You’ve been walking in mostly open terrain with some ridges and low mesas capped by resistant rocks here and there. There are some boulders and rock piles that could be used for cover, but not much else. The pack of wolf-like creatures is currently positioned on a low ridge about 200 yards away. You can make out about a dozen of them. There isn’t much between you and them. You are near the river, but would need to ford it to put it between you and the pack.

Kade moves off toward a mass of rock halfway between your group and the pack. You notice the pack becomes more agitated and a few move down the ridge in your direction.

Biror, becoming more nervous, addresses the magic users: "Isn't there a way to repel them in some way?"

Once at the back of the place, the colourful Halfling starts jump-climbing up the huge slabs of tumbled rocks, helping Saviour up in the rougher part.

"Come-Come!" he calls to those that hesitate, slightly out of breath but still smiling. "BIG rock BEST place around. Trust Kade! Oh, and dark coming too!" Sun starting to bloat over the western hills.

He himself turns back towards the newly-named Wolf Ridge, blustery wind in his face as he stands on the leading edge of the pile and looks across at the coming foe...

Saviour begins to growl.


OOC: Make it so the wolves have to go through/climb up the max distance to get to them. That's the plan (The original idea was to move *ahead* to an ambush site, but ah well: you take what you can get :) )

What can he tell about the dog-things now that he's closer? Any obvious leader (leaders?)? Anything unusual about this pack that he can see, hear or smell?

"One of them, perhaps, and it would be no sure thing, especially if these are not normal wolves, or are being compelled by some outside force," Thea responds.  "And failure would only enrage the target wolf even further."

As the animals draw closer you can see that, while they appear wolf-like, they are more reptilian in nature and bear long, saber-like teeth. There is one larger individual that is leading the group that has come down the ridge, six in total now. They are now about 50 yards from Kade's position (he is 100 yards from the rest of the party).

 Fetcher deployed his sling. A lead bullet was placed in the sling's cup. He twirled the sling and let fly at one of the dog creatures.

18:30, Today: Fetcher rolled 29 using 2d6+25 with rolls of 1,3.  Sling bullet at dog like creature.



18:30, Today: Fetcher rolled 29 using 2d6+25 with rolls of 1,3.  Sling bullet at crdog like creature.

At which point Kade looks back, puzzled: the others are all still a hundred yards away, seemingly frozen on the spot where they first noticed the reptile-beasts... He's beginning to have a bad feeling about this.

"What we do, Saviour?"

Eyes fixed, Saviour begins to slow-bark at the approaching wolves, low and growly.

And where is Insect Girl? She would know what to do!

As the beasts are not yet within range of her destructive magicks, Thea begins moving toward the area of rocks where Kade has made his way to, hoping that the others will follow so that they can work together more effectively, and not have any of their number in the open when the dreatures do attack.

Biror follows Thea and Kade, without making much fuss.

Slattery slowly moves towards the rocks, moving as casually as possible so as to not attract attention.

Kade smiles *very* wide at that first group, not able to hide a bit of relief...

Then the little halfling joins his own holler to Saviour's barking with a vengeance -- a distinctive, tribal yoddle-shout meant to attract beastly attention away from the others!

"Come - Come and get Kade if BIG enough!"


OOC: Distract the pack's attention while the others get there, firing-in a sling bullet at any beast that starts taking an interest in the group's backfield. Doesn't matter if it hits so long as it distracts :)

08:20, Today: Kade SpiritShaker rolled 4 with the Tunnels & Trolls, Saving Throws system.  ToHit Distraction carnifex (Dex 24).

Fetcher hurled a sling bullet at the advancing predators, but the shot just missed the one in the lead. He did manage to catch it's attention, however.

As the rest of the group advanced across the open ground toward Kade's position in the rocks, the animals began to trot forward.

Kade's shot went high and wide and the reptile-dogs did not seem to take notice.

OOC: At the end of this turn you are within 50 yards of the creatures.

20:57, Today: GM, on behalf of Fetcher, rolled 7 with the Tunnels & Trolls, Saving Throws system.  sling shot.

Thea unleashes a small portion of her mystical reserve at one of the beasts - not the leader, but the one nearest it - in a destructive blast, now that the creatures are in range.  She doesn't expect her actions to slay the animal, whatever it may be, but she does hope to get a sense for just how durable and tough these creatures may be.

Level 1 TTYF, 1 WIZ expended, 16 pt damage

Kade tries again, moving on to mild-insults of their general ancestry. (Besides him Saviour’s barking has gone up too, although she doesn’t seem at all inclined to charge off after them for some reason.)

And, “Where is Insect Girl?”

19:01, Today: Kade SpiritShaker rolled 10 with the Tunnels & Trolls, Saving Throws system.  Slinging away at the same wolf (Dex 24).
19:03, Today: Kade SpiritShaker rolled 51 using 2d6+41.  Sling Damage.

OOC: Is there any vegetation clinging to these rocks (stunted shrubs, dry grass and/or moss)? Anything to light a small fire?

"Well, she didn't see fit to stay with this Motley Crew" answers Biror without looking at the halfling, looking in every direction with anxious looks, expecting the worse from the incoming wolves.

Melissa did indeed decide to stay in Dunnold when you left for the ruins, as did Odhran.

As the rest of the party (Thea, Biror, Slattery, Fetcher) advanced on the approaching pack, Thea unleashed a bolt of energy at the creature to the left of the apparent leader. The blast seared a deep wound along the creatures flank and it quickly turned and ran back up the ridge. The rest the pack visibly flinched in response to the blast and stopped in their tracks.

Atop the ridge, Kade released another sling bullet, now at much closer range. The bullet hit the creature to the right of leader in the head. The rest of the party could hear the crack of the impact and the creature dropped to the ground, dead or unconscious.

The leader of the pack held it's ground, but the remaining three followers began to mill about fall back a few yards.

Quickly looking around, Kade saw no sign of vegetation on his rock outcrop or anywhere nearby.

”That right! We STRONG! Hide-shake, nose in tail!” mocks Kade.

To help them in their decision, a fat clay container rolls down his arm and goes sailing through the air, tumbling head-over-heels -- acompanied by another yoddle-shout!

OOC: Tossing one of the solvent containers at the lead beast, not so much for damage, but to literally try to skunk the heck out of the leader and those around him with the strong fumes. :)

19:54, Today: Kade SpiritShaker rolled 11 with the Tunnels & Trolls, Saving Throws system.  Skunk is as a skunk does (Dex 24).
19:55, Today: Kade SpiritShaker rolled 50 using 2d6+41.  Damage if needed.


“Who Ma-teleh Karu? Be name of our family?” Kade Ma-Teleh Karu...
This message was last edited by the player at 00:00, Thu 28 Sept 2023.

Comforted a little by the flight of most of the pack, Biror goes from behind his comrades in the open and shows his weapons in an attempt to impress its leader. He hopes to make him back off, after seeing that he is now outnumbered.

Pleased (and admittedly somewhat surprised) that the beasts did not seem as tough or as fearless as they had first appeared, Thea targets another one of the creatures with a blast of magical energy similar to the one she had struck its packmate with seconds earlier.

Again, Level 1 TTYF, 1 WIZ expended, 16 pt damage

Kade's jar of solvent sailed down onto the head of the pack leader and shattered covering it in the noxious fluid. At the same time Thea's magical blast hit it square in the chest.

As if sensing that the party was not the easy meal it had intended the leader and its remaining followers retreated back up the ridge.

Most of the pack vanishes from sight, but one remains on top of the ridge, watching you.

OOC: Combat is effectively over. You can continue on your way to the ruins or chase after the reptilian wolves.

"Well, that wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been," Thea acknowledges.  "We'll definitely want to have people on guard while we get some sleep, perhaps on overlapping watches."

Thea then tries to remember if she has ever read or head of creatures matching the ones they saw.

17:25, Today: Thea Schreiber rolled 11 with the Tunnels & Trolls, Saving Throws system.  Trying to identify reptilian creatures, IQ SR.

Kade charges down the pile of rocks with a suddenly self-assured Saviour, shouting and whooping to drive the last wolf-thing away!

22:12, Today: Kade SpiritShaker rolled 9 with the Tunnels & Trolls, Saving Throws system.  Scare/annoy tactics (Cha 11).

Whether successful or not, the wild halfling will stop abruptly at the downed wolf-thing with a laugh and finishes it off with a swat if his obsidian club-sword-thing.

Then he starts preparing it, tossing choice bits of meat and gristle to an excited Saviour now and then.

“Strange fur for Kade’s family!” he calls back to the other, hands bloody up to his elbow. Then he spots the saber toothes... and starts looting that as well!


OOC: Kade will take as much of the meat as possible, plus the scaly “fur” (for resale to the tannery maybe? Or for a special item?) and the two large ivory tooth as well of course!

Always surprised by the halfling's reactions, Biror jumps when he sees him charge. Grumbling, he still acknowledges that collecting the available fur is a good idea.

Should the party camp later when the night comes, the dwarf will volunteer to take first watch.

Kade cheerfully volunteers Regan and Jax for watch duty. “Training for stone house!”

Thea seems to recall hearing about such creatures in Dunnold; the locals called them gorgonopsians, or gorgos. They stalks the wastelands in packs and hunt whatever they can find. Given the general lack of like in the wastes, there are not that many of them.

Kade's antics do not drive off the last of the gorgos. It remains watchful up on the ridge. It remains even as Kade begins to butcher the fallen beast.

Kade quickly finds the meat to be tough, sinewy, and generally unpleasant smelling. Savior sniffs at the offered piece and leaves it on the ground. The hide is difficult to remove, but Kade manages it after a while along with the two large canine teeth.