suddenly docile, the creature, which you too suddenly recall being named a raptor, with the brilliant orange plumage looks at you curiously. The other raptors, however, aren't as inclined to be as friendly as the alpha. A few of them yowl loudly and then race towards Euphemia, their stomping feet trampling grass brush in their haste. The alpha suddenly turns to face its companions and screeches at them, plumage flared aggressively. The raptors stop their charge, looking confused. The alpha hisses and chitters at the other raptors, and then it turns back towards the halfling woman that charmed it. Head cocked, it starts slowly walking towards Euphemia, head low in an almost submissive manner. It stops within a few feet of you, and now that you're close to it, the scent of rotting flesh is almost overpowering. You see that its toothy maw is stained with rivulets of dried blood, and a few flies flit about in search of rotting morsels of previous meals to feast upon. The other raptors slowly approach Euphemia as well, though they seem a bit more wary. The alpha brings its head close to you, and you can't help but notice that this creature could probably eat you in one bite. Instead of doing so, the raptor starts sniffing you. Its large nostrils bump and rub against you as it unabashedly begins investigating you. The other raptors approach and also start sniffing the air. These were definitely curious creatures.
Suddenly, you hear a pained screech come from within the jungle. All the raptors snap their heads up and turn towards the sound. Then, with plumage flared, the raptor screeches and begins charging back towards the jungle, the other raptors wailing as they too hurtle back towards the direction they came from.
Silvana breathes a sigh of relief as the raptors take off. Replacing her arrow back in her quiver and shouldering her bow, she is still nervous to show herself. She crawls towards Euphemia until she is within whispering distance, "You ok? How'd you do that?"
Euphemia feels like she might have a heart attack as the other raptors--raptors, they're called that, like the birds--start to charge her, only to feel all her adrenaline drain out as the alpha stops them. Her knees feel like water, but somehow she stays standing, her hand still outstretched.
"There's a good lad," she says, encouragingly, despite the fact that her heart is still pounding like a hammer inside of her chest, as the orange-plumed animal approaches her. She tries to hold her breath against the smell as it bumps and sniffs her. "Good lad," she says, in the high-pitched sort of voice in which one talks to a dog that has just done well. "Good lad." She very gently touches the scaled snout.
As the pained screech echoes from the jungle and the pack suddenly looks up and wheels around, Euphemia gasps. Something happened out there. Did one of its packmates get hurt? As the animals charge away, Euphemia's knees finally give out and she sits down, the grass and brush around her nearly hiding her small form from view again. "By the Invincible," she gasps.
Then she hears Silvana's whisper behind her. "Oi, I'm right all right, lass... not a scratch. How'd I do it, eh? There's something about the music. I don't really remember, but I guess there were things I could do with it, and it came back to me. To convince an animal not to hurt you, and be a bit friendly, even. I figured if that orange plumed one did well, he'd tell the others to lay off, and so he did. Right lucky, it was, eh? Oh, Archpaladin, that was terrifying." She laughs, wringing her hands a bit as she stands back up and turns to look for her hidden companions. "And it'll last a good day or so, him being friendly to me, that is. So long as we don't hurt him, or his packmates either, I guess. Sounds like one of them got in some trouble out there. How many forgetful travelers are there, do you suppose? Might be what they feed on..." she shivers. "They're hunters though... we're right sure to be hungry after a bit ourselves... would be nice if they stayed friendly to us, maybe we'd share some food."
Euphemia realizes she's rambling, and looks down to take stock of herself. Still all there. No missing limbs. Not bleeding. Just... oh, my sleeve. The ragged tear in the threadbare sleeve of her robe hangs loose where the bird bit her, some clotted blood still spoiling the wound. Another song starts to rise into her mind, and she sings, softly, "There's a hole in my britches, dear Liza, dear Liza, there's a hole in my britches, dear Liza, a hole..." She draws one finger along the ragged tear as she singsongs the silly little ditty, and, to her amazement, the ragged edges mend back together as if the fibers had never been torn. "Well," Euphemia says. "Would you look at that!"
Smiling, she looks up and again to see if she can spot her companions, and turns around to look at the jungle and see what she can hear of the commotion of the raptor pack.
Perception: 20
Euphemia cast Mending on her sleeve.
Pinky-toe Perception on departing raptors using Keen Hearing and Sight: 15 (rolled as Animal Handling on Shin's char sheet, same +3 bonus).
Shin Arcana to guess at what type of magic Euphemia must have used: 18
Despite his fear, Shin observes with acute interest as the halfling with the strange wind instrument appears to work primal friendship magic upon the lead reptile pack hunter. Through foggy memory, he seems to remember hearing of such spells before, though they are outside the scope of his arcane knowledge. It is a good thing that these Raptors... yes raptors is their name... anyway, it is a good thing she guessed correctly that they are relatively unintelligent or I believe such primal beast friendship magic may have failed, to her woe - and ours!
The goblin waits until Pinky-toe, watching from the tree above, gives the all-clear. Emerging from his hiding spot, absent-mindedly unaware of the small twigs and burrs in his clothing, Shin gives the halfling woman an odd bow, keeping his voice low, but his tone friendly but urgent.
"Well done, madame halfling, well done indeed. I believe I have heard of such magic, but never before seen it put to such topical use. And perhaps the same of your... song? I am Shindo, or Shin to my friends, and this is Pinky-toe, my familiar." (The owl glides down to settle on Shin's shoulder).
"I apologize sincerely for fleeing in your direction as the raptors came, but I thought of safety in numbers, not knowing that a sole, skilled halfling would suffice. I did see you had a large lizardfolk companion, and perhaps one or two others, likely well-hidden."
(Assuming Silvana has not come out of hiding yet?)
"Yet, there is another. An acerbic aquatic humanoid who would not provide his name. He helped me cross the muddy river back in that direction, yet himself remained concealed below the waters as the reptiles arrived. Pinky-toe tells me that two of the raptors remained behind at the river. That pained cry may have been one of them. I am not certain if the aquatic humanoid was responsible, though it seems plausible that he was. The question is now, should we help him? And if so, can we? From my brief encounter with him, I admit, I did not receive the impression that he wanted help."
Mud(Paladin2):Frandal's Scourge/Inge(Barbarian1):Krayveneer's After the Fall/Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1):Uhtred's Windward Isles/Shin(Wizard2):Dimir_MTG's Surviving
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric3):Vos' Beyond the Veil/Soren(Druid4):Bartjeebus' Ravenloft/Nivi(Rogue3):Raiketsu's CoS/Lyra(Warlock2/Bard2):BlameItOnWinter's Will of the Ancients
Joren(Fighter5):NotDrizzt's Simple Request/Quyen(Adept1):Constance's Nentir Vale/Rel(Warlock2):Uhtred's Phandelver/Xarian(Fighter1/Wizard1):ShieldHero's Drakkenheim
Back at the river, Korinth pulls his bow taut once more. He wings it, hoping the second shot might down the first creature. If possible, he thinks, I may be eating well by sundown... Or dead.
...Oh well -- easy come, easy go. The arrow flies...
SHIN
As Pinky swoops high above, she’s able to catch a glimpse at some kind of kerfuffle happening down at the river. She spots two raptors on the shore and the aquatic man from before a little downstream of them. She watches as both the raptors begin sprinting along the river bank towards him…
KORINTH
The arrow grazes the side of the injured raptor as it veers to the side, the arrow ricocheting off its stony scales. Your failed attack seems to spur them into action as they both begin sprinting along the riverbank towards you, mud squelching and twigs snapping under their clawed feet. They close the distance between you and then frighteningly fast, and the uninjured raptor leaps into the river after you. Much splashing and flailing ensues as it struggles to get close to you.
The injured raptor stays on the shore, favoring its wounded side with a noticeable limp. It shifts foot from foot warily as it regards you, a sound similar to clicking emanating from its throat.
Deeper in the forest, Korinth can hear other figures trampling through undergrowth as they approach they river.
Actions:
Raptor 1, injured: Move 40 feet and then takes the Dodge action
Raptor 2, uninjured: Move 40 feet and very unsuccessful attempts to Dash into the river