The Legacy of House Rhaines

[Samshiir]

What was supposed to be a calm and relaxing stay at the village of Harten for Amelia Rhaines and her three companions, Baelic, Hilda, and Erilin, turned out to be yet another start to a not so peaceful night. The four companions are busy enjoying their dinners in the Harten Inn when suddenly terrified screams from villagers and the war cries from several orc foes announce that Harten is under attack by evil orc raiders.

"Typical. Be just our luck." says the rather large dwarf, Baelic as he finishes his drink and sets the empty cup on the table.

"You know," Hilda announces, "If I didn't know any better, I would say we were cursed with all this trouble following us around."

The village has very few defenses or warriors, but those willing to stand up and fight have are grabbing their torches and gardening tools to fight the orc brutes.

Erilin looks at Amelia as she draws her short sword. "Well, my lady, shall we save this villages day?"

[Anyr]

{OOC: Erilin is a woman.}

"Do you even need to ask?"

Amelia Rhaines stood beside her lifelong companion, clad in armour which positively shone (thanks to Hilda's obsessive polishing); And a good thing too. If she was to draw these Orcs away from the villagers, she needed to be an eye-catching target. The young Knight readied her rapier, took a deep breath, and charged into the fray.

[Samshiir]

You leave the inn to find a chaotic situation. There are four orcs, each brandishing weapons against the relatively defenseless villagers. That is, you know that a handful of men and women with common clothes and torches won't last long against orc axes and armor.

The largest, most muscular orc holds up a meaty fist, directing his comrades to halt. It then points at you, and says in a very guttural common tongue, "That one is mine."

The other orcs step back to allow their leader to fight with honor, but they keep two hostages, a woman and a child, with weapons at their necks to make sure you and your companions fight honorably as well.

The orc grips his axe and howls an orcish wail at you, taunting you. He holds his ground though, waiting to see if you are brave and willing enough to make the first move.

[Anyr]

Amy was of course more than willing to accept the challenge. In addition to being very Knightly behaviour, a 1v1 duel was to her advantage. The enemy had her grossly outnumbered, after all. If they wanted to sit back and watch while their Chief fought alone (at least for the moment), she certainly wouldn't object. Gesturing for her squire to stay back, she walked forward to meet the challenger. The Knight gave a formal bow of greeting, pointed her sword straight at the Chief, and spoke: But not in any common tongue. The sounds which left her mouth were a rapid stream of lyrical syllables, which swirled with arcane power. If this creature had assumed she was but a simple melee fighter, they were about to be corrected.

Amy casts 'Blindness' on the chieftain {Con DC 14}.

[Samshiir]

A dash of light erupts from Amy's hands, directed at the eyes of her orc opponent, but it appears that Gruumsh, the orcish god of chaos and war, has protected this warrior's eyes.

The orc darkens its expression and growls in a very deep tone, impressed- although very angry- at Amy's show of magic. It raises its axe, and charges to strike.

Attack 1:[roll0]
Damage 1:[roll1]
+3 Crit (See OOC)

Attack 2:[roll2]
Damage 2:[roll3]

[Ionbound]

A cloaked figure leans against a wall of the tavern, intently watching the fight. It isn't her place to interfere with an honorable duel, of course, but...Orcs are never particularly honorable. So she watches, hand on her blade, and waits to see what's going to happen.

[Anyr]

Amy bit back a gasp of pain as the Orc's weapon sliced into her. Such power! Another blow like that and she'd be down. She saw no choice but to try and blind her foe again. Just trading strikes wouldn't end well.

HP: 23/43

Amy casts 'Blindness' again'

[Samshiir]

Erilin screamed as she watched her mentor take a few solid blows from the orc's sharp axe. Baelic comforted the girl, telling her that Amy was far more cunning than the orc realized.

Gruumsh the One-Eye can be a fickle god.

The orc warrior was taken off guard by the second iteration of the spell. He put his faith into Gruumsh protecting his eyesight, but was punished for doing so. Infuriated, the warrior rushed finish the fight.

Attack 1:[roll0]
Disadvantage (Blind):[roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

Attack 2:[roll3]
Disadvantage (Blind):[roll4]
Damage: [roll5]

[Anyr]

Amy's relief at her successful spell was short-lived. Even blinded, the Orc still managed a lucky strike on his opponent. Using some arcane power to close the wound as best she could, Amy finally resorted to using her own blade.

Amy casts 'Healing Word' using a 3rd level slot: [roll0] {Edit: Bringing her HP from 8 to 20}

She strikes the Orc with her Rapier: [roll1]; Damage: [roll2]

[Samshiir]

The orc takes a cut to the chest from Amy's rapier, then continues to attack with all his might.

Con Save vs. Blind [roll0]

Attack 1: [roll1]
Disadvantage (Blind, Ignore if Saved): [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

Attack 2: [roll4]
Disadvantage (Blind, Ignore if Saved): [roll5]
Damage: [roll6]

[Anyr]

Amy could see by now that the Blindness spells had been a waste. That energy would have been better spent on healing, rather than pelting the enemy with easily resistible nuisances. It was taking all of her power just to stay standing against this brute.

Amy casts Healing Word using 1st level slot: [roll0] {Edit: Bringing her HP from 10 to 14}

Rapier: [roll1]; Damage: [roll2]

[Samshiir]

The orc's fury ceases for a moment.

"Surrender, girl, so that I will not be forced to take your life. Admit that you have been defeated. I'm sure your friends will appreciate you for it."

For an orc, he is very well-spoken. You get the feeling that your opponent isn't just a regular orc.

[roll0] Amy's knowledge check failed

[Anyr]

The Orc's offer took Amy by surprise. Her previous encounters with his kind had shown no hint of such niceties. Ashamed as she was to admit it, a small part of her actually considered the option of surrender. Deep down inside, there was still a trace of the selfish kid she'd been in the beginning. But no, defeat here would mean the ruin of this village. She absolutely could not allow that to happen. With eyes that shone with determination (and just a hint of fear), Amy glared defiantly at the invader.

"If I were to surrender just to save my own skin, I'd have lost something far more precious than life."

[Samshiir]

"So be it, foolish girl."

The orc's fury returns with full vigor, and he continues his attacks.

Attack 1:[roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Attack 2:[roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[Ionbound]

The figure frowns as she watches the elf be beaten into the ground by the Orc, and as he draws back his axe, she drops her cloak, revealing draconic features, and steps forward, drawing a greatsword in a single fluid motion before swinging at the head of the Orc's axe, aiming to knock it out of his hand as she says, "I wouldn't."

Okay. I think this is in order. Move to be in range to Disarm, draw and attack as a part of the same action, and use the Disarm rule on page 271 of the DMG:

Disarm check: [roll0]

[Samshiir]

Just before the orc's final blow strikes Amy, a large two handed sword blocks the attack. She tries to bat the orc's weapon away, but the orc is too strong for it. However, the orc isn't strong enough to continue his attack.

The end result is a weapon-lock between the two.

Insert epic locked-weapons music here.

Also, opposing strength check between the orc and the dragonborn.

Orc's Strength check: [roll0]

[Anyr]

Amy blinked.

"...What?"

[Ionbound]

Nyscara doesn't reply, Amy's surprise drowned out in a herculean effort that is expressed in a single grunt as she pushes against the orc's axe, determined to disarm him.

Strength: [roll0]

You have got to be kidding me.

[Samshiir]

Axe and sword clash together in a desperate fight for Amy's life. In the background, Erilin is screaming in terror.

Then the orc cheats. He swiftly releases one hand from his axe and sucker punches Nyscara in the gut, causing the dragonborn to flinch and lose her control of the clash.

The orc collects himself again, then takes a step back. "You lack honor, interrupting our duel. But you make up for it in valor." He calmly explains to Nyscara. His calmness is unnerving. "For that, I will let her live."

He turns his attention to Amy. "I offer you a rematch, girl. When you have taken the time you need- be it hours, days, or weeks- to recover and re-prepare yourself, come find me out among my tribe in the north. As collateral, we will be taking these hostages with us. I don't want you cowarding out. I'll be waiting."

With that, the orcs whistle to call for their worg mounts and climb onto them to depart the village along with the woman and child as their hostages.

The orc that Amy and Nascara dueled is about to climb onto his worg, a particularly large one, but he waits for several moments. Without turning to face Amy or Nyscara, he tightens the reigns on his worg and speaks, "Unless, of course, you are foolish enough to continue this lawless battle and decide to die by my axe right now, thus forcing these... peons..." He gestures to the village's population that has crowded around the area, "to rescue their loved ones."

The other three orcs and their mounted worgs stand behind him, each one snarling and growling in anticipation. They haven't seen the heat of any combat yet this day, and they are eager to do so, especially since they now know that anyone can join in on the 'duel'.

[Anyr]

It took Amy a few seconds to gather her wits. Almost meeting the Reaper tended to have that effect on people. That axe strike had been on perfect course to slice open her throat. Had another not intervened, she would almost certainly have bled to death. With an effort, she forced herself to meet the Orc's gaze, and answer his challenge. This time the tinge of fear in her voice was unmistakable.

"C-challenge accepted. I'll be there."

[Samshiir]

Amy gave her answer, and the orc turned just long enough to meet her gaze. The warrior was smirking and had a gleam that said, "I beat you, and I can do it again" in his eye.

With a guttural grunt, the orc heaved himself onto his worg, and raced away with the rest of his orcs following on their worgs.

It wasn't a moment after the orc left that Erilin came running nearly knocked Amy over with a hug. "Don't scare us like that!" She said with a tear in her eye.

[Ionbound]

Nyscara is winded by the unexpected blow, spitting to regain her breath, though she contrives to do it in the direction of the orc, saying, "You speak of honor, yet you sucker punch me...Interesting..." She then shakes her head as Amy volunteers and says, "No. You will fight me. Not her."

[Samshiir]

Before leaving the orc tells Nyscara, "If I fight multiple of you, you will fight multiple of me." With that, the crowd of orcs behind him snarl with enthusiasm. They like the sound of that.

The orc thinks for a moment.

"But perhaps I can compromise for you weaklings. If you decide to come, which I doubt you will, perhaps I will find a way to make this an even, yet honorable fight."

[Anyr]

Amy returned the hug with gusto. The roles of Knight and Squire dissolved like so much sand: Leaving only two beloved friends, who valued each other's lives far above their own. Amy gently wiped the tear from Erilin's eye (even as one formed in her own), and forced a comforting smile.

"C-come on, Eri; You know I was just l-lulling him into a false sense of security..."

Amy would stay with Erilin until absolutely sure she was okay. Only then would she turn her attention to the newcomer. Bad decorum? Probably; But she couldn't help putting Eri first. When the time came to greet her saviour, though, she didn't scrimp on it. Amy bowed low, and spoke in a tone of utmost gratitude.

"I owe you my life. Please accept the sincerest thanks of Amelia, Knight of House Rhaines. May I be permitted to know the name of my saviour?"

Admittedly, the formal language probably sounded more than a little ridiculous, coming right after all that shaky-voiced embracing.

[Ionbound]

Nyscara lets Amelia do her hugging, and when she's asked her name, she nods, placing a hand glowing with holy magic on Amy's shoulder and says, "Nyscara, Paladin of Kord. I have an aversion to watching people be slaughtered. Hence the aid."

Lay on Hands for as much as you need, up to 25.

[Anyr]

Amy felt a rush of vigour as Nyscara laid one hand upon her. Ah, so this was the famed healing touch of a holy warrior. She was truly fortunate to have crossed paths with this woman. To think that she'd be given such an opportunity: The chance to fight alongside a real life Paladin! Assuming said Paladin would have her, of course. She hadn't exactly made a great first impression.

"Then we share a common goal. Am I right in thinking that you also intend to journey north? Because if so, we should definitely join forces. Let's settle our grudge with those Orcs side by side!"

[Samshiir]

If you do not have horses of your own, the stablemaster of Harten, a middle-aged man missing his right arm from the shoulder down, offers food, supplies, and horses to Amy and Nyscara "Take anything you need. Whatever supplies, weapons, armor, you name it, that you need for the journey. Just... please bring my wife and daughter back alive. I would go but...my sword arm isn't the same as it used to be, and I would only slow you down and thus put my family in unnecessary risk."

Baelic and Hilda, who plan on staying in Harten while Amy is away on her latest quest, do everything they can to prepare for Amy and Erilin's departure. They saddle horses, pack supplies, and hand you a locally acquired map that shows the location of the orc encampment twelve miles to the north.

One small family offer- in fact insist on having- Amy, Nyscara, and the others for a full dinner of assorted meats, vegetables, and grains before they depart.

Erilin is stoked for the journey. She quickly packs her things onto the smallest of the three horses, then she spends a bit of time practicing with her dual short swords at the edge of the woods. She isn't nearly as experienced as a warrior as Amy, but her small frame makes her quick enough to be a respectable duelist.

"If there be anything else you be needing, just let me know, Miss Rhaines." Baelic tells Amy with his loud, dwarven voice after he finishes saddling the horses donated by the stablemaster.

[Ionbound]

Nyscara nods and says, "Of course, sir. I will bring them back alive, and those that took them will...Regret their choices, shall we say."

She enjoys the feast, indulging in merriment for a while, until Amy and the others are ready to go. She packs up what little she has, and sets out along side Amy when they leave.

[Anyr]

The hospitality of these people made Amy feel truly unworthy. Even though she'd failed to protect two of their own, they still treated her like an honoured guest. She of course pledged to return with both the hostages, no matter what. All too soon, the time came to depart. Amy gave a last long farewell to her loyal servants (who really deserved a medal for sticking with her all this time), before riding off into the distance.

Normally a journey like this would have been spent side by side with Erilin. The two of them would fill the air with a mix of idle conversation, bad jokes, and serious discussion on whatever topic happened to catch their fancy. This time, though, her Squire's usual spot was taken by another. Amy hoped that Eri wouldn't resent being told to ride behind at a respectable distance; But she wanted a chance to focus on really getting to know the newcomer. Besides, many Paladins were notorious sticklers for protocol. Until she knew where Nyscara stood on such things, she didn't want to risk antagonising her. She glanced over at the mysterious woman who now rode beside her.

"So, what brings you to these parts? The people around here don't often have the pleasure of meeting a Paladin."

[Samshiir]

The road north is lightly wooded with a stream occasionally crisscrossing the path, meaning there are several small bridges to cross over. The trip is rather serene, and the environment is one that does not suggest all the trouble between Harten and the local orcs.

Erilin didn't want to disobey Amy, so she rode back a good dozen paces to give her and the newcomer some space to talk. She couldn't help but try to listen in, though. She didn't like the idea of some lizard taking her place as Amy's partner. Then again, the newcomer was more willing to fight for and defend Amy than she was. Erilin decided that she would have to redouble her efforts to protect Amy in the future.

[Ionbound]

Nyscara nods as she rides along and replies, "Well...I was honestly just traveling. Looking for trouble like this. It's my duty to seek out and destroy evil wherever it may be found."

[Anyr]

"So you have no firm destination? No commitments beyond a broad mandate?"

Amy tried to keep the excitement out of her voice. This could be the beginning of a lasting partnership.

[Ionbound]

Nyscara nods, sighs, and says, "Yep. No specifics. I just...Protect people."

[Anyr]

'No specifics' was right. Amy was used to chattier company than this. Should she press for more information? No, best not. Instead she changed the subject.

"Do you have any thoughts about the approach we should take, once we reach our destination? Forgive me if this sounds prejudiced, but I have doubts about an Orc tribe's integrity when it comes to 'honourable duels'."

[Ionbound]

Nyscara can't help but snort and says, "He seemed fairly honorable when he was beating you into the earth. I must say, even though I disagree with his actions, he does seem to have a code, strange though it may be. Remember that."

She then sighs, taking a deep breath, and says, "Still. He cannot be allowed to continue raiding."

[Anyr]

Amy winced a little. They did say that you never got a second chance at a first impression. Like it or not, Nyscara's earliest memory of Amy would always be the same: That of her needing to to be rescued from a big nasty Orc. Embarrassed, the Knight lapsed into silence.

[Samshiir]

Later that day, Amy, Nyscara, and Erilin arrive at a hill overviewing the orc encampment nestled against the edge of the forest. There is a large wooden wall surrounding dozens of tents, some larger and smaller, but one particularly large tent in the center that dwarfs the rest around it.

There are two orc guards at the only entrance, and four more guards wandering in pairs around the outside section of the wall. On the inside, there is cruel orcish laughter and partying, but there is no sign of the stablemaster's wife or daughter.

"This doesn't look too hard, so long as we don't take a frontal assault approach." Erilin says with a smile and a bit of sarcasm (which Amy suspects this is covering up fear) in her voice.

[Ionbound]

Nyscara shrugs and says, "They are expecting us. Perhaps we should take advantage of that."

[Anyr]

"What did you have in mind? Personally, I don't think that simply rescuing the hostages is enough. Unless we deal with these Orcs (one way or another), they'll just raid the village again."

Amy surveyed the encampment. Obviously, defeating such a large force through strength alone was out of the question; And stealthily sneaking the hostages out wouldn't solve the root problem. Was there really no other option but to take the Chieftain at his word?

[Ionbound]

Nyscara nods and says, "We beat the problem at it's source. If we slay the chieftain, we'll have a few moments of shock to take advantage of the orc's disorganization and get the hostages out. After that, we leave and hopefully come back with a big enough force to wipe them out before they get a new chief."

[Anyr]

"And you truly believe that he will grant us an honourable duel? Very well. I'll defer to your judgement here."

Amy was clearly very unsure about this approach. In her experience, Orcs were nothing more than savages. But if her saviour thought differently, then so be it.

[Ionbound]

Nyscara shakes her head and says, "I didn't say that, now did I. Just that they seem to want the pretense. And why bother fighting our way through the guards when we can get inside without such troubles and find the hostages before the fighting?"

[Anyr]

"Point taken. Well, I suppose we should get this started..."

Amy gave herself a last quick once-over, to make sure that she looked appropriately knightly. Armour gleaming? Check. Posture straight? Check? Hair lustrous? Naturally. Everything seemed to be in order. After a few deep preparatory breaths, Amy rode out towards the enemy camp. She made sure to approach slowly, openly, and without malice. Hopefully these savages had at least a passing familiarity with the concept of 'parley'.

"We're here to see your chieftain! He should be expecting us."

[Samshiir]

Erilin rode at a distance for a majority of the trip at Amy's request, but the final stretch to the orc encampment was different. She rode directly by her side, as a true squire and best friend should.

A half dozen orcs at the top of and behind the gate ready their crossbows as a precaution while the two guards below them speak a guttural, orcish command to you, "You dismount. Horses stay outside. Bring you weapons. Know that if you try to use weapons, we will use ours."

Almost before he finishes his last word, the archers above and behind him chant a quick orcish warcry in unison. "'Iwlij jachjaj!"

One orc gathers the three horses and leads them off to a tent on the outside of the camp wall, while the orc that gave the command gestures for you to follow him. As you walk through the camp, there are dozens of orc men, women, and children giving you a mix of intimidating, confused, surprised, and curious looks.

A large, rugged, bearded orcish blacksmith pauses his work on crafting a falchion to sneer at the non-orcs passing through. He sets his hammer down and steps out from behind his work area just to spit on the ground before you. He chuckles a bit, strokes his beard contently, then returns to his work.

A female orc that has covered her eyes with cloth practices dark arts around an open fire, calling to elemental spirits and pays no particular attention to you. The fire produces a small bird made out of nothing but the sparks of the flame itself. The orc directs the firebird to circle over your heads. The soured expression on her face tells you that this spirit is acting as her eyes, and can see you through it.

A small orc that can't be older than six years leaves his parents sides just to run up, pick up a fistful of mud, and lob it at each of you. A roar of childish laughter erupts from several of his peers and even a few elders.

Amy notices that Eri is grinding her jaw tightly, and knows that is what the girl does when she becomes irritated or feels threatened. Eri locks her eyes with Amy's and shakes her head slightly. She doesn't like this situation at all.

[Anyr]

Everything that Amy saw in the camp just confirmed her preconceptions. These creatures were practically bursting with malice. Just the sight of a non-orcish presence was enough to incite hatred in them. She was beset at every turn by sneers, laughter, and even projectiles. Who else but a savage could judge someone so harshly at first sight? Amy walked onwards: Oblivious to the unpleasant expression that adorned her own face.

Naturally, none of that bad feeling got sent in Eri's direction. The looks she received from Amy contained only sympathy and encouragement. Amy agreed entirely with her Squire's assessment of things. She was willing to bet that the same fear lurked in both of their hearts right now.

[Ionbound]

Nyscara frowns at the hatred directed at them and sighs heavily, static sparks playing over her scaled lips as she shakes her head angrily, resisting the primal urge to lay waste to the hateful savages. Instead, she takes a deep, calming breath and says quietly to Amy, "Be ready...We may have to fight our way out."

[Samshiir]

As the orc leads you through the camp, you finally spot a cage that is holding a pair of prisoners. The woman that was captured from the village is one of them, but the other is not the woman's daughter, but rather a large, brutish man with borderline grotesque features in his face. A half-orc.

The orc continues ahead, then beckons for you to stop. You realize that you are a few dozen paces in front of a large, stone, crudely built throne, atop of which sits the orc warrior that battled you back in Harten.

"Ahh, we have been expecting you. Welcome to my home." He says with forced kindness. The fierceness in his voice announces that he is not genuine with his words.

Another orc moves up behind you and kicks the back of your knees, trying to force you to bow before the warchief.

[Anyr]

Amy stumbled, but didn't bow. She met the chief's gaze with as much determination as she could muster. Trying to intimidate this man was almost certainly pointless. From his perspective, she was just a pathetic little girl. No, there would be no diplomatic solution here. Battle was the only option.

"We have come, as promised. Are you prepared to face us?"

[Samshiir]

"Little girl, do you seriously think you can defeat me, here in my fortress surrounded by my best warriors who are willing to give their lives for me?" His last few words are drowned out by orcish howling and warcries. Once the rushing noise dies down, he continues, "No. I believe you came here for the prisoners that we took from your little town." He gestures at the cage with the woman and the half-orc. "Now, if you want to get them and yourselves out of here alive, I propose a trade." His smirk bluntly tells you that he is up to no good.

[Anyr]

...Okay, so apparently there would be some diplomacy here; Though to be blunt, Amy wasn't expecting anything from it. The chief probably just wanted a chance to posture some more.

"I'm listening."

[Samshiir]

"I offer you the girl's life in return for entertainment for my tribe. You see, half an hour before you arrived, we set the girl free." He gestures behind him toward the forest that the orc encampment is nestled against. "Of course, it also happens to be Targ's feeding time, so we released him into the forest fifteen minutes ago. If you want the girl, all you have to do is find her before Targ."

He gestures down toward the oracle with the seeing fire-bird. The bird quickly darts off into the forest, and the oracle conjures extra flames from the fire pit beside her. The fire grows a hazy illusion of trees flying beneath it, showing the bird's view as it leaves the camp. The vision is large enough for the entire camp to see.

After several thousand feet or so, the bird's view finds and catches up with the little girl, who is tired, scared, and crying and is hiding under a fallen tree. Large, echoing thumps slam into the ground every few seconds, presumably made the one that chases her, Targ. The bird turns to show what following her, and shows a massive ogre, which is more than four times the size of the girl and could easily swallow her whole, dragging a club and hungrily smelling her out with its stupid demeanor.

Every orc in the camp cheers as they watch through the fire-birds eyes. The chieftan turns to glare at Amy with a hideous grin. "I recommend haste, the girl will be able to hide from Targ forever."

A pair of orcs open another gate behind the warchief's throne. It opens up into the forest that the bird just fled into. Not a single orc impedes your movement to leave into the forest.

[Ionbound]

Nyscara frowns and says, "What about the others? If we play your little game, will they be freed as well?"

[Samshiir]

The warchief laughs, which is echoed by laughter from the entire camp.

"Of course not! But I believe you have more pressing matters to attend to!"

Within the cage, the mother is crying her eyes out as she watches her daughter through the eyes of the fire-bird, yelling some words that are completely drowned out by the hoard of orcs.

[Ionbound]

Nyscara shakes her head and says, "Not good enough. You're an honorable orc. Me and you, right here. I win, you free the others and find the girl. You win, and you can kill me in whatever horrific and perverted way you can imagine."

[Anyr]

Amy didn't participate in this conversation: Because she wasn't there. She'd started running before the chief reached word three of 'I recommend haste'. By now she was out the gates, and going at full pelt towards the forest. She tried her best to follow the route that she'd seen via the (literal) bird's eye view from before.

[Samshiir]

Erilin darts after Amy, trying to keep pace. The two girls spring through the woods, trying to follow the path that the bird took. Quickly enough, Amy narrowly avoids falling into a large ogre footprint, and from then on is able to follow its tracks to their destination.

Meanwhile, the orc warchief grins, yet again, at Nyscara. Drawing his axe, he beckons his opponent to initiate a fight. Nyscara is completely surrounded by howling orcs that don't know if they want to focus their attention on the view in the fire of the ogre, or to focus on their warchief battling a dragonborn.

[Anyr]

As Amy ran, she explained the plan of action to Erilin: A plan which likely would not be popular.

"If the ogre is already there when we find the girl, we'll split up. I'll get its attention, while you grab her and run. Got that, Eri? Run; No matter what happens to me."

[Ionbound]

Nyscara wastes no time, drawing her greatsword. However, instead of attacking mundanely, she takes a deep breath and exhales a crackling bolt of lightning at the Orc, showing off her draconic heritage.

DC 13 Dex Save or take [roll0] damage.

[Samshiir]

The warchief was expecting such an attack coming from a dragon, and manages to roll with the lightning blasts, but doesn't manage to avoid being unharmed by it.

"That was a mistake, dragon."

Attack 1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Attack 2: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

Meanwhile, Eri expresses disinterest in Amy's orders. "No, Amy, I can not and will not leave you. We are a team, and your life is just as important to me as the little girl we will save. Is that understood?

...Ma'am?" She finishes her sentence with a proper title toward Amy after a very short pause.

[Anyr]

Amy really wanted to scold her Squire for this insubordinate behaviour: But doing that would make her a hypocrite. She knew full well that, were their positions reversed, she'd have disobeyed that order too. Abandon Eri? Not in this lifetime.

"...Okay, new plan: You grab her, and then we both run. But if we end up having to fight that thing because we're too slow to outpace it, I get to say 'I told you so'. Deal?"

[Ionbound]

The first blow manages to hit a chink in her armor, leaving a decent-sized slash, but nevertheless, she parries the second and grins, saying, "The mistake was yours when you raided that village. You will fall by the day's end." With that, she unleashes a pair of divinely-empowered strikes at the Orc, looking to end the fight quickly.

Bonus: Vow of Enemity, gain advantage on attacks
Using Divine Smite on any attack that hits, expending first level slots.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

Smite Damage:
[roll6]
[roll7]

[Samshiir]

The warchief completely negates Nyscara's attacks with a pair of well placed parries against her blade. The divine energy summoned to assault their leader has drawn the attention of several orcs, but they howl with laughter when they realize that their leader is in no immediate danger of losing.


Attack 1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Attack 2: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]


"Got it!" Eri agrees. Shortly after, Amy and Eri find themselves upon the scene that they witnessed through the fire-birds eyes, except the ogre is not present. The fallen tree is present, but there are several more crushed sections of it now.

In the distance, the ogre wails a low-pitched roar as it tramples through the forest. You also hear the girl screaming for her life, but only through the brief pauses between the sounds of falling trees and ogre roars.

[Ionbound]

Nyscara blocks the first swing, but leaves herself open, taking a vicious blow to the stomach, lifting her off her feet briefly. She snarls and spits blood at the Orc, then charges, making a desperate attack, empowered with divine light, to try to finish him.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

Smite Rolls:
[roll6]
[roll7]

[Anyr]

The sound of screaming caused Amy's heart to sink. She'd hoped that the girl would still be hiding. Hopping over the fallen tree, she rushed onwards. At first, she followed the ogre's (presumably obvious) trail exactly: Until she realised that that could lead to an unwanted meeting. After that epiphany, Amy instead ran parallel to the trail. Maybe there'd be a chance to secretly overtake the lumbering oaf, and beat him to the prey.

[Samshiir]

With a decisive strike, Nyscara imbeds her blade deep into the orc warchief's chest. The warchief yells out in pain, then takes a step back, removing his body from the end of the sword.

His orc warriors around him move in against Nyscara, but is stopped at the warchief's raised fist. "Sheath your weapons! This one is mine!"

The orcs back off from the fight as the warchief engages yet again.


Attack 1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Attack 2: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]


Amy and Eri continue chasing after the ogre, and finally catch sight of the lumbering creature. It looks out of place here in the forest, given its overgrown muscles and ten foot tall stature crammed among the trees. Luckily its size is working to the advantage of the survival of the girl, because she is able to use her much smaller size to avoid the ogre while diving between tightly packed trees and narrow openings. However, this is only frustrating the ogre, and it is plenty powerful enough to crush anything in its way. Eventually, the tireless brute will win this game of cat and mouse.

The ogre is 50 feet ahead. The girl is on the opposite side of the ogre, but another 20 feet ahead of it. Both the ogre and the girl are advancing forward away from your current position. The ogre is particularly large and is wielding a gigantic tree stump as a weapon, and thus has a 10-foot reach.

[Ionbound]

The two blows strike, bringing Nyscara to her knees as she coughs up copious amounts of blood and chunks of gore. She takes a deep, hacking breath, then slowly rises, anger and fear evident in her eyes and, as she realizes flight is no longer an option, steels herself for a final assault as she lunges forth, swinging wildly at the orcish leader, trying to finish him in a final assault.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

[Anyr]

Amy felt an involuntary shiver. Seeing this brute in person was very different from watching it through a scrying spell. She became painfully aware of just how easily his club could crush her. Pushing aside the fear, she prepared for the final approach. When she spoke, her words came out clipped and terse.

"Stay alongside; Try not to get noticed. When we're close, you grab her, while I blind him; Then we run to the left."

She proceeded to do just that. Amy moved parallel to the Ogre's path, as stealthily as she could manage. When (or if) she and Eri reached the girl, she would send a 'Blindness' spell back at her pursuer. Hopefully that would buy just enough time to grab the girl and escape.

[Samshiir]

Nyscara's attacks batter the warchief's defenses into nothing. Her enemy was about to counter with a fatal attack when suddenly it happened. With a circular swing over her head, the dragonborn's sword arced just above the orc's shoulder and carved his head clean off. After a few bounces, which were audible over the deathly silence of the entire tribe, it comes to a stop with the warchief's final grim expression instilled on it's face.

The orcs shriek in fury, louder than ever before. Weapons and sorcery are drawn and conjured. The tribe is ready for blood.


*****

Erilin moves off toward the right flank behind the ogre, trying to spot an opportunity to dart after and rescue the child. The ogre makes a lumbering stretch at the child, trying to grasp her with his extraordinarily large hands. That is when Amy casts her spell, which would hopefully buy enough time for Eri to get the child to safety.

Ogre's Constitution Save vs. Blind (DC 14): [roll0]

The spell successfully blinds the ogre, causing the creature to completely miss his attempt to grab the girl. Erilin takes the chance and darts into action, sprinting toward the girl and picking her up. The two of them are not out of harm's way yet, especially since the confused ogre seems to be about to enter a panicked tantrum because of its blindness.

[Anyr]

Amy didn't pause for breath. She kept right on running, towards the more densely packed trees. Hopefully she and Eri would be able to make their getaway while the Ogre flailed blindly. By the time its sight recovered, they aimed to be out of it.

[Ionbound]

Nyscara blinks as the orc tribe rages and says to herself, "I...I may have slightly miscalculated..." She then takes a deep breath and calls out, "Orc! Remember your leader's oath! Do not let him be dishonored by your actions!" hoping that the now-dead leader's honor was still respected by his tribe.

Persuasion Check: [roll0]

[Samshiir]

One orc steps up to the dead warchief, picks up his sword, and waves it above his head triumphantly. A second orc confronts this action by trying to bully the sword out of his grasp. The two orcs devolve into a brawl over the sword that they are both holding in their grasp. Before Nyscara realizes what's going on, the entire tribe is fighting over the warchief's sword. They no longer care about the dragonborn that just killed their leader, they no longer care to watch the bird's eye view of the ogre, each and every orc cares about one thing at this moment: claiming the warchief's sword.

The woman prisoner nearby bangs and rattles the crude bars that are entrapping her as she yells for help.


***

Attack vs Erilin: [roll0]
Disadvantage (Blind): [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]


Erilin dives after the girl, nimbly dodging the tree stump that the ogre is flailing about randomly. She gets to the girl, but for some reason she is not moving from her current position. The little girl seems to have her foot caught on something and can't move, and the two are directly within reach of the ogre. Erilin casts a look toward Amy with eyes that say, 'We need you to buy us time!', and she draws one of her blades to begin cutting the root that is keeping the girl's foot in place.

[Ionbound]

Nyscara edges away from the brawl, and towards the cage. She whispers to the woman, "Stay quiet. I'm here to help." With that, she hefts her greatsword and tries to cut through the lock on the cage, or obvious weak points like tied together bars.

[Anyr]

Amy darted around to one side of the Ogre (being sure to stay out of his club's impressive reach). It was time to draw upon her many years of experience as a noble: Specifically, the years of infantile mud-slinging with the children of other families. The insults of spoilt rich kids could get seriously vicious when their parents weren't there to hear them.

"Hey, you pusillanimous cretin! Do you always choose helpless children as your sparring partners? I know you're still shaking from that time you lost against a sickly unarmed goblin; But here's your chance to earn back a little pride! Why don't you try swinging that club at something that can actually fight back?"

It didn't matter whether the foe could comprehend her words: So long as it heard them, the magic within would enter its head.

Amy casts 'Vicious Mockery' on the Ogre {Wis DC 14}. Damage: [roll0].

[Samshiir]

"Thank you." The woman says as she exits the broken cage. "But what about my daughter? She could still be in danger!"

The brawl has escalated to the point that the seer has lost concentration of her fire-bird spell, and thus there is no longer vision of the ogre or the woman's daughter.

Also exiting from the cage is the half-orc. "I am no friend to these orcs. Please, let me leave with you."


***

The ogre is shocked with confusion. A helpless, trapped little girl ripe for the eating directly in front of it. However, the girl flinging nearly incomprehensible words of (presumably) insult at it deeply angered it. Making a split decision based more on instinct than logic, the ogre attacks...

[roll0]
1: The ogre is angered at Amy's words and attacks her. "But that goblin cheated!"
2: The ogre wants to go after the girl again. Erilin's defensive posture over the little girl forces the ogre to attack her instead.

Attack: [roll1]
Disadvantage (Vicious Mockery): [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

Erilin poises herself, ready for another incoming attack. Her dual blades manage to parry the ogre's tree trunk, forcing the blow to slam into the ground feet away from the girls.

With a split second of time bought, Eri slices the root that has trapped the girl's foot. Eri barks a command at her, "Run, girl!"

The girl didn't have to be told. She was running as fast as her feet could carry her. Erilin slowly stepped backward, keeping herself tactically positioned between the girl and the ogre. She looked at Amy, wondering what the plan would be now.

[Ionbound]

Nyscara nods and says, "Alright. Follow me. Ma'am, your daughter is alright. My companions is bringing her back to town." With that, she attempts to lead the pair peacefully through the orcs and to safety outside the encampment.

[Anyr]

Amy wasn't exactly sure of the next move either. Her original plan had been to split up: But Eri had vetoed that one so firmly that it disintegrated. She hastily reviewed her options: Lead the ogre away from the girl? No, because this forest was dangerous even without him. If left alone, that infant could easily get herself killed some other way. Go after her? No, because they couldn't lose the ogre any more. Without the advantage of surprise (or the freedom to change routes), he'd track them easily. Fight? No, because...because...

...Damn it. That really was the best option, wasn't it? Okay, fine. This time would be different. This time, she wasn't alone. Amy took a deep breath, and spoke the words of power once again. But this time, there were two strands of magic woven into them: One to curse, and one to inspire.

"Surely a creature as corpulent as you won't be satisfied by just one girl? Here, have two instead! And the best part is, you won't even have to eat us: We'll enter your stomach through the massive hole we're about to slice in it!"

Amy caught her squire's eye, and grinned. A familiar sensation of power would infuse Eri, just as it had many times before. The message was clear.

[Okay, Eri, we're together; Just like you wanted. Now come on, show me what you've got!]

Amy casts 'Vicious Mockery' on the ogre. Damage: [roll0].

She also grants Eri a d8 Inspiration die. Thanks to Combat Inspiration, this die can buff damage rolls and AC (along with the normal uses).

[Samshiir]

The half-orc and the mother follow Nyscara out of the orc camp, trying not to be noticed through the rampaging brawl that has erupted around them.

Seeing as how she is a waitress in a tavern in Harten, the woman has no experience whatsoever in trying to remain unnoticed. An orc immediately takes notice of her and draws a sharp axe, growling something in orcish that probably translates to something about the damn prisoners escaping. He is taking a position to intercept her before she gets to the camp's exit.

Woman: [roll0]
Advantage (Chaos of the brawl): [roll1]

Half-Orc: [roll2]
Advantage (Chaos of the brawl): [roll3]

Ogre's Will vs. Vicious Mockery: [roll4]

Ogre's attack vs. Amy: [roll5]
(Possible Disadvantage if previous Will save failed): [roll6]
Damage: [roll7]

Erilin's attack vs. Ogre: [roll8]
Damage: [roll9]

Bonus Action off-hand attack vs. Ogre: [roll10]
Damage: [roll11]

Erilin's Inspiration die added to bonus damage (if one hits) OR highest attack roll (if both miss): [roll12]

The ogre crashes its tree branch overhead style down against Amy, but this opens up a chance for Erilin to move in behind it and land two solid blows to its back with her blades. The ogre howls in a mix of anger, embarrassment, and frustration and seems to be slowly getting worn down from the fight.

The little girl continues to flee further for a few seconds, and then finds a hiding spot. She doesn't want to get too far away from her saviors, and hopes the ogre won't be able to find her latest hiding spot now that it is distracted.

[Anyr]

This first exchange did wonders for Amy's confidence. Both her magic and Eri's blades were making their mark on the beast. Try as Amy might to play the lone hero, she'd always been at her best when fighting beside others. She and Eri made a great team: That is, when she could stand to put her friend in harm's way. She did tend to get a bit...overprotective, at times.

Same again: Vicious Mockery + Inspiration die. Damage: [roll0]

[Ionbound]

Nyscara sneaks alongside the woman, ready at any moment for the brawl to focus it's attention on them.

Ready an action to counter any attack directed at myself or the others with me.

Stealth: [roll0]

[Samshiir]

Ogre attack vs [roll0]
1: Erilin
2: Amy

[roll1]
Disadvantage (Vicious Mockery): [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

Erilin's attacks vs. Ogre:
Main Hand: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5]
Off-Hand: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7]

Erilin's Inspiration die added to bonus damage (if one hits) OR highest attack roll (if both miss): [roll8]


***

Nyscara's attack vs. Orc (held action): [roll9]
Damage: [roll10]

Orc attack vs. Woman (After Nyscara's held action): [roll11]
Damage: [roll12]


Another wave of attacks between Erilin's blades and Amy's magics wear the ogre down significantly. At this rate, the battle will be won very soon, but the danger has not passed yet. Despite her relative inexperience, Erilin is putting up one hell of a fight against the ogre. Her playful demeanor is completely gone, and she is completely focused on the fight at hand.


***

Heaving a greataxe above his head, one orc moves to attack the woman, but is intercepted by Nyscara's sword mid-attack. Despite dealing a significant blow to the orc, the warrior still manages to land its attack against the woman, gouging a deep wound from her left shoulder to her right hip, causing her to drop to the ground immediately. Her distinct lack of screaming in agony is very noticeable.

The half-orc captive moves to a blacksmith's forge, locates a dagger laying about the assortment of weapons, grabs it, and turns to continue fleeing the camp.

[Anyr]

After several tries, the Ogre's club finally managed to find its mark. Amy grunted as she received a heavy blow to the shoulder. Even dulled by armour, that thing packed a serious punch. Still, it gave her taunts a chance to branch out into new territory.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be hitting us, rather than tickling? Surely that little love tap wasn't your best shot!"

Amy spends her last point of Inspiration. Vicious Mockery damage: [roll0]

[Ionbound]

Nyscara's eyes widen as the woman falls, but instead of engaging the orc, she lifts the woman onto her shoulders and tries to double-time out of the camp, arms glowing as she tries to heal the hopefully-not-dead woman.

Healing touch on the woman to get her back up to 1 HP, pick her up and run.

[Samshiir]

One more casting of Amy's spell put the ogre's mind over the top. The hulking monster gleamed its tusks at Amy in an attempt at being intimidating, but what came out was a confused, childish expression. With a sigh of exhaustion and surrender, the ogre fell to its knees and then onto its stomach, shaking the ground around it.

Now that the immediate threat was over, Erilin returned to her normal self. "Good job, Amy. You slapped that ogre down harder than that boy that asked you to the royal ball on your twenty-first birthday.", she jested.


***

Nyscara heaves the woman over her shoulder while the half-orc provides extra support for their escape. Soon, the three escape the camp and are a safe distance away. The brawl at the orc camp is so intense that it doesn't seem like any of them decided to follow the dragonborn or their ex-captives.

The woman is alive, but barely. Nyscara's healing has very well saved her life, but it is doubtful that she will be awake for quite some time.

[Anyr]

"Well, I had to be harsher: This Ogre had way more charisma than that boy..."

Amy grinned impishly. See, this was what adventuring should always be like: Daring swordplay, witty remarks, and the thrill of victory. Grim reality just got in the way. With the enemy dispatched, she turned her eyes towards the forest. Hiding somewhere ahead was a scared little girl, who desperately needed a saviour.

"It's all right, you can come out now. I'm Lady Amelia, of House Rhaines; And this is my squire, Erilin. We've been sent to rescue you."

[Ionbound]

Nyscara takes a deep breath and says to the half-orc, "She's alive. For now. I don't suppose you're going to come with me back to the village, are you?"

[Samshiir]

"I'm so...scared..." The little girl cries out from her hiding place. Her words are on the verge of crying.

She leaves her hiding spot and you see a young girl with muddied and torn clothes, tiny cuts all over her arms and face, a few twigs and mug in her hair, and only one shoed foot. She runs at you and embraces you, feeling safe in your arms.

"What now?" Erilin asks as she wipes the ogre's blood off her blades with a rag that she retrieved from her pack.


***

The half-orc looks at the dragonborn. "I am no friend to the orcs here. I believe it would be in both our interests if we stayed together for now."

[Anyr]

Amy owned a lot of masks. Such things were a necessity for any aspiring noble. The one she wore now was one of her favourites. Amy's arms enveloped the little girl like an angel's wings. She looked down at her with a face that projected strength and motherly wisdom. Everything about this frozen moment said 'Nothing can hurt you now. You're safe.'

It was all a facade, of course. The real Amy fell far short of this perfect ideal. For all she knew, this child might now be motherless. But sometimes being a Knight was about showing people what they needed to see. Amy spoke softly, while never taking her eyes off the girl.

"Now we take her home."

Her part in this rescue was (hopefully) over. She could only pray that the same was true of Nyscara. They'd know once they reached the rendezvous point. Amy gently lifted the child off her feet, as if she were made of glass. So long as her charge was willing, She'd be carried the whole way.

[Ionbound]

Nyscara nods and says, "Fair enough. I need to get this woman back to her village. Come with me or don't, I don't care." With that, she starts making her way back towards the village.

[Samshiir]

Within the hour, Amy and Nyscara meet up again at their designated rendezvous location. The chaos at the orc camp and their lack of reasonable leadership prevents them from sending any hostility to track their opponents down.

The little girl, exhausted from the horrible events of the day, actually falls asleep in Amy's arms as she rests in her rescuers arms.

Upon reaching the rendezvous point, Eri nods toward the woman that Nyscara holds in her arms, gesturing the question about whether or not she is alright.

The woman still shows no signs of getting better, but her condition is not getting any worse either.

The half-orc keeps a vigilant watch in the immediate area, watchful for upcoming danger. He doesn't acknowledge the approach of Amy, Erilin, and the little girl, since he saw them work with Nyscara earlier in the day.

[Anyr]

The Half-Orc received a sceptical look from Amy as she approached. Given recent experience, it was only natural to be wary of those with Orcish blood: Or so Amy told herself. She unconsciously hugged the child a little tighter.

"If memory serves, you were caged in the Orcish camp. Did my comrade rescue you as well?"

She didn't spend too much time on him, though. She was anxious to check on the little girl's mother. The mere fact that the woman was still breathing came as a huge relief. Amy examined her carefully, and (if necessary) administered some healing magic. Poor Nyscara barely received a glance.

[Ionbound]

Nyscara gently lowers the woman to allow Amy to work on her, saying to Eri, "She's alive, but barely. Took a swing on our way out. On the upside, the orcs won't be bothering people for a nice long while. It takes a good deal of time for a tribe to get stable if you kill their chief."

[Samshiir]

"Yes," the half-orc answers the question directed to him. "For saving my life, I am now indebted to you. My name is Iso'Condee. We should make haste away from here. I don't know about you, but I would personally feel safer with more distance between us and the orc camp. In the long term, however, I wouldn't worry about this camp anymore. The Warchief's command to come to this area was very unpopular. When a new warchief is elected, I assure that they will command the tribe back north to the orcish homelands."

Now that you are able to get a better look at him, you realize this half-orc has two different colored eyes. His right eye is deep brown, and his left eye is crystalline blue. A scar runs from his forehead across his left eye socket and finishes on the left side of his nose, but nothing about the eye it crosses over looks different than usual, save for it is a different color than the other.

[Anyr]

The Half-Orc once again managed to catch Amy's attention. He was surprisingly well-spoken, by the standards of his kind. Nonetheless, she raised a concerned eyebrow.

"Wait, are you planning to accompany us? I'd have thought you'd be anxious to return home."

Nyscara certainly had a knack for gathering life debts. At this rate, she'd have an army before the year was out.

[Samshiir]

Iso'Condee laughed heartily. "Me? Return home? To the orc homelands? Hah!" He gestures toward the unconscious woman. "Let's just say that I was locked away like a pig in the cage with this p-" He blinks and stutters as he keeps himself from finishing a word. "That is, this woman."

[Ionbound]

Nyscara nods and says, "Fair enough." She sighs and says, "Well, that was an adventure, certainly." She rubs her forehead before continuing, "So...Any thoughts on where we should go next, Amy?"

[Anyr]

Amy had a fair idea what the man had been about to say. Her (already shaky) opinion of him lowered a notch. Nyscara's question was greeted with a shrug.

"Let's leave that decision until our charges are safely home."

So saying, she set off for the village. She was anxious to reunite these two with their loved ones.

[Samshiir]

Late that night when the group returns to Harten, the farmer is reunited with his wife and daughter. With the healing magics of both Amy and Nyscara in addition to the herbal medicine of a few villagers, the woman is ensured to live. The little girl is fine, as well, and brings tears to her father's eyes when they see each other again.

The village rejoices and praises Amy, Nyscara, and Erilin. They offer rewards and services, but the most they can afford to muster is a place to sleep and eat whenever needed in the future.

Erilin immerses herself in the blessings of the village, helping herself to the commodities offered. She passes her swords and chain shirt armor off to Baelic to tend to. She then retrieves formal clothing from the supplies cared for by Hilda and continues mingling with the villagers.

Iso'Condee should seem out of place, given his orcish heritage, but he blends in remarkably well. His features appear human enough that his hooded cloak prevents anyone in the village from noticing what he really is. Still, he played it safe and kept his distance from any of the people and simply watched at a distance.

[Anyr]

Amy was only too happy to join everyone else in celebration. It was always nice to get out of that cumbersome armour for a while; Not to mention the chance to show off one of her exquisitely tailored dresses. Amy's pilgrimage had done nothing to quell her love of high fashion. So clad, she would join the locals for as long as they wanted. She did her best to mimic the local customs, rather than acting like she was at some high society ball. In her experience, rural celebrations could be surprisingly fun. She also made sure to keep half an eye on Nyscara throughout. Seeing how the Paladin reacted to this sort of occasion would hopefully be informative.

When at last the time came to depart, Amy did so in high spirits. She was well fed, well rested, and had a warm fuzzy glow inside her. All in all, things had ended well. After one last wave to the villagers, she set off along the road once more. As usual, she had no destination in mind. Unless the others had a better idea, she'd just be meandering randomly between settlements. Oddly, it never seemed to matter whether she had a plan or not. Trouble always seemed to find her regardless.

[Ionbound]

Nyscara acts, above all else, conservatively. She does not indulge herself at the parties, nor does she ask anything of the villagers, though she accepts their offerings as she believes it would be impolite not to do so. Indeed, she spends the most time with Iso'Condee at the edge of the party, trying to talk to the half-orc about why he was captured.

[Samshiir]

Iso'Condee doesn't speak about his past, but instead either changes the subject or dodges the conversation altogether.

The next morning, Amy, Nyscara, Erilin, Baelic, and Hilda continue on their aimless journey. Iso'Condee does not join the group, as he would prefer to stay in Harten a while longer, then continue on by himself.

While traveling, the Baelic the dwarf bombards Nyscara with a series of interrogational questions. The subtlety of his dwarven ways announce that he is trying to gauge whether or not the dragon can be trusted, despite having witnessed firsthand that she fought for Amy's life during their encounter with the orc warchief in Harten.

[Anyr]

Amy felt relieved when the Half-orc stayed behind (though she tried not to show it). Her servants, on the other hand, received a warm welcome. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of Baelic's endearingly grumpy expression; Or Hilda's fussing over the dirt that Amy had accumulated during her absence. She didn't know what she'd do without those two. They were the people who worked behind the scenes, to keep everything running smoothly. It was hard to be an inspiring noble when you had a sick horse, rusty armour, and not one single pair of clean socks. Amy had only recently realised how much she (along with most other nobles) relied on her servants. She was truly grateful to them for sticking by her.

Still, she did wince when Baelic started interrogating Nyscara so brazenly. Hopefully the Paladin wouldn't be offended. Amy also hoped that Eri was similarly thick-skinned. The squire had once again been told to ride at a respectable distance behind her 'betters'. Even though Amy had explained her reasoning to Eri in private, she still worried about causing offence. Her best friend wasn't used to being treated this way. Still, it was imperative to maintain good relations with the newest member of their group. Having Nyscara as a permanent partner would be a serious boon.

[Ionbound]

Nyscara sighs as she listens to Balin's questions, answering the first few as best she can, but after a few minutes she gets fed up and says, "I am a paladin in service of Kord. And I'm a dragonborn on top of that. If I give you my word, I will damn well keep it. So let me say it clearly and slowly so you can understand me: I will not harm you and do everything I can to prevent harm from coming to you."

[Samshiir]

Before Nyscara can get a response from the dwarf, the earth before the group shakes tremendously as if a miniaturized earthquake was created to stop you in your tracks.

Out of the splitting earth, a large creature made entirely of the earth itself rises. It stands before you, looking at you with a pair of rocks that simulate eyes.

Off the trail, you hear two simple words whispered toward the elemental. "Kill them"

Elemetal: [roll0]
Hidden Opponent: [roll1]

Amelia: [roll2]
Erilin: [roll3]
Nyscara: [roll4]

Players goes first.

[Anyr]

Ah, there we go: One dose of trouble, right on schedule. Amy leapt dramatically from her horse, with sword and shield in hand. She placed herself directly between the Elemental and her companions. Though arcane lore wasn't exactly her forte, she knew enough to form a basic plan.

"Subdue the caster! They're the one controlling this creature!"

Summoned creatures are a double-edged sword. Most only serve their masters only because magic compels them to do so. A minor lapse in concentration is all it takes to turn your unwilling ally into an enemy. With this in mind, Amy sent a dispelling cry towards the spell which (presumably) bound the Elemental. If either she or her allies could free it, this fight would be much easier.

"Break free of your chains!"

Amy casts 'Dispel Magic' on the Elemental. Ability check (if the spell is level 4+): [roll0]

[Ionbound]

Nyscara grits her pointed teeth in annoyance as she dismounts and starts charging towards the source of the voice, aiming to geek the mage before things get too out of hand.

Listen to determine his position: [roll0]

[Samshiir]

The earth elemental loses its integrity and slops back into the crack in the earth as a glob of mud.

You hear more muttering from the forest, but cannot pinpoint the location of the spellcaster. You also realize that it is a feminine voice that is muttering the words of a new spell.

Suddenly, Erilin screams and steps backward as if someone had just hit her in the face. She quickly draws her swords and engages...Nyscara.

"You...can't have her. Amy is my friend. Go worship Tiamat, you cold-blooded lightning head."

Erilin vs. Nyscara: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Off hand: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[Anyr]

Well, so much for camaraderie. Amy watched in distress, as her best friend fell under the sway of an enchantment; At least, she hoped it was an enchantment. The alternative was too distressing to contemplate. After a second or two of staring, Amy rushed to shield Nyscara from this unexpected assault. She would soon be standing right in front of Eri, looking her straight in the eye. Her arms were outstretched, so as to render her sword and shield useless. Should Eri choose to attack, Amy would be wide open.

"If you want her, you'll have to kill me first. Come to your senses, Eri!"

Hopefully Nyscara would use this distraction to find and neutralise the caster. Amy had no idea how strong this enchantment was. Could it compel her squire to do the unthinkable? She'd soon find out.

[Ionbound]

Nyscara levels her greatsword, entirely prepared to run Eri through should she keep attacking, but when Amy interposes herself, she shakes her head and turns back to the woods, continuing to search for the magi that's messing with them.

Continuing to try to perceive the mage: [roll0]