Round 4
The giant's bellow seems only to excite Gair, he howls loudly into the dark, wild eyes flashing as he sweeps his axe into the ghouls before him with an incredible swing.
The axe strikes true but Gair's focus is already racing ahead to slaying the giant and the tale it will make.
Something about swinging her club over her head triggers a memory - a fall day last year, nestled in their cramped Absalom apartment, the half-elf woman's legs crossed over Garrack's lap, as she laid, casually leafing through one of her husband's books on their second-hand couch. "Look at that," Sorala said, handing the anthropology tome over to Garrack, her fingers pointing to a gruesome illustration. "Bloody horrifying, isn't it?"
"Ah yes. An Ogre. They are bloody horrifying, Sorala. Strong as ten men, they take these clubs - trees, really - and smash whatever is in their way. They're cannibals too. Among other things, much worse things, and here's the thing," Garrack said, leaning in close to Sorala, a teasing grin on his face, "I bet the New World is teeming with them." Garrack placed his wide hand over his heart, as if to make a solemn swear, but his tone still kidding. "But don't worry, my love. I'll fight off a whole tribe for you, if needed."
The couple sat for a moment, looking at each other, and slowly the grin disappeared from Garrack's face, and his hand dropped absentmindedly to Sorala's calf. His face clouding over, the Garrack looked at Sorala, this time as grave as a blood oath. "But seriously, if you ever see one over there - run the f+#! away."
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"Ogre! Sorala yells, her voice cracking. "Ogre! Strong as ten men! Cannibal! Stay away from its club!"
In general, the DC of such a check equals 10 + the monster’s CR. For common monsters, such as goblins, the DC of this check equals 5 + the monster’s CR. For particularly rare monsters, such as the tarrasque, the DC of this check equals 15 + the monster’s CR or more.
Gair slices a ghoul neatly in half and puts a hurt on a second.
Zoriya digs her bare feet into the damp sand and lets lightning race through her blood--she's riding the storm now, part of the whipping wind and screaming dark.
She fixes her eyes on the ogre, bracing herself against the night as if she's prepared to take the thing on barehanded.
"It's all right." Paaie murmurs to herself, reloading her sling and fixing her gaze on her hands as she works. "It's all right, it's all right, come on, please, please, please--"
She flicks her bullet at the ghoul leaning over Kal'tos, pulse high in her throat.
The ogre feels the burn of Vallen's spell, but before it can turn aside, Zoriya's curse hits, and it rushes headlong at the witch, swinging its huge club and barely missing her.
The ghoul that had been in its path snaps at Hassan and darts away, and the warrior takes a swipe at it as it flees, causing it to fall dead as it leaps away.
The second ghoul snaps at Istiel and claws at Sorala, hitting each of them.
On the other side of the battle, the ghoul that took Gair's second swipe attacks him furiously. Both claws hit, raking Gair severely.
The ghoul Paaie hit with her sling notices her, and perhaps decides she is a safer foe than Gair. It charges her, clawing furiously.
The last ghoul moves around Kal'Tos' paralyzed form to come against Cueta, but isn't able to land a blow.
Round 5
Sorala's attention is diverted as the ghoul's teeth latch onto Istiel - the linguist doesn't even see the ghoul's claw coming at her until its already raking down her face. Screaming, Sorala raises her hand to wipe the blood from her eyes, but it freezes up and her scream cuts off in her throat, the woman's club hanging limply in her other hand.
Round 5
Cueta screams, full of fury, at the ghoul behind Gair. "You go to meet your mother now!" Raising her flail up and around her head, she brings it down on the other side of Gair, aiming for the ghoul.
Paaie's scream is cut short as the ghoul mauls her, sending her helpless to the sand. She can't even close her eyes to block out what's about to happen to her--her mind races across a thousand last thoughts, not yet not this I don't want to die like this I don't I don't no no no--
Kal'Tos is on round 2/5 of being paralyzed
Zoriya dances back from the ogre's swing, her dark wet hair swinging as she whirls a few feet back--not far enough to be safe, but far enough for now. She floods her hands with ill-luck and throws it at the lumbering creature, shadows falling stark across her face.
Septimus takes a 5ft step back, uses copy cat to create a mirror image of himself and both he and his copy load their crossbows
Tomag continues to be paralyzed, frustration welling deep in his eyes as his companions continue to be attacked.
Paralyzed (2/3)
Vada runs to cower behind the incapacitated half-orc, terrified of the lumbering ogre and the few ghouls that remain. "This is madness!" he shouts to no one in particular.
Round 5
Ghoul: Special Attacks paralysis (1d4+1 rounds, DC 13, elves are immune to this affect)
Istiel shouts in pain as the ghoul bites her shoulder, looking directly into its sunken, hungry eyes. A wide, sadistic smile spreads across her face as she rams her longsword through its midsection and out the other side, twisting the blade in the wound before ripping it free and kicking the undead off of her body.
Her eyes flicker to Sorala as the woman freezes in place, blood oozing from her head. Fool.
Keeping the ghoul at bay with her longsword, she focuses on not allowing the undead to get close while moving out of the brush.
"HASSAN. FLANK. NOW." She shouts at Newspring's general while blood gushes from her shoulder, mixing with the rain and running down her side.
Round 5
Vallen watches in amazement and fear as the ogre charges towards Septimus and Zoriya. "What are you doing?! MOVE! It's coming right for you!" He yells as the lumbering beast swings its club at Zoriya- but it hesitates and allows her to move out of the way. By Torag, they're both insane!
He gasps softly and turns around, hearing a scream from the brush nearby. The priest sees a halfling woman at the mercy of a ghoul, her face paralyzed in the most horrific fear he has ever seen- a face that will surely haunt his dreams forever... if he were allow her to die.
The dwarf is surprised as he finds himself running at the ghoul with his warhammer held high, yelling at the top of his lungs. "GET AWAY FROM HER! ANGRADD, BLESS MY HAMMER!"
He swings at the ghoul's hip in a brutal side-swipe, pulverizing its bones with a sickening crack. The priest brings the hammer up as the ghoul collapses and smashes its head one, two, three times, panting.
Vallen looks to the halfling in the bush and quickly glances at the black-and-white lines of her wounds in his darkvision, noticing they were not fatal. "Stay... stay here! I mean... of course you're going to stay here, you can't move, but once you can move, stay here!" He assures Paaie, turning around to watch Gair and Cueta fighting ghouls in the brush before the ogre's roaring makes him re-focus on the giant.
Torag... Let everyone make it through this night.
Round 5
Now covered in enough wounds to fell most men twice over, Gair continues his attack undaunted. He howls at the latest ghoul to savage him, bringing his axe high in an overhead sweep.
Unfortunately his wounds do finally hinder him, his grip slipping on his own blood coating the handle. It is all he can do to keep from losing hold of the weapon entirely. Ancestors protect me...I will overcome this...
Round 5
Hassan tears his eyes away from the towering ogre at Istiel's shout. Seeing the wounded ghoul she is engaging, he spares one last look for the giant before slipping under a swing of the giant club and moving up behind the ghoul and attempting to sever the undead's spine.
The ogre, infuriated, swings at Zoriya, smashing her brutally with his club, despite the curses.
Hassan and Istiel have their ghoul hemmed in, but it does manage to bite the elf.
Gair is bitten and clawed.
Cueta is clawed twice.
Round 6
As Gair's attention shifts momentarily to his axe, the ghoul takes advantage, pouncing on the unarmored warrior. Taking several more injuries, the northman is finally brought down with a strangled yell and a spray of blood from tearing claws...
Round 6
Istiel tries to distract the ghoul so Hassan can kill it, but when he flubs his swing she growls to curse at him- the exact same moment the ghoul bites her and knocks her to the ground.
The elf's sword and bow fall to the beach as she topples over with a muffled cry, slowly turning the sand crimson.
Septimus continues backing up and maintaining his double.
he issues a murderous command to the ogre, "SLAY THE UNDEAD"
Kal'Tos continues his struggle against the paralysis. round 3/5
Round 6
Tomag groans as he tries to move his body to no avail.
Paralyzed (1/3)
Round 6
Vada's hand tightly grips his mace as he watches Istiel fall to the ghoul. He rushes past Sorala and strikes at the beast, hoping to stop it from finishing her.
Round 6
Vallen sees Gair fall under a hail of the ghoul's ferocious claws. "Gair! He shouts, running along the outside of the thicket to flank the ghoul Cueta is fighting. The dwarf notices Kal'tos isn't even moving. He must have been scratched! Cueta is fighting by herself!
The priest presents his holy symbol to the ghoul, and it shines with a intense white light that blasts the creature's very being. "Return to the sweet embrace of Torag's ground you thrice-damned monster!"
Round 6
The ghoul's claws rip into Cueta and she screams in frustration, more gutteral and base a sound, from deeper in her soul, than she has ever uttered before. Her body starts to freeze and with the end of her scream the Mwangi fights her way through the paralysis, raising her flail to strike down her foe, when a bright flash and warm energy floods through the underbrush, momentarily turning everything white...
Sorala's mind runs along, if her body does nothing, filled with horror as Istiel's form slumps and falls from her peripheral vision.
Round 6
Zoriya reels under the ogre's crushing blow, her arms thrown up in a futile effort to protect her face. Blood floods her mouth as her broken nose gushes, and she gags on the metallic taste of it. She isn't sure what's wrong with her right shoulder, except that it's certainly not anything trivial.
There's no time to assess any further than that as she regains her balance and moves back, her battered body lit up with pain as sharp and vast as shattered river ice.
"Born-at-Dawn, I need you!" Her voice cracks as she cries out, real terror coloring it for the first time. "Tomag!"
She balls her fists and stares down the ogre, eyes wet with rain or tears.
Paaie lies in the brush and feels her heart race, amazed with every beat that it's still doing so--and she's still terrified, and she hurts, and she wants to go home, and if they all don't die she will never be able to repay the dwarf who just saved her, but she's not dead.
Vada steps forward and crushes the last ghoul on that side of the battle, as Vallen calls on Tomag. The forgefire burns the nearer of the ghouls into ashes, and leaves the last badly scorched.
Sai charges forward with the extinguished torch in her hand and whacks the ogre in the belly with it.
The ogre shakes his head in fury, looking around it, and spots the remaining ghoul.
...as the light subsides, the ghoul in front of Cueta drops, smouldering to the ground. Picking Vallen's form out at the edge of her topknot torch, the Mwangi yells, "Vallen, again!" as Zoriya's call for help comes from the north. Letting go her best Ijo War Whoop, Cueta crashes through the underbrush and swings her flail squarely at the ogre's back.
As the ghoul drops in front of her, Sorala forces her panic aside. Think think think. Start with your hand. Raise it to your face. We'll go from there. The half-elf thinks she can feel the muscles in her arm relax a bit, and it seems her hand moves - only a fraction, but it moves. Sorala's sure of it.
Round 6
Vallen smiles triumphantly as the ghoul turns to ash in front of him. "Torag's might is supreme! Cueta, he-... where are you going?! Kal'tos is defenseless!" He shouts as the Mwangi runs off, the victory smile rapidly draining from his face as he turns to the last ghoul with his shield up.
Cueta pushes through the undergrowth, ducking under a wild swing from the ogre's club, and smashes her flail into his hideously misshapen face, causing blood and teeth to rain down on her, as the creature screams in pain.
Round 6
The desert warrior is already spinning back to face the ogre before the last ghoul hits the ground. Hassan is momentarily taken aback as Cueta comes crashing through the trees to engage the giant, yelling all the while. More honey badger than mosquito it seems. Maybe she'll even live to celebrate her bravery.
Taking advantage of the ogre's momentary distraction, Hassan slips around it, opposite Cueta and slashes at the creature's thigh, hoping to hamstring the hulking menace.
The ogre fliches back from the blow to its face, just in time to be sliced across the back by Hassan's blade. The blade is so sharp it seems to pass through the beast's flesh without opening a wound, but the thing staggers and then falls with a crash, and blood slowly leaks from a deep gash that severed it's spine.
The last of the ghouls hisses in frustration and fury and leaps over Kal'Tos, crashing through the brush to reach Vallen, teeth snapping ineffectively.
Round 7
Istiel continues to lay motionless on the sand, bleeding out.
Septimus moves over to Istiel, "Move, give me space to treat her." Septimus casts cure light wounds on Istiel health gained
Kal'Tos stays Paralyzed round 4/5
Round 7
Vallen suddenly finds himself in single combat with a ghoul, holding it back with his shield as it swings its hideous claws at him. His blue eyes dart about, looking to Gair- Get up get up get up! but to no avail. Then to Kal'tos. Shake it off Kal'tos! I need help!
Seeing no help help around the dwarf grits his teeth and shoves the ghoul back with his shield, yelling and wildly swinging his hammer through the brush in an attempt to keep it at bay long enough for someone to come by and cut the thing in half. "Cueta! Some help! Anyone?!"
Round 7
Istiel's wounds close as Septimus lays hands on her, but she stays unconscious, her breathing ragged.
Round 7
Hassan stares down at the ogre's fallen form for several moments as though surprised to see it slain. Shaking his head, he looks over the corpse to Cueta, "Well struck Guiding Star.
Looking around, he raises his voice high, "Gather the wounded quickly! Are you alright Silverclasp? That ogre didn't wander in here on its own, we need everyone on their feet quickly. "
Round 7
Zoriya takes a sharp breath as the ogre falls, reaching up to clasp her damaged shoulder before her left arm protests violently and falls back to her side. She very much wants, more than almost anything, to sit down.
Instead she turns her head to the side and spits out blood and what can only be one of her teeth before following Septimus to where Istiel and Sorala are felled. She spares Tomag an unreadable glance as she limps past him on the way.
"Again," Zoriya says, falling to her knees in the brush and ignoring the sounds of battle from across the beach--the Kellid is over there, after all, and if they're good for one thing it's a fight. She places her hands on Istiel's body firmly, wincing almost imperceptibly at the pain that shoots up her arms.
"You!" She jerks her head at Vada as she leans over her patient. "See if you can get the others up. Carry Sorala if you have to."
Round 7
As Istiel's wounds close she gasps and jerks away, fingers digging into the sand. The warrior is about to throw a handful of sand into Zoriya's face when her eyes finally focus, and her hand relaxes. Pausing for a brief second as the grains run from her fingers, the elf swallows and looks Zoriya in the eye."Thank you." She says softly.
The elf struggles to her feet, refusing any help and picking up her bow from the beach. Her hair is disleveled and she's covered in her own blood, but the warrior is still on edge for any other threats. Her deep brown eyes stare at the ogre for a few moments, looking for any sign of movement.