Pirknok is burned as he charges through the fire.
His blade opens a nasty wound on the assassin engaged with Jessamy.
The flames continue to cook Ventus, Beaks, and Eli.
The man in the strange hood capers forward and performs a swift arcane gesture.
"Die! Die!! Die!!!"
The spell leaves him winded but a pair of small grotesque demonic creatures appear and attack!
Ventus, bleeding and angry, looks down at his attacker from Beaks' saddle and grins nastily. With a heel he guides Beaks to assault the man while taking up his weapons as well.
Kaplan mutters something under his breath and his eyes turn a deep orange. He looks to the nearest ranged assailant with a stony glare.
Kaplan's fiery gaze engulfs the flying figure. His clothing bursts into flame but it doesn't seem to hurt the assassin.
Working together, Ventus and his steed deliver a pair of vicious wounds to his flame-wreathed attacker but he still stands.
Jess steps up and grins at Pirknok as she stabs twice at the assassin.
Eli moves to the north, trying to keep his eye on the caster while staying clear of the nasty flames. He pulls a few items from his stash to construct a quick bomb, but waits to hurl it until the magic-user tries something.
One of Jessamy's blades connects, spilling more of the assassin's blood. He staggers but with fanatical devotion attacks the Varisian girl back. The other continues to slash at Ventus.
The men with the mechanical wings pull more materials and hurl bombs down on the two dwarves.
Pirknok's breathing quickens as the cold envelops him and nearly stops his heart. With a blood-curdling yell he shakes himself and begins swinging his katana in reckless abandonment.
Pirknok resists the cold clinging to his limbs but fails to hit the assassin attacking Jessamy.
The masked assassin begins another spell and Eli lets loose with his bomb.
The blast disrupts the masked assassin earning a hiss of hatred.
"Kill him first!"
The small misshapen figures break away from Pirknok to attack Eli.
Kaplan shakes off the effects of the cold though the damage chills his bones.
So my flames are not enough here. I guess I'll have to do this the old-fashioned way.
The other dwarf didn't look in too good of shape to him, but he couldn't make it there with these men in the way. He pulls his scimitar from its scabbard and rushes toward the closest enemy .
;
"Damn!" Ventus coughs as the blade buries itself in his flesh.
Ventus's shield staggers the assassin leaving him open long enough for Beaks to tear him to pieces.
Jessamy swings at the misshapen form as it moves, cursing the pain wracking her body.
Am I dying? I really don't want to die. I don't know if I've done enough for people to remember me yet!
Gritting her teeth, she swipes again at the closest assassin, hoping she can finish the man before her own wounds overcome her.
With Pirknok's aid, Jessamy drives her blades deep into the assassin dropping him in a bloody heap.
Eli dodges away from his attackers and hurls another bomb at the caster.
His tumble is sloppy and one of the mishapen demons tears open his armor.
But his bomb connects leaving the masked caster badly wounded and his ears ringing.
The winged assassins concoct another pair of bombs and chuck them down at the heroes and the interfering dwarf.
Pirknok nods in satisfaction at Jess' work, then dodges around the fire and charges toward the spellcaster.
Despite his attack being sloppy, Pirknok's katana buries itself in the masked assassin's torso. He dies with a gurgle.
When he falls, the conjured demons and wall of flame vanish.
Eli, his expression grim as he steps over the bodies of those killed by the assassins, draws another bomb. To this one he adds a special ingredient.
Ventus wheels Beaks around to the unoccupied winged figure and commands her into the air, swinging his blade into the strange being when he got within range.
Jessamy fires a dagger toward the assassin in the sky, grinning as it hits the man in the gut, before realizing his blood might actually drip on her!
Kaplan rushes to the wounded Pirknok and touches him with healing light.
Pirknok bats at the other dwarf's hand blindly as he hears the familiar tone of spellcasting nearby. No... no magics!
His mind resists the healing, but some of his wounds close up nonetheless.
Ventus and Beaks slam into the winged man with a crushing impact leaving him reeling and bloodied.
Eli's target evades with surprising agility considering the patchwork appearance of his mechanical wings but the movement leaves him open to a dagger from Jessamy that sinks deeps between his ribs.
The flying assassins drift back and hurl more explosives.
"Cowerds!" yells Pirknok loudly. "C'mon down here an' fight like real waryers, if ya ain't too scared!"
Kaplan nods at the tattooed dwarf before running to aid the wounded Varisian woman.
"Oh," Jessamy breathes a sigh of relief as her wounds close and the worst of the burns fade away as if they'd never been.
"Thank you!" she exhales, grinning at the dwarf.
I didn't know dwarves could do that!
Frowning at the flying foes, she pulls her short bow and launches an arrow toward the assassin she hit earlier.
"Who the heck are these guys?" she calls out.
Eli readies another spore-infused bomb and hurls it.
Ventus finds himself on the verge of losing consciousness. Even as he tries to direct Beaks to finish the bomb throwing assassin.
Pirknok draws his dagger and closes on the flying thing's position, growling menacingly and hurling his dagger once he's in range.
Jess’s bow shot wings the assassin as the hippogriff flies in closer. Even as Ventus struggles to remain conscious under the weight of his wounds, Beaks ravages into the airborne assassin, literally tearing him limb from limb.
The other winged assassin cries out in pain as Eli’s bomb slams into him. Wounded, he looks over the assembled heroes, considers his chances, and turns to flee.
Pirknok exhales slowly, dropping the tip of his sword and staring off into the distance, his eyes unfocused.
Ventus guides Beaks to the ground and slumps in her saddle. His grip on consciousness is obviously tenuous at best. Beaks looks over a massive shoulder at him and makes concerned cooing sounds and disregarding her own impressive wounds.
Jessamy fires another arrow at the assassin as he begins to flee, then looks around.
"Anyone know what that was about?" she asks.
Kaplan rushes to the wounded ranger.
Pirknok suddenly looks up and jumps to his feet, hurrying over to the ranger. "Ventus! Kafbek! Il nash makuf?"
"The king's Taldane please Pirknok," Ventus coughed as the stranger's healing washed over him.
"You have my thanks, stranger," he said, sliding out of his saddle only to have Beaks worriedly nuzzle him. It would have been cute but her beak was still covered in the blood and viscera of the fallen winged man. Noticing the newcomer, the hippogrif chirps curiously and sniffs at him.