The Battle of Draconi Forest

[MadEmperor]

[ OOC: Continued From ] 

Kahroan started slightly at the unexpected voice. It hadn't occurred to him that other beastspeakers could listen in. Do you see any traps or alarms we should be aware of? Mages and archers too.

Thrax raised a concerned brow. "Everything good?" 

"Oh, nothing's wrong. Aside from there being a lot of bandits," Kah answered. 

[DragonSong]

Basic wire traps along the northwest edge of the camp, River reported.

Hana chimed in again, They seem to be expecting an attack from the north, this northeast edge has a pitfall. Think they're running from something?

River chuffed softly. I think we should come in from the south is what I think.

[MadEmperor]

Agreed. Try to eavesdrop and find out what they're expecting. But if you even suspect you might be about to be noticed, pull back immediately. Kah hated to take any unnecessary risks, but they didn't want to be caught unawares by a potential unknown force.

[DragonSong]

Both women gave him affirmatives as they crept closer to the camp.

River only managed to hear a brief snippet of conversation about a "next mark" before one of the bandits began a guard patrol and came uncomfortably close to her hiding place. She pulled back, relaying, They're planning to hit a caravan tomorrow morning, but I didn't get anything else.

Hana was gone a while longer, but when she returned to the group she was grinning a fox's sly grin. "They are being hunted," she informed them proudly. "Apparently they stole something big from some associates in Zantaric. Sounds like an old friend is rather displeased with them."

[MadEmperor]

Zeldrinn nodded at Hana grimly. "Pity they won't get the chance for vengeance."

Kah held out River's bow, either unable or unwilling to suppress the tender affection in his eyes. "So, do you have a plan besides coming the south?"

[DragonSong]

River stretched up into her human shape and took the offered bow with a quick kiss to his cheek, evidently unembarrassed with the small displays of affection. "If someone can get through and either disarm or trigger the traps, that would probably be a good start," she mused. "But that needs a distraction from the rest of us, which puts us sixteen against four. We need to move smart, pick them off from a distance as much as we can before we risk an open fight."

[MadEmperor]

The three men all looked at Hanako. Thrax was the first to actually speak. "That sounds like a job for the natural trickster."

Kahroan made a thoughtful rumble. "How big can your illusions get? Could you make it look like their anticipated enemy has arrived?"

[DragonSong]

The kistune considered, "hmm"ing softly as she tilted her head back and forth. She took what she referred to as her "half-way" form, three tails flicking as she thought. "Maybe," she said eventually, "but I would need to be vague about it--since I don't actually know who these people are or what they look like, my illusions won't either. I could maybe lure them away from the main camp with, like, generalities. Footsteps in the trees, voices, shadows, that kind of thing."

[MadEmperor]

Kah nodded. "That should keep their attention divided long enough to gain an advantage."

He looked at River. "You and Zeldrinn should start picking off as many as you can with arrows, then Thrax and I will charge in once Hanako starts her show."

"Any suggestions?"

[DragonSong]

The group exchanged looks, then nodded. "That all sounds good to me," Hana said  with a quick grin.

The two named archers gave nods of their own. "You should fall back once the melee starts," River suggested to the half-elf.

He gave her an arch look. "Wouldn't have thought of that. Thanks."

[MadEmperor]

"Then let's take our positions," Kah declared.


A pair of bandits on patrol crossed paths on their circuits around camp. They were bored and itching for action, anything to stop patrolling. Unfortunately, they were never to see it, as a pair of arrows took them out in a synchronized display of expert marksmanship.

If the team moved quickly enough, there wouldn't even yet be an alarm. But as Kah and Thrax attempted to hide the bodies, the alarm was raised. They had been seen.

[DragonSong]

Hanako had circled around to the more heavily fortified side of the camp, and when the alarm went up she sent out her illusions, the sound of a dozen or more people creeping through the trees, flickering shadows accompanying the noise.

The bandits seemed momentarily confused, but then someone snapped a command and their forces divided, half forming a wedge to approach Hana's illusions, the other half heading toward the fallen guards.

River lined up another shot, knowing she needed to take advantage of their range while they had it. Kah, pull back,  wait until we thin them out before you engage.

[MadEmperor]

Kah acknowledged her, and the two fighters pulled back. The half headed their way came upon the half-hidden bodies and fanned out to hunt down the enemy. Zeldrinn took out on with an arrow, and all hells broke loose as one glimpsed the ranger and shot back. They charged his position, protecting a mage in back as she charged up a fireball.

[DragonSong]

Damnit!

River managed to take down one of the charging bandits with her bow before they were too close. She dropped the weapon, taking wolf form and leaping forward to bowl over one of the fighters who had hung back to protect their mage.

Hanako, we need some help back here!

Working on it!

[MadEmperor]

Zeldrinn struck the mage in the shoulder, disrupting her spell, which exploded in her hands. The blast knocked over the other fighters swarming towards River.

Alerted by the blast, Kah and Thrax joined the fray. Thrax played a magical riff to energize the team, while Kah froze an archer's drawing arm with a breath attack before tail-swiping another.

[DragonSong]

As she snapped and snarled at the fighters around her, River called again, Hana! Any time now!

Nothing.

No response.

The wolf looked around for her mate, even as she bit down on a swordsman's calf and brought him down with a scream.

Kah! Where's the fox?

[MadEmperor]

Kah took down the archers as Thrax swung his large axe through one of the fighters. I can't get her to respond either. It's making that suspicious part of me go crazy. Do you think she sold us out?

Thrax chased down the one of the last two fighters, who had decided to run. The bard played a violent riff, causing a bolt of lightning to fly from Stormsong and strike his target down. "Nobody can resist the power of the mighty Thrax!"

[DragonSong]

I don't know, but...

There was a sound, floating incongruously over the din of the battle. Light and airy, it was...music?

River found herself slowing, then stopping, turning her head toward the sound. What...is that...?

She felt suddenly heavy, sleepy. Behind her, Zeldrinn seemed to be slowing as well, blinking and shaking his head as though trying to clear disorientation.

[MadEmperor]

Thrax staggered mid-swing, the final fighter scrambling away before he, too, became sluggish.

Kahroan wobbled on his feet and dropped to his knees next to River. "Some kind... of... spell..."

Thrax shook his head. He couldn't concentrate enough for a bard spell, but maybe...

Maybe...

He strummed his axe-lute next to his ears, temporarily deadening his hearing in the hope to resist.

[DragonSong]

River whined and shook her head, trying to clear it, but the music seemed to have seeped into her mind.

...now...move...

She shook her head again, pawing at one ear.

Move!

A massive vulpine shape slammed into her from the side, knocking her out of the way of a swipe from a wickedly curved shortsword.

Hanako took her more humanoid shape , ears pressed flat to her skull and her hands pressed over them. She gave Thrax a quick, approving nod, but didn't speak: she seemed to be too busy belting out a bawdy tavern song at the top of her lungs.

And, amazingly, River felt her head start to clear. Enough that she could stagger toward Kahroan, growling, We can't fight like this, we need to fall back.