Grodar draws and loads his crossbow, moving just beside the house, and aims at the Orc outside the house.
"Looks like we've got about 8 more orcs here. Maybe we should try another strategy besides a head-on fight."
"That's a lot to take ourselves. Maybe we can find some help at the Killing Ground?"
"That's a good idea. There's a commotion there too, though, so we'd best all go."
The interior of The Killin' Ground is a shambles. Many of the bar's patrons and staff lie dead on the floor.
A trio of invaders (a half-orc woman and two human men) are enjoying the spoils of their victory, perhaps a little too much judging by how slowly they react to the party's presence.
Zigil suddenly remembers her training, () and moves in to engage the half-orc, sword already drawn.
On Grodar's turn, he fires his crossbow at the half-orc.
"Shift over you" Giles says to Grodar.
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Grodar suddenly remembers 5-foot steps are swift actions, and moves to AN-61 as well.
Giles winds up to charge whoever he can on his turn.
Eldan steps to AM64 and appears to scream at the Brute even though there is no sound.
"Leave me some room too!" Zigil will delay until after Giles' attack.
Zigil charges to AO62 or AO61 attacks the half-orc.
,
Whatever Eldan did causes the half-orc to reel. Grodar's bolt thunks home as he steps aside.
From Actions during Combat: Charge: If any line from your starting space to the ending space passes through a square that blocks movement, slows movement, or contains a creature (even an ally), you can't charge. (I did miss that line.)
It looks like from my square (and actually Giles' as well for that matter), I can find a line to AO61 that goes through Grodar's square and the door jamb, and a line to AO62 that goes through the wall.
If that's the issue, Ziggy will just move to one of those squares and take her lumps.
If it's about not being able to draw the weapon, I've been assuming that my weapon's been out since the battle with the orcs at the Morningstar residence.
Slei's stone strikes home with a solid blow.
Giles charges in and inflicts a grievous wound on the half-orc brute.
Garm follows Giles, then interposes himself between the farmer and a thug.
Zigil invokes his goddess while charging in, and drops the half-orc invader.
Eldan lets fly with a force missile.
Eldan sends a bolt of light at the thug whom Slei had hit, and he collapses.
Grodar fires another crossbow bolt at the remaining thug.
The bleary-eyed thug is still in shock and noticing his fallen companions when Grodar's bolt hits him.
,
Will 5' step if someone needs a clear shot at him after.
Giles steps in and attacks.
The drunken invaders are dispatched before they can react.
Moments after the invaders fall, movement is visible among the bodies of the fallen patrons, and Rabus Clarenston, owner of the Killin Ground, stands up.
"Thank The Inheritor! You've got free drinks for life, friends!"
"I'll drink to that! Gilles grabs a mug from the bar."
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"Giles, we don't have time for that now! There are bad hombresorcs pillaging and looting the town. Rabus, we're looking for a few more brave souls to help us deal with them. Any suggestions?"
Rabus shakes his head. "Nobody here. I only survived by pretending to be dead. Maybe there are militia out there?"
"Please take these. There are a couple of magical drinks for when one of you gets sick, and a couple of alchemic ones to settle your stomach."
"Any chance you could take me somewhere safe?"
"There are people gathering at the Longhouse. We can escort you there. Have you overheard any chatter from the invaders?"
"Not much. The humans were mercenaries from Freedom Town. The half-orc was named Rishka, and she was from the Twisted Nail tribe. They also said a name of somebody they all worked for: Skreed."
"Can you take me as far as the gate?"
"Fair enough. Let's head for the gate. Too many orcs across the street anyway."
"Umm... to be clear, I mean the gate headed up to the Longhouse..."
"Right, that one. Let's go."
The group escorts Rabus to the relative safety of the barrier, then ponders where to go next.
"Please take these. There are a couple of magical drinks for when one of you gets sick, and a couple of alchemic ones to settle your stomach."
Zigil will examine the potions with detect magic and
(expecting two healing potions and two antitoxins). She will taste them as well if she can't identify them all.
Zigil is able to determine that two are magical, and the others are not. Sipping the items gives no more information.
"Unless townspeople are in immediate danger from the looters, our first priority is to get the last beacon lit at the Hopespring. Then, let's come back and deal with these orc miscreants."
"Agreed"
Grodar lights yet another torch.
The group heads across the open common again, to where the trees are burning with a green flame. Pea-green smoke billows out to cover the surrounding area.
"That's pretty. Unnatural."
When Zigil gets within 60' of one of the burning trees, he will detect magic.
Zigil approaches to where he can examine the tree to the left, and detects no magic in the unnatural flames and smoke. However, her study is distracted by the sound of Garm growling at something obscured by the smoke to the right.
"Garm, what do you see ... in the smoke to my right?" Zigil squints and looks where Garm is growling .
Giles will approach the edge of the smoke, careful not to breath it in. He has his sword drawn.
Grodar loads his crossbow.
As Zigil turns, she detects a magical aura.
The reason for Garm's displeasure becomes clear, as vague shapes appear in the smoke. An instant later, the party see they are an orc with three dogs on chains.
The orc grins and releases the chains, calling out "Kill!" in orcish. She then hurls a javelin at Eldan.
One of the dogs surges forward to bite Giles, but the other two stand wheezing and coughing in the smoke.
"The aura can wait. For Iomedae and Trunau!" Zigil will move her full 20' to AG55 and strike at the orc. ,