Nauvi says something in Latin again to try and put another guard asleep, and swiftly dodges away from the cart. A horse will never calm for a Gifted handler, I hope they can handle it he thinks.
[OOC: 36 on casting A Call to Slumber. 10 on defense.]
Seeing Leofric go down, Hamish brings his heater shield to his left to allow a powerful cross cut stroke at one of the guards standing over the Friar. [Attack Roll: 16 w/ +1 sword , Damage 15]
(Note: I think Hamish attacks ahead of Nauvi in the Initiative Order so hopefully they aren't sleeping and waking the same guy.)
Ruedi, trusting that the divided loyalty of the dogs will cause indecision, takes his bow from the cart, and shoots the guard that Hamish has just hit.
(Attack roll 22, +9 damage)
Initiative
- soldiers against Nauvi @ 36
- Ruedi 8
- soldiers against Leofric @ 6
- Nauvi 4
The two newly arriving soldiers make an incredible speed, and both get a slash in across Nauvi's (EDIT ->) image (Atk 18) totally maiming the magic illusion. The spell is cast and one of the soldiers falls asleep.
The two soldiers who bashed down Leofric turn to Wulfric. One quickly turns to defend, but fails to take Hamish' sword on his shield, almost loosing his shield arm to the heavy blow which cuts through the chain mail.
When Ruedi¨s arrow hits, he staggers almost stumbling into the other guard, who is taking Wulfric on his shoulders to escape. Two hounds follow to cover them.
Now, Roxie is starting to panic, and the cart is shaking. It take Athletics + Dex 6+ to stay on, and it is getting worse. I suppose Ruedi was still on? The lass staggers and grabs the side, but she does stay on.
Growing increasingly frustrated, Hamish moves with speed to defend Nauvi. With a practiced sweep of his longsword, Hamish lunges an attack at the soldier who is still awake. [Attack Roll: 15 w/ +1 longsword, Damage 16]
The big Scot seems to be content letting the soldier haul Wulfric away.
Roxie brays and jumps and pulls, and suddenly the cart is on its way.
The lass clings to the railing and screams, almost as loud as the donkey. Ruedi has a harder time, having been standing to fire his bow. Athletics+Dex 9+ to jump off quickly and graciously, or the same to cling on, I think.
Hamish will have no difficulty bringing down the remaining soldiers, while the one soldier disappears into the woods with Wulfric.
Does anybody else want to act now to change this course of events? Otherwise you can start roleplaying your licking of wounds.
Leofric is unconscious for the next several hours (he is down a total of 6 Fatigue Levels, so 3 hours before he wakes up Dazed), but otherwise unwounded (if somewhat bruised).
With a mighty cry of "Rego animal!" and an attempt to brush his hand against her, Nauvi attempts to spontaneously cast a spell to calm Roxie.
[OOC: with the stress die I got 33, so dividing by 2 that's level 16 ReAn minus any aura penalty - base 4 to calm an animal, +1 touch - is Roxie large enough to require a +1 size modifier? If so, I can calm her for a duration if there is no aura penalty, or momentarily if the aura penalty is no more than -6. If Roxie is only a size +1 creature the duration is much better.]
Hamish grunts as the mayhem continues.
He hustles over toward where Roxie is getting wild in her traces, putting his big, familiar hand on her neck.
"Easy, girl, easy now. Gonna set all aright. Easy."
[Animal Handling Roll: 10]
Hamish, who was fighting at the back of the cart along with everyone else, doesn't move fast enough to the front in order to calm Roxie before she takes off.
He may try to grab the cart and match his strength against the jenny's*, before it gets too far away. Or maybe catch Ruedi if the wild man stumbles out of the cart (haven't seen his Athletics roll).
*A jeny is a female donkey. Although in period the words that would have been used are an ass and a she-ass.
Ruedi jumps off the rocking cart, and in the midst of his jump, he takes aim at the soldier carrying Wulfric away, with a precise shot through his back.
[Rolled 10 on the Athletics +Dex to jump off graciously, and 29 on the attack roll. Damage is +9)
Ruedi jumps off and lands well, but not well enough to shoot at the same time. A shot next round is possible at a significant range penalty, as the fugitives gain distance. Not sure if he hit, maybe Wulfric's thick wolfskin cape.
Nauvi leaps forward in a desperate to touch Roxie upon his cry of Rego Animàl. Under the added threat of her master's wild companion, Roxie leaps side ways back and forth. Thanks more to luck, or faith, than to his athletic skill, Nauvi does get his touch, and Roxie finally calms down for the day¹. Nauvi however, has to dodge the cart which tumbles sideways when Roxie tries to stop².
To avoid running down Ruedi on his way, Hamish is delayed and catches up when Roxie is already calm.
Danger is averted for now. Do you proceed to Lincoln, pursue Wulfric, or something else?
¹ Size +1 according to the bestiary of @Red-Shadow-Claws
² Dodge (Brawl) + Quickness 6+ or 5+ damage (or fast cast with 5+ speed)
A very wary Nauvi approached Roxie from the side and was prepared to leap away if the spell failed. This precaution serves him well, as he avoids the cart with ease. He turns, and if Wulfric is still within shouting range he will try and put him to sleep.
[OOC: Nauvi got a 12 on the dodge roll. He gets 34 on Call to Slumber, so 26 penetration minus any aura penalty if he's still within voice range.]
It was difficult to be wary trying to catch up with the donkey, starting from the rear of the cart and the donkey already dashing forward. Quite a feat on Nauvi's part. I did not know he was that athletic.
Wulfric is at the edge of voice range. Difficult to know if it will work. Even more difficult to make out the guard carrying him. Could be worth a try, but however it may be, the guard keeps running.
Hamish keeps a gentle hand on Roxie's shoulder.
"It's a bonnie shambles we got ourselves in now, a right bauchle o' things. We need to get to Lincoln with speed but we're gonna have to circle back wide not to get caught up in that wolf man's nets. He's gonna be spittin' hellfire itself after this cock-up."
The big guy turns to set about getting the cart set right and reloading anything that spilled out.
"Hurry up. They'll be back."
"How does he do it? I swear Wulfric has the luck of the devil. No wonder Janus was unable to incinerate him." Nauvi complains, then gets to helping get the cart under way again.
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Ruedi's body, still exhausted, and with the adrenalin rush over, starts to slump. "We live in interesting times." He says in Low German.
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The group gets started on their way to Lincoln. It takes the better part of two days to get there with a cart. A person on foot, could make it before nightfall, you reckon.
I do not know what arrangements Nauvi has with his retainers, and how he organises. For the return, there is Roman road heading North from Lincoln, with opportunity to cut West North of the Oak Circle location, if you do not want to return the same way. Other alternatives would disadvantage the cart further.
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Leofric eventually regains consciousness, a few hours later, bruised but otherwise relatively unharmed. "What happened? Where are we?"
Hamish speaks softly. “On the way to Lincoln. Rest now. You took quite a thumping.”
He turns to Nauvi.
“We should get in and out of their quick like. Maybe I skirt the town with the others and the cart and meet you on the other road out of town?”
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