(Kamzu) Kamzu was in Voivode's Rest on his tour of the Empire when he heard the news. Scouts are missing. A horse and rider were half eaten in the snow. He feels a pull in his chest, having heard that kind of report on many, many occasions. He straps on his axe and checks the edge. Against the advice of his delegation he saddles up and rides out to the road leading out to the Expanse to await the party that would search for the missing. Cold air bites his cheeks as he and he wonders if the Expanse had megafauna too. He doubted it, but either way, he wanted to see what dangers the north holds. He finds the search party and slows to a stop, watching them work. He stays out of the way but could see that teeth marked the bone. Tracks crowd the snow. Some look like boots. Some look like claws. All run north. He adjusts his his axe, pulls up the hood on his kaftan, and looks north, following the direction of the tracks, inviting himself alone without a word. Helena rolls: 8(Redoubtable Warden: d8), 1(Mind: d8), 3(Survival: d6), 3(Wardens: d6) Total: 11 (vs 7) - Success | Effect Die: d6 Hitches: 1 (rolled 1 on: d8) Bernadine rolls: 8(Artistic Polymath: d8), 2(Mind: d10), 5(Medicine: d8) Total: 13 (vs 9) - Success | Effect Die: d10 Sigitas is the most familiar to this region or at least he should be, but then even he hasn't been many times so far north into the Expanse onto his travels, even when they searched for his aunt and the other missing members. He's dressed in fitting armor and on horseback, sword and shield hanging at his sides, as he trots alongside the rest of the party, until they make the concerning discovery. "Oh well.." he mutters. "I guess we found the scouts or what remains of them at least." At the mass of footprints he breathes in for a moment, before hesitating. "This looks like a big raiding party coming from the depths of the Terror for me..." (Bernadine) Bernadine Salfeld is not used to the cold and it shows by the way she shivers even in her heavy clothing. When they arrive to the partially eaten horse, however, she gets to business. She slides down off of her horse (barely managing not to fall on her face), and moves to squat down by the, erh, dead one. She grasps around and finds herself a stick from somewhere and does her Gods given right of poking it with said stick. She moves around to look at the horse from various angles and announces to no one in particular, "Well, that is a mighty big bite pattern, isn't it?" She glances up and calls out to Sabine, "Lady Linder, whatever did this ate, several kilos off this poor thing. All in one gulp." (Ada) The horse was such a mess that there was no way anyone should have been able to discern that much about it, but Bernadine Salfeld is not just anyone -- besides, there are no other physicians present. One of Sonia's dogs begins to get a little agitated, whimpering and then snarling at some rocky outcropping, away off to the left of the group, rather than where the tracks lead and Kamzu is looking. Then, there is a sudden shout from one of Helena's Wardens, off to that flank, and a thump and clatter of metal, as if someone is falling -- but no more than that. "I slipped!" comes a call. "Beast out there!" Sabine rolls: 7(Tactical Exemplar: d8), 3(Mind: d8), 9(Warfare: d10) Total: 10 (vs 9) - Success | Effect Die: d10 (Kamzu) Kamzu wheels his horse toward the shout. Snow crunches under the hooves as he guides the gelding toward the rocky left flank. He lifts his axe a hand's width and scans the stone and scrub. He starts forward, then reins in and holds. His eyes track the warden, the dog, and the ledges above and he waits. He plants a clear lane for others to pass and keeps his mount steady, patiently letting those familiar with the area take the lead. Charging into unfamiliar terrain wasn't the best idea. Someone else might catch something he did not. It had happened already. Instead, he saves his recklessness until he sees the enemy himself. He wouldn't be much of a help to anyone if he got other people killed or injured out of his own ignorance. His best move was to stay in a support role for now and wait to be of use. So he does. (Sonia) Was Sonia curious about the dead horse? Perhaps, a little, though it was quite gory, really. She'll take a peek in that direction for a little moment, but then she hears the whimpering coming from the dogs and that brings her attention fully towards them. Bartos, surely, wasn't still bothering them now was he? "Is Bartos bothering you?" She asks in her cute compassionate voice, but then they start to growl and her blue eyes look in the direction that they seem to be bristling at. "Something over there has the dogs' attention." She then looks over to the others, "We need to have a look." Will Sonia just march up towards that outcropping where the dogs are honed in on? No, she finds a rock instead to toss in that direction to try and scare or draw whatever is there out. Helena whistles sharply, a short note and a long, turns her horse and heads for her fallen Warden. She forms a central pivot, as the rest of her escort wheels around and moves with her like a troop of silent fur clad ghosts. Mind, it isn't to go blindly charging after the beast, but make sure her man is seen to. "Which way, Jonas? What did you see?" Helena asks as she rides up on the younger man and one of the other Wardens extends a hand to help him up to his feet. The moment he points the way, she'll communicate it the wider group. (Bartos) Tracking, protection, and PETS! "I'm surely not bothering them, they like me! Don't you?!" Bartos rises back straight and gives the beast a last pat on the head, briefly looking up at Sonia with a wide grin (despite, or perhaps _because_ of her huffiness!), before turning and looking back ahead. "Well, if they go straight north maybe there's no difficulty in following, either way. We've lucked out a bit." Though Sigitas' observation does inform on the other side of that particular double-edged sword. "Or... well, I suppose it's not so lucky there being a lot of them." He is about to head back toward his horse, when one of the dogs, still nearby, starts growling, giving him a bit of a startle. He looks at it first, before looking where it is looking. "Does sound like they've got the scent of something, hasn't it?" Still, he's not himself one generally to go charging into the fore of an unknown situation, but instead walks around to be on the other side of Sonia's horse, between it and whatever commotion. (Ada) Sonia's tossed rock causes a sudden flurry of movement as a furred creature darts out! In this instance, though? It is a white-furred fox, and with all the people nearby, never mind the dogs, it bolts, heading as fast as it can for safety. Jonas collects himself to his feet with a wince, and points away off to a point amid some craggy rocks. "Big. Big, big, and damn fast," he says. He is a little pale. Bernadine arrives. (Sabine) "Scouts wouldn't have fled north." Sabine notes, finally looking up from her study as activity begins to flow around her. Scanning her eyes across the land. "They found something, sent one back, he in turn ran into another group. And there are a lot more tracks here than one beast." Slowly a shift and a cluck of her tongue. "Lady Salfeld, a good observation. I am going to ask you to stay close to me and Countess Silja, as best as you can." Then slowly, a shift to look at Helena and where she has gone. Giving a low whistle before her arm outstretches to point to a slope to the right, and then further in the distance an escarpment. "If that is /their/ beast, the rest will be up there or there." Bernadine rolls: 7(Artistic Polymath: d8), 5(Mind: d10), 4(Perception: d4) Total: 12 (vs 11) - Success | Effect Die: d4 Helena stands in her saddle and sweeps her hand through the air to grab the attention of the rest of the party, then points towards the craggy rocks so that everyone knows that's where the thing was spotted. The big, big, big thing. (Bernadine) "Beast?" Asks Bernadine, pushing herself up and waving her stick about in the air. She turns in the direction that Jonas is pointing at. A few steps are taken in that direction, though she doesn't stray too far. Especially after Sabine asks her to stay close by. Instead, she leans up onto her tip toes to peer, lifting a hand to cover her eyes and squint. Yes, the physician's way of scouting is just to ... look! And look she does. She squints a little bit further and wonders to no one in particular, "Is that a white bear? I wouldn't think a bear could do that much damage with one bite... Maybe a big one? A particularly hungry one..." She takes a few steps closer to Sonia's destrider. (Silja) A turn of Silja's head to look over in the direction that Helena is pointing. "Even if it is not The Beast, it would not surprise me to find other hostile wildlife out here. The key is recognizing the difference rather htan just assuming every hungry bear went after the party." Kamzu rolls: 4(Commander: d8), 2(Mind: d6), 1(Perception: d4) Total: 6 (vs 11) - Failure | Effect Die: d4 (defaulted to d4) Hitches: 1 (rolled 1 on: d4) (Sonia) Sonia braces herself once the stone is tossed, because who knows what wild creature would be hiding there? There it is! Something perfectly fluffy and white and hightails it away once it is startled out of hiding. The young Vanzek can only gasp at the puffball that soon disappears once more. Blinking a few times, she turns to look down at the dogs again, "Oh you. Wanting to play with that fox. We have work to do. Work first, then play." Though she forgets that to dogs, hunting foxes and animals of that sort, is work! She can only hope that those dogs did not make her foolish in front of her friends! And other company present!! Looking to Bartos and Sigitas to see if they spotted the REAL THREAT, she then hears the others in their party speak of it, before noting Bernadine making her way oh so much closer now and Sonia graces her with a polite smile. "Hungry or not, I will not have it murdering our scouts, eating our horses. That's incredibly rude of it." Perhaps, the young Vanzek is keeping up a brave face or she believes all of this to be true and she is just outraged by the Bear's antics. (Ada) Somewhere on the company's left flank, something /shrieks/. It starts low, and the sound grows higher and higher still, a horrible, piercing noise, then cuts out just as abruptly, to leave the sound of barking, distressed dogs, whinnying horses, and and some discomfitted murmurs among the Wardens present. There's some movement among the heath, but it's only tundra rodents bolting for cover. (Sigitas) Dismounting the horse, Sigitas is still careful, as they are pointed towards the direction towards where the big danger is supposed lurking. As he is well aware from experience, he tells the others "Be careful, raiders sometimes do bring beasts with them. Sometimes unleashed, sometimes chained. So we have to be prepared, if we engage." Saying that he reaches for the hilt of his own sword, even though he hasn't spotted the beast yet himself. Bernadine rolls: 7(Artistic Polymath: d8), 8(Mind: d10), 2(Learning: d8) Total: 15 (vs 11) - Success | Effect Die: d8 Helena rolls: 2(Redoubtable Warden: d8), 2(Leadership: d8), 2(Warfare: d8) Total: 4 (vs 7) - Failure | Effect Die: d8 (Bernadine) "Shrieking. Shrieking.. Fast." Bernadine is speaking to herself, muttering as she stares off in the direction of the sounds came from. Her lips twisted into a deep frown. Her stick is bounced in the air as she thinks. "Not a bear, bears roar and growl. Wolves howl... Big cats roar. No, no not an animal." She takes an absent minded step toward the left flank and says, "Not a troll, not ogre... Oh! What was that?" In frustration she throws her stick to the ground and says, "I read about this once! In a book! Something about something very, very fast from Lonin, that shrieked before it ..." She takes several steps back, "Attacked." Silja rolls: 7(Filling Big Shoes: d8), 3(Finesse: d6), 2(Dexterity: d4) Total: 10 (vs 11) - Failure | Effect Die: d4 Kamzu rolls: 8(Commander: d8), 2(Mind: d6), 8(Warfare: d8) Total: 10 (vs 7) - Success | Effect Die: d8 Helena gestures to Sigitas that she's going to flank to cut off the escape route of whatever the thing is, or attempt to. The ground gets considerably rougher in that direction. Before setting out, she gives Jonas shoulder a reassuring squeeze and then as a group, they creep forward. It's slow going, but the Wardens progress over the icy stone and frozen earth that's slick beneath the shifting snow. They'll form a backstop, eventually, hopefully. The hammer will need an anvil to strike against. (Kamzu) Kamzu stays calm and waits. He listens to the shriek and the barking. It doesn't rattle him, but it does urge preparation. He sweeps the group with a steady look and reads stances and grips. He points with two fingers and speaks low. "Fighters make a ring. Healers and scouts inside. Keep the dogs close." He shifts his axe to his shoulder and turns from the front to the left. He rides a few lengths to watch the flank and the rear. He sets his horse where he can block a rush. He breathes slow and keeps his eyes moving from rock to drift to brush. He holds there, ready to step in the moment the threat shows. "If they attack us from multiple directions, our best cover will be those crags. We'll need to leave the horses for everyone to be safe, though." (Silja) Sliding off her distraught mount, Silja starts moving towards the screaming potential attack on foot. It's nto the easiest walking. That ice and snow and frozen ground that the Wardens are fighting with? No less of a concern for the Countess. She draws forth her blade, just in case, already out of that tight formation that really WOULD be better tactically. Still, someone needs to go scouting. (Bartos) It's a bit of a fake out. When at first, all they get is a fox, Bartos looks a little relieved, his posture relaxing... only for the horrible shriek to follow, setting the dogs off again. At that point, the threat is much more clear, and he looks back up to the woman mounted to his side. "Stay behind Sigitas and I," he tells her, a bit more curtly now, before hustling ahead to remount his own horse with some haste, leaping one leg to the stirrup and then throwing the other over. When he's settled, he starts turning the animal about, again to make a bit of a cordon in front of Sonia's. At the same time, he's loosening his arms, taking up his own shield from it's hanging place on one side of the horse and pulling one of a couple short spears from their place on the other, just making ready. (Sabine) "Close." Sabine notes, again to Bernadine. Though with her knees, she does guide the large destrier to between Bernadine and the inquisitive Silja. Her shield shifted, latched to her arm, brought up all the way to half cover her face. Her other hand, well that draws out the axe of a god, fingers wrapped around the haft. Tensed, ready, as she peers out over the wastes. (Ada) As the Wardens spread out over the craggy rocks to the left, a horn, shrill and high-pitched, although this time, not a beast, sounds from up ahead to the right, once, twice, thrice. There is an ululating cry as figures begin to pour over the crest of that slope up ahead. If they had been dressed beyond light pelts, that garb has been discarded. They are human, or close to it, but ritually-scarred, across their faces and exposed skin. All are armed, with black-bladed hook swords and spears, and among them some javelins, too. There are about thirty, all told. There is still distance between them and the company. Just after the horn sounds, another horrendous shriek rises to the company's left, where the Wardens are seeking to circle about, and a four-legged creature, feline in shape, but twice the size of a polar bear, leaps from cover, to race towards those still near the dead horse, covering the ground as fast as a jaguar. Sigitas slips right into the formation upon ordered, yes he can listen to orders as well as giving them. As quietly as possibly, he tries to walk through the snowy tundra, sword and shield firmly in hands, preparing for whatever may come into their direction... And here come the enemies and a stern expression shows on Sigitas' face as he murmurs more to himself as to anyone closeby "Well this will be a tough fight..." as his gaze wanders from the human like creatures to the beast and back pondering who to face first. (Bernadine) Giant white cat monster? Yeah, no. Bernadine's learning is meant to be purely academic, not being face to face with monsters. So she does the smartest thing possible and makes herself as _small_ as possible and behind a larger target. (Sonia) When orders are given and formations are taken, while Sonia might not be of military mind, she knows enough to follow the orders of experts. Bernadine, however, is quite distracting with the things which she says. Though something catches her attention. "From Lonin...?" She asks with wide eyes and a curious tilt of her head even as she continues to move and get behind Bartos and the others as directed. The dogs are with her, they seem to be on alert and this shows once that shriek is heard again and then they are able to see the thing. There's barks and growls to be heard from there side now as well. Sonia doesn't think that the dogs could even take down something of that size. Not yet. Not until its weakened. Now, she's uncertain as to how she can help. Think. Think! "The dogs will have your back, just give me the word." She informs Sigitas, her own brows furrowing darkly. Silja rolls: 5(Filling Big Shoes: d8), 1(Spirit: d6), 2(Composure: d6) Total: 7 (vs 11) - Failure | Effect Die: d4 (defaulted to d4) Hitches: 1 (rolled 1 on: d6) Sonia rolls: 4(Impatient For Authority: d8), 2(Spirit: d6), 2(Composure: d4) Total: 6 (vs 11) - Failure | Effect Die: d4 Sabine rolls: 5(Tactical Exemplar: d8), 1(Spirit: d6), 5(Composure: d8) Total: 10 (vs 10) - Success | Effect Die: d4 (defaulted to d4) Hitches: 1 (rolled 1 on: d6) Bartos rolls: 6(Vigorous Heir: d8), 6(Spirit: d8), 6(Composure: d6) Total: 12 (vs 11) - Success | Effect Die: d8 Kamzu rolls: 8(Dauntless Disciplinarian: d8), 7(Spirit: d10), 9(Composure: d10) Total: 17 (vs 11) - Kamzu achieves a HEROIC SUCCESS! | Effect Die: d10 === TEST vs The Beast === The Beast rolls: 3(d8), 8(d8), 3(d10), 1(d6) Difficulty to beat: 11 The Beast Hitches: 1 (rolled 1 on: d6) >> Opportunity! Silja can spend 1 PP to: - Step DOWN a complication by 1 step - Step UP an opposition complication by 1 step - ADD a new complication to opposition (d6) - Step up YOUR asset by 1 step - Create a new asset for yourself (d6) Use: opportunity/down, /oppup, /oppadd, /up, or /create Silja rolls: 1(Filling Big Shoes: d8), 4(Prowess: d6), 3(Fighting: d6) Total: 7 (vs 11) - Failure | Effect Die: d4 (defaulted to d4) Hitches: 1 (rolled 1 on: d8) === TEST vs The Beast === The Beast rolls: 4(d8), 7(d8), 2(d10) Difficulty to beat: 11 Sabine rolls: 5(Tactical Exemplar: d8), 3(Prowess: d6), 2, 7(Fighting: d6 (Doubled)) Total: 12 (vs 11) - Success | Effect Die: d6 === TEST vs The Beast === The Beast rolls: 3(d8), 5(d8), 10(d10) Difficulty to beat: 15 Kamzu rolls: 6(Commander: d8), 1(Prowess: d6), 8, 3(Fighting: d8 (Doubled)) Total: 14 (vs 15) - Failure | Effect Die: d10 Hitches: 1 (rolled 1 on: d6) === TEST vs The Beast === The Beast rolls: 4(d8), 3(d8), 9(d10) Difficulty to beat: 13 Bartos rolls: 1(Vigorous Heir: d8), 1(Prowess: d6), 6(Fighting: d6) Total: 6 (vs 13) - Failure | Effect Die: d4 (defaulted to d4) Hitches: 2 (rolled 1 on: d8, d6) Bernadine rolls: 2(Artistic Polymath: d8), 1(Spirit: d6), 1(Composure: d6) Total: 2 (vs 11) - Failure | Effect Die: d4 (defaulted to d4) Hitches: 2 (rolled 1 on: d6, d6) (Ada) The Beast comes tearing towards the company, blisteringly, hideously fast. It lurches past one warrior and another, twisting, sinuous and apparently untouchable. Bartos Albalaski, heir to the grand duchy of Lonin, is in its way, and the vast creature barrels his way, its maw opening to an extent that shouldn't be possible with any normal anatomy -- till someone with an axe interferes. Kamzu rolls: 8(d10) Total: 8 | Effect Die: d4 (defaulted to d4) === TEST vs Terror Raiders === Terror Raiders rolls: 8(d8), 5(d6), 6(d6) Difficulty to beat: 14 Sigitas rolls: 7(In Charge By Default: d8), 2(Prowess: d6), 2(Fighting: d8) Total: 9 (vs 14) - Failure | Effect Die: d8 === TEST vs Terror Raiders === Terror Raiders rolls: 2(d8), 5(d6), 4(d6), 5(d6) Difficulty to beat: 10 Sonia rolls: 7(Impatient For Authority: d8), 8(Mind: d8), 3(Survival: d4) Total: 11 (vs 10) - Success | Effect Die: d8 (Sabine) There isn't hesitation. The beast arises, and Sabine's spurs kick into her horses flank. And a trained warhorse immediately moves as fast as it can to a gallop. White cloak flowing out behind her, chest not cold because of the wind protection of steel plate. Towards a creature going equally fast. And this in the end serves as a demonstration of why Adana heavy cavalry has so much of an effect. It isn't about the prowess, it isn't about the discipline. It is about 1200 pound of horse, and another three hundred of armored rider crashing into you going about thirty. And in this case the rider has the Axe of a man who saved the Empire. The impact is bloody, crashing, and short. The spray of vitals, the thundering of hooves, and Sabine barely casting a glance. She merely feels the impact, and then she is on. Charging through and going on still at full gallop. === TEST vs Terror Raiders === Terror Raiders rolls: 7(d8), 6(d6), 4(d6) Difficulty to beat: 13 Helena rolls: 4(Commander: d8), 8(Leadership: d8), 2(Warfare: d8), 2(Wardens: d6) Total: 12 (vs 13) - Failure | Effect Die: d8 Bernadine arrives. (Ada) The flight of arrows from the Wardens is scattered, less effective than it might have been -- two of the ululating raiders fall as they charge. The unleashed hunting dogs make for them, disrupting and distracting them, buying precious moments more of time for the company to form. One raider, racing out front, damn near naked, ritual scarring visible all over, is quick to engage Sigitas head-on -- an indecisive fight at first. (Bernadine) Bernadine does the worst possible thing she could do. She peeks out toward the beast-- watching as it's impossibly large mouth opens in an attempt to swallow poor Bartos whole! She lets out a ear splitting shriek and turns away, unable to bear the side of seeing the young man devoured. She doesn't even get to witness Sabine or Kamzu's heroics, she's too busy hiding her eyes. (Kamzu) Kamzu hears Bernadine speak of Lonin and knows the strike is now. If the shriek preceded an attack, then the attack was already happening, even if they didn't see it yet. He kicks his horse forward and raises his axe high. Cold air bites his face as he rides at the beast. The big cat bursts from the rocks, fast as an arrow. He is already headed at the beast, axe raised high, just opposite of Sabine. Seeing the thing appear, he felt good, strong. Even across the world, he felt like like he was in his element immediately. A much, much colder element, but it felt like fighting on the Labyrinth's edge. He whirls his axe as he approaches. It was a dangerous beast for sure, but it wasn't even the megafauna that he was used to. He wasn't afraid. That thing should be afraid. He charges in and angles past it, anticipating its lunge as beasts do and meeting it with a swipe of his axe. A moment later, hesitation that might have been borne of fear and the thing would have gotten him first. Instead, he scores a hit and the blow turns the beast aside and keeps its claws from his horse. Kamzu leans low, ready to wheel and strike again. (Helena) Plans change. The battlefield is fluid. When their horrid opposition reveals themselves, Helena and her Wardens haven't quite reached their desired position, but she adapts. The freakish beast shrieks by but she doesn't order a pursuit just yet, her worry are all those raiders and how they might overwhelm the group if they join the fray. With a silent signal, the Albalaski commander has her Wardens ready their bows, notch and let fly a volley of arrows to if not wound a few, then to at least distract them with a rain of arrows from an unexpected direction. It's a little rushed, and the position isn't ideal. Seeing the lackluster results, Helena turns to her Wardens and nods. "Ready spears, we'll stick them right up their backsides." (Silja) On foot, there's barely time for Silja to get her sword into position before the Beast has ZOOMED past towards the whole group. She is put in the position of turning to follow it back. A moment, a breath, a squaring of her shoulders as she closes the gap between her and the fight. Some of her general calm has returned with that little moment in the cold. Sigitas expected a struggle and indeed it is a struggle as steel clashes against steel, when the raiders meet him on the battlefield, but the young Sikorin tries his best to keep them away from joining that beast and overwhelming those, who are bravely fighting it. Determination flashes in his eyes, as he briefly nods towards Helena and then focuses once again on the battle at hand, so he doesn't get caught off guard. (Ada) The Beast is left bleeding -- it /bleeds/ -- by the blow from Kamzu, and emits a shriek from its wide-open maw as it skitters, twisting around, although wounded, for its next target. There isn't much magic left in the world, by the reckoning of most. Right here, now, however, there is a CRACK, as if lightning had split the heavens and thunder sounded. Valon's Axe hits with enough force, even without the rider, that it sends the Beast flying back several metres. But up it gets, again. The raiders are closing fast, as Helena dresses the ranks of her Wardens. Bartos does not have any illusions of being the finest warrior in the land (these, nor hardly counting any broader selection), but riding his horse straight into the creature's mouth is a particularly bad showing. Well, he tried! In his defense, it's hard to really judge such an unnatural beast, and preicsely how fast it moves. With his spear out, he rides forward at some kind of clip, though the path wavers and his spear tip is perhaps a little off-center of where it ought to be. His eyes go a little wide- -before the whole thing is swept aside past him in a rush of horse and metal. He sits blinking, a moment, not quite sure what happened, but no doubt reassured it's good he didn't actually get eaten. Shaking the confusion, he looks around, wheeling his horse about in a little loop and looking for his fellows in the chaos. And probably for the monster too, which is no doubt still looking to eat people. Sabine rolls: 5(Tactical Exemplar: d8), 2(Leadership: d8), 1, 1(Warfare: d10 (Doubled)) Total: 7 (vs 11) - Failure | Effect Die: d4 (defaulted to d4) Hitches: 2 (rolled 1 on: d10, d10) === TEST vs Terror Raiders === Terror Raiders rolls: 4(d8), 4(d6), 3(d6) Difficulty to beat: 8 Helena rolls: 1(Commander: d8), 8(Leadership: d8), 7(Warfare: d8), 3(Wardens: d6), 4(Orders: d8) Total: 15 (vs 8) - Success | Effect Die: d8 Hitches: 1 (rolled 1 on: d8) (Sabine) Sabine swings her horse around, fast enough to cause it to rear upwards. Valon's Axe raised above her head, gleaming in the light. Her shield swung out as she starts to point, stern voice calling out. "Keep that thing penned in, don't let it have free movement! Extend the flanks out, don't let them wrap around. Thin the center, heavy to right, cut off the mutual support!" === TEST vs Terror Raiders === Terror Raiders rolls: 1(d8), 5(d6), 4(d6), 5(d6) Difficulty to beat: 10 Terror Raiders Hitches: 1 (rolled 1 on: d8) >> Opportunity! Sonia can spend 1 PP to: - Step DOWN a complication by 1 step - Step UP an opposition complication by 1 step - ADD a new complication to opposition (d6) - Step up YOUR asset by 1 step - Create a new asset for yourself (d6) Use: opportunity/down, /oppup, /oppadd, /up, or /create Sonia rolls: 5(Impatient For Authority: d8), 8(Mind: d8), 3(Survival: d4), 3(Orders: d8) Total: 13 (vs 10) - Success | Effect Die: d8 === TEST vs The Beast === The Beast rolls: 2(d8), 4(d8), 2(d10) Difficulty to beat: 6 Kamzu rolls: 1(Commander: d8), 6(Prowess: d6), 7(Fighting: d8), 10(Wounded: d10) Total: 13 (vs 6) - Success | Effect Die: d10 Hitches: 1 (rolled 1 on: d8) Invoked opposition complication(s): Wounded === TEST vs Terror Raiders === Terror Raiders rolls: 6(d8), 2(d6), 5(d6) Difficulty to beat: 11 Sigitas rolls: 5(In Charge By Default: d8), 4(Prowess: d6), 4(Fighting: d8), 6(Orders: d8) Total: 11 (vs 11) - Success | Effect Die: d8 (Sonia) Set them after the Beast or the Raiders? There were more of the latter, but... Sonia frowns, still trembling from just the sight of that creature. Perhaps, she may have made a different decision if she had her wits about her... or if she saw that the thing was going to eat Bartos! Or try! "Bartos!" She cries out but she dares not look away. That was her friend out there! Before that could happen, however, some of their companions come in to teach that Beast a lesson, which does give Sonia Vanzek room to breathe, if just for a moment. It was her turn next and she releases those hounds, points out their enemies, claps and calls after them, "Bite them! Take them down! Treat them as you would that fox!" And the dogs do just that. There is worry though, if that Beast is still kicking for much longer, perhaps she should eventually send the hounds out to the creature. (Helena) When being clever and strategic have both run their courses, there remains but one thing to do; brawl. Helena and her Wardens ready spears and surge down from their position to flank the naked raiders. They move swiftly, but the commander outpaces them all upon her doughty mount. She charges through the enemy ranks from the side, using the weight and sheer momentum of her horse to break through their ragged formation, her couched spear thunking meatily into a body and then tearing free of her hands. She doesn't stop for it. The Wardens crash into the fray shortly after. === TEST vs Terror Raiders === Terror Raiders rolls: 1(d8), 1(d6), 2(d6) Difficulty to beat: 2 Terror Raiders Hitches: 2 (rolled 1 on: d8, d6) >> 2 Opportunities! Bartos can spend 1 PP to: - Step DOWN a complication by 2 steps - Step UP an opposition complication by 2 steps - ADD a new complication to opposition (d6, stepped up 2 steps) - Step up YOUR asset by 2 steps - Create a new asset for yourself (d6, stepped up 2 steps) Use: opportunity/down, /oppup, /oppadd, /up, or /create Bartos rolls: 1(Vigorous Heir: d8), 1(Prowess: d6), 5(Fighting: d6), 5(Orders: d8) Total: 10 (vs 2) - Success | Effect Die: d4 (defaulted to d4) Hitches: 2 (rolled 1 on: d8, d6) Bernadine arrives. (Bartos) "I'm alive, I think," Bartos calls back at Sonia, still not entirely believing of it himself. Still, having learned his lesson in charging that beast the first time, Bartos doesn't press his luck. There are more seasoned leaders and fighters here alike, so after bringing his horse around, he lines up with the others for a more orderly charge upon the approaching raiders. Even in this, he is not overly bold, riding forward and choosing to toss one of his short spears ahead first, before drawing his sword. (Ada) The Beast, wounded and bloodied, shrieks once more, but it is not as hideous, not as piercing as before. It lurches forward, intent on, if not food, then slaughter, but it is denied, as warriors close in about it. It /leaps/, and it is struck down as it does so, its sheer momentum causing it to knock the legs of a fighting Warden out from under her, the carcass coming to a halt somewhere behind the fighting line, Sonia's dogs still biting and tearing at it as if it might get back up. The raiders press the Wardens hard, but they are well-armed, well-armoured, and intensely drilled. Helena's horse scatters them, while the one that had set upon Sigitas at first, a champion of some sort, is felled by the young Sikorin. The Beast may indeed be scary, but a trio of the raiders set upon Bartos, blows from hooked swords falling like hammers on his armour -- before other Wardens close in, at least. There will be a bruise in the morning. The raiders do not flee, but they fall. Bernadine arrives. (Bernadine) Shaken and terrified, Bernadine peeks out from behind someone to try and see where the beast went. She rubs both of her hands over her face and she says to herself, "We need to go look at it-- for knowledge. Yes." She peers at those still fighting and frowns, "In... a minute." Her gaze flickers around the skirmish, looking for anyone on their side who is injured and needing tending too. (Kamzu) Kamzu wheels his horse and bears in. The great cat reels, blood bright on the snow. He sets his heels, lifts the axe, and aims for the torn shoulder. His swing is clean and hard. The blade bites deep into the same wound. Bone cracks. Kamzu wrenches the axe free and strikes once more to finish it as the warriors close in around it. The white body slumps and is still. He draws a slow breath, and disengages from the beast's body. He scans for the next threat, and readies his axe. It wasn't as fancy or powerful as Sabine's but it did well enough for him when he put the sharp side into things that were dangerous. Bernadine arrives. (Sabine) The crashing of battle, noise, panic, screeching, giant cat-bears.... And then...quiet. It is all to familiar. Sabine takes a quick look around, then with a nod she trots her horse back inwards. Tucking the axe back away as she does so. Her head tilting over towards Bernadine. "Lady Salfeld, you are unharmed?" Then a quick scan around. "Do you require an escort?" (Helena) The Wardens hack their way to Bartos to stop those pesky raiders from denting his armor, and his head too badly. Helena soon has trampled over one of the stragglers that thought to make a last stand before her, and is riding up to the heir of House Albalaski as well. When she flips up her visor, her expression is cool and serene. Only a pink blush on her cheeks would even indicate she was just involved in a battle. "Bartos. Are you wounded?" Helena asks him, ice blue eyes scanning for any obvious leaks. Sigitas quickly glances about the corpses on the ground, then on his bloody sword, which he quickly cleans in the snow so it at least looks decent enough once again. With it sheathed once again, he makes sure everyone is still in at least somewhat healthy condition, before commenting somewhat dryly "Should have warned you before that we have some nasty fauna around here." With that he walks over towards his horse to make sure that it is alright as well. (Bernadine) "An escort to the beast?" asks Bernadine of Sabine, blinking in the direction of where the beast now lies. "I.. guess?" Now that the fighting seems to be ended she calls out in general, "If no one needs tending I'll go examine the beast now. If anyone does need to be tended, well, please come here." (Bartos) Asked if he's well, Bartos seems not entirely sure of that either, pausing, once the fighting is at its end, to put his sword away and pat around his armor, which has certainly taken some hits and dents there and there. "A little bruised, maybe... but I think nothing life-threatening." The smile he offers Helena is good-natured and obviously grateful, if perhaps slightly embarassed looking also, given that lack of certainy and his rather more hindersome and self-endangering performance overall. "I ought to have brought some men as well, it seems, I thought perhaps Sigitas would have had more himself." He then glances around, remebering that he was supposed to be protecting someone, even if he mostly ended up needing it imself. (Kamzu) %Kamzu rides a slow circle and checks the ground. He looks for any threat. He sees none. He nods once. He turns to Bernadine. "Your warning was sharp. My thanks. It helped save us," he says in a calm voice. He moves among the company and checks for wounds. He points people to sit or stand as needed. He helps lift one man who slipped. He then returns to the fallen beast. He sets his axe and works with care. He opens the hide and frees the thick pelt first. He takes claws and a length of bone an the heart. Then he takes the head and sets it aside, collecting the parts in its maw. He wipes his hands in clean snow and ties the parts to his saddle. He seems to be practiced at it all, moving with a casual calm. One it is all secure he looks to the line and readies to move. Bartos arrives. (Sabine) Sabine nods, first to Bernadine, then to Kamzu. Taking another glance around before she nods, dismounting from her horse to indeed, escort Bernadine up to the beast before it is rendered beyond studying capacity. "I hope things were not to exciting for you Lady Salfeld." (Helena) "You'll know for the next time." Helena says in a light, nearly amiable tone, with perhaps even a hint of pride for the younger Bartos, the future Grand Duke. Not too much though. She probably doesn't want to embarrass him. "Have the armorer hammer those dents out, they don't look too bad." With that, she calls the Wardens over and makes sure they're all in order, and have all their fingers and toes besides. With nothing but cuts and bruises to report, she seems satisfied with the result and turns her attention to the wider group. For lack of orders, she waits, no doubt considering the situation. (Bernadine) Bernadine blinks up at Kamzu when he speaks to her. Her gray eyes blinking several times. She cants her head to the side, not seeming to know how to take the man's words. "Oh." She blinks again, "Thank you!" A startled laugh is given to Sabine and she says, "Exciting! I should say. Come, lets go poke the dead monster with a stick. I wonder if I can convince someone to drag it back so I can do a proper study of it." With that she's off to find another stick and once more engage in her Gods-given right of Poking Dead Things With Sticks. (Ada) Apart from the company collecting themselves and dealing with the few injuries sustained, silence falls across the tundra, the chill spring air still and quiet. Some startled rodents scuttle through the scant heath to return to their foraging. (Sonia) Once things are 'settled', so to speak, Sonia slides off of her mount and gives her pups a deserving treat as she makes her way towards Bartos and Helene to ensure that the former isn't dying. A curious look is given to Sabine and Bernadine as they examine the creature's corpse. She wants to do that too! If only she could be in two places at once. Sonia's shoulders almost wilt. "You had the strength of all of the Commonwealth behind you, Bartos." She says with a smile. "The Beast couldn't gnaw through all of that." Sonia then asks, "Want to go look at the thing that couldn't kill you?" Yes, that's quite a big ask... (Ada) The dead creature is a mass of sinewy muscle, a jaw with far, far too many teeth that opens just too widely to seem natural, with claws sharp enough that they scored some of the bare rock underfoot as it tore across the craggy terrain. (Kamzu) Kamzu is likely still stripping the beast of its parts when she comes poking at it. He looks form her to the beast and back. He says to her in a strong, inviting tone, "If you like the study of creatures, you must come to the Labyrinth some time. We have more creatures there than you can catalogue. You never know what you will run into. And this," he motions to the beast on the tundra half stripped for parts, "is just a small thing compared to the beasts we have there. It takes whole armies to bring down some of the creatures that emerge from the forest in the south." He gives Bernadine another small nod. "Now that I have opened my lands to the Empire, you must one day visit. I suspect that soon, many will want to visit, if they have the coin. Get there before it becomes overrun with visitors." (Sabine) "I suspect Lord Kamzu is taking care of transport for us." Sabine notes, her head tilting with a small, respectful nod to the man. "Good work out there, your swordplay was exceptional. And of course the Commonwealth men and women managed just as well as I expected. A credit to them and their people. And a credit to Lady Salfeld for her quick thinking and exceptional knowledge." There a small pause, and a gaze of her eyes upwards, across the wastes. "Unfortunetly, this has not answered very many questions at all other than the worthiness of those here." (Bartos) "I'll be more cautious," Bartos agrees, with Helena's advice, and then spotting that Sonia is coming to him, rather than the other way around, again slides down off his mount. He perhaps looks a little jealous of her getting to feed the dogs! "I think, realistically, it definitely -could- have, but it didn't, so I suppose all's for the best," he only sort of half-argues with her evaluation. "I suppose we ought to have a look." And, indeed, he will trek on that way, to where the more learned are examining the body. He has very little to contribute on the topic, but it's still obviously a point of curiousity to get a look at the then when it's not a blur of muscle and fangs COMING RIGHT FOR HIM. "It doesn't look much better like this," he admits. "Other than the reassurance of it being dead and not moving. What an odd thing." Kamzu speaking of vastly larger varieties doesn't look like it puts him much at ease, either! === TEST: Ada vs The Tundra Weather === The Tundra Weather rolls: 1(d6), 4(d6) Difficulty to beat: 4 The Tundra Weather Hitches: 1 (rolled 1 on: d6) Ada rolls: 7(Character Concept: d8), 5(Mind: d6), 2(Survival: d4) Total: 7 (vs 4) - Success | Effect Die: d8 (Bernadine) Bernadine tilts her head toward Kamzu once more, glancing down at the beast and then back up to the man. Her lips purse together and she says, "Well... With such an invitation, how could I say no?" Still she squats down near the beast, pokes at it with her stick, uses her stick to lift up a claw, and to poke at various parts of it-- Keeping out of Kamzu's way as much as she can. Then she pulls a leather bound journal from within a hidden pocket in her cloak, and pulls out a charcoal as well and begins to make notes, and then starts to... Sketch? Yes. She begins sketching the beast. "So many muscles, sharp claws.. And what is with those teeth?" She glances to Kamzu and asks, "Could I bother you to extract a tooth, a claw, and perhaps a small square of it's hide, my lord? Erh... Blessed? Exalted, I apologize I'm not sure of the correct address." (Silja) It didnt take Silja long to swing back into the saddle and go for a little tromp off to where the Beast had been loiterig and waiting. She doens't feel obliged to comment, her silence following her as she returns back to the group. There's a nod as she turns her attention to the dead beast that Bernadine is poking at. And taking souveniers from. (Kamzu) "Answers?" Kamzu looks up at Sabine from his work and runs a forearm across his brow. It was was an odd sensation to have cool air blowing on him when you are sweating from hard work instead of a hot and humid draft. "Not definitively no. But I don't think that a guess would go astray here." He motions to the dead bodies of men. "I would wager if you track them back to where they live you would find the bodies of the scouts." He looks back down at the beast and says, "I'd also wager this one here took care of the horses if the men did not use them for themselves. I do not know if horses are regularly used here in the Expanse or if they have a better means of transport." He shakes his head sorrowfully and continues, "But by the numbers we encountered and the corpse that we found, I would not put money on finding anyone alive. However, if you wish to retrieve corpses for their families, the search should be continued." He pulls at a bone, finding the connecting sinew tougher than he expected. "Maybe by a miracle, they took hostages and someone still lives? I would not think so. But stranger things have happened." He looks then to Bernadine at her question and says, "By all means. Plenty to share, I would think." He keeps working at it, his axe sawing back and forth at various parts. Helena offers both Bartos and Sonia a polite dip of her head, and clearly doesn't want to intrude pn them beyond that. She busies herself with her Wardens, "Alvyda, Jonas, Olgierd with me. Sergeant, perform a sweep. Stay in sight." She then spies her lost spear, sticking out of one of the fallen raiders so rides over to it unhurriedly and pulls it free. Her gaze settles on the group examining the monster's carcass, but she doesn't rush over to see it herself. She watches the approaches, and Bartos. (Sabine) "Mmmm, or we are dealing with an entirely seperate party to whatever the scouts ran into that caused them to send a runner." Sabine nods back to Kamzu. But then she turns, to give a full bow to Silja as she approaches. "Countess." Pausing there a second, as if seeing if there were any requests before her gaze moves on. "The Commonwealth people will be the best judge of that. They have the most experience. Though I do have concerns about pressing forwards to aggressively with Lady Bernadine, there is much danger here." (Ada) The Wardens' sweep forward uncovers signs of the myriad tracks that cross the tundra continuing north past the escarpment up ahead, but in line with the order given, they do not go out of sight. Every sign on the ground suggests that the band that set upon the imperial company was a small segment of a larger force which broke off and lingered, even, judging by the remnants of a camp found behind the slope to the east, with the bones of dead tundra beasts, picked clean -- not that anyone has ever quite figured how the raiders provision themselves in the Terror far to the north. (Silja) "We could just go look where the Beast was." Silja points out, even if in the very same moment Sabine is pointing out that it wouldnt be wise. Or reasonable. Or sensible. Sure sure. All valid points. "While we are here." (Sonia) A bright smile is given Helene and then also to her Wardens before they are sent out to do their duty. "The help of the Wardens are always greatly appreciated." She then openly wonders as she looks between Helene and Bartos, "Though, this does mean that we'll need to keep a better eye on the area. In the case of more raiders with big kitties." Sonia then joins the others to admire the corpse of the cat. Now that the Beast was dead, she can look on it with wrinkled-nosed scorn and accusatory eyes. "You wait, you will be dog meat." She threatens, whether that will be true or not! Though to much of what the others are talking about, she does come to wonder some of the same. "If there is anyone alive, we can't just leave them. We must continue." Though when they speak of Lady Bernadine, Sonia can't help but frown, we will keep her safe..." Though she looks to both Helene and Bartos now. Obviously, Sonia doesn't venture out into these parts very often herself, but she has feelings about what must be done. However, when Silja speaks up, Sonia nods, "Perhaps, they will be found there..." The bodies. (Kamzu) Kamzu nods in agreement with Sabine as he chops, slices, rips, and pulls. "This is true. I do not know these lands. Roving bands of raiders could be very common here. I do not see how they maintain themselves on such scarce resources if so many exist, but it is not my area of expertise and I would be unwise to be so sure of anything I know so little about." He looks to Lady Bernadine with pursed lips. "I commend you for coming on this journey, my lady. We very easily could have been defeated. Had we any few guards or they any more men, the battle may have turned out quite differently." He goes back to work. "But we survived..." He looks up again at the mention of searching further. "...so far." He doesn't seem to be worried about continuing the search either. In fact, very little seemed to bother Kamzu as he kneeled in the snow, a bloody mess. (Helena) After the Wardens return from their sweep and report their observations, Helena doesn't look worried, exactly, but she does seem to chew on the information and weigh it carefully. She speaks up, addressing the group, "Lords and ladies. This force that beset us was of smaller detachment of a far greater number. If we continue on, we may find ourselves vastly outnumbered." Helena's neutral tone doesn't suggest whether she thinks it wise to turn back, or press forward. She's simply reporting the facts. (Bartos) "'So far' is right. This creature was quite a threat to our limited party," Bartos observes, and then nods as Helena speaks, reporting on the scouting of her small group as well. "If we encountered a larger force, a -real- force, using these as beasts of war, more than one and in coordination with their troops, we might be overwhelmed." Even though Sonia is suggesting they leave none behind, he looks to her with clear concern. "I cannot in good conscience lead you into some pitched battle we may scarcely be prepared to fight. We did not bring troops sufficient to engage a proper force. Scouting might be done, but in that case, stealth would be ideal, and our party is a bit large for that. Which is to say, we're perfectly the -wrong- number. Too many to quietly guage their number, too few to engage a real force." (Silja) "A smaller contingent could break off, have a quick look and then be done." Silja notes into the conversation and then shakes her head. "Now or later, but now would leave the most potential information available." (Bernadine) Bernadine has gathered her bits and pieces, even having pulled out a small but sharp knife to take her prizes; a single tooth, a claw, and a small square of the hide. Anything else is left for Kamzu. She cleans her hands as best she can on her cloak and ferrets her specimens away, glancing up to look between Sonia and Sabine, a small frown upon her lips, "If there people potentially injured, as a physician it is my duty to tend to them. But if I would be hinderance I would be willing to be escorted back to the nearest outpost to wait for the wounded to be brought to me?" (Sonia) Sonia looks to each face, listens to what is told to her, the way any good leader would! She considers everything said before she nods, "You are all correct. It is best to return with a better plan before moving forward." Though her aquamarine eyes light upon Silja, looking rather enthusiastic about this prospect still, "And I also believe that investigating the creature's 'hole' is also the right to do before it is too late. There couldn't be more of them right? Either way, I'll send the dogs to sniff it out first to ensure that it's safe." The young woman looks super excited about all of this. (Sabine) Sabine stares off into the distance for a long moment, seemingly lost in some sort of deep thought. Finally however, she gives a low nod. "I think we may be looking at this from the wrong perspective." Her hand raises softly, as if to fend off any direct immediate jumping on her. "If this was a detachment from a much larger force. That force has to be going somewhere." A turn of her head there, towards the group. "Lord and Ladies of the Commonwealth, I fear to say that one of your settlements is about to be hit. I would suggest that we make our way back, I will need time to see how many of my knights are in the area, and I do not feel it would be wise to further risk such illustious lords and ladies of such posistions, nor Lady Bernadine's intellect or beauty." A small pause. "I highly doubt this is the proper time for a succession crisis should we be more bold than prudent." (Kamzu) Kamzu stands and listens to Helena then Bartos, then looks back and forth between them all. "It looks like the consensus is that continuing on would be too great a risk. If anyone is to scout, the rest of us should definitely head back to report our findings so we don't end up like the ones that brought us here." He begins packing up the bits and pieces, securing them all on his mount. "But there sounds like a lot more work to do. The local lord will have a decision on how to proceed, certainly." He tries to use clean snow to wipe himself down, but ends up only making things slightly less disgusting. In his lands there were plenty of streams and rivers to wash up in. "It certainly wasn't a pleasant journey for my first visit into the Expanse, but it certainly was an exciting one. And educational." He gives up trying to get clean and swings himself into his saddle. "Let's be away as soon as we can. The sooner we get back, the sooner other arrangements can be made to return with the proper forces." Bernadine mutters more to herself than anyone else, "My sister is the beauty, not me." But she's already making her way over to find her abandoned horse, for the right back. Helena departs. Bernadine departs. Sabine departs. Kamzu departs.