"Indeed not" Naratus replied with a scowl and rode to the fore, spear/lance couched and tilted upward. "Sellira, I suggest you snipe from a distance while I engage them close up. Richard, you said you're not a wizard. What is your forte?" He looked at Shylocke. "You go do something sneaky and devious."
The elven knight was of course completely unaware that he was telling them to do things they would have done anyway.
edited 7th Sep '15 5:31:07 AM by tricksterson
Trump delenda est"Me? Well, I'm a wanderer and a dabbler in many things - a little philosophy here, a little history there - but mostly, you can think of me as a seeker of the meaning of life and death." Rich raised an eyebrow cryptically, but lingered just a few steps behind as he let Naratus take point. "And if that sounds like a load of bull excrement to you, you're absolutely right, and that puts you one step further on the path to enlightenment. At the moment, though, someone needs to keep an eye on our brave employer... and it might as well be me."
edited 7th Sep '15 7:10:59 AM by Pyrite
Not a substitute for a formal medical consultation.The giant dragonflies continue to buzz around as you all ready yourself. Suddenly, one of them veers and flies right among you. It hovers briefly, seemingly sizing you up, then returns to flying around the bush. A second one follows suit, flying over to look at you briefly, before returning.
Any advantage of surprise you had is likely now gone. And while the dragonflies aren't acting all that aggressive, there's no telling what they will do if you approach that bush or attack them.
Meanwhile, Kristoph shivers. "I hate bugs," he mutters to no one in particular.
Expergiscēre cras, medior quam hodie. (Awaken tomorrow, better than today.)"Well, at least we've got their attention!" Richard remarked, a little too cheerily - and bent down low to where Shylocke was hiding, whispering, "I'm not as harmless as you might think, Shylocke, and so I'll decline your offer. But I have a suggestion: if the attack fails, you'd probably be in a better position to snag one of their eggs, don't you think?"
Letting Naratus take point, he gripped his staff and stood upright, lingering just behind and waiting for the dragonflies' response. With luck, they'd go for the heavily-armoured target in front first.
edited 9th Sep '15 5:25:05 AM by Pyrite
Not a substitute for a formal medical consultation.Shylocke noded and abandoned his post. If any of the dragonflies tried to land, Rich could take care of them handily. In the meanwhile, Shylocke went deeper into the bush, trying to get closer to the sound of buzzing as he searched for the dragonfly nest. He doubted if it could be far, and the dragonflies looked rather occupied with the small invasion force.
As Naratus began moving his horse forward, it suddenly stumbled, forcing Naratus to get off.
Unbeknownst to any of them, the horse had cut one of its legs on the razor-sharp leaf of a poisonous jungle plant. It had taken some time, but the horse now felt the full effects. It fell and rolled on its side, breathing heavily.
Meanwhile the first of the arrows flew, narrowly missing one of the the dragonflies. The other dragonflies scattered, flying off into the jungle in different directions. The one who nearly got hit, however, buzzed angrily into the clearing, diving at the closest person. Which, due to his positioning, was Naratus.
Expergiscēre cras, medior quam hodie. (Awaken tomorrow, better than today.)The dragonfly flew right at Naratus, only to veer off at just the last second. It circled around, and then hovered right over the knight's horse, still buzzing angrily. It stared down through multi-faceted eyes, looking back and forth at different members of the group...as if it was waiting to see what they would do.
Expergiscēre cras, medior quam hodie. (Awaken tomorrow, better than today.)Shylocke held deadly still, not daring approach the nest while the Dragonfly was looking at him. At least he thought he was looking at him. You can never be sure with a compound eye. When it looks his way, he glares at it, putting all his malicious intent into that one glance.
Casting Fear on dragonfly
Gods, this is embarrassing.
"This is truly a battle that bards will sing of for the ages: four adventurers, held back by a single dragonfly," Richard grumbled, even as he caught sight of Shylocke casting something, just out of his field of vision. "Change of plans, goblin - you keep the damn thing off my back."
He dashed forwards in an irregular, zig-zagging pattern, feinting and dodging as he attempted to sidestep the giant insect - and in his hand, the tip of his staff began to pulse with dark energy.
For insurance.
Not a substitute for a formal medical consultation.The fear spell goes off, causing the dragonfly to fly in circles again, this time agitated and confused. Finally, it leaves, the buzzing of its wings fading away. Kristoph emerges from the brush, wiping at his trousers and glancing around, worried that the dragonflies might come back. "Well...you did it," he finally says.
You are now free to examine the horse, although there's no way it's going anywhere...and it doesn't look like you'll have time to haul it back. And there's still the matter of that bush the dragonflies were circling around...
Expergiscēre cras, medior quam hodie. (Awaken tomorrow, better than today.)"That was most disappointing," Rich grumbled again, and let his charge fizzle out. "But let's get this over with before the bugs return, shall we? Sir Knight, you should tend to your horse, unless you'd rather I cull it for you. Now, let's have a look at our prize."
He walked over to the bush, hoping that they'd found the dragonfly eggs.
edited 22nd Sep '15 10:53:35 PM by Pyrite
Not a substitute for a formal medical consultation.Shylocke let out a sigh of relief as the dragonfly passed, putting his dagger away. Hopefully, the horse wouldn't attract much more attention.
As Rich spoke up, however, he got tense again. If there were more dragonflies in the bushes, he only had one more spell to take care of them before his fear spell wore off. He groaned and followed Rich, praying it was a newly unattended nest.
The horse relaxes, although it still looked weak and exhausted. With help, it should be able to be led back to town, but it won't be in any condition to be ridden for a while.
Rich and Shylocke approach the bush. Luckily, there does seem to be a slimy hollow where some eggs sit...or rather, a couple of eggs and the smashed remains of several others. More importantly, however, next to them is a partially eaten body, possibly of an adventurer who did not fare so well against the dragonflies. Beside his body is a mace, soaked in strange ooze...almost as if he was the one who smashed the eggs...
Expergiscēre cras, medior quam hodie. (Awaken tomorrow, better than today.)Shylocke's first instinct upon seeing his objective was to take it and haul ass. However, seeing the state of the cadaver raised some important alarms. He quieted his voice and addressed Rich. "Five to one says this guy bought the farm when he tried busting up the eggs. I can't be sure when that fear effect will wear off, and who knows how many other dragonflies there are. What are you thinking?" He looked to his partner with some concern. This wasn't supposed to be an especially dangerous job.

"Ah, souls!" Rich mused, before turning to Naratus, a crafty smile on his face. "As I recall, Sir Knight, you were mentioning that combat was your bailiwick... Surely you would not let the lady go first into the fray, would you?"
edited 7th Sep '15 6:11:27 AM by Pyrite
Not a substitute for a formal medical consultation.