Attravere will brush himself off once then put the fleeing leader to sleep, since she hasn't really fled yet. (Call to Slumber)
"Common bandits?" Attravere asks his fellows, confused at their behavior (and not having understood anything that was said about demons).
Rhodri draws his sword and tries to make sure anyone approaching another magus has to contend with him first. In Latin he shouts "Let's end this before the demons arrive."
((OOC - You might have missed my post above. Rhodri spoke in Latin.))
"Which of them is summoning a Demon?" Attravere looks toward the other fleeing figures very worried.
"Rhys, the one who first slipped away. Sinmore, if all set here... Attravere, this way..." Rhodri will point a knife from his shield hand in the direction he went, using Wizard's Leap to appear on the highest nearby spot in that direction. He will look for Rhys.
Aequi vanishes, and this time he does make out the Welsh word for "demon." Thusfar he sees nothing moving in that area of the woods except for some movement which seems to be that of the retreating bandits.
Rhodri teleports in the direction Rhys slipped off to. It is a semi-blind jump, and Rhodri can see movement ahead, but it does not appear to look like a man-- instead Rhodri sees a stag running through the woods.
Devorah quickly spots Attravere and rushes to his side, taking up a defensive stance. "I could not protect Maribus, and may God strike me down should I fail to protect his filius," she declares firmly.
The Kentish men seem confused, not knowing who they are intended to guard. Keith cannot see Aequi, and assumes neither Sinmore nor Rhodri need his aid, so he follows Devorah. Sir Michael stays in the small clearing, but as he starts to swing at the bandit leader, he falters and drops his weapon. "I can't strike a woman," he says softly.
Because the bandits were spread out to begin with, and are already retreating, Sinmore only hits one with Fiery Ribbons. He cries out in pain and stumbles briefly, but regains his footing and continues to run through the trees.
Attravere attempts to cast Call to Slumber on the bandit leader, though it does not seem to succeed. He does not have any trouble with Twilight, however.
The bandit leader looks directly at Aequi despite his invisibility. Her eyes narrow as she glances between him and the giantess; suddenly her form shifts into that of an enormous lioness. The magnificent beast swipes at Sinmore with one paw; the sharp claws rend Sinmore's leather cuirass and leave four heavy lacerations across her midsection. [size=85]((The bandit leader has 12 points of advantage for a total of +22 damage, vs Sinmore's soak of 9, for a total of 13; she expends a point of Confidence to increase her advantage by 3, inflicting a Heavy Wound instead of just a Medium. Sinmore is now at a -5 penalty to all actions, though she may choose to expend a point of Confidence herself to increase her Defense and take only a Medium wound, should she desire.))[/size]
[size=85]((Next round; everyone may take one action.))[/size]
((Um...Ow! She will spend a Confidence point to increase her Defense and lower that wound a bit))
Sinmore is taken by surprise at the sudden transformation and attack she can barely try to dodge the raking claws that tear open her armour and cut her belly. "Arrrr!" she grunts, trying to stifle any noise from the pain. Her sword is on the ground and she needs to buy some time. As much as she wants to just blast the transforming witch with flame she's not sure it will stop it in one spell. Thinking quickly she starts casting another spell to hopefully hold it off long enough. "Creo Ignem!"
((Casting Circle of Encompassing Flame around the lioness and trying to back up a bit and pick up her sword))
((My apologies; I thought Sinmore was armed. Her brawling defense is 3 lower than her greatsword defense, so the bandit leader's damage is 16 after soak, enough to deal a Heavy wound without spending Confidence. Thus when Sinmore spends a point of confidence on defense, her opponent also spends a point of Confidence to bump it back to a Heavy Wound. Sinmore is down one point of Confidence and is at a -5 penalty for the heavy wound.))
Sinmore casts her spell as far as she can tell, but the flames do not seem to affect the bandit leader. "Wizards," the lioness speaks softly but dangerously in English, "You'll have to try harder than that."
Attravere and Aequi both hear something familiar in her voice, but neither can place it.
Since he doesn't see Rhys, Rhodri turns to return to his comrades. Seeing the transformation and Sinmore bleeding, he will pop in behind the lioness. In Welsh "Try me if you want a challenge..." In Latin "Sinmore, Aequi, retreat and regroup." ((Hmmm... does he see Aequi? There's a good chance he does.)) Rhodri is armed with his sword and shield and is in his armor. He's needed a good fight; it's been a while since he and Sir Guillaume practiced last.
((OK, things just got grim. Sinmore is going to assume she failed to penetrate magic resistance.))
Sinmore's jaw is set in grim determination at the failure of her spell, she's picked up her sword and is almost leaning on it to keep her footing as she backs up. In desperation she reaches her hand to her wound and rent armour, searching frantically for something that may have been left behind; a bit of fur, some cloth that didn't transform, perhaps a piece of a claw.
((searching for anything that she might use as an Arcane Connection on this shapeshifter.))
I'm trying to make things easier. Here are Rhodri's relevant totals against the shapeshifter, unless she's a Bjornaer, in which case Atk +22 instead:
Long Sword & Heater Shield: Init +3, Atk +26, Def +31, Dam +8
Soak: +22
Attravere takes up a defensive posture, nods gratefully to Devorah, "My thanks for the aid, Dev - we'll try to find Maribus soon. In the meantime this magical bandit's voice seems familiar in some way I can't quite place."
Attravere will spont a Rego Terram effect to throw Sinmore's blade at the Lion. (Wielding the Invisible Sling is a L10, figure this is probably a L15, CT=32/2+ aura)
[size=85]((Aequi still has an action this round should he wish to take one.))[/size]
The lioness growls as Rhodri's sword bites into her haunch; she looks surprised rather than hurt. The great shaggy golden head turns toward him, and says in Welsh: "Your reputation precedes you, Master Verditius. Take not such arms against me, for I am your countryman and compatriot in every way."
Devorah nods at Attravere. "Reminds me somewhat of Leona, though it's not quite right." Attravere realizes this assessment is precisely on the nose: the voice is eerily similar to the old Bjornaer's, but just... off, somehow.
Keith reaches Attravere and Devorah at this point, and looks around for any threat that might approach the Mercere magus. Sir Michael, on the other hand, picks up his weapon and moves away from the lioness. (There's bravery, and then there's stupidity.)
Sinmore reaches for her sword, but it jerks away from her reaching hands and hurls directly at the lioness. [size=85]((Sinmore already had an action this round, casting the Circle of Encompassing Flame, thus Attravere's action precedes her attempt to retrieve the sword.))[/size] The blade flies true, but deflects away at the very last moment, as though the Rego effect failed to penetrate.
The lioness then touches Sinmore with one paw; the Flambeau giantess feels.... different. Somehow. After the touch, the lioness abruptly vanishes. The following words hang in the air: "A gift to remember me by." [size=85]((Rhodri's faerie eyes cannot perceive any invisibility or illusion.))
((End of round. New round!))[/size]
In Welsh "Not if you are summoning demons and setting upon my comrades you are not!"
Also in Welsh "Ah! Coward!"
Rhodri will maintain a defensive posture, worried she might still be immediately nearby. He will not remain facing in any one direction too long. He'll try to gauge if there is another big threat while looking for what's left of this big threat.
Rhodri hears a disembodied voice reply to him, "I thought you were of the church; a simple mistake. It is too late to call off the skinless man, though, and that I regret. Blood above all. I will repay the debt I have incurred."
[size=85]((We'll drop combat here. Are there any preparations anyone would like to make?))[/size]
"That person was undoubtedly Leona... or someone very similar - she was... hrm, -is- one of the covenant's Magi." Attravere states. "Regardless we should move on. Staying here where there was a fight certainly won't help us... first however..."
Attravere turns to Sinmore. "Are you alright to move on? If so as soon as we're out of this area I can help your wounds... to a degree."
Does Attravere know who the "skinless man" is?
Sinmore is reeling from the wound and too slow to stop the thing from touching her.
((Different how?))
The words of her next spell are faltering and she decides to stop rather than risk a botched casting. Her huge hand is pressing on her wound, hoping that she wasn't actually disembowled by the claws. "Leona? W-wait...They said Leona's Wood...". Turning to Attravere's question. "I...don't know." she says through the pain. "I need my sword though!" she says in English and gestures for one of the Grogs to retrieve it for her.
Attravere did not hear the words spoken to Rhodri, but even if he had, no, he doesn't know who or what a skinless man is.
In Welsh "Of the church? That's a laugh! I'm of fae and magi."
Rhodri will try to focus in somewhat on where the voice is coming from if it seems to have a direction. He will also keep an eye out for the skinless man.
In Latin he shouts "The demon, known as the skinless man, is coming."
"Please, Sinmore," Aequi's voice pipes up next to the grog's bags. "Let one of us Bind it for you. Then we can get away from here and whatever the "skinned"less man is, though perhaps it be more prudent to prepare and set up for our encounter with it. I relish not a demon wandering this close to Covenant and Source." The sounds of rustling clothing and a small cloud of dust arises next to the bags as he starts moving closer to the party. "Sinmore, I can do nothing for the pain and healing--Attravere may have that much better in hand--but with your permission, i can at least fool you into thinking good and happy thoughts about it. You just have to face me and look into my - oh. Oh, dang. Sorry, sodales, looks like you won't be seeing me untli the sun sets."