Chapter 4.3: Returning to Report

Round two, continued...

"Agh! Too many trees." Kazzak grumbles, and switches from his crossbow to his sword as he leaves the cover of the rock to follow Antonius.

"Relax," Wanda says, as she pummels Annie, "It will soon be over."
Annie takes 5 bludgeoning damage!

"This isn't going to way you hoped, I guess." The wagon driver Devon hops over the bloody corpse of Aaron to confront Ben the bandit, pulling out a warhammer. "And that was before your friends betrayed you." Devon looks at Berthold and winks as he pounds on the bandit with the familiar-looking weapon. "That's the problem with mercenaries: no real allegiance."
But Ben has whipped out a sword in one hand, a dagger in the other, and easily parries the heavy blows.
"Mercenaries? What are you...?" He risks a glance over his shoulder and sees Berthold standing there, blade bloody from bisecting Kathy. His jaw drops. "ASSASSINS! BANDITS! BLOW THE HORN!"

Morton, meanwhile, has witnessed the troglodytes' appearance with horror. "Look out! It's just like Olpert warned us!" he cries, assuming that the rest of the Dungeon Busters had also been briefed on the organization's previous encounters with these monsters. "Don't let them get close to you!" Running into the Road, he unleashes the upwelling of demonic energy at Willie the troglodyte. But in his mad dash, he misses the monster completely.



Karl the kobold looks around at Devon, Wanda, and the troglodytes, turns back to Sora, and raises its claws in apology, whimpering a little, clearly regretting stabbing the monk. It gestures at Sora and itself, then at the troglodytes, as if to say You...me...fight them together?

---

21 - Kazzak (12/12) north of the Road
19 - Cultists Walter Dead, Wanda, Devon (-3)
18 - Morton (8/15) to the east of the encounter, just north of the Road
14 - Sora (7/12) next to Karl
14 - Amnestria (9/9) north of the Road, behind cover
13 - Grallaria (0/1) spell ended
13 - Kobolds Karl, Kathy Dead, Kelly Dead, Ken Dead
11 - Bandit Ben (-1)
9 - Berthold (10/11) on the Road
8 - Dell (6/8) south of the Road, behind cover
5 - Antonius (10/10) on the Road
3 - Bandit archers Aaron Dead, Amy (-7), Annie (-9), Arthur Dead
0 - Troglodytes Warren, Wayne, and Willie

Round two, continued…

Sora looks at Karl the kobold, nods, and slips forward to stab her sword into Warren the troglodyte’s back.
Warren takes 5 piercing damage!
The smell is so bad that Sora refrains from following up with a punch or kick.

Peering over the rock outcropping onto the scene of chaotic battle on the Road, Amnestria sees an opportunity to nullify some opponents. Chanting the arcane syllables, she points her wand.
Devon the driver falls asleep, slowly slumping to the ground.

Karl the kobold stoops to pick up the bow it dropped, nocks an arrow, and lets it fly at Warren the troglodyte.
Warren takes 3 piercing damage!

"You are unwise to lower your defenses!" Ben the bandit says, hacking at sleeping Devon with his sword.
Devon takes 9 slashing damage and wakes up!
Ben stabs him with his dagger.
Devon takes 6 piercing damage and dies!
Ben rounds on Berthold, slashing with his sword. "Have at you, assassin!!" Berthold easily sidesteps the bloody blade.

---

21 - Kazzak (12/12) north of the Road
19 - Cultists Walter Dead, Wanda, Devon Dead
18 - Morton (8/15) to the east of the encounter, just north of the Road
14 - Sora (7/12) next to Karl
14 - Amnestria (9/9) north of the Road, behind cover
13 - Grallaria (0/1) spell ended
13 - Kobolds Karl, Kathy Dead, Kelly Dead, Ken Dead
11 - Bandit Ben (-1)
9 - Berthold (10/11) on the Road
8 - Dell (6/8) south of the Road, behind cover
5 - Antonius (10/10) on the Road
3 - Bandit archers Aaron Dead, Amy (-7), Annie (-9), Arthur Dead
0 - Troglodytes Warren (-8), Wayne, and Willie

Round two, continued…

Inventing names for the strangers, Antonius called out, "Annie! Ben! Forget us. The troglodytes are the greater threat! Deal with them first—we can settle the rest afterwards!"

To the hostile bandits that just watched him slaughter their kobold ally, Berthold declares "if you fight the cultists and their lizard friends, then you are no foes of mine!"
But this, combined with the bandits wondering at the familiar way Antonius is addressing somebody, may have thrown them off enough for the knight to get away.
Ben is momentarily befuddled by this. ::Cultists?:: he wonders. ::Are the people with the trogs in a cult of some kind? Is one of them named Ben?::
Amy is not so confused, but she has a bow in her hands and watches the assassin walk away from her.
Berthold gags as he enters the stench around Willie, but this doesn't affect his aim with the sword he sends tearing into the monster.
Willie the troglodyte takes 8 slashing damage!

A moment later, Dell's arrow takes Willie in the throat.
Willie the troglodyte takes 11 piercing damage and dies!

Antonius clobbers Wanda from behind with his borrowed mace.
Wanda takes 6 bludgeoning damage!
"Hold your ground. Keep them separated." the death cleric intones, "We'll sort friend from foe when the blades stop moving."

---

21 - Kazzak (12/12) north of the Road
19 - Cultists Walter Dead, Wanda (-6), Devon Dead
18 - Morton (8/15) to the east of the encounter, just north of the Road
14 - Sora (7/12) next to Karl
14 - Amnestria (9/9) north of the Road, behind cover
13 - Grallaria (0/1) spell ended
13 - Kobolds Karl, Kathy Dead, Kelly Dead, Ken Dead
11 - Bandit Ben (-1)
9 - Berthold (10/11) on the Road
8 - Dell (6/8) south of the Road, behind cover
5 - Antonius (10/10) on the Road
3 - Bandit archers Aaron Dead, Amy (-7), Annie (-9), Arthur Dead
0 - Troglodytes Warren (-8), Wayne, and Willie Dead

Round two, completed...

Amy the bandit archer belatedly realizes that Ben's suggestion was a good one. She fumbles at her belt and raises a horn to her lips. She sounds two short blasts and then a long note that travels into the Forest. Then she ducks down, taking cover behind a broken tree trunk and the oxen (3/4 cover from Dell and Amnestria), wondering who is responsible for all the missile fire.

Annie the bandit archer is too close to Warren the troglodyte; the suffocating stench is nearly overpowering. She spins to face the foul monster and hacks at it. The troglodyte instinctively raises a hand to block the blow, and the sword passes clean through its wrist and into its neck!
Warren takes 2 slashing damage and dies!

Wayne the troglodyte has not realized his sickly companion's fate, so focused is it on the loud cleric declaring himself an enemy of the troglodytes. Wayne bounds out of the wagon and runs toward Antonius. Seeing Kazzak behind him, Wayne attacks both. Its stench rolls over both of them. But as it strikes, it notices Warren fall, and the shock causes it to miss all three attacks!

---

21 - Kazzak (12/12) north of the Road
19 - Cultists Walter Dead, Wanda (-6), Devon Dead
18 - Morton (8/15) to the east of the encounter, just north of the Road
14 - Sora (7/12) next to Karl
14 - Amnestria (9/9) north of the Road, behind cover
13 - Grallaria (0/1) spell ended
13 - Kobolds Karl, Kathy Dead, Kelly Dead, Ken Dead
11 - Bandit Ben (-1)
9 - Berthold (10/11) on the Road
8 - Dell (6/8) south of the Road, behind cover
5 - Antonius (10/10) on the Road
3 - Bandit archers Aaron Dead, Amy (-7), Annie (-9), Arthur Dead
0 - Troglodytes Warren Dead, Wayne, and Willie Dead

Round Three
(this was preceded by round two, followed by round four)

Kazzak holds his breath and hacks into Wayne the troglodyte.
Wayne takes 7 slashing damage!

Wanda the wanderer whirls and retaliates against Antonius for his back attack.
Antonius takes 7 bludgeoning damage!

There is a tremendous bellow that sounds to the east, sending birds flying from the trees in a panic. This is followed by the ever-greater sound of cracking of branches and crushing of bushes as something large approaches the Road at speed.
"What is THAT??!" Morton yells, spinning around, and sends a foul burst of darkness into the undergrowth.
The thing that emerges is a wall of fur and muscle moving as fast as a horse with a strange, knuckle-walking gait. Its massive front legs punch the ground and then launch it forward, its much smaller rear legs absorbing the impact of each bound. A thick, bristly tail sticks straight up. Its long, pointed snout is filled with ripping teeth, and the flat crown of its head is a solid lump of horn or bone where it connects to the huge shoulders almost without a neck. It is a terrifying creature, which early explorers of dark forests struggled to name.
Some called it an ape-lion, others a hammerhead-tiger. The ancient Imperials called it a kran-drash, or Mighty Devil.

But everyone here immediately recognizes it as the apex predator that the Dungeon Busters have been hunting for weeks, and they know it by its Keolish name: owlbear.

The owlbear takes 12 force damage and keeps running! This alpha beast has heard the horn, and taken it as a challenge from some rival for its territory. Crossing the Road, it ignores Morton, shoving past him effortlessly, and pounces on Amy, its paws swiveling to bring its large digging claws to bear.
Amy takes 9 damage and the horn falls from her hands. The sound of the horn is replaced with the bandit's shrill screaming, as her back is broken.
Irritated by the noise and confused as to where its rival is, the owlbear bites down on her with its huge jaws.
Her screams abruptly stop as it crunches her skull.
Amy takes 13 damage and dies!
The owlbear tears off her head and swallows it, then roars again, trying to figure out where the beast that called it out is hiding.



Sora keeps the wagon between her and the owlbear as she moves to stab Wanda the wanderer, following up with two swift kicks.
Wanda takes 6 piercing and 4 bludgeoning damage and falls dead!

Surmising that the great beast was attracted by the noise, Amnestria duplicates the sound of the horn almost directly north of the monster, then hurries away from that spot. She reaches the edge of the Road, well west of the melee.

Kobold Karl considers the many targets available to it only briefly; most of its attention is on the nearby predator. It nocks another arrow and looses it at the owlbear. The shaft punches into the thick furry hide.
The owlbear takes 8 piercing damage!

"NO!" Ben the bandit yells, hearing the crunch of bone behind him as he turns. Enraged, he furiously attacks the owlbear with sword and dagger. The blade of the sword turns on the matted fur and knotted muscle, but the dagger punches through.
The owlbear takes 7 piercing damage!



Berthold strides forward, confronting the owlbear opposite Morton.
"Bring it down!" he cries, slashing at the enormous beast. "BRING IT DOWN!!!!"
His sword bounces off of its thick matted fur and coiled muscles as it turns toward Ben, who has just stabbed it.

Dell nocks, draws, and looses at the owlbear, his arrow striking true.
The owlbear takes 7 piercing damage!

Antonius gags a little but withstands the stench of the troglodyte. "Wee Jas preserve us!" Moving to place himself on the opposite side of the trog from the owlbear, the death cleric whips out with his mace and catches the troglodyte on the snout!
Wayne takes 4 bludgeoning damage!

All caution gone in her terror, Annie the bandit archer steps away from Sora, scooping up her bow, nocks an arrow, and looses it at the owlbear.
The owlbear takes 5 piercing damage!

Wayne the troglodyte attacks Kazzak. Is it trying to take the dwarf alive, as Devon had instructed, or is it just out for his blood? Probably it wants to kill him, but in its grief and rage, it is unable to land a solid blow.

---

21 - Kazzak (12/12) north of the Road
19 - Cultists Walter Dead, Wanda (-6), Devon Dead
18 - Morton (8/15) to the east of the encounter, just north of the Road
18 - Owlbear (-39) in the Road
14 - Sora (7/12) next to Karl
14 - Amnestria (9/9) north of the Road, behind cover
13 - Grallaria (0/1) spell ended
13 - Kobolds Karl, Kathy Dead, Kelly Dead, Ken Dead
11 - Bandit Ben (-1)
9 - Berthold (10/11) on the Road
8 - Dell (6/8) south of the Road, behind cover
5 - Antonius (3/10) on the Road
3 - Bandit archers Aaron Dead, Amy Dead, Annie (-9), Arthur Dead
0 - Troglodytes Warren Dead, Wayne (-11), and Willie Dead

Round three, continued...

Sora keeps the wagon between her and the owlbear as she moves to stab Wanda the wanderer, following up with two swift kicks.
Wanda takes 6 piercing and 4 bludgeoning damage and falls dead!

Surmising that the great beast was attracted by the noise, Amnestria duplicates the sound of the horn almost directly north of the monster, then hurries away from that spot. She reaches the edge of the Road, well west of the melee.

Kobold Karl considers the many targets available to it only briefly; most of its attention is on the nearby predator. It nocks another arrow and looses it at the owlbear. The shaft punches into the thick furry hide.
The owlbear takes 8 piercing damage!

"NO!" Ben the bandit yells, hearing the crunch of bone behind him as he turns. Enraged, he furiously attacks the owlbear with sword and dagger. The blade of the sword turns on the matted fur and knotted muscle, but the dagger punches through.
The owlbear takes 7 piercing damage!

---

21 - Kazzak (12/12) north of the Road
19 - Cultists Walter Dead, Wanda (-6), Devon Dead
18 - Morton (8/15) to the east of the encounter, just north of the Road
18 - Owlbear (-27) in the Road
14 - Sora (7/12) next to Karl
14 - Amnestria (9/9) north of the Road, behind cover
13 - Grallaria (0/1) spell ended
13 - Kobolds Karl, Kathy Dead, Kelly Dead, Ken Dead
11 - Bandit Ben (-1)
9 - Berthold (10/11) on the Road
8 - Dell (6/8) south of the Road, behind cover
5 - Antonius (3/10) on the Road
3 - Bandit archers Aaron Dead, Amy Dead, Annie (-9), Arthur Dead
0 - Troglodytes Warren Dead, Wayne (-7), and Willie Dead

Round three, continued...

Berthold strides forward, confronting the owlbear opposite Morton.
"Bring it down!" he cries, slashing at the enormous beast. "BRING IT DOWN!!!!"
His sword bounces off of its thick matted fur and coiled muscles as it turns toward Ben, who has just stabbed it.

Dell nocks, draws, and looses at the owlbear, his arrow striking true.
The owlbear takes 7 piercing damage!All caution gone in her terror, Annie steps away from Sora, scooping up her bow, nocks an arrow, and looses it at the owlbear.Wayne the troglodyte attacks Kazzak. Is it trying to take the dwarf alive, as Devon had instructed, or is it just out for his blood? Probably it wants to kill him, but in its grief and rage, it is unable to land a solid blow.

---

21 - Kazzak (12/12) north of the Road
19 - Cultists Walter Dead, Wanda (-6), Devon Dead
18 - Morton (8/15) to the east of the encounter, just north of the Road
18 - Owlbear (-34) in the Road
14 - Sora (7/12) next to Karl
14 - Amnestria (9/9) north of the Road, behind cover
13 - Grallaria (0/1) spell ended
13 - Kobolds Karl, Kathy Dead, Kelly Dead, Ken Dead
11 - Bandit Ben (-1)
9 - Berthold (10/11) on the Road
8 - Dell (6/8) south of the Road, behind cover
5 - Antonius (3/10) on the Road
3 - Bandit archers Aaron Dead, Amy Dead, Annie (-9), Arthur Dead
0 - Troglodytes Warren Dead, Wayne (-7), and Willie Dead