"Huh," grunts the dwarf in acknowledgment. "Shud we get it down? Beaks kin prolly do it. But ya better hurry, 'cuz we're uhbout ta have company."
"That medallion can be used as a shield, in fact." Siolad speaks up, readying a spell. "It's good for deflecting blows, bashing skulls in, taking serious punishment, and it appears to be enchanted to be light enough to carry with ease."
With a bit of persuasion, Ventus gets Beaks up off the ground and they grab the shield. Landing amongst the others Ventus straps it to his arm and tests the weight.
"Damn thing feels like its about to pull my arm off, I'd need to pair is with something different to use it effectively but my current gear is probably as good."
A bit further down, the party finds a deep pit hewn from hard stone that descends into soot and darkness. The stale reek of decay wafts up from the depths below. A peek down into the pit (with darkvision or some light) reveals nothing but shattered bones and ash.
Turning the corner reveals a crossroads of sorts currently being used as a chokepoint by three ogres behind crude barricades. They shout an alarm and hunker down the party comes into sight.
Ventus spurs Beaks forward, urging her to leap the barricade. She passed over the head of the front ogre with all the grace her size and armor could allow her. Ventus then swiveled in the saddle to hack away at the unfortunate sod.
The Impaler opens a nasty wound on the ogre’s flank making it howl in pain. He spins and swats at the ranger with a massive spiked club.
The other two rear back and toss almost comically tiny beads toward the party in the hallway still. As they hit the ground, the beads explode in a ball of flame.
Pirknok calls on the inner speed Eli imbued him with to charge into the fray, swinging his sword with deadly intent.
Ensu misjudges the first bead and takes the full brunt of the fireball. He is a little better with the second one and misses a lot of the fire.
He then moves up as close to the barricade as possible and begins praying out loud.
"Dear Nethys, I know you hear my plea, but probably don't care much. I need you to bless my friends and curse my enemies! And if you do this, I'll keep using magic, which is all you care about anyway. So..yeah, nice talking to you!"
As his hand touches his holy symbol you feel power waft over you.
"Stupid ogres!" Jessamy cries, as she ducks under the worst of the flame.
Springing to her feet, she tosses a dagger ahead of her as she rushes to the barrier, ducking behind it for cover of her own.
Siolad ducks, twists and turns to escape the worst of the two fireballs. Singed, he glares at the second ogre and takes several steps forward.
"Enough of that." He points at the two ogres huddled together, a stream of glittering sparks flying out to blind the giant brutes.
Ventus is caught square in the chest with the ogre’s club, the spikes perforating his armor and knocking the wind from his sails. Despite the vicious blow, the hearty ranger strikes back with a vengeance.
Most of his attacks are deflected by his monstrously powerful opponent but the Impaler manages to wound the ogre once again.
Pirknok isn’t quite nimble enough to skirt under the ogre’s reach but he easily avoids their clumsy blows. He lands a mighty blow of his own bloodying the wounded ogre further.
And both ogres roar in panicked surprise when the burst of glittering color appears in their faces rendering them blind. One swings blindly at Pirknok while the other, blubbering, flees down the eastern passage.
One ogre (the one still fighting), shakes off the blindness.
The ogre's blade opens a gash in Pirknok's chest, but the brave dwarf just grunts and swings his own in return. His first swing goes wide as he glances down inadvertently at the wound, then he returns his steely gaze to his opponent and attacks again.
Jessamy hurtles over the barrier and drives her athame toward the ogre, hoping to dispatch it before it has a chance to kill Pirknok -- who she can't believe is still standing after the blow he took.
Ensu moves forward as fast as his little legs will carry him, until he reaches the barricade.
He grabs his holy symbol and holding it out he closes his eyes and a wave of positive energy bursts from him in all directions.
Siolad's jaw drops as the ogre practically guts Pirknok, but the dwarf refuses to go down.
His palm extends, and after uttering an incantation, he launches five large magic bolts at the ogre that shook off the blinding dust.
The athame crackles with destructive black energy as Jess plunges it into the ogre's back. Ventus and Beaks take advantage of the distraction and tear into the flanked ogre battering and slicing him open. With a groan he crashes to the ground.
Pirknok turns he wrath on the ogre behind him landing two mighty blows that are soon supplemented by Siolad's volley of arcane missiles.
The blind ogre continues to stumble away.
"Get thuh wun that's runnin!" yells Pirknok, resting a moment as the healing energy washes over him. Rousing himself for a final series of attacks, he strengthens his grip on his sword and jabs it at the ogre's belly.
Heeding Pirknok, Jessamy takes off after the fleeing ogre, black athame at the ready.
"I got him!"
The ogre swats at Jessamy as she ducks past him.
The heroic rogue follows the blind ogre into what looks like a storeroom.
Ensu moves around the barricade he's behind and then around the other, not realizing too late that he comes face to face with the ogre. He swings his morningstar at the ogre.
Cringing at the sight of Jessamy taking off after the retreating ogre, Siolad moves closer to the fray. He takes care to stay out of the ogre's reach, sticking close to Ventus and his mount.
Ventus and Beaks further wound the bloodied ogre. He quickly retaliates against those that wounded him.
The blind ogre stumbles around blindly hoping for escape.
Pirknok dodges the clumsy attack and swings at the ogre's hamstring.
Ensu realizes his little morningstar isn't going to do much against the ogre so he steps to the north to get cover from the barricade, then over to away from the ogre. He drops his morningstar and draws his crossbow again.
Jessamy continues her pursuit of the ogre, coming in low to avoid a flailing limb, and driving the dagger home in his guts.
Pirknok opens a vicious wound on the gore's leg and Jessamy easily gets inside the blind ogre's reach and drives her dagger into his belly.
Biting his lip nervously, Siolad has a thought.
Sounds of battle could travel far here. Might be catching attention we don't want.
He listens...
...and prepares a fireball for any visitors.
In a flurry of bloody swordplay and vicious avian/equine blows, Ventus and Beaks bring down the second ogre.
The last ogre, have shaken off the blinding magic and come back to his sense glowers down at the woman holding the dagger painfully jabbed in his belly.
Ensu looks over his companions determining if another blast of healing is needed.
He loads his crossbow, readying it for the other ogre.
Pirknok hurries off in the direction Jess went.
Jessamy grunts as the ogre's swipe nearly knocks her off her feet, missing badly with a wild swipe as she lashes out at the source of the pain, her eyes filled with tears.
Ducking under another attack, she ducks behind the ogre, moving to put it between her and Pirknok.
Ensu says, "Siolad, holler if someone comes that way." He then heads after the others.
Somewhat frustrated at his inability to contribute more, Siolad simply nods in acknowledgement of Ensu's request. He takes up a position by the barricade, his fireball spell still readied at the forefront of his mind.