Tiny Tom arrives, following Sparte.

Reese is here in her silvery steel plate mail, looking like a shiny tin can with lots of bling. She is perched upon her horse and has a horde of Grayson forces behind her. She waits for those who are going to patrol to arrive. The princess doesn't plan on going with them, because she is a Grayson like that that sometimes!

Conker, the Ornery Red Squirrel arrives, following Joslyn.

Reese is here in her silvery steel plate mail, looking like a shiny tin can with lots of bling. She is perched upon her horse and has a horde of Grayson forces behind her. She waits for those who are going to patrol to arrive. The princess doesn't plan on going with them, because she is a Grayson like that that sometimes! (repose)

Hair done? Check. Teeth? Check. Other stuff? Sure. Rickard doesn't go out looking to die, but if he's going to die, he's going to look good doing it. Hopefully his armor will protect him. If not.. he'll go down swinging. The wicked-looking blade sheathed at his hip should help with that. He posts up near Reese, and offers a confident, (hopefully) reassuring smile. Go Team Grayson.

Sparte is dressed down to his casual garb. Not the big armored iron guardsman usually seen, his garb is simpler and unimposing. A coarse tunic with trousers cut from the same bland cloth with his belt to hold them up, wooden sandals and a red bandana on his head for a splash of color. Of course he still brought a sword, a great big two-handed rubicund thing on his back. Sparte yawns into the back of his hand, giving Reese a friendly if groggy smile. Seems he volunteered to go with, if only for a chance to get out of the city.

Ainsley wields Catsclaw, a rubicund longsword.

Rickard wields Ebon Hilted Blade of Woe.

Ainsley puts a silver volto with pale blue stones in A sword crossed griffin backpack.

Luca the Lazy's there with his wife, looking almost sleepily bored in practically his usual clothing of calfskin and linen, but at least he's got a dark cloak thrown over it and his matched viper-pommeled swords rising from panels in it from backsheathes. He's also atop a stubbornly sedate big black warhorse and has a small retinue following in his wake. "Tellin' you love, if we go all the way out there and see nothin' but dead trees, I'm going to pout fierce-like. The pouting. It will be terrible."

Ainsley is on a horse. Some Grayson horse, that Tristan will probably kill him if he gets so much as a nick on the horse. Ainsley sits uneasily ontop of the horse, dressed in his pale rubicund armor. His rubicund blade at his side rather than Threnody now that the Siege is over and abyssal horrors aren't attempting to end reality.

Joslyn arrives, blinged out in her silky leathers, and her deadly hairpins hiding beneath the leather hood she has pulled up over her head with watchful eyes keepying an eye open. She gives a smirk over in Luca's direction, shrugging her shoulders. "What exactly are we expecting to find out there?" she asks.

Violet arrives not far from Tobias. She has her bow with her, and she's wearing her own less shiny armor. She doesn't stick out very much, and she looks around with a serious expression.

Coming up to the Grayson camp with ten Crimson Blades behind him, Tobias is atop Oak, his War Horse. He himself wears his blood red armor with Crimson Cape, while the rest of the mercenaries wears the Crimson Blade tabard over their various armor. With Tobias in the lead, the rest of the Blades ride along in a twin column as they stop in front of Reese and company, "Lord General Telmar and a section of Crimson Blades reporting. This is the patrol camp?"

Reese removes her helm, revealing her golden locks, pink ribbons and pretty face. She has a smile for those who arrive, certainly seem to know them all. She then turns to Luca, giving him a playful smile. "You might find nothing. Sometimes you find nothing on patrols. Anyways, I am going to head toward the north east with the my forces. There is rumors of a twisted bear." She says and maybe she is stealing the fun kill for herself! Little does Reese know that sh will find nothing. "The rest of you go to the north west." She says and then loks over to Joslyn. "Well, I don't know what you will find, we haven't been out that way yet on my patrols. So you could run into animals twisted by Brand's left behind sickness or you could find rebel groups of Shav or you could find refugees needing help. You might nothing, I don't know." She murmurs and then smiles towrad Tobias. 'Oh, it is Lord General, thank you for coming."

Joslyn gives a little chuckle, eyeing Luca and Reese both, moving to stand beside them. "Well, don't you worry, Reese. I'll take good care of your husband. I'll either keep him from being run through by a Shav, or entertain him so he doesn't die of boredom."

Ainsley's gray eyes flick toward Tobias underneath his pale pink visor. He tugs a little bit on the reins of his horse, shifting uncomfortably. Nothing is said. He simply sits there on his horse, edging a little bit toward the north west already. But hey, impatient.

Rickard offers a polite bow to the Lord General as he arrives, and then to the other arriving royals. He offers a nod of acknowledgement to the other folks. "Hopefully we'll find something interesting out there.. though just walking around outside of the walls will be enjoyable in and of itself.." He shrugs.

"That is good. He does need to be babysat." Reese says while perched on her horse. Despite her words, she gives Luca a smile that is gentle and pregnant with affection. She has a smile for Joslyn and for Ainsley as they arrives. "I am going to now to the North west." She murmurs. The girl has lots of forces with her and they are good ones. She is not unprotected or alone should she run into trouble. "So, head toward the nothwest. Let me know what you find. Try to be a little discrete if you can. Don't kill any Shavs who are not hostile, but do what you have to do if they are." She murmurs. She has one last smile and then starts to trot off.

"I'm interested in surveying the forest anyway, so consider us guests along for the ride." Tobias looks to the others, then. "we'll keep up." Then, Reese asks for discretion, and Tobias raises a brow. "We're on horses, in armor, and fairly numerous. I don't think we're going to be hiding too well." Tobias just shakes his head, then, before he looks back over the Crimson Blades, "Looks like a straight patrol. I don't want any heroics. The elves and other unfun things might be out here."

Shanidin, a young warhorse have been dismissed.

Ainsley checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 6 lower.

Luca's letting out an exasperated sigh at this terrible talk of finding nothing, then a smirk to Joslyn's promises. "Holding you to that!" With Tobias arriving, Luca's nodding to the red-clad man and declaring. "Good, with Tobi's forces here, we're good. Off we go, hopefully before Ain or I get antsy and rush off on our own!" He winks to Reese then, leans in quick across to kiss her before they part, murmuring something, and then trying to get Gluefoot moving...failing miserably for first two attempts, then with much swearing and grumbling, onward he goes, apparently assuming the rest will be coming too.

"Watch your tone, Lord Telmar." says Ainsley, with a smile that is not at all friendly from beneath his visor, to Tobias. He then tugs on his reins, and begins in the direction Reese indicated they should go.

Reese did return the kiss. She seems to like Luca kisses. Still she heads off, leaving her husband behind. He will be fine! What could possibly go wrong?

Violet looks at the others here and gives them a nod. She turns her attention to Tobias as he speaks with her and the other Crimson Blades. "We'll pay attention Lord General."

Joslyn cheerily blows a kiss in Reese's direction, marching off alongside the others, keeping pace with Luca, whom she shoots a smile at. "Well, I am very entertaining. You remember the last time we met, that was fun, yes?"

Esoka rides up to the outskirts of the forest on her mount. A young courser who seems to want to //run//. Her rather firm hands on the reins restrain him to a brisk canter, though. "A good day upon you," she greets the others, as she joins the assembling party.

The forest lays in front of them, darkened from the trees despite it being daytime. The trees don't look at all that healthy. The party will walk (or ride) a and walk (or ride) for several hours before they run into a Shav encampment. About three large wooden homes are formed into a kind of circle. From the distance it is hard to see much else.

As Reese heads off, Rickard looks for another individual with whom to pair up, or at least stay near. Lone wolves rarely survive long in these parts, he's heard. He idly fingers his blade, ready to draw at a moment's notice, eyes surveiling the area.

As Ainsley gives Tobias a reprimand, Tobias him a neutral glance, before he gives a hand signal to the left, "Alpha column, keep perimeter for the camp. The rest of you, behind me." With that, five of the Blades break off and go into sentry positions, with the other column keeping up behind Tobias as they ride into the forest.

It's a long, long ride, and Ainsley keeps to himself mostly on it. His hand occasionally touching the hilt of his sword-- until they come across the wooden houses. He lifts a hand to motions to the others, "Hey. C'mon, lets check it out. Try not to come across as hostile or aggressive."

Joslyn still keeping alongside Luca, she eyes the apparent encampment, eyes squinting as she looks around, her fingers lifting the silk of her skirt to reveal a hidden weapon. The emerald dagger enters her fingers as she looks around, lips quirking again. "Friendly or no?" she asks. "Do we know this tribe?" Though at Ainsley's words she nods towards him, slipping it back into the hidden sheath, which goes back beneath her skirts.

Ainsley checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 8 lower.

Violet has little trouble keeping up as she follows along. She stays quiet for the moment and does her best to stay alert.

Luca checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 5 lower.

Esoka checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 7 lower.

Arik checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 10 lower.

Rickard checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 3 lower.

Joslyn checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 7 lower.

Tobias checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 13 lower.

Violet checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 5 lower.

Rickard checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 20, rolling 9 lower.

"Oh good. Well that's something at least more than a tree!" Luca's cheerfully murmuring as they peer through the blighted forest to find that set of buildings. He moves his stubborn horse up alongside Ainsley as they start towards them, laughing a bit to the non-hostile part, he looks back to the column of mercs then forward to the huts, and after a moment of peering about, brings his hands up to his lips and lets loose a truly ear-splitting shrill two-finger whistle announcing their position for half the forest practically. To whatever reaction he gets from his party members, he just gives a lopsided grin and shrug and offers up. "What? It's friendly to give warning of approach! And hey, maybe they'll come rushing out to try and kill us instead!" Wow. Did Reese say something about being discrete? This? This is not discrete.

Joslyn checked perception + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 12 higher.

Esoka's sword is readily apparent enough. There's nothing about her that's subtle. It's kept sheathed, though, and she nods to Ainsley's words about not appearing hostile. "The tongues of many of the Gray Forest tribes differ a little, but I can manage to converse with most who speak Crownlands shav'arvani." She eyes the houses but, for the moment, does not seem to think anything amiss.

Joslyn checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 20, rolling 14 higher.

Rickard checked perception + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 3 lower.

Luca checked perception + investigation at difficulty 20, rolling 3 lower.

Joslyn looks around, quietly stalking the surroundings as she lifts her hands to her eyes, peering in the distance. "Okay they're armed," she says. "And if their banner is any indication... they may be cannibals. Be on your guard."

Today just isn't Rickard's day for being stealthy or observant, it seems. He's finding it difficult to focus all that much on his surroundings, and no matter where he steps, his footfalls aren't quiet at all. He tries to make as little noise as possible, even so. Slow, low, and steady.

Hearing a call for attention, Tobias brings up a 'halt' signal for his column. The horses stop a good distance from the horses before Tobias hand signals for a line formation. Remaining silent, the Lord General simply watches from a distance for the rest to do their work.

"What's the banner?" Luca asks after Joslyn's words leave him looking a tiny bit embarrassed for his announcing of their presence with the whistle, a question given as he's squinting his eyes and staring off through the trees half-blindly, clearing oblivious to any such markings or people. Still, he's eager enough to be riding forward still barring Ainsley having stopped, apparently taking cue from him in this case.

Violet isn't the one to notice anything, but she does look in the direction that Joslyn mentions. She stays still and waits to see what might happen.

"Looks like it's a vulture feeding on human flesh," Joslyn tells Luca. "I mean... I don't know any /nice/ people that would have a banner like that."

Most of the party just see a few wooden houses in the distance and an abundance of sickly looking trees all around the forest.

The party is far enough back from the camp where it is hard to make out much. They are also far enough back to likely avoid notice, although one does never know. If they draw too much closer, it seems probable that the camp will notice them.

Of course Luca's whistle might draw notice!

Ainsley has not seen anything, but he turns in Joslyn's direction and frowns a moment. He motions to Luca and says, "Wait a second, Luca." He glances in the direction of Esoka and asks, "Dame Esoka, do you know of any tribes who have that banner? Before we head forward?" A glance is given to the other he draws himself upward, and though he doesn't draw his sword he does have his hand on the pommel, "Be on your guard."

Esoka checked intellect + occult at difficulty 15, rolling 3 lower.

Ainsley checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 4 lower.

Esoka checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 24 higher.

Luca checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 1 lower.

Violet has rolled a critical success!
Violet checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 11 higher.

Rickard checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 9 higher.

Joslyn checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 7 lower.

Tobias checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 3 lower.

Esoka grunts, as to 'armed' and 'cannibals.' "Well." That's not promising. "Banner's are made to be fearsome and it may be no more than that. Still. It is not promising." She shakes her head to Ainsley. "I fear I've not seen the like, your highness. Warleaders rise and fall in the Gray Forest like weeds. Some with darker impulses than others. I believe they've noticed us. Some are heading in our direction." She points toward the shavs. Her own posture is, at least outwardly, composed and not immediately aggressive.

Rickard attempts to get an eye on the banner himself, rolling through his compendium of knowledge, and coming up empty. He bristles, but regains his composure, when he notices the group seems to be heading his way. Great. Note to self, get better boots.. or learn to be more stealthy.

Violet stays alert and quiet as she tries to get a better look. She says quietly but loud enough for the others nearby to hear. "Some of them are coming, maybe fifteen or so."

"Alright." says Ainsley to Esoka with an inclination of his head. He curls his fist around the hilt of his sword but still does not draw it yet-- just at the ready. "Be ready." He tells the others, drawing himself up to his full height, back straight as a board now. "We've got orders to try and be discrete-- Don't attack until it's clear they are hostile, but be at the ready to defend ourselves. Gloria is with us, and we'll honor her in if this comes to blows. For Grayson, for the compact!"

Ainsley checked command + leadership at difficulty 15, rolling 5 higher.

In the distance Shav men are gathering up to head this way. The group has a couple of minutes before the band of warriors will reach them. Enough time for Ainsley to give his speech and the others to take a quick action if they wish.

Joslyn's lets her hood drop around her shoulders, fingers moving for her hairpins, playing with them idly. Her chosen weapon is hiddin in plain sight, and within easy reach, she nods to Ainsley. "I'm just here to stab when told to stab," she says towards him. "I'll await orders, or hostile intent."

Joslyn checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 20, rolling 2 higher.

"Crimson Blades, dismount and line formation. Lieutenant Marjawn, keep a distance and be ready to fire if they attack first. The rest of you, with me." Tobias draws Requiem from the scabbard as he waits for the four heavy infantry with him to get into formation, then gets into position near the Graysons to support their flank.

For his part, Luca the Lazy stays true to his oldest nickname and just stays seated there atop the stubborn Gluefoot, smiling a bit anticipatory,b ut not drawing his blade yet. To Violet's offer of count, he's looking over to her, peering out into the forest again, then looking back to her with an approving grin and quipping. "Good eyes. I'm not sure whether to be insulted by such small numbers, or assume it means they're coming peacefully." Apparently fifteen men sent against this size of group he sees as no threat in the least. Still maintaining his slouching seat while the shavs appear, Luca goes on to give Ainsley a fierce, similarly approving sort of grin to his words, not cheering to the amping up, bu t definitely murmuring a quiet "For Grayson and the compact!"

Tobias wields Requiem - an elegant, alaricite longsword with a spiral guard.

Violet nods to what Tobias says and takes some steps back. She gets her bow ready for if she needs it and waits as the Shav men get closer.

"Should be some good fun!" Joslyn pipes up to Luca as she moves to hide herself in the bushes.

"Gloria be with us," Esoka affirms Ainsley's prayer. Her posture couldn't be called lazy, but she also just remains on her horse. Blade not drawn. Yet. She remains steadily by Luca and Ainsley. Watching the approaching shavs with a steady gaze.

There are about fifteen adult Shav men and women between the ages of around eighteen and fifty heading in his direction. They are adorned in a mix-matched selection of leather clothing that isn't overly warm as summer is here. A skinny young man in his early twenties is flying a banner of a vulture perched on fallen human solider of compact. The vulture is eating the fallen man's flesh. Is that a Grayson solider? The fallen man is wearing green and gray at least. Five of them are on horse back. The rest are on foot. They have an assortment of steel weapons, including swords, spears and knives. Two women in the back have bows, with arrows notched and ready. It is odd looking leather armor they are wearing. At their head is a grizzled bear of a man on a horse who looks to be the oldest. He calls out in a heavy accent. "So what do we have here?"

Esoka checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 5 lower.

Rickard checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 11 lower.

Luca checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 11 higher.

Tobias checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 7 lower.

Violet checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 2 lower.

Ainsley checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 2 higher.

Ainsley checked composure at difficulty 20, rolling 5 higher.

Ainsley bristles when he sees the banner, and even more so when his eyes land on the leather armor. He starts to shake briefly, his hand jerking and the sword starting to slide of its sheath, but he gets himself under control a moment later and the click of the sword sliding back into place can be heard. He pulls his horse forward-- past Luca --so that he is at the front-- the target.

"I am Prince Ainsley Grayson, Voice of House Grayson-- you are on Grayson Lands, and if I am not mistaken that is human skin that makes up your leathers." He draws himself up to his full height and glares toward the bear of a man, "You and your tribe *will* submit to a search, and will turn yourselves in peacefully."

He throws all of his imperious Lark-impersonations behind his words that he can get.

Luca maintained a friendly sort of grinning indifference despite the numbers, the weapons, or the creepy banner. But when his eyes focused a little more closely on their armor as they approached, they narrowed sharply and his lips twisted into something more grimace than smirk. Despite that, he still hasn't whipped out blades. Instead he's calling out answer to the man with his tone sarcastic as the Abyss. "What we definitely are not is your next set of armor! Though if you decide to argue that point and manage not to die, I demand that my skin be made into lady's underthings instead of armor. I'm too pretty for armor!"

Normally, this would be the part where Tobias steps up, but instead, the Mercenary General just sits there in formation, unmoving and unspeaking as the Graysons start their intimidation contest. With sword at the ready, the Crimson Blades just hold position and wait... Tobias' cape fluttering in the wind slightly behid him.

Esoka's eyes narrow at the banner, when she gets a closer look to it. And, also, at the armor when Ainsley and Luca point out its...human-ness. "Well," she mutters to herself again. Luca's declaration receives a snort. She follows the lead of the Grayson princes in this, but her expression is turning grimmer by the moment. None of this is promising.

Sparte has been dozing more or less on his ride. A nip from the Stoat that has been secreting away in his belt brings him away with a small yelp, eyes glancing around as he seems to all at once realize he can't just let the horse do the patrolling bit without him - there are people! "Oh, hello." He gives an awkward grin, ears reddening a touch.

Joslyn remains silent. The claims that the leather are human skin has her grimacing, and she looks through the branches, her fingers moving, not to her hairpins, but to the emerald, diamondplate dagger that she wears beneath her skirts. Ready for the first moment when she can pounce, her eyes having already picked out her target, teeth bared and ready to go.

The Shav ladies keep their bows trained on the party. "Oh, he can be my underthings!" one of them calls out in Northern Shav and the leader scowls at her. He then speaks to Ainsley. "Of course, of course, your highness. If you would all join us at our camp?"

Violet keeps her eyes on the men as they approach as well as her bow. She stays silent even at Luca's words, but her eyes do look more toward their armor for a moment.

Joslyn wields Emerald Dagger of Entwined Serpents.

Ainsley was, not in fact, born yesterday. He smiles toward the leader, showing his teeth from underneath his visor, "No, my good man. You may come with us now, and perhaps the Lord General will send his men to inform your camp that you are coming with us."

At Ainsley's words one of the men calls out in Crownlands Shav, hollering back toward the camp. "Incoming, attack, Graysons!" There are probably still several men back at the camp. Violet realized this at very least with her alert perceptiveness. The Leader who has a steel spear and is on horse back then charges at Ainsley. The rest follow suit, besides the two archers. They aim with intent to fire instead. The one who spoke of wanting to wear Luca targets him. The other chooses out Esoka.

Luca checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 24 higher.

Esoka checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 50 higher.

Joslyn checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 42 higher.

Violet checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 15, rolling 24 higher.

Sparte checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 12 higher.

"Crimson Blades, prepare for incoming." Tobias orders as they charge, "Lieutenant Marjawn, pick off the archers, then use your judgment for targets."

Sparte wields a massive rubicund claymore with garnet inset guard.

Tobias checked command + leadership at difficulty 20, rolling 44 higher.

By some miracle, Luca manages to shut up after Ainsley's taking lead and so just sits there looking lazy and smirking, though his hands are notably resting loose of reins in his lap, waiting to reach for blades on his back the instant this goes sideways. The shav woman calling out does admittedly get a quick wink though. He may not have a clue WHAT she said, but he knows that tone well enough! Still, he also knows the tensions of combat-ready people. And when that big bastard started to speak, Luca started to move, pushing himself up from his stirrups in a flash, one leg onto saddle driving him up into the air from his horse, blades whipping free mid-leap, gleaming silvery alaricite in one hand, gleaming steel in the other, both apparently intent on cutting down that leader before the conflict has even really begun, arrows targetting him or not! He's moving like something demonic, cloak fluttering behind him like great dark wings and made all the creepier by his silence flying through the air, no need apparently for battle cries when the enemies called out the battle starting for him! And Luca shifts from Lazy to Winged Fox mode, he's grinning a predatory sort of grin as he slams into the horse-riding leader, blade slashing deep across his sword arm even while the Champion prince tries to carry him to the ground with the weight of his body and attack.

"You have an admirer," Esoka says, deadpan, to to Luca. Elaborating, as she approaches the camp, "Or that was a threat. She invited you to become her undergarments. I could not exactly tell how she meant it." Her humor's of the dry kind, and it doesn't dismiss the grimness in her eyes as Ainsley delivers that. She murmurs beneath her breath, the word 'Gloria' the only bit of it that's not in Crownlands shav, though it has the sound of a prayer about it. And, then, it's beginning. Out comes her sword, and she just //charges// the archer targeting her. She does not like being shot at. Her sword connects, and she reels her mount around to survey the scrum.

Hey, battle? Sparte can wake himself up enough to enjoy a good fight, surely. With a little kick he sets his horse moving for an intercept of the leader with the spear, trying to get his monster of a weapon unsheathed one handed. Realizing it won't come out in time he instead slides onto the side of the horse until he is riding completely side saddle, the blade angled up to catch the passing shav even as the horses kick dirt in his face. "Pfah! Pffft!" When Sparte rights himself his face is dirt speckled and he has lost the bandana keeping his hair from sticking out all a mess.

Violet while she has her bow already aimed she lets at arrow fly toward at the Shav closest to her. Her eyes watch with intense focus as she reaches for another arrow, and she seems pleased to see her first arrow hit it's target.

Ainsley checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 20, rolling 59 higher.

Ainsley checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 2 lower.

Joslyn charges out of the bushes, but instead of going for the leader, it's the cheeky women that offered to wear Luca around their lady-bits. Fierce expression on her face, eyes wild she charges in, ready for blood, and so she charges over, driving that first attack deep, though not quite enough to kill them, she grins as she laughs in their direction. "You won't be wearing me, ladies. I'm afraid you're not my type!"

Luca has rolled a critical success!
Luca checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 20, rolling 82 higher.

Esoka checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 20, rolling 13 higher.

Violet has rolled a critical success!
Violet checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 20, rolling 23 higher.

As the group charges, Tobias holds position with the rest of the Crimson Blades infantry. Waiting for perfect timing, Tobias calls, "sweep and clear!" As the horses and infantry try to hit their line. Instead, the Blades split apart to allow the momentum of the attackers to go by the line and attack with swipes so they literally charge into their own death. Three of the charges drop dead from the assault immediately, before they start to regroup for close combat. Tobias himself walks into the fray with a clank as he starts to chop.

Tobias checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 20, rolling 6 higher.

Sparte checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 20, rolling 48 higher.

Joslyn checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 20, rolling 33 higher.

Sparte checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 15 lower.

The band of Shavs are heavily wounded and three of them have been killed by Tobias' forces. They attack in return, but the party of Compact heroes is far too nimble to get hit in return. Luca and Violet even turn their dodges into further attacks that help to press their advantage. Luca fights the leader along with Ainsley. Esoka is fighting one archer and Joslyn is fighting the other. The crimson blades are focused upon the others right now. Sparte is up against one of the large Shav on horse back. It looks like the patrol party is going to crush this group of Shavs rather quickly. But are more coming?

Esoka checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 9 higher.

Sparte sways to the other side of his horse as he gets his sword out of the sheathe, managing to be missed in the process. That is a very big sword to be using on a horse, so it isn't a big surprise when he braces the hilt in the pit of his arm and puts a hand on the crossguard to help steady it. Ever seen a claymore used as a spear before? He certainly has never tried to use one that way before, but the situation calls for improvising. "Woah, steady there, uh... Horse?" He rounds his steed around for another pass at the large Shav on horseback. "Well, horse whose name I forgot, I believe in you. We can win whatever this fight is about."

Still grinning that toothy predatory smile, Luca hits the leader of the shavs like a dive-bombing falcon, his swords rending flesh, his body twisting almost casually aside from the return swipe, leaving it passing by his face by millimeters. And after he keeps on with his momentum, boot-clad feet striking out with full weight of his jump, flinging the leader off his horse with Luca landing perched atop him, unfortunately fouling Ainsley's attack on the man in turn. Luca's left smirking down to the leader he's standing on top of, and finally making noise again. In this case, a laughing, disbelieving sort of tone lacing mocking, almost pitying words. "Heh. Gods above did you pick the wrong group to try and attack you fuckwit!" And with that, the Champion prince is seeking to drive his gleaming blades down into the leader's skull with all the casualness of someone swatting a fly in his attempt to murder the man.

Ainsley checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 1 lower.

Violet as one of the Shavs runs toward her she rolls into a dodge. She has a lot of momentum as she manages to knock him to the ground. She stands and holds her bow at the ready if he tries anything else.

Esoka chases the archer she's tangling with. On horseback, so she keeps pace with the woman fairly easily. As she raises her head, she glimpses something in the distance. "More of them! There!" She points her sword, in that direction. "Thirty. Give or take. And they'e prisoners with them. Perhaps twenty. Gods preserve us! Some of them are children." Her hands tighten on her sword. It has more work to do.

Luca checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 3 higher.

Violet checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 10, rolling 21 higher.

Sparte checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 20, rolling 30 higher.

Joslyn checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 20, rolling 33 higher.

Esoka checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 20, rolling 32 higher.

Ainsley checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 15 higher.

Tobias checked command + leadership at difficulty 20, rolling 33 higher.

Prisoners? That won't do. Sparte rides in low towards the other mounted shav, managing to peg them with his claymore in the ride-by. A mighty blow! Too mighty, the weapon not easily coming free of the enemy shav. Sparte is nearly yanked out of his saddle, needing both hands on the blade to get it free. Leaned back across the ass of the horse he is holding himself up with the power of his thighs and desperation, trying to maneuver the heavy blade to the side and right himself as 'Horse' goes off at a gallop in the direction of the captured people Esoka saw.

Joslyn drives the dagger home again, after a quick duck back from her retaliation, it's really an easy fight for her as she almost lazily charges back, driving the blade into her gut, driving it up, opening her up as she kicks the archer away, not even bothing to check to see if she's dead, confident enough she will be soon enough, moving once more to take out another target.

Like wheat under a scythe, most of the remaining warriors fall under the sword the Crimson Blades run them through with. Keeping in line formation and advancing steadily on each, eventually the local hostiles are dealt with, and Tobias pulls Requiem out of the chest of the last one. "Area secure." Tobias states, clinically, before he looks up to the camp. "They'll be easy to catch up to and pick off with bows. Too many prisoners for fast travel."

Violet keeps her eyes on the Shav she tripped. As the man moves a little too much for her liking she lets her arrow go. It's a good hit, and she seems satisfied as she watches the Shav take his last breath.

At the last possible moment as Luca's twin facestabbings are nearing the frantic giant of a leader's eyes, it looks as if he's done for. But the big man's not lived as long as he has being weak and he actually manages to swing his own weapon upward with a furious roar, blocking Luca's blades and holding them back. Unfortunately for him, this leaves the poor bastard utterly focused on the opponent on top of him, which gives Ainsley a perfect shot to swing out with his rubicund blade at the man's sword arm, severing it just above the elbow and sending the large crude weapon skittering away as he screams. Luca gives Ainsley a big approving sort of grin and a nod then, even as he's sweeping one of his blades up and down without looking to the screaming Shav, cutting across the man's throat deep enough to very nearly decapitate him in one strike. "Good timing as ever, Ain! Shall we go rescue some kids?" Luca asks with a laugh even as he's starting to run towards the Shavs and their captives, whistling as he goes, earning a disgusted sort of head shake from Gluefoot, who apparently isn't having any of that shit and instead decided to stay right where he is rather than rush after his owner.

Esoka knocks the shav archer down with a blow of her sword, and her courser finishes the job. His hooves make grisly work of the shav, riding right over her. And ride Esoka does. She follows Sparte, at a quick clip, toward the party of shavs and their prisoners.

Sparte checked dexterity + ride at difficulty 20, rolling 29 higher.

In the distance there is a band of about thirty armed Shav adult warriors wearing their strange leather armor. Likely realizing this group is powerful and their compatriots are being hacked down quickly, they decided to try and flee. With them are a line of about twenty prisoners ranging in age from a baby in her mother's arms to and elderly with a crooked back. The prisoners appear to be Shavs as well and they show the signs of intense hardship. They look poor, weak and frightened. At least ten of them are children. They are being marched along, deeper into the forest by their captors.

Tobias checked command + leadership at difficulty 30, rolling 3 higher.

Sparte manages to right himself on the horse rather than fall off for his trouble. adjusting to relying on his hips to hold him on. He leans forward with the claymore hilt in both hands, held close to the right of his chest with tip leaning forward. He almost looks heroic like that, but only almost.

"Tobias-- have your men cut them off." says Ainsley as he flicks blood off of his blade, remounts his horse, and directs the beast to charge straight for the fleeing men.

Joslyn grins then as it seems, oh joy! The fight isn't over yet! She charges down along wiht the rest of the group, eyes enraged, as she moves forward. She somehow manages to look both angry and excited at the same time, it's an unusual combo.

With another neutral glance to Ainsley, Tobias starts to clank over to the horses again. "Mount up and ride in front of them. Archers are priority, otherwise pick off the warriors in front until they stop." Tobias orders as he himself grabs his bow and starts firing as they near the convoy.

Luca falls in alongside Joslyn, grinning like a kid on his birthday, cinnamon eyes gleaming and blade dripping the shav leader's blood as they go. "Well at least we got our fun in! But I still am holding you to entertainment on the trip back!" Then they're needing to put on the speed to catch up and not fall behind the delightful slaughtering of cannibals.

The Shavs notice that the the patrol party is drawing near and they are frightened! About ten of them break off and run, trying to escape into the forest without their captives. Three of the man grab a nearby prisoner to use as a human shield. Two reached for adults, but one has grabbed a tearful boy of about ten. The the other seventeen seem ready to fight, some looking braver than others. Six of thse others are archers. Six are on horse and five are on are foot.

Luca checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 16 higher.

Ainsley checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 5 higher.

Esoka checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 0 higher.

Violet checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 20, rolling 8 higher.

Sparte checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 2 lower.

Luca wields
Viper's Soul, an elegant extended-hilt Lycene sabre of Alaericite.

Violet turns from the dead Shav and starts to follow along with the others. She keeps her bow at the ready as she continues on. As she gets close enough she aims for one of the archers and lets her arrow go.

Ainsley sends his horse off on a charge and leaps off of it, to roll up onto the man using the little boy as a shield. One hand grabs the child, and the other brings Catsclaw down onto the Shav. His redblade glinting in the light, the boy is pushed behind him.

"Oooh, hell-lo, biggun!" Luca's calling as he comes rushing forward towards the gathered shavs, perhaps nimbly darting aside from arrows if there's any attempts made, but honing in with that same predatory focus of before on the biggest, baddest mofo on the field he can find. Luca's all of five foot nine, if he wasn't so damnably effective, he'd be a little comical charging grinning for men the size of small giants, but the Champion swordsman is making the poor bastard look like a mouse being played with by a cat. Darting in, one blade held reverse, the other driving forward to cut a swipe across the big bastard's lead arm, spinning past him, the reverse blade cutting another across back of his knee. It's going to be over quick like that, but maybe he'll take a swing and get luckier than the last shav leader at hitting the nimble prince.

Esoka looks more intent than anything else, but charge she does. Bearing down on the cannibals. She's as careful as one can be with her swordwork. She doesn't want to risk injuring the prisoners. Not that she's particularly delicate about it. She more falls from her horse than jumps, body-slamming the shav and his hostage both. In the ensuing wrestling match, she manages to get the cannibal down long enough for the hostage to get free of the scrum. He looks dazed, but dazed beats dead.

As the Crimson Blades ride along, they keep a fair distance as they get out in front of the convoy, starting to pepper the archers with arrows. Tobias himself takes pot shots on occasion, but otherwise keeps up on the horse, his cape flowing with the wind.

Sparte, astride a horse possibly named Horse, with blade held high and heroic. So of course, that means he can't actually DO something heroic here. That just isn't how things work out for him. He takes his swing, even as the horse whose reins he isn't holding decides to veer away from Sparte's target. His strike whifs the target, and the overcompensation sends him toppling right off the horse to the dirt with sword and all. He blinks up at the shavs and prisoners through his dirt covered face before grinning at them. "Calvary to the, uh, rescue?"

A large Shav warrior holds this wizened looking captive in his arm. The captive is a male who looks to be in his early twenties. He isn't very healthy looking, seeming like he has been without enough food or something. When Sparte charges to attack, he misses. The Shav holding the captive slits the throat off his human shield and then tries to run. The hostages are not helping and so the Vulture-Shav gets dark. The boy falls to the ground bleeding. He looks badly hurt, but isn't dead. At least not yet, but he will be soon if something isn't done quickly.

Luca checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 20, rolling 39 higher.

Ainsley checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 20, rolling 18 higher.

Violet checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 20, rolling 13 higher.

Sparte checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 20, rolling 28 higher.

Tobias checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 20, rolling 15 higher.

Esoka checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 20, rolling 6 higher.

Joslyn has rolled a critical success!
Joslyn checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 20, rolling 53 higher.

Ten Shav warriors are running away into the Gray Forest. Two of the captives have been rescued by Ainsley and Esoka. The Shav near Sparte is fleeing while his captive bleeds out on the ground from a slit to his throat. The Shavs fighting the patrol party are heavily wounded. Tobias' men as a group have taken down three of the Shavs. This leaves about seventeen warriors still up. Joslyn is quite nimble and she trips the warrior who attacked her, sending him sprawling and helpless, his sword out of his grasp.

The chained prisoners are watching with wide eyes, looking drained and hopeful. The baby cries and is comforted by her mother.

Sparte gets Herb Soaked Cotton from a double wrap sword belt made of quality leather.

Sparte drops Herb Soaked Cotton.

Luca checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 37 higher.

Sparte checked dexterity + medicine at difficulty 10, rolling 35 higher.

Ainsley has rolled a critical success!
Ainsley checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 34 higher.

Joslyn checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 24 higher.

Esoka checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 20, rolling 31 higher.

Violet checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 20, rolling 5 higher.

Sparte's eyes go wide, oh THAT woke him up for a second. "No... No!" He drops his sword in the grass, scrambling over to the injured man while getting a roll of mossy bandages out of his belt. He cups the back of the man's neck with one hand to elevate it, biting the binding off of the bandages so they fly open to reveal the herbal goo on the inside. With a big of force Sparte binds the man's neck, putting the bandages so tight he is just shy of choking him. "I know this hurts and I know it is hard to breathe but you'll bleed out if I don't do this. Just be strong! You can make it, just keep fighting!" The lack of a horse and the tumble has the small Stoat in Sparte's pocket sticking her head out. Valiant and ruffled, she sees the men fleeing into the forest and bounds off after them. Because she is the hero of this story, apparently. That or she is just running into the trees to maim some defenseless squirrel, hard to say with a stoat.

The boy on the ground whimpers, but it looks like he is going to live thanks to Sparte's ministrations.

"We do not harm children!" Ainsley rages at the shav, whether or not they can understand. His blade swings high in the air and he severes the head of the shav from their shoulders. His making sure to keep his body between the young boy and the shav he's killing.

Violet aims again at the Shav. She looks a little concerned as she shoots but soon smiles as her shot hits the archer, and she watches him go down.

The ten year old boy looks upon Ainsley with all this wide-eyed hero worship. He keeps behind him, because it is safer there.

Having already cut one of the big bastard's arms so he's left trying to wield his greataxe one-handed, and severed the tendons in one knee so he's left nearly falling over, Luca is not leaving the big bastard to suffer long. After a flailing swing at Luca's head leaves the Champion Prince ducking back almost irritably bored in his expression, a gleaming steel blade is thrust forward in a blur to burst out of the big shav's chest, leaving him to drop like a pile of refuse as Luca turns eyes out to next victim, calling out. "COME ON! This is almost tedious after fighting Bringers! Come at me! Give me a challenge or lay down your weapons and be done with this!"

Esoka slams her shield against the face of the shav she's tangling with, finishing him off with her sword when he's on the ground. It gets the job done. She hoists herself up, twisting her head around toward the former hostage she slammed/saved. "We're here to help you. We come from the city of Arx. You are safe with us." She repeats it in Crownlands shav, in case the fellow doesn't speak Compact Common.

Esoka rescued a young woman hostage. She listens to her words and seems to understand them. The woman keeps behind Esoka as well.

Continuing their skirmishing, the Crimson Blades continue to fire into the convoy, taking down warriors in rapid succession as Tobias directs their pathing to keep the majority of hostiles in range. With the convoy scattering though, "Crimson Blades, circle formation. Keep the convoy pinned." Tobias switching from skirmishing to harassment with that order.

Luca checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 15, rolling 52 higher.

Esoka checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 15, rolling 10 higher.

Tobias checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 15, rolling 22 higher.

Violet checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 15, rolling 19 higher.

Ainsley has rolled a critical success!
Ainsley checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 15, rolling 65 higher.

Sparte has rolled a critical success!
Sparte checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 15, rolling 97 higher.

This party is so skilled and so nimble. Maybe it is all the sparing in the training center or maybe it is all the experience fighting bringers. Either way they are completely untouched by Shavs. The ten Shavs that have escaped into the forest are getting away. The eleventh who darted into the forest after slitting the throat of his captive is being chased by a stoat! The patrol party of Compact seems to be easily winning this fight.

One of the Vulture Shavs goes to try and attack the ten year old boy near Ainsley. This seems like a cruel group. If they cannot win, they are going to kill the captives! Ainsley not only dodges the attack against himself, but he sweeps the child into his arms, spins around and protects him from getting stabbed. He sits him back down and goes to attack the two Shavs now on them. Sparte's notices that one of the Shavs is going after the woman with the baby. He sweeps in quickly, getting in the way of that attack and parrying it.

The rest of the vulture tries to flee. What does the party do? The captives seem a bit comforted by Esoka speaking their language. They are a group that is in poor health and almost numb with exhaustion and suffering.

Luca didn't seem to mind terribly when the shavs didn't just lay down their weapons and give up. Instead he set about efficient and brutal destruction, cutting down each he could lay blade to, helping the others clear them to the last. And then grimly looking on to the captives being communicated with. He lets Ainsley do all the proper talking, keeping eye out for additional threats or reinforcements to those who fled, but ultimately he'll be left with a kind of discontent sort of expression, and as he's gathering up his stupidly stubborn warhorse only now wandering along, he's muttering to Joslyn darkly. "I'm going to be pissed if facing men in combat's lost all it's joy after facing things that can actually hurt me! Bad enough when fighting duels grows boring, but war now?"

Esoka is more concerned with assisting the prisoners than chasing down the Vulture shavs. She'll attempt to stop them from making off with the hostages, but apart from that mostly tries to speak with the former prisoners. They're here to help, they can offer protection from the cannibals, and such.

Sparte changes his strikes to blows meant not to kill the shavs, but to disable and disarm. The flat of the blade, the back of his sand, a hit with the pommel. It might be his guard training, but he isn't interested in taking the lives of even cruel shavs now that it is down to a skirmish. "Tom... TOM!" Sparte glances off after the stoat before looking back to the shav he is attempting to focus on. Then there is a yawn, leaving him distracted from the act with the realization he doesn't know where his ride went. "Uh, Horse?" Not his day for getting on with animals.

Ainsley gets the young boy out of the way and keeps himself. His hand going to the boy's shoulder. "Let none of them escape!" He orders and then says to Esoka, "--Esoka, can you talk to them? Find out if they have homes to go or if they need to come back to Arx with us?"

Sparte GM Roll checked dexterity(3) + brawl(1) at difficulty 15, rolling 2 higher.

"Crimson Blades, hunt down the stragglers, but don't go too far off. We don't want to get ambushed out here." Tobias gestures in the direction of where the majority of runners went. Then, he looks to the remaining convoy with a neutral expression.

One of the Shavs is a young woman in her late twenties. She seems to be the semi of leader of the Shav captives. She takes point on talking with Esoka. Two of the children seem clingy with her and likely belong to her. The captives are also chained up unless the party releases them. It is easy enough to do as they are secured with rope. The woman will explain in Crownlands Shav that they came from a nearby village that was taken down by Brand only to be captured by the Vulture tribe. They had a home, but they likely don't any more.

Dame Tommelisa Thistlefur the stoat, as some people will call her, is not to be ignored. She got her fur ruffled, Sparte rolled over on her, and worse yet she is bored. So a man apparently fleeing from her sets the little tuberat over the edge. Off she bounds through the grass, through the leaves, a viscious and vindictive little predator. She manages to catch up to the fleeing shav, and with a mighty chomp that could slay many a mighty rabbit, relieves him of full use of his right achilles. Hissing and chittering at the wounded shav, the stoat scurries into the nearby plant cover rather than finish the job. That is work her human servant can do. On the battlefield, Sparte has a sudden urge to sneeze.

Esoka nods to Ainsley, and asks those questions to the shavs they freed in Crownlands shav. She speaks with the woman she saved from the fate of a human shield, most. She seems to thinks she's developed a rapport. She nods, at the tale of what happened to the woman's home, and makes the offer to see them back to Arx. All that's relayed to Ainsley, her blue eyes heavy.

Those just fleeing are easy to take down by the Crimson Blades and the others if they try. The ten who escaped at first though will be hard to find. The Stoat has his Shav pinned down.