As you break camp, such as it was, Skitterlung has enough time to check his traps and finds no cockroaches but a brightly coloured insect, some type of beetle you would imagine, flits around within. It would be simple enough to take should he wish.

With that done you forge ahead North West in the direction you saw the columns of smoke the evening before. The jungle is as dense and unforgiving as it was the previous day but whether it's the early start or just the fact that you're now just used to it for some reason you find the going less difficult than yesterday.

You haven't been travelling for more than an hour or so before you get again the unmistakeable feeling that you're being watched. Casting a careful eye around the area you think you can make out a short figure concealed in a thick patch of undergrowth off to one side.

Cavalier was the icebreaker cruising through the jungle. A moving beacon to take cover behind, it forges on with little regard for itself. It does what it needs to, to go on. Ducking. Sometimes walking sideways. Pushing through. It wasn't made for this, obviously, but alas, little luck for that.

As it sees something some ways away, it turns to face it. "Who goes there?" it says, earnestly. If it was to attack them, it chose a poor position, and if it was just curious, it wanted to give it a chance to introduce itself.

Kaine had been following Cavalier's lead, letting the tall Clockwork push through the undergrowth rather than inflict any more unneccesary punishment on his own clothes and skin.

As he usually did, he became a bit lost in his own mind, his body automatically going through the motions of following Cavalier and avoiding any errant root that threatened to trip him.

When the Clockwork turned suddenly and addressed something, or someone unknown, it jerked Kaine out of his reverie and he immediately crouched into a defensive stance, holding his staff in front of him with both hands.

"Show yourself!" he called out to the barely seen figure in the undergrowth, trying to sound authoritative.

Skitterlung had happily taken the little bug, and checked to see if it would eat smaller bugs or, perhaps, bits of plant matter or some pieces of fruit.

When the small figure appeared, Skitterlung leaned forward, hopeful that he would see something like a goblin which would be friendly to their group.

Gren kept quiet not wanting to overwhelm the little creature with lots of voices so kept his distance and allowed the others to talk to it

Who - or what - ever is watching you reacts at the first of Cavalier's words. With a rustle of leaves and cracking of wood the figure turns and flees.

As it goes to run you get a clearer look at it for just second. You can make out that the figure is short, perhaps only four feet or so in height, and darkly coloured with a flapping cloak billowing at it's sides - an unusual choice of attire for the temperature. It rushes off into the trees at ground level, moving upright on two legs and navigating through the trees with the skill of someone used to the environment.

Skitterlung started grumbling as soon as it turned away. "You scared it off, talls! With your threatening and height and vicious faces." Skitterlung rushed up ahead of the group, tried to clamber up on a tree to watch the figure recede.

Green stepped forward and put an arm on the goblins shoulder

"next time my friend we will allow you to do the talking if we come across a lurker I the jungle. Feel free to step forward and confront them" he gave the little man a reassuring pat before walking off down the trail they were following

Cavalier looks at Skitterlung as he skitters off, his porcelain mask still stuck in the same expressionless, serene face it had always had. It did not understand how it had, allegedly, had a vicious face. If the creature that fled was this much of a coward, that a simple call out was enough to scare it, it did not care much for it as a potential threat. It kept walking.

"Stay and pursue it if you wish." it simply says, but Skitterlung was probably quite a ways away by now.

Kaine remained tense for a few moments as the strange figure dashed off into the tree's, then allowed himself to relax his stance. Whatever it was, it was not a mere beast, for beasts typically did not clothe themselves.

Still, they could not follow it at the speed it moved through the trees, so Kaine turned and began following Cavalier again. "Try and keep an eye out for it, in case its spying on our movements," he called out to Skitterlung up in the trees.

There are no further lurkers in the jungle for Skitterlung to take the lead with and you see neither hide nor hair of anything beyond the 'normal' jungle wildlife for several hours. Then your hot slog through the jungle is interrupted by the unmistakable sounds of conflict echoing through the trees for a short distance away. Shouts of anger and strange animal grunts ring out alongside the clash of weapons.

Approaching cautiously you come, still concealed in the undergrowth, to the edge of a clearing within which a battle, if that not be too grand a title for a struggle between some seven people. In the center of the clearing is a large pit, the branches and leaves still clinging to the sides suggesting of a deadfall trap, and the screams of agony from within lead you to believe at least one person, or thing, lies within. Standing at the edge stand three bedraggled humans - you're sure you recognize them as sailors from the Sunset Mist - with their backs to the pit and wielding a mixture of swords and piece of wood clearly scavenged from the wreck.

Arrayed against them are four of the strangest creatures you have ever seen. Three of them are short creatures, about five feet tall, covered all over in silvery hair with short black horns jutting from weirdly misshapen heads which look like a mix of human and some animal. They stand upright on two hoof-like feet and in their humanoid, albeit hairy, hands they clutch a selection of primitive weapons such as stone axes and blades. They circle the men by the pit in fighting crouches, occasionally lunging forward with an attack before backing off. Standing slightly further back from those creatures is a hulking form - that of a large man, easily some seven feet tall, by darkly tan and with the head of a large, horned, bull. Completely naked he stomps at the ground with mighty hooved feet and clutches a huge club in a two handed grip, snorting the air as he surveys the combat before him.

Unhappy at the prospect of attacking these short people in defense of those tall people, Skitterlung moves into cover in the brush, waiting to see how Gren, the other short one, responds to this situation before acting on his own merit.

Gren was close enough to make out what was happening though his eye site wasn't the best at long distance.

He took a defensive stance clawed figures spread.

"well my friends do we try to rescue those being attacked or move on.... I would attack as it would be a sign of weakness for a moleskin to not show his strength against others but as I am one I will abide by the groups decision"

"We should be able to take the three creatures, especially if we attack from the rear while the sailors attack from the front. The problem will be that...thing," Kaine whispered, gesturing towards the large, bull headed form.

Turning to glance at Cavalier he added, "We will need you to keep it busy while we engage the rest, then together we can all gang up on it and bring it down."

"I will engage and keep its attention. Provide me a sign and I shall attack."

It felt some form of comfort in receiving orders. It hadn't, for some time, but nostalgia hits hard when it does. The makeshift club it carried, was brandished in its hand, as it readied to charge from their position.

"OK lead the way I'm not going to be able to hit anything let alone see them clearly until I'm up close so the quicker we do this the better" grunted the molekin

Cavalier goes charging out into the clearing, heading for the larger target that it intends to engage and hopefully, make short work out of. With the club in hand, it swings at it. However, as good as any attack can be to hit, if it doesn't hit hard, it doesn't matter a whole lot.


23:51, Today: Cavalier rolled 15 using 1d20+1.  Attack Roll.
23:52, Today: Cavalier rolled 1 using 1d6.  Club Damage.

Skitterlung, frowning slightly at the decided course of action, nonetheless loaded a stone into his sling and threw for the short creatures.

OOC: 09:30, Today: Skitterlung rolled 19,6 using 1d20+2,1d6.  attack + prospective damage.

As soon as Cavalier moved, Kaine gripped his staff firmly and said, "Let's go!" before running towards the creatures facing the sailors.

He darted towards the leftmost one, driving the end of his staff at the base of its skull with both hands.

---

ooc: Taking a Slow Turn Move Action: Move into range. Action: Attack Roll (Finesse): 03

Gren started to run towards the blurry outlines before him as he got closer he made more detail out.

As he moved he spread his arms out his thick claws catching the light.

Once in the thick of it he hit the first target that presented itself

Ooc

12:19, Today: Gren rolled 18 using 1d20+1.  Melee attack

12:19, Today: Gren rolled 2 using 1d3.  Damage.

You burst from the treeline to the obvious surprise of all present in the clearing. It takes a few moments for everyone to register your presence and just who you might be and in that time you are upon them drawing a ragged cheer from the beleaguered sailors.

Cavalier crashes into the bull headed creature which meets his charge with a roar and a swing of it's own club which manages to deflect enough of the clockwork's blow so that it only causes a glances injury.

Gren and Skitterlung have greater success with their target. The molekin's claws and the goblin's well flung stone send one of the smaller goat-things reeling, badly injured. Unfortunately Kaine's target managers to skitter out of the way of his attack and crouches extra low, ready to spring with violence in it's eyes.

Seeing the reinforcement the sailors redouble their efforts - two of them focusing on the unengaged goat-things and the other charging to Cavalier's assistance!

OOC: All the creatures will take fast actions, as will the sailors save for the one charging for the bull-thing who is going to act in the slow turn. You can act now if you want to act fast or just let me know if you want to hold back for the slow turn.

Having engaged the bull-creature, Cavalier hopes to make the combat last as short a while as possible, and tries to hit the creature with the club as it attempts to fend off attacks with its free arm. However, under the stress of it, there was no good angle of attack.

---
Fast Action Attack, most likely a miss. Yikes.
22:42, Today: Cavalier rolled 6 using 1d20+1.  Attack Roll, +1.

Skitterlung launched a stone from his position again.

OOC: "22:10, Today: Skitterlung rolled 4,6 using 1d20+2,1d6.  attack + prospective damage."

Yeesh!

Kaine thrust with his staff again and again, but his hasty and frantic blows were too far off the mark.

---

02:09, Today: Kaine rolled 3 using 1d20.  Attack Roll vs Beast (Finesse).

Gren moved on a blur of claws on stocky legs and stout arms

Ooc

11:08, Today: Gren rolled 17 using 1d20+1.  Melee attack

11:08, Today: Gren rolled 2 using 1d3.  Damage.