Battle in the forest

Sarale leads the group back to the inn where she finds Vajor.

VAJOR:

"Aye, dove. Get yer barrier up?"

SARALE:

"Yeah, where's Aktlass and Karma?"

KARMA:

"I'm right here, bestie!"

Karma rushes to Sarale and gives her a big hug. Sarale hugs Karma back and smiles.

SARALE:

"Tunda went with the guild master and Rodneharts to visit the Druid. These ladies and gentlemen will be our new comrades for the forest fight. This is Karma, where's Aktlass?"

KARMA:

"Took gramps out for a walk in his new wears. Vajor told us we need to meet up with Tunda before those two left, so they should be on their way to him now."

SARALE:

"Okay, then we head that way."

VAJOR:

"Tha quicker we get there tha better, my sword arm is startin' ta get restless."

Karma grabs their weapon and follows everyone out.

Meanwhile, Tunda and his group make their way through town in a hurry as they head for the woods. Tunda could hear whistling echoing from the trees. Rodneharts and the guild master stop just outside the tree line, nervous of the whistling they heard in the distance. Tunda walks inside and is quickly greeted by John as he steps out of one of the trees wiping something off his hands. John looks at him and glances out at the two that followed him while Tunda notices the large army of bandits following after him.

JOHN:

"you got some more friends for me to play with?"

TUNDA:

"... aye... they want to help clean up the bat caves."

JOHN(smiles):

"excellent! excellent!! Thank you, my pretty diamond... how many?"

TUNDA:

"half a guild."

Tunda looks back and waves the others to enter. Rodneharts quickly rushes in on command with the guild master following him fully guarded. John smirks at them with a childish head tilt as he studies them. The guild master swallowed the lump in her throat to speak.

GM:

"My guild is near forty strong. we're waiting for orders."

JOHN:

"Ooh. That's a lot more than I thought would be available. how do you get that many?"

TUNDA:

"Told them you saved their asses and they owe you one each."

John laughs as if proud of Tunda's words.

JOHN:

"aha. alright I'll take that."

Aktlass and Naleth appear from the left side of the woods, keeping a fixed distance from the main entrance of town until they make it to John's and Tunda's groups.

JOHN:

"Oh. The traitor and the married reptile are back."

AKTLASS:

"The others will be here soon. We got a few extra things ready for the fight."

JOHN:

"Nice~, nice, nice. So the others are getting stocked up to go too then."

TUNDA:

"Good to see you two well."

AKTLASS:

"Karma will be here with Vajor and Sarale."

TUNDA:

"Which means the rest of the guild will be here soon."

GM:

"One unit will guard the townsfolk in the guild to protect them."

JOHN:

"Alrighty."

Several moments pass and Sarale and Vajor approach as they chat with a few of the paladins and a cleric. Sarale waves when she sees everyone. Vajor shakes his head and chuckles. John and Tunda look at them; Tunda nods and John waves cutely. 

JOHN:

"Hi~. That's a lot of people. This is marvelous~. I actually can't stop smiling from all this support, Dovely."

SARALE(chuckles):

"Well, when a friend asks for help we come through. Plus, we need to keep the people safe and rid the forest of this blight. We were able to put up a barrier around the guildhall. Anyone inside should be safe from fiends and undead. A few paladins and the vast majority of the clerics stayed behind to protect the people inside. It'll be a decent bunker for any citizens that can't defend themselves."

JOHN:

"good keep the weak out of the way so they don't get caught up in this territory war."

John stares at Rodneharts for a moment before raising a brow at him and turns back to face the bandits.

JOHN:

"Alright, assholes! You better be ready to lose a few fingers before you lose your heads. we're taking back this forest before it dies with the town, got it?"

BANDITS:

"YES, LORD!"

JOHN:

"GET YOUR ASSES MOVING THEN!!"

The bandits rush back into the woods in silence. John then offers a map to the guild master.

JOHN:

"Follow the marks on this map for the last cave. Diamond, you and your crew are with me."

John then looks back at Rodneharts and smiles.

JOHN:

"That guy too. I like him."

Vajor raises a brow and chuckles.

VAJOR:

"ya know yer one scary kid when you wanna be."

Sarale stretches her shoulders and turns to face the crew following her.

SARALE:

"you guys go with the Commander. We'll be alright with John. They'll need your healing for support. Understood?"

CLERIC/PALADIN:

"w-what about you?"

"s-s-surely you will need a c-c-cleric in case something goes wrong."

SARALE(smiles):

"I know he can be unnerving at first. It would be best if you can focus while fighting. I don't want any of you getting hurt because you're frightened. We have plenty of health potions, healing spells, and a far bit of experience between all of us. We'll be alright. Thank you for your concern though, it's very sweet."

JOHN:

"Just tell them to bulk up or fuck off. I don't care. big lady, go get yourself a team set up to follow my group of dipshits. The holy parade can come along with us. Better safe than sorry."

SARALE(glares):

"You would do well to be nicer to the people helping you."

John twists his face at Sarale childishly.

JOHN:

"Feh. I'll be nice once this mess of death is out of the woods."

Sarale sticks her tongue out at him.

SARALE:

"These men and women are willing to risk their lives to protect their homes and yours. The least you could do was say thank you. They're not one of your goons after all."

JOHN:

"Thank~ you. Can we go now?"

SARALE(chuckles):

"Yes, anyone who wants to come with us by all means. Those who wish to go with the Commander, now's your chance."

The paladins split into two and one, letting the one follow Sarale. The same with the clerics letting their strongest stay with the group while the rest go with the commander.

VAJOR:

"Alright, tree bark, lead tha way."

John wrinkles his nose at Vajor then opens his hand to Tunda.

JOHN:

"gimme the map I let you take."

Tunda digs around his bag of holding quickly and hands it over. John looks through it for a moment then hands it back.

JOHN:

"This is the location. I'll meet you all there. Can't have the motley crew constantly scared shitless before we get there after all." 

John steps into a tree as he waves at the group and vanishes. The commander turns around and motions the clerics and paladins to follow her. Sarale smiles at Tunda as she draws her longsword and shield.

SARALE:

"Alright brother, lead the way."

Vajor nods with his greataxe in hand. Everyone draws their weapons and forms a line ready for the trek through the woods. Tunda draws his mace and swings it over his shoulders and walks on with the group following behind.

It takes a few hours to get to the point on the map where John sat on a tree near a dead clearing waiting for them. Inside the clearing was a swarm of undead limping in and out of the small cave entrance at the other end of the clearing. Vajor dips behind one of the trees and keeps his voice low to avoid detection.

VAJOR:

"Any idea how many are inside?"

JOHN:

"not a thought. I can guess that a few of these guys are revenants and those will be inside the depths. Are you ready for a slaughter party?"

Sarale cracks her neck.

SARALE:

"We should keep an eye out for prisoners that may still be alive as well."

VAJOR:

"aye, they'll likely be in the depths as well."

JOHN:

"don't worry about that. Anyone else? stealth or crash?"

TUNDA/KARMA:

"Stealth."

AKTLASS:

"I follow Karma."

NALETH:

"Stealth. I am not dealing with those again. Eugh!"

CLERIC/PALADIN:

"We will follow your lead."

JOHN:

"Alright. unanimously, we are slipping right through the front door undetected."

NALETH:

"And how are we to do that? They may be stupid but you can't just waltz right up to the front gate like your invisi-"

John twirls his finger around near his head as he looks past the horde of zombies to the far end of the woods and lets a gust of air hit a tree to rattle it and get the Zombies attention. A few more trees rattle after and the zombies start to give chase. Although slowly, they were all distracted by the sound and began to move in that direction, making a gap in the defense that was wide enough for everyone to pass.

John smirks at Naleth cheekily.

John: "Anything else?"

Naleth goes quiet and only gives John a bored look. Sarale raises an eyebrow.

SARALE:

"I would be impressed if it were anything, **but** a zombie."

VAJOR(SMH):

"let's go before tha opportunity passes us by." 

SARALE:

"Sorry."

Vajor and Sarale slip past the main horde and head for the cave entrance, quietly. Sarale holds up her hand as they draw closer and presses a finger to her lips before holding up her fingers to indicate there were three zombies left inside. They work together to slip inside Sarale, slicing and slashing through one as it crumbles to the ground in cinders. 

Vajor cleaves another nearly in two, the creature looking up at him and stumbling back in surprise. Karma attacks with their simitar as soon as the Zombie hits the floor and takes off its head, then rushes for the last one that was distracted by Vajor's attack and slices the zombies arm and a chunk of their head off. Tunda charges after and instantly takes the rest of the zombies head off it's shoulders with his handaxe.

Tunda and karma high five each other as they continue forward with the others following carefully. Sarale moves forward with them, peering through the darkness with keen eyes. Once she comes to the first intersection she kneels down and puts her hand up for everyone to stop.

SARALE(whisper):

"Do you hear that? From the right?"

Vajor's ears twitch up as he listens, his voice just as low.

VAJOR(whisper):

"Can't see shite, but I hear a shite ton of footsteps and… chains?"

Paladin: "may be survivors?"

Rodneharts: "or recently turned."

Tunda: "One can only find out by exploring. let's go."

Sarale nods as she stays low and sneaks down the hallway, Vajor close behind as he covers her six. Tunda and Karma follow right behind them with Rodneharts following after. John holds the paladins and one of the clerics back.

JOHN:

"You guys are stay at the left end to keep watch with me. Can't have them flanking everyone."