Kip again dashes forward and touches Malthir after he finishes casting another spell.
Kip's disembodied voice speaks words of power from just behind Malthir before remarking, One fly spell for you! and Malthir feels Kip touch him on the back of the knee. Kip thens adds, Levitate for Ricter, and he can carry us both Fenna?
With impressive magic, Fenna appeared to conjure a mantlet providing cover to the group on the ground. Seeing the Spriggan guarding the door was close to falling, Kalev flew around the siege equipment to join the many copies of Casimir stood upon the top of the stockade, by an open hatch leading ten feet down. Still moving swiftly from the Haste spell, Malthir crossed the yard and almost casually finished off the door guard, severing the Spriggan's arm in a mighty slash. Ricter moved in front of the narrow doorway and smashed his flail into it with extreme force. The door buckled and splintered under the magically infused blow but the oak continued to hold firm, for now.
Invisible, Kip used his magic to grant Malthir the ability of flight.
Round 6
Ordered Initiative-
Spriggans + Agai- 24
Casimir- 22
Fenna- 17
Kip- 14
Kalev- 14
Malthir- 8
Ricter- 7
Active Effects-
Inspire Courage on Casimir/Kalev(+2/+2).
Prayer (Fenna to track duration).
Lead Blades (Kalev to track duration).
Haste (all Guardians but Casimir, Kip to track effects/duration).
Map-
Notes-
Action-
A moment of precious silence rang out over the battlefield as temporarily, the twang of crossbow bolt mechanisms went silent, the targets of the bolts hidden by mantlets or on the roof. The CRASH of Ricter's flail against the front door galvanised the Spriggans and orders being barked could be heard coming from the upper level of the stockade, in the tongue of the Gnome-like creatures.
The invaders are coming through the front door, be ready to repulse them! Fight on, for the Culchek tribe
Once you descend, you find yourself in a bare guard room. For fifteen feet of movement you can reach a shut door leading south. Or you can go west and ascend slightly to what seems to be a west-facing firing corridor.
Casimir peers down into the room, then turns to whisper to Kalev.
I bet that if we follow the corridor to the west, we find our trigger-happy friends. Let's send them a little present.
He pulls out a fuse grenade from his bandolier, lights it and drops it down into the room below. Then he calls out to his unseen servant.
Servant, pick up the object I just dropped and carry it down the corridor leading to the west. If you encounter any living creatures, move as close to them as possible.
Kalev's face splits into a grin, whispering back to Casimir How subtle of you...I'll check this door.
Then he moves quickly to the door and force it open.
I ask that the Shepherd bolster this strong warrior of justice, as he stands firm in avenging this one-time bastion of civilisation... Fenna prayed as she placed a Shield Other spell upon Ricter.
Upstairs, Kalev found that the door he tried to open was stuck, or perhaps locked. Lowering his shoulder to it, he tried to force it. The door shook with his effort, but did not open.
Malthir hacks away at the door, trying to give Ricter access to the inside of the fort.
Malthir's sword blows did not have the power of impact that Ricter's did, but with a haste spell quickening his movements the Duke of Kardas eventually cut through the door and the bar holding it, hacking through rather than displaying any particularly fine swordsmanship.
The door fell under his onslaught and the crash as what was left of it slammed into the floor of the small room heralded the volley that followed. From their hiding positions behind firing holes across from the door itself and from firing holes positioned in the ceiling, the Spriggans rained crossbow fire on Ricter, stood as he was directly in the doorway itself. Only a single bolt missed its mark, the bolt snapping as it slammed into the flooring of the new room. The other seven bolts met the formidable Hellknight platemail and shield of the General of Kardas, and the Maralictor was able to advance into the room entirely unscathed. The Spriggans wailed in panic as they hastily reloaded their crossbows, as if sensing their defence was falling apart.
The room itself was small and unadorned, with another strong door blocking passage to a second room where three of the Spriggan crossbowmen were firing from, using narrow firing slits.
Kip steps into the open doorway and upon spying the murder holes and arrow slits, casts a spell to deter any further efforts to use them...
Kip's disembodied voice once again rings out. No! No! No! This will not do at all! Some steel plating should render those useless! Followed quickly by the sound of Kip casting a spell. Once finished, solid steel plating covers all of the murder holes and arrow slits. Only the door remains unclad.
Just before Kip summons the 'barrier' Ricter spins his flail so fast that for a second it seems to form a shimmering disc. Then the cold iron head slams into the ceiling with inhuman force sending plumes of dust trickling from the seams in the stonework. The Hellknight's faceless visage stares up into the murder-holes as he strides towards the door on the opposite side of the room.
"HEED YOUR FEAR, FOR YOU DO NOT FACE MERE MEN!"
Ricter's intimidating display seemed to cow the Spriggans, to the point that those behind the firing holes plugged by Kip seemed almost relieved to lose sight of the Hellknight.
Round 7
Ordered Initiative-
Casimir- 22
Fenna- 17
Kalev- 14
Malthir- 8
Spriggans- 7a
Ricter- 7b
Kip- 6
Active Effects-
Inspire Courage on Casimir/Kalev(+2/+2).
Prayer (Fenna to track duration).
Lead Blades (Kalev to track duration).
Haste (all Guardians but Casimir, Kip to track effects/duration).
Agai shaken until end of round 9.
Spriggans shaken until end of round 10.
Map-
Notes-
Squares P/Q, 34/35 are the pit Kip conjured. Standing on the edge of that square at the end of your action will require you to make a reflex save at +2 or fall inside...
Inspire only affecting Casimir and Kalev this round.
Action-
A thunderous boom reverberated directly above Ricter and the others on ground level as the fuse grenade was carried into the centre of the distracted Spriggans above. The expensive, exotic weapon's fuse ran out and it exploded; causing howls of pain from the tough Fey caught in its blast!
All four versions of Casimir smiled broadly at the sound of pain and confusion the grenade had generated.
Looks like they didn't like our present. Let's go teach these ungrateful wretches some manners. Remember, we need some of them alive though. he said to Kalev and then rushed round the corridor to engage the spriggans before they could recover from the blast.
Moving round the overlook that provided firing holes in every direction, Casimir rounded the corner with his blade raised high. To the surprise of one of the Spriggans still focused on the suddenly blocked firing holes below, he launched an attack, cutting the Gnome across its shoulder.
Fenna, can you backup Ricter? I plan to backup Kalev and Casimir going up top.
Malthir will double move to where he saw Cas and Kalen dissappear to. Probably won't get to them this round...not sure.
" What a magnificent structue you conjured from trash Fenna." "Nice job with the steel Kip!" "Fenna, can you back up Ricter?" Kip replays in his mind. What am I? Chopped liver? Kip harumps.
"Did you hear something?" Fenna asks of Malthir as she heads into the building, speaking in her unnaturally level voice, "I do not see anyone."
Reaching the Hellknight's side within, she utters a swift blessing.
Kalev gave up trying to force the door open but did not abandon the idea of flanking the Spriggans. Taking a step back, the Half-Orc hacked into the wooden barrier with his polearm. The door was not as heavily fortified as the one Ricter had smashed down and it quickly gave to the onslaught, revealing another corridor leading to the remaining Spriggans on the upper floor; and giving Kalev a clear run at the Spriggan's leader...
Manoeuvring around the mantlet Fenna had conjured cost Malthir some time and he ended up a little short of the roof hatch, having almost reached the top of the stockade.
There were sounds of movement behind the now-blocked firing holes as the Spriggans downstairs scurried off to somewhere. Upstairs however, a full melee had begun. Several of the Spriggans, including their apparent leader, ran around the other corner and out of sight. Almost squealing in fear, the Spriggan facing the many Casimir's in melee fought on the defensive, fighting purely on survival instinct. The other Spriggan that remained levelled his crossbow at Kalev and fired- the bolt glancing off his armour. The Spriggan cried out in fear, dropping his crossbow and seeking to gain some ground on Casimir and Kalev!
Ricter still has his shield slung over his back after breaking down the previous door. He doesn't bother readying it even in close confines - the gnomish screams audible through the murder holes makes it clear the battle is all but won. Instead, he grasps his flail with two hands once more and prepares to break down the next door.
"Looks like we're sweeping the lower floor"
Ricter can feel the tiny reserve of strength left in him by Fenna's touch. He doesn't exert it to break down a mere door.
"I'm glad I don't have to risk using the Magister's flight magic again..."
Kip bides his time standing in the entranceway. He maintains the steel plating illusion while keeping an eye on the color-sprayed spriggans out in the courtyard, watching for signs they may be stirring...
Ricter hears a soft chuckle from the other doorway in response to his last remark.
With three strong swings of his flail, Ricter shattered the second barred door in his path.
Kalev sets after the running spriggan, his speed enhanced by the magic of Erastil.
Round 8
Ordered Initiative-
Casimir- 22
Fenna- 17
Kalev (action declared)- 14
Malthir- 8
Spriggans- 7a
Ricter- 7b
Kip- 6
Active Effects-
Inspire Courage on Guardians(+2/+2).
Prayer (Fenna to track duration, final round I believe).
Lead Blades (Kalev to track duration).
Haste (all Guardians but Casimir, Kip to track effects/duration).
Agai shaken until end of round 9.
Spriggans shaken until end of round 10.
Map-
Notes-
Squares P/Q, 34/35 are the pit Kip conjured. Standing on the edge of that square at the end of your action will require you to make a reflex save at +2 or fall inside...
Action-
With the door smashed in, Ricter saw no sign of the Spriggans that had been manning this secondary bulwark. However, a door hastily opened to the north suggested the direction that they had gone, with a staircase leading up visible.
Casimir lashed out, determined to drop the already wounded spriggan he was facing. Four versions of Brightclaw struck at the foe, and the real one easily found it's mark, almost well enough to slice the spriggan open from collar to gut.
"In case you are considering surrender, now would be a good time to ask," he said to the spiggan, looking for signs of understanding.
Malthir awkwardly flies up and through the top hatch, looking for sounds of the battle as well as Kalev and Casimir and going to the nearest of his companions. He lands as soon as it makes sense.
Fenna slips past Ricters towering form, moving hastily down the orridor to glance up the stairs.
Out in the courtyard, the magical energy powering the image of the siege engine peters out, and the large wood and steel frame fades from view.
The Spriggan Casimir was fighting reeled from the swift slash, but showed no sign of understanding his speech.
Fenna moved deeper into the stockade corridors, finding the stairs leading up.
Kalev moved up into the firing corridor, chasing the Spriggans going round the corner.
Malthir flew into the stockade via the roof and joined the other two warriors on the roof, moving to flank the Spriggan Casimir was fighting.
The upper floor became a flurry of motion as the Spriggans assembled themselves in force. The Spriggan leader came racing around the corner near Casimir and with a two-handed greatclub in hand, brought it down upon Casimir and his various copies. The blow was a powerful one; and the Spriggan's disappointment as it crashed into one of Casimir's illusion's rather than the duelist himself was clear. Two more Spriggans were following their leader, arriving in the west corridor a little later.
As the Spriggans surged in from another room to the north, Kalev was able to strike two of them as they moved to flank himself and Malthir. Although the Ranger added a second wound to the Spriggan he was initially chasing, the three small, armored Fey surrounder him, now too close to bring Cleft to bear upon.
In position with their Halberds, the Spriggans launched vicious attacks on Malthir and Kalev; which proved to be completely ineffective despite their flank formation.
As Ricter and Fenna make their way deeper into the fort, Kip lingers invisibly in the doorway. Satisfied his own illusion is also now unnecessary, he ceases concentrating on it, and it too fades from view.
Spying the battle raging upstairs through the murder holes, Kip gestures and speaks words infused with arcane power as he focuses his attention on one of the Spriggans above. Speaking in the language of Gnomes*, he tells his joke.
Upon completing his joke, Kip reappears, his invisibility ending with the casting of his spell. Still standing in the battered doorway, Kip keeps one eye on the conjured pit, and the other on the two motionless spriggans further out in the yard...
One of the Spriggans burst into streams of hideous laughter, afflicted by Kip's insidious magic. He fell to the ground armour and all, his cackles of laughter resounding over the sounds of battle.
Empowered by the last vestiges of the Haste spell, Ricter followed and then overtook Fenna despite his heavy plate armour, and moved into the fray.
Round 9
Ordered Initiative-
Casimir- 22
Fenna- 17
Kalev- 14
Malthir- 8
Spriggans- 7a
Ricter- 7b
Kip- 6
Active Effects-
Inspire Courage on Guardians(+2/+2).
Lead Blades (Kalev to track duration).
Haste (expires this round, init 6).
Agai shaken until end of round 9.
Spriggans shaken until end of round 10.
Shield Other on Ricter.
Map-
Notes-
Hideous Laughter'd Spriggan denoted in yellow.
Action-
Malthir starts attacking the Spriggans, starting on the one flanked by Cas. and himself then moving to the one threatened by Kalev.
Cayden's codpiece! That was too close for comfort. Best step up my defenses a bit, Casimir thinks to himself as the spriggan leader shatters one of his images with the mighty blow.
Strong, agile opponent. Two-handed bashing weapon. Multiple enemies. Cramped quarters. The Luchencho Feint, perhaps? No. This is a textbook scenario for the Rachiow Riposte.
Holding Brightclaw at a downward angle, Casimir begins a series of measured steps, each designed to allow him to parry incoming blows and counter with a swift slash at the spriggan leader.
His face a mask of concentration, he still continues to call out encouraging remarks to the other Guardians.
Reaching the top of the stairs, Fenna pauses to take stock of the situation, calmly gazing along the corridors.
Unable to bring Cleft to bear against the flanking Spriggans, Kalev shifts Cleft to his left hand and draws his cold iron hand axe, hacking at the wounded Spriggan.