Round 6
The summoned elemental slams into the beast, but the attack seems almost to bounce off a sheer wall of muscle and sinew. In return the owlbear's claws lash out, crushing the elemental in a hug and basically crumbling it to pieces.
Arianna's axe crunches into bone, while Sasha's rapier finds soft tissue, causing a screech of pain: the beast swipes at her, its beak burying itself in the rogue's shoulder, deflecting off her collar bone.
The weight of numbers is with the attacking side: slowly, the bandits widen their angle of attack, spreading out their force into a horseshoe shape surrounding three sides of the fort. In return, Kesten redeploys his men away from the gate: after all, nobody is coming through while there's an enraged owlbear in the way.
For the moment, it's a stalemate.
Aivar 39/39 hp
Sasha 16/27
Owlbear - 35 damage
Raquel grimaces as Sasha takes a nasty hit. She moves up behind the rogue and uses her wand to heal her injuries. "Hang in there, love. You've got him on the ropes!"
It doesn't escape Aivar that the foe's wicked blood-stained beak and claws spread death wherever they go. They unravel the magic that ties the elemental to this plane of existence, and ravage poor Sasha.
Aivar, his common sense having taken a heavy knock after being sent flying, hacks and hews like a man possessed. Duty demands it.
Lowing his bow, Tristan racks his brain for some way to contribute. The field of battle is too crowded for him to join the melee...
Tristan does his best to create a distraction for the owlbear, casting Ghost Sound and using the noise to create the roar of a rival owlbear behind the real one, hoping to make it flinch or turn.
Ok, this is going to be unpopular, but I'm going to burn a bad-guy Victory Point to disregard the damage from the earth elemental's attack.
Raising an eyebrow and shaking her head disappointingly, Nariel mutters "Really?" Her most useful spells for this situation exhausted for the moment, Nariel grabbed her wand and let loose some magic missiles at the beast.
Round 7
Raquel heals Sasha back to full health. Tristan momentarily distracts the owlbear's attention; taking advantage of this, Aivar again cuts a deep slash into the owlbear's pelt, drawing another hoot of pain. Nariel's spell slams into the beast, momentarily knocking it back; but it recovers quickly.
Sasha also uses the distraction from Tristan to great effect, opening another deep wound in the beast's side. Arianna contributes again with her axe, the follow-through from her swing trailing a spray of bloody froth.
The owlbear's screech of rage as it rears up is followed by it falling on the unfortunate paladin in an avalanche of fur and feathers - and wickedly sharp claws that pierce several of Aivar's internal organs, threatening to make them distressingly external.
It's clear that the mind organising the attack was planning for a quick breach of the gate, followed by an assault backed by enfilading fire from left and right. That hasn't materialised, and the defending force - safe behind the cover of the walls - are making the attackers pay a high price in blood for being out in the open.
Something will have to give, and soon, if the attackers are to regain the advantage...
Aivar -2/39 hp
Sasha 27/27
Owlbear - 75 damage
"AIVAR!" Raquel shrieks as the owlbear eviscerates the paladin. Summoning the last of the wand's magic, she brings him back from the verge of death. Blinking tears from her eyes, the cleric steps forward and stands protectively over him, brandishing her rapier at the raging beast. "You will not take him from me today!" she shouts defiantly.
Tristan's eyes go wide as Aivar is savaged by the beast. In his mind's eye he sees the same happen to each party member in turn... and then to his surprise he is running towards the thing, doing his best to watch out for any opportunistic swipe of a claw. He draws his rapier as he runs. They had to bring the beast down.
Sasha attacks the owlbear again; but without the benefit of surprise or distraction she's unable to land a hit - the owlbear dodges, its eyes rolling madly, tinged with red, as a frothy drool drips from its gore-stained beak.
Raquel cries out in pain as the owlbear's claws tear through her armor and flesh. Despite the bloody wound, she grits her teeth and refuses to back down.
Aivar 5/39 hp, Prone
Raquel 13/27 hp
Sasha 27/27 hp
Owlbear - 75 damage
Arianna swipes fruitlessly at the owlbear, and shouts in frustration and a little hysteria, "God damn you just DIE ALREADY."
The paladin gets thrown into a violent ocean of pain by the owlbear's savage assault. Waves of torment try to pull him under, but then there's Raquel pulling him up and out of this sea of hurt.
He isn't aware of how only a moment later he's back up on his feet. An unseen force - Shelyn? Instincts? - drive his hands to strike and with reckless abandon, Aivar swings at the creature before being forced to take a step back. Every bone in his body hurts.
Gods, there's blood, so much blood!
Aivar's desperate, despairing blow is too much for the owlbear, which rears up in astonishment as the paladin's glaive severs a vital artery. Blood gouts in ferocious spurts from the beast's wound, but the spray diminishes with each passing second, until finally the beast lies still.
However, there's precious little time to celebrate - the Battle of the Trading Post has entered a new phase.
Tristan skids to a halt, rapier at the ready, just as Aivar rises again and lays the monster low with another mighty swing.
"Just as well, I suppose," he says with a shrug.
Round 8
The death of the owlbear brings you perhaps a moment's respite... perhaps. Almost immediately afterward, there's a cry from the Northeastern tower of the fort - one that is suddenly silenced as a group of fighters (one of them the Stag Lord himself) materialise out of thin air! The few guards that were posted there scatter at Captain Garess' command, and the intruders push forward, separating into two groups: one (led by a sallow-faced, dark-cloaked figure) stays on the parapet, using the height advantage to pepper your group with arrows. One of these strikes Raquel before she can fully turn to protect herself. .
The dark-cloaked figure gestures, and Nariel is suddenly wreathed in flame!
At the same time, the bandits outside begin their assault on the main gate, doing their best to push through the webbing and the corpse of the owlbear, while the defenders - led by Captain Garess and Sergeant Whiteleaf - hastily marshal their forces to repel the attack.
The Captain looks at you: "Well, this is the worst of it, I shouldn't wonder. If we survive this, that's probably it." He points to the far side of the fort, towards the Stag Lord: "If you take them, and we defend here, we'll all meet in the middle soon enough. Or Pharasma's Boneyard, if that's more convenient."
Aivar 6/39 hp
Raquel 5/27 hp
Sasha 27/27 hp
Nariel 12/21, if Reflex save failed
"Find cover! Heal up and regroup!", Aivar barks at his friends as he seeks refuge against the stable wall. The grace of Shelyn washes over the paladin's many wounds and repairs some of the damage. He knows he can't ask more much of her today and reaches for a tiny flask, chugging down its contents before the fight swallows him whole once more.
"Argh!" Raquel cries out as the arrow pierces her chest. She wavers on her feet but grasps her holy symbol, channeling healing energy among herself and her allies. She staggers next to Aivar, against the stable. "I've got some magic to try to fend them off if we can all refrain from dying for a few moments!"
Alarmed at the danger, Nariel hangs back and does another quiet incantation. An incandescent shimmer hovers around Nariel for a second, further from her person than the previous.
As the Stag Lord and his minions appear very suddenly, Nariel is startled and unable to resist the cloak figures spell. Stepping back, Nariel screams out. Realizing that she was vulnerable in her current position, Nariel made the decision to disappear... literally. Taking a small piece of what appears to be wax or gum from her belt pouch, Nariel makes a quick incantation in elven, and disappears from sight.
Feeling that his own contributions to the fight had thus far been meager - he hadn't even so much as scuffed his boots - Tristan steps to the side while his companions regroup and heal their wounds. With a flourish of his cloak, he makes a mock bow to the new arrivals.
"Ladies and gentlemen - fear not, I use the term loosely - welcome, welcome, welcome to: your graveyard! Would you like anything specific on your headstones?"
Tristan focused his eyes on the enemy magician, letting magic fill his words and amplify certain beats for his ears only...
Arianna slides out of the grease and moves up. "Ah, already time for that? Alright. Can somebody do something about those archers?"
She takes out and drinks a second extract, and with this one she flushes with heat, and she grows. Her limbs are longer and out of proportion, her muscles grow taut, stronger but less flexible. It's assuredly supernatural with the way her gear grows with her, but also very unnatural-looking.
Round 9
Stowing her rapier for the moment, Sasha moves forward behind Arianna, loosing an arrow at the Stag Lord; it hits, but is deflected away from where she was aiming and is little more than a scratch.
The dark-cloaked figure reels back as Tristan's spell assails him; the ball of flame that he conjured hangs in the empty air as he struggles to regain his senses. The Stag Lord and his other companion split up, moving towards the party in a calculated pincer move.
Obviously spooked by Tristan's bravado, the bandits on the wall don't concentrate their fire, which is largely ineffective as a result. Only Arianna is hit, as she has made herself a much larger target.
The fighting at the gate is bloody and savage, with no clear advantage either way - one side will surely give soon, but which is it to be?
Aivar 23/39 hp
Raquel 14/27 hp
Sasha 27/27 hp
Nariel 21/21 hp
Arianna 24/31 hp
Stag Lord - 2 damage
Hoodie - 11 damage
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Raquel moves to get a good look at the bandits still on the battlements. She holds her holy symbol aloft and prays aloud. "And Cayden said, 'Let there be light beer!'" A brilliant flash of shimmering light engulfs the enemies, accompanied by the faint scent of alcohol.
Seeing the Stag Lord and his henchman trying to setup a pincer movement, Nariel decided to even up the odds and take a different tact. Moving quickly near the stable wall, Nariel grabbed one of the scrolls from her case and quietly read the magical runes completing the spell.
Aivar pushes up ahead and seeks out the Stag Lord, feeling nothing but disgust and disdain as he finally gets to study him from up close. This is the man who worships some sort of Queen who would imprison a unicorn? And kill it, for what, to fuel evil magics?! His heart starts beating faster and faster as the injustice of it all gets to him. "For all you've done ..."
And Aivar strikes. Without hate and without remorse. For the innocent that suffered at this man's hands and for those that will suffer if he isn't stopped right here and now.
Knocking another arrow to her bow, Sasha observes the aftermath of Raquel's spell. She had seen the cleric do this sort of thing before, and the survivors often stumbled around for moments afterwards as though they had been kicked by a mule. In those seconds, they would be at their most vulnerable, and Sasha has never believed in fighting honorably.
The rogue takes a breath, draws the string back to a spot just below her cheek, and looses at the most affected-seeming bandit.
Arianna steps up, swings at the Stag Lord, and misses. Damn it damn it hold still," she murmurs, visibly agitated in addition to the steam pearling off her skin as a side effect of the extract. 'I can't die here, won't die here, if we can just kill the bastards...'
Continuing to pepper the enemies with insults and jibes, Tristan dashes around the stables, as the 'front' of the battle is somewhat overcrowded.
Round 10
Raquel's spell is devastatingly effective: two of the bandits cry out in alarm as their world goes suddenly dark, while the dark-hooded figure and the remaining archer wince in pain but are still able to see... more or less. Sasha's arrow cuts one of them down, putting him out of his misery. The remaining bandit who can still act points his bow at Raquel to return fire... but the priestess of the Drunken God looks so very lovely that his hand is stayed, at least for now.
Aivar's attack cuts through the Stag Lord's armour, cleaving into flesh and sinew. He hears a grunt of pain beneath the helm - whatever is under there is mortal, after all. Up close, the armour and helm resemble carved ice, and the tip of the spear is white with frost; it steams as the warm summer air condenses around it. The bandit lord drives the spear at Aivar, but the paladin's righteous aura deflects it
The remaining bandit, a hulking thug with a smell like an ox, charges at Arianna fearlessly.
His two-handed club smashes into her, almost lifting the redheaded girl off her feet.
Still wincing in annoyance, the dark-cloaked figure gestures and the ball of fire moves at his command, settling on Sasha. He then points directly at Raquel, who feels her sight begin to cloud over...
The fighting at the gate continues, but the defenders temporarily have the advantage, pushing back to prevent the bandits coming in. How long they can hold off the superior numbers is an open question.
Aivar 23/39 hp
Raquel 14/27 hp, possibly blinded
Sasha 13/27 hp, if Reflex save failed
Nariel 21/21 hp
Arianna 3/31 hp
Stag Lord - 21 damage
Hoodie - 21 damage, dazzled 4 rounds
Bandit 1 - 19 damage, dead
Bandit 2 - 10 damage, dazzled 4 rounds
Bandit 3 - 10 damage, blinded 4 rounds
Raquel wails as the world suddenly goes dark. "No! That's not fair! I was supposed to blind you!"
Hearing cries of pain, she feels her way back along the wall of the stable. Once back near her allies, she channels healing energy again. She does her best to maintain her wits without being able to see what's going on.
As the battle raged on, suddenly three dogs with glowing white eyes and blue coats of fur appeared. Two immediately set to attacking the Stag Lord, while the third appeared on his henchman.
Satisfied with her safety for the moment after moving further away from the action, Nariel allowed her invisibility spell to drop in favor of attack with her magic missile wand.
"Repent!", Aivar yells at the Stag Lord with a voice wrapped in fervor. The words, however, do not reflect the paladin's actions as he continues to attack this wicked mortal man with mailed fist, plated boot and sharpened glaive. Their polearms perform a deadly dance and the metallic parts reflect and project the summer sun's intensity.
Aivar aches all over as his body tries to keep with what he's demanding from it and he squints in an effort to avoid meeting the light's harsh reflection.
Tristan sees Raquel back away from the fight, staring wildly. "Are you alright?" Tristan asks as he rushes by - but he does not slow.
Rounding the corner, he once again sees the cloaked man, and decides a second helping of pain would serve him well...
"If you won't leave us in peace, we'll cut you to pieces!" he shouts, again using magic to amplify his voice to painful heights.
"No, I'm not alright! He blinded me!" Raquel shouts to Tristan.
Arianna just barely fends off the attack, adjusts her grip and her stance, and swipes at his weapon with an aim to strike it from the thug's hands.
Sasha whoops in victory as her arrow drops one of the blinded enemies, and it almost costs her a great deal of pain. A whoosh of heat and light is all the warning she needs to throw herself forwards, away from the rolling orb of flame.
She is up and on her feet in a moment, dropping her bow and drawing her rapier. She rushes toward the Stag Lord, but—rather than lunging—she feints hard. Her intention isn't to fool the bandit leader, but to distract him for just a moment.
Round 11
Tristan's spell is powerful: the dark-cloaked man claps one hand to his ears, trying to stem the flow of blood, but in vain; he slumps to the ground and the fiery orb that was under his control vanishes. Aivar's attack - with assistance from Sasha cuts into the armoured leader, but he still stands.
Arianna smacks the thug as he attacks her, and then knocks his weapon out of his hand. Nariel's summoned dogs fail to affect the Stag Lord in any way (he seems not to even notice them) but the thug attacking Arianna is less impervious and he gets bitten. Not that he seems to care. Nariel's magic spell slams into the Stag Lord, drawing blood.
One of the archers is still blinded, but the other one fires at the biggest target he can see. He still manages to miss, though.
The Stag Lord steps forward, closing the distance between himself and Aivar, and his icy spear finds its way through the paladin's righteously fortified defences. Thankfully Raquel's power had already healed him, so he continues to stand.
Bellowing with rage at the loss of his weapon, the thug furiously attacks Arianna with his armoured fists. He belts her across the face, landing a solid blow that hurts only slightly less than his club might have done.
It may not seem like it, but a full minute of combat has flown by. Both sides have poured everything into it, and the gate is choked with the dead and dying as the scream and noise of battle rages all around. Captain Garess has committed all of his men now to the fight, there is nothing left to give. And yet, the outcome still hangs in the balance.
Aivar 16/39 hp
Raquel 22/27 hp, blinded
Sasha 27/27 hp
Nariel 21/21 hp
Arianna 19/31 hp
Stag Lord - 46 damage
Hoodie - 33 damage, dead
Thug - 17 damage
Bandit 1 - 19 damage, dead
Bandit 2 - 10 damage, dazzled 3 rounds
Bandit 3 - 10 damage, blinded 3 rounds
"Nice hat," Sasha taunts, hoping to draw the Stag Lord's attention away from the wounded Aivar. "Did your mother make it for you?" The rogue circles the bandit lord warily, searching for an opening. When one appears, she darts forward, lunging with her blade.
Tristan continues his charge into the archers - aiming for the one that can still see. Likewise he continues to spit insults at the attackers.
Hearing her friends shouting in pain, Raquel stumbles over to Arianna and heals her wounds.
A mouth full of the taste of iron reminds Aivar that he's only mortal. There's only so much he has to give and unless they end this quickly, he may not remain standing much longer. "Narièl! The dogs! His ankles!" The words are barked in between a lunge and some fancy footwork that gives Aivar the room he needs to strike with his glaive, but the huff-and-puff in his voice betrays that the paladin is on his last legs.
Watching the battle pensively from further back, Nariel nodded at Aivar's command to have the dogs aid Sasha. With a quick mental instruction, the two dogs moved to distract the Stag Lord as much as possible by feinting for his heels.
Keeping her wand trained on the Stag Lord, Nariel let loose the last of its magical charge for the day, with two more missiles seeking their target.
Putting her wand away, Nariel glanced over towards Arianna and commanded the third dog to continue the attack on the now disarmed thug.
Arianna reels from the blow and swings out wildly. She keeps her attention on the thug, and quietly says, "That's right, pal, keep your eyes on me."
Round 12
Sasha's rapier hits home, and with the help of Nariel's loyal celestial hounds (the very embodiment of Good Dogs), she strikes true and deep. Tristan's attack hits the archer, who drops his bow with a curse and draws his sword - but his strike goes wild. Raquel heals Arianna. Nariel's spell hits again, causing more harm.
The thug attacking Arianna roars with rage and lashes at her again, but misses.
Aivar's glaive strikes - and the Stag Lord falls! With a dying curse, the armoured figure topples over, his spear turning the soil around it white with frost where it lands.
Panicked, the bandit on the walls grabs his companion and jumps, using his blinded colleague (who doesn't survive the fall) as a shield against the landing.
Aivar 16/39 hp
Raquel 22/27 hp, blinded
Sasha 27/27 hp
Nariel 21/21 hp
Arianna 27/31 hp
Stag Lord - dead
Hoodie - dead
Thug - 17 damage
Bandit 1 - dead
Bandit 2 - 13 damage, dazzled 2 rounds, fleeing
Bandit 3 - dead
Raquel channels healing energy, excluding the big thug nearby, and lets her allies mop up the remaining foes.