Mel's arrow shoots past the huge wooden shield and narrowly manages to find its way into one of the orcs behind it, who grunts loudly. A horn sounds from the woods and the shield and the orcs behind it speed their advance somewhat. The shadows across the river begin rushing the bridge. When all four of them are on the bridge, Hirda jerks the trigger rope, causing the bridge to collapse.
One of the orcs manages to leap over onto the bank while the other three fall into the water.
The orc bellows in pain with its leg caught in the trap.
The orcs that fell in the water struggle against the rough water.
Two swim to the edge of the east bank and are about to climb up out of the water. One makes no progress and barely manages to keep his head out of the water.
You see six shapes coming from the woods to the south. Several seem to draw bows.
Another steel snap is heard.
Only Alexandra is struck, the cover from the palisade stopping most of the other arrows.
Vors glances around briefly. The only longspear he sees is the one Perrin's stoney friend is holding.
The residents of Brookside begin crying out and clamoring in alarm. After the initial onslaught, they have somewhat recovered themselves enough to act but are unsure what to do.
Mel shoves her hand into her belt pouch and pulls forth the blue potion Perrin gave her earlier. She pops the cork out with one thumb and downs it in one gulp. A series of images race through her mind:
The day her first published article came out, and the lad who helped her celebrate.
The best birthday party she ever had, when the weather was perfect and she got exactly the right gift.
The moment of satisfaction when the second bow she ever crafted held true on the range.
All of these and more pass through her mind before finally settling on one final image:
A flash of grey fur in a dimly-lit cave as the dog leaped in front of her.
Mel blinks back tears, clears her throat and yells:
"Archers at the gate -- check for grappling hooks and cut the rope if you find one! If your space is clear, shoot the orcs behind the orcs behind the big one! For Brookside!"
Perrin scrambles up the ladder by the gate, crouching behind the top of the palisade as he peers down at the fearsome attackers. Giving a raspy shriek, he brandishes his glowing string, and the light falls upon a swarm of sticky tendrils that burst from the ground, twining together to form a vast web. The fibers stay low to the ground, clinging to the feet and ankles of the karak and surrounding orcs.
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Pebbles moves into position by the gate alongside Vors, holding his spear at the ready. He pauses for a moment, motionless, then slowly turns his head to face the man beside him. The creature reaches out a rocky hand with surprising gentleness and rests it softly on Vors' shoulder, filling his mind with a strange clarity. Then Pebbles seems to suddenly snap out of it, gripping his spear with both hands and turning away to stare fiercely at the gate.
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Mel's voice calls out in the night, struggling to be heard over the exclamations of startled villagers, the scream of pain from Alexandra, and the yell of orcs. Thanks to her position in the watchtower, however, several villagers hear her and have the presence of mind to follow her instructions. Despite her unfamiliarity to them, her words are clearly a good course of action. Scratchtail pulls out a small dagger and stands on his tiptoes to cut the rope from the grappling hook. Alexandra, extremely distressed by the arrow in her left shoulder, slumps down against the catwalk moaning. Many villagers look at her, petrified. A few fire at the orcs behind the huge wooden barrier.
Reinala draws the longbow as if she'd done this before and her arrow strikes home, drawing a grunt of pain from the attackers on the other side of the gate. The rest of the residents of Brookside man their positions uncertainly.
The good doctor, however, does not stand idle. He pulls himself quickly up the ladder and stands on the wall, weaving spiderweb from the air itself. The karak and orcs grunt in surprise as they try avoid the strange webs springing up around them.
Vors grunts his gratitude to Pebbles, then heads for the ladder to the catwalk overlooking the gate. When he reaches the top, he stays low for now, but prepares to stand and demoralize the orcs and karak below with a dazzling display of weapon prowess.
Hirda, Noln, and Lem are only vaguely aware of some action taking place elsewhere along the palisade. Hirda gives a satisfied snort as the bridge collapses just as planned, sending the orcs flailing into the river. As two struggle up the river bank, Hirda brings her glaive down grimly on the one caught in the bear trap.
Keep back, let 'em come to us through the traps.
Here I am again with Noln, fending off orcs like so long ago. I was hoping I would never have to remember those times, much less relive them with my family alongside. Such are times, I suppose. I should be surprised, and thankful, that peace lasted as long as it did.
Looks like we should be able to control this rabble comin' from this side. Hope them other folks are doin' aright.
Noln nods at Hirda and also swings his greataxe at the orc.
Aye, me dear. Just like old times.
Noln's greataxe rushes through the air but completely misses the orc. It's been while for the old dwarf...
It occurs to some of you near the gate that a horn was sounded from somewhere to the east of the gate in the woods but you don't know who sounded it or what that person has been doing. You find out. A dark figure on a heavy warhorse rides out from the woods. He approaches relatively close to the palisade and opens his fist, as if releasing a spell.
With a puff of sulfur, a vile-looking creature appears next to Perrin on the battlements. It releases a cone of flame from its gaping maw.
Despite their surprise at the creature's appearance, the seasoned adventurers dodge the worst of its breath.
The figure also holds up some sort of symbol and proclaims something in divine words. His allies seem bolstered by his magics while Perrin, Vors, Pebbles, and the villagers near the gates feel their energy ebbing.
It is a holy symbol of Zon-Kuthon.
He cast prayer.
Mel winces at the sight of the holy symbol. I really hope I don't have to use this knife on myself, she thinks, But it's a lot better than becoming chattel of a Kuthite.
The orc in the river attempts to swim out of the water but again just manages to keep his head above water.
The orcs on the river bank move forward towards the family of Kirin.
One of them triggers another hidden trap.
The angered orc drags the trap forward with it. The three move towards your family.
x3=18 damage
Your powerful attack slashes into the first orc, leaving him bleeding and nearly dead. But all three move in on you, seeing you as the greatest threat.
but only the bleeding orc manages to hit you as your armored shoulders shrug off their blows.
You all hear several bowstrings twanging simultaneously from the north and south. You also hear a pounding begin on the wooden gate.
You see arrows coming over the palisade from north and south. Jonathan Golightly cries out sharply and falls from the catwalk as an arrow finds home in him.
x3=
The karak lifts its huge shield to cover itself and its allies against attacks from above. With its long arms, knotted in muscle, it slams the shield against the gate.
The free orc attempts to move up and attack the gate as well.
Succeeding, it strikes the gate with its greataxe.
The restrained orcs attempt to break out of the spectral webbing.
All but one succeed and also move up to the gate.
31/40
As the grotesque creature materializes on the battlements, the slightly-less-grotesque elemental below swivels his spear around, stabbing upward at the new enemy. Far from his typical steady demeanor, this strike seems filled with a demonic ferocity.
Vors yells to one of the Gillmen, "Strisgar, use that longspear like the doctor's rock critter - stab at that beastie that just appeared!"
Hirda is nearly knocked to the ground by the orc's blow. Blood gushes from a large cut in her head, but mercifully stays out of her eyes. I'll be aright. Noln dear, Lem, kin ya finish off this'un? I'll start whittlin' down the next. She takes a step back and aims a blow at the other orc with a leg in the bear trap.
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Strisgar looks between Vors and the fiendish beast for a moment, hesitating. Then he sets his weak, piscine jaw and runs over. He shoves his spear upwards toward the hellspawn.
The fire-hardened point finds home in the creature's side. It snarls and, with a puff of sulphur, is sent crashing back into the netherworld.
“Fine work, lad!” Vors calls.
Perrin's eyes narrow as he watches the figure release his spells, and he calls out to alert the archers on the palisade. "The rider knows magic! Shoot him when he starts to cast!"
Mel calls out: "Yes -- shoot the orc on the horse if he looks like he's casting a spell, or if he rides away!" She nocks an arrow, intending to follow her own advice.
-.-
I must have offended the dice somehow.
Hirda's blow finishes off the orc in front of her. Lem and Noln join in on the other two.
Noln's blow strikes home while Lem's lack of experience shows as his blow is easily avoided by the orc.
The orc in the river keeps struggling towards the shore.
He manages to get ashore but Hirda has a couple of surprises waiting for him.
The first fails to do more than distract him as he jumps over the bear trap. The second comes at him in pure steel as Hirda's glaive welcomes him to shore.
He then joins in the melee, striking at Lem.
But Lem's borrowed armor is barely able to deflect the blow in time.
The two orcs on the shore tear at Noln and Hirda.
The villagers on the catwalk near the river look on in fear, afraid to fire into the melee for fear of hitting their comrades. Those with melee weapons headed over to the gate to help Vors.
A clanging bell and many thumping sounds are heard from just beyond the lighted area of the north wall.
A shaft flies up toward the watchtower.
Ursa Dorner and Orrin Tollin have the presence of mind to cut the ropes off the grappling hooks. But the other defenders in the part of the wall are too distraught at the fall of Jonathan Golightly and are falling apart, undirected.
Three more shafts fly toward the defenders on the south wall.
But the trusty palisade stops all three shafts. It does not, however, stop the orc who climbed up onto the catwalk and reaches to draw his greataxe.
Vors attempts a dazzling display of his expertise with his old halberd to intimidate the orcs and karak at the gate.
The attackers seem somewhat taken aback at Vors display of defiance.
"Mel, you wanted fire, right?" Perrin calls back from the battlement as Vors draws the attackers' attention with his display of prowess. "Anyone who's not fighting, get some water ready!" He gestures at the buckets and containers they set out earlier in the day.
With that, the doctor leans over the palisade as far as he can and growls an incantation, sending a cone of flame bursting toward the karak's unprotected flank and the orcs that surround it.
The flames also catch the lattice of webbing, setting it alight and scorching anyone within the burning webs.
Then Perrin hears the sounds of chaos along the southern wall and starts to rush in that direction, stepping quickly along the catwalk.
The web burns away, dealing extra damage to the orcs and karak inside of it as well as the gate to which it is attached. The walls and gate of the palisade as well the huge wooden shield are tested by the flames. You notice the improvised shield seems to have been soaked just like your defenses.
but perhaps Perrin was careful not to be too pyromaniacal this time.
Freed by the fire, the last orc tries to join his comrades in attacking the gate but is only able to move up behind them as they and the karak have completely crowded the gate.
The mounted figure raises its holy symbol and moves toward his allies. A burst of energy seems to flow from him. His allies seem rejuvenated.
12/40
Those villagers close enough to hear Mel's moderate shout fire at the mounted orc.
Two of the arrows strike home in the priest while the others deflect off his armor.
Perrin makes a few more rumbling noises to Pebbles over his shoulder, and the elemental responds with a curt nod. He dives beneath the ground, burrowing under the gate and positioning himself just underneath the mounted figure he senses through the earth. Lurking below the surface, he stabs blindly upward at the rider above.
Perrin continues dashing along the catwalk toward the southern wall, surveying the scene of panic that awaits him. The doctor takes a deep breath, then starts rattling off instructions in a loud voice that manages to sound simultaneously frantic and soothing.
"Archers, shoot anyone who's shooting back at you or trying to climb up the wall! Folks with knives, cut the ropes from those hooks and stab anyone who makes it to the top! Goodman Golightly, don't try to move, I'll be with you in a moment. And you..." He points to the orc that made it over the battlements, and his voice is suddenly cold as ice. "Leave. Our. Town."
Mel feels a surge of gratitude to Perrin for backing her up. I do believe he means well, she thinks. But he's so ... short-sighted. Bargains with demons never end well.
"For Brookside!" she shouts again, and lofts another arrow at the orc leader.
... but it ricochets off his armor, sinking into the dirt somewhere in the shadows behind him.
Mel shakes her head, and takes a moment to peer towards the noises over the north wall. "A bell?" she mutters to herself. "What's that all about?"
Pebbles' blow strikes home in the leader's flank, drawing a steady stream of blood.
Perrin is barely able to run far enough to get in range of the orc. He hurls his will at the orc's.
The orc recoils in terror and starts to run along the catwalk away from Perrin.
Two villagers next to the orc drop their bows and draw their knives, giving the orc an opening but his will is so overwhelmed by Perrin's that the orc doesn't notice his opening.
But the two villagers aren't accustomed to landing knife blows and fail to harm the orc.
Many other villager's hear Perrin clearly and are somewhat taken aback at receiving combat orders from the doctor but some respond immediately.
Given the lighting and the distance, Mel can't make out what's going on out there. It's quite a ruckus, though.
Guessing that the fall of the gate is close, Vors scrambles down the ladder and takes up a defensive stance. ”Be ready, lads! They’re comin’ through soon - don’t all try to be heroes, group in threes! Two help one to land a hit! Focus on one foe at a time, and watch each other’s backs!”
Gar! Threaten me son, will ya! Stand still there, I'll be wit ya in jus' a minute, after I work on yer cousin 'ere! Hirda slashes at the more wounded of the orcs.
Muffled shouts and the ringing of a strange bell reach the three of them from the other side of town. No sense thinking about what's going on over there. We got our work cut out for us here.
Villagers armed with spears, clubs, and some real, martial weapons line up in a ring around the gate. They hear Vors loud and clear and, while he did not speak in a particularly gentle manner to them, they are used to his leadership in the community.
The orc grunts in pain but he and his companions lay into the Dwarven family with axes and tusks.
Lem is torn to pieces by the orc attacking him, he falls with a cry as the orc tears him unnecessarily with a tusk.
Noln grunts in pain as the orc's axe takes him in the shoulder but he manages to take the incoming bite with his armor and deflect it.
At something shouted to them by the mounted figures, the attackers who are on fire drop to the ground and roll frantically in an attempt to put out the flames while those who aren't burning continue to hack at the gate while the Karak keeps the shield up and hammers at the gate.
The gate splinters, cracks, and bursts. The orcs flood through, snarling.
The karak and orc continue to burn while the leader bleeds from Pebble's wound.
The leader stows his own greataxe on his back and reaches down to Pebbles' spear sticking out of the ground, providing Pebbles a chance to strike him.
He then rips Pebbles' spear out of the small elemental's grasp
and rides after his followers into the breach.
A horn is heard blowing on the north wall.
The orc on the wall begins shimmying down his own rope in fear of Perrin's spell. While he does so, two more grappling hooks appear on the wall as three more arrows come shooting up.
From here, you can tell Jonathan Golightly is dead.
"Take the leader down!" Mel yells. "He's coordinating all the others!"
Still under the effects of Good Hope, Mel mutters under her breath "Maybe that horn is reinforcements from Astin. That would be great."
She nocks an arrow and once again lobs a shot at the leader.
As her arrow flies past the orc leader's ear to sink harmlessly into the earth behind him, Mel suddenly recalls the account the others gave of the fight with the orc scouting party -- how Cyrus could not seem to hit any of them despite his best efforts. But I learn from history, she thinks in protest. Surely this can't be the same thing that got Cyrus killed! Unless there's some sort of curse at work ...
Perrin grimaces but keeps running for the southern wall, calling out instructions as he moves. "Cut those ropes as fast as you can! If you're hurt, stay down behind the wall. Everyone else, keep shooting!"
Then Perrin speaks a few more words in his demonic language, pointing over the palisade at the ropes dangling from their metal hooks. Suddenly, a rush of cold water flows down the ropes, splashing against the hands of any orcs climbing below.
The villagers seem bolstered by Mel's firmly declared instructions and the archers attempt to draw beads on the mounted figure.
The archers fire capably, striking the leader several times.
The villagers on the ground hesitate, waiting for Vors' leadership.
The orcs about to reach the top of the wall begin slipping on their wet ropes. Ursa and Karen saw at the ropes, cutting them free.
Again, the archers prove the value of Mel's training.
Pebbles tremors in alarm as the spear gets yanked out of his hands and quickly turns to pursue the leader. He approaches from underground to avoid the reach of the weapon he knows so well, bursting from the earth and slamming into the mounted figure.
Vors raises his halberd and shouts directions as quickly and clearly as he can, "Huran and Allen, help Abigail get the first orc that comes in on the right!
"...Scatton and Ursa, help Kelian get the orc on the left!
"...Aimin, Sendal, and Orgel, help Silas get the next orc that runs in!
"...Strisgar, help me with the big one!" And with that, the old warrior closes carefully on the mighty foe, ready to slash away with his trusty halberd.
Now well and truly outmatched, and barely able to remain on her feet, Hirda heroically stands her ground, determined to defend her beloved town to her last breath, which seems perilously nigh. Lem's gone, I'm about done for, I hope Noln can manage without us. With an effort she banishes her dismal thoughts from her mind and swings at her opponent.
Vors' eye for war notices that most of the orcs are poorly armored but they seem to endure blows better than normal such that each blow hurts them a little less than it would hurt a typical man.
When Pebbles bursts from the ground, the mounted orc turns Pebbles' own spear against him.
His blow strikes home, pounding through Pebbles' earthy flesh.
Seeing the elemental's vulnerability, the leader grunts to one of his lieutenants who turns on the elemental
and turns the small, humanoid shape into a pile of its namesake.
Meanwhile, the leader places a hand upon himself and utters some words. His hand glows with a red light, closing the rivulet of blood opened by the elemental.
The leader then grunts something at the towering figure of the karak, who lowers the shield over himself and the leader in one hand while batting at the flames all over him (karak and leader have partial cover right now).
but the great creature cannot put out all of the flames.
The three other berserkers push the attack forward. They have not yet completely overcome their fear of Vors' display but they slash at the villagers around them.
Silas and Abigail fall with brief sprays of red.
An arrow whizzes over the north wall heading for Scratchtail.
and finds home in his soft fur. The small creature cries out in pain and huddles on the catwalk.
Noln bellows in anger.
You'll not be touchin' me family!!
His blow brings the orc down.
The two other orcs turn on Noln.
Only one of them manages to land a blow on the tough old Dwarf, who fights on but is flagging visibly. While maneuvering around him, one of the orc's springs another trap.
The steel teeth clamp down on the orc, biting deep into its flesh.
Out of grappling hooks, the orcs with greataxes set off at a dead run to the northeast, heading for the gate. One of them is still hampered by the trap and moves much more slowly. The archers fire back over the walls while moving more slowly toward the northwest.
An arrow finds home in Roger Tomfoot's arm, bringing him to his knees behind the wall.
One of them moves close to a hidden trap
but not close enough.
"Perrin, Hirda's in trouble!" Mel shouts.
Perrin is struck by a sudden wave of nausea that can only mean one thing: his loyal familiar is no more. He sways for a moment as the world seems to spin around his skull, but when he stands up straight there's a new determination in his eyes. He moves forward to stand in the midst of the southern defenders and takes a deep breath.
His voice rings loud and clear, rising above the din of battle and turning the heads of the Brooksiders around him. "Alright everyone, listen up!" the doctor calls, sounding for all the world like he's about to remind them to keep weight off their sprained ankle and take their medicine twice a day. "Target the archers as fast as you can! If you're hurt, take a shot, then drop flat on the catwalk. I can heal you."
His reassurance is cut off by Mel's shout from the watchtower, and Perrin abruptly spins around, eyes searching the riverbank for Hirda and Noln.
He spots the wounded dwarves in front of the demolished bridge, facing a pair of orcs with weapons raised to strike. Pointing at the orcs and giving a bellow even they can hear, he unleashes one more spell in their direction. The magic soars over the houses and gardens of this once-peaceful town, and those horrible webs start to spin themselves around the attacking orcs.
Meanwhile, the archers around him on the palisade open fire once again.
The villagers seem to be struggling with the distance somewhat as the orcs are moving toward the gate but three of them land blows on the retreating archers. The wounded then drop huddling on the catwalk.
Webs leap up from the ground, attempting to snarl around the raging orcs.
One of the orc's is grappled by the webbing while the other leaps free with a surprised growl.