Akiros staggers and curses before regaining his composure, "Magic.. I hate magic damn it!" He then deftly shifts close enough to swing on Wendell, peering around the corner all the while in an effort to spy Alfentinius. "Just lay down Dwarf!"
The Stag Lord stays put and continues his muttering of despising humans, launching two arrows at Jerrik.
Aleksara's passion drives her to slice down one of the living dead, while Alfentinius' missile and Chet's claws tear down the second.
The previously sleeping bandits then awaken. They stand up dazed and confused, picking their weapons up and wandering towards the noise lazily until face to face with a tiger. Stopping there in fear, the two men take in the epic carnage that has consumed their fort.
Aleksara points her unique sword towards the exit, smiles, and looks at the two newly awakened bandits as she moves to support Jerrik.
"I suggest running. Chett is a little tired. One of you MIGHT just make it if you're faster than the other one."
Tired and angry, Aleksara moves to attack the Stag Lord with Jerrik!
"No more arrows!"
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Feeling the searing hot pain and warm rush of blood from his wound, Wendell decides to abandon his longbow and fight the bandit toe-to-toe.
"F@@~ you! And f@$% this cursed bandit bow!"
He steps backwards to put himself between Alfentinius, the draws his glaive and swings it at the bandit.
The bandit easily dodges his thrust, and for a moment Wendell considers throwing down his weapon and turning to run.
William gets to the stop of the stairs and hearing Chett fight once again stops... The goat takes a deep breath and moves around the corner to be able to support the tiger.
Alfentinius backs away from the fighting and once again uses his magic missile wand directing the two orbs of light at the Stag King.
Stepping closer to the Stag Lord, Jerrik brought his blade around at the man's midsection. Fear and doubt started to creep in to the Ulfen's mind. For the first time in a long time, he began to doubt himself, and it scared him. Looking around at the bodies scattered among the fort, Jerrik knew he had to hold the line. If he fell, well, he had to make sure that he didn't.
Chett eviscerates one of the bandits, causing his partner to shreik. "FOR THE STAG!" the lone man cries as he plunges a sword at Chett in fear for his life.
The Stag and his Lieutenant evade most of the attacks, though the missiles from Alfent still smack into the Stag Lord through the chaos. The Stag steps back and fires off more arrows, one at Aleksara and one at Jerrik. Akiros continues to pursue the source of magic, stepping into Wendell and slashing out.
Stepping up, Aleksara moves in to press the Stag!
Jerrik stepped forward, pursuing the Stag Lord. Inspired by Aleksara's bravery, he dug deep to summon his fury and swung hard for the Stag Lord.
Seeing Chet tear into the last bandit William diverts his attention towards the two remaining bandit leaders. He moves forward lining up on charge on both not sure which way to go.
Seeing the fight move towards him Alfentinius fires off another volley of missiles at the Stag Lord then moves up the stairs out of view.
Chett tears the second bandit to shreds.
Alfentinius' shot pelts the Stag Lord again, though he is still able to elude Aleksara. Then Jerrik lands a beautiful blow on the foul creature, causing him to yell out in pain for the first time as the paladin smites the Stag, body and soul.
"THIS ONE HERE!" The Stag Lord cries out to Akiros, pointing his bow's end at Jerrik.
Akiros smiles at Wendell "Don't worry, I'll be back for you sweetie." before changing his tactic and slipping behind Jerrik. Having the Ulfen man now flanked Akrios slices at him.
The Stag drops his bow and draws a longsword, stabbing the point in on Jerrik as well.
The paladin stands strong! Through the relentless clattering of steel on armor and sword, Jerrik is seen still standing no worse for the wear. It may even be that the tide has turned for the Stag Lord and his lieutenant.
Seeing the Stag Lord step over/on Aibreann's tiny immobile body, suddenly causes Aleksara to step up and lose her cool.
"NO! Get off her you creature!!"
CRIT!?
William lines up a charge on the Staglord and rams into the larger man with absolutely no effect. The small goat just looks up at the man and...
BAasaaahhhhhhh!
Alfentinius moves along the catwalk and fires another two missiles at the Stag headed man. Then Aleksara’s yelling draws his attention to Aibreen. There’s nothing the gnome can do to help her. So he calls out to his allies pointing at the small Kobold.
Jerrik., Wendell., can you heal her?
Aleksara's shouting drew Jerrik out of his focused anger for a brief moment, but it was long enough for Alfentinius's words to register with the Ulfen man. He spared a glance around and noticed her unconscious form at the Stag Lord's feet. Part of him screamed on the inside, called out to him to save her. What good was he if he couldn't protect those in his charge? He struggled with the notion of pushing the advantage against the Stag Lord and stopping to save one who had pledged her life to their cause. She was on the cusp of paying that price, all for a cause not truly her own. Not a cause she took up, but one that was forced upon her. She accepted it nonetheless and was ready to pay the ultimate price. Jerrik could not let that happen.
He fell back a few feet, just enough to buy him the moment he needed. The dragon within awoke and reached out to Aibreann's soul. It pleaded with her not to go. They still had much to accomplish. The rest of his mind let go of the anger he had been holding on to. The tactician emerged from the haze and when he looked at the Stag Lord now, he noticed new weaknesses, new gaps in his armor, and Jerrik grinned.
Chett closes in on Akiros!
Aleksara stabs deep into the Stag's leg and Alfentinius' missiles continues to wear him down! The Stag Lord reaches down towards his belt but stops as he looks around and sees he is truly surrounded with no real retreat.
"AAAHHHHHHH!!! DIIIEE!!! The Stag Lord swings down on Aleksara, then at Billy!
Akiros turns and swipes at the mauling tiger that has pounced up behind him!
Aibreann stabilizes, just at the last moment.
The situation grew more dire with each passing second. His friends were dropping like flies and the Stag Lord still stood. For a brief moment, Jerrik began to suspect that this Stag Lord was some sort of magical fae creature. He couldn't believe this man...this thing, was still standing after such an onslaught.
When the Stag Lord's blade pierced Aleksara's flesh, Jerrik was snapped out of his self doubt. It didn't matter anymore. It didn't matter what the Stag Lord was. It bled, like everything else. Jerrik stepped forward and sent his own blade speeding towards the Stag Lord's chest.
William sidesteps the Staglord’s blade and brings his horns around trying to hit the mans legs giving a goat scream in the midst.
Baaaaahhhhhhhd.... Maaaaaahhhhhhn
From his perch upon the catwalk Alfentinius can see the carnage soaking the soil in red blood below him. He was filled with fear and concern for his fallen allies. Added to this was the fact that every one of his allies that were still standIng had wounds of their own. At any moment another one of his... Friends might fall. He had never been this scared in his entire life. He stole a quick longing look at the gates to the small fort a fleeting thought of running entering his head. He shook his head and the thought disappeared. The gnome tightened his grip on his magic wand... Then a thought came to his mind.
Quickly the gnome cast a spell towards the Stag Lord’s remaining follower.
Straightening his back and standing as tall as he could the little gnome raised his voice towards the lieutenant. This is almost over... your master is near his end... Surrender now and Lord Hagen may show you mercy!!!
Maybe this man is just as afraid as I am...
"AaaahhhhhhhhHHHHH! Lord, they are in my mind!" The Stag's lieutenant falters for a moment but maintains his pressure on Wendell and Jerrik.
Akiros turns to see his commander take the telltale dazed step of a man out on his feet. William's horns caught the Stag's leg and opened him up to the falling blow from Jerrik. All that remains of the fearsome Lord is him swaying on his heals.
"So, it is all mine then after all?" Akiros about you all with an evil grin on his face.
Wendell's glaive clatters against the Stag Lord's armor as the villian stumbles backwards and draws a potion. Drinking it, he wipes his mouth with the back of his sleeve. "Not so fast you traitor b@$*%. After I gut these I'll settle with you. I should have known you were plotting something all along."
Akiros grits his teeth and steps into Jerrik. "F+&@ you, tyrant! You called dibs on this one, eh? Heyah!" The Stag's Lieutenant then strikes out at Jerrik.
A character with 0 hit points, or one who has negative hit points but has become stable and conscious, is disabled. A disabled character may take a single move action or standard action each round (but not both, nor can he take full-round actions, but he can still take swift, immediate, and free actions). He moves at half speed. Taking move actions doesn’t risk further injury, but performing any standard action (or any other action the GM deems strenuous, including some free actions such as casting a Quicken Spell spell) deals 1 point of damage after the completion of the act. Unless the action increased the disabled character’s hit points, he is now in negative hit points and dying.
A disabled character with negative hit points recovers hit points naturally if he is being helped. Otherwise, each day he can attempt a DC 10 Constitution check after resting for 8 hours, to begin recovering hit points naturally. The character takes a penalty on this roll equal to his negative hit point total. Failing this check causes the character to lose 1 hit point, but this does not cause the character to become unconscious. Once a character makes this check, he continues to heal naturally and is no longer in danger of losing hit points naturally.
William sees some movement from the Stag King but sensing a strange calmness from Alfentinius turns his attention to the Lieutenant maneuvering around him and quickly attacking.
From his higher vantage point Alfentinius sees the staggered bandit leader reaching for his potion and quickly decides to drop the staggered man.
He splits his missiles this time, one for each bandit.
Then addresses Jerrik and Wendell.
A shame! It would seem they choose to fight to the last man... even when alone and outnumbered.
Falling back a few steps away from the remaining bandit, Jerrik dropped to one knee. The tip of his sword dropped down and rested in the dirt at his feet. In between haggered breaths, he spoke. "Akiros is it? I offer you this once chance at redemption. Drop your weapons and surrender. You are outnumbered and surrounded."
With that, Jerrik reached his hand down to touch Aleksara, sending positive energy flowing through her. He slowly rose again, raising his longsword in the process.
PAIN!
Darkness. Silence infinite.
Light? LIGHT!
"GAHH!"
Aleksara feels a wave of change wash over her, soothing her wounds.
She blinks her eyes open...
Mountain-Cutter!
She reaches for the blade!
Alfentinius' missiles knock the Stag Lord over the edge he was teetering on, causing him to drop the potion and collapse onto the dirty ground. Akiros shutters as another spike of magical force shocks through him, but an evil greed still shines in his eyes.
"Surrender? Look at the lot of you. You're barely holding this together. I admire your tenacity; I really do, you're not as weak as I had initially suspected; but you're nothing I'd bend the knee to either." Akiros then stops William's heroic effort by catching his headbutt with the sole of his boot and shoving the goat away. "Tell me though, what does surrendering get someone? The loss of a head? 40 acres and a horse? Would I become your Lieutenant, Blondie? Would I take the feisty one as a bride?" He says, motioning to Aleksara at the end.
"I don't have lieutenants. I have friends, and surrendering doesn't get you anything but rest and a clear conscious. You have associated with known bandits and are a criminal. You will gain nothing from me. No horse, no lands, no pardon...and certainly no wife. You can lay down you arms and stand trial for your crimes, or you can die where you stand."
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"This ain't some low-level bandit pissant, this's the Stag's right hand. He's far past redemption - leave judgement to his god."
Wendell drops his glave, then steps up beside Akiros as he draws his razor-sharp skinning dagger with a wicked grin to match his foe's.
"Which'll it be, this dagger in your back or his sword t' split you in half?"
As Wendell misses with the dagger Akiros spins and tries to drive his own sword into the dwarf.
"How about you burn in Hell with your friends? Think this is the first time I've had to start over?" he sneers. Wendell can smell his rotten breath as the longsword slips into his gut.
Aleksara jumps to her feet then, sword in hand. Clarity coming to her suddenly and seeing Wendell in a near-death embrace with Akiros, she moves quickly!
Crit?
As Mountain Cutter slashes into the man's back, she hisses at him, her face a mask of smeared makeup, tears, anger, and pain.
"Scum deserves nothing but a cold grave...BANDIT!"
William quickly shakes his head trying to get the blood soaked mud cff his horns left by the Akitos’ boots.
But is obviously distracted by his own muddy predicament.
Alfentinius just shakes his head and sends two more magic orbs at the final bandit.
Stepping forward to stand next to Aleksara, Jerrik met this foe head on with the rest of his friends. Should they die this day, let them die together, for something more than their selves. His longsword thrust forward but was turned away by the man's armor.
Aleksara expertly slashes the man again as he panics and tries to deflect the myriad of blows that befall him. He then feints another stab at Wendell as he actually turns and flees! Trying to slip away, Aleksara sees a moment where she can thrust he sword in on him!
As he gets to the carriage he drops his shield and is able to climb it with only moderate difficulty, soon tumbling off the other side through the blocked gate.
William chases after Akiros squeezing underneath the wagon to catch up to the bandit.