After an evening meal at the Baron of Mutton, most of the group left the inn to check out the temple. The place was empty with Semheis gone until the end of Eleasias and all the door were locked. Of course, the alleged ghost had been seen outside the temple, so this was no real deterent to the hearty adventurers, now all well-fed and some well-liquored up as well. There was always the possibility that the large group frightened the apparition away; in any case, it was no where to be seen.
Along the Churnett River-11 Eleasias 1374 DR
The next morning, the group left at their usual time, right after Gala's morning worship. The day was another pleasant one. There was nothing unusual along the river as they traveled. As they drew nearer to Kuiper's farm in the late afternoon, a lone howl, something between yipping and insane laughter, carried across the grassy moors. It was joined by another and another howl until a chorus of mad cackling could be heard across the evening. Off in the distance, almost out of sight, four tall humanoid figures could be seen heading north.
Kaileer grinned to himself slightly as he halted the party.
"We need practice fight... and it be good if there be four gnoll less in world," he said to the others, "I have plan. You all hide in grass, I go shoot with bow. When they chase me, I lead to ambush."
Aloysius listened carefully to the strange sounds. He squinted at the far-off figures, trying to better focus on who, or what, they were. "Moons and stars! What in the Abyss ARE those things?"
"I don't have any problem with that, but what if they run faster than you? What then?" asked Torro.
"Then I not be here do stupid thing again," the ranger said with a shrug.
Torro took a position where he was concealed, yet where he could sling a few arrows at the them if needed.
"I believe Kaileer is correct, those are indeed Gnolls." Lasiar replied in a tone lacking in emotion. "As I mentioned before, we were besetted by some of their kind during our journey to Milbourne. They are vicious and immoral creatures, and do not deserve our mercy or pity. Kaileer is right about one thing. Its time for some sword practice. Well, in my case, mace practice."
Lasiar turned to Kaileer. "Before you go, I will ask my Goddess to protect us." Lasiar grasped his medallionn, and chanted in a slow, rhythmic tone, "Our Lady of Stars, the MoonMaiden, grant us your blessing, and protect us from those that will do us harm."
Jana smiled at the thought of smashing a few gnoll heads. When they got to a place for their ambush, she loosely tied her horse and pulled out her bastard sword. "This is gonna be fun," she whispered gleefully.
Gala sighed and readied her mace.
"Gnolls outrun an elven ranger, not likely Torro." Blacky laughed "Besides if one starts to catch up I'm sure that bow of yours will slow it down."
"I'll try to keep hidden and quiet, Kaileer. If one of yonder creatures makes it this far, I'll make sure that it leaves a few feet shorter." He said holding his axe in two hands as if to cut down a tree.
Azrun watched the blood lust settle in on the party," Were you people beaten as children. I'm just wondering."
Jana looked at Azrun, baffled. "No, of course not. Why?" She put her shield near her horse and twirled her sword around a bit with both hands, smiling.
Gala murmured sadly, "All creatures are deserving of mercy and pity. Evil ones most of all. I would not attack those that have not shown us ill. But will bow to the will of those that accompany me. I do not suppose you would allow me just to try to stop them? Or allow them to go by as we have higher goals than simply picking a fight?"
Aloysius just stood in the spot where he was when Kaileer ran off. "Oh dear," he muttered. "What should I . . . .?" He finally ducked behind the nearest bush or rock he could find and drew a pair of daggers.
"Gala, as much as I respect you and your faith, I cannot concur with your views that all evil creatures deserve mercy. Pity, perhaps, but never mercy. Compassion and kindness are only wasted on the depraved. They see such virtues as weaknesses, and rarely practice them. Also, I cannot accept your argument that we should leave them be because they haven't shown us any ill will. Kaileer, Torro and I had no quarrel with the Gnolls that attacked us, but they did not hesistate from attacking us. They simply wanted to kill us for our possessions. I cannot believe that those gnolls there have no ill intent. They will probably accost anyone they deem vulnerable, and if we don't stop them, the blood of any innocents will be on our hands. I am not proposing that we kill these creatures, but in a gesture to you and your beliefs, we could drive them off."
"Oh, brilliant," Jana growled. "That way, they can come back with lots and lots of their little gnolly friends." She made a valiant, if not wholly successful attempt to control her temper. "They're gnolls," she said slowly, looking primarily at Gala. "They're bad, bad little creatures. They want to kill us. We are defending ourselves and every other person in this area. Do you want to be responsible for letting these creatures go on to kill some helpless farmer or child?"
Gala looked at Lasiar sadly, "Lasiar, we have a mission here to attempt to find some people sorely wronged by evil creatures, kidnapped and taken against their will. We see some creatures that we suspect are evil, merely because we have know others of their race to be evil. And you say this gives us the right to hunt them down like dogs, simply to bear out our suspicions. How can you condemn someone for an action that you know nothing about, that you know may never happen? I envy you your certainty. I would not risk a rescue on what could be needless slaughter. I would not risk any of my friends on that task either. I know that I cannot right all the wrongs in this world. But if I stop believing that all are not deserving of Lathander's love or mercy, then I have become that which I would destroy. I do not ask you to agree with my views. But I cannot hold to yours either. I require some proof of evil before making my judgement, not just racial bigotry."
Gala looked at Jana also, "Do you want to assume guilt for a being simply because of its race? I cannot condemn for actions I know nothing about. Past or future. As I said to Lasiar, it is not in my faith to do such a thing. Show me what these have done and I will help you fight them with the last breath in my body. But until then it is mindless slaughter, killing for killings sake. And I cannot like that, Jana. It is my nature."
"Okay," Jana said calmly to Gala, "you want proof? Go stand out there on the road, alone, and see what they do when they see you. If they attack you, then can we kill 'em? Or, if you'd rather us wait to make sure they weren't just playing rough, kidding around, we can. I promise, though, the first one who stabs you through your heart, I'll kill."
"If you truly want me to do this, I will." replied Gala. "I would rather do this than have you attack them out of hand."
Jana threw up her hands in exasperation. "No, I don't want you to do that, Gala, of course not. They'd kill you." She sighed and looked up, as if searching for strength. "Okay, how about if we try to hide from them? If they don't see us and pass on by, we continue on our merry way. If they attack us, we fight. Fair enough?" Jana looked at the others and added, "We have far more important things to do than screw around with a few gnolls."
Aloysius took Gala by the arm before she could go stand in the road. His eyes blazed with anger as he addressed Jana. "Galaret shall not be subject to harm so long as Stargazer be present. Ebonhair, I suggest that the vigor directed to thy mouth be transferred to thy sword arm." He then looked at Lasiar. "Brightmantle, I know thee not well, but a time there be for discussions theological, and this be not it. These gnolls shall be upon us soon enow, and propose do I that we be ready."
After Aloysius addressed Lasiar and Jana, he turned and smiled at Gala. "Gentle one, know you that Stargazer doth treasure thy value on life. Howe'er, agree must I with Janathell and Lasiar. Ne'er hath there been known a gnoll to be of a beneficent nature. If we allow these to pass, who knows what evil might befall those unfortunate enough to encounter them later. The war with evil must be an active one. If we limit ourselves to self-defense only, then evil will spread like a rot on this land. 'Tis said that evil grows when good people do nothing. Stargazer favors an attack on these beasts, to slay them and send a message to all who would ally themselves with them."
"I not want kill goblins because they only steal sheep and scared of boy with sling... gnoll try kill us, steal Pug... Garyld say best thing for gnoll is quick death," the ranger stated coldly, then calmed himself and looked at Gala, "I go yell at gnoll. If they leave me, we not kill. If they attack and try kill me, I be sure they not try with other. It be duty of ranger fight evil to keep balance. If gnoll evil, they die."
Jana shrugged at Gala. "I won't go out of my way to kill 'em dead," she commented, as the gnolls started toward them, "but I won't endanger myself or anyone else with half-assed fighting. That's the best I can do," she finished, smiling not unkindly. With that, she stood, bastard sword ready, and moved a bit toward the gnolls and away from the distracted Bug Boy.
As the group tried to make themselves invisible in the grass and Kaileer ran whooping and hollering toward the gnolls. The four figures stopped and turned to face the obviously insane lone elf running toward them and then charged. Once they were in range, Kaileer loosed a couple of arrows at them. Two of the gnolls had bows and returned fire on him. Everyone missed. Kaileer took this as a good opportunity to run back the way he had come with the gnolls giving chase.
Luckily for the elf, he could run faster than the humanoids and he managed to keep his footing while running across the uneven terrain. As they approached the area where the group was hiding, Kaileer could see that at this distance, several members of the group were easy to see in spite of their attempts to hide. This fact was not lost on the gnolls either. Instead of scaring them away, however, it seemed to infuriate them. One of them continued his pursuit of the elven ranger, and the other three spread out to attack the people hiding in the grass.
Once he reached the party's general location, the elven ranger turned and fired once at the gnoll following him.
"ATTACK!!," he yelled as he threw his bow a few yards behind him and readied his spear and shield for the charging gnoll.
Azrun seeing the gnolls coming their way, got ready to be skewered, "I should have just slit my wrists while I was laying in the grass."
Aloysius crouched low in the grass, taking off his hat and setting it next to him. He then focused his attention to the south. A very serene look was on his face. "Please, if some creature foul doth appear intent on accosting me from the north, a carefully phrased warning would be appreciated," he said to whomever was close by. He sat cross-legged on the ground and looked southward, occasionally glancing down at the grass to see if any unusual insects were happening by.
Gala merely sighed, then grasped her holy symbol and began to chant.
Blacky starts humming a merry tune as the gnolls close on the party. As soon as one comes within range he hurls one of the small axes at his waist at the creature, then grasps his large axe in both hands and moves to intercept it.
"Selune, preserve us," Lasiar said as he removed his sling and a few sling bullets. The Silverstar waited until the gnolls came into range, and slung two bullets at the gnoll chasing Kaileer. He continued to fire sling bullets at that gnoll, and then at the nearest gnoll when the first fell. Lasiar drew his moon's hand, returning his sling to its holster, upon any gnolls coming within melee range.
