Chapter 6 - South to Saerloon

Joachim had been slightly startled by the man's words. This caravan had not the best intentions at heart and went as far as to boast about it. Although it was only the apparent body guard that spoke, it shook on the Paladin's nerve. Joachim preferred the first intended words for his comrades to step aside and ignore the others rudeness. His words were clear and distinct and even had a tone of friendship towards his group.

He noticed at the corner of his eyes that the lizard rider and pale one where reacting. The first one ... well like one would expect of a madman, the other one ... somehow reminded him of a peacock, well a very gloom and dark one anyhow. His look is rather disproving although he has to smile, his lips read Please.

Then he turned towards the horseman again, his eyes seemingly glowing in their natural blue colour.

He sighs deeply. Any friendly feature he might previously have shown had vanished. "Your opinion of Saerb's citizens is of no interest and you are most ignoble to speak of them in such way. Nevertheless, we have no quarrel with you and I believe the city under good enough management to deal with the likes of you." His voice was again distinct, however this time sharp and short and almost threatening. With that the paladin spurs his horse slightly as to bring it to march, he would pass the caravan on the right side of the road, however he was ready for an attack and would bring the animal into a charge should the need be.

ready action

----

Gerwin herself was a bit uneasy, she surely didn't wish to find herself on the horse if a fight broke out, or at least not in the first line. He moved with her horse backwards to be at the same hight as the gnome with the spirits and the man with the bow. For certain they would not be facing the dangers head on, like her husband.

Khel shook his head once again, amazed at how quickly the encounter had degenerated into a staring contest. The gnome had no intention of getting involved in a brawl that could have been easily avoided. His small hands tightened their grip on the spectral mount's reins and he turned it around to move farther away from the road, while flashing a grin at Gerwin that also was putting a safe distance between the caravan and herself. Better be far away from the intended targets of a madman, a necromancer and an assassin his grin widened. For sure I am traveling with interesting people.

While he was moving, he said something aloud

celestial: cast your spell on me

Noola rolk gheremene'er and the larger whirlwind that had been flying over his head this entire time gracefully dove to engulf him for a split of second. The gnome's figure suddenly became blurred, his features harder to observe as if he wasn't fully there

Khel is now 50' from the road and the dangerous caravan. The small whirlwind is still 10' in front of him and the larger one is directly above him (10' up)

Initiative - Big whirlwind:
Dice Roll: 1d20+8
d20 Results: 10 (Total = 18)

Initiative - Khel:
Dice Roll: 1d20+3
d20 Results: 13 (Total = 16)

The small whirlwind moves on Khel's initiative

Garak watched as the various party members exchanged their threats. He smiled at the prospect of battle and information to be gained. If this caravan had come from the south, then perhaps a thorough interrogation of its members would help them to better prepare for what was to be faced at their destination.

"Fear is indeed a powerful weapon, one that I have studied for much of my life. Your pathetic attempt to scare me is trifling at best. Look into my eyes and know true terror."

Lucifer lowers his hood, revealing a horrid-looking face to the Guard, who recoils in shock at the awful sight. Beside Lucifer, the odd-looking shaman begins to shake his grotesque stick and cackle oddly, as a swarm of insects bursts from his clothing, covering him and blurring his appearance.
The Guard is made of stronger stuff, however, and is only affected for the briefest of moments - but that moment is just long enough for Ser Martin to loose a volley of arrows, three impacting solidly into his back through the protective chainmail.

Angry and injured, he spurs his horse forward, charging head-on at Lucifer. In the close confines of the now-choked roadway, the dark necromancer can't avoid the Horseman's quick movements, and is roughly bandied aside as the Guards mount smashes into him.
A few feet off to the side, his companion follows course, charging at and hitting Kesendaran, and with both Horsemen now up close and personal with their chosen targets, they prepare to dismount and hack away at him and Lucifer.

Nearer to the caravan, Joachim searches for signs of Evil amongst these merchants, but oddly enough finds none. He does detect a few odd whisperings among his own companions, but his attention, at least for now, is focused on the merchants..
The third Guard in the rear of the Caravan, seeing his cohorts engaging in battle, lets loose a couple of quick shots at Joachim, deeming him to be the offending party's leader, but the bolts are easily stopped by the Paladin's heavy armor.

The driver of the caravan, though he carries no weapon, hops down from the reigns and reaches into his pockets. Pulling out a few flecks of some odd substance, he throws them to the ground at his feet as he mutters a few odd words. For a brief second a shimmering blue radiance surrounds him, but it is gone as quickly as it appears...


OOC

Gren takes a moment, staring with his mouth hanging open in complete shock. He shakes his head and digs his knees into the sides of his mount as he pulls his greatsword free, changing it with little more than a thought into its bow form as he takes to the sky. He pulls back an arrow, though he's not sure where to aim it
"Are you all insane?!" he shouts to his allies.

As soon as the fuzz begin Joachim was ready to act. There was no time to think it out and his action where mostly instinctive.

Joachim turns his horse towards the man in the cart who had just started conjuring something. He charges him straight away. Immediately after this he drops his lance, and while drawing his greatsword from his back, jumps from the horse positioning himself in a threatening way before the cart driver. As soon as he dismounts his shield starts circling around him in protection.

"I urge you to surrender!" He exclaims to the whole group his sword lifted threateningly pointing in direction of the cart driver.

----

Meanwhile in the Back Gerwin's instinct was altogether different. As soon as she saw the attack of one of their group she knew things would go rough and in the same way as Gren had fled into the air, she too sought to flee, however on her horse. The animal ride for a moment from the slow movement to one of haste and Gerwin sought to direct it along the road back in the direction they had come from. Her plan would be to get of the road and circle back to the group through the forest, later on. Right now her prerogative was distance.

Lucifer shook his head slightly as he shrugged off the horseman's attack. The man was a fool to attack him, that was certain. Dark energy, black as the void crackled about the Necromancer's hand, an aura of sickness seeming to exude from about it. He reached out, as his familiar manifested a gruesome mask of a face about his and stared into the man's eyes. Lucifer then proceeded to place his hand against the rider's leg and released the raw dead energy into him.

Lucifer then stared menacingly at the man he had just reached out to, and said, "You have made a powerful enemy. I give you one last chance to escape now, or I will kill you. Your soul will not pass into the next life, and your body will serve me eternally as a slave. Flee or surrender, those are your options. Failure to abide by those will be an eternity of torment the likes of which even the Nine Hells would find cruel."


Additional info

"'Made a powerful enemy'?! You lot started this!" Gren shouted to be heard from the skies, still not sure where to aim his bow, though he had an arrow knocked just in case. He swallowed hard, feeling the urge to run further. If only he didn't have a job to do. He drew a bead on the Necromancer, aiming his blunted arrow carefully.

The gnome shook his head at the increasing escalation in what could have been as simple as moving on past the caravan and forgetting about their rude drivers. Khel, like many of his race, was a very curious being, too curious to just leave. He was also naturally cautious though, so he decided to move farther away from steel and horses. As everybody know both those things do not go well together with gnomes.

The spectral horse he was riding turned around effortlessly, its hooves hovering a inch above the ground and moved at fantastic speed away from the soldiers. Just as he was maneuvering in this fashion, Khel noticed the halfling on the winged horse drawing an arrow and aiming for the scary necromancer. Great, he muttered. From a fight to a free-for-all. Please don't shoot, Sir Gren! he called back at the flying figure. I am sure that this misunderstanding can be solved without anyone dying or becoming an undead.... right? He nervously looked around at the grim faces of the soldiers and his companions and suddenly he wasn't as sure any more

The picture is wrong: Khel is on a spectral horse not on the cart. Martin was on the necromancer's cart not, Khel

Khel moves 50' west away from the encounter. The whirlwinds follow him and use aid another to increase his AC. Khel is also under blur for 5 more rounds

The whole charge was a pretty pathetic way of showing his strength. It wasn't ineffective, far from it, but it was the dumbest action to take. This could be easily seen by the way Ghar'ra reacted to it, quickly lashing out against the rider's horse with its foot-long teeth glistening in the afternoon light, aiming at the ungulated animal's neck. His talons quickly follow, rushing to injure the animal.

Also, Kesendaran's eyes to to murderous as he watches his swarm of insects begin to appear all around the soldier. Seeing Lucifer taking the attention of the charging soldier, the shaman decides to neutralize the remaining people, in order to leave the best and funnier part to the end: torturing the enslaved Guard.

His eyes shift towards the other Guard with the bow and his strange ancient singing begins again. He takes something from his belt pouch and throws it in the air: some kind of hair? The energies become visible, that sickly-green wave of magic that spins around his figure, concentrating on his free hand. As soon as it forms a perfect ball of light, he throws it at the archer guard, which quickly is enveloped in the light. A sick grin forms in Kesendaran's face.

Ye be as unciviliz'd as yer closest cousin....