A human bandit, most likely another from Freedom Town steps out with a half orc female to confront Jace and your band. As the human does, Delia fires off an arrow, catching the bandit dead center of the chest, killing him instantly.
The half orc lobs a at the warcat, barely missing as the small pike strikes the ground just off to Jace's side.
Initiatives
First Group: Delia, Dundin, Jace, Enemy E
Second Group: Adir, Tuzak, Enemy A & B
Third Group: Groin, Leira, Songan, Enemy C
is up, 36 hour timer counting
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Growling in frustration at another delay, Adir moves up to dispatch the nearest enemy with Tuzak on his heels.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Adir and Tuzak rush forward, striking together at the hulking half-orc female, knocking her back on her heels. She growls and cries out Kom hier nu to her companions.
An orcish archer steps out from behind the corner, launching an at Adir, missing at the last moment as he attempts to avoid hitting his companion.
A second orc rushes the druid, a bloody held high, but the smoke and uneven ground do not work in his favor.
Sounds of struggling reach you from within the bar, there may be additional enemies inside, waiting on you.
Initiatives
First Group: Delia, Dundin, Jace, Enemy E
Second Group: Adir, Tuzak, Enemy A & B
Third Group: Groin, Leira, Songan, Enemy C
is up, 36 hour timer counting
As Leira finishes her arcane words, Dundin suddenly gets larger as a giant dwarf, his axe becoming impressively large, and his limbs long as branches.
Leira then moves just until behind Delia's back and pointing to the less injured of the orcs engaged with Adir, casts daze on him.
|
"Delia! We can handle it out here, check inside the bar!" Songan says aloud, knowing that she and Jace will be better able to handle any indoor threats better than anyone else. He maneuvers his way into a flanking position with Adir, making sure to avoid drawing any opportunistic strikes as much as possible .
Groin moves to be closer to the fighting.
Songan rushes to Adir's side, striking at the hulking female half-orc. Together the defenders have staggered her, wounds cutting deep into her side and arm as she weakly raises her greataxe.
Leira and Groin move closer to the engagement, hoping to help their companions.
A wounded, high pitched scream cries out from within the tavern, a male voice in pain, accompanied by the sound of breaking glass and smashing furniture.
Initiatives
First Group: Delia, Dundin, Jace, Enemy E
Second Group: Adir, Tuzak, Enemy A & B
Third Group: Groin, Leira, Songan, Enemy C
is up, 36 hour timer counting
Dundin moves 20' straight west, switching his wand for his shield.
Delia looks at Songan with a grim visage while her companions engage the half-orcs. "I would love to! As soon as we get through them! Jace, attack!" She directs her warcat to attack to nearest half-orc as she maneuvers into a better position.
Jace rushes forward to attack, his massive teeth leading the way as he lets out a terrible roar!
Jace lunges forward, past the corner of the building, and mauls the nearest orc warrior across the midsection, ripping intestines free and nearly gutting the creature, Staggering it.
Delia attempts a shot at the other orc as well, but misses as it ducks back from the shot.
The hulking half-orc Staggered, Stunned starts to swing at Adir but seems to pause a moment, trying to shake off something, not quite sure what, but then collects itself, a few moments too late. The moment passes and the woman misses her opening to strike.
Initiatives
First Group: Delia, Dundin, Jace, Enemy E
Second Group: Adir, Tuzak, Enemy A & B
Third Group: Groin, Leira, Songan, Enemy C
is up, 36 hour timer counting
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Adir tries to clear the way to the tavern by removing the half-orc woman as an obstacle. If successful, he runs in.
Tuzak attacks the orc nearest to himself.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Adir runs his spear deep into the half orc female, forcibly jerking it free as he passes by. The woman collapses to a heap in the dirt, her dying snarl silent and unimpressive. As the druid skirts the wounded orc Tuzak and Jace are mauling, he calls for the others to follow after him.
Bursting into the tavern he finds a scene of wreckage and carnage. Nearly a half dozen patrons lie dead around the place, hacked and gutted by the orcs and their human collaborators. Lying by the bar, wounded and bleeding, lays Rabus Clarenston, writhing in pain. Standing over him, a drunken bandit is pouring a bottle of Rabus' beloved moonshine over him, drenching him and his wounds in the caustic liquor.
The bandit hears Adir enter and turns, dropping the bottle in a moment of surprise. Short-lived, the man grabs up a greatsword pinning the barkeep's hand to the floor, unsteadily bringing it up towards the approaching young warrior.
The orcish archer at the nearby corner, still bleeding from his wounded arm, launches an at Delia, but being barely able to pull back the string, the shaft falls well short of the hunter's position.
The second orc, sorely pressed by a pair of beasts, swings his at Jace, cutting deeply across the cat's foreleg for , eliciting a great yowl of pain from the feline, sending pangs of aching through both Delia and Songan in sympathy. Tuzak growls a high pitched cry at the strike and rears up, threatening the ugly orc in retaliation.
Initiatives
First Group: Delia, Dundin, Jace, Enemy E
Second Group: Adir, Tuzak, Enemy A & B
Third Group: Groin, Leira, Songan, Enemy C
is up, 36 hour timer counting
With her crossbow empty of shaft, Leira moves as fast as she can, concerned it might be too late for the people at the Killin Grounds.
After 30 feet, she stands between Songan and Groin, just south of Delia, arm to arm with her friend. The girl points to the half-orc archer in desperation I have to do it. The strength is inside
All of a sudden a bolt of acid darts from her finger, Leira's face in surprise, and flies over the air warmed by the war fires, towards the enemy archer.
|
|
OPTION 1 (Preferred)
If it's possible for Songan to use a single move action get within view of the drunken bandit in the tavern, he will do that; upon seeing the man, he casts Sleep(DC 14) against the drunkard, hoping that his state of inebriation will have weakened his ability to resist the spell's effects.
OPTION 2 (If he can't make it into the tavern to see the bandit in one move action)
Believing that the others have the situation with their enemy well in-hand, Songan turns and charges at the orcish archer at the corner of the tavern, readying a slash of his longsword as he approaches the foe.
Leira's spell strikes the wounded archer but does not end the tenacious creature's life, as it weakly draws another arrow.
Songan rushes the tavern, ignoring the fight outside in the hopes of saving others inside. As he sees the tavern scene unfolding before him, he quickly casts a Sleep spell, centered on the dangerous but drunken bandit.
The shakes his head, then slowly collapses to the floor, next to the clearly wounded and in pain , who likewise succumbs to the magic, while easily ignores the effects of the magic, looking back at the catfolk.
Initiatives
First Group: Delia, Dundin, Jace, Enemy E
Second Group: Adir, Tuzak, Enemy A & B
Third Group: Groin, Leira, Songan, Enemy C
is up, 30 hours remaining
Groin crouches low as the others seem to be handling the situation, defensively scanning the area for more possible targets.
The human bandit lays helplessly asleep before the heroes, unable to act this round.
Initiatives
First Group: Adir, Delia, Dundin, Jace, Tuzak, Enemy A & B
Second Group: Groin, Leira, Songan, Enemy C (asleep)
is up, 36 hour timer counting
Dundin moves up and swipes his big axe at the standing enemy.
Dundin's strike powers down into the orc, caving in it's chest and sundering it's heart in twain. The other orc snarls out a curse as it's friend dies, promising eternal suffering for the dwarf's soul.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Adir rushes to Rabus' side, putting away his weapon and shield, and kneels down, judging how to best carry the sleeping wounded man out. He looks to Songan and then the sleeping enemy. "You have it?," he asks, knowing not everyone has the stomach to kill someone who is helpless, even an enemy.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuzak, intent on getting to Adir, attacks the enemy in front of him.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Delia cries out as Jace takes a nasty wound from one of the orcs, but thankfully Dundin quickly put an end to the foul monster! She then directs her attention to the remaining archer outside, taking aim and letting an arrow fly almost instinctively.
Jace seems to follow directly behind the blue-fletched arrow as it sinks into the orc's body. Unfortunately, the warcat's wounds cause him to stumble mid-charge and his large teeth snap closed on nothing but air.
Delia's arrow sinks deep into the orc's throat, causing it to gurgle and choke on it's own blood. Eyes wide in rage, the creature attempts to raise it's bow, but falls over into the muck, it's blood pooling up around it.
Leira breaths relieved as Delia brings down the last orc "Good shot" and she smiles.
Once she approaches to the Killin Grounds door and sees the interior state she suggests to Adir "Perhaps it is better to shake awake Rabus, he will be much easier to escort to safety than carrying him"
She then looks around "Are there any other survivors we can help?" at that moment she observes the orc still alive, calmly sleeping and goes mad.
"Rubbish creature!" she approaches loading her crossbow "Look what they are doing to our houses. You killed my father. You are not to kill any more" the girl seems out of herself, and not in the state to discuss the death of the orc with the party. She takes some time to ensure the shot will kill the orc though, so there is an opportunity to stop her if the party wants.
Otherwise she merciless kills the orc in his sleep.
Dundin will gather all equipment that looks exceptional enough to be magiced.
Adir will take what care he can. given the circumstances, to carry Rabus to the aid station.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Leira realizes a moment too late that it was not an orc laying sleeping on the floor of the Killin' Grounds, but a human bandit like the one slain outside. Her bolt protrudes from the back of his skull, quivering but for a moment, marking the man's life fading away.
Dundin searches the bodies and the bar, finding two potions of remove
sickness, two vials of soothe syrup, four potions of cure light wounds, a potion of disguise self, a potion of divine favor, a potion of feather fall, a potion of hide from undead, a normal chain shirt, a masterwork greataxe, and a scattering of mixed coins equaling 67 gold pieces. It would seem many of these potions were bought from the Temple of Adabar, with only one or two from the Iomedaen shrine or other vendors in Trunau.
The rest of the creatures gear appears to be mundane but serviceable, the orc archer carrying 7 arrows still in his quiver.
It takes a few minutes before Groin and Adir are back, having successfully taken Rabus back to the aid station. While there, a refugee warned them that an orc chieftain was rallying troops at the eastern tower, almost directly across from your current position.
Tuzak and Jace however, sense something approaching just north of the burning trees. The inner quarter is still under assault, and the enemy seems to be massing.
|
|
Having stepped outside the bar to watch the backs of Adir and Groin as they take Rabus back to the healers, Songan hears the *THWIP* of Leira's crossbow going off, then turns quickly. The look on his face is one of surprise, even horror for a moment.
"Why...what...Leira, why did you execute the man?! We have no idea what he was doing here, why he was working with the orcs! They may have had some leverage against him or something, been forcing him to do it against his will! He was helpless, we could've at least carried him back to be put on trial! Desna's mercy..." he trails off, saying a silent prayer for the man, just in case he was not working with the orcish raiders of his own free will.
When the others return, he seems to have calmed somewhat, less disturbed by the incident. "Well it seems we have a choice. The orc chieftain or the approaching threat the animals sense. I am no warrior and have no idea how best to choose a threat; I defer to those of you with more military experience. I will follow wherever you lead, though."
Dundin takes a potion of cure light wounds, remove sickness and feather fall. He also takes the masterwork greataxe for now, stowing his shield and war axe.
"This axe is a nice one. I name you doctor lobotomy."
Leira all of a sudden realises of her mistake "But... it... was an orc!" she endures though her expression "Go to hell with him, the orcs killed my father! He is a traitor, a bandit or both things!"
Once the girl gets out of the Killin Grounds and observes the animals altered, she places the hand on the doorstep and holds it with strength "They are behind the burning trees. They are at my house"
It seems she is going to run all over to there, but suddenly she just faints almost hitting the floor by the stress.
Adir tucks away one of the cure potions. "Judging by Tuzak's reaction, there seems to be something on the other side of the trees. Either way, I think we should stick together and commit to finding out what it is or stopping the chieftain. And we still need to light the beacon."
Delia quickly retrieves her healing wand and uses it to help seal up Jace's wounds while the others drag Rabus back to the aid station. The warcat nuzzles up to her with an appreciative bump, but then suddenly he sniffs something on the air. Jace turns towards the gates to the north, a vicious growl rumbling in his throat.
Delia likewise turns to look as she slides her newly acquired arrows into her quiver. She ignores the spat between Songan and Leira until the young girl suddenly collapses. She lets out an irritated sigh."Erastil grant me patience." She storms over, while Jace continues his vigilance. "Get her up! We do not have time for her hysterics. We need to push the advantage while we have it. Our mission is to light the beacons, so the north is our path. We push through whatever is massing there and continue on with our mission!"
Dundin grabs bandages from a healing kit, soaks them in water from his skin, puts then on his face, reapplies his lead blades, and prepares to rush into the fire. He offers the bandages to others.
Rangers like Dundin had faced fires before. Dwarves liked forges hot.
He wanted to try out Dr Lobotomy as a giant.
|
|
Songan seems surprised when Leira passes out cold onto the ground. Was it something he said? Shaking himself out of it, he quickly takes hold of his waterskin and opens it, pouring a liberal amount of the contents out onto the girl's face. "Wakey, wakey! Things to do, villages to save!" he says aloud.
Whether she wakes up or whether she doesn't, he does his best to lift her off of the ground, grunting under the added weight of the girl. "Sounds like a plan to me! Let's go, time's wasting!"
Leira seems to recover, she looks towards her home "S...sorry..., please, let's go to the north. I need to make sure my family is ok"
The girl seems to have only dazed a bit under the stress, but thanking Songan she appears to be secure on feet again and ready to follow the party.
Responding to the wariness of the animals, your group moves towards the area of burning trees along the roadway to the north. Thick plumes of blue green and black smoke billow into the air here, where three hardy trees that flank the road have been set ablaze with blue alchemical fires. The air reeks of sulfur and ashes. The noxious fumes of the alchemical smoke make travel through this area dangerous, if not outright lethal. Adding to that are the shouts of at least one orc and her pack of trained war dogs, four ravaging beastly wolfhounds feasting on a pair of Trunau's unfortunate citizens.
One appears to be a simple villager, savaged and bloody, dead in the middle of the street. The body cradles parts of what may have been an alchemist’s lab in it's lifeless arms. Nearly everything in the kit is smashed, except for two vials of antitoxin and a container of smelling salts. Another body lays dead by the trunk of one of the trees, a broken longsword and fallen dog by his side, possibly an acolyte from the Sanctuary, bristling with orc javelins. His white tabard and sword emblem are in tatters, showing signs the dogs finished what the orc started.
It seems the dogs sense Jace and Tuzak about the same time the pair sense them, each side becoming alert to threats approaching.
Yellow with red dot
Yellow with black dot
Yellow with black dot
Yellow with black dot
Yellow with black dot
Initiatives
First Group: Adir, Delia, Songan, Wardog A
Second Group: Groin, Tuzak, Beast Tamer, Wardog C
Third Group: Dundin, Jace, Leira, Wardog B & D
is up, 36 hour timer counting
Delia narrows her eyes at the wanton slaughter and nocks her arrow, taking sight at the closest of the two wardogs to the northeast. She lets the arrow fly into the thick smoke towards the creature. "Jace, heel." Unfortunately the smoke throws her aim off and the arrow simply impacts the ground around the dogs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Preferring not to fight in the smoke, Adir sets himself at the edge of it, silently daring the dogs to come towards him.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
While Delia misses, Songan scores a strike against the hounds, perhaps due to the long standing hatred his kind has for canines. The arrow strikes hard but the dirty and matted fur helps deflect some of the shaft's power, leaving the mastiff wounded, but still on it's feet.
Adir moves closer to better assess the dogs and the orc leading them. She is an ugly specimen, sinewy and rough, probably the epitomy of orcish beauty. She is adorned in animal furs and chains, carrying a large orcish axe and several javelins in a back quiver. Beast Tamer
Another hound, realizing your group is there, begins barking to alert his mistress of your group's approach. She grins and pulls on the leads attached to the filthy war dogs.
Initiatives
First Group: Adir, Delia, Songan, Wardog A (delaying)
Second Group: Groin, Tuzak, Beast Tamer, Wardog C
Third Group: Dundin, Jace, Leira, Wardog B & D
is up, 36 hour timer counting
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Groin, mimicking the others takes a stance, waiting for the hounds to charge out from the smoke cloud.
Tuzak likewise mirrors his master, awaiting orders though the great sloth seems almost as eager as Jace to engage the wild dogs.
The Beast Tamer, sensing your group is reluctant to engage, moves back deeper into the smoke, calling for the hounds to follow her back under the burning canopy. Though you cannot be certain, the smoke seems to swirl around and away from her, not actually embracing her as it does the hounds or fallen villagers. She pulls something from off her back, what it is you cannot be sure, a club or long, broken tusk perhaps.
The first pair of dogs respond, heeling to their's master's side, barking and hacking as the animals are forced to continue breathing the toxic fumes of the fires, their mates ready to follow.
Initiatives
First Group: Adir, Delia, Songan
Second Group: Groin, Tuzak, Beast Tamer, Wardog A & C
Third Group: Dundin, Jace, Leira, Wardog B & D
is up, 36 hour timer counting
Leira steps diagonally next to Jace, and tries to discern through the smoke shoting at the first dog with her crossbow.
The girl then reloads the bolt.