"I could use some," Cinder says to Thea holding her shoulder where she had taken an arrow earlier. "I would not say no to a break either." She looked back at the cart longingly. "How about half of the explosives?"
Looking to both Cinder and Ereni, Thea prepares to use her healing magic but pauses. “Taking a break or not would let me know how much magic to expend? If we need to press on, I will heal you to the best of my ability so we can keep going. But that would likely take up all my reserves for the day. If we take a break and can rest, then I can heal a little if needed and then be better prepared to keep everyone safe later?” She’s starting to ramble, a little overwhelmed by all that’s happened. “I- I don’t want any of you to be hurting…”
"Could rest an hour. Maybe guarding the explosives." Ereni glances at Thea. "That way you can save some of your magic, my lady of butterflies."
"And if someone does manage to set them off, well... at least it won't be a slow death." She looks warily at Cinder.
Ereni keeps a sharp eye on Hallius Cole's office up the road for any comings and goings. She murmurs to Stasolya: "You have any restful songs in those pipes of yours, AURYN-bearer? Nothing too frightening or epic this time, mind. And you look... as if you just heard a whisper?"
Thea nods, listening to Ereni, a little smile playing on her face at the moniker. In fact, seeing the commotion settling, her butterflies return and they flit about the group almost as if congratulating them on a job well done before settling in Thea’s hair like beautiful ornaments. She moves to find a place to sit….opposite Cinder and the wagon… and her eyes go wide as she registers what Ereni said to Stasoloya. “Auryn bearer?!”
Malenia digs her heel into the dirt and takes off towards the back of Cole's office, calling over her shoulder. "MORE RIDERS" While her weapon ejects from her Prosthesis, igniting and scorching the dirt.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Malenia - [Monk - Way of the Jedi] - Auryn: Princess of Destiny
Stasolya slowly recovers from her distraction, staring off into the distance. Her hand grasping the pendant at her neck falls down to her side as she shakes her head, as if puzzled, or perhaps thinking. She turns and trots back to the group, her flanks still a little damp from her gallop after the wagon and the exertion of playing the pipes. "If the time was well for a relaxing rest, I could play something," she says, "but I do not think it is time. These orcs have fled, but this wagon is full of explosives, they need to be contained, or dismantled. And where have they fled to? They know exactly where we are. They may gain reinforcements and return while we are cooling our heels. There is no time for a rest right now!" Her hind feet dance and prance a bit in anticipation.
As Malenia cries out about riders and takes off, the centaur is well ready to bolt right after her, and does so.
There is a bantha and two horses making the retreat from the rear of Hallius Cole's office. There is one person on the bantha, and one on either horse, three total; one appears to be a Hobgoblin, one appears to be an Orc, and one appears to be human. They're hundreds of yards out in the desert as the Fourth Band approaches, and are getting away as quickly as possible.
Thea, hearing the noise at the back of Coles' office and seeing the others running off, huffs. "Right. We're running again....in the desert." Pulling her hair back off of her neck, she thinks, "Ok, Thea! You've got this!!" Realizing there's not time for her compatriots to tend their wounds during a rest, she decides to take matters into her own hands and a shimmery pink light glows from her forehead as she concentrates on the wounds she saw on both Ereni and Cinder from the battle earlier. She sends out her healing energy to mend them as best she came. A warm, fluttering sensation envelopes them both almost as if they are dancing with butterflies on a summer day and their wounds begin to close and their pain recedes. Healing energy spent, she runs as fast as her legs can take her and she tries to look to see if she recognizes Mr. Cole escaping the building.
Healing to Ereni: 13hp
Healing to Cinder: 6hp
Perception check to see if she sees Cole fleeing: 9 (she's too out of breath. Girl needs to start a conditioning program!)
Despite the wonderful, soothing, almost heavenly healing she feels from Thea's magic, a lump rises in Ereni's throat as she raises her Longbow, +1 from the rooftop. Angrily, she wills it away - the lump, not the healing.
Only a few seconds left before they are out of range. I have to aim for the horses. Empress forgive me...
Before she can lose her resolve, she draws quickly and her body relaxes. She exhales slowly and sends two arrows arcing over the dunes.
As each one finds a horse's eye and the two poor beasts collapse dead in the desert, a tear courses slowly down Ereni's cheek unnoticed.
Both attacks using optional Sharpshooter -5 to hit / +10 damage. Range is too far to switch Hunter's Mark to horse (but not needed as it turns out).
Attack 1 on first horse: 20 to hit - damage: 19 (1d8+6+10) Attack 2 on second horse: 24 to hit - damage: 21 (2d8+6+10)
Malenia does not even attempt to chase after the Horse's, her legs are aching from the strain she has put herself through and at this point she cant aid the party in stopping the riders from fleeing. Instead she leans against the back of the office and watches as Ereni's arrow's fly out into the desert. Keeping an eye on them as best she can. "Apologies, I thought they were closer than this. I have nothing to provide in this instance." She says to no one in particular, rather speaking to any who would hear her.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Malenia - [Monk - Way of the Jedi] - Auryn: Princess of Destiny
Both horses topple, spilling their riders haphazardly into the sands. The Hobgoblin hits hard on his shoulder and rolls, flipping end over end in cartwheel of pain. The Orc hit on his head in the seconds before the horse rolled over him, leaving them both in a broken heap of flesh. The Bantha continued on into the desert.
Thea squints hard at the Bantha rider and calls out, “It’s Mr. Cole!” and she points that way. She tries to call out in Bantha, “Come back! We won’t hurt you! We have snacks! Your rider won’t take take care of you like we would!” Then she tries to think of anything else she can do to stop Cole.
Ereni looks even sadder than normal after shooting the two horses.
"'If Thea here can't coax the bantha back, which seems a long shot even for her, I don't see how we reach Cole without one of us sprouting wings. But the hobgoblin rider is prone out there in the desert, and the orc rider looks to be dead. Could be you gallop out there so we can ask some questions, Stasolya? I'll be running behind you with the threat of my bow to convince him. Someone stay back here and guard the explosives from..."
(Ereni's gaze wanders to Cinder, then jerks away) "... ah, from... from any stray orcs or mercenaries. Anyone else wants to come with, can?"
It all comes out mostly as a laconic suggestion from Ereni, who is clearly accustomed to following orders, never giving them. She descends from the rooftop and takes off at a dash towards where the hobgoblin has fallen. (35' movement, so 70' dash once she is on the ground).
As she runs, she realizes there might be a way to catch Cole... "Any of you see a bantha or landstrider to ride?"
As if it heard her command, the Bantha turns on Thea's words...and begins to trot toward her, even as Cole screams from atop it, kicks it with the heels of his boots, and curses every known curse they'd ever heard...including Ereni, who'd heard a lot of colorful things in her day. The man looks almost sulky as the Bantha approaches the group...
Thea gives a little hop of excitement and a squee of joy when she sees the Bantha come back towards her! She continues to speak to them in a series of grunts, chuffs, whuffles and soft lowing moos. As she talks to them, she reaches into her seed pouch and druidcrafts some Gerudo Grapefruits so she can hold true to her promise of snacks. In her mind, she's already choosing out a name for them... then she shakes her head and scolds herself, "Focus Thea!" She looks to the others, "OK! Cole is on his way, special delivery. Now what!?"
Stasolya, poised to run after Cole and the others, hesitating because of their vast head start into the desert and the sudden toppling of the horses by Ereni's arrows, visibly relaxes as the bantha swings around and heads back towards them. She plants her hooves and takes the old bag under her arm, standing tall and regal. "In the name of the Childlike Empress, who shows all creatures her love," she cries as the bantha approaches, "Cole, what have you done? Do not be afraid... for all can turn in the fight to a greater cause, with her mercy."
Ereni gapes for a moment as the butterfly lady somehow convinces the bantha to return from the desert. Shaking her head, she figures that the others have Cole well in hand. And that centaur is talking at him - she could probably talk me into eating my own longbow.
She continues dashing out into the desert to get within 600' range of the downed (but still breathing) hobgoblin, hoping to capture them too.
"You were lucky, surviving that spill! Reminds me of old Silrek Six-Fingers back in our unit. Pit trap opened up under him but I'll be damned if he didn't hang on to the edge, twelve fingers and all. Sure he died from all the vipers at the bottom striking at his ankles, but still lucky hanging on like that."
Ereni keeps her Longbow, +1 trained on the hobgoblin and will begin shooting again if they run. Transferring Hunter's Mark to them when she is within 90' and stopping there (getting no closer). But making it clear he should follow her back into town if he wants to live.
Cole, a scruffy, chunky fellow who has been accustomed to making money with minimum effort for a long time, sneers down at Thea and Stasolya as the Bantha walks up to the 'butterfly lady'. He listens to Stasolya, and then crosses his arms.
"At some point someone has to be on the winning side, you stupid asses. You think you did yourselves any favors here today? You've made a big mistake."
The Hobgoblin looks at Ereni as she tries to get him to talk...and produces a stiletto from his belt, raises it, and plunges it toward his heart...
"I could use some," Cinder says to Thea holding her shoulder where she had taken an arrow earlier. "I would not say no to a break either." She looked back at the cart longingly. "How about half of the explosives?"
Looking to both Cinder and Ereni, Thea prepares to use her healing magic but pauses. “Taking a break or not would let me know how much magic to expend? If we need to press on, I will heal you to the best of my ability so we can keep going. But that would likely take up all my reserves for the day. If we take a break and can rest, then I can heal a little if needed and then be better prepared to keep everyone safe later?” She’s starting to ramble, a little overwhelmed by all that’s happened. “I- I don’t want any of you to be hurting…”
"Could rest an hour. Maybe guarding the explosives." Ereni glances at Thea. "That way you can save some of your magic, my lady of butterflies."
"And if someone does manage to set them off, well... at least it won't be a slow death." She looks warily at Cinder.
Ereni keeps a sharp eye on Hallius Cole's office up the road for any comings and goings. She murmurs to Stasolya: "You have any restful songs in those pipes of yours, AURYN-bearer? Nothing too frightening or epic this time, mind. And you look... as if you just heard a whisper?"
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Thea nods, listening to Ereni, a little smile playing on her face at the moniker. In fact, seeing the commotion settling, her butterflies return and they flit about the group almost as if congratulating them on a job well done before settling in Thea’s hair like beautiful ornaments. She moves to find a place to sit….opposite Cinder and the wagon… and her eyes go wide as she registers what Ereni said to Stasoloya. “Auryn bearer?!”
Malenia digs her heel into the dirt and takes off towards the back of Cole's office, calling over her shoulder. "MORE RIDERS" While her weapon ejects from her Prosthesis, igniting and scorching the dirt.
Malenia - [Monk - Way of the Jedi] - Auryn: Princess of Destiny
Cinder groans in annoyance at the sounds from behind Cole's office and started to run after Malenia.
Ereni also hears the hasty exit from the area near Hallius Cole's office and dashes up to the highest rooftop she can reach.
Using her bonus action to switch her Hunter's Mark to the nearest enemy she can see.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Stasolya slowly recovers from her distraction, staring off into the distance. Her hand grasping the pendant at her neck falls down to her side as she shakes her head, as if puzzled, or perhaps thinking. She turns and trots back to the group, her flanks still a little damp from her gallop after the wagon and the exertion of playing the pipes. "If the time was well for a relaxing rest, I could play something," she says, "but I do not think it is time. These orcs have fled, but this wagon is full of explosives, they need to be contained, or dismantled. And where have they fled to? They know exactly where we are. They may gain reinforcements and return while we are cooling our heels. There is no time for a rest right now!" Her hind feet dance and prance a bit in anticipation.
As Malenia cries out about riders and takes off, the centaur is well ready to bolt right after her, and does so.
There is a bantha and two horses making the retreat from the rear of Hallius Cole's office. There is one person on the bantha, and one on either horse, three total; one appears to be a Hobgoblin, one appears to be an Orc, and one appears to be human. They're hundreds of yards out in the desert as the Fourth Band approaches, and are getting away as quickly as possible.
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
Thea, hearing the noise at the back of Coles' office and seeing the others running off, huffs. "Right. We're running again....in the desert." Pulling her hair back off of her neck, she thinks, "Ok, Thea! You've got this!!" Realizing there's not time for her compatriots to tend their wounds during a rest, she decides to take matters into her own hands and a shimmery pink light glows from her forehead as she concentrates on the wounds she saw on both Ereni and Cinder from the battle earlier. She sends out her healing energy to mend them as best she came. A warm, fluttering sensation envelopes them both almost as if they are dancing with butterflies on a summer day and their wounds begin to close and their pain recedes. Healing energy spent, she runs as fast as her legs can take her and she tries to look to see if she recognizes Mr. Cole escaping the building.
Healing to Ereni: 13hp
Healing to Cinder: 6hp
Perception check to see if she sees Cole fleeing: 9 (she's too out of breath. Girl needs to start a conditioning program!)
Despite the wonderful, soothing, almost heavenly healing she feels from Thea's magic, a lump rises in Ereni's throat as she raises her Longbow, +1 from the rooftop. Angrily, she wills it away - the lump, not the healing.
Only a few seconds left before they are out of range. I have to aim for the horses. Empress forgive me...
Before she can lose her resolve, she draws quickly and her body relaxes. She exhales slowly and sends two arrows arcing over the dunes.
As each one finds a horse's eye and the two poor beasts collapse dead in the desert, a tear courses slowly down Ereni's cheek unnoticed.
Both attacks using optional Sharpshooter -5 to hit / +10 damage. Range is too far to switch Hunter's Mark to horse (but not needed as it turns out).
Attack 1 on first horse: 20 to hit - damage: 19 (1d8+6+10)
Attack 2 on second horse: 24 to hit - damage: 21 (2d8+6+10)
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Malenia does not even attempt to chase after the Horse's, her legs are aching from the strain she has put herself through and at this point she cant aid the party in stopping the riders from fleeing. Instead she leans against the back of the office and watches as Ereni's arrow's fly out into the desert. Keeping an eye on them as best she can. "Apologies, I thought they were closer than this. I have nothing to provide in this instance." She says to no one in particular, rather speaking to any who would hear her.
Malenia - [Monk - Way of the Jedi] - Auryn: Princess of Destiny
Both horses topple, spilling their riders haphazardly into the sands. The Hobgoblin hits hard on his shoulder and rolls, flipping end over end in cartwheel of pain. The Orc hit on his head in the seconds before the horse rolled over him, leaving them both in a broken heap of flesh. The Bantha continued on into the desert.
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
Thea squints hard at the Bantha rider and calls out, “It’s Mr. Cole!” and she points that way. She tries to call out in Bantha, “Come back! We won’t hurt you! We have snacks! Your rider won’t take take care of you like we would!” Then she tries to think of anything else she can do to stop Cole.
Ereni looks even sadder than normal after shooting the two horses.
"'If Thea here can't coax the bantha back, which seems a long shot even for her, I don't see how we reach Cole without one of us sprouting wings. But the hobgoblin rider is prone out there in the desert, and the orc rider looks to be dead. Could be you gallop out there so we can ask some questions, Stasolya? I'll be running behind you with the threat of my bow to convince him. Someone stay back here and guard the explosives from... "
(Ereni's gaze wanders to Cinder, then jerks away) "... ah, from... from any stray orcs or mercenaries. Anyone else wants to come with, can?"
It all comes out mostly as a laconic suggestion from Ereni, who is clearly accustomed to following orders, never giving them. She descends from the rooftop and takes off at a dash towards where the hobgoblin has fallen. (35' movement, so 70' dash once she is on the ground).
As she runs, she realizes there might be a way to catch Cole... "Any of you see a bantha or landstrider to ride?"
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
As if it heard her command, the Bantha turns on Thea's words...and begins to trot toward her, even as Cole screams from atop it, kicks it with the heels of his boots, and curses every known curse they'd ever heard...including Ereni, who'd heard a lot of colorful things in her day. The man looks almost sulky as the Bantha approaches the group...
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
Thea gives a little hop of excitement and a squee of joy when she sees the Bantha come back towards her! She continues to speak to them in a series of grunts, chuffs, whuffles and soft lowing moos. As she talks to them, she reaches into her seed pouch and druidcrafts some Gerudo Grapefruits so she can hold true to her promise of snacks. In her mind, she's already choosing out a name for them... then she shakes her head and scolds herself, "Focus Thea!" She looks to the others, "OK! Cole is on his way, special delivery. Now what!?"
Stasolya, poised to run after Cole and the others, hesitating because of their vast head start into the desert and the sudden toppling of the horses by Ereni's arrows, visibly relaxes as the bantha swings around and heads back towards them. She plants her hooves and takes the old bag under her arm, standing tall and regal. "In the name of the Childlike Empress, who shows all creatures her love," she cries as the bantha approaches, "Cole, what have you done? Do not be afraid... for all can turn in the fight to a greater cause, with her mercy."
Ereni gapes for a moment as the butterfly lady somehow convinces the bantha to return from the desert. Shaking her head, she figures that the others have Cole well in hand. And that centaur is talking at him - she could probably talk me into eating my own longbow.
She continues dashing out into the desert to get within 600' range of the downed (but still breathing) hobgoblin, hoping to capture them too.
"You were lucky, surviving that spill! Reminds me of old Silrek Six-Fingers back in our unit. Pit trap opened up under him but I'll be damned if he didn't hang on to the edge, twelve fingers and all. Sure he died from all the vipers at the bottom striking at his ankles, but still lucky hanging on like that."
Ereni keeps her Longbow, +1 trained on the hobgoblin and will begin shooting again if they run. Transferring Hunter's Mark to them when she is within 90' and stopping there (getting no closer). But making it clear he should follow her back into town if he wants to live.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Cole, a scruffy, chunky fellow who has been accustomed to making money with minimum effort for a long time, sneers down at Thea and Stasolya as the Bantha walks up to the 'butterfly lady'. He listens to Stasolya, and then crosses his arms.
"At some point someone has to be on the winning side, you stupid asses. You think you did yourselves any favors here today? You've made a big mistake."
The Hobgoblin looks at Ereni as she tries to get him to talk...and produces a stiletto from his belt, raises it, and plunges it toward his heart...
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York