I crested the rise, and saw that, thankfully, that things had not devolved too far. Sgaun and Oglaf were fighters, and while they did not have the vitality of a barbarian, they did have more in the way of defense. Between them, they had managed to gain the attention of three of the worgs, including the big one, while the fourth lay dead at Yolr’s feet. Krudd, the ranger, had used his longbow to good effect, peppering the last one with arrows, and using his footwork to draw it away from the others. Which was good, because all three of the warriors in melee were wounded.

Worg’s attack (Sgaun): 1d20+7 = 18 (Miss)

Alpha Worg’s Attack (Oglaf): 1d20+12 = 31

Damage: 1d8+8 = 16 (Piercing)

Trip: 1d20+8 = 19 (Succeeds)

Opposed STR: 1d20+3 = 9

Worg’s Attack (Oglaf): 1d20+7 = 27 (Hit)

Confirm: 1d20+7 = 15 (Normal Hit)

Damage: 1d6+4 = 5 (Piercing)

Worg’s attack (Krudd): 1d20+7 = 17 (Hit)

Damage: 1d6+4 = 9 (Piercing)

Trip: 1d20+3 = 14

Opposed DEX: 1d20+2 = 5

As I rose into the air, I gasped, as I witnessed the worgs move to the attack. Sgaun was fighting more defensively than normal, and it paid off as he was able to use his shield to deflect the wolf’s jaws by the barest of margins. Oglaf was also fighting defensively as he faced off against the Alpha and one of the other worgs, but it did him no good as the Alpha’s powerful jaws grabbed him, and threw him from his feet, where the second worg capitalized on his misfortune. Krudd was no exception to the trouble, as the worg he had been hounding with arrows bounded up to him did to him what the Alpha had done to Oglaf, savaging the more lightly-armored ranger.

Alpha Worg Attack of Opportunity: 1d20+12 = 19 (Miss)

Worg Attack of Opportunity: 1d20+7 = 10 (Miss)

Oglaf, faced with two-to-one odds and lying on his back, with wolves attempting to rip him to shreds, pulled himself up to a defensive position, shield well in front of his body. Both the Alpha and the other Worg attempted to get past him, but, for the moment, his defense held. However, I could clearly see that he was badly wounded from the ordeal. “YOLR, NOW!”

Yolr’s Attack: 1d20+8 = 19 (Hit)

Damage: 1d10+6 = 15 (Slashing)

Yolr visibly seethed in rage as he saw Oglaf get ravaged by the Alpha and its companion. When Oglaf called out to him, his battle cry came like a mighty dragon’s roar! With the fury that only a barbarian in the battle craze could harness, he brought his greatsword down upon the Alpha’s back, cutting deeply into the beast’s massive hide. Honestly, how could anyone cut that deeply with a simple blade?

Sgaun’s attack: 1d20+2 = 8

Sgaun took a defensive stance. He was no fool. He knew that he did not need to kill the wolf himself. All he needed to do was keep the beast occupied, while keeping himself alive, until his friends whittled down the rest, and ended them.

Krudd’s attack: 1d20+2=14 (Hit)

Damage: 1d4+2 = 4 (Slashing)

Krudd, forced onto the ground and unable to retaliate effectively against the wolf, abandoned his bow and pulled the dagger he kept at his side. In desperation, he stabbed at the worg, and the creature howled in anguish, the last of its strength taken by that blow, as it fell on top of the ranger, teeth less than an inch from his neck.

Melinda’s attack: 1d20+10 = 19 (Hit)

Damage: 1d6 = 4 (Bludgeoning)

Damage: 2d6 = 10 (Magic)

Like a thunderbolt, I came swooping down from the sky at the Alpha, my foot clad in violet energy. I abandoned my defenses for the moment, to ensure that my attack would hit, and hit true, and, to my great pleasure, it did. Where my foot hit the Alpha’s spine, it broke the creature’s back, causing it to make a pitiful death howl before the energy of my warlock powers put the creature out of its misery.

Worg’s attack (Sgaun): 1d20+7 = 24 (Hit)

Damage: 1d6+4 = 5 (Piercing)

Trip: 1d20+3 = 12

Opposed STR: 1d20+2 = 14 (Succeeds)

Worg’s attack (Melinda): 1d20+7 = 13 (Miss)

Suddenly, four worgs had been cut down to two, and their leader was gone. Yet pack animals are fiercely loyal to each other, and Worgs are intelligent, at least as far as beasts go. The remaining wolves launched themselves into the attack, attempting to bring down the humans, or at least get an opening to flee without the ranger’s arrows finding their backs. Sgaun’s opponent found the warrior’s leg with its jaws, but Sgaun was able to tear free before the beast could bring him down. The last worg, however, decided to try and avenge its leader, and attack me. Thankfully, even off balance from my diving charge, I was able to dodge out of the way of its teeth.

Oglaf’s attack: 1d20+12 = 16 (Hit)

Damage: 1d8+3 = 4 (Slashing)

Oglaf’s Attack: 1d20+7 = 18 (Hit)

Damage: 1d8+3 = 11 (Slashing)

Now, freed of his need to fend off the Alpha’s blows, Oglaf turned his full attention to the attack! His longsword came down twice in quick succession, cutting deep into the worg’s hide on the second blow. Uninjured until that point, the worg looked clearly worse for the wear.

Yolr’s attack: 1d20+8 = 17 (Hit)

Damage: 1d10+6 = 10

Yolr followed up on this, striking a mighty blow of his own! With rage fueling his every stroke, the greatsword in his hands carved a massive gouge in the worg’s side, nearly cutting the creature in two, when combined with Oglaf’s blow. And yet, the worg still remained upright, if only just.

Sgaun’s attack: 1d20+6 = 25 (Hit)

Confirm: 1d20+6 = 26 (Critical Hit)

Damage: 1d8+2 = 10 (x2)

Total Damage: 20 (Slashing)

Sgaun, not wishing to be left out, rallied along with the rest of the hunting party, now that the Alpha was dead. With a grievous blow, he targeted the neck of the worg facing him, and gods my witness, he damn near took the bloody thing off with that single blow! The worg was barely standing now, and we all knew that, now, it was only a matter of time until we won this fight.

Krudd’s attack (Worg 1): 1d20+4 = 18

Damage: 1d8 = 3 (Piercing)

Krudd’s attack (Worg 2): 1d20+4 = 14

Damage: 1d8 = 7 (Piercing)

That time came soon enough. Krudd wasted no time getting out from under the worg that had tried to eat him, and picked up his bow once again. He had not even bothered to rise from his kneeling position, but still put an arrow in both of the worgs, killing the pair of them!

Five Worgs (CR 2) defeated!

One Alpha Worg (CR 4) defeated!

Total XP:

Oglaf – 490

Melinda – 840

Yolr – 870

Sgaun – 870

Krudd – 870

All five of us breathed easier when the last of the worgs fell. That was a fight that was clearly beyond something a group of our level should ever have been forced to undertake. Unfortunately, the world did not always do things the way we wished. Like how my experience came slower than the others. It was not unexpected. Just like how Oglaf gained less XP than the group, those who are more powerful do not gain as much from a fight as those who have less power. My ‘gestalt’ meant I was slightly more powerful than others of my level, which meant I got less XP than they did.

When everyone had recovered from the battle, and ensured all our wounds were bound, we set about gathering the six wolves together. We had come out to hunt elk, but wolf meat was still meat, and the hides would serve the tribe well in the cold winter months. But first, we had to get the damned things back to the camp.

Fortunately, we HAD come prepared to haul an elk or two back to the camp with us. The elk on the tundra were massive things, and simply dragging them across the ground would have ruined the hides, if not the meat. So, we had brought a pair of simple sleds, made for this purpose. Worgs were no elk, but the sled would support them just the same.

We took no chances on the walk back. The smell of blood would carry on the wind, and draw in scavengers. While they might not be as threatening as a pack of worgs, in our current state, it would not take much for even some lesser scavengers to kill one or more of us if we were caught by surprise. Indeed, Krugg looked like he was only barely on his feet, though no one disrespected him by mentioning it. The fight had been a hard one, and none of us had come off as particularly heroic, like the tales of legend told around the campfires at night. If Oglaf had not been with us, to hold off the Alpha, then things would have been very different, and not all of us would have been returning home this day. It was a grim reminder of how Auril played no favorites. The tundra was a dangerous place, and the boundary between life and death was razor thin.

As we neared the camp, Oglaf called to Krudd. “Krudd! You got the killing blow on three of the worgs today! Hail the camp, and tell them of our victory!”

Krudd, however, shook his head. “I may have gotten the killing blow, Oglaf, but the last two were mere pinpricks, finishing them off. Only one of my kills was my effort alone. No, it should be Yolr or Melinda that hails the camp, and claims the honor this day. Yolr’s rage and Melinda’s timely return were what turned the tide for us.”

Oglaf laughed. “Hah! Well said, lad. There are more than a few who would gladly take the honors, despite that. But what say the rest of you? Sgaun, who do you think should hail the camp?”

Sgaun shook his head. “The one who hails the camp after a victory should be one who is seen by all to have proven their worth in combat. Both Yolr and Melinda killed a worg on their own, without aid, but only one did that before us. The two of them rained mighty blows upon the Alpha, but that was after you had already given it several wounds. Melinda took the killing blow on that one, but Yolr would have taken the beast’s head on his next swing. But it was your plan that led to victory, and you held strong against the Alpha. Had you not been here, none of us would have made it through that fight with our lives intact unless we had run like cowards and left our tribesmen to die. All our victories were made possible because of your defense. If there is anyone who deserves the honor of hailing the camp, it is you, Oglaf.”

I smiled at that, and said, “Sgaun has a point. It cannot be me, since few of the tribe have seen my magic in action, and fewer still know its power. Yolr fought hard, as did Krudd and Sgaun, but you were the one that held us together, Oglaf.”

Yolr nodded. “Yes, call the camp, Oglaf! We’re getting close enough, now!”

Oglaf laughed again, and raised a hand from the rope of the sled that he was hauling. “Fine, fine! If the four of you agree on this, then I see no reason to deny myself the honor. Though I will see to it that the entire tribe knows your exploits by the evening meal. For a group of young warriors to go out on their first hunt, and return with such a victory, and with all their number still drawing breath, has not happened in many a year. I don’t doubt that the ale will flow tonight, in celebration!”

“HAH!” I laughed, happy to catch Oglaf out on this point. “I know for a fact that they were preparing the ale before we even left camp this morning, intent on serving it either as a celebration for our victory, or a mourning for our loss.”

“Gah, you brat! Let a man lie to tribesmen in peace, damn you!” Everyone laughed at Oglaf’s outburst, and, with that, Oglaf turned his attention towards the camp. “HAIL, CHILDREN OF THE ELK! WE RETURN, BEARING THE BOUNTY OF OUR LABOR AND TALES OF BATTLE AND GLORY! I, OGLAF HADRSON, CLAIM VICTORY WITH MY TRIBESMEN OVER A PACK OF WORGS UPON THE OPEN TUNDRA!”