An Unchanging Reality (Take two)

[shugyosha]

Eophyn

"We were sent to help you relieve yourselves so some monsters," she says with a smile. "I know we don't seem like much but with your insight and direction we are here to help."

[stanleyindraven]

Dromet holds back a smile as the first man runs off.

[meemaas]

The man opens his mouth, and as he goes to speak, a scream breaks out from within the town. Cutting himself short before he even begins to talk, he breaks into a run towards the source of the scream, leaving the party behind.

[stanleyindraven]

"Sounds like our que'" Dromet says spurring his horse.

[shugyosha]

Eophyn

At the scream her eyes widen and head darts around. Seeing Dromet leaves towards the scream she follows behind.

[meemaas]

The party follows after the captain towards the source of the scream, and as they do, a house catches on fire in that direction. Closing in on the source, they see that a few houses have been burned down, but aren't near the current fire. Reaching the house that is burning, they see a few guards locked in combat with some gnolls, and more gnolls fleeing the area. As you come to a start, two of the guards collapse, and one of the gnolls, and the final guard turns to hold back the other two, while the captain charges into battle his sword drawn. Within moments, the captain has dispatched the gnoll he was fighting, and takes down the other one in a few seconds more.

[stanleyindraven]

Dromet will ride up to the fray and look around for signs of other gnolls. "Knew we should have gotten them when we had the chance."

[shugyosha]

Eophyn

"I'll try to cut off their escape!" she yells as she spurs her horse forward chasing the fleeing gnolls.

[stanleyindraven]

Dromet is assumably at the fight scene with Serp when he looks around for signs of gnolls fleeing in any directions other than where Eophyn went. If he finds any signs, he will spur off in that direction, if not he will follow Eophyn and encourage Serp to do the same.

[meemaas]

As Eophyn and Dromet take off in the same direction after the fleeing gnolls, the sound of hooves alerting the gnolls, one stops, turns towards the two chasing, and holds out his hand. As the remaining run ahead of him, and the pursuers come close, he sprays out a wave of bright colors towards the two, hoping to stall them enough to escape.

Spoiler

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Color Spray. DC 12 Will save, or be blinded and stunned for (1d4)[3] rounds, and then stunned for one more round.

As you can tell, they are all going off in the same direction, and they even appear more organized than you are used to. Since Serp hasn't posted yet, he hasn't followed, by my assumptions, and is therefore not close enough to be effected by color spray.

[stanleyindraven]

Dromet, charging directly into the magical ray will meet it full force.

Spoiler

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Will (1d20)[9]

[meemaas]

As Dromet and Eophyn get splattered by the spell, both of them slide off their horses as they lose their focus and collapse to the ground. Serp, who followed behind them, circled around the gnoll as it tries to turn and run. Cutting it off, he'd stare it down, and it'd start to back up. In the time it takes to back up, trying to cut its retreat back past the stunned Dromet and Eophyn, just as the both of them were starting to get up and regaining their senses.

Spoiler

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Didn't know what he'd do, so had him do the smartest thing i could think of. By the time all was said and done, you guys went through the spells duration.

[stanleyindraven]

Dromet stands and pulls his sword.

[shugyosha]

Eophyn

Her vision is overwhelmed by a stream of color. Her head felt woozy. She slumped over and grabbed the mane of her horse, but the strands of of hair just filtered through her fingers.

The next thing she knew was that she was on the ground. Fortune had been with her and her horse had not trampled her. Picking herself up she draws her weapon and looks around. "What happened?"

[stanleyindraven]

"A spell, get the gnoll!" Dromet yelps as he tries to focus on the hairy assailant.

[shugyosha]

Eophyn

"Right," she says as she begins her battle dance.

Realizing there might be another way, "Serp can you tell it to surrender?"

[meemaas]

Serp relays the message in the gnolls natural language, and the gnoll spits at him. "I speak your language, scum. Not that you humans know anything about any of our kind. Assuming that just because we're not human like you, we don't speak? Do your worst, its nothing compared to what he would do if i told you anything." The gnoll stands his ground, even though he is obviously not physically fit in the least.

[shugyosha]

Eophyn

She really wanted to take this one alive to question. But she wasn't the one to go head to head with a weakened gnoll. Instead she does what she does best. With a drawn blade she pirouettes and leaps. Her movements try to catch the gnolls attention.

Spoiler

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Eophyn is trying to distract the gnoll. I'd use the Fascinate bardic performance but "The Distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working." So whatever skill check I need to make, here is the roll.
(1d20)[10]
+8 Intimidate
+10 Perform: Dance

[stanleyindraven]

As Eophyn attempts to distract the gnoll, Dromet swings his sword at the beast, flat side of the blade, trying to knock it out.

Spoiler

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Attack (1d20+5)[22]
Damage (non-lethal) (1d10+6)[14]

[meemaas]

The gnoll, distracted by Eophyn's performance, gets smacked upside the head by Dromet's blade, and falls unconscious at his feet. However, as you turn to look towards the fleeing gnolls, you can see that they have all escaped while you were dealing with the caster.

[stanleyindraven]

"At least we got the smart one," Dromet says as he searches the gnoll fror weapons. "Get some rope or manacles or something."

[meemaas]

A quick search comes up with no weapons, but some food, and a scroll of a spell that Eophyn doesn't recognize. Other than that, he doesn't have anything of interest.

[shugyosha]

Eophyn

She was sure that Serp kept rope for this sort of thing. Gathering some hemp she calls out as she tries her best to secure the prisoner, "We caught one. Can someone bring some manacles?"

[meemaas]

The captain catches up to you three on foot while you get to tying it up, and pulling out a pair of manacles, hooks them on the gnoll before turning to the party. "Thank you for your help in capturing this beast. Please, follow me, one of my men will escort him back to the prison where we can speak with him after you and i speak." With that, he set back towards the town, waving at the party to follow him.

[stanleyindraven]

"Hopefully they don't have another caster," Dromet says as he hefts the gnoll forward.

[shugyosha]

Eophyn

She nods at Dromet's words. She hated getting caught in that spell.

She followed the captain back into town.

[meemaas]

A guard takes the gnoll, and drags it back to town, while the party follows the captain. Leading them into his office, he sits down at his table, and begins to speak. "So, you three are here for what reason? I can see you are on my side, but i know nothing of you, or why you demanded to see me. So speak."

[shugyosha]

Eophyn

"We are simply here to help you with your gnoll problem. If you could give us all you information and any advice we would appreciate it."

[meemaas]

"What you saw just now is all we really know. They come in, they kill, a caster sets something on fire. Then they run. They always lose a few, but they always come back anyways. I've never seen anything like it, and frankly, i was amazed that that one surrendered."

[stanleyindraven]

"He didn't surrender. If it hadn't been for Serp, he too would have escaped," Dromet says as he gestures to his companion.