Wouldn't the fireball get all the orcs too?
-54
-16
Wouldn't the fireball get all the orcs too?
You assume so; do you turn and look?
The orcs that killed the guards rush past you and in to the camp; you can hear the sound of their falchions hacking into flesh and the low moans of the wounded start to go silent. You kill an orc and wound another.
O3-23
O4
You hear the heavy hooves of a horse racing towards you as you see yet another wave of orcs preparing to charge forward.
Wouldn't the fireball get all the orcs too?You assume so; do you turn and look?
Was referring to the orcs that Ang is fighting, pretty sure he should be able to see those.
-25
Whoever launched the fireball was smart enough to center it so the edge reached you and not your foes.
You take down the wounded orc and badly hurt the other, who is quickly cut down by a longsword. You look up and see Arissa astride her massive horse-Time to go Ang; the situation here is untenable. She motions for you to get on the back of her horse.
With no foes to engage at the moment you are able look back and see horrific a scene of slaughter-orcs hack about wildly and a small group of giants either throws rocks, smashes with clubs, or hungrily stuff bodies (some still alive) in there massive maws. A small knot of guards still fight, but their cause looks long lost.
Get on the horse.
The weight of your armor hampers your ascent, but Arissa grabs you and with surprising strength helps you up.
A blast of lightning strikes both of you and the horse as you gallop away.
DC18 REF
Arissa swears loudly and as the wind whistles by you-I think we could have held them if it wasn't for that damn mage. I swear if I ever find out who it was....
A few minutes later she pulls up and curses again-Something is wrong with him. His gait is off. We are going to have to get off and have a look.
After a brief examination she curses again; Arissa has quite a foul vocabulary for one so fair-Well it looks like we walk for at least a while. His rear legs are strained from the electricity and burst of speed that got us away.
If we give him a day or so he should be fine. In any case, three days gets us to the citadel and if our luck turns just a bit we will run into a patrol. We should get going before any of those orcs start tracking us down. We have a decent head start, but they won't rest until they catch us or we make the citadel.
She confidently leads her horse to the northwest.
-36
-0
"Do you need healing or do you have the means to heal yourself?"
She looks back at you as she walks, surprise clearly evident in her countenance-I'm fine, thank you for asking. I never got a chance to tangle with the giants and orcs go down like so much wheat before a scythe. Training and experience; there really is no substitute.
I must say this is a distressing turn. We have never dealt with such an organized war party, and a mage no less. If I didn't know better I would suspect that they had been waiting for us. With a mage in tow, they just might have.
I must say Ang, you surprised me back there. I half expected you to try and insist on making some foolish stand to save the remaining armsmen.
"I thought them all dead otherwise I would have."
That's fair; I would have done the same. Losing those under your charge is difficult, even more difficult when you must choose between duties. She sighs, Such is life I suppose; fairness is a myth, all that is true is duty.
She leads her horse northwards.
Keep walking.
Hmmm, I doubt she could force me to the Citadel now that her company is slain, but they might send others and if I am being honest with myself I am curious as to what the Lictor wants with me.
The day proceeds without incident as you continue to climb in elevation. As you set up camp Arissa-How do you propose we keep watch Ang?
Did Ang get enough “rest” the night before to cast Keep Watch tonight?
Yessir.
Cast Keep Watch on both Arissa and Ang.
Once again you can tell that Arissa is quite perplexed and surprised by your response. She doesn't say anything, but you get the feeling that she spends almost as much time on watch looking at you as she does for orcs. The dawn comes without event, but you notice a concerned look on Arissa's face as you move north. Maybe it's because her horse is still not quite fit to ride?
"Is something troubling you?"
Arissa sighs; a little despondently-Not some thing; a lot of things, actually. She begins to count hem off on her mailed hand-I don't care for things that are out of order and my mind can't set straight. My mount is still a little lame. We haven't seen any sign of my Order. I'm afraid the orcs are closer to us than I would like to admit. Mostly I'm perturbed that my companion seems to be more willing to accompany me than I ever would have expected.
She turns back to look at you-Is that enough of a list do you think?
"For now my best chance of survival lies with you and your best chance of survival lies with me so it seems we should stick together. If you are trying to tell me in some roundabout way that I should fear going to the Citadel then just say it outright. If this is the case would you be willing to change our destination?"
She nods-That makes more sense then; companionship for mutual survival.
I make no suggestion about the Citadel; if the Lictor wanted you dead that would probably already be the case. As my superior, I am bound to follow his orders; that is my duty. I'll get you there in one piece, regardless the cost. Plus with the hills crawling with foes, the Citadel is the safest close place for many leagues.
"So be it, let us get the Citadel then."
Not much of the morning passes by before you can hear the clarion call or orcish war horns coming back from where you camped. Arissa sighs-I had hoped it would have taken them longer to find us. It's almost like they are being guided by something; maybe that mage.
She checks her mount and mutters-Sorry boy before mounting the saddle and extending a hand to you-We'll have to chance it; time to cover some ground.
Get on the horse.
Arissa guides the horse masterfully through the terrain, clearly knowing the area and her mount quite well. She takes you through several trails and ravines, sometimes angling back the way you came, but generally heading in a northerly direction. She curses frequently and mutters, almost as if she is having a conversation by herself and forgetting you are there. The crash and noise of orcish pursuit never seeming all that far away.
After a few hours even someone with your limited riding experience can tell that the massive horse is beginning to labor under the strain of two heavily armored riders. Arissa curses again and looks back at you-He can't take much more of this and I get the feeling that we are being herded, for lack of a better term. My gut tells me to find some good ground and fight while my horse still has strength, but I figured I'd ask you and see if you are getting any godly tingles about what to do next.
"No, if Torag wills it we will survive, if not this seems as good a place to die as any."
Oh we aren't dying today, not if I have anything to say about it. Just don't want to be driven in a particular direction by my foes. Let's find a good place to give them a proper motivating.
She searches about until she finds a spot that is fairly defensible for two people but can still shield her steed. The sound of orc pursuit grows ever closer. I'll join you on foot and save my horse for in case things get desperate. I've seen you in action earlier, but anything special I should know about how you holy warriors fight before we greet our friends? She checks her armor and blade as she waits for your answer and the approaching foes.
"I can heal myself in battle, not much else to tell."
Use divine bond to add +1 to hammer.
As the noise of approaching foes grows louder Arissa looks over at you-I'm still not very familiar with your style so make sure to call out for help or anything strange; I'll be sure to do the same. She smiles-I still have to get you to the Citadel in more or less one piece.
A few moments later a small swarm of orc warriors come into sight, Arissa-Here they come...; further behind them you can see another group of orcs and at least two giants.
Any cover from missile weapons? Any sign of the Wizard?
This initial group has no interest in missile weapons and moves quickly to get into hand-to-hand; you see nothing of a wizard, but are not surprised as you still have yet to lay eyes on him.
Orc 1
Orc 2
Orc 1
Arissa hits twice but takes a nasty blow in return.
Arissa joins you in dropping an orc and escapes the round unscathed, as the group with the giants draws closer.
Orc 1
Orc 2
Your unfamiliarity with your companion's fighting style causes you to tangle each other up, nearly doing each other harm, and allowing an orc to land a nasty cut through Arissa's defenses. The second of group of orcs will engage next round, with the pair of giants not far behind.
Orc 1
Orc 2
How injured does Arissa look?
Arissa's wound is not severe; she is even tougher then she is fair. You drop another orc as Arissa clicks her boots together, suddenly moving much faster, and drops an orc as the next wave enters the fray (now 8 total). The giants surprisingly hang back a little, not wanting to harm their orc allies.
Orc 1
Orc 2
Orc 3
Orc 4
A pair of those boots would be nice!
-30
-0
You and Arissa both drop orcs, her defensive mastery prevents any hits to her, but the remaining ones continue their assault.
Orc 2
Orc 3
Orc 4
She fights well.
Another pair of orcs goes down, but Arissa takes a blow from a falchion. The giants continue to wait, hoping that their orc allies are up to the task but are clearly getting ready to enter the fray.
Orc 3
Orc 4
finish these orcs
Arissa lands two blows but takes one in return. She's starting to look a little worn. You drop another orc and the giants join the fray with their long reach.
Orc 4
Hill giant 1
Hill giant 2
You obliterate the final orc as Arissa cuts down both of the remaining ones that face her. You both move forward to engage the giants that no longer hold back in fear of hitting their allies.
Hill giant on Ang
Hill giant on Arissa
-39
-2
Hill giant on Ang -53
Hill giant on Arissa
Arissa takes two massive blows and falters, but her plate glows brightly and she stays up.
-22
You both hammer and hack at the giants who both look close to the end.
Hill giant on Ang -104
Hill giant on Arissa
-40
-8