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The Claim of the Rose: What Happened to Volkov?

In the aftermath of the sudden extinction of House Volkov, an intrepid group of people sets out to find out just what happened to it, if possible, and what was left in the wake of tragedy.

Date

Nov. 16, 2019, 10:55 p.m.

Hosted By

Amund Lora

GM'd By

Amund

Participants

Dante Vicente Evelynn Arcadia(RIP) Thea Giulio(RIP) Antea

Organizations

Location

Outside Arx - The Roseward - The Ruins of Volkov Wood

Largesse Level

Small

Comments and Log


Going from Tor towards Volkov Woods is mostly straightforward with the foundation of the Great Road. If one keeps a caravan of horses and wagons slim enough, they might even pass for common merchants, despite the finery some of the members of said 'caravan' might be wearing. Then, one must take a minor road towards the domain of the former horselords, and that's when things start getting odd.

Where there used to be plains, now there are trees. Not small trees, not mere shrubbery, but tall enough to qualify as ancient by those herbalists truly interested in the study of all plants. They are, interestingly, or frighteningly, leafless, but heavily branched. Vultures flock overheard, however, presenting a somewhat ominous message to those that venture forth.

Upon his destrier Dante has a pretty nice view of the countryside through which they pass at a measured pace. One hand rests on the hilt of Rosethorn, the other clasping a set of leather reins. The vantage point enjoyed by the Marquis quickly comes to naught when reaching the tall, thick, leafless trees. When vultures whirl and make their morbid sounds far above, his attention casts upwards silently, bringing the group to a halt.

Arcadia has come along at the request of the new Marquis. Having made a name for herself with the explorers as one of the better scouts in the compact, she leads the way on foot. She walks slowly with her eyes trained on the trees, the bones and seraphinite in her hair gently clinking as she moves. Looking up to the vultures, she remarks "Something very dark was here."

The Corvini count leads a small column of troops, riding with a small bit of competance. Hardly a martial figure, though he doesn't wear his weapons as a complete tyro might. He nods to Dante and Lora as they ride, something of a faint smile on his lips. "Let us hope matters are... simpler than one might think." His gaze flits about him, as he takes in the environs. His brows knit slightly in consideration.

Riding alongside her cousin, Alessia is quiet as she tends to be on such missions, glancing around ponderously.

There're a small number of Fidante soldiers along as well. Maybe a few more than would really work for a proper merchant caravan, though this is hostile territory, and between the lot of them they do look a little more wealthy than the average traveling marketplace. Lora rides as well; the Marquessa is entirely unarmed, unarmored, having really only brought the wren who sits perched on a shoulder, who chirps something to her occasionally, like maybe she's got commentary about vultures. "If it is anything like past variations, whatever it was is long gone." She pauses for a moment, then adds, "I'm not sure what comfort that would be."

The youngest Malvici has come because well, she was asked and she is handy with a sword and a medic. Perhaps another reason. Malvici scouts are nearby, as promised to the Duchess. Thea is walking quietly, watching closely, her blades close. She isn't too chatty at the moment.

Vicente rides somewhere behind the leading command figures but not far behind. He holds the reigns of his horse in one hand while and allows his eyes to continually scan the horizon, taking note of the landscape more than taking special note of the conversation.

Antea rides alongside Vicente, keeping a weather eye on the horizons as they travel and remains equally silent. That grim expression seems better suited to an older person, but the young woman wears it liked its been carved onto her face. She keeps hold of the reins in one hand, the other resting on her thigh, not far from her sword. Just in case.

Arcadia checked mana + occult at difficulty 50, rolling 28 lower.

Arcadia pauses and touches one of the barren trees. A frown upon her face. She closes her eyes and tries to listen harder, but alas! She is only just starting to practice shamanism. Regardless she whispers thanks and spreads some seeds along the ground like she's been taught. "The spirits are so quiet here and not speaking any language I've ever heard. It's the same thing though. This can't be good." She glances to the others.

Antea checked perception + survival at difficulty 40, rolling 9 lower.

Arcadia checked perception + survival at difficulty 40, rolling 7 lower.

Giulio checked perception + survival at difficulty 40, rolling 8 higher.

Lora checked perception + survival at difficulty 40, rolling 31 lower.

Thea checked perception + survival at difficulty 40, rolling 6 lower.

Vicente checked perception + survival at difficulty 40, rolling 32 lower.

Dante checked perception + survival at difficulty 40, rolling 1 higher.

Staring at the vultures that wheel overhead, Dante keeps his hand held up in the air while something catches the corner of his eyes. Drawing his attention a bit lower than where the birds croak above, the Marquis suddenly makes a face of disgust, the visor open on his helm. "Stop. Don't move. There's a corpse hanging above us. With how it is torn in half and precariously speared up there, it could just - smash into someone down below."

Alessia checked perception + survival at difficulty 40, rolling 5 lower.

Indeed, as Dante points out, there is a corpse, right up there, torn between the branches of a tree.

The armor evidently a composite type, bearing the standard of House Volkov in a way that's so blood-stained it is almost unrecognizable. The face is already picked off by carrion birds, the eyes gone, much of the flesh around the face picked and exposing the skeleton underneath, if someone is really bound to keep looking.

And just as Dante warned, the corpse collapses to the floor in a clatter of bone and metal.

The path is just as dotted with these trees, though, from the distance, once can notice how the walls of Volkov Woods seem to have burst apart with some of these same other trees.

Arcadia pulls a face and quickly jumps back as the corpse falls. "Oh lovely." She begins to pick a path while keeping her eyes on the trees. No need to catch a corpse with her head.

Stopping when Dante brings their attention to the corpse hanging up, Alessia squints as she studies the bloodied flesh. Then it collapses before them, at which point she clenches her jaw, glancing around for anything other signs of danger.

Thea steps back quickly from the corpse, a brief frown forming. She grips the hilt of her kopis, but her gold-flecked green eyes notice something else. Focused on something in the distance...

Vicente pulls back on his reigns to stop at Dante's indication. With the pointed direction to the corpse, he looks up to catch a look at it as it comes down. There's a moment where he takes in the sight of the corpse but it does not linger. He towards the walls, squinting to get as good a look as he can and then looks along the ridgeline and any other openings in the wall. Only after the evaluation does he turn to scan around the column again. His face seems unaltered but he does take a direct look over both of his shoulders but more skyward than just behind him.

Alessia checked perception + investigation at difficulty 45, rolling 12 lower.

Vicente checked perception + investigation at difficulty 45, rolling 28 lower.

Dante checked perception + investigation at difficulty 45, rolling 37 lower.

Lora checked perception + investigation at difficulty 45, rolling 28 higher.

Thea checked perception + investigation at difficulty 30, rolling 26 higher. Thea rolled a critical!

Antea checked perception + investigation at difficulty 45, rolling 20 lower.

Arcadia checked perception + investigation at difficulty 45, rolling 12 lower.

Having halted at the word from Dante, Antea watches the corpse's trip from tree to ground with that same grim expression. She does, however, reach into a saddlebag and produce a small pot of something, dabbign an armored finger into the pot and swiping it under her nose before holding the small metal pot out to Vicente with a murmured word.

There's a general halting of the line, yes. Lora's attention is drawn inevitably to the corpse in the tree and she blanches, not a little. She looks away before it comes crashing down to the ground in that heap of metal and meaty bones. "I do not expect that was the Thornweave," she says carefully. Then pauses, head tilting with almost birdlike curiosity at something ahead. Perhaps what Thea's seen; there's much of interest in that direction. Then, "Do have a care. There've been archers through here." No pointing, but she does tilt her head in the direction of one particularly ruined tree.

Thea is walking but suddenly freezes in front of the wall. Stops. She leans down and moves some vines, for in front of her, kneeling down is a corpse, an arrow through his skull. He is wearing a surcoat of red on a green field with the green rising above. "My dream...,"she says just above a whisper as she goes on to explain the details of the corpse.

There's a pause as Giulio orders his men to halt before the falling corpse. A glance is shot towards the other corpse as well. "We will need to consider the heraldry," he says, nodding to Vladimir as he slides off his horse, extending the reins for his adjutant to claim. "We need to be careful of plants in the area," he remarks. At Lora's comment, he says, "Likely not. The bones show signs of tearing, as if something grew under -- and through him. But, I'd like to see the..." He stops, however, as Thea speaks, raising a brow and nodding once to permit her the lead.

Alessia checked perception + survival at difficulty 30, rolling 33 higher.

Vicente checked perception + survival at difficulty 30, rolling 13 lower.

Lora checked perception + survival at difficulty 30, rolling 17 lower.

Arcadia checked perception + survival at difficulty 30, rolling 8 higher.

Thea checked perception + survival at difficulty 30, rolling 3 lower.

Giulio checked perception + survival at difficulty 30, rolling 24 higher.

Vicente takes the pot from Antea and lifts it to his nose to take a quick whiff before dipping his finger in it to smeer a little under his nose. He nearly hands it to Amund and then remembers he's the GM and thus narrowly avoids breaking the fourth wall. By the skin of his teeth he hands it over towards Lora as an unintentional distraction and whispers something to her.

Antea checked perception + survival at difficulty 30, rolling 14 lower.

Vicente checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 18 lower.

Thea checked perception + survival at difficulty 30, rolling 6 lower.

Dante checked perception + survival at difficulty 30, rolling 18 higher.

Arcadia checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 15, rolling 22 higher.

Dante checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 15, rolling 26 higher.

Lora checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 17 lower.

Alessia checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 15, rolling 24 higher.

Giulio checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 15, rolling 9 higher.

From nowhere, thorny vines surge and envelop Lora, Thea and Vicente! 70 inflicted and Lora is harmed for grievous damage.

From nowhere, thorny vines surge and envelop Lora, Thea and Vicente! 70 inflicted and Thea is harmed for serious damage.

From nowhere, thorny vines surge and envelop Lora, Thea and Vicente! 70 inflicted and Vicente is harmed for severe damage.

Antea checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 15 lower.

Thea checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 20 higher.

From nowhere, thorny vines surge and envelop Antea, too. 70 inflicted and Antea is unharmed.

They creep, all over. Vines that slither like snakes on the floor, only soundless. It is too late for some people to react; Lora, Antea, Thea and Vicente are all wrapped by the vines as they draw blood. Likely, they could be severed without too much effort, but they are constricting fast.

Arcadia has gotten her arrow and bow out when Lora mentioned archers. However a movement catches her eye and she suddenly flings herself sideways out of reach. "Watch out!" She readies her bow as the vines creep out but pauses because... where to shoot?

Dropping his hand, Dante barely starts to get his steed moving again after the bundle of metal and rot crashes to the ground with a sickening crunch and splat. Barely affording it a glance, what Thea discovers brings the knight closer to examine the skeleton with an arrow through its skull and the odd heraldry. However, he spots the thorny vines lashing out and pulls back the reins just in time, his destrier rearing on back legs. He cries out at Lora's scourging, an angry sound without words. Rosethorn is drawn from its scabbard and the Marquis advances to cut her free.

Dante wields Rosethorn the Long Sword of Tor.

Arcadia wields sleek, detailed, wooden crossbow.

Alessia wields Requiem - an ancient glaive with an iridescite handle.

Dante checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 48 higher.

Antea wields Fidelity.

Antea checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 2 higher.

Thea checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 26 higher.

Arcadia wields Wild Growth.

Arcadia checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 20 higher.

Having gotten off her horse as Thea studies the corpse and describes what she sees, Alessia crouches beside her, before she notices something is amiss. Before she can call out to warn the others, the vines emerge and she manages to evade getting caught with them, with the extra preparation. She glances around frantically, visible relief as she sees Giulio has lept free. Then she notices those that are trapped. With little hesitation she heads wields her blade to attempt to cut them free.

Alessia checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 69 higher. Alessia rolled a critical!

When Arcadia sees others using swords, she suddenly remembers she has one too! She springs with her sword and hack slashes at the vine that is wrapped around Thea.

Giulio checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 8 higher.

Giulio starts to call something out... that is until he is moving his horse out of the way as quickly as he can. There's a glance to the thorns, then draws his horse back, as he looks this way and that, attempting to track the lines of the vines. "Watch for the thorns," he calls out to his men. "Cut anyone you can free," he adds, nodding to his men as he moves to attempt to shear Thea free from her bonds.

It's a fine, fine time for an argument. Lora turns her head to respond to Giulio and thus misses that initial slither of the vines. To her dismay, and to her horse's, as they snake up like many-fanged monsters. She has time to get out one startled cry as the vines curl around around her and dig in, perforating various bits of the Marquessa. Wendy takes wing in an angry little storm of brown feathers and begins trying to attack the vines, darting in to bite and bat at them, but with maybe more spirit and less effect. Dante will probably be more successful, Rosethorn pitted against realer thorn.

Before Thea even has a chance to explain what the Heraldry is, she's grabbed by..vines! She manages to hack away at at some, noticing,"Do you guys smell that,"seeing that it looks to be bleeding. Meanwhile, Thea appears to be bleeding herself, injuries everywhere.

Vicente is caught in a moments notice being that he hadn't found his armor from the old wars, was without and takes the full blow. With bulged eyes and stomach struggling to restart his diaphragm to get a breath going again. Yea, should have found that armor but he smells mint and it helps.

The vines whip out and encase Antea and... make a horrendous screeching noise as the thorns scrape harmlessly across her gleaming armor. Pulling her sword, she cuts herself free of the vines, noting a piece stuck in between two plates and pulling it free to wrap in leather and tuck into a saddlebag. Kicking her horse forward, the Marshal of Ostria hurries up to the front where Dante is cutting Lora free. "My lord, keep your hands free, let me take the Marquessa. I can keep her somewhat shielded and my horse can better bear our combined weight." She looks to Lora and gives a nod, "By your leave, of course, Marquessa."

Keeping a firm grip on the handle, Alessia starts to hack at the vines, though deftly avoids harming her fellow adventurers. She manages to cut down a whole cluster of vines at the stem, at which point she watches those trapped with concern. "Who's hurt?" She calls.

Dismounting from his horse to take brutal, bladed revenge upon the vines that have assaulted Lora, Dante slashes the tendrils in two with a clean slice. Greenish ichor bleeds out with a strange, strong smell upon the dusty ground. The Marquis quickly hurries to free the Marquessa, then nods in agreement at Antea's suggestion. "Good idea, Lady Antea. It is clear she needs a wall of metal between her and everything else, and at the head of the column I'm more like as not to draw attacks. Which is good, frankly."

Arcadia frees Thea and hacks where she can. "Eww. Do all bushes bleed and smell like this?"

Thea looks to Alessia,"Me. But I can get to others that are worse..."hacking at the vines,"Honestly, it bleeds. It's like it's alive..."thanking Arcadia and the Count quietly

"Antea?" Alessia asks, craning her neck to ensure her cousin doesn't need immediate attention.

Wendy is really, really upset by this. The wren flutters about and chatters with exceptional anger, like she's going to boss Dante and Antea around. Like she's supervising. Which might be for the best because Lora is doing none of that; she probably hasn't quite caught up past the 'dead bodies all around' part, judging from the general ashy color of her complexion and the way that, when her hands are free, she looks down at the red on them. And delicately picks off a section of vine, peeling the thorns out of her arm as she does. "I..." She looks between the two of them and shakes her head, but more to clear it than to decline anything. "Yes. Thank you, Lady Antea."

The path ahead, in what used to be the gates of House Volkov's seat of power, is clear. Well, relatively clear, with trees ruining many of the buildings, some of which appear to be in serious danger of crumbling. Somehow, an old tavern was mostly spared from this fate, and its reinforced wooden walls remain strong even as a tree leans against it.

Further ahead, a dirt and cobblestone road leads directly to the seat of power of the former Marquisate. It is beyond repair, and the banner that used to fly so proudly from its tower now has an impaled corpse, instead.

Nodding to Dante, then to Lora, Antea reaches across to help Lora onto her horse, shifting back in the saddle to get the Marquessa up front where Antea can sort of surround her with her own armored form. Turning her head, she calls back, "I'm doing just fine, but the Marquessa is badly injured and could use some healing if anyone is able!" She glances up at the wren that's fluttering about and making a racket, "I have never in my life talked to an animal, but please. Quiet so we don't draw anymore unnecessary attention." Then she wheels her horse around and starts heading back towards the rear of the group once more.

The Corvini count looks to make certain that the others are surviving, before he takes a moment to figure out what exactly might be going on. First, looking to see if he can see the origin of the thorn clusters and what he might recall, the second to having troops see to making certain that everyone is taken care of, and finally, trying to see if he can note the broken heraldry. Truly, a caring individual.

Helping Antea get Lora into a secure position upon her horse, Dante fusses over her for a bit to ensure she's as comfortable as a badly injured person can be in this situation. He gestures to Thea, beckoning the Malvici field medic over. "The Marquessa needs medical attention, quickly!" Wendy is given a look before she's told off, the Marquis choking back a laugh - only succeeding due to the grave nature of his wife's wounds.

Thea steps over to the Marquessa, a slight limp in her leg. "Of course!" Giving direct attention to Lora.

Arcadia makes sure everyone is still alive and breathing before her attention turns to the ruined estate. Sheathing her sword,she gathers her crossbow and starts to creep towards the perimeter, looking at where people have fallen and checking for more vines and traps as she moves.

"I'll be fine," Lora assures Dante. And she sounds awfully sincere about this, absolutely convinced of it, like there aren't bright red roses blooming on her skirts. It's only when he's gone ahead that she slumps a little, shifts a little upon discovering how uncomfortable diamondplate really is, and then frowns at Thea. "You still have some... just there..." Wendy actually does hush. A little. She flits back to land on Lora's shoulder, but continues to huff and make little squabbling noises. "If there are more of those vines, we'll not get very far."

Vicente gathers himself back together, taking a moment to do so before he shakily begins to make his way back into his position. His eyes scan around the group to see who's injured and not. His eyes scan a second time over them and then onto the fortification, or at least what was once a fortification. Rather than taking a closer look, he instead spreads a bit further apart as much as is reasonable without being deliberate. His eyes now draw back to the fortification to take a closer look at the corpse impaled.

The perimeter is clear. This is, and will probably be, for a long time, virtually a ghost town. The sounds of animals, both of domesticated and of non-domesticated variety, fill the uneasy moments of eerie silence.

Gaze switching from Thea to Lora, Alessia frowns, lips pursing as she fully takes in their injuries. Unfortunately, her medical knowledge amounts to knowing heavy bleeding is a bad sign. "Does anyone have healing skills?" She asks, crouching beside Thea, worry deepening.

Vicente checked perception + investigation at difficulty 40, rolling 25 lower.

Alessia checked perception + investigation at difficulty 40, rolling 9 lower.

Giulio checked perception + investigation at difficulty 40, rolling 33 higher.

Thea checked perception + investigation at difficulty 40, rolling 12 higher.

Arcadia checked perception + investigation at difficulty 30, rolling 8 lower.

Dante checked perception + investigation at difficulty 40, rolling 32 lower.

Antea checked perception + investigation at difficulty 40, rolling 21 lower.

Arcadia glances to the Corpse but well... it's already dead. She sneaks past it and further into the ruined estate. Her sharp blue eyes looking towards the house, almost trying to dare something to come out.

Thea squints, walking a bit closer after she attended to the Marquessa. "I..didnt meet many of my sister in laws family, but he looks a bit like her. Cousin maybe?" Thea looks over to the others,"It looks like something tore out his hands with teeth." But that cant be right...How can that happen..

A skeptical look takes in Lora's bloodstained clothing despite the assurances she gives Dante, but he doesn't protest. Dropping the visor on his helm, the knight carefully plods into the deserted town at a crawl, Rosethorn gripped in a plated fist. Gazing about from the back of his horse, he gives a signal to the Fidante troops that have been brought along. "Form a cordon around the exit to the town. I don't want anything or anyone coming in or out." The grisly corpse pointed out by Thea and Giulio with hands having been chewed or torn off brings a sound of disgust. "No one met a halfway decent end here. I wonder who is impaled atop the banner."

"You should check on Lord Vicente, as well," Lora murmurs to Thea. There's a faint smile with it though. Very, very faint. "Thank you. You've a gift for that, I think." Is she better? She straightens up a touch after that, tries at least to look like she's all fixed up, and then sets into her own very, very slow look around. Her color notably does not improve, but that may have something to do with the smell, and the fact that she dropped the little container of mint salve back in the thorn tangle someplace.

Vicente turns his attention to Thea and starts to say it's only a scratch when he thinks better of it and gives her a wincing nod if she turns his direction. He glances around on the ground for a moment and then over his shoulders in the air again and he his left hand begins to tap onto his leg. He reaches into his cloak with his right hand and grabs onto something but eases it back in without taking it.

There's a glance towards the corpse, before Giulio nods once, his gaze narrowing. After a moment, he nudges his horse towards Thea and leans in to whisper something to her, his gaze intent on the area about them.

Thea hurries over to Vicente, quick as she can, murmuring back to Guilio first.

Rising steadily once it's clear Thea has her safety under control, Alessia finally locks her gaze on the corpse impaled atop the banner. She turns to Vicente as Lora indicates the Malvici see to him. "Do you need help?" She calls to her.

Staying as still as possible and keeping her horse as still as possible while Thea works her magic across Lora, Antea glances towards the Marquessa and murmurs, "Shall we move towards the keep, my lady? I will keep us back, but you can keep your husband in sight this way..."

Arcadia checked perception + investigation at difficulty 25, rolling 90 higher. Arcadia rolled a critical!

Up to the holding now, Dante dismounts from his horse again, this time tying it securely to a nearby tree - preferably one without spikes, vines, or corpses hanging above. "Thank you Lady Thea," he says to the Malvici medic gratefully, voice muffled behind the tiger-shaped faceplate on his helm. Striding over to the entrance of the abandoned keep, he spots Arcadia heading in already. "Countess, one moment. Let's get all sorted out first." Antea is given a gesture of appreciation for her consideration while he observes what Giulio may be up to.

"I really am all right," Lora assures. "I'm just..." There aren't exactly words for it. "I'd offer to stay behind while you all go see the damages, but that seems to have no particular value. But thank you, Lady Antea." To her credit she's good at double riding. She's got decent balance, and is still, and probably not bleeding anymore. Wendy's even quieted.

Per their orders, the Fidante soldiers who have come along advance, moving up - warily - to make up something of a perimeter, though whether they are keeping things in or out is maybe of some debate to the lot. Swords are drawn though, all of them ready for more of whatever might emerge.

Arcadia silently surveys the gardens and the numerous corpses strewn around. She stares up at the manor which is rapidly crumbling. She almost turns back at Dante's command but pauses when she sees a letter in a female's hand. Carefully prying it free, she looks at it for a long moment before bringing it back to the group. "Here. Look what I found." She shows them a half written letter, "A strange man.... clad in bark armor and they destroyed the walls by creating trees." Looking to them all, she remarks "Certainly sounds like Thornweave."

Vicente definitely looks almost as though nothing happened to him after the working of Thea. His hand is still tapping but now he does take out a small flask from his cloak and takes a quick drink from it before stashing it back. His left hand calms and he listens to Arcadia's reading. His eyes scan over the fort and then once over both of his shoulders. He shifts sideways to Antea and whispers something to her.

It's perhaps a good thing that Dante set up the perimeter with Fidante men, as, disturbing the frightening silence of the place, a number of large wolves appears, barking and foaming at their mouths. They pour in from what remains of the main square of the settlement, numbering no more than six or seven. They bark once; a warning for the people here to leave their territory. And they encroach ever closer.

Dante checked command + leadership at difficulty 30, rolling 29 higher.

Thea nods once to Vicente, pausing when she listens to Arcadia. She looks around the holdings, looking for danger, caustious...

Arcadia's news quiets the Marquis, a silent nod to her guess as to the identity of who wreaked this devastation. However, then comes the hungry looking wolves, large and drooling. When the Fidante soldiers form their cordon, he raises Rosethorn high for them to see, brandishing a fist in the direction of the mad mutts. Dante calls out to them, "Do not let a single one get past, slay them to the last! We must retake this for Tor and to get vengeance for the Volkovs!"

Thea wields Skystrike, the finely crafted diamondplate kopis.

Arcadia immediately readies her bow, she waits for the signal before she starts to fire.

Giulio checked command + leadership at difficulty 30, rolling 30 higher. Giulio rolled a critical!

As they speak, Giulio will attempt to rally his own men into a defensive perimeter, though he would defer to his staff for the purpose of attempting to actually organizing things. They know their stuff, Giulio doesn't. He just works to look sufficiently Countish and inspiring. It works from time to time, even.

Well, it works, because the party doesn't have to do anything about the wolves. The soldiers butcher them with such furor that it would seem like a revisitation of the Tor-Southport War. Only with more beasts.

Alessia checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 26 higher.

Antea checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 11 higher.

Lora checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 10 lower.

Vicente checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 17 lower.

Giulio checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 29 higher.

Thea readies her kopis, waiting for a signal. This should go well.

Thea checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 19 higher.

Dante checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 2 higher.

From behind the buffer created by the guards comes a bear, heavily mutated by something. It is larger than normal, its claws a sickly yellow color, and the fur just resembles quills. If quills were larger, and razor-sharp. It trudges towards the group menacingly, and unlike the wolves, there's no warning.

Arcadia checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 24 higher.

Arcadia stares up at the bear with quills, "What the hell is that?!" Without waiting for a signal, she fires a shot off towards it.

Vicente wields Thorn's Honor a rubicund broadsword.

Thea checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 1 lower.

Thea blinks at the--is that a bear? Porcupine? Porcupine bear? She tries to throw her dagger at it, but it's too far yet. Good thing she still has her sword.

"Oh good gods." Alessia says after turning and witnessing the 'bear's' approach, her voice one of frustration. She remains on guard, ready to stike at the bear with the polearm if it gets close enough.

Alessia checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 29 higher.

Arcadia checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 35, rolling 32 higher.

Thea checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 28 higher.

Amund has rolled 1 8-sided dice: 3

Amund has rolled 1 8-sided dice: 1

Amund has rolled 1 8-sided dice: 3

Amund has rolled 1 8-sided dice: 4

Vicente checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 8 higher.

Giulio checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 29 higher.

Antea checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 22 lower.

That thing shows up. It's a bear. It's a porcupine. It's a mutant. It's a mutant-porcupine-bear. Porcubear? Bearupine? One thing is for certain, he's not going to let it get to Lora! Dante charges and growls behind his tiger shaped helm, swinging the Rosethorn with both hands, aiming for the nasty mutated creature.

Dante checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 7 higher.

Amund GM Roll checked dexterity(4) + brawl(6) at difficulty 35, rolling 50 higher.

Amund GM Roll checked dexterity(4) + brawl(6) at difficulty 35, rolling 18 higher.

Amund GM Roll checked dexterity(4) + brawl(6) at difficulty 35, rolling 25 higher.

There're times and places where the best option is to do nothing - and in this case doing nothing is Lora's best option. There's a subtle art to it, to the attentiveness that entirely misses the quilled thing's emergence from the line of guards and dead wolves, until others draw attention to it. Mostly with arrows, and various cries of alarm. It's only then that she looks in that direction, blanches again, and... holds on. Her hands drop to the pommel of the saddle and curl there, not quite a death grip on it, but maybe with some awareness that falling off is the worst option.

Vicente wheels his horse around with the sound of the charging paws and growling, He's managed to come around in time to prepare for the beast before the attack, his eyes large and not quite certain what he's taking in at the moment.

Alessia checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 15, rolling 38 higher.

Dante checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 15, rolling 51 higher.

Antea checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 15, rolling 7 higher.

The bear, if it can be called that, is an abomination, an amalgam of many different creatures. As it shouts, quills erupt violently from its back, sending razor-sharp needles at the group. A foul smelling substance rises in the air as each member of the party slices at it, and they will find the texture of the flesh they carve into to be... strange.

Strange, indeed, because it pops and gives in, like the most purulent kind of blister there could possibly exist in nature. And yet, the bear shouts in pain, but is completely undeterred in clawing at Dante, seeking to bring the Fidante down underfoot; it is undeterred in shooting painful quills at Antea, since she stands in Lora's direction. It is undeterred in trying to sweep its other claw at Alessia.

Slowly but surely, however, the beast is being carved into. But one must not underestimate nature, even if warped.

Quills were fired at Antea! 40 inflicted and Antea is unharmed.

Dante got swiped at! 75 inflicted and Dante is harmed for moderate damage.

As the quillbear comes barreling in, Antea takes up a protective stance in front of Lora, diamondplate gleaming as she sets herself between bear and Marquessa. Something that proves to be a sound action as there are suddenly sharp quills flying towards them. Thankfully, the clang harmlessly off her armor and its good that the creature didn't try to close the distance with her because the swipe she makes with her sword misses by a country mile!

Amund has rolled 1 8-sided dice: 4

Amund has rolled 1 8-sided dice: 2

Amund has rolled 1 8-sided dice: 6

Amund has rolled 1 8-sided dice: 6

Amund has rolled 1 8-sided dice: 8

Despite being clad in diamondplate, that disgusting yellow claw does a respectable smack to Dante and catches him in the flank, causing the Sword of Tor to lose his balance and not hit the quillbear as hard as he should. A grunt of pain escapes from behind the faceplate of his helmet before he's bearing down on the pustulent ursine once more, swinging Rosethorn violently at the foul beast.

Driving forward on his horse, the Corvini count unslings his horsemans pick. Raising it up high, he drives down towards the bear, rolling his wrist to strike not with the head, but instead the savagely hooked end of the weapon, letting the momentum of his steed drag him forward and helping his weapon clear the creatures flesh.

Dante checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 11 higher.

Giulio checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 2 lower.

Vicente checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 48 higher.

Alessia checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 5 higher.

Arcadia checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 35, rolling 52 higher.

Still grounded, and having managed to evade the 'bear's' strikes, Alessia keeps a firm grip of the diamondplate weapon, her swing this time, not as impactful but still meets it's target.

Antea checked command + leadership at difficulty 35, rolling 14 higher.

Fling! Fling! Fling go Arcadia's arrows as she stays a safe distance away. Her arrow hit the mark each time with a satisfying twack.

Antea rallies the Mazetti forces along with the group and lifts Fidelity high, calling out, "SWEEP THE LEGS! KEEP IT DOWN!" Her eyes scan towards the wolves, then track back to the quillbear as it closes in again. Bracing for impact, she calls back to Lora, "Keep behind me Marquessa!"

Vicente readies himself as the creature begins his charge amongst the next group of targets and readies his sword to unleash it in an attempt to lung it. He shifts his weight to the side to attempt to ensure the best possible positioning for the strike.

Oh, Lora is happy to stay well behind the wall of diamondplate. She may not be wearing armor, but isn't combat just perversely like a dance, and following Antea's movements like some strange, red-splattered shadow, just like the steps to one she hasn't really learned before? There's little like these spikey quills and those great claws to motivate her to keep otherwise out of the way, though.

After Antea commands her troops to swing at the bear's legs, it falls down upon Vicente's sword, which well impales its lung. The heavy, disgusting beast seems about to collapse over the Fidante, when Arcadia's last-minute arrow finishes it off for good, making it collapse on its side.

After that, the ambience grows still and silent once more, undisturbed.

What is left of Volkov Wood isn't much serviceable. The new Marquis and Marquessa of Roseward will have a great deal of work to do. Just as well that a courier bearing Fidante heraldry arrives, delivering a letter to one of Dante's men. Penned by a Baron.

Predictably, it is a letter of congratulations.

But also a request for help.



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