Auphyria: Main Thread

[Amphetryon]

Group A:
The company of Lizardfolk facing the half dozen of you are at least fifty strong. They fan out in a defensive formation, splitting you off from the others, on the southeast corner of the battlefield, your backs to the treeline. Just as their leader raises his arm to give the command to charge, a green-blue viscous orb lands in their midst and appears to erupt. Immediately those struck howl and claw at their faces, which seem to melt as they fall dead.

Anadi can barely make out the voice of Bahrdahl, a Kineticist and fellow Changeling ascetic, calling out a calm challenge to the Lizardfolk, who turn to face this new threat in favor of your small group. Recognizing your best chance for survival, the six of you turn as if by silent signal and begin to run headlong across the muddy ground into the woods, southeast toward Copperhead Peak and Mount Rattler, the Serpentcoil Mountains.

Goup B:
There are - maybe - fifteen left to stand against the Lizardfolk. There are the six of you, Bahrdahl, an ascetic Psion, a pair of gleaming Ironwood Warforged Binders called Hammer and Anvil, and the six poor folks you can see on the other side of a seeming wall of Lizardfolk. Bahrdahl steps forward to have a quiet word with Hammer and Anvil while you watch, braced for death. Anvil nods and addresses you.

"Bahrdahl Will Give A Signal. On This Signal, You Must Run. You Will Have No Doubt Of His Signal. Do Not Discuss, Do Not Argue. You Will Run, Or You Will Die. That Is An Order. Understood?" His gaze travels across your scared faces, stopping briefly on Alebeard's, and again on Bulwark's. "Protect The Dwarf, Bulwark. He Is Important. If You Can, Get Word Of What Happened Here Today To Lord Dokenor. It Will Be Better Than Hearing It From Them. Consider This Your Last Order In This Unit." Without waiting for a response, Anvil turns and takes up a position flanking Bahrdahl with Hammer. Bahrdahl appears to focus for a moment, and a green-blue orb of acid springs into being, races to the middle of the Lizardfolk facing away from you and explodes.

You all turn and race into the woods to the northwest as Bahrdahl calls out "I believe you'll find us more entertaining than those whelps..."

[Cahokia]

Group A
"Bahrdahl!"

Anadi twitches into motion to back up his comrade-in-arms, then turns to look back at the scared innocents and the other five combatants with him. His eyes hardening, he turns to face the other direction and mutters under his breath,

"The Nameless One take your name and your suffering from you. In the grace of His divinity, Aumein."

He meets the eyes of his compatriots and speaks as clearly and calmly as he can, though his voice is tinged with fear and regret.

"We have to go."

[Mushroom Ninja]

Group B
Shocked and confused by his commander's words, Alebeard runs with his comrades. What could Bahrdahl have meant? Everything seems to be happening so fast.

Well, I canna' think aboot tha' now. I've an order ta fulfill, he thinks, pushing himself to keep up with his allies.

[Sallera]

Group A:"Oh aye, no doubt about that." Shifting his grip on the spear to give himself more room to run, Shore casts the battle a last sad glance before running toward the woods, his short legs leaving him near the back of the group. Carefully slashing obstructing foliage aside with the tip of his weapon, he does his best to keep up.

"Can't say this is how I expected the day to turn out," he mutters as soon as the battle is lost from view in the forest. "Figures the first major battle we turn up to, someone'll have gone and missed a whole bloody army." Shaking his head briefly as he notices he's falling behind, he saves the rest of his breath for running.

[acid_ninja]

With a last look at his commanding officer, Hielogos turns and flees with the rest of his squad, a single compulsion filling his mind: You must survive, you have work to do

[Cahokia]

Group A
Once the battle is far away enough, Anadi stops in place and starts counting off the number of escapees.

"Is everyone alright?"

Anadi begins lightly grazing his fingers across the bristly dots of white hair on the back of his skull, out of nervous habit.

Whatdowedowhatdowedoohgodwhatdowedo...

He closes his eyes and inhales deeply before letting out the breath in a slow, soft hiss.

"Is anyone familiar with the geography around here? Where can we go to safely house those who can't fight?"

[acid_ninja]

Group BOnce the sounds of battle have faded into the background Hielogos stops to catch his breath and looks around at his comrades.

We have to get back to Lord Dokemar. We can't let their sacrifice be in vain. Is anyone hurt?

He scans the skies and the horizon, asking the inner voice that spoke to him on the battlefield for guidance.

Casting Omen of Peril

[Parlity]

Group A:


Seqee watches the huge bodies of the lizardfolk fall over one of the clan den's hidden entrances. Being in the open makes her nervous.

She jogs with the soldiers into the forest.

"I'm alright." Seqee steps close to the huge soldier.

[Sallera]

Group A:Still catching his breath, Shore doesn't reply immediately, instead closing his eyes and dropping to one knee, a hand on the ground. His connection to the earth dream granted him knowledge of the land wherever he went, but it was only a faint glimpse of the reality, and this area was still relatively new to him. Still, mountains usually promised useful terrain, even if they weren't close yet.

"I can try to guide you. But I've not been here long myself, so I promise nothing." Grinning, he rises to his feet again, shouldering the spear and heading further off into the woods. "Someone keep an ear out for lizards, aye?"

Taking 10 on Knowledge: Geography for 15, attempting to find us a suitable place to hide and recover.

[Cahokia]

Group A
"Whatever you can do is enough. As for keeping an ear out, leave it to me."

Rolling listen and spot on the Dice Roller Thread.

[Amphetryon]

Please put your posts in the appropriate Group spoiler until a second thread is opened. Thank you.

[Claudius Maximus]

Group B:

Once the sounds of battle have faded into the background Hielogos stops to catch his breath and looks around at his comrades.

We have to get back to Lord Dokemar. We can't let their sacrifice be in vain. Is anyone hurt?


A blond, unarmored young man responds: "I'm alright, at least. Good Gods, what happened back there? I don't think I ever-"

He looks around at the other survivors.

"I'm... the only one left of my troop." He says, with a look of disbelief. "I... wow. We've got to get out of here."

[Mushroom Ninja]

Group B:
Catching up with his long-legged fellow survivors, Alebeard pauses for a moment, panting. Having caught his breath, the dwarf asks, "What now lads? Anyone here know tha lay of the land?"

[Cieyrin]

Group B
Bulwark comes to a position of attention, his scarred maul at his foot and right arm across his chest in salute to his superior officers. As you command, Master Corporal.

Bringing his maul to the ready, he turns and begins to cover ground in his short but tireless strides, keeping close to Alebeard as he works as a rear guard.

Joining the small knot of refugees, Bulwark comes to a stop and surveys the trees for danger and the land for a defensible position. I am undamaged and fully functional, Medic Heilogos.

Sighting an older tree, he moves over to put his back to it. Land navigation was not one of the directives I was made for.

[Amphetryon]

Heilogos:Peril. The caster will face challenges typical of an adventure:
challenging but not overwhelming monsters, dangerous traps, and other hazards for the next hour or so.

[Parlity]

Group A:
Seqee follows the dwarf, alert to danger.

[Cahokia]

Group A:
Anadi follows along as well, I suppose. Does he see or hear anything with his rolls for Spot and Listen?

[acid_ninja]

Group B
We're not out of danger yet. There are probably lizardfolk patrols and skirmishers. We need to be ready.

Hielogos hefts the heavy pole axe he picked up from the field, surprised at how right its weight feels in his hands.

Can any of you guide us out of here?

[Mushroom Ninja]

Group B
"Well lad, I'm no woodsman, but I suppose that, theoretically, we could just go back tha same way we came here," says Alebeard, scratching his beard and trying to remember exactly what way that was.

[acid_ninja]

Group B
Its far too easy to get turned around in woods like this, not to mention the fact that the scalies know this terrain and we don't.
OoC: Do we at least know which general direction (North, south, etc) we need to go?

[Cieyrin]

Group B
((I assume, given we were told to tell Lord Dokenor of the occurrence here, that northwest is back towards his keep or at least that general direction.))

My analysis of the tactical situation would suggest we find someplace less exposed than this. There are too many lines of attack at this location. The patrols are also more likely to find us if we don't relocate soon.

Trying to get his bearings based on what he can see of the sun, Bulwark looks to see what the best direction to go from here would be. Taking some measurements, he nods in satisfaction. I believe this is the general direction toward Lord Dokenor's Keep.

With that, Bulwark starts marching in the indicated direction.

[Mushroom Ninja]

Group B:
Shrugging his armored shoulders in a "his-guess-is-as-good-as-mine" sort of way, Alebeard begins to trudge after the warforged.

[acid_ninja]

Group B

We should wait a moment to see if anyone else made it.

Once it becomes apparent that no one else made it Hielogos starts off after Bulwark