The Third Age

It was a cold night out here in the open.
Except for the call of an owl, the heavy sounds of the lone traveler's footsteps were the only things breaking the eerie silence, that seemed to supress any signs of life in these snowy lands.
But the traveler had no time to pay attention to that, nor to the biting cold, that tried to creep in through the cracks in his armor. Stalwartly he marched on, for he had no time to lose.
Soon the guards would be looking for him.
But it wasn't his fault, really. His nature simply dictated, that he required souls to live, and as noone of them had been willing to allow him to do some paid work it was their fault, really.

(Listening Check, Average Difficulty)
Wis: 34 Roll: 32 Required: 30
Check Failed

Nothing else was to be heard. Not the snapping of a twig, neither the shouting of the men in the forest to his side. Grex had not spotted the men, but they had spotted him. And they did not like him.
At least that was to be assumed, since one of the men pulled back the string of his bow, an arrow ready to be fired.

(Strange Man 7, Ambush Shot, Average Difficulty)
Dex: 35 Roll: 25 Required: 30
Check Successful

(Resist Damage)
Con: 28 Roll: 9
9-25<0
No damage dealt.

Silently the deadly projectile whizzed through the air, headed directly for the traveler. Unnoticed, it cut through the air, hitting the lone figure in the  right shoulder, but luckily the projectile bounced off of the traveler's shoulderblade, leaving only minor wounds, which should not hinder him too much.
The arrow had another effect though. Now Grex had noticed his adversaries.
Two of them were prepared to shoot, but this time the Shal'kesh was prepared.

(Strange Man 6, Arrow Attack)
Dex: 35 Roll: 21

(Strange Man 5, Arrow Attack)
Dex: 35 Roll: 2

(Dodge Attack of Strange Man 6)
Dex: 25 Roll: 7
21>7
The attack misses.

(Dodge Attack of Strange Man 5)
Dex: 25 Roll: 19
2<19
The attack hits.

(Resist Damage Attack Strange Man 5)
Con: 28 Roll: 6
6-2=4
4 Damage Taken
HP: 6/10

While he managed to dodge the next arrow, the one after that hit Grex right in the abdomen, causing a quite nasty wound to appear. The price for his lack of attention before as it seems.
Finally however the Assassin had managed to reach the men, who had just shot at him without any prior warning. He was going to return that favor in full.

(Dagger Attack on Strange Man 7)
Dex: 25 Roll: 21

(Strange Man 7 Dodge Attack)
Dex: 35 Roll: 16
The attack misses.

Despite the flurry of swipes and stabs the rogue was unleashing, not one of them managed to hit its intended target. So now he was standing there. Wounded, surrounded by enemies. Things weren't looking good...

((Strike on Strange Man 2

STR: 30 Roll: 11
vs
DEX: 35 Roll: 28

Strange Man 2 is hit.

CON: 35 Roll: 25

Strange Man is defeated, losing 14 of 3 HP.
----
Strike on Strange Man 3

STR: 30 Roll: 4
vs
DEX: 35 Roll: 2

Strike is a Failure
----
Strange Man 3 Strikes at Mira
STR: 35 Roll: 34
vs
DEX: 28 Roll: 17

Strange Man's Strike is a Failure.

--
Mira Attempts to Rush to Grex: Expert Difficulty

DEX: 28 Roll: 2

Mira comes to Grex's aid. All attacks against Grex must now defeat a Roll from Mira as well.))


First, she made short work of the man on the ground, driving her axe into his skull with a muffled crunch. The life snapped from his eyes and he was gone. Yanking out the blade, now stained with blood, she made for the next nearest man. The others were attacking the man on the road. She was too late. He would have to fend for himself for the time being.

The man in front of her was still somewhat stunned from watching his comrades go down so quickly. A wild look of fear was in his eyes. As he drew his sword to confront the hooded woman, his breath was rushed and ragged. Growling, the ranger yanked away the man's sword with the hook of her axe. Falling off balance, the man fell towards the edge of the woman's knife.

At the last moment, he threw himself aside and landed on the ground. In a flash he had rolled back to his feet and, roaring, took a haphazard swing at the woman. The steel flashed by her as she deftly dunked underneath the arc. She returned a quick punch to the man's jewels. As he doubled over, she was allowed a quick respite to survey the situation before the man composed himself.

She saw the traveler from the road was in bad shape. An arrows protruded from his shoulder and blood was flowing down his arm. He tried in vain to strike at another stranger, the arrow hindering him. He obviously needed help, and the two would be better off together.

The ranger took off, the snow swirling behind her. Like a flash she sped past the other men and twirled between the two with bows. Then, in a rather remarkable show of agility, she dropped down and slid between the legs of the man closest to the traveler. Rolling to her feet, she growled, showing sharp teeth and presenting her axe and knife. The noise coming from her mouth sounded more animal than human.

(Dagger Attack on Strange Man 7)
Dex: 25 Roll: 22
vs.
Dex: 35 Roll: 23
The attack hits.

(Attack Damage on Strange Man 7)
Con: 35 Roll: 11
11-22<0
No damage.

(Dagger Attack on Strange Man 7)
Dex: 25 Roll: 1
vs.
Dex: 35 Roll: 3
The Attack hits.

(Attack Damage on Strange Man 7)
Con: 35 Roll: 21
21-1=20
Strange Man is defeated, losing 20 of 10 HP.

(Strange Man 6 attacks Grex.)
Str: 35 Roll: 8
vs.
Dex: 25 Roll: 24
and
Mira Dex: 28 Roll: 24
The attack hits.

(Attack Damage on Grex)
Con: 30 Roll: 2
2-8<0
No damage dealt.

Seemingly from nowhere a woman appeared, quickly slicing through the men around her.
Using the resulting confusion, Grex wasted no time in thanking any gods or other beings for his rescue, instead sinking his dagger into one of the men's right arm. But while this resulted in a rather repulsing wound, it was no more than that and would probably not hinder the man in battle.
However, id did cause quite a bit of pain to the man, which was all the assassin needed.
With nimble movements the demon suddenly was standing behind the man, not missing this time.
One quick cut separated the enemy's head from the shoulders, the stream of blood quickly covering the surrounding snow in blood of deepest crimson.
However, quite a few men were left, one of them attempting to punch the Fiendblade.
Not having noticed quickly enough, Grex did not manage to get out of the way quickly enough and his rescuer's attempt of helping him by swiping the attacker off of his feet was quickly foiled by a surprisingly agile jump of the target.
However, this movement was all that was needed for the attack to miss Grex's head, instead hitting his back and merely making him stumble forward a bit.
Alone the Shal'kesh did not stand a chance.
But with the strange woman fighting at his side, they might be able to turn the tables.
Who was that woman? Why was she helping him and for how long would she be doing so?
It did not matter now.
Now was not the time to talk, it was the time to kill.

((Mira leave Grex. Her Aid no longer applies.
---
Attack on Strange Man 6

STR: 30 Roll: 13
vs
DEX: 35 Roll:33

Strange Man 6 is hit.

CON: 35 Roll: 18

Strange Man 6 loses 5 of 10 HP.

---

Strange Man 6 strikes at Mira.

STR: 35 Roll: 32
vs
DEX: 28 Roll: 4

Attack is dodged.

---

Attack on Strange Man 6

DEX: 28 Roll: 1
vs
DEX: 35 Roll: 17

Strange Man 6 is hit.

CON: 35 Roll: 23

Strange Man 6 is defeated, losing 22 of 5 HP.

---

Attack on Strange Man 3

DEX: 28 Roll: 21
vs
DEX: 35 Roll: 5

Attack misses.

---

Strange Man 3 Attacks Mira.

STR: 35 Roll: 24
vs
DEX: 28 Roll: 9

Attack misses.
---

Mira Attempts to Kick Away Strange Man 3

STR: 30 Roll: 7
vs
STR: 35 Roll: 31

Kick successful. Strange Man 3 will incapable of action for 1 post.))


The traveler from the road had made himself useful, finally, and taken off someone's head, but the ranger still counted four more men. She huffed, praying silently for a miracle and cursing the traveler for coming along when he did. She would be lucky if she made it out unscathed.

Bearing her fangs, the woman crouched low and tried to swipe another's feet out from under him. No such luck. Pouncing from her stance, she tackled the man to the ground, the cold snow softening the impact with the ground. Raising her axe again, the woman dropped the blade into the man's shoulder. Screaming, the man managed to kick her off using both feet, ripping the axe from his shoulder as well.

The ranger slammed into the snow and slid for a foot or so before managing to get back to her feet. After regaining her balance, she rushed the man once again. Now he was on one knee and holding his sword in his left hand. The right was moist with fresh blood and was obviously of no use to him. Awkwardly, the man swung his sword at the cloaked figure. Spinning, the ranger avoided the swing and worked behind the man. In a flash, she had taken the stranger by his hair and run her knife along his neck. The man emitted a choking sound as his throat filled with blood and his life faded away. The body slumped into the bloody snow and moved no more.

Three left.

The ranger swung around to see the man from before charging towards her, a mace raised above his head. Sneering, the ranger raised her axe, intending to stop the man in his tracks before he even reached her. Aiming a moment, she tossed the axe at the man, only to watch as it twirled past him and stuck itself firmly in a tree far behind the man.

Damn it all!

Then the man was on her. She could smell his breath as he almost tackled her to the ground. The ranger manage to shove him away, but he returned once more. His mace whistled through the cold air and nearly caved in the woman's skull before she ducked underneath the man's arm. In a swift movement, she planted her boot into the mans rib cage and felt the bones splinter under the impact. The man howled in agony as he fell.

Taking the moment, the ranger tossed her curved knife into her right hand. The temporary loss of her axe was regrettable, but she couldn't take the time to retrieve it now.

(Distracting Strange Man 5)
Cha: 30 Roll: 25
vs.
Wis: 35 Roll: 17
Distraction failed.

(Attack on Strange Man 5)
Dex: 25 Roll: 23
vs.
Dex: 35 Roll: 16
The attack misses.

(Dodge Attack from Strange Man 5)
Str: 35 Roll: 9
vs.
Dex: 25 Roll: 21
The attack hits.

(Resist Damage from Strange Man 5)
Con: 30 Roll: 17
17-9=8
Grex loses 8 of 6 HP
Grex was defeated.

Today really did not seem to be Grex's lucky day.
It seemed, that it would be better to try some unconventional tactics.
Hopefully they would be gullible enough.
"Hey, big guy! It's your turn now! Go get them!"
No reaction.
"You really thinkin' I'll believe that?", was the only answer Grex recieved, his strikes dodged with ease.
The man rolled over to the side, picking up a large branch in the process.
Armed with it, an assault on the Shal'kesh was made.
Grex could only turn around quickly enough to find the branch come swinging right towards his face.
Then there was a searing pain, his cranium feeling as if it were to burst into pieces.
His vision blurring, a loud ringing began to fill the assassin's ears.
And then his vision faded.
With a heavy thud Grex limply fell to the ground, bleeding from both his abdominal wound and the newest one on his forehead.
"Sleep well, sucker!" was the last thing he heard before his consciousness faded.
It wasn't looking good for him.
Not at all.

((Since Grex is K.O.'ed, I'll just be rolling until Mira wins, is defeated, or chooses to book it.))

Spoiler:

---

Mira is victorious.

---

XP Allotment:

Spoiler:

She watched as the traveler was knocked unconscious. As he lay limp in the snow, the ranger drew a deep breath. As she exhaled, the fog rising from her lips, she gripped the handle of the sword at her side, the wood cold and heavy. Slowly, the woman unveiled the steel hidden beneath the sheath, the sound sound metal sliding along leather ringing in the chilled, snowy air.

Seeming to glow in the moonlight, runes were inscribed upon the blade in a smooth, flowing script. Raising her arm straight out, she presented the weapon as snowflakes came to rest on the flat of the blade. For a moment, the air was still as chilled, unfettered eyes shined out from beneath the shroud of a hood.

Then, tilting her head back, the woman let the cowl fall to her back, revealing hair that glittered silver in the night and and a pair of large wolf ears folded back against her head. Growling and baring her fangs, the woman in a hushed tone.

"Heed me now. You face before you a Ranger of the Eiarthden. If you value your lives, I would have you surrender now and spare me the toil of rending them from you. Otherwise, come and we shall test your meddle against the steel of my forerunners..."

In a flash, the Ranger flicked the sword up and grasped it with both hands, whipping the accumulated snow off the blade and into the air. She raised the steel before her face and snapped the edge around to face the men. So she stood, waiting for what may come.

The first man to charge was the one who had knocked the traveler unconscious. His boots crunched the snow beneath him and he cried as he raised his weapon to attack. In the next moment, his arm was gone, lying in the snow beneath him. The Ranger's sword was now wet with fresh blood, steam rising from the warm liquid.

Howling in disbelief and pain, the man staggered backwards, leaving room for his compatriot to charge into the fray wielding a large axe. He swung in a fury, and though the Ranger held off the majority of his blows, one stuck her upon the forearm, leaving a nasty gash. As the sound of clashing metal echoed through the trees, the wolf-woman reared back her fist and impacted the man square in the jaw. She grabbed the man by the shoulder as he reeled from the punch and spun his back to face her. The man took his last gasp as he watched the blade pierce his chest.

Sliding the body from her sword, the Ranger twisted around to meet the man she had kicked before. He charged, his mace low to protect his torso. In one swift swing, the man's head was severed from his body as the rest of him crashed into the ground and slid through the snow.

Last one.

She heard a shout from behind her and quickly rolled to the side, barely avoiding the grasp of the last man, his blood still spilling from where his arm should have been. From her kneeling position, the woman attempted to strike at the man, but he kicked away her sword before it could be of use. Then he was atop her.

The two struggled and rolled in the snow. Pure rage and adrenaline fueled the last man as he pinned the Ranger to the ground. Leaning in close, he chuckled, his hot breath on the woman's face. He sneered, showing he was going to enjoy whatever was about to come.

The wolf-woman growled and smashed her forehead into the man's nose. As he grasped his face in pain, the Ranger reached up and clenched her fingers around he man's throat. She flipped him over and put her knees on his chest. Beneath her, the man struggled and attempted to claw at her face, but the blood loss was beginning to take it's toll. Slowly, his struggles slowed and his choked gasps for air became less and less until they stopped completely.

Watching the life fade from his eyes, the woman lifted herself from the man and looked down upon him. She breathed one long, shallow, ragged breath that seemed to shake her entire frame. She clasped one hand in the other, if only to stop it shaking a moment. She continued  breathing until she could feel some semblance of calm return to her. Looking around, she counted seven dead men, all staining what had once been white, driven snow and a quiet, peaceful night.

Taking another deep breath, she gathered herself, pulled her good over her face once again and got to work searching and hiding the bodies. Upon inspecting the first corpse, she furrowed her eyebrows and breathed a heavy sigh. Something had disturbed her greatly. After rifling through the things of the rest, she confirmed her suspicions and hid the last of the bodies far from the road.

Returning to the unconscious traveler, she took the opportunity to examine him closely. Now getting a good look at his face, she discerned he was a Shal'kesh. She had little experience with the race, but knew enough to know that without proper treatment of his wounds and warmth, he would die out in the snow. She would have to find them both shelter for the night.

Upon trying to take the traveler from the ground, the woman winced and hissed with pain. The gash on her arm called attention to itself now, and no doubt it would need to be treated as well before it could become infected. Growling to herself, she hauled the traveler over her shoulder and steeled herself against the slight sent of dead flesh.

---

Some hours later, the Ranger sat inside a fairly spacious cave with a decent fire crackling and warming the stone. The traveler lay in a makeshift bedding made from a blanket of her own and some hay the Ranger had managed to "scavenge" from a farm roughly a mile away. The arrow had been removed and his wounds had all been cleaned and dressed as well as one could for the walking dead.

The Ranger herself sat cross legged, tending the fire. Her cloak had been lain aside, revealing a leather vest and long sleeve blouse, one sleeve stained with blood, underneath. Her skin is tanned in color and now without the cloak her gender is far more apparent, a defined hourglass figure now easily distinguishable. Large wolf ears rose from her head, occasionally twisting around to hear some small sound better, almost as if they had a mind of their own. Around her bottom and resting in her lap was a long bushy tail, silver as her hair with a ring of copper fur towards the tip. Tending to a pipe of Dwarven make, she stared into the fire, pondering the night's developments and what course of action would be best to take.

Slowly the traveler's senses began to return to the limp body.
Groans of pain escaped rotten lips as heavy eyelids fluttered open to reveal the bloodshot eyes underneath, hidden deep in their sockets.
"Hell sure hurts like...hell...guess this means I failed."
With painfully loud cracks sounding through the cave, the Shal'kesh's head rolled to the side, his eyes now on the ranger, who had saved his life.
"And you're here to torment me for all eternity now? Haven't seen a demon of your kind before."
Then Grex sank back onto his resting place, the exhaustion still too much for the wounded assassin to handle.

The ranger took a slow puff on her pipe. Still staring into the fire, she addressed the traveler.

"A demon? Hardly any way to address a person to whom you owe your life. Though, I suppose you can be forgiven due to your condition and your nature."

Turning to the Shal'kesh in his bed, she said, "I would ask you your name, but I doubt you would supply one, or at least one that was truthful. I would ask your profession, but given the things I found on your person, the way you fight in the open, and the circumstances I found you in, I can make a a sure guess on that. I would ask if I can trust you, but after seeing how you fight and seeing as how you have none of your weapons, that doesn't really matter.  I will, however, ask this: How are you feeling?"

Waiting for a response, the woman leaned against the cave wall and took another puff of the pipe. The smell of cherries and vanilla filled the air.

The light of surprise flared in the wounded demon's eyes, but it quickly faded again, Grex's emotionless stare taking over again.
"So I am not dead. Yet. I guess I have to thank you now, although I am not sure, whether my survival is a blessing or a curse."
The Shal'kesh paused for a bit, both because he was thinking about his current condition and because all the speaking hadn't been doing the wound in his abdomen any good.
"You are very perceptive. Impressive. As sad as it is, not many people...or other beings seem to have any common sense. As for myself, I can't feel half of my body. The other half I can feel all too well. But let me tell you something. There are amazingly many ways to do harm without access to weaponry. So the question of whether you can trust me still is on the figurative table.  The answer is: No. You can not. There is no reason for you to believe me in the slightest and I am not going to claim anything else. Whether you do trust me or not is up to you."

The ranger stared flatly at the traveler over the fire. A cloud of pipe-smoke floated above her head. Taking a long draw, she held the smoke in her mouth, relishing the taste. Pausing a momment, she blew the smoke into rings, watching them hover in the air lazily. Peering through the rings, she stated trenchantly,

"Big words from a half-rotten, tip-toeing theif who can't hold his own against one man with a branch..."

She leaned back, taking another puff of her pipe. Now she spoke in a more laid-back but nonetheless definitive tone. "Still, as I said before, it doesn't really matter. The fact of the matter is that you're going to be coming with me whether you like it or not. I'll need a witness for what happened here tonight. So, at dawn tommorow we'll head into town, purchase two horses, and make speed to Beorem's capital...

"Now, as much as I'm sure you'll protest, I'm going to have to bound and gag you. You're right, I can't trust you and I don't. Even if I don't think much of you, I'm not stupid enough to let you have free rein while I sleep."

Producing a some rope and a makeshift gag made from cloth and thick wire, she stood up and stalked over to the traveler. Leaning over and blowing smoke in theif's face, she whispered, "Tell me when it's too tight..."

((Binding:

To escape the Bindings, the prisoner must defeat the WIS roll used to bind him. This may be attempted at any time, using either STR or DEX, but if the prisoner rolls above the WIS roll three times, they will be permenantly trapped until released.

Mira WIS Roll: 7))

Firmly securing the ropes, the woman took to the back wall of the cave, her arms crossed and one hand wrapped lightly around the knife on her chest. She slid down the wall and sat, resting against the cool stone.

"Please, try to get some rest. I sleep lightly, and would really rather not hurt you because you tried to do something stupid... Besides, it would be quite pain if you rip your stitches while I break your arm.

"Sleep tight."

(Escape Bindings)
Dex: 25
vs.
Wis: 30 Roll: 7

Attempt 1, Roll: 25
The attempt fails.

Attempt 2, Roll: 9
The attempt fails.

Attempt 3, Roll: 14
The attempt fails, Grex is permanently bound.



"Heh, smart girl...", was the last thing Grex managed to say before the gag reduced all attempts to speak into incoherrent gibberish.
Despite his best attempts to escape the ropes, the demon was unable to move them by even an inch.
This person obviously understood her trade quite well, or was just horrendously lucky. Probably the latter.
Well, not that it would have mattered much. He was weak, wounded and weaponless. Against a figher of her capacities even an assassin as he was would stand little chance.
And furthermore he had no real objections to her plan either.
Should she turn out to be a nuisiance, he could just lie and might just get her into some serious trouble. Silently grinning to himself, Grex attempted to sleep.

Soft light shone in through the mouth of the cave. The fire smoldered as the embers gave their last, feint glows. The ranger's eyes fluttered open. After a moment or two she got up and started gathering her things. In roughly ten minutes, she had gathered everything and stored it on her back, using her blanket as a backpack. Quiver and bow on her back, sword and axe at her side, and knife still sheathed on her chest. Along with her things, the traveler's things were packed as well, slung over her left shoulder in a knapp sack.

Walking over to where she had lain the traveler, the ranger gave him a light, swift kick. "Get up," she said, "I'm sure you're not a morning person, but we're going. I trust you can get up on your own."

She stepped back and waited for the thief to start, obviously not about to let him behind her.

(Getting up, Average Difficulty)
Dex: 25, Required: 30
The attempt automatically succeeds.

Even though the sudden kick had triggered many responses in the bound traveler, it would be difficult for him to act out any of them, thus simply making him twitch a little.
Under the gag a slight chuckle was to be heard as the demon attempted to stand up in his current state.
Using a few intricate movements, that would probably make a few other people wince in pain, he finally managed to get to his feet.
It pained the assassin to be this restricted in his movement and without a weapon, but he didn't really have a choice, did he? And the woman did save his life after all.
Where would they be going? And why was she doing this?
Grex would have to find out later.
For now it was just going to be a long walk.
Carefully he tried to hop out of the cave.

The woman had now tossed her hood over her face, concealing her ears and shadowing her face in the cold morning light. Her cloak was closed, keeping out the cold. Her and the traveler had been walking for some time now, leaving behind them a trail of foot prints. The ranger had been sure to step in her prisoner's tracks, determined to leave an inaccurate trail if they were going to leave any at all.

It was quiet now. Every now and then a sparrow would flutter from one tree to the next, but there was little movement or noise aside from the crunching of snow beneath the pair's boots. Watching from behind, the wolf-woman stared at her prisoner, curious. She knew what he did and what he did, but that was all. If they were going to make the trip to the capital, the two would either have to remain silent the whole time or build some sort of trust, as strenuous and passing as it may have been.

A good deal of time passed before the ranger quickened her stride until she was directly behind the thief. She tugged on the rope that was gagging him, literally reining him in to a stop. After a pause, she spoke.

"I'm going to take this off now. Your hands are still bound. Should you do anything treacherous, I won't think twice about taking a finger."

She quickly undid the gag and packed away the materials. She then gave the traveler a light kick as an incentive to keep walking. She now kept fairly close to the demon.

"How long has it been since you've had any sort of... Nourishment?"