OOC: Giving a little more time for Karib's action.

OOC: Botting Karib for this round with sacred flame.

Though bolt and spellfire strike the peryton true, the large winged monstrosity dives at Karib and Rogram, scattering them briefly before taking to the sky again while Akira moves behind a wagon, trying to remain under cover. Orvustia rushes over to the dragonborn wizard while Tyjit stands her ground nearby, holding her spear defensively.

Round 5 Order:
Players <=====
Peryton

Placement:
One peryton remains, 30 feet away in the air.

Health:
The peryton is wounded.

Akira is grievously wounded.

Rogram grunts in frustration and anger. "Tough," he comments to Karib while taking aim again. "Let's clip this beast's wings." He fires another bolt.

Attack: 9 Damage: 5

Akira sighs loudly and raises her orb up as she looks over the edge of the wagon.

Shooting a [Tooltip Not Found] at the peryton:
Attack: 9 Damage: 2

"Take a shot at that thing Orvustia!"

That would be a Fire Bolt for correction.

Orvustia fumbles for her bow, but Akira's burst of fire upon the peryton's chest as it streaks again toward her seems to be the final straw for for the tough creature. With a shriek, it speeds off toward the mountains in the distance, a bolt from Rogram and another flash of sacred fire from Karib just missing as it flees.

A short distance away, Leda Widris and The Pole skewer a peryton they've knocked to the ground. Aside from Akira's significant wounds, a quick glance shows only one other wounded guard from one of the Cult's assumed wagons, and a few frightened travelers. Orvustia and Tyjit rush to Akira's side, the dwarf lending the dragonborn a short shoulder to lean on. "Ye alright, boss? That thing damn near skewered ye," she says. The other dwarven voice on the caravan follows as Eldkin storms over from another wagon. "There's elves about, or I'm a fat halfling. Those things don't come out o' the mountains unless there's elf meat to hunt. Never see 'em when we ain't totin' no elves," she says to nobody in particular.

Leda calls Rogram over shortly thereafter. "Well that didn't take long," she remarks. "Good first showing. You didn't cut and run at the first sign of trouble."

OOC: Each character has received 150 XP for defeating the perytons.

Akira winces through her considerable pain. “Not damn near. Had the time to list and categorize the number organs it perforated, I could write a substantial paper on the subject. Fantastic job at keeping our employer safe. Now - would be be untoward to ask if anyone might spare a spell or might I take a short rest?”

Rogram is still contemplating Eldkin's claim about the perytons' hunting of elves when Leda calls. The half-dwarf trots back to Lai's wagon.

"Well that didn't take long," she remarks. "Good first showing. You didn't cut and run at the first sign of trouble."

Rogram can't help but look both surprised and slightly offended. "Cut and run?" he asks, glancing at The Pole and back. He runs his hand down his beard. "My parents didn't raise a quitter," he assures the sergeant. "It does look like I need to spend a little time practicing with this crossbow. I've always been more of a close-contact fighter." He turns to quickly look up the caravan. "Everyone ok?"

Tyjit bellows, "We got any clerics!?" after Akira's comment. The wagon nearby rocks and shifts as Nyerhite bumbles out of it. "Akira, my dear, oh my goodness are you okay?" he asks. "What were those beasts? I've never seen anything like it!"

Leda nods to Rogram and scans the rest of the caravan. "Looks like a few being tended to, but most of them were probably just startled. Is this typical this far north? Can't say I was expecting to run into trouble so close to the city," she remarks.

In the distance, a fleeing peryton suddenly falls from the sky. Further ahead along the road, a figure can be seen with a longbow drawn, aimed upward at the creatures.

At the call for a cleric, Rogram turns to look for Karib to see if he responds.

"Looks like a few being tended to, but most of them were probably just startled. Is this typical this far north? Can't say I was expecting to run into trouble so close to the city," she remarks.

"Oh," Rogram says, looking at Leda. "This is as far north as I've ever been, so I don't know." He looks back again, ready to help Akira if Karib is unable.

Akira, bloodied and worn, can’t help noticing the archer up the road, asks Rogram - “Do we have a someone ahead of the caravan? Seems like we have an ally ahead of us.”

The archer moves toward the caravan, pausing to pull an arrow out of the body of a falling peryton, examining it and returning it to the quiver at his back before continuing toward the group. “Hello to the caravan.  Run into a little trouble?  Perytons.  Nasty, brutish creatures.  Will tear your heart out if they get half a chance.” 

The archer is a lean elf with coppery skin and an unruly mop of chestnut hair.  Hazel eyes quickly take in the caravan, moving from wagon to wagon before returning to the group.  A cloak mottled with greens and browns cover well-worn leathers and in addition to his longbow he has a pair of short swords strapped alongside the quiver on his back. “Merric Greenleaf at your service, but you can call me Merry.” he gives the group an impish grin. “Is everyone okay? Is anyone injured?”

Karib comes out of his daze and nods, "Sometime I get caught up in the battle. Sorry, my friend..."

He turns to the wounded, doing what he can for them.

“Wonderfully met, Merry - loathe as I am to say it, I certainly seem to have met the business end of that peryton’s derision and would be honored of your help. My name is Akira.”, she introduces herself.

“The pleasure is mine, Akira. Let’s see what we have here.”  Merry leans in and inspects the injuries, waving his hands over them and muttering as he closes the worst of the wounds. “Their talons are sharp, but this should help you pull through.  Where are you all headed?”

(heals 3 hp). 

"Well, here's your elf," Rogram says bluntly, referring back to Eldkin's statement. He gives the newcomer a nod. "I think we did OK." Rogram is not tall, but not short, fairly beefy, and wearing studded leather armor with a battleaxe at the ready. He wears a leather cap over his head and ears and sports a beautiful, black beard of medium length. He stands on guard, clearly not at ease with the stranger, though his face is open and curious. "On your way to Baldur's Gate?"

“Baldur’s Gate? No, I am heading north, as it looks like you are as well.” Merric answers and looks around the group “Perhaps I can join you, there is safety in numbers and I can help scout for danger.  Not a bad shot either.” He grins and points toward one of the peryton carcasses.

"Oh," Rogram says, looking at Leda. "This is as far north as I've ever been, so I don't know."

"Likewise," Leda replies, returning her spear to a strap on her side. "We have entirely different threats in Amn."

Merric answers and looks around the group “Perhaps I can join you, there is safety in numbers and I can help scout for danger.  Not a bad shot either.”

"You are certainly impressive with a bow," an elven merchant says, sliding down from her wagon and casting a glare at her dwarven bodyguard as Eldkin nods triumphantly at her guess. "Pay no mind to Eldkin; she forgets that not every elf spends their life in the High Forest. I am Edhelri Lewel. The guard I hired in Baldur's Gate seems to have bitten off more than she could chew, and is nowhere to be found, so your arrival may be fortuitous. If you can keep my animals and my merchandise intact along the road, then there's a place for you on my wagon."

Akira smiles graciously, "Merry - thank you so very much for your healing magic. I am certainly here to vouch for you if needed. I am remiss in not having a better variety of spells ready in all my learning. So, is there a known correlation between elves and the appetite of perytons as was so colorfully suggested by my teammate earlier?"

She pauses then adds, "Should be be on our way lest more come this way?" as she scans the surroundings.

Rogram is suddenly suspicious at the new elf's "advantageous" arrival. Though, under the current circumstances, that isn't necessarily a negative thing. His mind vacillates back and forth between being wary and hopeful. He tries to give Merry a casual once over, looking for any sign of his involvement in a faction.