Slarti had enjoyed a fairly uneventful ride from Tindrem to Meduli as he carried his next batch of beer and liquor ferment to the broker of the beach town. Despite the quiet, he still scanned the horizon in every direction, ever vigilant in case thieves tried to get the drop on him. If he could get a healthy lead, he could usually make it to town by healing like a maniac mage while charging forward. He always prefered to avoid the conflict if at all possible. His bear, Snuggles, was wearing the finest reptile and bloodsilk armor that Slarti's brother, Martilus, could craft. Slarti himself was decked out in Khurite Splinted armor made from plate scale and blood silk also one of Martilus' creations. In addition, Slarti regularly refreshed an Ahk Bond with Snuggles, ensuring the tanky bear would help Slarti survive through sacrifice.
As he moved the final hill up to Cougar Plateau just before Meduli, Slarti looked behind him and saw two dire wolf riders pop out from behind some rocks and start to gain on him.
"Had to be fucking dire wolves didn't it," cursed Slarti. Snuggles dashed as fast as she could at Slarti's command, putting a good bit of distance from the pursuers but she soon ran out of stamina for sprinting and did not get close enough to the town of Meduli to avoid the pursuers catching up on their slightly faster dire wolves. Slarti started charging lesser heals, hoping the two mounted archers atop the dire wolves were relying on numbers rather than skill.
"I can heal through the arrows of most mounted archers, but I don't know about two of them. Hold on, Snuggles!"
"RAaaaaaawwrrrrrooaoaaaaw!" bellowed Snuggles as the arrows began pelting her backside through the reptile armor, doing a significant amount of damage. Slarti winced as one went zipping past his head and then let forth his own painful yowl as an arrow made its way between the cracks of his armor near his shoulder and pierced the flesh enough to be left sticking out, painfully bobbing up and and down as Slarti began casting greater heals one after another.
"Well... if I'm going to go down," muttered Slarti. He charged up a thunderlash and spun on his mount to face his pursuers. He took aim on one of the dire wolfs and let the electricity rip. He connected and the dire wolf growled viscously while its singed fur began to emanate a most unpleasant burning odor. It was not enough, however, and moments later Slarti felt Snuggles drop out from underneath him looking like a pin cushions she was filled with so many arrows.
"Whoaaaaaa whoa whoa whoa! WHOA!" sighed Slarti as he threw his hands up knowing that he stood no chance against the skillful archers. "They're going to take the damned beer," he muttered to himself one of the archers rode up to him to inspect his possessions while the other looted the corpse of Snuggles. Slarti observed the tabard of the rider was rifling through his possessions and recognized it as belonging to KoWW.
Rode by this guild several times and never been attacked. I guess times change.
The riders finished inspecting Slarti's possessions and then fled, being marked as criminals and so close to town not being to their advantage. As they left, Slarti called after them, "It is not wise to interrupt the flow of beer to the citizens of Meduli! Though I thank you for sparing me and will make sure your mercy is known despite the crime!"
Slarti began to take account of his things. Armor... still there. Reagents... still there?! He walked over to the dead bear. Beer... ... STILL THERE!
No fools. They knew better than to stop Meduli from receiving its beer shipment. Hell, all they took was the reptile armor from Snuggles. Seems this was just about sport for them. Pity it had to be with my animal. Glad I surrendered and they accepted it, or this could have ended much differently.
Slarti pulled the beer from the bag of his deceased bear and began stuffing it into his bag. The edges of the bag stretched and bulged, and not all of the beer quite fit. Slarti carefully balanced a few cases on his back and one on his head and began walking the last hundred yards to Meduli. The sun beamed down upon him making the already heavy load even more unbearable as he inched forward at a snail's pace open to other possible attacks should anyone be riding through and feeling criminal. Slarti couldn't even lift his feet instead shuffling and leaving a bizarre trail in the sand behind him. After a few rests and waaaaaaaay too many minutes later, he arrived in Meduli and headed straight for the broker, happy to unload and see what profits his previous batch brought in.
As he moved the final hill up to Cougar Plateau just before Meduli, Slarti looked behind him and saw two dire wolf riders pop out from behind some rocks and start to gain on him.
"Had to be fucking dire wolves didn't it," cursed Slarti. Snuggles dashed as fast as she could at Slarti's command, putting a good bit of distance from the pursuers but she soon ran out of stamina for sprinting and did not get close enough to the town of Meduli to avoid the pursuers catching up on their slightly faster dire wolves. Slarti started charging lesser heals, hoping the two mounted archers atop the dire wolves were relying on numbers rather than skill.
"I can heal through the arrows of most mounted archers, but I don't know about two of them. Hold on, Snuggles!"
"RAaaaaaawwrrrrrooaoaaaaw!" bellowed Snuggles as the arrows began pelting her backside through the reptile armor, doing a significant amount of damage. Slarti winced as one went zipping past his head and then let forth his own painful yowl as an arrow made its way between the cracks of his armor near his shoulder and pierced the flesh enough to be left sticking out, painfully bobbing up and and down as Slarti began casting greater heals one after another.
"Well... if I'm going to go down," muttered Slarti. He charged up a thunderlash and spun on his mount to face his pursuers. He took aim on one of the dire wolfs and let the electricity rip. He connected and the dire wolf growled viscously while its singed fur began to emanate a most unpleasant burning odor. It was not enough, however, and moments later Slarti felt Snuggles drop out from underneath him looking like a pin cushions she was filled with so many arrows.
"Whoaaaaaa whoa whoa whoa! WHOA!" sighed Slarti as he threw his hands up knowing that he stood no chance against the skillful archers. "They're going to take the damned beer," he muttered to himself one of the archers rode up to him to inspect his possessions while the other looted the corpse of Snuggles. Slarti observed the tabard of the rider was rifling through his possessions and recognized it as belonging to KoWW.
Rode by this guild several times and never been attacked. I guess times change.
The riders finished inspecting Slarti's possessions and then fled, being marked as criminals and so close to town not being to their advantage. As they left, Slarti called after them, "It is not wise to interrupt the flow of beer to the citizens of Meduli! Though I thank you for sparing me and will make sure your mercy is known despite the crime!"
Slarti began to take account of his things. Armor... still there. Reagents... still there?! He walked over to the dead bear. Beer... ... STILL THERE!
No fools. They knew better than to stop Meduli from receiving its beer shipment. Hell, all they took was the reptile armor from Snuggles. Seems this was just about sport for them. Pity it had to be with my animal. Glad I surrendered and they accepted it, or this could have ended much differently.
Slarti pulled the beer from the bag of his deceased bear and began stuffing it into his bag. The edges of the bag stretched and bulged, and not all of the beer quite fit. Slarti carefully balanced a few cases on his back and one on his head and began walking the last hundred yards to Meduli. The sun beamed down upon him making the already heavy load even more unbearable as he inched forward at a snail's pace open to other possible attacks should anyone be riding through and feeling criminal. Slarti couldn't even lift his feet instead shuffling and leaving a bizarre trail in the sand behind him. After a few rests and waaaaaaaay too many minutes later, he arrived in Meduli and headed straight for the broker, happy to unload and see what profits his previous batch brought in.
