Subject: Re: Words from the Dead

Buchek nods at the shaman's words to him. Perhaps later they can talk more of Buchek's escape from death, but for now it is comforting to have this holy man's confirmation that he is a living man, rather than a confused spirit passing for a member of the living. Tension he has been carrying ever since waking up in the Tall Grass, tension he hadn't even been aware of until it vanished, lifts from his shoulders, and he stands a little straighter. At Kubalc's words, a broad grin splits Buchek's face, the scarred left side of it twisting upward in a gruesome caricature of a smile.

"Returns-From-Death's-Sands," he thinks. His first title as an adult, and one granted to him by a mighty warrior. It is an honor. He nods in satisfaction at Kubalc's words. At last, an ally, and one offering him membership in his own clan, if Buchek should want it. Together, perhaps they could rally The People, defeat Tossuc before he lead the tribes to ruin. And yet...he glances at his companions. He has given them his word that he will accompany them into the Tall Grass, and he knows that without him their journey is all the more likely to fail. And of course there is Sortani's prophesy about the land beyond the Tall Grass; perhaps a land to which he can lead the People, far from the Sunset people, where they can live in peace. No, tempting as it is, he cannot stay, cannot join Kubalc's tribe. He will accept the chief's hospitality for a night, or two nights, spread word of Toussuc's actions, and his own theories on the man's plans for The People. Then he must go on.

Subject: Re: Words from the Dead

Telwyn starts at the mention of the people beyond the Tall Grass. He glances over at Elotai quickly. Back at the outpost, Telwyn had hoped to find out something of his father's people, but the elf had said that he came from the west, not the east where the Tall Grass lay. So Telwyn had kept silent. But maybe Elotai does know something. And if not, Telwyn can at least hear these stories that the tribesmen tell.

Subject: Re: Words from the Dead

Holn smiles at Kubalc, accepting his offer. A warm fire and food would be nice tonight, and there is greater security in numbers, no doubt about that. Particularly with the great beasts of the grasses about.

He thought about Kubalc's assessment of Buchek's mutilation, the visible scar of a deeper one. Surely an aura of destiny had begun to form around his old friend. There would be more time to discuss this and his own need to find Lysette tonight.

On cue, Fancek Fa drops to the ground. It certainly couldn't hurt to scout around. The little cat nuzzles against Kubalc as she scans about curiously.

Subject: Re: Words from the Dead

OOC: I am assuming someone gave Erk the go ahead in a language he understands.

IC: The grassland people?s talk among themselves, their tongue strange and sibilant in Erk?s ears. But when Buchek gives him the go ahead, the moans of pain from the wounded men needs no interpreter. Erk moves to those worst wounded first, the ones who will die quickly without his aid, and uses his most powerful healing prayers on them. He will then expend the rest of his healing if needed on the less wounded. Sadly, the monster they fought did not wound many. It seems that most of its blows killed instantly. Several dead beyond recovery litter the field of battle. For them, Erk sends a prayer to Clangeddin, ?These men fell in valiant combat. Intercede with their gods, Lord of Battles, and sing of their deeds.?

When Erk has finished his work, he ambles tiredly over to Buchek and says, ?Tell the chief that I have done what I can, and have saved those who had not passed beyond deaths door.? He then looks for Kayla and the mules.

Subject: Kree Ballak Noyakin!

[I'm still waiting on replies from Telwyn and Elotai, but I'm going to write up a turn regarding Erk going for Kayla and the equipment - which happens sometime after whatever discussion Telwyn and Elotai might have with Kubalc and the shaman. You guys can fill the back responses.]

There are few that Erk could help, but he healed all those who were not already dead. He saved three men from certain death, and healed one of a wound that would have surely festered. The tribe was small, and had grown considerably smaller today. All totaled, there now stood 15 warriors, and 12 more lay dead.

As the women and children emerged from hiding, Erk was happy to see many boy children, at least eight, who would someday replace their fathers. But today they wailed, holding their mothers close as the dead were collected and brought to grassy pyres. A piece of the great weasel's heart was cut and placed on the chest of each of the fallen, to mark their sacrifice to the tribe and bond their spirits to the great Khoftak.

When his work is done, Erk sets off up the hill the way they had come, heading back toward Kayla and the wagons. Two of Kubalc's warriors approach him as he leaves the group and speak in accented Common. One of these is the man whose wound was closed by his healing magic.

"It is not safe to wander these grasses alone, mountain dweller. Where do you wish to go in these great plains?"

"We have wagons with equipment," Erk responds. "And another friend who stayed behind to protect it."

The warriors nod, and begin to walk alongside the dwarf, peering into the setting sun to see the outline of the wagons at the crest of the rise. "Then we will come with you. You saved the use of this arm and allowed me once again to provide for my children and tribe. We will guide you to your friend by giving you eyes above the grass."

Erk then realized that once he went into the grass, he could have become lost utterly, not being able to see over its height.

"Thank you."

They traveled up the rise, roughly back along the path the party had made while descending. Much of the grass had returned upright, but enough of it was broken that a rough path could be seen. At the top, they emerged at the wagons and saw Kayla sitting smiling on top.

"What took you so long?" She quipped.

Upon seeing Kayla, the warriors scrambled for weapons, shouting back down the hill. "Noyakin! Noyakin! Kubalc, kree ballak Noyakin!"

Erk is shocked and confused by their reaction, but it is clear that they plan on attacking Kayla.

***

At the base camp, the cry is heard: "Noyakin!"

The women and children abandon what they had been doing and huddle together in the center of the clearing, as far from the grasses as possible, with a ring of six warriors circling them facing out.

Buchek and Holn instantly recognize the term, but wonder at the reaction. Noyakin were malicious grass faeries, no more than children's terror stories. They would spring from the grasses and attack before disappearing again - they were vicious fighters who would cut hamstrings, achilles tendons, and necks to slow down their victims, then would lie in wait to finish the job when their targets' strength had bled from them. They were no bigger than children, with pointed ears and...

if they were cleaned up and put in city clothes, they would look just like Kayla.

Buchek and Holn turn to each other with wide-eyed expressions. Telwyn had a confused look on his face, as he was trying to decipher what the men had said. Something had spooked the warriors who walked off with Erk, something that they called to Kubalc about...

Kubalc had already run off in that direction with his two bodyguard warriors, as had the shaman.

Buchek and Holn started to run after, calling back to the others, "They think Kayla's in evil spirit. Come on!"

Subject: Re: Words from the Dead

Elotai shakes his head slowly. ?I come from beyond the lands of men, far to the west. But... you have legends of faerie beyond the Grasses? If... would you tell me more of these legends? In the west we have stories of the ancestry of our people, but I was never certain of what to believe.?

Subject: Re: Kree Ballak Noyakin!

Erk has no idea what the men are saying, but their intent is clear. He will rush toward the wagon, yelling to Kayla, ?Get behind the mule!? When he has put himself between his guides and the halfling, he turns back to them. ?Wait! What is happening here!?? He holds out his two empty hands in a placating gesture. He wants them to know that he is not attacking, merely trying to understand.

Subject: Re: Kree Ballak Noyakin!

to Matt: Kayla is still surrounded by high grass, right? Can she effectively hide in them without getting too lost herself? If that sounds good, she's probably going to jump off the mule and hide herself until her friends explain who she is.

Subject: Re: Kree Ballak Noyakin!

No! Elotai had almost had the tribesmen talking about the people beyond the grasses. The disappointment is so bitter that Telwyn can almost taste it as he races back towards Kayla and the mule.

Hopefully the situation can still be salvaged, but Kayla would have little defense against the far larger and more numerous tribesmen; it may yet come to blood. But only in the last resort. There's still time.

OOC: Telwyn will only attack in the last extreme to save Kayla's life, and even then will only attempt to disarm or knock a ranged weapon off target.

Subject: Re: Kree Ballak Noyakin!

OOC: What about Jake's turn?

Subject: Re: Kree Ballak Noyakin!

Oh, to quote from sakeriver:

Buchek:

"Buchek runs after Kubalc, bellowing at the top of his lungs "Stop! Kubalc, she is no Noyakin! She is means you no harm, I swear by my ancestor's blade!" as he runs."

Holn:

Holn follows after, hoping the halfling comes to no harm. He remembers his first encounter with a halfling, and how his master had explained that these were different from the Noyakin, in the same way that men in the cities were different. Even the word has its connotations to him.

He hopes that the tribe can suspend their fear long enough to listen to reason.....

Subject: Re: Kree Ballak Noyakin!

Such quick blood. Even after his village learned of Elotai?s visions, it had been nearly a full year before he left. If he had been human, in a human village, he would probably have been cast out that very same day ? though here, among the plainsmen, they seemed much more comfortable with such things. Perhaps their shaman would be able to help him...

Elotai?s feet are moving, unbidden, as he follows this train of thought. He chases after Kubalc, hoping to catch up to him and get him to call his warriors off. ?She is like me!? he calls to the young leader. ?Just another race!?

OOC: I?m aware that Elotai?s 8 in Charisma doesn?t exactly make him the most compelling of figures, so I don?t expect to actually convince Kubalc of anything. I?m still working out how I?m going to play it, so far I?ve been trying to be socially inept with non-elves. :P

Subject: The Noyakin retreats

The Kubalcat camp has been thrown into chaos. The warriors have gathered the women and children and look panicked along the edges of the grasses. Kubalc and a small cadre of warriors are running at full speed toward the trampled grass path the party came down earlier, staying as close together as possible. The rest of the party in the clearing falls into close pursuit.

Holn wonders how much of this reaction is a true belief in the Noyakin, and how much is simply a paranoid reaction after a legendary creature from mythology attacked and killed nearly half their fighting men. Was this tribe that superstitious, or were they just on edge from the giant weasel attack and jumping at shadows? There was no way to tell with tensions running so high.

Erk stepped quickly between the two warriors and Kayla and yells at her to get behind the mule, his hands splayed wide in front of him as nonthreateningly as possible, but with every intention of creating a one-dwarf wall to block their attack. As he does this, Kayla deftly drops off the pack animal and slips into the tall grass, effectively disappearing from sight. [Hide check 24 v. Spot checks 18 and 18]

Her heart pounds in her chest as she crouches ten feet or so in the densest part of the grass. She can't see them, so she assumes they can't see her. Her breath quickened, she wonders why they reacted to her the way they did. Racking her brain, she can't think of anyone she'd ever met that had reacted that way to her or to any halfling, and all the songs she knew about halflings inspiring terror were comedies.

Immediately after Kayla disappears, the two warriors freeze and turn back to back, their battle axes held before them defensively.

"Noyakin tekka loai! Kree bo loai! Kree bo loai!"

The group around Kubalc slows in the grass, and fall into a battle formation guarding against the grass. Holn and Buchek translate for the others as they run.

"Kayla slipped into the grass. They're telling everyone to beware of the grass."

Telwyn had understood it was something about the grass, and now realizes that "kree" must mean "beware"... the tribes to the south used "kuray" - just different enough to cause confusion. He makes a mental note as he rushes on, clearly noticing the increase in panic among the Kubalcat.

Subject: Re: The Noyakin retreats

"Cousins!" Buchek calls [Diplomacy Check] "Cousins! It is safe--there is no Noyakin here. She is...there is no word for it in our tongue, but she is what the Sunset people call a 'halfling'. She is a person, despite what she looks like! I have travelled with her, and she sleeps and eats as we do. She is harmless--she stayed with our beasts because she was afraid of Koftak's avatar!"

As he says this, he slips around the line of warriors and joins Erk between the tribesmen and Kayla. His axe is slung on his back, and he holds his hands outstretched in a calming gesture as he speaks.

Subject: Re: The Noyakin retreats

Holn edges toward Erk. "Master Dwarf, you did something to calm the mob that was ready to kill our friend here. Can you do that again?"

Subject: Re: The Noyakin retreats

OOC: Matt, did you have Erk use his Calm Emotions prayer up during the healing?

Subject: Re: The Noyakin retreats

Finally arriving at the mule, Telwyn positions himself by Erk and Buchek, similarly extending his arms. This had better work, he thinks to himself.

Subject: Re: The Noyakin retreats

Elotai follows suit, since he knows nothing about the customs here.

Subject: Noyakin

Kayla crouches in the grasses, listening to her friends who are trying to reason with the tribesmen.

She waits, expecting a cue to tell her when it is safe to reveal herself.

Subject: Bringers of the Grass Demon

?She is like me! Just another race!?

Elotai's words die in his mouth as he realizes what he just said. One of the men looks back at him with wide-eyed horror, surely now convinced that Noyakin could grow to the size of men. When they reach the wagons, Elotai is shoved up against the donkey's flank with a spear held a foot from his throat, and a look of panic in the tribesman's eyes.

The party stands by their wagons with hands splayed to the sides, watching the warriors spread out to an offensive formation. Telwyn recognizes their intention immediately, and further understands that any move to reach for his weapon now would likely be met with a spear through his neck, certainly one through Elotai's.

A flurry of conversation between the tribesmen passes in their native tongue that the Noyakin has moved to the grasses, likely circling for better position to attack. They wonder aloud how many of the grassfolk surround them, and nervously fidget with their weapons. There are five warriors, Kubalc and the shaman, the latter two growing increasingly unsettled.

Holn and Buchek grow nervous, watching how the warriors carry themselves and shift their weight. They have become the enemy somehow, suddenly. Their association with Kayla brought suspicion, and her disappearance into the grass confirmed the tribesmen's worst fears.

Buchek attemps to calm them. "Cousins! Cousins! It is safe--there is no Noyakin here. She is...there is no word for it in our tongue, but she is what the Sunset people call a 'halfling'. She is a person, despite what she looks like! I have travelled with her, and she sleeps and eats as we do. She is harmless--she stayed with our beasts because she was afraid of Koftak's avatar!" [Diplomacy Check 13 v. DC 20, fail]

Kubalc speaks loudly for all to hear. "You travel with the Noyakin? The grassfolk, bringers of pain and torment? She has deceived you! Returns-From-Death's-Sands, you have brought evil to this place! You have brought a grass demon, a stealer of babies! She used you to bring her to this place, to punish us as did Khoftak's earthly form! She stayed with your beasts only to see if the Great Weasel finished us first!"

Holn edges toward Erk. "Master Dwarf, you did something to calm the mob that was ready to kill our friend here. Can you do that again?"

Erk responds quietly, trying to show no aggression, "I cannot. I have called upon my god many times today in the service of healing, and I used the grace he granted me for that prayer to heal the shoulder of the warrior with the axe to your left.."

The shaman shouts at Buchek, shaking his staff high in the air. "I spoke that death does not let go of its victims lightly, Returner, and it has sent a devil spirit to plague your steps and bring ruin on those that aid you!"

"The Noyakin has fled to the grasses to attack us, clad in the skins of the dead, looking for fresh blood to renew the painted sigils on its face! It calls to its kind, and surrounds us!"

Kubalc looks back down the hill and calls in his own tongue: "Barash t'lek!"

Immediately Telwyn's eyes widen. "Torches? There is no need for torches, great chieftain..."

Kubalc speaks again. "We will burn the Noyakin from these fields - it is the only way to ensure the safety of our people."

In the grasses, Kayla hears this entire exchange, and her pulse quickens at the mention of torches. Glancing around, the grass is dry and brown, the same as the thatch from the Inn's roof. It would light quickly, and spread even faster. Without being able to see the tribal warriors, she has no way of knowing how long it will take for them to bring torches and burn her out of her hiding place.

It starts to dawn on her that maybe diving into the grass was not the best course of action, but writes that thought off as the clarity of hindsight. It also occurs to her that even if she fled deeper into the grasses, away from the fire, she would never survive the trek back to Caro - if she could even find her way through grasses well taller than she was.

Her mind raced, deciding how to act, as she began to hear agitated chattering from the barbarian warriors in a language she didn't understand.

[ODM: For reference, all quoted english dialogue is spoken in Common.]

Subject: Re: Bringers of the Grass Demon

"Would a Noyakin have allowed the healer to restore the men of your tribe? No! Noyakin would have chosen the moment that you had killed the avatar to swarm against the camp--that was your moment of greatest weakness. You know their ways! If I call this girl out from the grasses, let you, noble Kubalc, and you, wise shaman, see for yourself that she is but a person, will you let her live?" Buchek says, hoping both that Kayla would listen to him if he asked her to step forth, and that doing so wouldn't mean her death.

Subject: Re: Bringers of the Grass Demon

[ODM: Buchek Diplomacy check take two 4 vs. DC 25, fail]

"The demons of the grass are unpredictable and cruel - it is just their way to give false hope before death! You who are tainted with death, *you* have brought this curse upon us!"

Kubalc's hand plays lightly against the handle of his axe, the same axe that was used to split the chest cavity of the Great Weasel.

Subject: Re: Bringers of the Grass Demon

How many of them are there? What kind of penalty would I be looking at if Buchek tried to inrimidate them after two unsuccessful diplomacy checks? I can't remember, was it you who talked about the possibility of using a strength score instead of a chr. score for the purposes of intimidation attempts?

Subject: Re: Bringers of the Grass Demon

Right now there are five warriors, Kubalc and the shaman.

Two of the warriors have battle axes, and three have spears (with hand axes at their sides). Kubalc carries his great axe, engraved with all manner of designs and symbols, and the shaman carries his staff.

I'll enclose a map of how everything looks.

I'd have to leave the decision about whether agressiveness would work up to Buchek, and how he'd handle the situation. At the moment, he realizes that things are not going so well for him, and that his scars and tattoo are definitely playing against him at this point.

Subject: Re: Bringers of the Grass Demon

I realize I didn't include a key with that map.

The green dots, from left to right, are:

Telwyn, Holn, Buchek, Erk, Elotai, with Kayla in the grasses behind.

The red dots, from left to right, are:

spearman, axeman, spearman, Kubalc, shaman, axeman, spearman.

Subject: Re: Bringers of the Grass Demon

Erk adds his voice to Bucheks. "Indeed, Kubalc. I could stop your men from attacking us by calling on the strength of my God, if it were not for the fact I have expended myself in healing your men. We sacrificed much to aid you." To the shaman he says, "I have the power to detect works of evil. Many of us who speak in the name of the gods do. Do you? If so, I will bring the girl out, and let you call on your gods for divine insight. You will see she carries no taint. Would I offer to do this if she were demonkind?"

[Diplomacy attempts all over the place]

Subject: Re: Bringers of the Grass Demon

Given the results of his last effort, Elotai waits to see how the barbarians react to Erk.

Subject: Re: Bringers of the Grass Demon

Holn too will "wait and see".

Subject: To keep you up to date

I sent an email to Matt asking about some options for Kayla. But I don't want to leave you hanging. I had one extra question to add, Matt. What's the dirt like? It would take Kayla a while to bury herself in it, right? Certainly not in time to escape the fire?

---

Kayla sits in the grasses, cursing her fate. "This'd make a fine comedic bardic tale fer sure. If I live!" she mutters to herself, trying to keep still. She hears Erk's attempt to belay their fears and shakes her head a little. If previous attempts have failed, she has little hope in Erk reaching their ears.

She considers her options. Few options, that. She wonders if she can make it to the wagon unnoticed, but reminds herself that the barbarians would likely light the wagons on fire as well. She recalls a song that will make a person become enraptured by her, but it seems most likely that would only set them off more.

"What kinda fool sets a fire in the grasslands like this n'how? No way to control a fire, we'll all be killed." she grumbles to herself as she keeps thinking of a way to get out alive.

Subject: Bribery

Kayla bakes some chocolate and dried berry cookies using the fire as her oven.

She passes out the cookies to the barbarians, hoping to appease their sweet tooths.

Subject: Re: To keep you up to date

Kayla looks down at the "dirt" beneath her feat, and realizes that it is only a thin layer of dead grass, with a sturdy root structure underneath. She now understands why this land isn't home to more human farms, and why the tribes are so nomadic. Agriculture would be backbreaking labor, and irrigation would be constantly interrupted by blockages of dead grass.

Subject: Re: Bringers of the Grass Demon

Kayla sighs to herself, "Ain't walkin home from here. Time to get closer."

She crawls toward the wagon (ending about 10 o'clock angle in the drawing), controlling her breath. As soon as she can make out the wagon and the shapes of any barbarians, she will halt briefly to consider if she can creep under the wagon. She recalls seeing a bit of board jutting out from the edges underneath. With luck, she can grab onto the axle and find something to hold onto underneath the wagon. Maybe from there she can sneak under a friend's cloak and grab onto their back...?

But for now, Kayla just wants to get close enough to the wagon and the barbarians to see if she has a chance.

(Matt: Any of my friends wearing some bulky clothing? Cloaks, shields, etc? Especially the taller folks (sorry Erk!))

Subject: Re: Bringers of the Grass Demon

Telwyn doesn't move a muscle, but a bead of sweat forms on his brow and rolls down his cheek. Believe him, he thinks. But he remains silent, for the moment at least.

Subject: Re: Bringers of the Grass Demon

Holn calls Fancek Fa to him, wondering if he should begin casting....

Subject: Re: Bringers of the Grass Demon

OOC: Holn wears a big leather cloak. It's magic armor.

Subject: Runaway Burro

Kayla tries to move as quietly as possible through the underbrush toward the edge of the clearing, unsure of her footing on the strange root-covered ground. Losing her balance once, she steadies herself by swinging an arm to the side, just enough to make a *swish* in the grass. [Move Silently check 16]

Immediately, three of of the guards' heads jerk up and they fall immediately silent, scanning the grassline for movement. [Listen checks 16, 10, 20, 22] The party knows something is wrong, but they did not hear Kayla's movement, too focused on the spears pointed at them.

Moving forward to take a look at the situation, Kayla peers through the reed-like grass, watching the men stare blindly in her direction. [Hide check 27 v. Spot Checks 5, 6, 14, 10]. She can tell that they heard her, but that they cannot see her. They are, however, scanning the grassline, the blood drained out of their faces.

Feeling the intense scrutiny, she decides to divert their attention and makes ready a throwing knife.

Erk speaks quielty to the shaman, appealing to his sense of reason, and tensions ease somewhat. There is still conflict in the air and the warriors still scan the grassline, but the imminent sense of clashing steel has subsided for a time. The shaman speaks, but Kayla can't quite make out the words. [Listen check 6 v. DC 15].

"You speak wisdom, child of the mountain gods. I can sense the rot in a person's heart. If you bring out this 'companion' of yours, we will see what her soul tells me."

Just as Kubalc's shoulder's unclench, his men shout that there's something moving in the grass and the donkey pulling the lead wagon whinnies in pain and rears up a bit. [Hide check to throw without being noticed, 15 v. Spot 19, then Attack 14 v. Donkey AC 10, hit, damage: 3, subdual, hit with butt end of knife]

The donkey strains against its harness and starts to move forward down the path again, moving away from the stinging thing that hit it in the neck. The warriors grow immediately agitated, and Kubalc finally pulls his axe, though he steps back from the party and looks toward the place in the grass his men sighted.

With a nod, he sends a spearman and an axeman to walk cautiously out to Kayla's location to investigate, while the others look from the donkey to the party, unsure what to do.