Monday, December 4, 2017

Session 5 - Kohuru

After returning to Dabar and the others, we fashioned a travois from the Tiger Beetle carapaces and decided to press on a bit further before night descended, hoping that we'd find a more defensible location to set up camp. We followed the ayal tracks to the southeast until we happened upon an old ruin. It appeared to be a long-abandoned outpost of some sort, so we commandeered it. Just as we were settling down, Malak let out a terrifying roar. He said it was to warn his foes of his presence and call his friends to him. I don't know about that, but the trees above him did fill up with all sorts of night fowl. He's a strange one.

~~~~~

The night passed uneventfully, and Dabar ate a hearty breakfast. I think he's feeling better, but we knew we'd be there another day. We all made the best of it though. Arina had found some acacia trees the previous night and after searching around the tower, found some wild thyme to compliment it. I had found some writing on the tower, and Toara helped interpret it. It seems that this was one of three 'shields' securing the 'vault of the exiled.' The other two had fallen, and a dire warning had been added to the inscription that it was only a matter of time before they come. I don't know who 'they' are, but by the looks of the tower, the warning had probably been fulfilled. Malak also dug around in the tower and found an old backpack with some gold and such in it. I walked around the tower a bit and found takan tracks headed in the same direction as the ayal. We debated about pressing on toward them without Dabar, but in the end made the decision to wait till morning and try to catch up then.

~~~~~

When dawn broke, Dabar was in much better spirits and devoured everything we put in front of him, including some boiled tiger beetle juice. Malak had been munching away at the remains he brought with him and assured us that it was tasty, but based on the reaction Dabar had, I'm fine letting Malak eat the rest.

We pushed hard after the takan. The going was much easier with the takan tracks being considerably more obvious than the ayal, and by the end of the day, we could hear the norakan's raucous cries. We surprised them with our attack, and working together, we slew them all and emerged mostly unscathed.

The norakan's frenzy we had heard was because they had cornered the ayal we had been tracking and had been taunting and perhaps even torturing it. The poor thing looked absolutely terrified, but as soon as Arina released it from the net it was trapped in, it lay its head down on her lap. She spoke to it, explaining our need for its heart, and it bared its chest to her. The dagger's work was swift, and when the ayal's lifeblood poured out, I was almost knocked over by a sudden, fierce wind. It briefly swept away the smell of the battle and left us with a moment of profound peace.

I don't know exactly what I witnessed in that moment, but both the self-sacrifice of the ayal and that wind-blown moment of peace weighed heavily on my mind as we scavenging the norakan's bodies. We found quite a few valuable items, including a ring of invisibility, though we'll have to wait till we return to Densem or Sentem to determine their actual worth. Malak sampled some liquid in a vial we found and fell to the ground convulsing. I thought for sure the poison would take his life, but he climbed back to his feet seemingly none the worse for wear. He's made of hardier stuff than I am!

We're all pretty worn out from double-marching all day, so I think we'll make camp here and head back to town in a couple of days.

Sunday, November 19, 2017

Session 4 - Kohuru

The funeral service was a simple affair. It seemed that a fair number of the villagers were in attendance, though perhaps most were family members. Sari-Avi introduced the fallen as Kenesh and Nahi then handed the ceremony over to Dabar with a word about two having been taken from Densem and one having returned. Dabar spoke a good word over them. When he finished, Hagmed lit the biers, and the dancing flames snared my attention. This world may not be the place I had expected to find when I left the enclave, but even here death still reigns.

I don't know how long I was lost in those thoughts, but as the flames were growing smaller, Gann approached me and offered his house as a place where we could reside. He said that he has room to spare having lost his family and Alwain has not seen fit to expand it again. It saddened me that even such an act of kindness could not escape the painful touch of death. In hindsight, it was fitting that such dark thoughts crowded my mind considering where I was, but it is not like me to dwell on such matters.

I found Dabar and Arina in conversation and asked Dabar what his thoughts were on Gann's offer. He saw no ill-will or danger in it, so Arina, Toara, and I went there while Dabar went to find Malek.

Gann's house was a quaint place, and one I easily imagined having once been filled with the love and laughter that comes with a strong family. Instead, we slept quietly on the simple mats. Strangers, yet again, filling the space, serving as a reminder of what had been lost though hopefully providing a measure of comfort as well.

~~~~~~ 


We awoke early the next morning and my gloomy thoughts had been slept away. Hagmed had brought us some dried fish and after eating ravenously, I felt whole again, thanks to Dabar once again praying to Alwain on my behalf. As an added blessing, Gann's family had experience in the wood we were headed into, and he provided us with some direction on where to go.

Dabar led us quickly from Densem. I don't know what his hurry was, but he kept looking around and ducking when he saw someone. I don't know what his problem was - either he had an altercation while he looked for Malek last night or his eulogy had not been well received. Maybe that mystery will be solved upon our return. We left the village without incident and were soon in the woods.

~~~~~~ 


Malek keeps calling himself a bear and named his wolf Cousin, and until now I thought he was just crazy. But considering the way he led us along the Wuma Amwa, I'm starting to wonder if he might be telling the truth. His keen eyes had us find the pile of stones Gann had told us about, and I saw him catch a fish right out of the air as it jumped! Despite all my Hulathi training, I don't know if even I could have performed such a feat.

Turning South, he led us deeper into the woods, which grew denser and darker. Our progress continued to slow, and we began discussing when to stop for the night. We decided to press on just a little bit further when Malek suddenly halted at the top of a ravine. Dabar loudly called out to him, and before we knew it, a pair of tiger beetles were upon us!

Despite their size and speed, we made relatively quick work of them, though not before they had mortally wounded Dabar. Arina had pulled him from the jaws of one even as Malek slew it, but there's a hole where his eye had been, and were it not for the acacia resin and Arina's skills, he may have entered into Alwain's eternal embrace.

Having slain the beetles, Malek and I dug through one of the mounds in the glen, finding a beastman's hand (still wearing two rings). The glen bore evidence that we were not the only ones to have fought tiger beetles, yet despite that, Malek spotted tiny deer tracks heading South. Could it be an ayal? Also in that direction, though more southeasternly, was a very clear trail of mushrooms heading into the forest.

I don't know which direction we'll take, but I should get back to Arina and Dabar. He was such an aid to me after our last battle, that I feel I ought to do what I can to help him in return. And we really do need to set up camp somewhere…..

Saturday, November 11, 2017

Session 3 - Kohuru

Now that the skirmish was over, we gathered the fallen and tended to the wounded. While Malak tried vainly to take their champion's weapon from the wagon, we became acquainted with those we rescued: Hagmet, Albier, Beriti, and Zakar. They had been foraging for supplies to sell to Jepeth. Zakar's wagon of herbs had been taken, but the others were still intact. I don't think Hagmet will end up with much profit for the fish they caught for she has a voracious appetite! And one matched by Malak who also seems to be fond of dried fish.


Before burning the beastmen, or more specifically ratakan now that I got a good look at them, Albier and Malak harvested their ears for the bounty while I went through the little bit of clothing they wore looking for anything of value. I managed to find 17 oddly-designed black gold pieces and some sort of map. No one in the group was able to make heads or tails of it, but perhaps someone in Densem might.




We agreed to journey with the survivors back to Densem, and the rest of the night passed uneventfully. We each took our turn at the watch: Malak and Cousin taking the first, Arina and myself the second, and Dabar and Toara the third. That arrangement seemed to work out well, and we may decide to make that our nightly rhythm. I know I slept better knowing I wouldn't likely be slain in my sleep.

~~~~~~~~

We arrived in Densem where Zakar, who had been quite impressed with Arina's administrations, introduced us to Sari-Avi. We explained why we were there and what we were looking for; she was grateful for our helping the caravan and freely answered our questions. When I showed her the map, she reacted strongly to the marking of the black tree - said that she thought the beastmen tribe had been long wiped out. (It turns out that Dabar is originally from Densem and they all thought he was dead too, so I don't know how much stock to put into her claim about the black tree tribe).

She couldn't tell us for certain where the few remaining ayal roam, but she gave us a direction to start. When we told her about the ayal's rebirth ritual, she turned hopeful for it provided an alternate interpretation of an old prophecy. If true, she seems to think we might be able to restore all the ayal - not just the one we slay. She also gave us a number of doses of layona and directions on where we could find layona trees if we wanted to take branches back to Arashad.

There's to be a funeral later this evening for those we weren't able to save, and while we waited for that, I asked around the village about the map as well as to find someone interested in the black gold I had found. No one could help me with the map, but a man named Gann was willing to buy the coins. I might have been able to get more elsewhere, but he seemed eager to acquire them, so if we find more, perhaps we could get a better rate.

I think the funeral is about to start.

Monday, November 6, 2017

The Takan of the Zaharets

Takan (l) ­­– Takan is the Luathi term for all of the degenerate beastmen which the Priest-Kings of Muadah bred during the darkness which came before the current age. Although the takan take many forms and shapes, the Luathi classify the most common of the beastmen based off the roles they observed during their enslavement by the Kingdom of Sin.
  • Atakan – It is said that all takan possess a rapacious desire, but the atakan’s lust for flesh is legendary. The atakan stand nearly as tall as the giants, and they crave the flesh of men and hann alike. Strong enough to rip a horse apart, they are frequently found among the other takan, being used as enforcers.
  • Gadakan  Muadah bred these beasts first, as creatures of burden and labor. Their dim minds were soon kindled with hate, and they were released into the wild. The gadakan possess strong regenerative properties, only able to be stopped by Alwain’s light, that of the sun or fire.
  • Mavakan These were the foot soldiers of the Barak Barad and therefore the most prevalent. Their simian-like forms provide them with greater strength than the average man, and their cunning is no less fierce.
  • Norakan – These are the runts of the takan bloodline. Small and foul, they multiply even quicker than the rest of the takan. They live much of their lives underground, digging tunnels beneath the earth for the rest of the takan to use.
  • Oritakan These were the rulers of Barak Barad. Muadah filled the hearts of these takan with a dark and terrible will for domination, and they were the orchestrators of the Kingdom of Sin. All Luathi live in fear of the Oritakan, who brutally dominate the memory and history of the men of bronze.
  • Retakan  Massive compared to the oritakan and the mavakan, the retakan are terrors in the dark. They are patient, stealthy, and sly moments before they burst forth into an explosion of carnage. Many a caravan has fallen to the predations of the retakan.
  • Tsutakan The Luathi refer to these beasts as hunters of men. For every ten men who escaped the lash of Barak Barad, the tsutakan returned with the bones of nine of them. Tsutakan still roam the plains around settlements of men, seeking small groups to carry off into the night.




Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Session 2 - Kohuru

My name is Kohuru. I am from the last tribe of the Hulathi where we have been keeping ourselves hidden for thousands of years….since the time of the Three Kingdoms. Rumor came to our enclave that a new generation was rising – a generation that knew little of the great Battle yet still strove against the forces of Chaos. That rumor drew me from our mountain fastness and to the Plains of Aeco.

I entered the village of Sentem and encountered several other Jackals – those offering their services to protect communities, slay beastmen, and do those harrowing tasks that other commoners won’t. This group of Jackals were comprised of two Luathi (one outspoken and the other reserved), a Trauj (with a pet wolf he kept calling Cousin), and a Hann of all things! After a brief dialog with the gatekeeper (who told us of the current bids available), we agreed to gather our forces and seek out a missing ingredient that the ruler of this village, Jepeth, needed for a final attempt to heal him.

On our way to Jepeth’s house, I took a closer look at my companions:

Dabar was the outspoken Luathi. Dressed in armor from helm to toe, he had a radiance of one touched by the Divine.

The other Luathi was Toara, a Loremaster. She was certainly more reserved than her clansman, but she seemed to be very astute, taking in the details of the people and buildings that we passed.

Melek was a beast of a man who constantly kept muttering and clucking his tongue at the wolf beside him.

And Arina was a Hann. She made an attempt to disguise herself with a hooded cloak, but with as tall as she was, it was all but apparent her origins.

Arriving at Jepeth’s, we met Arashad, his healer, and discussed the details of the two missing ingredients. She was quite kind and gave us as much information as she could on what she needed:

One ingredient was the heart of a rare green deer, the ayal. This animal has been hunted to nigh extinction by the beastmen who crave their flesh more than that of humans. Arashad supplied us with a ceremonial dagger and instructions on how to properly slay the creature while ensuring that it would reincarnate in the forest later in the year.
The other ingredient is a fragment of Asoa’s Stone – a piece of the Hannic Moon Road. This road only appears at certain times of the year, and there aren’t any known sections, so we’d have to seek them out at night.

We decided to go after the ayal’s heart first. Atash graciously gave us some Acacia Resin to aid us in our journey and requested that we also keep an eye out for lavona trees. Its resin has medicinal properties that she would appreciate having a supply of.
Leaving her place, we gathered our supplies and traveled along the road to the South East, headed toward Densem. We are hoping that we will find rumors of deer-sightings or evidence of their passing in the woods near there.

~~~~~~~~~

On our second day of travel, we crested a hill to find a caravan being attacked by a horde of beastmen! Torn between chasing down the single wagon being carried off or rescuing the men and women in the other three wagons, we threw ourselves into the fight near the three wagons.

This was our first time fighting together, and I think we have yet to find our rhythm, but the horde was driven off, and the wagons rescued. Despite our victory, we did not emerge unscathed. Two of those in the wagons were slain, and I must admit that I had over estimated my own prowess. Ashamedly, I was struck fiercely and lost consciousness.

Disoriented, I found myself standing before a wind blasted plateau. The light of the setting sun glowed like the red of a furnace behind me. The howling wind did nothing to mask the steady dripping noise of my blood slipping free of my mangled left hand to the black sand below.

Before me, slowly being freed from the rock face by the storm, is a block of blackest obsidian. The wind pulled at the earth, forcing it away to free what lay beneath. Slowly, more and more of the stone was revealed, the block was revealed to have raised sides on three of its sides. As length of the back was drawn forth by the wind, I finally saw it for what it was. A black throne. On the seat of the throne was a twisted crown of black iron, marked with runic inscriptions unfamiliar to me. In my mind, I heard a cold voice, cold with the chill of the grave, "You will take it, or you will kneel."

The searing pain of Acacia Resin, applied by Toara pulled me from that place. I looked around only to find that the skirmish was over.

Taking stock of my injuries, I was horrified to find that my left hand had been mangled beyond all use....just like in the vision. I don’t know if my injury was from the massive club the beastman was wielding or if it had stepped on my hand after striking me, but I am no longer whole. I will have to adjust to fighting with a single blade and hope to find a decent healer in Densem.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Session 2 writeup, Dubar




Tonight marks the beginning of a new ACKS campaign set in +John-Matthew DeFoggi's bronze-age fantasy world of Kalypsis. I've been raring to play a full campaign of ACKS for a long time now, so I'm pretty excited about this, and the first session was about as fantastic as it could have been. We miss you, +Byron Bose!

I expect this to be a long campaign, and as usual I'll be writing it up as we go (hopefully accompanying each writeup with something special from an in-game perspective, as here). We're playing using the playtest rules for the ACKS Heroic Handbook, as well as some classes from the core book and Player's Companion, if you want to follow along at home.

A brief note on the cultures referred to below: Luathi and Trauj are both human cultures. Hulathi are the "men of silver," a sort of high-men culture (and the analog of the Auran Empire Nobirans). Hann are elves - or at least, elf-ish.

The Plains of Aeco: Session 1 - A Helping Hand

1st of Aecorach, Year of Falling Stars. 9th year of Sar Nasim’s reign in Ameena Noani

The five of us met in Sentem, a largeish village/settlement in the middle of the Plains of Aeco. Though each of us had come for his/her own reasons, all of us were seeking work as "Jackals" - the local slang for itinerant mercenaries and adventurers. The rumor was that one of the sons of Sar Jepeth, the lord of Sentem, was paying good coin for Jackals willing to kill beastmen, hunt the walking dead, and run more... esoteric errands. We are:

Dabar, Luathi Paladin and Bulwark of Alwain - Once a lowly shepherd from Densem, Dabar was given armor, a spear, and other blessings too by a messenger of Alwain, and commanded to take up those arms in the service of Law. Played by yours truly.

Kohuru - a Hulathi Mystic and Aspirant - Having been trained in the ways of the last remaining 'men of silver,' Kohuru descended from the distant mountains to see for himself the evidence of rumors that the age of Chaos had passed. Played by +Nick Johnson.

Arina, a Hann Spellsinger - One of the first Hann to have entered Zaharets in ages, Arina has come to the Plains of Aeco seeking rumors of a fragment of the ancient Hannic moon-road. Played by +Sophia Grace.

Malek Bear's Son, Beastmaster - Strange even for the Trauj, Malek was raised by bears. Actually raised by bears. He is accompanied by his wolf, Cousin. Played by +Benjamin Feehan.

Toara the Learner, Luathi Loremaster - Toara is a good-natured, bright-eyed young Loremaster, come all the way from Ameena Noani to learn what secrets are hidden beneath the Plains of Aeco. Played by +Jessica Feehan.

We had heard that the Gerwa named Ba-en-Nafer would be the person to contact about work, and luckily we found the dark-skinned man sitting in the gate of the village, helping the village elders adjudicate matters of property disputes. After waiting our turn to speak to him, we learned of three possible tasks for which the son of the local Sar would be willing to pay us: - Bounty hunting of the Beastmen near Bar'tak Kentak (worth 40 GP for anyone who came back alive). - Investigating rumors of the walking dead near the ancient fortress of Orsem Val (worth 80 GP for the whole party). - Working to procure rare ingredients for the local Loremaster, a Luathi woman named Arshat. These ingredients were needed since Japeth, the local lord, had been afflicted with a dread illness. Arshat had been working for some time to concoct a cure based off an ancient Hann tablet, but she still needed two extremely rare ingredients: the heart of one of the green deer of the Aeco Wood (deer which, if they give their hearts willingly to their hunter, will reincarnate again the following year) and a piece of the ancient Hann moon road, said to have fallen somewhere in the A'hule Asa mountains to the north. There was no fixed price on this quest except to say that we would be "greatly rewarded."

After some discussion amongst ourselves, we met with Arshat, and learned of the ceremony (and acquired the knife) necessary to slay the green deer properly. Then, after a bit of preliminary shopping, we set out towards Densom, following a well-worn track through the plains of Aeco. It would take us a day and a half to reach Densom, but we had not traveled far before we came upon a caravan that had been ambushed by huge, hulking beastmen, led by an especially ferocious Beastman chief. 8 beastmen where attacking 3 wagons which had been circled, while another 6 beastmen were already some way off with another wagon. Dabar's righteous spirit rankled within him to see the creatures of chaos plaguing the good Hulathi merchants and farmers, and as he readied his spear for battle he made this prayer:

"O great Alwain, you who led me from my sheepfold into the sacred gove, who hung these arms upon the mighty cedar, who wreathed his messenger in cloud and by his hand blessed these limbs to ward them from blade and pestilence, speed now my spear to do your will. If you grant me victory this day I will offer upon your altar three yearling rams and three sheaves of barley, and I will pour out a votive of wine to you upon this field of battle. Lend strength to my arm, Giver of Law."

Charging forward, we attacked the nearest group of 8 beastmen, Dabar slaying one with his spear on the initial charge. There were a few rounds of tense combat, with the farmers defending themselves (felling two of the beastmen, but also suffering three casualties in the process), and Melek and his wolf Cousin charging into the very thick of the fray. Arina peppered the beastman leader with arrows while Melek and Dabar challenged him head-on, cousin wounding the champion badly. Even the loremaster Toara got a hit in, striking one of the beastmen between the eyes with her staff and slaying it with a single blow! Kohuru faired less well, fighting valiantly and even going into a battle-trance before a series of heavy blows (and a fumble) stretched him out on the sward.

Arina stepped in to heal him, spreading acacia sap over his wounds to close them. He was saved, but his left hand was irreparably crushed - a particularly heavy loss for a man who had wielded a pair of twin blades. But the beastmen had suffered heavy casualties from our party and from the farmers, and now began a fighting retreat toward the wood. Exulting in his victory, Melek charged their leader again, who met him this time head-on with his mighty horns, stretching Melek out on the ground. Dabar shouted as he charged forward, cleaving the leader's head from his shoulders in a single blow, and the remaining beastmen fled. The day was ours.

As Arina saw to Melek (who it turns out had only lost a couple of teeth), Dabar first used Alwain's gifts (his Lay on Hands ability) to restore Kohuru, then placed the beastman champion's head upon the tip of his spear and poured out a Votive offering to Alwain...

The Battle-song of Dabar, Bulwark of Alwain

Alwains' servant was a shepherd -
kept a flock of grazing she-goats,
tended ewes among the cedars -
When there chanced a kid to wander
far from safe and verdant pastures
to a grove of ancient cedars.


In a grove of ancient cedars
Alwain's servant came a-wandering
seeking there a bleating she-goat.
In a grove of ancient cedars
there was hung the ancient armor
blessed by Alwain, hung for ages.


"Take the armor, holy shepherd,"
so the unseen one commanded,
filled the grove with smoke and fire.
Then he blessed the hero's body,
warded from it blade and sickness,
hallowed by the hand of Alwain.


Now that Shepherd swears to slaughter
Three young rams upon your altars
Sheaves of barley, burning votives.
These my vows, and I will pay them,
Only give me help in battle,
Only guide my heavy spear-shaft.

Monday, October 23, 2017

Session 2, Arina

The five adventurers find Ba en Nafer, a man with white hair and dark skin, in the town square settling a dispute.
Arina stands nearly a foot above everyone else in the crowd but one. She is in a hooded leaf green cloak, and carries a bow and a gnarled oaken quarterstaff. Lavona carries a book and looks eagerly from face to face. Malak, dressed only in a skin loincloth, has his wolf by his side whom he calls Cousin. Dabar stands in his bright armor, a bastion of Truth Justice and Righteousness. Kohuru, stands a head above the crowd, and even a bit taller than Arina.

Kohuru

Dabar, Bulwark of Alwin

Malek

Ba-En-Nafer asks what the five are in town for, and tells them of some difficulties the town is having. He offers:
80 gold Orsem Val and prove that it is free from the dead,
scout out Bar'tak Kentak--40 gold apiece for those that make it back,
 ingredients for Nabal's Cure are worth hundreds apiece. Arashad is the woman to talk to about it. The company decides to help the leader of the town by finding the cure to his illness. .

Dabar knocks on the door with the hilt of his spear and Arashad answers. She is glad for help finding the ingredients. At the start of the year, during the sacred times, Japeth fell ill. He is not young--but neither elderly. She was unable to do anything to help. He is withering away, and the best she can do is keep him comfortable. Even Nabal's prayers had no effect. As part of the rennovation two months ago Nabal found scrolls for the driving away of the spirits of disease. We have been gathering the ingredients ever since. All that are left to recover are the most difficult ones. The heart of a green ayal. The Aco deer are very rare, and special to the woods. They are prized by the beastmen. I'm told that if the need of the hunter is great and the correct beast cut is delivered, the deer will return in the new year. There is a prayer to Alwayn--" She pulls a long narrow blade from a drawer, "You are to say the prayer, explain your need, and the ayal will bare it's breast to you and you have one chance to strike. If you do it will be reborn later in the year."

Arina and Kohuru reveal themselves to the others, to the surprise of the others. Arashad seems more hopeful of the outcome of their mission. She gives the tablet with the prayer and the dagger to Arina, along with four doses of acacia resin. It comes from a plant called  Lavona, it has resin that can be chewed like gum. It can be burned as an incense to ward against evil spirits, or chewed to neutralize poison.
Lavona

The party quickly purchases supplies, and Twara attempts to cast a ceremony into a trinket but fails and is unable to use magic until she purifies. and heads toward Desim. As they are crossing the plain they find three wagons circled and being attacked by 8 beastmen. 9 Luathi are desperately trying to fight them off, while another 6 beastmen are dragging a fourth wagon toward the south.

Dabar says a prayer as he readies his javelin. Malek sneaks up to a nearby beastman and attacks it, but fails to do any damage. Dabar takes advantage of the distraction and drives the spear through the beastman. Kohuru spins in with swords flashing and strikes two mighty blows to another beastman while one of the Luathai takes another one out with a spear. Arina sends an arrow speeding at the leader, and it buries in his chest. He pulls it out and gives a guttural shout as he bites off his own flesh from the barbed tip.
A beastman attacks Kohuru with a small tree and he looks like he is about to fall, but instead keeps his feet and remains. He moves in with his sword, and the beastman throws him off kilter with the tree.
Twara charges in with her staff and tries to beat the beastman. He turns and snarls at her as she lands another hit with her quarterstaff and there is a crack as his skull breaks. Malak distracts the beastman leader and Cousin, Malak's dog, rips at his throat. Dabar charges him.

Kohuru is attacked once more by the tree-beastman and crumples to the ground. Arina hurries to him and applies the Acacia resin. As he comes to she realizes that his hand has been crushed. He is dying.

The rest of the party hurries after the now retreating beastmen. Malak first, but not fastest. The beastman leader turns and grabs him by the arms and headbutts him. Dabar is just behind him, and shouts, "Malak, No!" There is a swift glimmer of deadly bronze like a sharp, dark, deadly sunset.

Dabar lays hands on Kohuru as Arina heals Malak with some acasia resin--he has lost a couple teeth. She is able to heal two of the wounded commoners also.

Note: Remind Dabar to buy goats back at town. Sacrifice time.