The tzaenogs let out terrifying, guttural growls as they
closed on the camp unafraid. No angry crocodiles could ever make
a noise as these lizards made at that moment. Somehow though, the
adventurers did not even flinch at the sound. The bowmen calmly
and steadily launched their arrows. Tara's arrow hit the medium
sized lizard in its left eye, but instead of stopping -- the tzaenog went forward all the more wildly. Kuro's first arrow grazed the small lizard's shoulder, but this tzaenog crouched for a leap over the fence. Byc's arrow went out and stuck in the large lizard's mouth.
The first line gripped their spears tightly. But someone was missing: Rollvag had sneaked off! Byc realized too late that he stood alone against the large lizard.
Although it seemed that the adventurers would be over-whelmed, something unexpected happened next.
A winged rider swooped down along the cliff face and shot an arrow at the largest tzaenog. Fired with tremendous power, the arrow was stout. The aim was incredible. The arrow hit the large lizard and buried deeply into its ribs behind the under arm. The winged rider and his mount swept by on their way to make another pass. Also unexpectedly, a huge Kodiack Bear jumped out from behind some underbrush. It gave a frightening growl and charged toward the tzaenogs.
Tara's second arrow hit the medium lizard's shoulder as it smashed head-first into the spiked barricade, wounding it as it thrashed about. Cher was waiting for it. She dropped her spear, grabbed her axe, leapt up into the air, hopped on it with all her momentum, and crushed its skull with a wild war-hoop. "KEE-YAH!" (One down.)
The small lizard jumped over the barricade and landed square on Longsilver's spear (and Longsilver.) The spear passed right through the tzaenog's body and protruded out of it's back. Longsilver was knocked down and pinned by the weight of it. It looked like Longsilver would be bitten horribly, but Kuros dropped his bow, caught his spear, raised it high and jabbed it fiercely into the small lizard's neck. Its wounds were too much for this tzaenog. It rolled over to it's side and died. (Two down.)
Byc stood speechless as the large lizard rolled on his back and slammed into the fence full on its left flank. The barbs of the barricade cut deep into the large lizard and held it there.
Before Byc could attack it with his spear, the Kodiac Bear pounced on the lizard and proceeded to tear it to pieces with its claws. (Three down.)
Before anyone could do anything further, Rollvag happened along in a big way: He rode the center-most of seven goats in a wild charge at the encampment. Rollvag poised his spear as a lance and yelled "CHARGE!!!" The enraged goats trampled the two outer lizards. Unfortunately, Rollvag had arrived too late; they were already dead. It was over, just that fast.
The bear thought that they were dead also. He sniffed at the air. He found the three Tzaenogs to be dead and then backed several yarn away. Everyone stood still to see if anything else would attack. Finally, congratulations uttered from everyone's mouths.
Kuros turned to Elkin proudly and said "Sir! without that light to see by, we all would have perished. How did you do that?"
"I'll show you sometime later," answered Elkin with a smile on his face.
Byc and Tara walked hurriedly over to Longsilver. Longsilver got up slowly with one hand on his ribs. He looked toward them and said quietly, "It's a good thing that we built that fence." Tara took out a cloth and wrapped up Longsilver's ribs.
No one noticed as the mysterious rider dismounted from his steed and stepped up to their encampment. The rider stood still as the adventurers realized that he waited for them to stop talking to eachother. Finally, he addressed them in a deep voice with a heavy Toridar accent:
"Greetings, strangers! I am Tato, a Forester of the North Holding. This is Browny," he said as he pointed at the bear; "A friend of Woodsmen. How did you come to be in so much trouble?"
To the question: What will you do and say next?
NOTE Rollvag cut a collar off of the medium sized Tzaenog. Inscribed on it is a metal pendant with a red double bladed axe, the sign of one of the most prominent Drog Tribes. The other lizards also have one.
NOTE The fair-skinned young man, Kip, just woke up with a start. Although coughing a bit, he asks "Who are all of you?" in the Barbarian tongue.
To the question: What will you answer?
*GM* NOTES
1) Everyone fought well.
2) Notice that the Tzaenogs left the goats alone. Several things can be deduced by this:
- a) They were after Kip.
b) They have some way of tracking him.
c) There must be some reason why the Drog want Kip silenced, because the lizards have Drog markings.
3) Might I suggest that the fair skin and accent of the young man make him somehow related genetically to the people of Baldor?
Back to Arveta Table of Contents
Back to Arveta List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List
© Copyright 1999 by Abram Paradies.
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com