"As much as I hate walking into the owlbear's den, I have to agree with Sharae -- we have nothing to justify an attack but the word of someone we don't know."
The orc looks puzzled and looks at the others
The other orc says
The orcs all laugh.
The first orc says bugger off shorty, you an' your mates. Come back t'morra. We is, er, busy
yeah one of the others says come early and we'll have...breakfast
Anody looks at the others and shrugs. One day won't make any difference I think?
Sharae wonders whether she and her friends are being 'brushed off' and lied to...
...and then, in as sincere a voice as she can muster, she wonders aloud to the Professor, "A day? No, I'm sure that it could wait... but, you know, every day that goes past is another day that the opportunities we offer could be taken by a rival group... Brigh knows, we've had some pretty good offers so far... and some of those folks aren't the waiting around kind".
Orcs are well known to be brutish, violent creatures. (Full of prejudice, this one.)
And I don't like the look they gave the Prof, it looked hungry. Breakfast, really?
Anody and sharee seem to think a day is reasonable, but sho thinks they re up to no good. Maybe an ambush. So the party heads away.
Discuss.
'ere, you tryn' ta pull one over on us.
He puts two fingers to his mouth and whistles. Another two orcs emerge from inside, and you can hear more movement approaching.
i rekon you put all your choppas on the ground, or we'll gut yeh now.
He and the other orcs draw their falchions.
Perception checks please
Ah... Yes well it's actually quite interesting what you said. What you are calling 'choppas' are actually not used to chop but instead actually weapons from Tian Sha with astounding histories and designs. I'm sure you will be quite fascinated by...
Sho readies his naginata, he is certainly not willing to give up without a fight.
”Now, now, now… that’s simply no way to talk to folks who you have only just met… I mean goodness, what would your mother say if she could see you now?” Sharae, quite knowingly, pulls her cloak back such that the two starknives at her waist are clearly visible…
i 'ad a mutha. I ate 'er.
"I think we ought take them at their word at come back tomorrow!" says Criek anxiously.
Attempting to gulp a shield extract as casually as possible, "Goodness, it's warm -- does anyone else feel thirsty?"
Creik, the orcs don't seem to notice your action
"Oh!!! A welcoming committee, how very kind of you... you will take us to see Birdfood then?", Sharae moves a little closer to Sho, "If this goes bad, let me bless your weapon with Desna's grace"
"This seems like it could be fun."
Sho grins, then whispers to Sharae.
"7 in front and 6 behind, if this starts I'll hold off the ones behind us, the rest of you take care of the front and help when you can."
"I, er, really think we ought to leave, like they said?" Criek says loudly, attempting to hide the trembling in his voice. "And we could prepare something for tomorrow? For, uh, breakfast? Good guests and all?"
What is all this ruckus? It has disturbed my darlings nap.
A tall man walks outs on a walkway above the parties heads. He has an arm outstretched with three hawks on his arm. He has a disturbing smile, with his teeth filed into points. He is accompanied by 4 orcs with bows.
I will grant an audience to them. Have them drop all weapons and magic on the ground and i'll speak with them. Then take them to the throne room that I can levy justice. This is obviously your target, birdfood.
By this time you are surrounded by orcs.
Actions please
Anody stops his lecture.
yup
Sharae coughs, and with a tinge of indignation in her voice, calls out to the new arrival, ”Greetings sir!!! I thank you for the offer of an audience… but, this talk of ‘justice’ and the thought of leaving weapons on the floor for any scavenger to take…ahhhh, I must admit sir, it makes me a little uneasy… of what crime would you seek to judge us? And under what jurisdiction?”
Birdfood giggles. Why the high crime of disturbing my pretties rest. Ah I jest somewhat. You are here for a reason? So Drop your weapons and magic and we'll have a nice chat.
His expression turn cold as he says I really insist!
With a flick of his arm and a one word command the birds take flight and circle. The bow orcs draw their bows aiming at the party, and the orcs around you leer threatenly.
Sharae smiles as the birds take flight...
...I think that you have played your hand a little early...
The weight of the starknife at her side is reassuring, her vision is clear - so many orcs - and, at the back of her mind, she can feel the gaze of her goddess...
...if my journey is to end here, it has been a good life, lived well...
Sho will attempt to surreptitiously drink the vial from Criek, trusting that it is something useful, while putting on his helmet.
sorted
birdfood
creik
Sho
Ayla
orcs
Sharee
Anody
Mel
hawks
Situation
You are surrounded by 13 vicious orcs, who are about ten feet from you in a circle. On a walkway above the door is Birdfood and another four orcs, and three hawks. Birdfood and the orcs with him have composite longbows at the ready, and is about thirty feet away, and twenty feet up. You are not surprised, but no weapons are drawn, except Sho with the vial
Oh, my pretties are hungry. Just kill them.
Sho drinks the vial just before combat starts, his form growing shadowy and indistinct.
[b]Oh tricks!/b] says Birdfood, before shooting at Sho
low is good
Two arrows strike home, despite the spell effect
Creik, Sho and Ayla to act
Birdfood AC 18, touch 14
Orcs AC 13, touch 10
Hawks AC 14, touch 13
Ayla attacks one of the orcs
Sho grimaces in pain and steps up to the circle of orcs behind the party.
Ayla steps up and cuts an orc down, before he can react. Sho shrugs off his injuries and steps between two other orcs. Slashing his weapons in a flash of steel, both orcs fall.
Three down. Criek to act
Trying to suppress the ranged combatants above, Criek lobs a smoke bomb onto the balcony in their midst, aiming between Birdfood and one of the adjacent orcs:
A blast of smoke obscures birdfood and the orcs on the walkway.
There is a lot of swearing and coughing up there.
The orcs down below swarm in. Sho and Ayla attract a lot of attention, with two orcs each, everyone else gets one, except creik. He gets two as well. The other orcs hang back.
kill the magic ratman!
On Ayla
Sho
Creik
Anody
Sharee
Mel
Ayla is rushed by the snarling orcs, and takes a pair of savage hits.
Sho sees the two rushing him, and realises he cannot stop both blows, so he deflects one attack, taking the other.
The other orcs are fearsome, but ineffective. Creik dodges well, as two orcs fail to hit him.
Mel slams at her opposing orc repeatedly
power attack, brawlers flurry
Only one blow hits, but the orc drops immediately.
Sharee and Anody to act.
Ayla attacks one of the orcs
She uses Fevor on herself
The odds facing Sharae and her friends are heavily stacked against them… Birdfood, his hawks and such a large contingent of orcs leaves the group badly outnumbered…
Time to even the odds – Song of the Stars, show us fortune as you bestow ill fortune against those who would blight this world, Sharae whispers a prayer to Desna…
Oh dear Oh dear Oh dear Anody takes a 5 foot step back from the orc on him and casts Grease, trying to get as many orcs as possible in the 10 foot square slickness.
Sho sneers at the 2 orcs trying to play swords and decisively strikes at them.
The blur was ineffective, this round
Using the impact of the blow that hit him to give himself momentum, sho spun, dropping both his opponents is a display of martial skill.
Ayla, healing herself somewhat drops her target.
Anody, back pedalling from such fearsome foes, quickly casts grease, causing to slip.
One falling, one maintaining his balance.
catching one of the two on creik.
Kil...cough...kill them my pets Bird food calls out
The three hawks streak out of the smoke, and start to circle the battle below, picking targets.
Round Two
birdfood see below
creik to act
Sho already acted
Ayla already acted
orcs
Sharee
Anody
Mel
hawks
Get out of my way meat and you see an orc archer crash heavily to the ground
Although hurt, he still seems alive and conscious, and somewhat annoyed. Birdfoods coughing becomes muffled. He seems to have moved out of the smoke, back inside.
Criek attempts to dodge far enough from the orcs in front of him to throw another bomb,
targeting whatever cluster looks most promising --
Both orcs on criek collapse, shrieking in pain for a little time
The orcs, shocked at the martial skills of sho and ayla, and by the incineration of two of their fellows, break and flee shrieking. Two are still close due to anody's grease spell, so you could move and attack them if you want. None are going inside. The hawks are still circling.
Sharee and anody to act.