Elora shot Deon an angry glance when he slapped her. She looked indignant, her meek attitude during the session with Deon forgotten in the heat of battle. Blood slowly dripped from her magic sword. Victory over the two lizardmen had made the elf paladin feel like a leader again and, for a moment, she was all pride and anger and wounded dignity. But Deon steadily held her gaze and it wasn’t long before she blushed and looked away. Facing the horde of lizardmen in deadly combat was easier than holding his gaze when he disapproved of her.<br/><br/>Elora barrelled into the group, swinging<em>'Mehgen'</em>with anger and in a wide arc that made the Lizardfolk scatter – and herself lose her balance. The lizardfolk quickly closed ranks again, trying to box her in<br/><br/><strong>“Stay!”</strong>Deon firmly told the witch when she pleaded for him to free her. He had no time for her antics, nor had he time to free her from her shackles and collar in the midst of combat. Besides, he didn’t trust Beatrice, even though she had shown herself to be most cooperative since the incident with the love potion she had brewed herself. There were still certain… animosities between the rest of the party and her but she had always shown her best, most obliging side while Deon was around, if only to win his favour.<br/><br/>He raised his mace and charged into the fray. Elora was already hard pressed but again, the enemy was occupied with the wildly swinging paladin and that gave him an opening. He raised his heavy mace for a massive, overhead swing and cleanly smashed it over one of the lizardmens’ heads. With a<em>wet</em>crack the skull gave way and it slumped down at his feet<br/><br/>Elora then picked up the slack and finished off the lizardman Lune had wounded with a clean thrust that pierced the creature’s thorax front to back while Deon again landed a solid blow on another. Between the two of them, they quickly finished off the last of the melee fighters while Lune kept the dart-throwers at bay with her bow. The ranged battle was rather indecisive, but when the last of the frontline fighters fell, the others threw a final dart and then literally turned tail and ran, with Lune taking after them in close pursuit.<br/><br/><br/>When the group finally arrived at the site of Misty’s stand, the ground was littered with lizardmen dead. At least four had fallen before her axe, trying desperately to get to safety. But her greatest prize lay at the base of the hill: the lizardman chieftain had been slain, hacked to pieces with her great axe.<br/><br/>Misty herself lay slumped over in the moss, still clutching her axe and bleeding profusely from numerous wounds. It was hard to tell if the barbarian was still alive or already hunting her foes in a better place but, immediately, Elora sprinted up to her lifeless form and evoked her divine powers of healing.<br/><br/>The barbarian’s muscular body buckled as Torm rekindled the life in her. Weakly, she pulled herself up to her knees and coughed blood all over Elora’s boots. “Hah!” She huffed and spit out some more blood. “I got him good!”<br/><br/><br/>“Looks like it’s all of them for now.” Deon said and surveyed the carnage, striding between the bodies. He walked up to the fallen lizardman chieftain and picked up the greatsword. He gave it a few testing swings but the blade felt long and unbalanced to him. It was certainly well made, though, and decorated with jewels and some kind of seal. “I wonder where they got<em>this</em>.” He said and presented his prize to the others. “It’s certainly not Lizardman work.”<br/><br/>“Who cares about where they got the sword.” Lune interjected just as she returned from hunting down the stragglers. A number of arrows were missing from her quiver. “They took one of the horses.” She reported and stopped to catch her breath. “There are a lot of smaller footprints all over the place, leading back to the swamp. I think their young dragged it off to<em>eat</em>.”<br/><br/>“Nothing we can do about it now. I don’t think we want to fight them on their own home ground in our condition.” Deon said and glanced at Misty. The barbarian still had trouble standing. “Don’t look at me, prayerboy! I’m good for round two!” She growled back.<br/><br/>“Elora?” Deon asked and looked at the paladin. She had used all her healing powers on Misty, but that meant nothing. He had seen her act selflessly even in the face of death before. To his relief, the elf was entirely unscathed from the fight. Not even her exposed belly had taken another scratch.<br/><br/>“Yeah, look to your<em>hussy</em>.” Lune said under her breath, trying to get at the barbed lizardman dart that was latched in her back. “It’s not like anyone else needs your attention.”<br/><br/>“We will return to camp!” Deon decided and Elora shot him another glance. This was<em>her</em>party. By Torm’s grace she was in command and she shouldn’t let him walk all over her. But she did. Over and over and over again. It made her feel…<em>tingly</em>. “Loot the dead!” Deon commanded and passed out bags. They had won a great victory and the spoils were theirs for the taking; that was the law of the strong. “Misty, chop off their heads and put them on spikes! That will keep the others away from our camp for the night. Lune, gather the horses and tether them close by! Feed them some grain if they can’t graze.”<br/><br/><br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">combat</div><div class="spoiler_body">Lune, Deon, Elora, Beatrice<br/><br/>Turn1<br/>Elora ⚔ Lizardman = crit miss, nonconfirmed<br/>Deon Lizardman = crit ☠<br/>Lune ↗ Lizardman Ranger = scoot, miss<br/>Beatrice = wait<br/><br/>Lizardman ⚔ Elora = move, miss<br/>Lizardman ⚔ Elora = move to flank, miss<br/>Lizardman Ranger ↗ Lune = miss<br/>Lizardman Ranger ↗ Lune = miss<br/><br/>Turn2<br/>Elora ⚔ Lizardman = ☠<br/>Deon Lizardman = move to flank, 4 dam<br/>Lune ↗ Lizardman Ranger = scoot, 10 dam<br/>Beatrice = wait<br/><br/>Lizardman ⚔ Elora = move, miss<br/>Lizardman Ranger ↗ Lune = 4dam <br/>Lizardman Ranger ↗ Lune = 4dam<br/><br/>Turn3<br/>Elora ⚔ Lizardman = 6dam<br/>Deon Lizardman = ☠<br/>Lune ↗ Lizardman Ranger = scoot, miss<br/>Beatrice = wait<br/><br/>Lizardman Ranger ↗ Lune = miss, run<br/>Lizardman Ranger ↗ Lune = miss, run<br/><br/><hr/><br/>Misty<br/>Turn 1<br/>Lizardman Chieftain ⚔ Misty = 5 dam<br/>Misty ⚔ Lizardman Chieftain = 12 dam<br/>Lizardman = Cheer<br/>Lizardman = Cheer<br/>Lizardman = Cheer<br/>Lizardman = Cheer<br/><br/>Turn 2<br/>Lizardman Chieftain ⚔ Misty = 17 dam<br/>Misty ⚔ Lizardman Chieftain = ☠<br/>Lizardman = Run <br/>Lizardman = Run<br/>Lizardman = Run<br/>Lizardman = Run<br/><br/>Turn 3<br/>Misty ⚔ Lizardman = run, partial charge, ☠<br/>Lizardman = Run<br/>Lizardman = Run<br/>Lizardman = Run<br/></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">spoils</div><div class="spoiler_body"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>XP</strong></span><br/>Party level average = (2+ 3+ 3+ 4 +5)/5 =3.4 ~ 3<br/>6600 XP in kills <br/>3000 XP in enemies chased off<br/>400 XP bonus award for victory (and round numbers)<br/>-&gt;10000XP total<br/>--&gt; 2000XP each<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Loot</strong></span><br/>Masterwork decorated greatsword<br/>The lizardmen’s equipment, if anyone wants it<br/>Assorted coins; pierced, threaded and worn as impressive, shiny necklaces to the value of 1000GP<br/>A weird mix of caravan goods from distant lands: Cigars, silks, spices, exotic wood and furs, certainly valuable once, but now all soiled and chewed on to some extent. <br/>Mithral trade bar (2 lbs)<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Losses</strong></span><br/>10 Arrows spent and not recovered in the soft, swampy ground<br/>One horse and anything left on it. Your choice whose horse and what is lost in mundane gear. <br/></div></div>