Gruff, stoic, and more than a little annoyed, Kardas needs to do very little to come across as an actual guard. With a face that says 'don't piss me off, I'm already angry enough as is', he scowls at the world as he follows the 'leader' of their gang to their destination.
With a hand resting on the hilt of his sheathed sword, he's ready for trouble. "Come on, before the milk starts turning sour."
Perhaps, we secure the Gate area, open the Gates, and lower the Drawbridge at the same time? I and Kardas can hold the Gate area against this filth, while Azarra and Ishta take care of the other two?
The group, disguised as guards, walks into the guardhouse and makes their way to the windlass room. Once the gate is open, Azarra attempts to disable the windlasses controlling the gate.
In Orcish she says
I was sent up to look at the mechanism. Need to look at it while it is open. Last guy said it was sluggish.
If that works, then she says
Well, while I'm here, let's lower the drawbridge and see if that is working as well. If it's okay, then we can close everything back up.
Once it is lowered, then she attempts to disable that one as well.
Ser Armithia stands by Azarra, as she relays the orders to the guards.
The Paladin doesn't actually say anything; although his demeanor suggests a daring of retort!
Ishta, posing as a guard, tries to look for a clever way of playing it. Azarra's idea was sound - if the gates are to be lowered, then it's easier to just capitalise from the moment to keep it so. But if Azarra's bluff is exposed...
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Disguised as the Red Hand and his retinue of mean looking orcs, the Watchers of Dawn march fearlessly into the gates complex. Bolstered by the disguise magics even Ser Armithia looked like the Red Hand's spitting image. Clearly the Red Hand had fearsome reputation because nobody dared so much as look at Ser Armithia.
A few minutes later and the gates where opened to a patrol and Azarra's plan swung into action. She explained her 'orders' to the foreman, a grizzled orc by the name of Half Hand on account of him maimed left hand. He gave her a quizzical look, "You sure you need to do this now? Look I know it seems peaceful out there, but mark my words the humans are up to something. Normally their patrols are regular a clockwork but there's been nothing since last night, I don't trust this at all." He glanced towards where Ser Armithia was lounging with face like thunder, and with a sigh he waved her onwards, "All right, go on then - wouldn't do if we couldn't close the gates quickly."
Several burly orcs operated the windlass to crank the gates open and below the patrol stepped out. The orcs stepped aside to allow Azarra to inspect the mechanism. She managed to subtly jam the cogs so that the gate was stuck open, fixing it would take some minutes.
"Well, while I'm here, let's lower the drawbridge and see if that is working as well. If it's okay, then we can close everything back up".
Half Hand gave Azarra a horrified look, "You what?! Madness! Look if you do that tell the bossman I cannot be held responsible for the consequences." He glanced again at Ser Armithia in his Red Hand disguise and paled before grunting, "Gods help us, I guess orders is orders but be quick about it!"
With the help of the other orcs the portcullis is lowered with a great clanking of chains and again Azarra subtly jams the mechanism. While this is going on a lookout cries, "WARE! MOVEMENT ON THE FAR SIDE!" Suddenly the beat of a hundred drums is heard from across the water along with the baying of horns!
"SHIT!" cried Half Hand, "SHUT THE GATES!"
Still pretending to work on the mechanism, Azarra looks up in horror. She looks at Ser and says
Oh no, this is bad. That captain was right. Every single one of them shows signs of sabotage. The gates should be easier, but this one... I can't get it closed again in time. I don't know who sabotaged it, but I suggest questioning everyone who has worked in here since last night. Part of this chain is corroded. Magic I think. If I don't fix it now, it will break before we can get it back up.
Half Hand is right, if the humans come right now, we're dead. Someone planned this. I need time... please send extra guards to the gate. They only have to hold 5 or ten minutes and I can can get this fixed. I'll need to melt the chain a little to get it back together... that should work until we can get a new chain brought in. Get me that time, and we should be okay.
Refraining from violence until the others draw their blades, Kardas starts weaving protective spells and charms to see him through what's to come in one piece.
Or, mostly in one piece.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Sabotaged? Damn! Who would have thought of him?"
With sweet voice and a studied movement, Ishta talks to Half Hand .
"That Lofferen and his guys were here a while ago. He said he was waiting for someone. I never would have thought that a fellow orc would betray us! We need someone to go tell about it!"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Preparing for the inevitable combat, Kardas mutters a word of power and suddenly there's a group of four of him, moving and twisting in strange ways!
"Damnation!" cursed Half Hand upon hearing the news. To one of the younger orcs he snaps, "You! Brak'than run to the castle and warn them we've been betrayed."
To another orc he bellows, "Fetch Drek'as, his squad are to use the oil and pitch and dump stones and caltrops through the murder holes."
Turning to Azarra he says, "I'll rouse the reserves and hold the gate as long as we can. Damnit didn't plan on dyeing tonight, but Bane willing we'll buy you the time to get this mess sorted."
As he turned to leave he grunted when Ishta suggested Lofferen was to blame, "Lofferen?! Damnit I liked him, even if he is a black network dog."
Pointing to another orc labourer he growled, "Arrik catch Brak'than and make sure the Bossman hears about this!"
Azarra motions Ishta over to her
Does that look like a fire rune to you? I think the chain might be trapped to set fire to this whole building.
... I didn't notice traps on the ropes, but those would be easier to hide. I don't know. Think a fire spell is worth the risk? I mean, we almost have to try it, because we have attackers out there... but should we evacuate the men first at least?
"What? A Fire Rune?"
Ishta gets closer to the chain. She turns around it, using it as cover so as not to be seen clearly.
She makes a sign to Azarra that she coughs. Via Message, she tells her to do some noise. When she does...
"I don't know... Hey! You! Don't touch it!"
She quickly makes the gestures and capitalises from Azarra's noise to pronounce the arcane words, then a fireball is launched "from the chain". The Fire Rune is activated!
"Oh, no!"
When Ishta messages her she yells Oh no, it's going to blow! Run! and she tries to get at least 20 feet away (which should also give the rest of the party the time to do so as well) before giving Ishta the signal (via message) to release the spell.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
With the hopes of creating enough destruction to prevent anyone from coming in and manipulating the chains, Ishta casts her spell. However, at the very last moment, she uses her rod to remove her comrades and herself from the deadly blast area.
Once the place is burning to the ground, Ishta stops to do one last thing. She drops her disguise as an orc guard and takes the appearance of one of the recently defunct labourers. Then she runs out of the room, fleeing from the flames.
"Treason! There are more traps inside!"
Ser Armithia uses every bit of Gold Elf Paladin in his being not to laugh at Ishta's antics!
He follows her wherever she goes....
The detonation was immensely violent, the three labourers never knew what hit them, one moment they where tensely waiting for orders and the next they where cinders. Everything flammable in the room burst into flames and it was soon chocked with thick black smoke. While this wouldn't damage the stonework the smoke was noxious and the watchers of dawn stared to cough and feel like this was a terrible place to be!
Outside absolute pandemonium raged as withering bow fire rapidly cleared the tops of the walls. With a great cry and thunder of hooves, a pair of heavily armoured lancers charged into the gate and set about the defenders. The screams of horse, men and orc blended into a dreadful melody. The orcs for their part stubbornly refused to die easily, and despite the odds you sensed the advance was momentarily stalled.
Azarra makes her way through the smoke to the stairs, hoping that they can get up on the upper walkway and find some way to help the attacking army (in addition to opening the gates for them).
Once she is up there, she looks down to evaluate what is going on and where they might be able to make a difference.
Ishta tries to calculate the distance between her and the now stuck melee. She turns around and hides behind the burning building, so no one can witness her casting a spell.
Ser Armithia shadows Ishta. His elven eyes scanning for any enemy that get to close.
Kardas follows Azarra, but with his multiple illusionary selves following him wherever he goes, he'll snarl at anyone who dares to give him a puzzling look.
The watchers of dawn find themselves momentarily alone amidst the burning wreckage in the windlass room. Everything that could burn was, including the the wooden windlass handles, nobody was going to close those gates anytime soon.
The room was rapidly becoming unbearable from smoke and heat so in a daze you stumbled up through the western ready room where there'd previously been dozens of orcs on duty. Now it was empty for every last man had been called to join the desperate fight the hold the line below. The ferocious combat below was muted by the thick stone but you could still hear the screams over the crackling fire.
Coughing like hags you stumble up another circular stairwell into the upper gatehouse accompanied by great plumes of thick eye watering smoke. At last you escape into the blessed release of fresh air only to be assaulted by the sounds of battle. Below a big group of orcs, hill giants and ogres was holding a larger force of armoured men at bay. The giants had a large supply of boulders which where making a ruination of the men and where threatening to choke the gateway. Already on both sides there where streams of casualties and the stojanow canal had turned red with blood.
For now nobody seems to have noticed you...
Azarra suggests to Kardas that he change his disguise to someone else... maybe Lofferen for grins, or else himself, so the good guys know not to fire at them, and she changes hers to herself, then draws her bow and starts shooting giants, making sure she ducks behind cover when she isn't shooting.
Ser Armithia grins down at the giants.
Ishta, do you have Featherfall for us to get down there?
Ishta gestures asking for a moment. "No Featherfall, but wait a bit..." She reads something from her book , then she smiles.
"Where do y'all want to go?"
Kardas grunts in reply to Azarra and starts searching for the spell components to cast an infusion incantation. "Fine. I will ready myself to bring the icy wrath of Auryl upon these bastards."
He sheds the illusionary disguise and calls upon arcane wind and frost to forge himself into a mortal aspect of Auryl's breath: a sylph. Ice crystals settle into his unkempt beard and, as the Lady expects to see vengeance, she draws a deep breath which causes Kardas's hair to dance in the wind. "You wouldn't like the answer, Ishta."
I want to stay up here and shoot at them, but if you guys want to go closer, feel free.
If you have another fireball, that might be a good call on the giants or the opposing army. Just don't get any good guys.
Oh, and Ser... I have Featherfall if you want to go down that way.
"How about we the go down to the ground and you keep your Featherfall for when you want to join us? I'll try to sow some more mayhem and still got a trick up my sleeve."
If everyone agrees, Ishta teleports herself and the two warriors to the ground, to the specific point they indicate, and searches for cover to cast another spell.
Okay, be careful. Depending on where you are teleporting, you might still need disguises. Just take them off if you see humans coming at you.
Oh, also... if you see any of those people who bought cool stuff at the auction... see if you can get it. Might as well gather some loot while we're at it. ...but still, be safe.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Ishta, if you Dimension Door us three down near enough to the Giants that with Haste up; we can get to them? Azarra? Perhaps, prior to our departure; a Haste?
Azarra will cast haste on them before they go down.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Sure, I can take us about seven hundred feet away. If we're going to pop too close to the fight, though, let me do something first..."
Ishta uses the power of her magic vests to cast another spell she hadn't prepared in advance, turning her invisible , then takes her two companions magically to where the fight is roaring.
(pass)
(pass)
Azarra starts singing as she gets into position, and then when she is ready, she attacks the Shaman.
(inspire courage, rapid shot)
(inspire courage)
Ishta calculates well the arc of the throw, and conjures a small ball of acid that she hurls with a small 'plop' down to the place where the orcish resistance hold their ground.
She notices the shaman, so the ball has been directed properly to assure that he's included in the area.
When the ball reaches the ground, it explodes like a water-filled balloon, only a greenish liquid spreads out and a hiss indicates the corroding effect wherever it comes into contact with flesh.
She then takes a bit of extra time to restructure her magic energies, expecting more to come.
Prior to being Dimension Door down to the party, the Paladin cast Resist Energy (Fire 5). He also activates his Divine Bond(sp).
Once Ishta grants them passage to the Gate, the now splendidly gold armor Paladin of Helm strides forward to the Front!
He passes by startled foes and allies both, causing them to pause in awe at the daring of the Gold Elf.
Ser Armithia then shouts a challenge to the Shaman (if Green).
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 55 (Amazon)
You are the harbinger of some future event. Whether this event bodes good or ill, you exude an ominous presence. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Intimidate checks, and Intimidate is always a class skill for you. Once per day, you may attempt to demoralize an opponent as a swift action.
The Paladin then brings down Helm's judgement!
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Azarra turns her sights on the shaman, the first arrow hitting him squarely in the chest. He grunts and looks at it with surprise. Her follow up arrows however smashed upon some invisible barrier.
The ghastly liquid inside Ishata's acid-ball turned the junction into a charnel house, complete with screams like the damned. In the end there was nothing much left beyond badly eroded bubbling flagstones.
The groans coming out of Kardas are now more visible than ever, what with him being a frosty sylph. "Ah, come on! Armithia gets to have all the fun?!"
But he knows that now, after all the spells Ishta unloaded on the defenders below, trouble will be coming to them soon. And like the appointed guards of the Rashemen witches, Kardas too keeps vigil over Ishta.
Kardas cast a spell in preparation for joining the fray.
With Ishhta's spell having dissolved a vast swathe of the enemy, Ser Armitha dimensionally slides to the very edge of ground zero and he found his chosen enemy utterly gone.
Instead he finds a quartet of Bane's acolytes just in front of a huge mound of corpses which they'd been trying to re-animate! The closest one a callow looking youngster flinched when Helm's Knight loomed over him and he barely had time to scream before the Vigilant one's judgement found him wanting! His head sailed over the other three who paled before desperately attacking with their maces.
<--- MISS
<--- HIT
<--- MISS
Despite being seasoned combatants who knew to surround him like the pack of dogs they are, the brave Knight's armour held firm against the first two strikes. To dodge a third was simply too much and within his helm Ser Armithia's head rang like a gong!
A dozen archers turned their sights towards the source of the devastating magical strike but no target was to be found. The air was filled with arrows but the vast majority where hopelessly off target. By luck or perhaps due to the dark blessing of Bane, one black fletched arrow struck true, striking Ishta in the meat of her left arm.
They basically need a natural 20 to pinpoint due to distance and partial cover.
OK so two archers pinpointed the square but Ishta is both invisible and concealed. So only 25% chance of hitting.
<--- HIT due to dumb luck
<--- MISS
To the south there was a sickening sound of the remaining trolls getting beaten into a paste mingled with piteous moans of broken and dying giants. The advance took several steps forwards, the fall was inevitable but the battle was far from over!
Azarra sees Ser surrounded (and in the way of the invading army), and so she takes a step to get a better shot and shoots down at green while continuing to sing.
(inspire courage, rapid shot)
(inspire courage)
Two of her shots were just ludicrous, but one... one was PERFECT, and she watched to see if it would take green down.
Ser Armithia watches the failed swings by the cultists.
Thank you, Azarra! Hasted!
The Knight smiles at the small group of cultists, surrounding him. He gives a salute to the Green one with an arrow sticking out of his chest!
He attacks--Hastily-- a second time!
And a third time!
Ishta fights the urge to cry when an arrow hits her. She quickly moves, breaking the projectile so it doesn't reveal her location.
"The fight at the gate seems solved, more so with Kardas and Ser giving everything they've got." She decides to go back to the enclave and have a look around, in case she finds where some of the magic wares are kept or maybe even some of the slaves.