Sensing that those archers will get lucky soon, the knight gives the bullish beast a salute, before bringing his sword toward his neck!
Azarra shoots at the half-Orc.
Not sure about wasting more resources, since they don't seem to cause the effect desired, Ishta decides to take another approach.
Before moving aside, Ishta casts a spell that incites purest rage inside Zane, egging him on in the fight!
Ser Armithia-Seendren Action posted
Kardas Rasalas
Half Orcs!
Ishta Khosiv
Zane Levallis <----- WE ARE HERE
Azarra Action posted
Spoiler:Ser Armithia-Seendren Shield Other (1974 rounds)
Kardas Rasalas Mirror image (3) (15 rounds)
Half Orcs!
Ishta Khosiv Mage armor (2375 rounds)
Zane Levallis Shield Other (1974 rounds), Touch of Rage (1 round)
Azarra
Ser Armithia-Seendren Shield Other (1973 rounds)
Kardas Rasalas Mirror image (3) (14 rounds)
Half Orcs!
Ishta Khosiv Mage armor (2374 rounds)
Zane Levallis Shield Other (1973 rounds)
Azarra
Zane Levallis and Kardas Rasalas are up.
Zane felt the touch of the Thayan, gritting his teeth in a grimace as a rush of anger and fury threatened to overwhelm him. The priest decided to use the extra emotion to his advantage, the rage lending his arm strength as he attempted to remove the obstacle in front of them so the group could rush the archers before they could do any more harm.
Kardas makes a mental note to remind himself to learn and prepare more explosive magicks that work at range while eagerly awaiting his chance to get back into the melee.
Gripped by the anger Ishta had inspired in him, Zane manages bulls his way past the defenses of the the hatchet wielding wielding half-orc, landing a solid strike along his side, leaving him battered and bruised.
Azarra tried to find an opening, but the melee made a clear shot impossible.
Kardas awaited an opening, but the hatchet wielder was still standing, even if he tottered slightly. Surely there was no way he could take much more of this punishment!?
Ser Armithia's sword strikes the half-orc's neck severing his wind pipe accompanied by a flash and the stench of cauterized flesh. By some dark miracle the half-orc remained on his feet when by all rights he should be dead!
Unable to hit Ser Armithia, the half-orc snarled at Zane. His first axe was easily parried by the Lathandrian, but the next axe suck past leaving a deep gash on his forearm!
<--- MISS
<--- HIT (JUST)
The two archers open fire yet again. One of them fumbles their shot, the arrow leaving with almost no force, but the other found a bead on Azarra skewering her with an arrow in the thigh!
<--- MISS
<--- HIT
Ser Armithia-Seendren
Kardas Rasalas
Half Orcs!
Ishta Khosiv
Zane Levallis <----- WE ARE HERE
Azarra
Spoiler:Ser Armithia-Seendren Shield Other (1973 rounds)
Kardas Rasalas Mirror image (3) (14 rounds)
Half Orcs!
Ishta Khosiv Mage armor (2374 rounds)
Zane Levallis Shield Other (1973 rounds)
Azarra
Ser Armithia-Seendren Shield Other (1972 rounds)
Kardas Rasalas Mirror image (3) (13 rounds)
Half Orcs!
Ishta Khosiv Mage armor (2373 rounds)
Zane Levallis Shield Other (1972 rounds)
Azarra
Zane Levallis, Azarra, Ser Armithia-Seendren and Kardas Rasalas are up.
Azarra, wincing from the unbelievably lucky archer that shot her *again*, she shoots at the half-orc, wishing that he would just die and get it over with.
Kardas surges forward with blade in hand and, upon closing in on one of the two remaining orcs, unleashes a Raumathi battlecry. As his voice bounces off the walls, his blade crashes down.
Fury and ill intent meet in one fell strike.
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Nodding in approval and respect to Azarra, Ser Armithia moves to join Kardas, saluting the same archer as he; before taking aim at him.
As Azarra dropped the stalwart foe in front of them, Zane charged forward with the two warriors to help harry and harass the archers in the room. With luck they would be overwhelmed without their brutish companion covering for them and would be taken down in short order.
Zane's mace misses by several yards as the hatched wielder writhes in agony and lurches unpredictably, however he stumbled directly into Azara's arrow which took him in the trachea. He dropped the hatchets and pawed uselessly at the arrow before falling to the floor with a wet gurgle. It took him nearly a minute to stop thrashing but by then the battle was well past him,
The way now clear Ser Armithia and Kardas surge forwards to strike the archers. They both attacked the one on the right, who managed to dodge Kardas' strike but not Ser Armithia's blade which cut deeply into her side! She drops her bow before striking back with a hatchet and taking a step towards the exit! At the same time the other archer steps towards the door before pivoting to taking a snap shot at Ser Armithia. Both missed.
<--- MISS
<--- MISS
Ser Armithia-Seendren
Kardas Rasalas
Half Orcs!
Ishta Khosiv
Zane Levallis <----- WE ARE HERE
Azarra
Spoiler:Ser Armithia-Seendren Shield Other (1972 rounds)
Kardas Rasalas Mirror image (3) (13 rounds)
Half Orcs!
Ishta Khosiv Mage armor (2373 rounds)
Zane Levallis Shield Other (1972 rounds)
Azarra
Ser Armithia-Seendren Shield Other (1971 rounds)
Kardas Rasalas Mirror image (3) (12 rounds)
Half Orcs!
Ishta Khosiv Mage armor (2372 rounds)
Zane Levallis Shield Other (1971 rounds)
Azarra
Zane Levallis, Azarra, Ser Armithia-Seendren and Kardas Rasalas are up.
Determined not to allow them to escape, the knight swings again at Orange.
He then steps up onto the table moves along it to drop down in front of Blue.
Frustrated at his relative ineptitude in this conflict, but determined to help contain the orcs and not let them draw in even more reinforcements, Zane hurried forward to take the spot Ser Armithia had just vacated, taking a heavy swing at the hatchet wielder as he worked with Kardas to seal up the other side of the duo, leaving no escape without the potential for heavy damage.
Azarra move in and steps up on a chair and then the table and shoots from there at Blue.
Ishta is mesmerized by... something that... wait! The battle!
She runs closer to Kardas and touches his shoulder. "Give 'em Hell!"
Auril's breath descends upon the flat of Kardas's blade after the man utters an arcane prayer. He then steps up towards the orc and strikes, blade flashing with deadly purpose.
Ishta cast a spell, inciting a towering rage in Kardas.
Frustrated and angry with himself, Zane unfortunately misses once more.
Ser Armithia vaults across the table hoping to head off the archer before she could retreat! The one he's struck before, smacked a hatched into the smakk of his back the moment it was turned. Her blow was well placed and should have ruptured his spleen, but once more his armor proved impregnable!
<--- MISS
Azarra stepped up onto the table and shot at the archer Ser Armithia had just wounded. Her arrow came within a hairs breath of the woman's throat, but ended up harmlessly embedding itself to the fetching in the oak paneled wall.
His blade then bit deeply into the left arm of the archer, nearly severing it! She screamed in agony as blood fountained from her brachial artery!
Kardas once more tried to combine swordplay with sorcery. When this worked it was devastating, but it was a tricky technique to pull off at the best of times. Even with the aid of Ishata's spell, the din of battle was such that his focus wasn't quite there and nothing connected.
Pain and the certainty of death gave the archer fighting Ser Armithia untried reserves of strength. Leaning into him she dodges past his sword and swung her hatchet sideways across his throat. By all rights this should have killed him, but the axe struck his gorget taking most of the blow. Leaving him with a nasty bruise.
<--- HIT
<--- NO
<--- MISS
Ser Armithia-Seendren
Kardas Rasalas
Half Orcs!
Ishta Khosiv <----- WE ARE HERE
Zane Levallis
Azarra
Spoiler:Ser Armithia-Seendren Shield Other (1971 rounds)
Kardas Rasalas Mirror image (3) (12 rounds)
Half Orcs!
Ishta Khosiv Mage armor (2372 rounds)
Zane Levallis Shield Other (1971 rounds)
Azarra
Ser Armithia-Seendren Shield Other (1970 rounds)
Kardas Rasalas Mirror image (3) (11 rounds)
Half Orcs!
Ishta Khosiv Mage armor (2371 rounds)
Zane Levallis Shield Other (1970 rounds)
Azarra
Ishta Khosiv, Zane Levallis, Azarra, Ser Armithia-Seendren and Kardas Rasalas are up.
Ser Armithia doesn't even flinch, as he takes the hit to his throat. Accepting his role with fortitude and fuel for guarding his friends, the Paladin of Helm takes a swing at Blue.
Azarra stays on the table so that she can get clear shots at the enemy. She shoots again at Blue.
Fatigue is starting to set in for Kardas and, as muscles echo back the sentiments of rage to the control chamber in his head, he calls upon all he's got once more. A spell fizzles, but his blade went singing through the air regardless.
Ishta sent a pencil thin beam of utter cold, it came very near to striking her target, but the archer flinched at the last moment.
Zane pauses, consumed with doubt.
Up on the table Azarra has a clear shot, and her arrow lances into her target's chest, piercing the half-orc woman's heart. She keels over, dead before she hit the ground.
Ser Armithis steps forwards over her corpse and cuts the last archer's head clean off her shoulders.
The rather grand room you find yourself in had a once fine silken rug with an embroidered pastoral scene (including what appears to be several murders about to happen), but multiple blood stairs mar it's surface. The oak paneled theme continues, and there are numerous minor object d'art doted about on side tabled and on the wall.
Ser Armithia stands guard as the other notice things...
In the aftermath of the combat, Zane tilted his head as though listening, then whispered urgently, "I hear footsteps outside the building...we might want to hurry along. Or at least barricade and select a battlefield of our choosing.
The priest stepped up to the lovely Azarra and held out his hand. "May I have the healing wand, my lady? I seem to be failing at evading the enemy weapons once again. The cleric chuckled and began healing his wounds, should the half-elf hand it over.
(fail)
When she hears the booted feet she wonders if the city guard is going to barge in on their mission again.
Azarra finds a hidden compartment, and shows everyone the scrolls and potions that she found. She casts Detect Magic and attempts to identify them.
--> Animate Dead scroll
--> Desecrate scroll
--> Cure Serious Wounds potion
(fail) unidentified potion (DC 18)
(fail) unidentified potion (DC 21)
She identifies three of the items.
Azarra hands the healing wand to Zane when asked.
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Ishta approaches the rest while they collect the loot. "Sorry, guys, it hasn't been my best performance."
She then helps Azarra with identifying the items.
Kardas clenches his right fist and, upon release, a puff of frigid cold escapes it. A groan follows and with that done, Kardas returns his awareness to the here-and-now. "It's all good, Ishta. Orcs are a ferocious bunch that more often than not, happen to be too stupid to realize they ought to be dead. Is everyone alright?"
A few castings of Prestidigitaion remove much of the blood and dirt soiling the rug, although it's been damaged in places by sword strokes and armored feet. A mending spell perhaps might restore it to it's former no doubt expensive glory.
Zane's brow furrowed as Azarra cleaned the rug, only to more accurately depict the gruesome scene woven upon it. Banites. He turned as Ishta spoke to the group, smiling grimly. "We both seemed to hit a trough during that fight. But that's the point of traveling with friends, is it not? We help carry one another, such that together we'll find a way to victory!" He clapped Kardas on the shoulder good-naturedly before handing the healing wand back to Azarra, his touch lingering on her hand a bit longer than necessary before he addressed the group.
"Alright, friends. Do we fight? Or hurry onward to find the heart of this temple of a foul deity?"
Azarra is about to cast mending on the rug and then just gives up when Zane looks at it like it is evil.
I, uh, just thought it might be worth something if I cleaned it up and fixed it... could be part of the town's share, but, yeah... I have no idea if it would or not. Probably not worth the time.
Noticing the lack of agrement on the rug, Ishta can only think of one thing: "I'd rather give it for free than letting these hyenas of the council get something for it. Do it, Azarra."
"It's just art, but if you think it helps us in our fight against Bane, do destroy it." The man then chuckles, "Heh, I know Auril would be furious if you tried this with any works dedicated to her. Perhaps we should wait with destroying it until we can lay it down on one of his altars."
Like that, Kardas offers his friends a slice of Raumathar civilization.
When Zane asks if they should fight or go, she says If they are coming this way, we should probably fight and get it over with, but if you would rather go, I am okay with that as well.
Azarra fidgets when Ishta and Kardas draw more attention to the rug.
Erm, ... I was actually fixing it, not destroying it. If you don't want to give it to the council as part of their share, we should just leave it here.
Embarrassed, she turns away from the group and looks around to see if any of the other art objects are less objectionable.
If there is nothing else valuable that she might be able to salvage (that is less murdery), she just waits to see what Zane will decide on the fight or flight matter.
"So, if we're fighting..."
If the answer is positive, Ishta places herself in front of the door and prepares a spell to be cast as soon as the new targets kick in.
Ser Armithia takes out a wand, taps himself and stows it away.
The gold elf then stands with Ishta ready to put down any that resist her spell.
The knight nods at her in approval and with confidence.
Zane the footsteps where coming from outside to the north. There are a couple of small windows on the north and south walls. Through the northern set you can see a compound outside with stone walls and a flagstone floor across from which is the squat shape of the Temple of Bane. If you had to guess the approaching force would come in through the unexplored room to the left.
Zane held up his hand in a calming gesture to Azarra, smiling at the half-elf as he spoke, "My apologies...my distaste for the subject matter must have carried over onto my face. If it's worth something, please do carry on. As you said, we can let the Council have it. Or place it on an altar, as Kardas suggested." The priest grinned at the Rashemi man before continuing.
"Looks like our company will come in through there, likely." The cleric pointed to the room to the west. "Ishta color-blasting them preemptively and then us using the tight corridor to control the fight seems as good a plan as any, to me. Let us get set up quickly before they arrive." With that, the priest moved with the others to get in position, his outward posture and attitude calm even though his nerves were almost frayed with the waiting.
Azarra whispers I hear about 3 or 4 people approaching. How do we know whether it is the guard or something evil though? The guard barged in on us at the last place.
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Zane thinks about Azarra's valid concerns for a moment, then shrugged. "This is pretty deep into Old Phlan...I doubt the guard gets this far. Everyone will just have to be ready to stand down if it does happen to be them, though." He smiled reassuringly at the half-elf before turning his attention back to the portal, waiting for whoever the booted feet belonged to to appear.
Ser Armithia concentrates on Detect Evil, staring at their possible targets.