The Flayed Man part 23

Trying to attract a frost worm is a thing that isn't as easy as you'd think. It's a big world after all and, tracking or not, there is no real guarantee that it is gonna bother to do what you want. It's an animal, after all.

You pass by the mercenary and soon find yourself being directed another and then another as their scouts are spread out to see any sign of the thing. Soon, you find yourself now admits the mass of at least a dozen armed and armored mercs staying at the ready. Pikes have been dug into the earth at intervals around them. You can slip through but the creature would likely have a harder time.

Iskandar draws a shortbow and a handful of arrows from a quiver at his hip that's usually covered by a short cape. He scans the surroundings. Mostly he's looking for the monster, but he also glances over the Frostmantles that he can see. He takes in the pikes and looks for other preparations. All this looking about also makes it easy to hide how he's searching for the other party members who elected to remain hidden.

Malik is still out there. Somewhere. One assumes. Bow at the ready and probably a spell or two going as well.

GAME: Malik casts Overland Flight. Caster Level: 15 DC: 19

Seldan makes no such attempt to locate those who remain hidden, knowing that he is as likely to tip off their presence as actually find either of them. Instead, he focuses on readying himself for a battle that may or may not materialize. Like the other mercenaries, he remains at the ready, watchful, balanced between heels and toes as any proper fighter - and does not yet draw a weapon.

Lanier journeys along with the others, holding a longbow in hand as his eyes glance between the scouts they pass, the other mercenaries, his own party members, and the wilderness at large where they hunt. As he travels along with his horse, Spud is not far from him. The ranger seems to be keeping the wolf close in the midst of all these hunters that he knows are there yet may not be seen. The longbow he holds in his left hand as an arrow nestled up against the string, though it's held against the arrow rest by a single finger of the same hand that holds the bow by the grip. As he comes upon the Frostmantles, his expression grows increasingly dour, though he doesn't elaborate as to why.

There are indeed some members of the Frostmantles here, judging by their marked cloaks. The name came from somewhere, right?

As you move in. you're quietly welcomed by a tall woman with one eye that has a brutal looking scar accompanying it.

"Stay down and quiet, travelers," she whispers. "There's a creature bear to us. You've see. it?"

Iskandar seems strangely interested by the scar. But he shakes his head at the question. He turns his head slowly to survey the area beyond the woman. Then he looks back. "Shall I go and draw it out?" Surprisingly he's able to keep his voice to a battlield whisper.

Malik is, obviously, not near. And therefore quiet. Waiting.

"A frost worm, from what has been spoken," Seldan answers the woman with an incline of his head, letting the Myrrish lilt ring plainly through his voice, his holy symbol worm openly. "I have not seen such, but have read enough, I think. My companion and I can aid you, and I wield spells as well as a blade." He speaks low, and watchfully, still ready to move. "I am named Seldan, and we are here a-purpose, but that will keep." Stance and tone should make his meaning clear enough to a warrior - _fight first_.

Lanier glances over towards Iskandar, smirking lightly, "You have lofty aspirations, thinking a frost worm would find you delicious..." He looks towards the woman, his voice equally low to Iskandar's, "I'm a Green Warden of Gilead, Lanier Vaylan. Do you have any of my temple amongst you?" He takes a look away, glancing in the direction of Spud and narrowing his eyes. Spotting the wolf, he turns his attention back to the woman who greets them.

"We've a skilled tracker with us," replies the scarred woman. "It May be beneath us even now. Pikes should slow it down," she shakes her head

In the distance, there's what sounds like a bird call. "Brace. That could be it."

Iskandar's eyes widen slightly. Then they crinkle in amusement. 'Worms', he mouths silently. His free hand lowers to his belt, to rest on the hilt of a heavy dagger. He tilts his head forward to directs his gaze down at the ground between them.

GAME: Lanier rolls Perception: (6)+13: 19

Lanier raises an eyebrow and then nods his head. He falls to a knee, then to both knees. He leans forward, putting his front into the snow to listen to the ground. After a moment, he shakes his head and then quietly returns to a standing position. With a shake of his head, he indicates to the negative, "We'll continue waiting."

GAME: Malik rolls Perception: (10)+21: 31

GAME: Seldan rolls perception: (12)+6: 18

Rather than kneeling, Seldan goes quiet and listens intently, waiting, but shakes his head at length as well and resumes that ready pose.

Nothing happens.

Not immediately.

Someone saw *something*, but there's no ... immediate attack. The woman is frowning and so are the other mercs. They've got their weapons out. "Should we do another stomp?" whispers one of them.

"Shhh."

Seldan gets an image, from Malik's vantage point: Malik doesn't hear it, of course, being further away and unnoticed. But he / you see a faint distortion in the earth heading towards the camp. "Would you care to wager that's the frost worm?" Even parted as they are, the wizard and the paladin seem to have ways to communicate. At least with each other.

Smart money says that Seldan will share with the class.

Quickly, Seldan shakes his head at the woman, trying to reconcile in his mind the image that Malik has shown with the direction he now faces, in the camp itself. "It comes. Gird yourselves." The look he wears is far away, as one seeing and hearing things not before him.

Iskandar looks between the mercenaries present. That 'shhh' must mean they think it might still be around. Seldan seems to think so to. Iskandar is already as ready as he's going to be, but he does look at the ground and try to spot for himself whatever it is that the others seem to have recognized.

Several of the pikes suddenly wobbl where they were buried in the earth. They wonbble a little more oin the east side.

The warriors are already spread out, of course, but they're now stuck waiting.

Waiting for it to show itself.. Wobble.

Wobble.

It's feeling at them, where they're buried in the earth.

Iskandar darts his gaze around to watch the pikes as they are disturbed. He tries to look for a pattern to the worm's movements. After a few moments he gives that up and goes back to waiting for it to emerge. Patience doesn't come easy to him, but luckily he's been on a few hunts (shh, don't tell Lanier) and knows how these things can go.

Malik keeps his distance, staying hidden. The bow has incredible range, and the man can see the thing just fine. If it needs killing -- he can do it from there.

Lanier glances left and right, watching as the frost worm begins moving enough ground to start shaking pikemen who are well-braced. The Ranger glances towards Spud yet again and then puts his head back on a swivel, waiting for the frost worm to emerge if it decides to.

"A fearsome foe, I think, does it rattle so many at once!" Seldan shouts, backing up a few paces and preparing himself as well. "Not so great as some, but no pushover!"

A pike suddenly vanishes. Pulled beneath the earht.

A horrible crunching sound erupts from below.

GAME: Seldan casts Shield. Caster Level: 15 DC: 18

GAME: Lanier casts Hunter's Howl. Caster Level: 8 DC: 13

Iskandar's brow wrinkles as he watches and listens. He knocks an arrow and then turns to point the bow roughly in the direction of the missing pike. But he turns his gaze slowly across the remaining pikes to try and get a direction of where it might go next.

When the pike abruptly vanishes under the ground, Seldan jumps, but instead of backpedaling, his gauntleted hands fly into action, tracing a sigil before him, that when he speaks an arcane phrase, bursts into a shield of blue-white energy before him, then fades from view.