It's been one, ONE whole entire day since Alis gave the orders that the tunnel is to be watched and anyone who comes out be captured. So far only one person has been silly enough to try and exit that way. They were promptly rounded up and sent off. Meanwhile, the cluster of Abandoned that are squatting in the keep have given no indication that they plan on leaving. In fact, a crudely done banner has been left to flutter over the walls of the keep. It's actually a Laurent banner. But someone put a big red X across the honeybee. Rude. They also painted the head of a dragon next to it and the dragon has a twirling villain mustache. - Meanwhile, down at the pond our current group of adventurers is close enough to see all of this activity as they keep an eye on things and search the pond area. There's another cluster of buildings in one direction, an abandoned apiary and also the pond itself.

Genevieve checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 25 higher.

Norwood stands staring at the desecrated Laurent banner, his expression flat and serious. Abruptly he turns away from it and works towards the pond itself with their small group. "Genevieve floated the idea that there might be a network of tunnels beyond just the one. Watch carefully - especially for white flashes and laughter." Norwood nods towards the Apiary, "That might be our safest bet to see if she might be right."

Norwood checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 36 higher.

Genevieve checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 20 higher.

Jonathan stands tall in his blackened, thick steel plate, his bill hook over his shoulder as he stares at the banner. "Going to tear that down with my own hand," He says quietly, seeming to be a simple, firm promise as he lets the others do the checking, really. If it isn't about plants or animals or fighting, it doesn't seem to be his domain. But he does stick fairly close to Norwood, the squire trailing after his knight as a dutiful one should.

Genevieve also stands near to Norwood, nodding silently at his words. All the while, she's running a searching gaze across her surroundings, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Her posture, always upright, seems quite relaxed at this point in time, though there's a small frown about the 'white flashes' of which Norwood speaks.

"It always comes back to the birds and bees, doesn't it?" Aric Keaton chuckles softly and stays near the small group. A late addition to the adventure, the Keaton Lord finds himself in familiar territory, as in, neck deep with no clues and just his wit and skills to get him by. Another day ending in a Y. He eyes the banner hung on the wall fo the keep and fights back a grin while eying the upper walls for movement before his attention gets pulled to the apiary. "I can go check it out real quick, if you'd like?"

"Let us not be too hasty fellows." That's Daemon, coming up along the rear of their motley crew with a hand settled upon the pommel of his diamondplate blade. "Diplomacy may be out of the question, but they do have quite an advantage being they are behind many gates and doors of stone and rock. I am not quite proficient in scaling walls as I may like." He raises a finger up to emphasize his point. "I spied a many bit of those flashes when I was wandering outside yesterday. Most of the time I thought it looked vaguely like a person. Slender, like a woman. But I wouldn't trust my eyes at that distance. Still." He glances between each of them in kind. "Plans?"

Norwood wields Queensguard the Sword of Laurent.

Jonathan wields echoes of the Oakheart Wood oathlands steel billhook.

Daemon wields Radiance.

Genevieve wields a well-made recurve shortbow .

"I have no doubt that they are taunting us." Norwood says in return to Daemon calling for for calm and diplomacy. The older knight nods towards the Apiary again, the nice place where the bees once lived. "It looks long abandoned, but if there were to be signs about their intentions towards the Laurents I would not put it past these Abandoned to do it about where the Laurent symbol is so visible. If we find nothing there I believe we should head towards the buildings, carefully, as Geneveive thought she saw movement there before."

Aric checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 15, rolling 20 higher.

In addition to Norwood's words, Genevieve's adds, "I did. Yet was so strange. When I moved closer, there was this clattering sound, but when I looked around there was no sign that anything had been disturbed. Maybe a door or hatch being shut?" She chews on the inside of her cheek.

Genevieve also adds, "That apiary. Piles of wood. I don't know, something odd about it." She frowns.

The banner flutters, seeming to taunt them from the side of the keep where it hangs. On the top of the battlements they can spy the occasional bit of movement, but this seems to be a real live bodied person. They're keeping watch now that they know the Oathlanders are moving against them, a foolhardy attempt to try and keep this place as unrealistic as it may be.

Aric lstens more than talks, letting the Laurents decide on the next action and slips back from the group until he can slip into the shadows and follow along quietly. He begins a slow circuit out from the group and around to flank the apiary from the side around the time they arrive near it. His footfalls are nearly silent as he clings to any shadow or camoflage available along the way.

"Well, let's check out the Apiary then, maybe have Gen and Lord Aric check it out quiet-and there he goes," He murmurs as Aric just disappears off into his circuit, setting himself up to where he can't be seen from the place, but is within quick sprinting distance if Aric starts squealing or doing something else awful-sounding that means he needs help.

"No doubt." Daemon replies back to Norwood. "Hence why we should remain settled as they do not draw us out of clearer heads! We should be cautious of who could be lurking within the tunnels as well." He gestures with a gauntlet across the open space around them. "We'd ended up face to face with a whole group of Shav. Not too bright I should say, but no less dangerous." His eyes move back to the keep, with its desecrated banners flowing in the breeze. "Do you suppose it would have been better if there was an army here with us?"

"Abandoned boxes don't rot like that, not in the time which they've been abandoned. Honey is a preservative." When Aric is GONE Norwood eyes where the man departed at and shakes his head before setting out towards the Apiary. Norwood at LEAST knows what beehives SHOULD look like. "We had an army last time we came to reclaim Duskshire." The knight's tone is flat as he responds to Daemon in a low tone.

And since that seems to be to way Norwood's going, Genevieve follows. He's the one in charge, and the one who knows about beekeeping, so his observations are to be taken seriously. As she walks, she keeps an eye on her surroundings, looking both for any flashes of white, any hidden doorways, possible ambush spots and tracks that might be of note. Basically anything that could be helpful, using all her senses to discern such things. Her steps are light upon the ground, her grey eyes attentive. She doesn't speak. She's there to be the eyes, ears, and to shoot things.

Pitter, patter. Pitter, patter. Pat. Pat. Pat. Patpatpatpatpat.

Genevieve checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 17 higher.

Norwood checked perception + agriculture at difficulty 15, rolling 29 higher.

Jonathan checked perception + agriculture at difficulty 15, rolling 32 higher.

Genevieve checked perception + animal ken at difficulty 15, rolling 13 higher.

"This was an APIARY." Norwood sounds more affronted by this than he usually does by people being dishonorable. "Not a //duck pond//." Norwood steps back as he spies alllll the ducks ever.

Jonathan checked perception + animal ken at difficulty 15, rolling 14 higher.

Genevieve lightly mentions, "To be fair, Sir Norwood. There's a pond nearby."

Norwood, Jonathan and Genevieve catch sight of the ducks first. Hungry ducks. Ducks that sense people are wandering around the apiary and might have something to /feed/ them. They're wild ducks, sure. But they're wild ducks that /someone/ has been feeding.

"Oh... Well... Ahem." Daemon clears his throat rather awkwardly at that clarification, settling in behind the rest of the party for now. Lest he accidentally muck something up. The sudden onslaught of yelling that occurs when... ducks? Actual ducks coming to pitter-patter around. The knight can only look on as they all swirl around. "I do not speak duck."

Daemon checked charm + animal ken at difficulty 15, rolling 13 higher.

"I think we can rule out the Apiary...." Norwood says slowly as he kicks out a foot to try to scare the ducks away from him. If that doesn't work he'll go into his bag, get out some bread and just chuck it over their heads. GO EAT CREATURES.

Jonathan grumbles quietly as the ducks approach, seeking food....And removes a little bit of feed from his back in the form of carrots and grapes. It'll work, right? And he flicks the food off toward places that are /away/ from the armored group of men and women. Without consulting anyone, unfortunately, but thankfully near to where Norwood chucks the bread, just more quietly.

The ducks rapidly swarm the thrown food and devour it. Then they turn around and rush the party again, milling around their feet and quacking aggressively at them. Except for Daemon, whom they seem to really like. And Aric that they haven't noticed (probably because he didn't give them food).

With the apiary seemingly a bust, Aric makes his way around the other side of it to join the group again, popping out of the shadows as casually as possible while sidestepping waterfowl. "So, Sir? To those outbuildings next?" He slinks away from the ducks as best as he can, shooing them away with leatherbound feet.

Genevieve tilts her head and raises an eyebrow at the ducks, "Huh. Look at that one." She nods towards a particularly portly quacker. "Is it me or is it really fat? Looks like they've been eating well. Maybe a bit too well. Like someone's been feeding them." As the ducks rush in, she moves back a few paces, calm as can be. She doesn't seem to think they'll attack her (because she passed her check!) but maybe they will. Who knows. In any case, she just leaves the feeders to get mobbed. "Don't you think we should check out the logs, Sir Norwood?"

"Not until we can get rid of these stupid creatures." Norwood grumps at the animals who are absolutely going to ruin ANY sneaking the group of them try to do. Reluctantly Norwood pulls his sword (The rubicund one, Norwood ain't going to put up with that dishonor to Queensguard) and swings at the stupid birds converging on them. Not looking to //hurt// them but. "Sir Daemon, what is your secret?" For not getting mobbed.

"The Abandoned are probably feeding them, I would guess. Ducks are good eating, really.." He sighs, bending down and trying to calm the damn ducks and show no, he has no more food, so please leave, damnit. He doesn't stab any of them, he's not a monster.

"Ah, little ducks? No no, I am not your mother. Nor are there any breadcrumbs in this suit." Daemon protests as the ducks that surround him seem a might friendlier than those who were jumping all about the rest of the group. "Besides, whatever food I do have may not be palatable to your small stomachs. You, you there." He points out one particular duck. "I shall call you Jimbo. You will be the ringleader, please keep order. And you, you will be Jimbo's assistant. Auxiliary Jimbo." He waves his hands around as if the ducks were to begin organizing around him. "They are complicated creatures to understand, Sir Norwood! Perhaps I smell of a pond and bread!"

Genevieve chips in, "I don't think swinging a sword at them is going to help calm them!" She sighs. "With respect, Sir."

Norwood eyes Daemon but doesn't skewer any ducks right now, but he does keep some distance while mumbling quietly under his breath something something, "Bayberry..." something something.

The ducks slowly begin to realize that no one is going to feed them. Some of them peel off and start waddling back to the pond. Some of them quack INDIGNANTLY at Norwood but move along. And the two Jimbos stubbornly start to follow Daemon. They'll have a clear enough path to the outbuildings, minus some groupies.

"They do it because they are bloody idiots and hungry, Sir. Should go away, once they realize we don't have anything interesti-there we go." He nods in satisfaction as the ducks begins to disperse. "Don't miss ducks. Never liked ducks, the flaming idiots. Give me pigs any day." And with that, moves to follow the group.

Aric smirks as Daemon makes new friends and lets his pace slow so that he falls to the rear of the party, his eyes moving around the area, especially in the direction of the buildings that are the next stop on the Oathlands Tour. His voice kept low, "Want me to scout ahead again or stay back in case it goes sideways?"

Genevieve follows the group once again, still surveying her surroundings. Bow drawn, all attentive! Very scouty. There's a touch of a petulant frown playing across her features, aimed towards Jonathan as she moves next to him and whispers something in his ear.

With the ducks heading out Norwood sheathes his sword again and finally stops grumbling. Daemon's new bffs get a clear side-eye but no actual words. Turning his steps Norwood goes to lead the group towards those outbuildings. "Genevieve should go with you this time." Norwood says to Aric at his question. "Don't let yourselves be seen though."

Aric checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 15, rolling 18 higher.

Genevieve checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 15, rolling 21 higher.

"Well, you can have one of /those/ ducks then, once we free this place," He informs Genevieve with a faint roll of his eyes after the whisper, looking amused and vaguely tense as he gestures for her to go off with Aric, watching her go before he turns back to trump after Norwood.

Genevieve checked perception + survival at difficulty 40, rolling 8 lower.

Daemon checked perception + survival at difficulty 40, rolling 23 lower.

Aric checked perception + survival at difficulty 40, rolling 29 lower.

Norwood checked perception + survival at difficulty 40, rolling 19 lower.

Jonathan checked perception + survival at difficulty 40, rolling 11 lower.

"There we are. Even line my friends, we've a job to do. Careful not to step on your brothers and sisters!" Daemon informs his chosen right hand and left hand Jimbos, gesturing them to march along in orderly fashion with the rest of their duck compatriots that may choose to follow. "This is a good omen, my friends! The Abandoned with respect for the land would not run through innocent ducks I say. I will endeavor to learn more of this culture once our friends are safe and sound." He of course means the quacking ducks.

Aric nods to Genevieve and motions toward the buildings as he once move vanishes from sight and sound, moving silently towards the cluster of buildings. This time, he makes a more straight path, pausing occasionally to listen closely for any movement and to check back to make sure Genevieve is still close by his position. He moves to about five meters away from the closest building in in the largest section of cover close to it.

And so Genevieve follows behind Aric, as ordered and as expected. She finds her own spot of cover, standing with her back directed towards (though not pressed against) it as she narrows her eyes and turns her gray gaze around their surroundings.

It's unlikely that the ducks were a deliberate cover up but ultimately, they were useful. The group becomes largely distracted by them and all of their quacking and doesn't notice the cluster of shadows descending out of the treeline and into the dilapidated buildings. They use it as cover while they move closer and then suddenly, they strike. Daemon, Norwood and Jonathan are the first to be targeted by the attackers. It's a mixed group of no more than six attackers. They're using melee weapons and only one of them is heavily armored. Genevieve and Aric aren't immediately attacked and are spared this first round, as they were moving forward and attemping to blend in at the start. The ducks scatter.

Norwood checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 25, rolling 13 higher.

Norwood checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 7 higher.

Daemon checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 25, rolling 40 higher.

Norwood doesn't see anything at all until the attackers are on top of them. Dodging out of the way Norwood brings out Queensguard in a smooth motion and goes directly into defensive mode. Maybe something Daemon said earlier sunk in because Norwood doesn't counterattack once he gauges the level of their armor. Instead he calls out, "If you are not with those in the Keep we can resolve this peacefully."

Jonathan checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 25, rolling 21 higher.

Jonathan likewise doesn't notice the attack until suddenly they drop down upon him, but he reacts swiftly and expertly, ducking a clumsy swipe as he brings his polearm up and into a ready position, moving to go back-to-back with Norwood if he can reach him.

The charge of leading a group of little ducks comes with the price of distraction, and Daemon is /very/ distracted by his new purpose as a pack leader of said creatures. So much so that he'd had his blade lowered when the first few attackers broke ranks and took a swing! He spied them first from his peripheral. "Goodness!" With a quiet stammer, his blade comes up just in time to deflect the blow with a scathing wrench of metal grinding on metal. He shifts back several steps as Jimbo and Auxiliary Jimbo scatter. Radiance is raised now and he's backpedaling to fall into formation with Norwood and Jonathan.

Jonathan checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 25, rolling 33 higher.

There's no way that a din like that can't be overheard, surely. And so Genevieve has already pulled an arrow from her quiver with a lightning quick whip of her arm. Arrow nocked, bow drawn, aimed at the ambushers with one smooth action. Should any of them draw closer, or seem to be at risk of getting a good swing at her companions, she'll fire at an arm or leg, if possible, to disable rather than kill. If not possible, then kill it is. Really, though, she's more concerned that there might be archers among the ranks of their attackers. Her eyes scan the circle of space around her, alert. Calm, it would seem, but there's a hint of tension there. "What can you see," she quickly asks Aric, quiet enough that only he can hear. "Any snipers?"

Norwood checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 25, rolling 34 higher.

Daemon checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 25, rolling 19 higher.

"None yet, anyway. I'm going in closer to try to take one out. Keep your eyes open." Aric leans over to make a small profile and starts skeaning slowly and quietly towards the fray. Eying one of the assailants in lesser armor, he makes that one his logical first target and begins to stalk him like a lion in the bush.

Jonathan, meanwhile, goes back-to-back with Norwood and Daemon, leaving enough space for his lovely billhook to lash out and slap aside the enemie's defenses, aiming to stab the man trying to kill him and lessen the burden on all those around the group. "Stand down, in the name of the Compact, and you will be spared!" will they be? Who knows, but it seems a good thing to shout.

Genevieve checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 15, rolling 19 higher.

CLEARLY the attackers aren't listening to his attempt to reason so Norwood swings his sword to parry the one right before him and then go all STAB STAB at the bad guys. He's back to back with with his squire and Daemon now. Calm as a cucumber though, "LOOK, THE DUCKS ARE COMING BACK." Just to confuse the hell out of the attackers.

This probably doesn't come as a surprise, but when Norwood starts swinging Queensguard: "Sword of Artshall! GET HIS HEAD!" They don't want to negotiate and they're probably from the keep. The one in armor has painted the honeybee onto the back of his chestpiece and put an X across it. It seems entirely possible that they've found their artist. The six attackers surround the three men and essentially attempt to keep them so closely packed together it will make it harder to move and defend themselves. But they're not invulnerable, all of their hits make contact and blood begins to flow onto the ground.

Norwood checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 16 higher.

Norwood has rolled a critical success!
Norwood checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 25, rolling 107 higher.

Jonathan checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 32 higher.

Jonathan checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 25, rolling 42 higher.

Daemon checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 2 higher.

Daemon checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 25, rolling 31 higher.

Aric checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 26 higher.

Jonathan does /not/ take kindly to people threatening his Mentor, and so when the artist shouts, he turns his hounds-head gaze toward him and declares loudly, "YOU FIRST!"nd tries to stab the crab out of him, whether or not anyone was aiming for him, and never mind he might get stabbed in the back while he is aiming for this one person, he doesn't seem to care

If the bee critics thought that their battlecry would do anything to Norwood they ought to be very very disappointed. Norwood dodges the bow and comes back savagely with that Sword of Artshall and cuts the head clean off one of his attackers. Queensguard making it's awesomeness very very known.

Though Daemon had a moment of preaching for diplomacy, all of that is gone now that the fight has kicked off properly. The Oathlander's stance is disciplined, narrowly avoiding a cut from the right and then offering a counter swing to his left. He's quick for a man in armor, though not the quickest. Radiance's diamond gleam certainly helps him follow through with his strikes than armored grace does.

Aric stalks his prey, closer, closer still as they are obviously distracted by the three warriors. Not one to half do thingsin a fight, he takes full advantage of stealth and surprise to get off a strong attack on the leather armed Abandoned, sinking his dagger into meaty flesh and then spinning in a circle as he rips the blade out roughly and turns around to defend himself.

Perhaps it's unsurprising that when one of the attackers take a run at Jonathan, Genevieve aims her bow at that bastard. It would seem that her husband is too busy trying to end the career or a budding artist, however, so perhaps he's not as cognizant as he could be of the fact that there's a blade coming towards him. No silly tricks now. She's going to take wielder of said blade down. Shoot him in whatever soft spot that will end his life. How romantic!

The man immediately attacking Norwood crumbles to the ground under the attack from Queensguard, freeing up the Sword of Artshall to face another opponent or help one of his companions. Daemon and Jonathan strike true and wound their enemies, but they continue to fight on... for now. This round sees Genevieve and Aric entering the fight, something that surprises the group. The man that's stabbed by Aric is now forced to turn around and deal with him, while the man who has an arrow sticking out of his leg just howls in rage. Where did that /come/ from?

Aric checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 2 lower.

Norwood checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 7 lower.

Norwood checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 25, rolling 34 higher.

Daemon checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 18 higher.

Daemon checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 25, rolling 24 higher.

Aric checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 25, rolling 11 higher.

Genevieve checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 25, rolling 23 higher.

Jonathan checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 14 higher.

Jonathan checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 25, rolling 29 higher.

40 inflicted and Aric is harmed for minor damage.

70 inflicted and Norwood is harmed for serious damage.

Norwood overextended it WAY too far with the whole chopping the other guy's head off and it lets another Abandoned in. He takes a serious hit and is just going to go down, bleeding from a very very very serious stab wound. At least he gets a swing in before he goes down?

Jonathan spins and ducks, easily managing to dodge the enemies hacking and slashing at him even /with/ his steel plate on. He stabs out, still trying to skewer that damnable armored artist (who he assumes is the ringleader) with his billhook, sweeping and slashing in wide arcs to keep the enemy at bay. He notices Norwood take a hit and swears, "Oh, son of a club-footed shit farmer!" He of course goes to stand /over/ Norwood, daring any of those lovely shavs to try and stab him.

Daemon winces watching Norwood take that hit of his own, though it's only a quick distraction before he's beating back another foe. This time he leads with his shoulder, bashing one of them back as they come to attack while swinging the pommel of his blade to strike them upside the head. All parts of the sword can be a weapon with the right attitude!

Although prepared for the attack, the attacker catches Aric just a second off his feet with his flourishing after-attack turn and swipes at the Keaton's midsection, biting into a little flesh through the thick leather armor. As he grips his medsection, Aric slashes out wildly with the dagger, trying to hit the other in any body part that he can reach. Grunting loudly, he sticks something and then backs away a few steps to watch the other, eying his bodu movements closely to read the next attack before it comes.

Norwood rushes into his next opponent, bringing blood to the woman almost instantly. But she's fast, very fast. And she moves past his defenses and leaves him with a grevious injury. Aric has now been detected and while he manages another slice to the man he's fighting, they draw blood on him as well. Daemon and Jon are holding strong, even as their side is now nursing injuries. Daemon's attacker is nearly down. The man trying to flank her husband finds himself with another arrow sticking out of his armor and MORE blood. He howls now and turns, finally spotting Genevieve and charging in her direction.

Aric checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 3 lower.

Norwood checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 10 higher.

Aric checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 25, rolling 35 higher.

Jonathan checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 35, rolling 7 higher.

Daemon checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 6 lower.

Daemon checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 25, rolling 37 higher.

Jonathan checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 25, rolling 44 higher.

Norwood checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 25, rolling 16 higher.

Though she's distanced from the fray at large, Genevieve frowns deeply when Norwood, and then Aric, take hits from the attackers. She doesn't have much time to react, however. An enraged shav is charging at her, and so the only thing she can do is train her arrow on him. Narrowing her eyes, she aims with as much care as the situation afford her, hoping to get a hit on his sword arm before he reaches her. And if not? She'll try to duck out of his way, hopefully allowing him to crash into the wall behind her. Axes will be pulled from her belt, and she'll swing them at his head, either to kill or stun. Whatever works.

Norwood checked composure at difficulty 20, rolling 13 higher.

Jonathan gives Norwood the time he needs to recover, spinning and stabbing and slashing with his weapon and managing, just barely, to stay ahead of the blades looking to finish the job they started before neatly /stick/ing one of the attackers with the spear, business end of his weapon, trying to knock him out of the fight and even the odds.

Genevieve checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 15, rolling 11 higher.

Genevieve checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 15, rolling 12 higher.

Genevieve checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 25, rolling 64 higher.

Genevieve has rolled a critical success!
Genevieve checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 25, rolling 60 higher.

40 inflicted and Aric is harmed for minor damage.

65 inflicted and Daemon is harmed for serious damage.

Norwood slips in blood which is literally a lifesaver as the next blow coming at the Sword of Artshall misses. Turning that momentum into upward motion that has him stabbing at the woman who stuck her sword into him in the first place. He's bleeding pretty badly but not at all going to show it as he comes back to his feet. Just have to be faster than them. And more stabby... before he bleeds out or whatever.

Another hit and Aric lets out a grunt of pain as the metal slices into his left forearm and he stabs back at the Abandoned with a deep strike from low to high into the other's gut. Ripping the dagger out, he sidesteps away from the attacker and starts to look for an opportunity to finish the guy off for good finally.

Norwood is bleeding profusely but still fighting, Daemon ends his opponent but is now also bleeding. Genevieve proves why you never run at an archer that's far away while Jonathan is now about to be besieged by the person trying to behead Norwood and his own armored attacker from earlier. Aric is still fighting the man he stabbed, but he's looking as if he's starting to slow down quite a bit.

One blow slips through Daemon's defenses, biting down hard into one of his steel pauldrons and sending the man stumbling back. He lets out a cry of pain that is quickly hushed into a mere hiss as a trickle of blood begins to run down his arm. He's quick to return fire just as hard, using his good arm to lead his strike through as he drives the point of Radiance against the same soul who attacked him. It runs the man through, and his eyes are turning to the next.

Norwood checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 4 lower.

Jonathan checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 40, rolling 6 higher.

Jonathan checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 25, rolling 21 higher.

Daemon checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 25, rolling 13 higher.

Norwood checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 25, rolling 53 higher.

Aric checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 30, rolling 29 higher.

60 inflicted and Norwood is unharmed.

Aric checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 25, rolling 24 higher.

And Jonathan remains untouched somehow, still stabbing out just as viciously as before, his polearm a blur of motion as he tries to end these last two little shavs who thought they could actually /harm/ this party, and -wait, is everyone else bleeding?

With the release of the arrow, whistling towards the charging shav, Genevieve narrows her eyes. Although she skimmed his side, blood spluttering as the head slices through fabric and skin alike, he stills comes running at her with a roar of mixed pain and anger. By the time he's upon her, she's already pulled her axe, and at the last moment she steps out of the way to dodge his oncoming blade. Her attacker, fuelled by rage, skids to a stop at the wall behind her, and as quick as a flash she blugeons him across the back of the head with the flat of her weapon. He goes down like a sack of bricks, falling at the small woman's feet. Snoozy time for him!

Norwood is hit hard, but this time his very very nice pretty pretty awesome armor takes the blows instead of Norwood's poor poor poor body. He engages the female going at Jonathan with a pained grunt while calling out, "Daemon, can you help Aric?" Before Norwood has to go tell them a Keaton blood died here. Even if it is just Aric.

A little hurt and bleeding now, but more aggravated and frustrated than anything else, Aric goes for side strike with the pommel of the dagger to his guy's head, trying to subdue instead of actually kill the bastard. Prisoners are always good for information or trade, right? He slips under the latest attack and then swings his dagger arm around to the temple of the Abandoned with a good bit of strength and knocks his out cold to the dirt at his feet.

Norwood is /excellent/ at distracting people by having their swords get stuck in his pretty bee-knight armor, and he uses the distraction to just step in on the armored man and /clock/ him right across the face with the capped end of his polearm, aiming to knock out the leader. And really, for all his lack of beefy size, he hits /really/ hard when he has a mind to.

Radiance finds its mark a last time as his blade pierces the last who tried to break through Daemon's perseverance. Taking a step back, the platinum haired knight has to draw in a deep breath. His arm lifts up to observe the damage, blood having trickled from his shoulder all the way down to his fingertips and onto the dirt below. He flexes those bloody fingerIs a few times, just to make sure he wasn't utterly screwed. "Lord Aric, are you in pain?" He asks of, well, Aric after Norwood asked it of him! "I believe I may have packed some bandages from the House of Solace... Has anyone seen Jimbo or Jimbo?"

Quack, quack. Quuuuuaaaack. The Jimbos appear unharmed and /still/ lingering. Ducks are determined.

Norwood's gal is very very dead and Norwood takes a moment to pay attention to his wound. There isn't much to be done about it here except for Norwood to soldier on. Stepping forward painfully he kneels down next to the last two to fall to check for a pulse. "Search them." The pain makes Norwood more sharp than his usual commands. "This one is still alive, we're going to take him with us. Jonathan, are you hurt?" Norwood isn't going to rise right away, just look up at his Squire.

Looking grimly down at her friend the shav, who already has a nice big egg growing at the back of his head, Genevieve grits her jaw. She gives a quick wave towards the group with her free hand, but she's still on the lookout for any further ambushers that might come her way. That done, she places her axe on the floor, rips a long strip of cloth from the shav's torn garment, quickly and efficiently binding his hands behind his back. Has a ruffle through his clothes while she's there too. Who knows what she might find. Clues!

Norwood checked perception + investigation at difficulty 15, rolling 21 higher.

"I'm good, thanks. Just a few nicks and cuts. I'll be good until I get home and get some healing." Aric nods his head succinctly and sheathes his dagger after and good cleaning off of the blood in the soft dirt. He ties us the wrists of his unconscious attacker with a bit of rope and hauls him up to lean against a nearby tree. "So, two alive? Did I miss any?"

Genevieve checked perception + investigation at difficulty 15, rolling 28 higher.

Aric checked perception + legerdemain at difficulty 15, rolling 7 higher.

"I think Gen and I are the only ones /not/ hurt, Sir," Jonathan points out quickly, ensuring the two alive are tied up firmly and then turning toward Norwood. "Like you, Sir. You need looking after, sooner rather than later, from what I saw." He glances to Daemon, as the man mentioned bandages like he knew how to use them.

"Ah, there they are!" Daemon's spirit is reinvigorated as he spies his two new friends. "Come here Jimbo. You too, Jimbo. You did very well running from the danger. Very proud of you both! You'll be excellent leaders for your people in good time." He beams with pride at the pair of quackers, his eyes turning back to Jonathan to meet that look. "... Well I have /assisted/ in tending to the injured. But I am no healer. Just, know how to plug a hole in a human being that spouts bodily fluids one does not want outside of the body. If any of you need such, of course. Would be easier if I could sanitize my hands though... Ugh. What a breeding ground for germs a battlefield makes. Rotting corpses and all manner of blood from all different bodies."

Jonathan is quick to gesture to the rather substantial hole in Norwood's armor that he was totally wearing, and not just pants.

And a beret.

AND BOOTS.

Aric pockets something from the body he was checking and then lays it down to the ground gently. He doesn't look that damaged, really, the armor having taken most of the the brunt of it. Still there is some shiny spots where blood has dripped down his torso and wrist and he rubs it off with a handful of dirt before walking over to check on the others. "I'll be fine. I can't heal but if you need help with anything else, let me know?"

Norwood finds not a whole lot on the woman he's searching beyond a now bloodstained letter and a... sandwich? Yeah, that gets thrown in the general direction of the ducks. Just in case they want the food for being good not-dead ducks. "I'm fine Jonathan." Norwood retorts as he pushes himself back to his feet. "Let's get back to camp before we do anything. A dirty bandage is worse than continuing to bleed. Since you aren't hurt, you get to carry our new friend back." Congrats Jon! You're a packhose now!

Jonathan gives a long-suffering sort of sigh, as if he perhaps might have experience in his friends (or partners) giving him thankless orders a lot. He reaches down to snag the protesting shav and hefts them over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and with just about as much hardship, the polearm over the other shoulder.

It would seem that Genevieve is far, far stronger than a woman of her small stature has any right to be. Because soon enough she moves over the party with slow but steady steps, half-dragging the unconscious shave behind her, frowning with only mild exertion. One hand over her shoulder, dragging him by the neck of his shirt. (Good think he's not huge!) Her bow and quiver meanwhile are hooked over the other shoulder, axes placed back in the belt. The shav is dropped to the ground with a big thump as she reaches Norwood and the others though. "Oh my Gods! Sir Norwood!" Her face goes whiter than chalk, and wordlessly she hands a note to Jonathan.

"Genevieve, it's fine." Norwood puses himself to his feet and looks between Aric and Daemon. "Can the two of you make it back to our camp?"

Jonathan looks over the note, then nods to Genevieve. "Good work, dear." He turns, prisoner and all, and delivers the note to Norwood with a whisper to the man.

"Oh, me? I'm fine!" Daemon's smile is cheery, though flecked with blood. He raises his hand and wiggles his fingers again, which do still run-off with some precious lifeblood. "Haven't even lost feeling in my joints or a lick of my motor functions! Not yet anyway! That's a very good sign that this is a treatable injury!" He finally sheathes his sword and sticks his gauntlet underneath his pauldron where the wound is. "Oof. But it certainly smarts something awful I do declare!"

Aric checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 15, rolling 48 higher.

"Easily, Sir. I wouldn't want to race him back, but we can get there on our own safely enough." Aric rubs his hands together, gritting them clean with dirt and then wiping them on the thighs of his armor. He nods to Daemon and then to Norword. "I'll see you back at camp soon." and with that, Aric disappears into the grass and trees in the direction of the base camp.

Norwood looks the letter over and then raises an eyebrow at Jonathan. "Very well." Norwood will lead the way back towards the main camp without like... collapsing or anything.