The lead man of the opposing party has not yet had time to react to the unexpected meeting. Caught off guard, he fails to dodge Gristav's arrow, which buries itself deeply in his thigh.
Braddon neatly decapitates his attacker, though the cover of the now-blood-splattered boulders prevents him from serving as an example to his companions.
Round 1:
Too far to tangibly impact on the fray given interposing bodies, Phillip moves forward to better vantage...
Seeing nothing but the three men in the road, Tendal quietly sighs. This seems to have been a poor attempt at an ambush, now spoilt. Further, there doesn't appear to be much for my skills to do, my companions seem to have this well in hand.
Tendal prudently weaves his defensive magic, settling the mage armor spell upon his body, then remains where he is in the road, cane planted in the dust, watching the scrum.
A man recognizable as one of Harvey Read's retinue emerges from behind some boulders up the road and fires an arrow which whistles past Gristav's ear.
One of the men who had been caught tailing the party moves up to where Snake is standing in the middle of the road, drawing a curved blade, and slashes at him. His eyes widen when his blade is turned by the invisible force-skin the witch has summoned into existence.
The lead man, who took Gristav's arrow in the meat of his leg, limps quickly back the way he came. "" he shouts as takes cover behind the boulders where the bowman just emerged.
Breathing a sigh of relief as his magical barrier manages to protect him, he swings his morningstar toward the skull of the thug.
The morningstar connects with the man's head with a solid crunch, and he drops in the road.
Harvey Read's other friend, drawing two daggers, emerges from the cluster of boulders and moves toward the tray, shortly followed by Harvey himself, drawing a small metal star from a pouch at his belt. He offers the group a wink and a sneer before raising his voice and bellowing back toward the edge of town, ""
Phillip and Tendal hear the pounding of running feet coming up behind them on the road, a helpful citizen answering Read's call to arms.
The staff-wielding man charges directly over the man Snake just dropped and swings, one end of his weapon connecting solidly with the witch.
Round 2:
Hearing Read's desperate words and knowing that arrivals from the rear might tip the balance, Phillip turns his attention rearward - gesturing to Tendal to keep his own focus forwards. Answering in kind he raises voice hoping that the seed sown will reap doubt and hesitance.
Harvey Read's other friend, drawing two daggers, emerges from the cluster of boulders and moves toward the tray, shortly followed by Harvey himself, drawing a small metal star from a pouch at his belt. He offers the group a wink and a sneer before raising his voice and bellowing back toward the edge of town, ""
Incensed, Gristav rages from behind his bow, ""
"Let your blood, be the last of it.", Gristav incants ...requests ...bargains. And, stepping back into the draw, looses another broadhead.
"Damn."
What did you expect, boy? You think you're a paladin, to call righteous vengeance at will?
"Hush, You." I've still reason. And guile. Spotting Read's metal star, Gristav leads trump before Read can play it.
"Riddleport Gendarmerie.", Gristav says, less loudly than the roars, but punctuated, and potent. "Stand. Down."
Braddon draws his short sword while moving up to help Snake and move behind Snake's attacker.
"There are more ambusher's up the road, but they'd rather die than face the Overlord."
Braddon makes a nasty stab for emphasis and smiles unpleasantly.
Read casually extends his shield and shatters Gristav's arrow.
Braddon emerges from behind the stand of boulders, covered with blood that doesn't appear to be his own, and slashes at the man with the quarterstaff, who manages to sidestep the attack.
Hearing the footsteps coming up the road, Tendal turns, placing his back towards the fight and watches the figure run towards them with his typical languid indifference plain on his face.
I honestly cannot imagine what this lad running towards us will think of this. Here Mr. Hargreaves, Gristav and myself stand, seemingly unconcerned.
"Good sir, thank you for your alacrity in responding to our urgent need. Our small group has been waylaid by some of your local brigandage. While it is certain that we shall prevail presently, we have no way of notifying the Governor of the impending dispatch of these miscreants. I am certain, as we are recent comrades and dinner companions, that she will wish to know sooner rather than later, if not to imprison them, then to simply ensure that there are not corpses littering the road. Which, as everyone knows, is not very good for the image of a community." Tendal says, pointing his cane first at the melee up the road, then pointing towards the Governor's manse.
The bowman glances back at Read questioningly but sees no change of purpose in his expression. He advances further up the road and releases another arrow at Gristav, this one burying its point in the half-elf's flesh.
Snake swings his morningstar at the newest threat.
Snake's morningstar connects, but his attacker appears undaunted.
Harvey Read's other toadie moves around the corner of the stand of boulders to get a clear shot at Braddon and flings one of the daggers, holding the second in readiness against his approach. The thrown blade rattles harmlessly off the rocks to the half-elf's side.
"You won't be seeing her again," Read snarls at Tendal as he moves closer to the fray. ""
The newcomer to the scene hesitates, caught between Phillip and Tendal's words and Read's orders.
Another man arrives at his elbow, summoned by Read's call to arms.
The man with the staff swings it again at Snake but fails to connect this time.
Snake's morningstar connects, but his attacker appears undaunted.
Harvey Read's other toadie moves around the corner of the stand of boulders to get a clear shot at Braddon and flings one of the daggers, holding the second in readiness against his approach. The thrown blade rattles harmlessly off the rocks to the half-elf's side.
"You won't be seeing her again," Read snarls at Tendal as he moves closer to the fray. ""
The newcomer to the scene hesitates, caught between Phillip and Tendal's words and Read's orders.
Another man arrives at his elbow, summoned by Read's call to arms.
"Covers? " Gristav sweeps a hand indicating the dapper, unbloodied, infuriatingly inactive (but proved now, usefully so) Tendal.
"Don't let Reed's stubby hawser tow you lads onto these rocks.", another sweep takes in the bloody-bladed unbloodied Braddon, and any nearby visible victims, and... a large pile of rocks. "Was ever any offer of drink from Reed, before he'd run aground on lawful agentry? I'd wager not. I am wagering, not." A third gesture takes in the embedded arrow.
"Take this tale to your governor, and be rewarded. Or cast your lot with him whose idiotic AMBUSH of a RIVAL has already COST HIM THREE MEN'S LIVES! Would you be the next lives, he spends?"
Overspoke again, you fool, you young fool!
"Bah!"
Let it be blood, then...
Gristav glowers at the man casting daggers at Braddon, and steps back, again, into the draw of his bow...
Braddon steps behind Snake's attacker and slices at him before turning to the thug who can't throw daggers.
He grins at Harvey. "Wow, Harvey. Those better be freaking amazing drinks."
Having seen his initial gambit at distracting the followers o'er-ridden by both Tendal's and Gristav's words entire, Phil realises the complete futility of trying to put his own words against the tumult of alternative misdirection and instead settles for a raising of his crossbow, aiming center mass at the nearest follower. He stares icy and cold, channeling the quiet squalor and cut-throat nature of his upbringing and just slightly shakes his head.
Tendal, words said, patiently awaits the response from Harvey's underlings.
Gristav's arrow buries itself in the chest of the dagger-thrower. The other dagger falls from loosening fingers as the man falls to the surface of the road.
Braddon steps in to flank Snake's attacker and drives the point of his oversized blade into the staff-wielder's back. The man grunts with pain but stays on his feet.
Phillip readies a shot at anyone who looks like they want to be helpful, and Tendal waits to gauge the response to his earlier request.
Judging that Braddon appears to the greatest threat among the opposition, the bowman changes targets from one half-elf to the other. In his moment of decision, however, the tip of his arrow wavers, and the projectile shoots harmlessly past Braddon to bury itself in the dirt road. He moves back nervously toward Read.
Snake continues his assault with zero fanfare attached to it.
Snake's opponent drops his staff and collapses atop it in the road.
"Damn your eyes!" Read snarls, drawing his cutlass and charging Braddon. "Any man that doesn't help me put these criminals in irons I'll see in the brig for insubordination!" His blade fails to penetrate Braddon's chain shirt, however.
Read's personal involvement in the scrum seems to tip the balance for the newcomers. They exchange glances; then one man levels his spear.
Emotionless and without fanfare, Phillip looses his crossbow...
Light Crossbow: for
The spearman appears to gain confidence as he successfully sidesteps Phil's quarrel. He gives his companion a nod.
Tendal steps off the path, putting some low rocks between himself and the new attackers.
In a coordinated motion, the pair move up the road, the spearman covering his companion, who draws a throwing axe from his belt and tosses it at Phillip.
"Stand down, Reed! Don't bring any more into this to die. Strike your colors, and we'll all go make our cases to the Governor."
Braddon snickers unpleasantly.
"Don't worry, I'll strike some colours. But only red."
His blades slash out at Harvy Read.
Braddon shouts back to the others, "Leave one alive. I wanna see the look on his face when I show him I'm an agent for the Overlord."
Well, that may be a good enough reason to ensure at least some of these citizens survive, he thinks as he watches the citizen responders move closer.
Tendal steps out from behind the rocks, his hand already weaving strands of coherent light. He levels his cane at the two citizen as he intones: "Aspergine Multiplorum Hutesium!" causing a blast of multi-colored light to shoot from the end of his cane, enveloping them.
"Leave Reed able to speak.", Gristav says, affecting a Tendalish boredom, badly, and devoid of the evidenced goodwill, but still aware of Logic's demands, "We'll want him to explain his motivations."
"And maybe, stand for trial."
Taking a glancing blow from the throwing axe to his left shoulder Phillip grunts and grits his teeth. Pain begins to spread from the wound, though thankfully he still regains use of the arm. Hissing breath comes in and out as words play out in the background... though this is above his immediate concern. He's been cut... and blood is always answered with blood. Narrowing his eyes towards that goal, Phil is shielded from the worst of the disgorgement of colours from Tendal's cane. As the bright flash across his vision fades, he keeps steady gaze as to whether the crossbow or smaller and more intimate blades will be the route to his recompense...
Braddon's double swords slice into Read, but he keeps his feet and his resolve.
Tendal makes a bid to remove the two newcomers from the fight preemptively. When the clashing colors flash over them, the spearman collapses insensate to the ground, while the second man stiffens and stares blankly into the middle distance.
Read's bowman friend takes aim at the half-elf with a bead on his boss, but the arrow goes awry.
Past the piled boulders, the leader of the group that was following the party reappears, accompanied by a well-armored man wielding a longbow. "There they are!" he points out the scrum.
With no enemy currently next to him, Snake looks to Read and a red glow appears from within the tall man's eyes as he attempts to make the man a bit easier for Braddon to hit.
"Would you kill the whole town, Reed, to keep us from talking?"
"Stand. Down."
Read ignores Gristav's warning and raises his cutlass again. Gristav releases his arrow, but it flies harmlessly past as the pirate's weapon draws blood from Braddon. Read steps back, giving his allies behind him a clear shot. "Shoot him!" he demands.
Phillip sees his quarry go limp, and advances cold and methodical... loading his crossbow as he does.
Braddon grunts as Read's weapon draws blood.
"Shoot him?" Braddon roars.
"Kill me yourself, coward! I'll buy you a drink!"
Braddon's grin returns as he advances on his foe, weapons whirling.
Tendal looks critically at the two men, the first slumped in the dust of the road, the other flailing wildly with his spear.
"I would suggest that you just sit down on the road. I will release you from my magic when the fight is over. Additionally, as you didn't harm anyone, I will endeavor to ensure your safety for the remainder of the skirmish." Tendal announces, before turning to observe the continuing debacle.
It appears that Mr. Hurst could use some small measure of assistance to finish Reed off. But how to do it in a manner that doesn't get Mr. Hurst's way... he muses, his eyes taking in both Braddon's spinning blades as well as the look of exhaustion on Reed's face.
Tendal strides forward, cane tapping in the dust as his other hand begins crafting runes in the air. In a moment, there is the momentary wafting of frying bacon on the air, as the magical script disappears with a sizzle.
"Additionally, as you didn't harm anyone"
Braddon's double blades slice into Read so swiftly that neither his enemy nor his allies seem aware of how pernicious their effect has been; Tendal casts his spell, and the cutlass slides out of Read's slackening fingers only moments before the man's body tumbles atop it on the road.
Undissuaded by Read's collapse, the newly-arrived archer shouts ahead to the other bowman. "Arrow away and stand clear!"
Read's customary companion obeys, but both his blanched face and his quivering fingers betray his shock at seeing Read cut down. The arrow comes nowhere near Braddon as he hurriedly clears the road, taking cover behind the nearby boulders.
The newcomer quickly and casually releases two arrows in swift succession at Snake, both of which go awry. He frowns and curses in disbelief, clearly not used to missing, as he steps behind the leader of the tailing party.
The man being used as cover looks alarmed and extends his scimitar into the empty space before him, hoping to use his weapon to defend himself from any coming attacks.
Realizing the archer that fired at him is too far away, Snake moves to get a bead on the one firing at Braddon.
Snake moves around the boulders far enough to fix his evil eye on the archer.
Phillip presses the business end of his light crossbow into the concerned citizen's stomach, quietly speaking as he does...
...before pulling the trigger and seeing the quarrel disgorged into the man's abdomen...
Light Crossbow: for
...adding more words as the small bolt disappears to it's fletching...
...Phil then busies himself with disarming the man of his crossbow and scimitar.