Zor 26th Dravago, 998 Y.K.
3. The Pasture
The next day Clian informs the group they are approaching a hunting reserve. The area has been cleared of trees to create an area where nobles can hunt. She explains the group can go round the cleared area and reach the lodge where the hunters guest by the end of the day. Skirting around the area will however cost them half a day for the extra distance. On the other hand if they cross the hunting area they might be shot at by mistake by hunters.
The Crimson Fists debate and decide that they can't afford the time as they have no idea how long the child has. They will take their chances and cut across the hunting reserve.
The reserve is a massive plain of grasslands with the grass neck height, bordered on one side by a lake. The Crimson Fists cut straight across the centre of it. Ajax and Clian, who both leave no trace of their passage, move out stealthily to flank the group to surprise any who might be following them.
Kapek takes his glidewing, Hurricane, up to do an aerial survey of the land and check out if the Lodge is occupied. Kapek is on his way to the Lodge when he spots six paths cutting through the grass on a course to intercept the group. He recognises the creatures as Displacer Beasts.
Kapek manoeuvres Hurricane until he is facing along the line and then dives down on them unleashing a storm of force boomerangs as he passes along their line.
The rest of the group alerted by Kapek's attack form up and Anvil casts several spells to enhance the group .
As the creatures approach hidden by the long grass the sharp-eyed Lorric spots them first and charges forward to attack one but he is quickly surrounded by three of the beasts. The rest of the group charge in to support him and lay into the Displacer Beasts.
Meanwhile Kapek having reach the end of the line of creatures pulls a tight Immelman turn and goes back up the line again, strafing as he goes with his deadly boomerangs and slaying two of the creatures.
The remaining three beasts realizing they are outmatched attempt to flee but are chased down and slain.
Anvil informs them that the hide of the Displacer beasts are a vital component in the making of Cloaks of Displacement. They begin to skin the beasts and are able to get five whole skins from the beasts (one is spoiled as they learn how the creatures must be skinned).
Lorric spots a cave off in the distances with dark shapes moving around inside which they assume are the rest of the Displacer Beasts. Lorric wants to finish them off but Ajax argues that there is no need to kill creatures who are not threatening them and the decision is made to move on and leave the cave unexplored.
They travel on the rest of the day in peace and set up camp. Watches are set as normal (with Clian joining Ajax on his watch) and the group settle down for the night.
Far 27th Dravago, 998 Y.K.
5.00 a.m.
Suddenly a huge Displacer Beast dives out of the darkness on the west side of the camp and attacks Kapek. Clian cast 'Spike Growth' to protect the east side of the camp. Ajax charges over and slays the Displacer Beast attacking Kapek.
Three more of these huge beasts charge in from the east but their charge grinds to a bloody and painful halt as they hit the area Clian had cast Spike Growth on. As another two of the beasts appear on the west side of the camp.
Just as the Crimson Fists are realizing exactly how much trouble they are in the night gets worse. A Displacer Beast so huge it dwarfs even the large beasts that had been attacking them so far hurls out of the darkness at the south side of the camp.
*Ajax comments
As the pack-lord thunders into the camp Ajax wonders if the gods are playing a joke on him by miraculously resurrecting him only to take that life several days later. Still if he has to die he is happy to do so in the company of his comrades. So rather than run he hurls himself against his enemy with renewed energy.
Moving with a speed and power that is truly frightening. Its path takes it straight through where Lorric is concealed and he takes one look at the mountain of muscle descending on him and dives out of the way. The creature powers into the camp, tentacles snapping out a full 20 feet in front of it before stopping just before it collides with Anvil's clockwork horse, Stampede.
*Ajax comments
As the pack-lord thunders into the camp Ajax wonders if the gods are playing a joke on him by miraculously resurrecting him only to take that life several days later. Still if he has to die he is happy to do so in the company of his comrades. So rather than run he hurls himself against his enemy with renewed energy.
Moving with a speed and power that is truly frightening. Its path takes it straight through where Lorric is concealed and he takes one look at the mountain of muscle descending on him and dives out of the way. The creature powers into the camp, tentacles snapping out a full 20 feet in front of it before stopping just before it collides with Anvil's clockwork horse, Stampede.
The Crimson Fists are now attacked on three sides by foes who outnumber them, outsize them and whose blurring shapes make every blow a coin toss if it will land.
Clian cast 'Entangle' catching two of the Beasts still ensnared in her field of spikes. Lorric and Kapek engage one of the creatures that attacked from the west and Ajax takes on the other, leaving Anvil to face down the pack-leader on his own.
Two of the caught beasts struggle a little way forward, ripping themselves with every step on the spikes but the third one breaks free of the spikes and charges Anvil and Stampede, who are getting soundly clobbered by the pack-lord.
Lorric and Kapek slay the beast they are facing and rush to aid Anvil. Katerina rushes up to Anvil and heals him. Clian falls back to Ajax who is still engaged in a bitter struggle with one of the beasts.
The two beasts caught by Clian's spells crawl forward step by slow, bloody, step before finally coming to a complete halt.
With the aid of Clian Ajax finishes off his beast.
Kapek takes awful punishment from the pack-lord and when Katerina rushes forward to try to heal him she places herself in range of it's deadly tentacles and is struck fiercely by it twice.
Clian and Ajax rush over. Clian to heal Kapek and Ajax to engage the pack-lord.
One of the beasts that had been trapped by Clian finally breaks free and limps into battle.
Despite his heavy wounds Kapek hurls himself at the pack-lord determined that either it or him will die and with a savage blow from his Tangat puts the creature down.
The entire group attack the only free Displacer Beast and quickly finish it while its last surviving pack-mate struggles desperately to free itself from Clian's spells.
The last Displacer Beast is still trapped so the group draw their missile weapons and shoot at it and shoot at it and shoot at it before the creature finally expires having never actually managed to get into combat with the Crimson Fists.
As the last Displacer Beast hits the ground the whoops of triumph break out. Ajax embraces Clian, proud of how her magics had saved them, Katerina moves to heal the wounded members, Kapek performs a halfling war-dance (while eying the pack-lords hide greedily) and Lorric, of course, has a beer.
