Undaunted by the first pits failure to capture a foe, Kip casts again, this time targeting all four adversaries.
While Kip's roots entangle countless skeletons as well as all four Cyclops zombies and Malthir, one of the unwounded Cyclops plummets into the second pit he created in the centre of their square. Many skeletons also fall into the pit and were it not already full, more zombies would surely have followed.
The badly wounded Cyclops that Kalev, Malthir and Ricter had almost destroyed between them did its best to break free of the stubborn roots with a surge of strength, but the vegetation only gripped tighter, twisting around the behemoth's leg as it struggled. Even as it failed to break free with its legs it brought its axe around in a mighty arc, leaving Kalev with a nasty abdomen wound before being met by Ricter and Malthir's shields, warding it off.
Blinded and entangled, the other Cyclops struggled to break free of the roots, while managing to avoid slipping into the as yet unoccupied-by-giant pit on the battlefield. The zombie assumed a defensive stance, its eyesight still marred by Casimir's spell.
Malthir attacks the remaining cyclops:
Potential Crit:
Malthir attacks the remaining cyclops:
He then heals himself as a swift action
After its last defiant swing that wounded Kalev, it was simple for Malthir to behead the faltering Cyclops, its one-eyed, rotting head rolling into one of the nearby pits.
As Malthir began to ascend, the many skeletons within range reached up and clawed at him. Despite the best efforts of Ricter's shield and his formidable defences, Malthir was still clawed by one of the skeletons. The minor blow did not stop him from landing beside the blinded giant, taking the axe of another Cyclops on his shield.
Having escaped both the roots and the pit obstructing it, the Cyclops closest to Casimir moved past him, through dozens of skeletons and onto firmer ground. Casimir's mithril blade lashed out and cut the Cyclops as it manoeuvred, its axe too slow to stop a perfect slash.
With the roots and vines no longer hindering it, the Cyclops inside the extra-dimensional space made good progress climbing the pit, bracing itself against opposite walls of the space and almost reaching the edge.
As he feels his blade cut deep, but not quite deep enough, Casimir summons up a hidden resevoir of arcane inspiration and shouts strike true!
Finding his center of balance, Casimir directs the magic energies that keep him airborne to keep him in place.
Spurred on by his successful strike, he lashes out in a new series of flashing strokes with his mithril blade.
.
.
.
.
Ordered Initiative - Round 2
22 - Kip
15 - Zombies 3 & 4
14 - Malthir
12 - Zombies 1 & 2
11 - Casimir
8 - Ricter
7 - Kalev
2 - Fenna
Kip, your entangle has done it's job, time to remove it!
Hearing Malhir's words, Kip scans the ocean of skeletons threatening to overwhelm those upon the ground...
With a cry of magical inspiration, the wound Casimir's blade dealt seemed to grow in size, the cut proving to have been far deeper than before he used his magic. He followed up aggressively, leaving another long gash in the zombie's stomach as it staggered from the blow.
I am not sure I entirely agree with your assessment... but as you wish.
Kip adds in a teasing tone, I give you the ability to soar and you three still insist on mucking about on the ground! Only Cas has the good sense to stay aloft!
Floating helplessly above the fray, Kip thinks to himself, If the fight should move out of my range...
Unsure or perhaps unaware that Kip will dismiss the vines, Ricter turns his efforts towards breaking free:
He then slams his mace at the entangled cyclops-zombie:
As Fenna continues her prayers, another blade of force emerges from the winged eye around her neck, joining the first in harrying the climbing cyclops.
Kalev attacks without mercy, chopping into the nearest zombie with the strenght of several men, calling on his knowledge of anatomy.
Despite its defensive stance, the giant Kalev and Ricter assaulted took blow after blow, its inability to see the blows coming rendering its defence almost feeble. It staggered and swayed, but did not fall to the onslaught.
Fenna's two force swords harassed and cut the climbing giant, who was unable to even try to dodge the blows. Its thick skin was not enough to stop a stinging blow and the giant almost fell back down into the pit, but managed to halt its fall with sheer strength.
K-
R-
M-
Skeletons crawled over the smashed remains of their fellow legionairres in order to assault the Guardians that remained on the bone-littered ground. The magical, master-crafted armour that each of the three wore was proof against all but the ficklest whimsy of fate, and although Kalev was once again cut by a stray claw, he was not seriously hurt.
Kip hesitates before dismissing his spell...
Mass Combat, Round 2-
The bottleneck at the bridge continued its furious battle. Perhaps unlike a conventional battle between two sentient forces, the press of enemies was constant; there was no heroic surges or crushing despair affecting the ebb and flow of the skeletal advance; there was simply a constant press of the horde of dangerous, animated skeletons, hacking with bony claws. Skeletons continued to be crushed by the dozens, but more and more of the less experienced armigers continued to be wounded in the process. Signifer Grachius was at the very thickest of the fighting, and had not yet changed his tactics. He continued to urge his men to be the stalwart anvil the tide of undead would be ground into dust upon.
Round 3-
Ordered Initiative-
Zombie's 3 & 4- 15
Malthir- 14
Zombie's 1 & 2- 12
Casimir- 11
Kip- 10
Ricter- 8
Kalev- 7
Fenna- 2
Active Effects-
Lead Blades and Longstrider on Kalev.
Shield of Faith on all Guardians- +3 Deflection Bonus to AC/CMD (Doesn't stack with any existing deflection, just overrides).
Prayer- You and each of your allies gain a +1 luck bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves, and skill checks, while each of your foes takes a -1 penalty on such rolls. 2/7 rounds used.
Fly on Ricter, Kalev, Casimir & Malthir (90 foot speed including Haste for Casimir, 70 for Kalev, Ricter, Malthir!). +3 on Fly checks from the spell.
Inspire Courage- affected allies receive a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +2 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. 3 rounds used.
Haste cast on Casimir, Malthir, Ricter, Kalev and Fenna. 2/5 rounds used
When making a full attack action, a hasted creature may make one extra attack with one natural or manufactured weapon. The attack is made using the creature's full base attack bonus, plus any modifiers appropriate to the situation. (This effect is not cumulative with similar effects, such as that provided by a speed weapon, nor does it actually grant an extra action, so you can't use it to cast a second spell or otherwise take an extra action in the round.)
A hasted creature gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves. Any condition that makes you lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) also makes you lose dodge bonuses.
All of the hasted creature's modes of movement (including land movement, burrow, climb, fly, and swim) increase by 30 feet, to a maximum of twice the subject's normal speed using that form of movement. This increase counts as an enhancement bonus, and it affects the creature's jumping distance as normal for increased speed. Multiple haste effects don't stack.
Entangle in a 40 foot radius centred upon the Cyclops'. DC16 save reflex save each round after Kip's turn, difficult terrain regardless.
Map-
Notes-
Armour check penalty (remember this is both armour and shield) apply to Fly skill; see here for details. Essentially if you move more than half your speed in a round (within the constraints listed) you don't need to make a check. Getting a full attack will be difficult as it will require you to make a DC15 check to Hover. Check the rules here and remember Prayer's +1 applies (as well as the +3 from the spell).
Any Giants Entangled on a given round will be marked on the map by yellow outline.
The (currently) blinded Cyclops is outlined in purple.
Action-
The blinded zombie lashed out with a two-handed axe swing towards the direction of its attackers. Its aim with the swung axe was true but Ricter was able to easily take its force upon his shield with a grunt of exertion. The giant did succeed, however, in freeing itself from the roots; while Malthir and Kalev were caught anew.
Malthir ignores the vines gragging at his legs and presses the attack on the Cyclops, hoping to finish it and have the vines dismissed.
Malthir finished the blinded giant, ignoring the skeletons swarming around him. The cyclops climbing out of the pit finished its ascent, shoving skeletons out of its path, resisting the vines attempting to hold it but then launching such a predictable attack with its axe on Ricter that the veteran fighter had no difficulty avoiding it.
The Cyclops Casimir fought with had a sudden surge of success; freeing itself from the vines and bringing its axe to bear on the six flying Casimir's; picking the correct one and dealing the duelist a nasty wound!
Not entirely convinced it is a good idea, Kip nevertheless dismisses the entangling spell as per Malthir's request. Kip tells himself he can recast it if it turns out to be a poor decision.
The six identical versions of Casimir all swirl around each other in the air, making it impossible to tell which one is the real one. Six versions of Brightclaw slash again and again, like streaks of liquid mercury in the dark sky. The deep cuts that appear on the zombie giant are ample proof that at least one of the flying figures are real.
Fenna ceased her prayers, allowing the two shimmering blades to continue their assault on the now free giant. Looking down at the fray, the pale gnome simply waited until the healing power she could call upon was needed.
Suddenly free of the grasping vines and roots, Kalev swings his bardiche in powerful arches, clearing a path towards the nearest giant and attacking it.
Fenna ceased her prayers, allowing the two shimmering blades to continue their assault on the now free giant. Looking down at the fray, the pale gnome simply waited until the healing power she could call upon was needed.
[dice=Spiritual weapon 1]1d20+11 + 2 + 1 + 1
[dice=Damage]1d8+2[dice=Spiritual weapon 2]1d20+11 + 2 + 1 + 1
[dice=Damage]1d8+2
Seeing the crush of skeletons keeping him from striking back against his foe, Ricter decides to risk using Kip's flight magic to close quickly. Unable to precisely control the spell due to his bulky armour he approaches in a gentle arc, keeping enough speed that the spell is easily managable:
Swooping toward the newly-emerged cyclops he swings his flail:
Brightclaw sung out and half-way severed the head of the badly damaged, animated zombie; nevertheless it staggered back into the fight against Casimir and his many copies with gusto. The entangling vines disappeared and while a little tentative about the whole process, Ricter soared gracelessly into the fray with another one of the giants with over a half dozen pairs of bony claws raking on his armour and shield as he disengaged from them. He met the incoming axe blow from the relatively unharmed Cyclops head on, flying above and out of reach of the skeletons below. With no solid ground below his feet to add strength to his blow, his flail thudded with little impact on the giant's rock-hard, dead skin.
Free of the vines but struggling to make a path for himself, Kalev was delighted to see that the closets zombie was just within the reach of his heavily enchanted polearm, Cleft. His first strike came very close to striking the Cyclops in its rotting, single eye but instead left a long gash on the zombie's forehead. His other two blows were as ineffective as Ricter's flail, the effort of maintaining the offence while skeletons swarmed him taking its toll on the ranger. Meanwhile, Fenna's two summoned, force-like blades were also having little impact.
With a veritable sea of undead swarming around them both, Malthir and Kalev continued to be assaulted on all sides. With this many attackers their skill at parrying and dodging meant little and both were thankful for the incredibly expensive armour they both wore.
The battle at the bridge continued its furious battle; an seemingly endless surge of skeletons throwing themselves at the four rank deep, small army of Hellknight steel. A steady sea of shattered bone now lay at the feet of the front line, with more being added to it every second that passed; like a stream of sawdust at a lumber mill. The Hellknight army buckled but refused to break before the press of skeletons. Although many skeletons had been destroyed, the sword arms of the line were beginning to tire. The battle raged on with no clear signs as to its conclusion.
Round 4-
Ordered Initiative-
Malthir- 14
Zombie's 1 & 2- 12
Casimir- 11
Kip- 10
Ricter- 8
Kalev- 7
Fenna- 2
Skeleton Horde- 1
Active Effects-
Lead Blades and Longstrider on Kalev.
Shield of Faith on all Guardians- +3 Deflection Bonus to AC/CMD (Doesn't stack with any existing deflection, just overrides).
Prayer- You and each of your allies gain a +1 luck bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves, and skill checks, while each of your foes takes a -1 penalty on such rolls. 3/7 rounds used.
Fly on Ricter, Kalev, Casimir & Malthir (90 foot speed including Haste for Casimir, 70 for Kalev, Ricter, Malthir!). +3 on Fly checks from the spell.
Inspire Courage- affected allies receive a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +2 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. 4 rounds used.
Haste cast on Casimir, Malthir, Ricter, Kalev and Fenna. 3/5 rounds used
Map-
Notes-
Action-
With the entangle finally gone Malthir strikes out for the Zombie giant next to Cas flying just above the ground!
Move action to -B/-2 for the flank, draws an AOO from the giant and a bunch of skelies...
potential crit:
We must finish them quickly and head to the bridge to support our troops!
Flying over the mass of skeletons without harm, Malthir allowed the momentum of his flight to add power to his lunge; his blade tearing through the Cyclops' skin and causing it to come crashing to the ground.
Finally in a position to stand and fight with no terrain hindrances, the last remaining Cyclops stood its ground and lashed out at Kalev with axe, rotting fist and teeth. Kalev's skill and armour wore through most of the onslaught but despite his efforts the zombie's teeth sunk deep into his shoulder.
Kip stays his hand momentarily as he watches as the others attempt to down the last remaining cyclops zombie...
Cas spins in the air, points to the remaining zombie's axe and yells Slippery grip!
He then makes a wide swing and flies into position to make sure the zombie is surrounded.
The zombie keeps its grip on the battleaxe and swung it at Casimir as he flied in to join the melee, an axe swing he flew gracefully under without being touched.
With Casimir in position and distracting the last Cyclops, Ricter did not hesitate- the Hellknight smashed through flesh and bone with his flail, bringing the giant to its knees with a low swing before bashing in its undead skull with a second blow.
As the Guardians finished their skirmish with the most potent of the Undead, the battle at the bridge raged on. If the skeletons were affected by the felling of their strongest, the undead mass of bones did not show it. Seeing the four shapes in the distance having all fallen, Signifer Grachius nodded grimly and gave the order to shift to a more classical formation that favoured tactical flexibility, hoping to have gained some tactical advantage through the loss of the four giants. The change in formation was smooth and the tide began to turn in the favour of the Kardassian force.
With the Guardians en route and soaring over the skeletons to join the front lines, the Kardas force let out hoarse cheers and redoubled their efforts; the Signifer urging his forces on and into an aggressive assault formation. Skeletons fell in their hundreds before the renewed onslaught.
Signifer Grachius finished pulling his forces into a full-on wedge and the heavily armoured band of less than a hundred smashed into the skeletal mob head-on in a reckless charge; many skeletons were simply trampled beneath mailed boot in the onslaught but hundreds more fell to sword, shield, flail, chain and mace. A human army would surely have broken at this point, but the remaining, mindless host simply pressed tightly around the wedge...
With the Guardians finally joining the fray, the Kardassian army was bolstered by their battlefield presence, paragon-like skill, magical equipment and their own formidable powers. Nevertheless, the skeletons completely surrounded the still far smaller force on the bridge and the charge had slowed considerably...
The charge had slowed but the Kardassian force fought with the fury of men defending their homeland, their ideals and worthy leaders who fought in the ranks with them. Each of the martially inclined Guardians fought in a sea of skeletons, slaying dozens upon dozens while Fenna supported with magic and Kip kept the skeletons from bringing their bulk to bear in any one place upon the battle wedge. Within only a few minutes of the heroic Kardassian charge, the Guardians were smashing apart the few skeletons that remained twitching upon the field.
___________________________________________________________________________
The butcher's bill was heroically light; one might even say miraculous. Although almost all of the Armigers and many of the Hellknights bore wounds, only three men had fallen to Pharasma's judgement upon the field; and the undead force had been utterly decimated.
Kalev stood, covered in blood from a score of wounds and the dust of pulverized bones, still grasping Cleft in hand, though he was tired beyond anything he'd previously experienced.
He looked around, smiling weakly to his comrades-in-arms.
Was that all...? he said, bursting into laughter.
Ricter pulls off his helmet and wipes his brow, surveys the sea of shattered bones and mutters quietly:
"Your ordeal is over. Go forth to bliss or damnation, as Pharasma chooses"
He looks to Kalev as the half-orc laughs.
"You apatite for battle isn't sated, Kalev? Careful - from the looks of your your eyes could be bigger than your stomach this time"
Then, to add another miracle atop the extraordinarily light casualties, the Hellknight smiles.
Malthir stands on a shattered skull as he looks over the battlefield. This will always be known as the "Bridge of Bones" he muses to himself. The immediate threat is gone, but who or what could raise and control such an army? They will soon find out...
He requests that the men defending Kardas gather, on the other side of the bridge, Warriors of Kardas, Knights of the Chain. Today a hundred stood against thousands. Today warriors of life stood against un-life...against it's chaos...and triumphed!
Remember the man to your left and to your right. They are your brothers in arms.
We all stood here for differing reasons...duty...honor...family. This was a great victory, but not without cost.
Malthir looks at the three men laid out on the ground, never to return to them. They paid the ultimate sacrifice but they will not be forgotten. Nor will any of you. Your names will be etched into history. Fenna, please take down the name of every man here so that we may honor them. For each one fought bravely at "Bones Crossing". This bridge will be renamed so to honor those that fought here today. We have been blessed by each of our gods and Iomedae to have defeated this hoard in such a manner! Malthir draws out Liberator, points it to the sky and speaks loudly...
Honor in Victory! Honor to Kardas!
A wave of healing flows out from Malthir, to ease the injuries of the men...followed by another...
Malthir finishes and lets the men return to their duties, Ricter, the Guardians will continue to move forward and try to determine what is going on here.
We should leave a small strike force here to watch and control the bridge, or support us if needed. The rest should return to Kardas and make sure their are no other threats posed to the kingdom or someone doesn't try to take advantage of the situation. Any other thoughts or orders?