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The door swings open revealing a short, 10' wide walkway to the next car. There is a ladder on either car leading to the top of the car. The group hears nothing but the clacking of the wheels and gears of the train. You see nothing of Phaerine, though Octavius still stands in the doorway of the KAESCo car, apparently guarding it.
Droskar continues on, eyes moving continuously as he searches for more of the bandits.
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Lailani follows behind the hulking centaur. "I've got your back Master Droskar," she says. "Do you think we should climb to the roof, Aurica?"
Maleghk moves to the next car looking for any resistance.
"Uh..." Aurica gets a deer-in-the-headlights look at the elf lady asking what she thinks they should do. "Um. Well I-- well the train moves a lot, don't it? That seems like we could fall off real easy, and Droskar couldn't get up there-- I'll go look, and see if they're still up there, but th' rest of you maybe oughtta just keep on down here? " she says with an unsure shrug. "I'll catch up."
Suiting action to word, Aurica hooks her bow over her arm and starts climbing up the ladder. She doesn't know what she'll do if she sees bandits there on top when she gets there-- can't very well use a damn bow in that circumstance-- but... she'll figger it out, or something.
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Aurica sees a few bandits retreating from the top of the car, toward the back of the train. She climbs back down as Droskar opens the door and enters the room, Maleghk following. Inside an ogre and another pair of gun wielding bandits turn to attack. The dwarven gunman hits Droskar with a grazing wound to his shoulder as the ogre lumbers forward swinging a huge clump of metal at the centaur who avoids it, shimmying to one side. The Gunwoman merely puts her shot into a bench.
Droskar's lips curl into a snarl at the ogre as it advances. He steps forward and thrusts his sword deep into the ogre's abdomen, a spurt of blood trailing behind his blade as he removes it. He lashes out with his hooves as well, but they slam against the floor instead, missing their mark.
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Maleghk squeezes past Thron's flank and moves up beside him swinging his longhammer at the ogre. . Maleghk roars at the ogre as his hammer strikes home.
Lailani moves up next to Aurica and flings another ice projectile, this time at the ogre. "You lack permission to access this vehicle, be gone!" The ice tears through the already wounded ogre's chest, and the giant falls over bleeding out.
"Still got roof-hoppers," Aurica calls as she ducks back inside the car. "But they're runnin' like rabbits."
She slips her bow off her shoulder, nocks, and looses at the gunwoman, as the ogre has been downed.
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Droskar, Maleghk, and Lailani combine to take down the ogre as Aurica launches an arrow into the gun-wielding woman. The woman returns fire, the bullet striking the doorframe right next to Aurica's shoulder.
The dwarven gunman pulls the trigger, aiming at Droskar, but no bullet emerges from the barrel. "Gods-damned-f*~*ing-shite-piece-of-garbage-cunt of a gun!" he yells, throwing the weapon on the ground and drawing a pistol from his belt.
Maleghk moves in front of Droskar, down the corridor and then in between the benches to swing at a the gunman in front of him. With a shout he swings his longhammer down at his target. No crit confirmation but none needed - lol.
With a lunge, Droskar surges down the train car and swings his blade at the gun woman. The force of his sword and charge takes her head clean from her shoulders.
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Lailani steps into the car to get out of the wind, and then flings another shard of rotating ice, this time at the gunman. "You were foolish to attack a KAESCo train," she comments as the projectile streaks towards the man. It flies over his shoulder to shatter on the wall.
Aurica keeps pushing forward, still worried over the fate of Austru over every other concern that might intrude. She moves in and looses another arrow at the still standing gunman, her face as stony as any dwarf's when faced with the foe. She doesn't enjoy ruthless killing, but these folk started it, and they're between her and the creature that matters most to her.
Just before we enter the next car Maleghk will cast Bless(when all party members are in range).
"Austru!" Aurica shouts when she hears the squawking, and starts running forward, heedless of caution. "I'm comin', you big birdbrain!"
Droskar notes the anxiety in Aurica's voice, and surges forward ahead of her. If they have hurt her feathered friend...they will pay.
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Droskar opens the door, revealing a scene of chaos ahead. The bandits broke into the train by blowing open the wall of this car, which seems to be some sort of cargo car. One unlucky guard was caught in the explosion and his corpse smolders by the wall, filling the space with the scent of burning flesh and hair. Another guard lays in a bloody heap on top of the remains of a barrel, obviously dead, while a third lies at the feet of the figure dominating the car, a huge minotaur with red dun fur. The minotaur grips a greataxe in his hands, a buckler strapped to his left arm, his body covered in studded leather armor.
A few more figures stand about the room, a gemmil man (normally the biggest in the room, though he looks small compared to the minotaur), a dwarven gunman, a cloaked and hooded thief, and a halfling holding a bow, her wolf companion beside her. The gemmil man has just smashed open a cage containing a man-sized bird, which Aurica recognizes as Austru.
The thief seems to be trying to open the lock on a cage in the middle of the car, from the entrance of the car, you can't tell what is inside it. The gunman and archer are just loitering, apparently keeping watch.
The minotaur notices Droskar, turns and holds up one hand toward the centaur, the familiar signal for another person to stop. "No reason to turn this bloody, horse-man. You go back the way you came and we won't even chase ya." he says, his voice a deep gravelly rumble. "This here car belongs to the Grotts gang now, and since I'm Grotts, well that means it's mine. Now run along!"
Droskar tightens his grips on his sword and shield. He points the blade at Austru, and says "You seek to claim ownership of another living thing. That, I cannot tolerate!"
He steps forward and swings his sword at the gemmil man, who skillfully bats his blade aside. He was not prepared for Droskar's hooves, however, as one strikes him on the chin and another on the shoulder of his right arm.
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Maleghk squeezes past Droskar and smites evil on the minotaur Grotts. Maleghk shouts in an unknown language and inclines his longhammer towards Grotts.
Lailani concentrates summoning up a particuarly effective chuck of ice, and flings it at the gemmil. "This train is KAESCo property, kindly remove yourselves immediately."
Miss
Aurica grins like a little girl at seeing her friend. "There you are!" she beams at the bird, blithely ignoring the words and threat of the minotaur. "I was so worried about you! Are you alright? Bite that man's face off, the one that opened your cage!"
The roc has not had a good trip. It has been scared, confined, angry, and missing its friend/mother. It needed little enough encouragement to attack when its cage was first opened... and Aurica's order is all it takes for it to unleash a savage flurry of raking claws and snapping beak.
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Droskar's hooves, Aurica's arrow, and Austru's beak and talons reduce the gemmil man to a bruised and bleeding corpse. Grotts howls in rage and charges forward, goring Maleghk just as the dwarf passes his centaur ally, leaving a grievous wound. The dwarven gunman and halfling archer set their sights on Droskar, both shots finding their mark. The arrow strikes the centaur in his left shoulder finding a gap in his armor inches from his neck, while the bullet enters his body just above his front right leg. The archer's wolf dashes forward toward the dwarf and centaur.
Lailani moves forward to get a better view, and then fires another ice shard, this time at the wolf. "Are you okay, Droskar?"
Can't have them dying on me yet..
Maleghk takes AOO on wolf and smashes him lifelessly to the ground - Then he uses a swift action to lay on hands himself and finally with a roar swings his longhammer at the minotaur but it glances off his horn doing no damage.
Austru's fury is not sated by the downed gemmil. With its nearest targets being Droskar-- who the bird has traveled with-- and the canine, it finishes the work that Maleghk began.
It's a glancing bite, but the wolf is already very damaged by the dwarf's hammer, and goes down. With a triumphant shriek, Austru launches out of the cage, tumbling in the tight confines of the car. It's a bad place for a bird like a roc, even a baby one like Austru.
"Austru! Be careful!" Aurica shouts worriedly, aware that the minotaur can deal serious damage to her friend. Austru is too angry to care...
"Austru! Get back here, you birdbrain!" Aurica yells, and worriedly sends an arrow towards the minotaur. He's blocking her from getting to her friend!
Alas, worry makes her arrow fly wide.
Droskar bellows out, "Step aside and give me room to attack!"
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Grotts takes a swipe at Austru as the big bird flies by, but misses low as the bird dives downward, streaking across the floor. Frustrated by his miss, he stamps his heavy hoof and turns back to the dwarf, swinging his axe and trying to gore him. Maleghk defends himself from the first blow, a heavy overhanded strike, but is unable to stop the minotaur's backswing. Grotts' horns are no match for Maleghk's steel armor and clatter uselessly off the dwarf.
The rogue at the door continues working at the lock, ignoring the fight as best he can.
The dwarven gunman fires a shot at Droskar but puts it wide trying to avoid hitting Grotts. He says a number of foul things in dwarven as he reloads his weapon.
The halfling cries out in rage as Maleghk and Austru kill her canine companion, but her rage merely translates to her shot harmlessly pinging of Droskar's armor.
Aurica doesn't know whether to be proud of the baby roc, or make a mental note later to scold him soundly, at the aerial stunt in getting past the minotaur.
"You got no sense of-- of self-preservation!" she shouts at Austru. Austru makes a bird's raucous screech in answer and tumbles about in the small compartment of the train's aerial clearance, coming on top of the dwarf gunman in another flurry of beak and talons.
The man-sized bird is still clearly enraged, all its hunter instincts coming to the fore. It rakes savagely into the dwarf.
The dwarf never had a chance, it seems. Austru shrieks in triumph.
Aurica blinks. "...well.... alright... but be careful!" For herself, she frowns to see Maleghk's heavy injuries. It'd be hard to get to him and help, but maybe there's a way...
(OR, if she can't touch through the bars:)
Droskar steps up to the minotaur, eyeing the buckler on it's arm, as well as its think hide.
Better make my shots count...
He thrusts his blade up towards the tender flesh in the things armpit. The sword sinks deep into the things shoulder, the tip of the blade actually poking through its upper back. Droskar then stamps his forward hooves down at the minotaur's knees, one of which connects with a loud, sickening crack.
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Lailani takes a moment to gather her elemental powers. Threads of water appear the in the air, swirling up around her in a spiral and then flowing together into a particularly large and heavy chunk of ice. "You criminals leave me no choice!" she cries as she flings it at the minotaur assaulting Droskar.
Maleghk 5 foot steps as noted by Destrina and uses a swift action to lay on hands on himself. He then swings his longhammer at Grotts. Maleghk let's out a shout of joy as his blow strikes home!
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Lailani takes a moment to gather her elemental powers. Threads of water appear the in the air, swirling up around her in a spiral and then flowing together into a particularly large and heavy chunk of ice. "You criminals leave me no choice!" she cries as she flings it at the minotaur assaulting Droskar.
Aurica rushes into the cage, casts a spell and reaches through the bars and around the corner to tocuh Maleghk, delivering a good deal of positive energy that closes the dwarf's remaining wounds.
Grotts takes a series of blows from Droskar and Maleghk and bellows in rage, striking back at the dwarf with his axe and the centaur with his horns, landing a solid blow on each.
The dwarven gunman goes down to Austru's uncaged fury, lying in a bloody heap on the ground as the halfling archer diverts her attention to the bird. Austru's enraged visage frightens her and she drops the arrow before she can even fire it. She turns and flees, diving out of the speeding train and safely rolling to her feet as it speeds away.
The human thief finally gets the door open and dashes inside. "Boss it's open, let's get this gold and get the hells out of here!" he yells in a Zephyrian accent.
Droskar grits his teeth and continues his attack. The minotaur manages to deflect his blade with his axe, and is taking great care to keep an eye on the centaur's hooves as well.
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"Austru!" Aurica shouts. "Stop that one in the box! The one yelling! No, that one, right there!"
Whether or not the bird clearly understands, it sees one big, angry foe, and one more its size that is trying to hide. Instincts send it after the thief, a shriek echoing through the car.
The bird is not too skilled at trying to get opponents out of an enclosed area, it seems. It flaps and screams angrily, but can't get off a clean attack.
Aurica, meanwhile, steps backwards and lifts her bow again for another shot at the big minotaur.
Maleghk swings his longhammer up and smashes it down on Grotts again. He then uses a Lay on Hands on himself as a swift action Maleghk shouts at Grotts daring him to continue the fight!
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Maleghk and Aurica both land blows on Grotts, but the minotaur's armor and hide prove too much for Lailani and Droskar to get through. The bandit leader looks severely injured as he thrashes wildly trying to kill the interlopers. His wild attacks are all easily avoided or blocked by Maleghk and Droskar, and the minotaur is on his last legs.
Meanwhile, Austru tries to take a bite out of the human in the car, but the man nimbly avoids it, drawing a dagger and stabbing it into the big bird.
Droskar parries aside the minotaur's axe with his own shield, and manages to pin it down at his side. He then thrusts his blade forward at the thing's exposed abdomen, and drives the tip upwards into its chest cavity.
As Grotts falls, Droskar wastes no time in closing the distance between himself and the fleeing thug, trying to close the distance between himself and the fleeing foe.
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The immature roc shrieks his fury at being attacked, and lashes out again in a flurry of claws and curved predator beak.
The small confines limit the bird's full fury, and only one claw hits. Aurica's attention is torn between her bird and the minotaur that is stopping her from getting to him.
Her arrow just whistles by a horn.
Lailani steps forward, and calls her power once again, throwing another chunk of ice at the remaining thief.
Maleghk double moves to block in the entrance to the cage. As he moves he switches to his waraxe. As he approaches the door he calls out in Celestial for the last member of the doomed party to surrender!