A Matt Too Far

01-11-2020: Game Twenty: A Matt Too Far
 
There was magic in this world once, but they stole it all away.
 
Deep in the heart of the Trolloch federation, peering over the edge of a rugged mountain, a group of newly escaped slaves looked into the distance. The roar of a waterfall drowned out their conversation as they took a moment to relax, and enjoy the light of the sun again. A Metal man with glowing eyes, pair of monks (one thin, one fat), a talking duck, and a half dozen dwarves were bickering over where to head next. Their arguments were loud enough to rouse from a restful sleep, a woman who was enjoying some time out of the sun. Peeking out from her hiding spot, she wondered what the hell this motley troop was doing in her territory.
 
Snarling and waving her wicked claws, she aimed to scare them off and return to her rest.
 
The duck was the only one who had anything to say: the dwarves cowered in fear, the monks seemed to have taken a vow of silence. The duck assured the operation was disrupted, but the robot piped in with a demonstration of the staff weapons effectiveness. Not wanting to be bothered by further such displays, she elected to grab her rucksack and move on as well.
 
Apparently a ‘legitimate mining facility’ was to be found northward, and not having anything better to do she’d tag along after sealing her cave with a convenient boulder. The robot and duck were perturbed by the display of casual strength, she thought nothing of it. Amused by the thought of having your food (in this case, a talking duck) walk along with you to save the effort of carrying it, they introduced themselves:
 
Ophelia Desmondel - A rugged woman of the wild.
‘The Wrecker’ - A metal man, escaped from Magi Masters far to the East.
‘Darkwing Duck’ a living, breathing, talking: meal.
A pair of silent monks (one fat, one lean: between the two of them, they licked every platter clean)
And a band of six dwarf brothers: So scared, they didn’t even sing.
After a little cowing into submission, the group headed northwards in an effort to escape the ever-closing-in Jafaa patrols. Since the group had no supplies to speak of, she suggested a raid on a nearby bandit camp.
 
The duck got into position below a sleeping guard, the Metal man started walking towards the entrance, and Ophelia leapt through the air, severing the head of another hapless bandit guard. The bandit was surprised to say the least, with the Duck quickly pulling him down to his demise. The metal man clanked towards the entrance, as the bandits struggled to make themselves ready.
 
With their two sentries down, the leader of the camp attempted to rally his mountainous men. He bared his sword and dagger, claiming that the intruders were foolish to attack this group!
 
Immediately after, the sound of heavy footsteps was followed by a blast, and the metal man took down another sentry with his magical staff.
 
Finally alerted to the imminent threat, the bandits fired a volley of arrows at the wild woman. One of them managed to catch his friend in the back instead. The smell of their fear was thick.
 
The metal man fired a warning shot, and debris fell down on the combatants below. The wild woman stepped towards the fellow who had been shot by his friend, putting him out of his misery. Out of the shadows, a duck launched a blade at another cowering guard. Injured by falling debris, he too fell into a pile of blood. No-one knew where the terror-blade came from, but the handful of bandits remaining were shaking in their boots.
 
The leader managed to hold himself together as he rushed towards the duck, deciding it was perhaps the least deadly threat, and definitely tastiest he faced. He drew some duck blood, and the feral smelled it, licking her lips at the thought of what dinner would bring.
 
Clanking ever closer, the metal man brought his staff to bear against yet another bandit. The wild woman spilled another bandits life force onto the floor of the camp, and suddenly the leader was the only one left.
 
The duck whirled away from the attacks of the bandit leader, who suddenly saw the sort of situation he found himself in. Ophelia suggested he might buy his life by revealing his secret stash. Dripping in the blood of his former comrades, he saw little reason to argue.
 
The Wrecker disarmed him, and escorted him to retrieve his hidden goods. After a little more intimidating and convincing: His secret treasures were now the groups to enjoy. The group ransacked the supplies of the bandits and he skulked away, they now had ample supplies to continue northward: Even with six lazy dwarf mouths to feed. Hopefully, they would be of use down the road. Or they’d take it out in trade.