Charlotte
*The two would pass through the border after a quick custom check. It was heavily fortified, the tiny strip of borderland were lined with fortresses and wall from one end of the isthmus to the other, in spite of the nominally friendly relationship between the two countries. Behind the wall was a large town that has grown to serve the garrison here. A canal cut right through the middle of the town, providing passage for ship crossing the strait. 

A natural lake has been dredged and expanded to be used as a harbour. 

The two passed by the garrison uneventfully, and the number of castles on the horizon started to diminish in number, until they reached an abandoned village the road cut through. All of the buildings had no sign of habitation in them, half of the buildings seemed to be have burnt down. 

~~It was quite an orderly village, with a row of house flanking the main road. Each of them measured 40 x 80 feet, and were raised slightly off the ground. Each had a 10 foot wide footpath between them. Three lanes, including the main road existed in the village. Each of them were flanked by a lane of house or workshop, though none of the non-generic buildings seems to have survived the fire.

240 feet forward was a half-ruined, but unburnt **Longhouse**, a building where the village elder might've resided.~~

The two was next to a burnt out small house on the outskirt of the village.

The place seems eerily quiet.*
Emily
As they travelled through the border Talice hardly spoke a word to Leopold but was content to let him lead the way since he claimed he had ventured here before. Upon seeing the desolate village she would turn to Leopold and ask, "What happened here?" She would then look at the small burnt house they were next to and try to determine if this had happened recently.
Denny
*Leopold squinted at the scene, slowing his cart a bit so he could see. It wasn't burnt down when he last passed through... Or was it? Remembering was a difficult task for Leopold.* "Mm. I'm not sure." *Leopold moved his foot, knocking against the loaded crossbow at his feet to make sure I was still there. He wouldn't move quite between the first set of buildings yet, but put about 15ft of space from the cart and the very first building.*
Charlotte
*Judging by the remnants of the house, the house was attached to the farm to the northeast. There weren't much properties left inside, but there were multiple charred iron tools - pitchfork, hoes, farming implements of all sort. The house's roof were missing, leaving only its shaky foundations.

The village definitely did not burn down in the past day - no signs of embers. It appears that rain has washed and displaced some of the items in the house. While they cannot be too certain of when it rained - this means it probably burnt down more than a week before.*

*There seems to be no remains of torch of matches. If one of them paid close attention, they would notice a partially burnt through hole on the side of the wall, with the edge of the hole being more burnt than the rest. Behind that hole was a pot, which seems to have a burn mark that indicate a projectile went through the hole and hit it, but didn't do much real damage.*

*What could it be?*
Emily
Talice would loosen her sword in it sheathe, making sure it would be easy to draw if need be. Leopold's lack of memory was not putting her at easy. Scanning the burned building she would notice the hole burned into the side of the wall. How strange. "Wait a second." She would whisper, as she would get out of the cart and stealthily creep towards the hole.
Denny
*Leopold wouldn't rise from his cart, allowing her to investigate on her own. Leopold tied the reins to the cart before grabbing his crossbow. He'd look around the immediate area as Talice moved forward, ensuring they didn't get ambushed. Leopold whispered a prayer to himself, not sure of what happened.*
Charlotte
*The hole was slightly smaller than a baseball, and it appears that for whatever reason, part of the hole were heated up, yet not burnt directly. Talice may, or may not notice that this hole is starkingly similar to one made by a fireball spell - except one that punch much harder than usual, allowing it to penetrate the house's wall.*



*At the corner of one of the house, something poked out briefly. If Leopold looked underneath the burnt foundation of the raised house, he would see something that look like a pair of feet, no, **Two** Pair. And they're wearing wooden sandals.

Or made out of wood.*
Emily
Sensing no immediate danger, she would lightly press a finger against the outside ring of the hole. She would think that this is very strange and wouldn't know what could have made this happen. Nothing good, although from the looks of the charred remains, it would appear to her that the danger had passed. She would start walking towards the cart.
Denny
*Leopold gave a sharp whistle, leaning further down now. The horses had been trained to stay when he whistled, no matter how hectic things became. The Steppe Elf rose to his feet, aiming his crossbow at where he saw the movement. He wouldn't say anything, hoping Talice would notice where he focused his attention.*
Charlotte
*The figure behind the house peeked out, "Staring" At Leopold. Its head were wooden - yet eerily human like, with a pair of gem-encrusted eye. It was a Kuilei alright. The head would quickly pop back in. 

A loud, sharp noise came from behind the house. It resembled air being forced through a grill at a rapid speed. The pair of feet behind the house increase, to three. Then the Kuileis popped out. All of them looked the same, like clone, with a very large, heavy wooden club on one hand, and a leather-faced board shield on the other, resembling a scutum.*

*They all carried what appeared to be a pair of throwing sticks. They stood roughly **30 meters - 90 feet** Away from Leopold.*

**Kuilei 1 is on the left, Kuilei 2 middle, Kuilei 3 right**
Emily
Seeing Leopold stand up and bring his crossbow to bear, Talice would stop and try to see what had gotten his attention. Grimacing at the sharp sound she would draw her sword and run up to gain so cover behind the cart. She cursed herself for not stringing her bow this morning. Making due with what she had she would draw one of her three throwing daggers and attempt to hit the Kuilei on the left.
Denny
*Leopold was always a shoddy archer, never fitting in with the lifestyle in the Khanate well. However, his time in Salvania taught him the wonders of point-and-pull. Seeing Talice fling a dagger at the leftmost Kuilei, he'd take a shot at the top of the same Kuilei's head, hoping his elevated position and the movement of the shield would open an opportunity.*
Charlotte
*The Kuileis raised their club and started beating on their shield. The club seemed to be heavy, but a rather short weapon, measuring only half a meter - 20 inches. It probably weighed around three pounds.*

**Kuilei 1** *Turned the shield toward Talice as she prepared to throw the dagger. The dagger landed on the shield, only to be deflected by the curve of the shield to the side, dropping harmlessly. It let out a shrilling noise, taunting Talice.*

*Then a bolt flew into its face, penetrating its grille-like mouth and wooden head, and then went toward its head crystal and damaged it. It didn't "Die" From the hit. Its eyes still glowed.*

**Kuilei 2 and Kuilei 3** *Let out another shrilling noise, and then then lowered their heads behind their scutum, advancing toward the two. **Kuilei 1** Followed, only to trip on air, make a left turn, and then fall onto the floor face first.*

**The other two Kuileis are now 70 feet away.**
Emily
Unsurprisingly, her dagger didn't do much against the wooden constructs but Leopold's bolt punched right through it's face. Hoping to give him more time to take out or atleast damage the other two, Talice would raise her left hand, focusing on a spot between the two Kuileis. He hand would shimmer briefly with arcane energy and a fog 20 feet in diameter would fill the space in front of the golems. If they were lucky the Kuileis would attempt to walk through it and be slowed the full duration.
Denny
*Leopold took the hint, stepping as high as he could on his cart. It'd only add another 8 inches or so, but he hoped it would help. Loading and cocking the crossbow, Leopold snapped another shot, this time at the head of the middle Kuilei.*
Charlotte
*The Kuilei continued their slow, methodical advance. Then a fog filled the area right in front of them. The golems walked right into it, only to be immediately slowed down. Confused about what is happening, they continued pushing through stupidly. They could peek from the side of their shields and see the endgoal in sight - just 70 feet away... Keep marching...*

*It looks like it will get two turns for them to get out of the fog. With the golem ducked behind the shield, plus the fog's obscuring effect, it was hard to get a good shot on the golem. The bolt grazed the top of the shield and deflected somewhere else.*

**Kuilei 2 and 3 is now 65 feet away and 5 feet into the cloud**

**Kuilei 1 is on the floor, not moving at all. Well, except for its flailing legs**
Emily
Noticing that despite her ally's higher vantage point, with him being on top of the cart, the fog was making it more difficult for him to hit his target. Talice would let the spell drop, knowing that the slowing effect would stick on the golems for a little while after they had left the fog.
Denny
*Leopold strapped a lightly loaded quiver to his side, carrying about six quarrels, and lifted his axe in one hand, with the crossbow in the other. He'd take a running start and jump off the cart, activating **Mother May I** To push his sprint up to 35mph when he landed. He'd skirt outside the range of Talice's spell, trying to flank the Kuilei. He wouldn't have time to load his crossbow, but he'd now be facing an unshielded side of the Kuilei, about 40ft away from them.*
Charlotte
*The Kuileis did not react at all to his action. The fog disappeared, but the Kuilei continued to advance. After all, one disadvantage of bunkering down behind the shields was that they've completely blinded themselves. In fact, the Kuilei won't see Leopold coming, with a 120 degrees arc completely blocked in front of them. They were still advancing slowly at 3mph. If he moved closer to his flank, however, Leopold might be spotted*

**The two Kuilei are now at 60 feet from Talice, and 40 feet from Leopold. They're advancing side by side. Their club is held on the right, and shield on the left.**
Emily
Seeing the the crazy elf leap off the cart with his axe and hand Talice let out a groan. She did not think her sword was going to be a very effective weapon against the wooden exterior of the golems. She couldn't very well leave her guide to die so she would dart off towards the right side of the Kuilei closest to Leopold. If she went unnoticed she would take a swing at the back of the creature's knee.
Denny
*Leopold would do his best to tuck his axe under his arm as he walked directly behind the Kuilei, only costing the distance by 5ft. He'd be loading and cocking his crossbow as he walked, doing so to be quiet. He'd raise it to take shot at the middle one, but if they turned to raise a shield in that time, he'd just finish off the one on the ground with the bolt.*
Charlotte
*Leopold entered the peripheral vision of the Kuilei on the right of the formation. The one in the middle didn't notice Leopold, yet. **Kuilei 3** Turned around, blocking Leopold's line of sight toward the Kuilei in the middle. 

The bolt from Leopold hit **Kuilei 1** Again, this time finishing it off for good. Its legs stopped flailing, and its eyes went dim.

The pair of Kuileis have noticed the two's shenanigan, and it seems a surprise attack won't be possible - given both of them were approaching from the same angle. 

They stood up, and **Kuilei 3** Charged toward Leopold, letting out a chilling screech. Its shield were placed forward, while its club were held in an overhead position behind its back, ready to whack down on Leopold's hairless head.*



**Kuilei 2** *Charged right after his comrade, aiming directly for Talice. Its pose and plan of attack was the same as its comrade - shield forward, club held high.*
Denny
*Dropping the crossbow, Leopold would run towards the Kuilei charging him, then step to the left, in the Kuilei's blind spot. Increasing his speed again, Leopold would run and slide, gripping the ace in both hands to direct the blade of the axe at the Kuilei's (hopefully) unprotected feet.*
Charlotte
**SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE** 

**Kuilei 3** Screamed as the target entered its sight. As Leopold ran and slided toward his left spot, it turned left, pushing its shield toward Leopold's face. Unfortunately, as it did so, it exposed itself to his axe, and it cut right into its left leg, then its right. It dropped onto the ground, having completely missed the hit. 

It attempted to push itself off the ground with its shield, and turn to face Leopold.*

**Kuilei 2** Charged Talice, only to have her run faster than it in the other direction. It is 30 feet away from Leopold. It turned its attention toward Leopold, and then... Lifted its head to stare at something behind Leopold.*

**SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE**

*Hold up, **Kuilei 3** Wasn't the only one screeching.*
Denny
*Leopold didn't like this situation. So much so, that he turned to place his back towards the cart and activated **Father Forgive Me**, launching himself backwards. He stumbled a bit as he landed, but kept his footing. From here, he'd reassess the situation he got himself in.*
Charlotte
*With the tactical retreat, Leopold is now 60 feet from **Kuilei 2**. Once he regained his footing, he could see the source of the screech...*

*A stone golem standing **60 feet away**. And not an ordinary one, but one that was bigger than usual, standing at 7 feet tall. It held a very thick looking quarterstaff - as tall as itself, and carried four boomerang. It had no shield. It seems to be twirling the quarterstaff smoothly like a helicopter blade, diagonal to itself for... Some reasons. Perhaps showing off its flexible ball drone. The other hand held a non-returning boomerang.*

It stopped helicoptering and then threw the heavy, non-returning boomerang at Leopold, aiming for his torso.*
Denny
*Leopold's reflexes weren't great, but even he could dodge an object thrown directly at him. He stepped backward, as it was coming from the side due to a boomerang's strange flight pattern. Popping his neck, Leopold moved directly towards the nearest wooden Kuilei, axe in both hands. He'd let the Kuilei charge, hoping to take them out one by one.*
Charlotte
*The boomerang, surprisingly, flew completely straight - it was a non-returning Kylie boomerang, designed for war as much as hunting. It could probably hurt a human badly if it hit.

The stone golem readied another boomerang, and prepared to throw it. It halted when Leopold charged the wooden Kuilei, figuring it has a low chance of hitting him instead of its comrade.

**Kuilei 2** Turned toward Leopold, and braced his shield, raising his head above the scutum so it would not be blind-sided. It waited to receive Leopold's charge, hoping to absorb the hit with its shield, and then follow up with a counter attack by whacking him on his head.*
Denny
*Leopold would most definitely be hit with a glance to the shoulder, trying to readjust his movement but not quickly enough. After a small recovery, his attention would be on the Kuilei. However, he wouldn't be charging, just moving briskly. Leopold would strike the shield with the pommel of his axe and lift it upwards, hoping to catch the club mid swing.*
Charlotte
*Unexpectedly, Leopold decided to slam the handle of his axe into the Kuilei's shield. It immediately shoved its shield forward and upward, rotating its entire body left and attempting to push the lower edge of the axe away from it - along with Leopold. If it succeeded in throwing him off balance, it would follow up by performing a gladius-like upward stab with its club, except it is aimed upward at Leopold's guts from below.*
Denny
*Not quite thrown from his balance, Leopold would step back with response, bringing his axe diagonal across his chest in a defensive posture. If the counterattack still came, he'd meet it with the shaft of his weapon. If not, he'd twist his axe and swing, trying to catch the bottom edge of the shield and push it up.*
Charlotte
*The Kuilei continued with the counterattack, thrusting upward in an attempt to jab him with its much shorter weapon. His axe parried it away successfully. The Kuilei quickly disengaged, taking a backstep and regaining its balance again.*

*The stone golem seems to have advanced by 10 feet during the last bout of combat. It is now **70 ft away***
Denny
*Leopold growled, slamming his own axe against his chest. He was growing frustrated, only able to over power these Kuilei through outmaneuvering them, and they seemed to have caught on. Trying to think creatively, Leopold lowered his axe and would go for a swing from below and to the right, holding the shaft almost like an oar. However, it was a feint that he'd use to position the pommel of his axe to the left of the shield. If the Kuilei went to block with the shield, he'd turn his whole body to strike the edge of he shield with the pommel, pushing his enemy of their balance.*
Charlotte
*The Kuilei fell for the feint, and used its shield to block the axe. As usual, it attempted to make a step forward and jab its club at his abdomen. The next thing it knew, it was pushed to the side, with the shield getting in the way of the strike. The Kuilei was thrown by its shield onto the ground, losing its balance. Its shield covered most of its torso at this angle, leaving its right arm, lower leg, and head exposed.

**Stone Golem** Seems slightly worried about this development, and started running toward Leopold, closing to **50 ft away***
Denny
*Leopold would stomp one foot on the Kuilei's lower leg to hold it and bury his axe into its head with a powerful downward swing. If the Kuilei perished because of this attack, the Steppe Elf would swiftly remove the axe to face the oncoming Stone Golem.*
Charlotte
*The axe fell swiftly onto the Kuilei's head, cracking its head crystal and killing it instantly. The stone golem saw that its comrade was destroyed. That means no risk for friendly fire.

*It threw the boomerang at Leopold's torso after coming to a halt in its charge. And then it continued charging him, reaching **30 ft away***
Denny
*With one learning experience under his belt, Leopold stepped to the side as the Stone Golem launched the projectile, using his axe to block if he somehow wasn't fast enough. Leopold would slowly walk forward to the Golem advance, noting the material of the quarterstaff.*
Charlotte
*The boomerang missed. The golem grabbed its quarterstaff steadily with its hands, and sized Leopold up and down, as it approached to within **25 ft**. The quarterstaff were made out of ash, reinforced with iron bands throughout. It seemed thicker than usual, around 1.75 inch in thickness, and probably weighed between 6 - 7 pounds.*

*It let out a shrilling noise at Leopold.*
Denny
"Yeah," *Leopold said, a little more concerned than he let show,* "Fuck you, too." *With that, Leopold sprinted forward, boosting his speed yet again to 35mph. He run to the left side of his enemy, wanting to see its reflexes and agility. Knowing that the Stone Golem would use his durable body against the Elf's speed, Leopold put himself in range of the Kuilei's weapon, not his grip. Leopold hoisted his axe on his shoulder as he ran, preparing a powerful chop when the Stone Golem inevitably attacked him.*
Charlotte
*The stone golem turned toward Leopold, staying in the same place as the elf sprinted at an extreme speed. It pulled back the end of its quarterstaff, and then made a very conservative thrust toward Leopold's lower leg, with most of the staff held back. If Leopold attempted to chop or control it staff, it would backstep and then immediately retract the staff away.*
Denny
*Leopold would halfheartedly swing the axe, just to match the Stone Golem's tentative strike. Circling around, the Steppe Elf would then test how quickly the Kuilei could turn around, standing behind it, still out of its arms length.*
Charlotte
*The golem retracted its staff defensively, and then turned toward the steppe elf, following him quickly - though its running speed were no match for the enhanced elf, the same cannot be said for its turning speed. This golem seems quite nimble for its size and weight.*
Denny
*Leopold stopped running, placing himself squarely in front of the Stone Golem, maintaining the safer range. Without the blindspot the other Kuilei had, speed didn't seem like it would change the fight. Reflexively slow, Leopold has to focus all of his attention on the Stone Golem. He held his weapon diagonally across himself again, taking a defensive posture. Time to see what this thing could do.*
Charlotte
*The Kuilei charged forward with its staff in its hand, and then made a nimble diagonal strike from the top right toward Leopold's shoulder. The plan is simple - crush him with leverage and whack his head.*
Denny
*Lowering his stance, Leopold readied his axe. With his full strength, the Steppe Elf twisted his body weight and swung his axe towards the wooden shaft of the Kuilei's staff. He hoped to severely damage his attackers weapon, if not outright cut through it. Leaving the Golem with a shorter weapon would put it at a disadvantage and allow Leopold to counterattack more successfully.*
Charlotte
*The tip of the quarterstaff was moving very quickly compared to his axe, thanks to the law of leverage. Instead of chopping straight on the shaft, the staff hit the axe directly on its top, causing a small chip on the staff. It also forced Leopold to block and absorb the full force of the blow. 

The golem continued its charge, ditching any range advantage. It aimed to ram Leopold down and stomp him*
Denny
*With the distance closing, Leopold let the weight of the axe naturally come down, then slammed the edge of his axe forward, using his should to enhance the attack. It lacked finesse, but the movement would be fully directed at the Stone Golem's abdomen.*
Charlotte
*The golem continued the charge, ditching the awkward and long staff. It didn't fear its axe - there's no way it could punch through, after all. It winded up for a punch, and sent it straight toward Leopold's face...

When the axe slammed into its abdoman, eviscerating it partially and disabling its legs. 

The golem's punch, however, was still flying toward his face, and it looked like almost 400 lbs of rock is going to fall onto Leopold afterward.*
Denny
*Leopold would continue with the momentum of the swing, pushing his entire body into the axe and body of the golem. This way, any swinging punch would have to be massively redirected, what with the Steppe Elf squeezing against the Kuilei's body. Leopold would then put a shoulder under his axe, still embedded in the Golem, and utilize all of the strength in his body to push up, hopefully tipping the Stone Golem over.*
Charlotte
*The golem's eyes dimmed by the second, as its body were eviscerated. But it would not give up spiting its enemy at the last moment. He lowered itself with all the might it can gather in its body, and headbutted Leopold. 

After that, its eyes grew dim, and it fell to the side, pushed off by Leopold.*

*As the fight finished up, a cry emitted from the biggest building in the village.*
Denny
*The strike to the head was catastrophic for Leopold, due to his injury. His vision was blurry as he stumbled backwards, gripping his pained skull. If every memory he forgot when touching his band was a drop, this was a wave, crashing out of his head. An entire chunk of Leopold's life was now missing, nearly everything before he left Selnari Khanate. After taking a few seconds to recover, Leopold gathered the strength to move towards the cry, not sure who it might've been. The Dark Elf? A survivor of the village burning? Another Kuilei? Either way, Leopold advanced.*
Charlotte
*Once he reached the house - thanksfully for him, there was no enemy to be found. It seems there was a man chained to a pole here, shouting frantically at Leopold.*

"Come over here! Come! Quick! Help me!" *It seems to be a very well dressed male Macen, in golden and red robe.*
Denny
*Leopold staggered to him, his vision still slightly blurry.* "Yes, just a second." *With his axe, Leopold tried to break the chain, careful not to strike the man in any way.*
Charlotte
*After a few hacks, Leopold broke the chain, and he ran forward, hugging him in gratefulness.*

"Very careful! There's a powerful fire mage here, he summoned all those scary golems, and kidnapped me for ransom! But you saved me. But you better run, he is strong! Very strong!" *The man seems to be capable of more complicated, mannered speech, but he still seems to be startled.*
Denny
*Leopold squinted at the man, confused.* "I was out there making a lot of noise. I didn't see any fire mage." *The Steppe Elf looked around, trying to understand what exactly happened.* "Who are you, anyway?"
Charlotte
"Look, you, you, you just gotta run!" *He grabbed Leopold's hand, disregarding any consent and pulled him away from the house.* 

"Wait, wait, I remember, fire man has something. Yes." *He ran back into the house, returning with a fistful of jewelries - two silver and golden amulet with a gem on them.* "He hid these! Took it from me! I give you this, you take me safe to Amerung - Just seven miles south, save me, OK?" 

*Said city would be a natural stop on the route toward Salvainia, if Leopold remember.*
Denny
*Leopold was never much into investigation himself, so he figured the man was telling it to him straight. The Steppe Elf pocketed the treasures and led the stranger to his cart, where his horses would be waiting for him. Now where did that Dark Elf go..?*
Charlotte
*The fight has ended. The two were now free to loot the battlefield. The man who they rescued would be EXTREMELY insistent that the two leave the immediate vicinity, for the presence of a fire mage.*

``` Loot List:
Gems on Wood Kuilei: 180 silver
Gems on Stone Golem: 900 silver
Jewelries: 1200 silver 
```

*Once Leopold arrived at the city, the man would turn out to be the son of a local noble, who was kidnapped when he was investigating the village burning. In gratitude, his father would give the pair a reward of 20 gold.*

*In spite of Amnesia, it is likely that Leopold would've felt stronger combat wise. Talice might've learned a thing or two from the experience, too, though not as much as Leopold, who has risked his life and memory in mortal combat with the stone golem.*

*The gold is up to you two to divide.*

**Leopold gain 1.5 progression point, Talice gain 0.75 progression point.**