Pazhvann frowns. He looks across the group and back to the inquisitor but seems to take Khalid's pronouncement as final.
That is unfortunate. It would take .. something extraordinary for my Mistress to leave the Plane of Air. She still grieves for her mortal lover Andrathi even after centuries.
But by oath I am sworn to respect your choice even if I think it is the wrong one. A warning though. Zayifid is not the only former Templar still alive and when Davashuum hears that the Scroll has been recovered she may come for it. And she does not negotiate.
I am sorry ...
Cut short the jann's gaze is drawn to the west where large dust clouds herald what must be large numbers of creatures moving fast, straight toward you.
I thought we would have more time. They call themselves the Sons of Carrion. If Zayifid is with them I will make him regret it but otherwise I cannot interfere except to recover the Scroll if you fall..
Linah stands up and starts to fortify her companions with protective magic.
Zeladiel glares at Khalid but turns his gaze to the dust cloud in the distance and his focus shifts.
"Get the non-combatants out of the way. Put them in here with Pazhvann. Form a defensive perimeter to protect them. Grall and Nuveril, take the flanks. Khalid, take point. My magics can provide some help, if you wish it."
Zeladiel's fingers move over and about his bow as he starts bringing his powers to bear.
G K N
L
Z
Pazhvann frowns. He looks across the group and back to the inquisitor but seems to take Khalid's pronouncement as final.
That is unfortunate. It would take .. something extraordinary for my Mistress to leave the Plane of Air. She still grieves for her mortal lover Andrathi even after centuries.
But by oath I am sworn to respect your choice even if I think it is the wrong one. A warning though. Zayifid is not the only former Templar still alive and when Davashuum hears that the Scroll has been recovered she may come for it. And she does not negotiate.
I am sorry ...
Cut short the jann's gaze is drawn to the west where large dust clouds herald what must be large numbers of creatures moving fast, straight toward you.
I thought we would have more time. They call themselves the Sons of Carrion. If Zayifid is with them I will make him regret it but otherwise I cannot interfere except to recover the Scroll if you fall..
Nuveril can't but picture this Nefeshti as something similar to Almah on a grander scale, sitting in a pleasure nest in a cloud while sending out others to fight on her behalf. She grunts cynically as the Templar points out the approaching horde: convenient that just as they refuse to hand over the scroll, a group of attackers arrive and Pazhvann disavows any interference other than collecting what he desires if they should fall.... "Why are we defending the Templar?" she demands. "Those who will not fight but declare their intentions of looting the dead deserve no protection."
Nuveril is correct. I do not deserve your protection but neither do I require it.
The jann speaks a word and he is suddenly encased in grey full plate, a bascinet covering his features. He rises a few feet into the air before vanishing from sight.
The merchant is either terrified or putting on his best attempt at it. He raises no objection to putting the caravan into cover and his men, no strangers to gnoll attacks it seems, hurry to get the animals, and themselves, up the cracked steps and into the alcove.
The group moves into its fairly tight crescent around the sphinx, ready their weapons and cast their protective spells. Zeladiel and Linah in particular cast spell after spell.
You catch glimpses of your enemy as they run across the dunes. Gnolls, men, hyena and something that looks like a two-headed giant.
They seem to stop and rally a moment, out of sight, before the final hill before a wave of men rush over the crest waving their weapons.
Raiders, desert scum. Almost as reviled as the gnolls, they wear dark, tattered robes over stained metal armour. Crazed faces are lined with ritual scars. You make out eight in front, men and women, wielding scimitars and bucklers. Behind them a quartet of bowman take up positions atop the hill and nock arrows to longbows. The swordsman screech like wild things as they race to the attack.
The Sons of Carrion
Round 1
Initiative
Grall
Khalid
Linah
Nuveril
Zeladiel
Raider Swordsman
Raider Bowman
?
Ordered Initiative
Grall
Khalid
Nuveril
Raider Bowman
Zeladiel
Linah
Raider Swordsman
Effects
Bless All
Keen Edge K
Shield of Faith K,L
Weapon of Awe K
Mage Armour Z
Gravity Bow Z
Protection from Evil K,L,N,Z,G
Guidance Z
Enlarge Person G
Bull's Strength G,N
Blur G
s
v
h
e
g
hy
Grall nods his head and goes into Full Defense, knowing he will be a likely target for the bowmen and waiting for them to get closer.
His growl issues a challenge to the raiders.
He then calls out in Gnoll,
Haleen
"Let them come to us. They want to draw us in and surround us."
"Then we let them fill the gnoll with arrows?" Nuveril asks. She hefts her hammer and shield, her knees loosely bent, ready to propel her forward when the attackers come near.
"They won't get much of a chance."
Zeladiel sets an arrow to his bow and it glows dull brown as greenish smoke furls from it.
Grall takes up a defensive stance while Khalid and Nuveril hold their ground.
The bowman take aim, their arrows arcing down onto the back of the group. Zeladiel is nicked in the thigh by one arrow while the others just hit the dirt.
hit
Zeladiel grunts as the arrow catches him and unleashes his own. It lands among the enemy and explodes into a stinking cloud, which billows out and engulfs them.
"Now they have no choice but to come to us," Zeladiel smirks bitterly.
In seconds the green cloud has covered the southern half of your foes, including the two lower bowman, blocking them from your sight.
Targeted with arrow fire, Linah unlimbers her shield and takes a defensive stance.
The swordsman, enraged, come on in a ragged line, not quite making it to the group. Two come out of the cloud coughing and retching. It doesn't look like they will be recovering any time soon.
swordsman 1
swordsman 2
Khalid's expert strike takes his enemy across the ribs and leaves a handful of his guts across the sand. His foe looks befuddled as he topples over.
Letting herself fall into the familiar rhythm of battle, Nuveril runs to the nearest swordsman and applies her magic hammer to the large bone in his thigh.
The Sons of Carrion
Round 2
Ordered Initiative
Grall
Raider Bowman
Zeladiel
Linah
Raider Swordsman
Khalid
Nuveril
?
Effects
Bless All
Keen Edge K
Shield of Faith K,L
Weapon of Awe K
Mage Armour Z
Gravity Bow Z
Protection from Evil K,L,N,Z,G
Guidance Z
Enlarge Person G
Bull's Strength G,N
Blur G
Nuveril's strike takes her foes legs out from under him and the halfling follows up with her hammer to the sworder's skull.
Grall growls as he focus' his anger and strikes out at the two remaining raiders.
Full attack:
Potential Crit:
Grall beheads his first opponent with two quick slices from his falchion before reaching out to bury his teeth in the shoulder of a heavily scarred woman.
The two southern bowman emerge from the cloud, apparently unharmed and take aim again at your back line along with the two northern who move to the bottom of the hill and focus on Nuveril. So many of their number down so quickly seems to have unnerved the bowman though and none of their shots are even close.
Once again, Zeladiel sweeps his bow in a wide, low arc and a surge of energy sweeps forth and fills the party, each member becoming as swift as an arrow. He steps forward as he does and his own actions speed up.
Linah maintains her defensive stance and watchful eye on the group
The few remaining swordsman act. Two move to flank Nuveril, one ahead, one behind and the first manages to cut the halfling across the temple. The third steps forward and slashes back at Grall but finds only air. The two at the back continue to cough and splutter.
Paying no heed to the blood dripping from the superficial wound on her head, Nuveril notes with satisfaction her enemies' consideration in placing themselves both within reach of her weaponry.
Pitiful human. Grall growls, Did you rrreally expect to harm us? Lay your arrrms down now and we will sparrre yourrr life, otherrrwise you will end...as the otherrrs.
Grall looks back to Haleen...he no longer gets any pleasure from kills such as these...it only brings him sorrow to kill these minions, likely not even knowing what they die for.
Nuveril's assault leaves one of her opponents stunned and swaying on his feet while Khalid's takes the already wounded warrior woman in the side and drops her, leaving her insensible to Grall's words.
Their first wave in pieces, who ever is leading your enemy sends another. A dozen ravening hyenas rush over the central ridge heading straight for the group in close order.
And on the top side eight gnolls wearing the black cloaks and studded leather of the Carrion Guard look to make their way around the oasis. The eight hold bows with scimitars at their belts.
The Sons of Carrion
Round 3
Ordered Initiative
Haleen (delaying)
Grall
Raider Bowman
Zeladiel
Linah
Raider Swordsman
Khalid
Nuveril
Carrion Guard
Hyenas
?
Effects
Haste All (6 rounds remaining)
Bless All
Keen Edge K
Shield of Faith K,L
Weapon of Awe K
Mage Armour Z
Gravity Bow Z
Protection from Evil K,L,N,Z,G
Guidance Z
Enlarge Person G
Bull's Strength G,N
Blur G
Grall waits for a moment to see if Zeladiel or one of the others has magic to eliminate the bowmen.
The human bowman continue firing (the top two switching their target from Nuveril to Khalid) but have no more luck than before. Linah catches a close shot with her shield and another bounces away from Zeladiel's magical protections.
Zeladiel shoots a flaming arrow among the two archers and the choking swordsman that emerged from his cloud. With a dull roar it blossoms to engulf them.
Zeladiel shoots a flaming arrow among the baying hyenas that emerged from over the ridge. With a dull roar it blossoms to engulf them.
The fireball washes over the hyenas who barely have time to cry out before they are engulfed in fiery death. Even the leader, slightly bigger than the rest, burn and fall to the intense heat.
When the wave clears all that's left are the bodies.
ac 25 (heavy shield, haste, shield of faith), touch 11, fleet-footed 18
fort +7, ref +4, will +11
cmd 18
hp 51/51
effects: Protection from Evil, Shield of Faith, Bless, Haste
Linah moves up to sandwitch the raider between her and Nuveril and strikes.
Linah's scimitar doesn't manage to penetrate her opponent's armour but virtually disabled the warrior seems to have had enough and begins to hobble off to the north.
His partner, the sole swordsman left mobile, slashes at Nuveril and just manages to beat her guard, cutting her forearm.
Almost as an afterthought, Nuveril crushes the foe that has the temerity to withdraw from the battlefield before turning her attention to the one that has just drawn blood once again.