Trap! Holding for Hostages (Part 3)

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FOOM! The campfire goes up, and Dolan pauses, then ducks quickly back out of the line of sight. He hisses between his teeth, as quietly as he can manage, "Not alone. Can't tell if it's her."

Halani remains flat, beside Dirk. She can't contain her continuing grin over the result of the dwarf's excellent aim and the spectacular diversion.. but she also does her best to keep an eye on that tent where Dolan and Verna are supposed to be, ready to move if it seems like they're in trouble.

GAME: Verna rolls stealth: (15)+21: 36
GAME: Verna rolls perception: (8)+28: 36

Verna makes her way quietly (or so she hopes) to the tent and puts her hood in just enough to peek within, then glance around. She only needs a partial turn to spy, with her little eye, several things. Most concerning is the pair of not-so-little eyes peering back at her from the shadows.

She promptly un-peeks with a recoiling start to hiss low at Dolan. "A girl is here, bound, but so is a lycanthrope in wait!" Perhaps they were not spotted by it, but she isn't confident enough to suggest that.

GAME: Dirk rolls Ranged: (18)+5: 23
GAME: Dirk rolls 1d12: (7): 7

Once Verna draws away and hisses at him, Dolan nods, eyes wide in the darkness, and leans down to whisper in her ear, pulling the second flask from his belt as he does and offering it to her. "Aim for the center pole and try to break the flask, then run to the other side of the tent. I will get the girl."

With that, he limps off towards the other side of the tent.

Dirk watches the camp erupt into chaos, a grin creasing his features. He lifts his rifle, sighting down the barrel. "Here, laddie, have another present!" he mutters. CHK-BOOM! His rifle kicks, and one of the bandits sprouts a fresh bullet hole! Pumping his fist with a grin, Dirk scrabbles to his feet, moving quickly and quietly as he can to find another bush to take cover beneath.

The bandits run around, trying to put out the alchemists' fire. Someone smart grabs a bucket of dirt and throws it on the burning man. He lays on the ground pitifully making pained noises. There's a lot of arguing over what made the fire go off, but the unmistakable sound of a firearm tells the bandits that they're under attack. Scurrying like rats they rush about grabbing up their weapons from around the camp.

GAME: Halani spends ONE point of KI POOL.

Halani glances back over her shoulder. Yep, he's still there. "Heya. Stuff's about to get crazy, yeah? Sit tight.. can't do this if I have to worry about you.." And with that, she looks back ahead.. picks a spot.. and then she's somewhere else, rising to her feet. "Hey!" she yells. "Got any flea powder? Think I got some from that last doggy man I put down, yeah?" She feins scratching at an itch, for effect, then slides a foot back, raising one hand in front of her and another off to the side, doing the 'come hither' gesture.

GAME: Verna rolls ranged: (4)+11: 15
GAME: Verna rolls 1d6: (1): 1

"May your fur never grow back!" Verna curses at the lycan inside as she looses fire. Ready and aim may be after, as the vial clinks against the post far less firmly than she would prefer. For a moment, it appears it may not shatter. When it does, the puff of flame is ...unlikely to permanently remove any fur. Then she starts running.

Once at the other side, Dolan takes, not the greatsword over his back, but the seldom-used dagger at his belt, and with a scowl slashes the tent flap where he remembers the bound girl to have been. Praying he's right, he reaches in and, one arm around her and one hand over where he guesses her mouth to be, he yanks backward as quickly as he can. "I'm a friend," he mutters once he's got her. Hopefully she doesn't freak out! "Let's get out of here."

GAME: Dirk rolls Stealth: (17)+4: 21

Dirk creeps through the underbrush, moving with uncanny silence for such a hefty dwarf. Going to one knee behind another shrub, he scoops into his hip satchel for a fresh shell. He breaks the action on his thunderbelcher, slapping the shell into the breech and snapping it back shut. He racks the slide and lifts the rifle to his shoulder, ready to fire again. "C'mon now, lads, don't be tuckerin' out on me yet..."

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+19: (19)+19: 38
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d8+6: (1)+6: 7

The bandit's spread out cautiously around Halani, motioning to one another with their hands to be cautious of this one. Maybe their buddy warned them. Either way they don't rush in and two of the others in the back start shifting to familiar werewolf forms.

One of the bandits keeps his head down, and his eyes peeled for the shooter who wounded him in the shoulder.

Meanwhile at the tent the wolf that was guarding the girl chases down Verna and manages to grab her by the ankle and bite down. Meanwhile the woman that Dolan has rescued smells heavily of blood and sweat. She's lolling around, mumbling incoherently about the moon and the nightmare.

GAME: Verna rolls fort: (20)+15: 35 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+22+5: (17)+22+5: 44
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+22+5: (3)+22+5: 30
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+22+5: (10)+22+5: 37
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+22+5-5: (16)+22+5+-5: 38
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+22+5-10: (18)+22+5+-10: 35
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+2: (13)+2: 15
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+22: (11)+22: 33
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+22+2: (9)+22+2: 33
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+22+5: (1)+22+5: 28 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+22+5: (10)+22+5: 37
GAME: Halani rolls 2d6+2+5: (7)+2+5: 14
GAME: Halani rolls 2d6+2+5: (6)+2+5: 13
GAME: Halani rolls 2d6+2+5: (4)+2+5: 11
GAME: Halani rolls 2d6+2+5: (6)+2+5: 13
GAME: Halani rolls 2d6+2+5: (7)+2+5: 14
GAME: Halani rolls 2d6+2+5: (10)+2+5: 17
GAME: Halani rolls 1d6: (1): 1

"Alright.. keep them busy," Halani mutters to herself, eyeing the werewolves that weren't quite moving into striking range. She picks out the one with the crossbow, then does her warping trick again. "Heya!" she tells him, before flipping backwards, her trailing foot clipping him under the chin and sending him backpedaling through the fire. Before she lands she blinks out again, her feet touching down on the ground behind one of the beastmen who'd gathered 'round her. She punches him in the kidney, then proceeds to warp about in such a manner that it almost seems like she's everywhere at once. Kicking the leg out from under one, elbowing another, kicking at last in the face.. until she ends up behind her kidney target where she chops him behind the neck before he has a chance to recover.

"WITHDRAW!" Dolan bellows with everything he's got, tossing the girl into a fireman's carry over his shoulder just as the first flickers of flame and acrid smoke rise from the great tent where Dolan and Verna had ventured. That flickering light casts light on the motionless figure over his shoulder as he turns to run for all he is worth, gritting his teeth against the searing down his left leg and across his side as he bolts for the darkness where they'd agreed to meet.

GAME: Dirk rolls Ranged: (10)+5: 15
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d100: (82): 82
GAME: Dirk rolls 1d12: (3): 3

Verna hypothesizes that the vial had far too little fuel. Conversely, when the lycanthrope darts at her from the shadows, her nightmare has far too much. This increases exponentially with the ankle-biting into an inner configuration.

"Go! Get away!" she screams. She could be encouraging Dolan and the others. She could be attempting to scare off the slavering creature in her face. She could be attempting to motivate herself. Perhaps all of the above.

Whatever her intent, she manages to keep her legs from both becoming digitigrade and becoming jelly as she starts to dash rapidly as she can away from the lycanthrope, the tent, the fire, the camp, and most everything else.

Dirk waits for his target to be turned away from him, then squeezes the trigger. CHK-BOOM! A grazing shot slashes the man's arm, making him seek for the source of his pain without success. Dirk has already hopped up and scrabbled away from his hiding spot, melting into the dark of the night beyond. Blessed with his people's natural darkvision, he's able to find his way unerringly, heading back for the rendez-vous site.

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+6: (2)+6: 8
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+6: (9)+6: 15
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+6: (1)+6: 7 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+19: (19)+19: 38
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+19: (9)+19: 28
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d8+6: (5)+6: 11
GAME: Halani rolls fortitude: (6)+15: 21

The lycanthropes and bandits surround Halani, one of them actually manages to bite her, a few drips of blood falling from his maw as his golden eyes meet Halani's. None of the other attacks come close to the nimble monk.

Nor does the bandit get his shot off at Dirk, he falls into the fire which flickers merrily at the added kindling

Meanwhile, Verna is being hunted. Chased through the woods by something that knows every curve of the ground. Every tree. It gains on her slowly but surely. Like a nightmare.

GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+22+5-4: (10)+22+5+-4: 33
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+22+5-4: (15)+22+5+-4: 38
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+22+5-4: (5)+22+5+-4: 28
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+22+5-4-5: (4)+22+5+-4+-5: 22
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+22+5-4-10: (16)+22+5+-4+-10: 29
GAME: Halani rolls 2d6+4+5+8: (8)+4+5+8: 25
GAME: Halani rolls 2d6+4+5+8: (2)+4+5+8: 19
GAME: Halani rolls 2d6+4+5+8: (6)+4+5+8: 23
GAME: Halani rolls 2d6+4+5+8: (9)+4+5+8: 26

Halani does her best to weave around the incoming claws and bites. Her head jerks around when both Dolan and Verna yell.. and right at that moment, one of the larger werewolves gets through her defense and gets his jaws on her shoulder. She pull free and then... fury transforms her face. "Why you..." she starts, then throws herself at the one. She wasn't pulling her punches before, but now.. well, she drives at him, putting much more than her small frame might suggest into each blow as she pounds repeatedly into the creature's chest. Trying to pound right through it.

GAME: Dolan rolls heal: (11)+7: 18
GAME: Dolan rolls diplomacy: (2)+10: 12
GAME: Dolan rolls diplomacy: (11)+10: 21

Meanwhile, Dolan races for the pre-established meet point, the figure over his shoulder thrashing and screaming about the moon and nightmares, sweating heavily, and lays her down in the grass as gently as he can. A quick check over her, and his remaining eye goes wide. He reaches for her shoulders, reaching to hold her down, to encourage her to focus on him. "Hey. You're holding out. Your man is here. He's come for you, and paid us to help you. He came for you. Just like I'd go anywhere, do anything, for Andie. You've got yourself a good one. Hold out for his sake, and we'll get you to someone who can help you." The deep voice oozes rough sympathy and encouragement.

Being chased by the creature is far more terrifying than logical thought would dictate. It is also a novel situation for Verna... or is it? Her analytical mind is not completely lost, however, as thoughts fall back to her recent nightmare. Is this how it would be from the other perspective? Is this what Verna would inflict upon her, in that hunt?

Thank you, over-thinking and hyper-analyzing brain.

Dirk comes tumbling out of the undergrowth to the spot. "Did we get 'er?" he asks, looking around at the other as he coasts to a stop by his comrades. He looks to the lass--Elis, presumably--and looks back to the others. "Wait a tick. Where's Halani?" He casts a worried glance over his shoulder, racking his rifle to spit out its spent shell. "Damn it, don't tell me she's still back there!"

The woman manages not to turn into a werewolf. Dolan's words making her eyes fly open. "Not sweet Viktor! Please. I don't want to hurt him!" She twists and turns and growls. It seems that she's not going to be able to hold out against turning forever. The fact that she's done so, so far is a surprise.

In other places... other things are going on...

GAME: Halani rolls will: (9)+17: 26

The rage overtakes Halani. She struggles, falling to a knee. Screaming. Her blood burns, crying for her to stalk, to kill, to devour. "Noo!" She manages a word, looking up at the wolfman that seems to be giving her space now. Watching her. "NO!" The volume of her voice rises, given strength by her struggle.. and perhaps from the infection in her blood. "FIGHT ME YOU BASTARD!"

"We don't fight one another... sister." Says one of the werewolves, the sound of a human voice coming from that muzzle an oddity.

-End