Felmor mutters a curse under his breath, "Ach, hope Roldare fixed this up good!" He hefts the masssive crossbow up and sights at the same minotaur his Desert Rose fired on.
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MAP: Trull Raiders 01
Legend:
- AL04-AQ07: 1-story garage with 3 carriage bays.
- AL11-AQ16: 2-story barn with 6 stalls and hay elevator on east side.
- AT04-AU16: 1-story stables with 6 stalls.
- AI26-AK29: 1-story porch on North side supported by 2 pillars.
- AL21-AV34: 2-story inn with 4 dormers.
Note: The sand costs 2 squares of movement for each square you move.
Perception Checks
While you cannot understand their language, you can certainly understand the tone and meaning. They are cries of pain and exhaustion, cries for help. In an instant Felmor remembers seeing dozens of oars yet he spies only 9 minotaurs. Slaves! Dozens 'o 'em!
Felmor’s face turns an ugly shade of red, and there is a look of fury in his eyes. He turns to Alis, and yells, ”Cap’n they’s got slaves ‘board th’ship. We cannae let ‘em git away!”
Priyya and Felmor's projectiles both strike true on the lead minotaur. The brute snorts in derision pulling one free with his teeth and tossing the other aside with hardly a second thought.
"Slaves?!" Alis' initial reaction is one of horror and anger, but you quickly notice that an idea has already formed in her head. "Freed slaves would be a big help!"
With that she casts a spell on herself.
If you occupy squares with different kinds of terrain, you can move only as fast as the most difficult terrain you occupy will allow.
Flying and incorporeal creatures are not hampered by difficult terrain.
With savage laughter, the minotaurs gaze upon your fear and advance brandishing their weapons. The waves and wet sand of the beach slow them and prevent them from outright charging you, but you know full well that once they reach the paved highway that there will be no such disadvantage.
One draws close enough to swing at Felmor while another two draw nigh to the princess. They swing their massive weapons with reckless abandon showing no hint of hesitation or conscience...
However Felmor and Alis both easily evade their powerful, if errant, attacks.
The front door to the tavern is flung open and you hear a single word cried out in horror, "PRINCESS!!!"
Risking a glance, you see Yvonne rush out the front door and to the edge of the highway. She makes a motion as if drawing a sword and striking from the scabbard even though you don't recall her wearing a blade...
Inexplicably, the minotaur you had previously injured reels and coughs blood as if struck a sound blow. You just barely are able to perceive the vesties of what appear to be a line of crackling eldritch energy that has sheered across its chest.
, Priyya, Felmor, Alis, Talvyra, Mal, Golden Drakes, Enemies, Yvonne
MAP: Round 2
Lureene at first impulsively rushes up to assist her friends and the Princess, but a voice from her mind cautions her, sounding a lot like Alexis Protect yourself, above all else. She glares at the oncoming minotaur raiders, and retreats, while she chants a spell of protection.
Lureene retreats to the cover of the inn's porch drawing her bow as she moves. She girds herself with arcane energy should the minotaurs draw within striking distance.
, Felmor, Alis, Talvyra, Mal, Golden Drakes, Enemies, Yvonne, Lureene
Priyya hesitates momentarily getting the sinking feeling that Alis is about to do something that would make any bodyguard cringe. Waiting to see what his lover does, Felmor has the feeling that Alis knows what she's doing although that doesn't exactly make him worry much less.
The suspicions are both confirmed as the princess hustles toward the ship attempting to flit between the two minotaurs facing her. In rage they both swing their giant weapons at her...
While the injured one succeeds only in cleaving the sand, Alis waits until the very last instant before leaping the sweeping blow of the raider on her left. Once past them she makes her way to the starboard side of the oversized longship, and leaps upwards grabbing the edge of the rail and hoisting herself aboard.
Oy, thinks Felmor, that lass'll give some feller a head o' grey hair afore 'is time if'n she lives long enough ta wed!
, Felmor, Talvyra, Mal, Golden Drakes, Enemies, Yvonne, Lureene, Alis
Priyya takes a 5' step back getting onto solid ground. "Fel! Fall back!"
Priyya fires two arrows at the wounded minotaur...
To Hit:
Damage:
To Hit:
Damage:
Felmor thinks, Aye waht wit' th' Princess runnin' off like that, n' me Desert Rose tellin' me ta fall back...even as he moves back to the edge of the paved road, and reloads for another shot at the wounded minotaur.
Mal roars out an order in his feline tongue and Talvyra reacts instantly, long limbs eating the ground in an attempt to get in a defensive position. Spying Dakmane first, Talvura sprints to stand with her hunt-sister- easily leaping the sliver of shortly sand on the way.
Mal rounds the corner right after Little Sister, and pauses to take in the scene. When his eyes take in the band of hulking warriors, he reacts instinctively, digging deep into his bestial heritage. Power floods from within, and he snarls as he flexes newly reinforced claw and jaw muscles.
Priyya steps back firing two shots at the injured lead minotaur, and Siaja steps back with her turning to face the oncoming line of enemies. The warrior-priestess' first shot gets dodged flying over the brute's left shoulder but leaving him just off-balance enough...
Right where I want you!
Her next shot quite literally hits a bulls-eye! The horned raider drops its battle axe and falls backwards onto the sand twitching spasmodically with a cedar shaft lodged in its brain.
Felmor moves backwards attempting to get out of the way, but neglects to consider their long reach. The that had been coming at Priyya and him swings with an oversized longsword...
The underhand swing hits Felmor hard practically knocking him back to where he was trying to get to, a terrible gash across the front of his leathers.
Keeping his wits about him even thru the pain, Felmor gets off another shot of his weapon but succeeds only in grazing the next minotaur in the line.
As the raiders continue their approach, Priyya hears a low, rumbling growl by her right side and finds that Talvyra has come to assist her darkmaned cousin.
Given the terrible roar that she hears coming from behind them, she knows full well that Mal is on his way and means to unleash hell.
In front of him, the four horses hitched to the large carriage scream out in terror at the bestial feline snarl coming from behind them. The driver is nearly thrown from his seat as they lurch forward. Unexpectedly, Khaitan bolts past Malandraenas and cuts them off forcing them to the west. The carriage tips precariously, threatening to overturn...
...yet the driver dodges to the left, hanging over the left side of the seat even as he whips the reigns and miraculously puts them on the road heading west. By the time he is able to get it stopped, he is more than 100 yards away.
One of the Golden Drakes closest to the inn's porch frees a shortbow from the holster on his back as he runs to the corner of the inn. He shouts out,
He then proceeds to fire on the closest minotaur calling out a taunt in an unrecognized tongue as he does so...
The attack just misses, but he does succeed in getting seen.
A moment later, a Drake on horseback moves east past the opening left by the large carriage freeing his bow as he rides.
From behind and also from further away on the opposite side of the barn, Mal can hear the crack of reins and a woman's voice crying, "Hyaa!"
He steps aside to the let the wagon south of him drive forward turning west in front of the barn. After a few moments, he also hears what sounds like a wagon approaching from the south-west. Behind him, two women mounted on horses ride up behind him with shortbows in hand.
, Yvonne, Lureene, Alis, Priyya, Felmor, Talvyra, Mal, Golden Drakes
MAP: Round 3
At the western end of their line, 3 minotaurs begin heading towards the wagon driving west in front of the barn. The next two continue moving towards Priyya while the one shot at by one of the Golden Drakes a moment ago seems to be ignoring Priyya. It attempt to move past her to get to the man.
The fiery-tempered warrior-priestess attempt to enact retribution for being ignored, but her attack falls short and the minotaur continues his movement heedless of her challenge.
With Felmor having retreated, the minotaur who injured him gazes darkly upon the hunting cat standing between him and his victim. It raises it's longsword and aims a blow at her...
Talvyra easily evades the attack and the massive blade sends up a spray of white sparks as it cracks one of the highway's paving stones.
With Alis having just run past it, the easternmost minotaur ignores Felmor's attack in favor of pursuing the red-clad girl. It tromps after her but she still out-paces it.
Yvonne swears in a tonuge that only Priyya recognizes...
...and gives chase without sinking into the sand as others do. As she draws nearer, she unleashes another eldritch attack...
A plane of crackling green energy slashes across the creature's back and it grunts in annoyance.
, Alis, Priyya, Felmor, Talvyra, Mal, Golden Drakes; Enemies, Yvonne
MAP: Round 3b
Lureene watches one of the minotaurs turn to pursue Princess Alis, and notes Y'vonne moving to rescue her. She thinks, I have to slow that beast down somehow...I know... Thankful she has not summoned Grak for the day, she chants a quick summoning spell, calling forth a majestic eagle with golden white feathers with multihued streaks!
An exotic eagles appears before Lureene and streak northward. With a harsh shriek it dive-bombs the minotaur pursuing Alis...
The minotaur attempts to swipe at it with its hand as it dives thru its threatened space but misses.
The bird of chaos tears a gash in the horned raider's forearm with its razor-sharp beak before, its talons sink into the minotaur's neck.
Knowing an opportunity when she sees one, Alis pulls herself up and looks down into the longship to see a dozen benches running down each side of the ship. On each one, seated with their backs to her, are dirty human slaves bearing the scars of numerous lash marks across their backs. She feels a twinge of pain at the sight before rage fills her.
At the prow, just a few feet from her are a pair of strongly built northmen with whips in hand and swords on their belts. Humans enslaving other humans for minotaurs, how vile!
Thinking quickly, she loosen the laces on her bodice and pulls herself up onto the ship.
"Oh there are two of you?" Alis runs her hands seductively down her form from neck to navel. "You're not really going to let him have his way with your woman are you?"
The nearest barbarian hesitates for a moment before reaching to grab the impertinent woman. With a look of mock terror on her face, Alis strikes first.
From behind, the man's suddenly ensorcelled kinsman flies into a rage and strikes with the haft of his whip
The big man is nearly knocked off his feet by the unexpected attack and his arms close only on open air.
Behind him, his former friend draws his sword and the injured warrior flies into a rage and retaliates with the haft of his own whip...
His strike practically destroys the face of the charmed man covering them both in a spray of blood and teeth. The charmed barbarian, finally having his blade free drops his whip and attempts to gut his former ally in a fit of lust and rage.
About two-feet of bloodsoaked steel erupt from the back of the man who got double-teamed by Alis and her puppet. Even so mortally injured he still struggles!
From further back in the ship, the slaves begin turning around, cheering in amazement as they see their captors tearing each other apart over a beautiful woman.
, Felmor, Talvyra, Mal, Golden Drakes; Enemies, Yvonne, Lureene, Alis
MAP: Round 3c
Priyya laughs and yells to Yvonne:
Priyya curses and takes a 5' step behind Talvyra trying to avoid the attack of the minotaur behind her. She asks Alita to guide her blows. and looses two more arrows...
To Hit:
Damage:
To Hit:
Damage:
Rather than falling back so that the buildings can break up the enemies' numbers, Priyya presses the attack. Saija valiantly stays by her mistress' side though Priyya can tell the mare does not care for this situation one bit.
Undaunted, Priyya fires twice and both her attacks reach their mark. The minotaur snarls in anger. It turns its gaze from Felmor and fixes its upon the defiant woman relishing the though of savaging her with its longsword.
, Talvyra, Mal, Golden Drakes; Enemies, Yvonne, Lureene, Alis, Priyya
Felmor sees one of the minotaurs has already penetrated deep into the lines and is about to wreak havoc on the Golden Drakes, among others. Not willing to see his Beloved caught between two of the fierce beasts, he elects to keep it occupied.
"Ach, I gots this one, 'ere!"
Move Action, draw Pin and Dagger as part of tumble to AE23
Felmor tumbles in an attempt to get inside the minotaur's long reach (Acro DC 21), but it is not thrown off by the attempt and seeks to inflict further pain upon the good captain with its axe...
Felmor's vision goes grey as the brute's axe hammers him in mid-roll. Coming out of it, he lands an attack of his own on the creature's foot with his belay pin which elicits a harsh laugh from the looming monster.
Perception Checks
With the exception of Felmor, everyone can hear loud cries of enthusiastic human voices coming from within the longship.
With the exception of Alis, everyone can also hear Felmor cry out in pain from sustaining a second grievous injury. It sounds like he is in a very bad way.
, Mal, Golden Drakes; Enemies, Yvonne, Lureene, Alis, Priyya, Felmor
Talvyra remains in a defensive position in front of Priyya snarling menacingly at the towering creature before her.
With an enraged shout, Mal charges from around the corner and practically pounces on the minotaur assaulting Felmor. This should be a bit more of a challenge at least than those city thugs!
His battle axes bites deep into his opponent's shoulder and succeeds in getting the minotaur's undivided attention.
As if inspired to action by Mal's rage, Khaitan and Saija lash out with their hind hooves!
From behind Mal and to his right, the two closest Golden Drakes also lend their aid. The one behind him fires his shortbow...
...sinking the shaft deep into the creature's side. He then falls back into the alley between the inn and the barn calling for everyone to form a defensive line.
Seeing an opening, the other spurs his mount to attack, drawing a curved blade like the one Priyya carries...
While the mount's attacks fall short, the rider's do not, with a well-paced slash, he opens the minotaur's throat pouring blood everywhere. It falls to its knees and then backwards into the road, bleeding out.
Further to the west, the wagon that had pulled forward from near the back of the inn, swings into the alleyway between the bar and the garage effectively blocking that approach as well. The driver of the south-east wagon leaps from the driver's seat and runs eastward towards the inn, short-bow in hand. The driver of the other wagon hops down and remains behind to guard and direct the horses.
Three riders armed with bows and spears form a wall between the inn and barn leaving an opening within their ranks for the rest of you to run thru. The level their bows at the enemy and fire.
The attacks of two of the 3 succeed. The first catches the minotaur challenging Talvyra in the arm, while the second puts out its right eye! The minotaur howls in pain and fury dropping its weapon as it clutches at the injury.
Sensing her chance, Talvyra pounces to finish him off.
The great cat leaps upwards, slashing at the minotaur's face before tearing out its windpipe with her maw.
, Yvonne, Lureene, Alis, Priyya, Felmor, Mal, Golden Drakes, Talvyra;
The westernmost minotaur continues to slog forward thru the wet sand seeking to gain the road and unleash carnage. The one slightly ahead of him, hearing the cries of all the slaves turns back, curious to see what is going on.
Three minotaurs come to surround Khaitan, although only one of them seem to pay him any heed, swinging away with a warhammer...
The blow catches Mal's horse in the side and Khaitan gives a loud, angry cry.
The next attacks Priyya over Saija with an enormous trident...
...and pierces her savagely with all 3 tines.
The last of the trio seeks to do Mal in with a blow from its falchion...
Mal suffers a blow that would have cleaved any normal man in twain, yet somehow his still manages to stand.
Near the longship, the last minotaur attempts to end the anarchic eagle assailing him...
With a single back-handed swipe of his sword, the minotaur reduces the majestic bird to ruin and its remains disappear back to when they came. It is then that it sees Yvonne running after him and moves to engage her forgetting about Alis.
, Lureene, Alis, Priyya, Felmor, Mal, Golden Drakes, Talvyra; Enemies
Seeing that she now has her target's attention, Yvonne turns and runs, charging straight at the minotaur that just speared her desert sister.
Just barely seeing her coming, the minotaur braces its trident hoping to impale her...
Running at full tilt, the green-eyed woman is unable to evade the attack and receives a grievous wound to her side. Gritting her teeth, she leaps forward in spite of it drawing a scimitar as she strikes...
Her attack just barely manages to connect, but it does and with a blaze of fire and cracking energy. The minotaur howls in rage the warrior-priestess and her lover completely forgotten.
, Alis, Priyya, Felmor, Mal, Golden Drakes, Talvyra; Enemies, Yvonne
MAP: Round 4
Lureene sees the eagle give its life valiantly to keep the minotaur distracted. Hoping Y'vonne knew what she was doing, she elects to target the minotaur left out in no man's land.
Lureene's shot strikes true, although the minotaur doesn't seem to be paying her any heed compared to the red and black form of Yvonne flitting about.
, Felmor, Mal, (Alis), Golden Drakes, Talvyra; Enemies, Yvonne, Lureene
Priyya holds her bow with one hand. Her other hand glows as she touches herself...
... and then her hand pulses more strongly and a wave of healing energy bursts from her washing over herself, Yvonne, Mal, Felmor, and Khaitan.
Felmor gasps, "Thanks, me beloved!" He sees the minotaur turn his attention to Lady Y'vonne and thinks, That one be payin' fer that!
The light of Alíta provides much-needed relief to Priyya's allies and they find that a great deal of their injuries are healed.
Granted such a second wind, Felmor springs into action and rolls forward driving his blade upward. With the full force of his roll behind it, he impales the minotaur who dared injure the two desert beauties. The creature gives a truly horrible cry as blade penetrates all the way up into his body cavity and out thru his chest, but it is dead before it can even hit the ground.
, (Alis), Golden Drakes, Talvyra; Enemies, Yvonne, Lureene, Priyya, Felmor
Meanwhile, back on the longship...
The barbarian transfixed by his kinsman's sword attempts to deliver a hammer blow to the other's head with the butt of his whip...
...but his attack misses.
The other man...
...wrenches his sword violently where it remained lodged inside his once-friend, and hews the man in half showering the deck with blood and entrails. He breathes heavily for a moment before the madness of his rage passes and he slumps to his knees breathing heavily.
"My hero!" exclaims Alis, "Oh, but I need to tend to your wounds first, be still..."
The buxom elf girl approaches, stepping over the halves of the slain Valahrim man and reaches out with both hands, a pained expression on her face...
...and snaps the man's neck in one clean motion.
Frowning slightly at the blood on her hands, she looks down and spies a ring of keys tied to a hook on the man's belt. With a grin, she calls out, "Look what I found lads!"
When she holds up the keys to the massive lock securing the long chains that keep them bound to the ship, a huge roar erupts from them as they realize their liberation is at hand. Further back, some of the men begin helping their fellow slaves to ram their oars against the locks, snapping them off to make serviceable cudgels and staffs. The two nearest the front take the longswords that once belonged to their captors before beginning to clamber towards the starboard rails of the ship...
, Golden Drakes, Talvyra; Enemies, Yvonne, Lureene, Priyya, Felmor, Alis
MAP: Round 4b
Reeling from the vicious cut, Mal realizes the safety of the narrow alleys will indeed provide the group's best chance at survival. "FALL BACK TO THE ALLEY!" he roars while dodging backwards, hoping to duck the inevitable attack. "I'LL HOLD THE CORNER TIL YOU PASS ME! Now safely out of reach of the blade of his opponent, he reaches down, picks up a handful of sand, and whispers words in his primitive tongue while smashing the salty sand along his heavily bleeding wound - which staunches the bloodflow somewhat.
Talvyra continues to look after her teammates, waiting to see what Darkmane and the Fox woman do before acting.
From further north on the beach, filthy, ragged-looking men staggering with fatigue begin pouring out of the longship. Most of them wield only cudgels or staves seemingly made from the hafts of broken oars. They begin swarming towards the minotaurs closest to them with burning hatred in their eyes!
While the minotaurs already engaged in combat on the road are too consumed with bloodlust to take notice, those still on the beach itself are given pause turning to see what the commotion is.
The one facing Mal notices his attempt at evasion and attacks (Acro DC was 21)...
It lands another heavy blow sending a trail of the young ranger's blood across the street and sand as the massive falchion slashes him across the chest. Wincing as he comes out of his roll, Mal considers for a moment whether to drop his rage that he might cast a healing spell upon himself at the cost of being overcome with fatigue, or whether to tough it out until the others are clear.
One of the gypsies shouts,
Further back in the alley, two of the Drakes who are on foot move forward and fire their short bows trying to divert attention away from whomever it was whose blood they just saw get spilled.
No sooner do the arrows strike home then you hear the man mounted on the center horse say to the women beside him. "The ranger made an opening for us, charge with me!"
As one, the three levels their spears and charge with a loud,
While the one closest to Mal misses, the other two strike home, driving their long spears deep into the minotaur's body. From near Mal, the one with the scimitar, who helped fell the last raider, urges his mount forward and tries to end the life of the severely injured minotaur leaping over Khaitan's flank to make his attack...
In one smooth motion, his blade sheers thru half its neck and its spine sending the creature's head flopping to the side as it collapses.
Mal draws his handaxe on the move and hurls it at the closest Minotaur as hard as he can.
Still reeling from massive bloodloss, Mal's handaxe goes wide and low raising a shower of sparks as it skitters along the street passing between Khaitan's hooves.
Perhaps inspired or maybe incensed, Khaitan advances on the only Minotaur near him. Rearing up on his hind legs, he kicks at it with his forehooves (no AoO since he has not vacated any threatened squares)...
His attacks fall well short of connecting, although they do seem to hold the attention of his enemy.
Talvyra stalks along with the other two black maned female eager to see what their pride will unleash upon these bull-headed hunters-turned-prey.
, Yvonne, (Talvyra), Lureene, Priyya, Felmor, Alis, Slaves, Mal, Golden Drakes
By the ship, the furthest minotaur roars in anger seeing that the slaves have been freed. It moves to meet them, lashing out with its greataxe...
Blood and brains cover the side of the ship and stain the sails as the minotaur's powerful attack obliterates the man's head!
The raider previously assailed by Lureene's eagle also hears the noise and breaks off chasing Yvonne to put down the escape...
In one blow, the monster cleaves the man in twain from shoulder to groin, laughing mercilessly as it ends his life.
Further to the west the lone raider steps up onto the road and then takes a running leap attempting to pass the narrow strip of sand onto firm ground.
It just barely succeeds and steps up onto the hard packed earth eager to either slaughter or die trying.