Scratch the longsword thing. Instead of pulling it, he’ll grab a dagger and ready for throwing it at the first wolf that presents a threat to one of less melee oriented types in the party (i.e. anyone but Cyrus, Hrothgar, Cutter, and the Ironhall Knights). Or if any of the latter group get into particular trouble before that happens, he’ll toss the knife at one of their wolves.
Round One:[spoiler]Baldur aims his bow and, using willpower, fires at one of the mistwolves as it circles close. His arrow spirals out into the fog, missing. The mistwolf he targeted races forward and throws itself at the Faramond, but fails to cause damage and slides off the side of his saddle, chasing along side the horse as it moves.
Naimar uses willpower to attempt to gain control of his horse but fails. Two mistwolves charge from the fog at him. One claws at his horse and leaves a tear down its left rear leg, causing the horse to race off through the party. The second snaps at the rider’s leg but misses.
A fourth mistwolf attempts to close in on Harrow but the knight fends it off with swipes from his sword. The mistwolf alpha continues to watch, unmoving.
Choke spurs his horse and rides at the mistwolf pursuing Baldur using willpower and lowers the tip of his spear just before impact. The mistwolf is lanced through the neck and killed, the spear driven into the ground and left upright in the mud as Choke circles around.
Cutter rides off after the mage, using willpower and swinging his short sword alongside his horse as he passes one of mistwolves attacking him. The blow splits open the mistwolf’s head, killing it outright.
Henry attempts to control his horse, using willpower like Naimar. He too fails.
Cyrus rides at one of the other wolves pursuing Naimar, using willpower and swinging his sword as he passes. He scores a blow on the creature but fails to bring it down.
Hrothgar fires his crossbow at Cyrus’ target as the Faramond passes, using willpower, but he misses.
Sohan stays close to the core of the group, circling her horse around to face the surviving wolves.
Walter charges at one of the pair of mistwolves still circling the group, using willpower but failing to score a blow. Both mistwolves retaliate and charge the noble. The first snaps at his legs, with the rider’s leather boots giving him meager protection and he receives one bashing damage and one lethal damage. The second throws itself through the air at him, dealing three lethal damage, one bashing damage and ripping him from his mount and pulling him to the ground. Walter currently has five health boxes filled in, two with bashing damage and four with lethal damage.
All three Ironhall soldiers fail to control their horses.
Harrow attacks the wolf that had come at him but misses.[/spoiler]Round Two:[spoiler]Baldur circles around and fires his bow at the injured mistwolf still trailing behind Naimar, using willpower to score a hit and finally putting the beast down.
Naimar manages to gain control of his horse with the use of willpower. He aims his bow at one of the mistwolves attacking Walter but misses.
The mistwolf alpha finally rises and advances upon the group. As it steps into view it becomes apparent just how massive it is; it is easily four feet tall at the shoulder. All across its body there are patches of scales replacing fur and the creature’s spine is visible through its tail. It lets out a snarl and rushes at Cyrus’, leaping from the ground at the last moment and rending the rider from his horse, causing two bashing and two lethal damage. This puts Cyrus at four bashing damage and two lethal damage.
Choke draws his short sword and attempts to give aid to Cyrus, using willpower to aid in his attack. His sword rings harmlessly off the alpha’s scales.
Cutter rides at the two mistwolves attacking Walter, stamping one down with his horse but not quite killing it.
Henry, even using willpower, fails to gain control of his horse.
Cyrus struggles beneath the mistwolf alpha, striking at it with his fists and attempting to turn it over. With the help of another willpower he manages to do so.
Hrothgar lets out a mighty bellow and charges the alpha with his axe. Using willpower he brings the huge weapon down and drives it through the monster’s skull in a single blow and it goes limp immediately.
Sohan rides along Hrothgar, keeping out of the action.
Walter struggles beneath his mistwolf, but even with a spent willpower he cannot free himself.
One of the remaining mistwolves tears at Walter’s belly, dealing one bashing damage and three lethal damage. The mistwolf atop Walter clamps its jaws around his throat and deals one bashing damage and five lethal damage, shaking the life out of him.
One of the Ironhall soldiers regains control and goes to Harrow’s aid but his strike misses.
Harrow puts down the mistwolf attacking him with a single strike. [/spoiler]Round Three[spoiler]Baldur fires an arrow at one of the mistwolves atop Baldur, using a willpower and successfully striking the injured one, killing it.
Naimar does likewise at the remaining mistwolf, his spent willpower allowing him to graze the beast but not kill it.
Choke rides at the remaining mistwolf. Even with a spent willpower he misses, however.
Cutter takes a pass at the last one as well, his sword catching it in the throat and tossing it from the noble’s lifeless body.[/spoiler]Quiet finally falls over the scene. Naimar’s horse has been injured and walks with a limp. The mail at Cyrus’ right shoulder has been penetrated by mistwolf fangs with the bloody flesh beneath it exposed. Everyone gathers around Walter. His motionless corpse is in several inches of mud and his lifeblood pours from his opened throat. The mistwolves that killed him are both splayed out within a few yards of his body, their forms still but for the dripping of Denemont’s blood from their jaws.
Oh my God! They killed Walter!
Are we safe? Have the remaining wolves left us? Or did we kill them all?
If safe, Sohan will tend to any wounds.
“Which of you are injured? How badly?”
As far as you can tell all the wolves have been killed.
“Damn!” Cyrus mutters over Walter’s corpse. “Choke! Cutter! Help me secure him to a horse. Once we’re out of the mist, we’ll bury him proper. We can’t leave Faramond’s last ally behind.”
Cyrus regards Sohan suspiciously, as he still remembers she was with the late Lord Faramond as his health declined. He is not ready to fully trust her, and will attempt to hide his injuries from her.
Cutter rides off to fetch Walter’s horse, which had ran off when it was rendered riderless. He and Choke help Cyrus lay their fallen comrade sideways across the back of his mount.
“Bury him?” Sir Harrow is shaking gore from his weapon. “Won’t his family want him back?”
“Doubt it. Wasn’ exactly the family favorite.” *Cutter replies. Harrow nods his understanding.
Choke starts saying a prayer to Walter’s ancestors[sup]1[/sup] but is interrupted by Cutter’s laughter.* “Can’t you ever show your superiors some respect?”
“He’s dead. If his ancestors had given two shits he’d still be alive.”
“You have no idea of the way of things. You’re simple like a child.”
“Yeah, an’ yer as deep as a pixie’s cunt.” Cutter mounts up, clearly unaffected by Walter’s death.
1 - The Bunic religion consists of ancestor worship. A being that you might call a “god” is simply a powerful fae or demon spirit.
To Cutter - “If you wont pay respects, at least keep your mouth shut or I’ll leave you here in the Mist.”
Hrothgar gives Cyrus a nod.
And to no-one in particular: “Soon or late, it’s for sure we’ll be joining our ancestors. May be they ain’t too fussed about when, more about how.”
Henry pulls out his shovel:
I’ll dig the grave when we get out of the mists. It’s the least I can do for being completely useless in that fight. I take partial responsibility for his death.
*The group packs up, waiting for Sohan to treat the wounds on Naimar’s horse, then moves on. Strange shapes toy with the party at the edge of view in the curling clouds of Mist and pretty soon Naimar and one of the Ironhall soldiers, completely unaccustomed to such phenomenon, come down with shakes.
Hours pass and eventually the party comes across a clearing in the woods. The Mist isn’t so thick here and one can see the far side through the fog. The ground is littered with weapons, dozens of them; swords of all sizes, halberds and spears, axes and hammers, flails and maces, all scattered in the short grass in various stages of decay. Some have been completely rusted over and others look brand new. Some are iron weapons and others are steel. At the center of the clearing is a short, fat boulder covered in bright green moss. Light seems to filter through the fog, casting a ray upon the stone. **Brute **and the horses are hesitant, though not completely reluctant, to enter the clearing.
Sir Harrow doesn’t seem to be taking things very well, spooked by having seen the Mist and its horrors for what was likely the first time in his life. He defers to the other party members.*
“Everyone be quiet!!! I hear something.” Naimar shouts at the party and strains to listen.
“It’s a low whisper. I can’t tell what it’s saying though.”
None of the others seem to be able to hear any voices.
Hrothgar, though not superstitious, is unable to think of a perfectly mundane explanation for the scene on the ground, and doesn’t mind deferring to Naimar’s judgement this once.
Cyrus will examine the scene for any clue of what the party may be dealing with.
“If these weapons are from fallen soldiers, where are the bodies?” Cyrus wonders.
Cyrus picks his way through the clearing. Some of the weapons he examines sport battle damage, others don’t. Only a few have any bloodstains; they’re either new or rusted over, concealing any ancient blood they may bear. As he nears the boulder in the center of the clearing his horse absolutely refuses to continue. As he dismounts and approaches on foot he is overcome by the feeling that he is being watched. The hairs on his neck stand on end, his heart quickens and the air grows warmer.
:Sohan speaks up, and very out of character for her, gives an order…not even addressing the nobility with their proper titles:
"Everyone! Stop! I can’t explain it and I know you all can’t hear it, but…
I definitely hear voices all around me. I knwo they are female, all of them. It’s not coming from just within the mist, but here, in the air…right around us.
Henry, lift me up higher!"
:Once Sohan is higher up, she shouts:
“Who are you?!?! I can hear your voices, but not your words or meaning! What do you want!?!?”
:Sohan listens intently:
“They will not respond to me, but I still hear them. All female. And all around us.”
“I hear them still. They are strange, indeed…I still can not understand their words. I think it is a foreign language. Do any of you speak a foreign language?”
“Whose bright idea was it to bring these loons along?” Is Cutter’s contribution.
“Naimar! What is this? What happened here?”