One of the hounds runs through the air and starts mauling Valaari, which only further terrifies them.
Valaari recalls these boys have a weakness to silver, so they wrap some silver chain around their axe and go to town. But they miss.
Another hound goes to Naze, and mauls him, dragging him screaming to the ground.
Runmae rushes to save the party's babiest boy. Runmae crits!
Another hound runs down from the shelf and grabs Runmae's head in its mouth as it passes, and smashes her off the ground. She's down.
Runmae is down, taken out in one hit.
Zaphkiel gets bitten, which takes Naze down. Zaphkiel poofs out of existence.
Warren goes ham and shoots one of them to death. Thank fuck.
Valaari drinks a potion and rushes one of the two remaining hounds, and severely wounds it. It then bites them and flees.
The third hound chases after Bhaltair and bites them.
Bhaltair punches the dog in the face.
It's looking really bad.
Warren runs to Naze and gives him a healing potion.
Valaari tries to take one out with a javelin. They roll a natural 1, then use their hero point to re-roll, and roll a natural 1.
Bhaltair continues getting mauled.
Warren assumes his hybrid form, and then mauls one of the dogs! And kills it!
Naze, whilst lying down, does a 3-action heal! Healing everyone who was down!
Valaari throws their boomerang at the last dog, but fails to hit.
Runmae gets to her feet and charges after the last dog. She hits it solidly in the spine and it yelps.
The hound then mauls Bhaltair, downing them, and then turns menacingly to Runmae and mauls her too.
Warren shoots the hound and them demoralises it by showing off the chucks of the other dog in his teeth. This somehow works!
Valaari throws their boomerang 3 times and misses all 3.
The hound charges at Warren, pulling him to the ground. Warren gets back up and bites it again.
Naze tries to blow it up with magic, fails.
Valaari picks up their axe and runs around to flank the hound, and tries to chop it.
Valaari embeds their axe in its spine and kills it. They keep hacking at it for a few seconds. It's very intense.
Naze begins triaging the others.
Naze critically succeeds at treating Runmae, furthering the jokes that he has a crush on her.
Runmae lets out a weak smile on the ground.
Naze re-manifests Zaphkiel before treating anyone else.
Zaphkiel reappears, ready to combat demons! Unfortunately, they're all dead.
Runmae gets a bottle of Dwarven Whiskey out of her pack and takes a swig.
Naze then treats Bhaltair, Warren, Valaari and himself. He fails on himself.
That was a very scary combat, with multiple party members going down multiple times. Which is a shame, because Naze's player asked for a scary combat and they were too sick to play today lol
They find a nearby cave to shelter in and recover.
Warren asks Valaari if they have any feedback for the group this time. Valaari isn't sure they want to hear it. Bhaltair says they wanna hear it, please.
Valaari says nobody is truly born until they almost die to the Wastes, so good job everyone.
Runmae makes a sarcastic comment, which Valaari doesn't understand.
Bhaltair thinks it went well! They're all alive! Warren comments that he feels fine.
Bhaltair asks Valaari about Yeth Hounds. This was a small pack, but it's unusual to encounter them during the day.
Valaari checks Warren's map, and gets him to mark that the Yeth Hound pack was here. Unfortunately, the Labyrinth is like 90% death gorge.
Bhaltair asks if they should look for the lair, but Valaari doesn't think they're up to the task. They theorise that something that may displaced the pack from its lair, as they usually make a lot of noise when hunting. The group seemed to stumble across these ones.
Regardless, they can't deal with whatever it is now.
They travel a bit to get away from the danger, and then find somewhere to hide. They spend 2 hours in the cave treating their wounds, and then proceed for the rest of the day.
They find another cave to rest in, and sleep.
19th Therendor
This is their last day before returning to Maruk Dar.
Valaari asks the others how they're feeling, as yesterday was the most dangerous day in the Wastes they've had so far.
Runmae is starting to feel better about Valaari's comments, because she did almost die yesterday.
Bhaltair is infuriatingly cheerful.
Runmae tells a story of taking down a whole gang single handedly (even though some spicy dogs almost killed her).
She also tells a story of apprehending a druid with a pack of wolves. Bhaltair asks if she killed Jerry. She didn't kill the druid! They went to court in Aundair.
The wolves are dead though.
Bhaltair's face visible drops. Oh.
Bhaltair doesn't wanna get into the weeds about that now. They forgive Runmae. Runmae...appreciates that.
Valaari tries to ascertain Warren's grumpiness level. He's got a smug grin on his face.
Valaari glares at him and decides to ignore him.
Bhaltair asks what's going on with Warren's face. He says he thinks he did good yesterday, if not for him, the others would be "you know"
Bhaltair asks for clarification
Warren says they'd all be dead if not for him! Bhaltair asks why.
"Well, I didn't go down or almost die! The rest of you did!"
Bhaltair wants to know how that's relevant.
Runmae commends Warren for being humble.
Bhaltair starts questioning how, as the others screened the dogs from getting Warren. He's not hearing it.
Runmae comments that Warren didn't even get near the dogs until the end??
Bhaltair does think Warren did well, but he shouldn't underestimate the contributions of everyone else. They worked as a team! Naze got up from the brink of death to heal them!
Yeah but he does that all the time
Bhaltair asks Warren for feedback. Warren just says that they did good, he's not sure what else they could've done.
Bhaltair has a big grin on his face, and Warren gets uncomfortable. "Listen, you can't pull one over on me!"
Bhaltair apologises for making Warren uncomfortable, and then says "Okay okay, you did a terrible job!"
Runmae says she doesn't think Warren put everything into that fight.
Warren is no longer smug, is back to grumpy.
Runmae states that the status quo has been restored.
Valaari smirks.
In the evening, they return to Maruk Dar. They are met
Torgaan asks Runmae if it is usual for Gnomes to lead groups of "Post Men"
Not usually, no.
Valaari has heard of these metal boxes that can travel hundreds of miles in a day. Runmae confirms they are called Lightning Rails.
"They want to take a metal box of people through Khyber?"
Torgaan thinks they need to stop these Post Men, transit through Khyber is too dangerous. The risk of corruption spreading is too great.
Bhaltair suggests they leave a post box outside of Maruk Dar to lure them out. That's how that works, right?
Torgaan mentions it is time to formally welcome Bhaltair and Runmae to the clan. Naze and Warren were dismissed. Valaari, as Korta, needs to teach these two initiates about Kalok Shash and what is expected of them. Their initiation is in two days.
Valaari takes them aside and explains Kalok Shash to them. Valaari also draws a parallel to the Church of the Silver Flame. Valaari also describes the church as sounding like a militant cult to them?
(This is very funny)
Valaari explains that even though they are forcing these two to join the Ghaash'kala, they aren't forcing them to worship Kalok Shash, nor are they trying to spread their faith.
Runmae thinks her mama would be upset if she changed faiths, she was always a Sovereign Host worshipper.
Valaari then explains the warding around Maruk Dar, which hides it from the fiends. They get interrupted by Ukryta, offering them seconds. Valaari and Runmae accept, Bhaltair does not (as they don't need food).
Valaari explains the makeup of the clan, the Malaan, the Kala, and the Drok. They also explain the initiation ritual, how they will be symbolically killed and reborn, like they already did on the patrol.
Bhaltair asks if they are classes to learn the language. Valaari is their tutor, it is their responsibility.
Valaari also explains they will get their first clan tattoos, one of which protects against possession.
Valaari commiserates Bhaltair and Runmae's former lives. Runmae is sad for herself, but is more upset that she got Denzel trapped here too. And Kauth is still walking around!
They also go and drop off all the weapons they collected as well as the bracers of missile deflection, and try to get Runmae a new suit of Niyaháat armour. She hands her previous leather lamellar in for someone else.
They also return the scrolls and potions that they didn't use, so they can be used by other patrols.