Popping up from her temporary cover, Mel looks out across the chaos of the battlefield that had once been a peaceful village. The corpses of villagers lay where they had fallen, pools of dark blood mingling with that of the fallen orcs among them.
To the north west, Ukar, the karak, and the bulk of the orcs pursues the mounted archers from Astin deeper into the forest. To the south, the untouched orc archers form a rough skirmish line, sending deadly arrows singing out into the night. Below her, Vors braces himself to bolt in and start dealing with the orc archers.
A straggler from Ukar's axemen catches Mel's eye. That one's mine, she thinks. "Archers, return fire at the orc archers -- let 'em know how it feels!" Mel shouts.
Turning her gaze back to the orc axeman, Mel raises her bow, lines up a shot, and fires.
x3
The straggling orc rages on after the reinforcements, stubbornly dragging his entrapped leg along with him. It seems nothing can shut down the perseverance of these orcs. Then a shaft from the watchtower tears through the orcs neck with pound upon pound of force behind it. The orc totters and falls backward into the hoof-torn earth.
Standing amid the scattered bodies of friends and neighbors, Perrin raises his symbol high, crying out in the hope that some are merely unconscious.
Then he pulls yet another potion from his pouch and offers it to Vors or Hirda. "I'm running low on spells, but this potion can make you taller and stronger if you'd like."
Scanning the bodies, you realize that one of the chests is heaving slighly, Abigail Dorner's, who seems to be stable for the time being.
Buoyed by the movement of the karak, Ukar, and the other orcs, and by the healing that has eliminated the wounds he took in battle, Vors raises a fist to rally the other melee fighters at the gate and cries, “FOR BROOKSIDE! CHARGE!!!”
The invigorated old warrior leads his makeshift troop across the opening between the gate and the archers, keeping everyone from stumbling through the remaining bear traps on the ground. Though only a few of the blows land, the distance closed on the archers will make it difficult for them to continue firing upon the town. Now to not die from arrows, instead of axes, Vors thinks grimly to himself. He turns to the two other archers to the north, and roars a challenge at them, trying to draw attention to himself and away from the other townspeople at his side.
The Brooksiders charge valiantly out of their gate, attacking the archers outside of their gate. Vors lands home a heavy blow, as does Aimin. The others have some difficulty striking the nimbler archers. Two of the archers eyes grow glassy and their movements seem somewhat slowed.
includes point-blank shot and +1 morale bonus
South wall archers (includes Lily Nolton on south palisade catwalk and the halflings who are using slings)
includes +1 morale bonus
Watchtower: Whisky and Pats
includes +1 morale bonus
Includes +1 morale bonus to damage
As the bloodied defenders of Brookside charge out of the town walls, their kin on the walls above hesitate, looking for a clear target. Then Karen Golightly points at the one standing beneath a tree just past Vors and the others. "That one murdered my father!" she cries. "Shoot her!"
And the Brooksiders oblige with a hail of arrows and sling stones. Most of them go wide, pelting the grass about her. One whizzes just over her head to land in the tree behind her with a solid thock noise. But four arrows find their marks, suddenly sprouting from her like pins from a pincushion. As she staggers back from their impact, Alby Yenwood's slingstone comes hurtling out of the dark for a solid blow, smashing her nose flat.
Hirda ambles numbly up to the gate, sadly noting the results of the battle on this side of town. Dead and dying villagers lay crumpled on the ground, alongside their foes. Then she spies Halak next to Vors. They're not at each other's throats, he must be working on our side for some reason. She puts those emotions aside as well for the time being, and addresses Vors in a half-hearted mumble. Where ya need me Vors? I got a few more whacks left in me.
"We're makin for the archers, Hirda! If you want to come take a whack at one, come along!" Vors calls to her before lading the charge out of the gate.
The mounted archers continue firing upon the great beast, hoping to bring it to the ground.
The great beast, full of arrows, falls on the ground. But moments later, it begins to stir and regains its feet, heading after its mounted adversaries once more.
Some orcish words are heard emanating from the blackness.
And one of the archers from Astin goes stiff in his saddle, undirected, his horse continues riding with its companions.
The two axe-wielders begin moving back toward the Brookside gate while the free orcish archers, seeing her directing the villagers, fire at Mel.
The two orc archers engaged in combat draw their bows with an awkward sluggishness to fire at the enemies around them.
"OW!" Mel calls again, as the same orc archer tags her again.
"Fine, huora, it's your turn. Painu hevon vittuun!" Mel curses at her opponent as she lets fly a shaft.
includes point-blank shot and +1 morale bonus
South wall archers (includes Lily Nolton on south palisade catwalk and the halflings who using slings)
includes +1 morale bonus
Watchtower: Whisky and Pats
includes +1 morale bonus
The villagers on the palisade once more launch a volley at the orc archer. "'Ow do you like them slings and arrows?" yells Nancy Yenwood.
Mel's shaft punches through the archer giving her trouble, sending the orc to her knees until she collapses softly into the earth. The villagers send their shafts following Mel's and an unbloodied orc archer finds herself peppered by shafts, many of which stick and slow her down.
Vors calls for Aimin to defend himself, and for the Ursa and Kelian to flank and finish off their foe.
The old warrior then takes Hurin and Scatton north to close with the next archer, coordinating the youngsters to get into flanking position with him.
Relative to P3
- Vors = West side
- Hurin = East side
- Scatton = South Side
Relative to P5
- Aimin = Northwest side, Total Defense
- Ursa = West Side
- Kelian = East Side
With cries of rage against the archers, Vors, Hurin, and Scatton BUTCHER the bow-wielding orc with brutal efficiency, halberd, earthbreaker, and greataxe each taking their share.
Kelian swings the finely crafted longsword with a massive two-handed scything attack, and cuts straight through the neck of the archer, toppling it to the ground.
Each of the melee combatants gives a terror-and-adrenaline-fueled battle cry, clearly grateful for the change in fortunes after the bloodbath at the gate.
Perrin spots the breathing form of Abigail Dorner with an ounce of relief, and his hand hovers over the wand in his pocket. But instead he turns and rushes toward the north wall, climbing a ladder and moving along the palisade toward the commotion.
Hirda charges forward to the last archer in the area. Grunting with determination, she slashes with her glaive
but can't land the blow home. The orc looks back at her with glassy eyes and raises its bow, leaving an opening for Hirda to try to strike again.
Her glaive finishes off the archer but just as she does, two more of the berserkers come back towards the gate, the mounted figure close on their heels.
Some mutterings directed at Hirda are heard coming from the darkness
but she barely manages to shake them off as the dark words seek access to her mind.
The huge, abominable creature follows behind its apparent master but the Astin archers follow it as it turns. One of them wriggles in discomfort
but fails. The other two fire at the retreating monstrosity
and bring it to the ground again. But it's joints move slightly in unsettling ways. The archer who seems to be the leader calls up to Perrin
What is this thing? How do we kill it!?!
The last orc archer in sight fires a shaft at the mounted leader as he calls up to Perrin
catching him in the shoulder.
The snarling orc moving towards Hirda runs recklessly through the grass
and learns the folly of his recklessness when steel teeth sink into his calf.
Feeling some bitterweet satisfaction in dispatching the archer, Hirda turns to face the orcs charging her, flourishing her glaive in an arc over her head, and bringing it down on the closest target.
Almost done. Then I can rest...forever.
Vors waves at Aimin to make his way back towards town, away from the melee, then growls and gets his remaining combatants to charge at the approaching orcs. He cries out, "UKAR! WE ARE YOUR DOOOOOOM!"
re: N3
- Vors: Southwest
- Hurin: South
- Scatton: Southeast
re: 03
- Hirda = East
- Ursa = Southeast
- Kelian = South
x 3 = 30
As Perrin hoists himself up onto the palisade, he looks down to see the young archers Mel sent to help Hirda close behind him on their way back from the West Wall. "Quick, up here!" he calls to them.
While the teen archers climb up the ladders, Perrin turns his attention to the Astin rider's question. He peers down at the karak's quivering corpse, furrowing his brow as he tries to remember. That dog thing was healing just like that, and we, we...
We burned it!
"Stand back!" the doctor calls down, stepping toward the karak and pulling yet another vial from his pouch, this one made of glass with a blood-red liquid inside. He hurls it over the palisade at the body below, his terrible aim under the weight of that armor revealing why he wasn't picked as an archer. When the vial shatters, its surroundings are immediately consumed in flames.
The light of the flames flickers toward the bubble of darkness nearby, failing to penetrate the magic but clearly marking its boundaries. As the young archers stand up on the wall around him, Perrin points at the inky sphere surrounding the orc leader and shouts, "Shoot right at the center of that circle of darkness!"
Young Archers From West Wall
Archers By Gate
North Wall Archers
Perrin's flask hits the quivering heap of limbs and meat, setting it ablaze and ceasing its movement. A dismayed shout is heard from the darkened rider followed by a sharp grunt as Jael's and Sarah's shafts find home.
"Archers on the south wall -- just shoot at the center of that ark patch!" Mel calls.
"Whisky, Pats!" Mel says. "I know you've got good eyes in the dark -- if you can see the leader clearly, shoot him!"
The archers on the south wall look or a target. The unnatural blot of inky darkness conceals most of the remaining foes
South wall archers (includes Lily Nolton on south palisade catwalk and the halflings who using slings)
includes +1 morale bonus
Watchtower: Whisky and Pats
includes +1 morale bonus
Following her own advice, Mel tries to take a shot at Ukar.
(15 if confirmed!)
With the potion of Good Hope still singing in her veins, Mel lines up her shot and fires. We're going to make it through this! she thinks to herself. Not without cost ... but it could have been much, much worse.
Nancy's arrow is heard resounding off armor but Mel's and two others thump satisfyingly into flesh.
The last berserker prepares to swing his axe at the enemy who attracted his attention the most, Kelian, when something guttural and harsh is barked at him in orcish. The darkness moves forward, enveloping Kelian, and begins moving south east toward the woods.
Able to penetrate the darkness with your keen eyes, you see the wrath priest heave his warrior up into the saddle behind him and begin riding past your lines.
The mounted officer yells in joy, shouting his thanks to Perrin. Inspired, his lieutenant attempts to break the orc's hold over his mind
but fails to do so. The leader and his capapble lieutenant fire at the orc archer, the only target they can currently see.
Seeing the rival chief escaping, Halak steps out from the gate and calls the grasses of Brookside to vengeance.
Grasses and vines spring up around the horses legs, halting its motion on the very edge of a thick, mass of brambles and vines.
"Whisky, Pats, keep trying to shoot the leader -- I'm pretty sure you're the only ones who can actually see to shoot him in that gloom, and now the rest of us can't even tell where the edges are. And he's getting away!"
"Right you are," Whisky says, and the two of them send shafts out into the night. Sadly, they have no effect.
Scanning for targets, Mel sees only the one archer remaining, and takes a shot at her.
"If you get an opportunity to shoot the leader, shoot him!" Mel calls down to the other archers.
"There's an orc archer over here!" replies Alexandra Higgins.
"Oh crap, we missed one!" yells Sarah Golightly. She draws and fires at Halak, evidently not realizing he had been assisting the Brooksiders.
"Wait, not that one!" Mel yells as the other gate and south wall archers raise their weapons. "He's the one we took prisoner -- he struck a deal with Vors!"
As Mel directs the bulk of the defenders, the remaining teenagers around Perrin heed Alexandra's cry and turn their attention to the final orc archer.
Meanwhile, Perrin moves along the palisade to the east, positioning himself so that the top of the wall blocks him from the archer below, while the more elevated riders remain within his sight. Once again, he raises that lead symbol and shudders violently as the energy passes through him. The archers from Astin look up in wonder as their wounds begin to close, and the frozen lieutenant finds that he can move once more.
"Go after the leader, he's stuck in the vines just past the gate!"
When the darkness rolls past Kelian, Vors nearly has a heart attack until his son reappears. He waves for his troops to follow him carefully towards the south, when he sees that the darkness that can't be pierced by moonlight or starlight is just up ahead, but he stands just outside it. "Can anyone see in there? What do we do?"
Hirda runs headlong towards the fleeing orcs, either not noticing or willfully ignoring the twisting vines, not to mention the threat posed by the cornered warriors.
As Hirda enters the magical thicket, she is immediately bogged down. Luckily, she is within her glaive's reach of the mounted orcs (I think). Seeing she can't go further, she prepares to strike.
The villagers finish off the orc archer with their shafts while some target Halak until Mel calls them off. Halak snarls fiercely at the villagers in pain.
Hirda strikes at the wounded warrior,
pulling him off the horse. His body slumps into the weeds. With a cry of something that sounds like grief, the leader attempts to turn his horse toward you.
The leader cries out in rage
You took my soul in exchange for power and your power has deserted me!!
The beast breaks free from the vines and moves toward Hirda, giving her an opportunity to strike its rider, sinking her glaive into his shoulder.
Uncaring, he raises his waraxe and brings it down on her.
His destruction of the strange beast giving him some credit, Perrin's words are heeded by the riders from Astin, who move towards the turned priest.
Two of their shafts strike home, leaving the leader tottering in his saddle.
Mel's ears twitch at the shout in orcish, giving away Ukar's position, at least roughly.
Listening for a shout of pain, Mel hears only a spaaaaang as the arrow bounces off Ukar's armor.
"Whisky, Pats, try for the leader again. I want him to pay for what he's done here."
"No, Hirda's too close to him," Whisky replies. "Anyway, I think Hirda and Vors are going to take him down."
"Oh. Good. Uh, I guess shoot that last archer then?"
"Right."
Mel yells down to the villagers below: "Whisky says Hirda and Vors have got the leader -- shoot that last archer!"
The tiredness in Mel's voice must have shown. Most of the archers disregard her instructions, though Reinala and Sarah Golightly join Whisky and Pats in an attack on the last archer.
includes point-blank shot and +1 morale bonus
Watchtower: Whisky and Pats
includes +1 morale bonus
Reinala and Sarah turn to shoot the orc archer, but fail spectacularly -- Sarah's arrow slips off its rest and clatters to the wooden palisade at her feet. The noise startles Reinala, who jerks her bow as she flinches and manages to shoot the palisade wall right in front of her.
Meanwhile, Whisky and Pats loft their arrows down on the orc archer. The shafts float almost gently through the night chill, like deadly thistledown.
The orc archer gives a cry of despair as she is struck.
Vors, hesitant to send his son into that lethal darkness, tells them to hold back and wades in, cautiously swinging his halberd and trying to avoid Hirda...
...but he's too cautious, and only digs a furrow in the ground. "I need more light in here!" he bellows, hoping that someone can hear and assist him.
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Hearing Vors' command, Ursa Dorner attempts to throw a sunrod near him
and she succeeds! But the sunrod is swallowed up in the darkness, failing to help illuminate the area.
Perrin frowns in frustration, powerless to pierce this bubble of darkness. He looks around in confusion at Mel's words, trying to spot the remaining archer, but his eyes fall instead on the bodies scattered below him. A look of decision crosses his face, and he takes a deep breath, addressing the young archers around him.
"We can't risk hitting Hirda or Vors. So if you can see through this darkness, keep shooting, but otherwise come with me." He swings onto the adjacent ladder and drops down, landing with a soft thud. "It's time to go care for the wounded."
He speaks softly, and most of the teens don't hear him over the din of the battle. But Scratchtail starts toward the orc rider, and Nella Yenwood quickly follows Perrin down the ladder, her weapon clattering to the ground. She had been sending panicked glances every few seconds toward her mother's dim outline on the South Wall.
The ratfolk makes his way along the palisade to just north of the gate, close enough for his acute vision to pierce the supernatural shadows. The orc leader's mount makes for just enough space from the Brooksiders to allow a clear shot.
Meanwhile, Perrin crosses to the prone form of Abigail Dorner, drawing his wand as he moves. He presses the wand to her injuries and concentrates.
"Can you hear me, Abigail?"
Abigail jerks upright, conscious but still somewhat wounded. She stares at you in amazement.
WHOAA!! Um... thanks doctor...
She picks up her weapon in case she should need it.
Scratchtail's arrow yields a dissatisfying clanking sound instead of the intended thump.
The mounted archer's paralysis sets back in and he is unable to continue firing.
Hirda steps back carefully and strikes at her enemy, channeling all of her rage into precision.
The chieftain falls from his horse into the mud.
The mounted archers, annoyed by the archer harrying them, pick her off with a couple of shots.
Seeing the final orc archer fall, Mel turns back and begins to line up another shot on the spot where she fired last round. "Is Hirda clear?" she asks. "We've got to ..."
"It's all over -- Hirda got 'im," Whisky says.
Mel lowers her bow and gives a heavy sigh. "Good. I'm going to go down and tend to the wounded -- could you two stay up here and keep alert in case there are any other nasty surprises? Yell if you see anything."
Clambering down from the watch tower, Mel makes her way to the south wall. "That's the last of them, as far as we can tell," she says. "Keep alert anyway, just in case, but I think we can breathe and see to the wounded. Pass the word."
Pulling a healer's kit from her belt pouch, Mel sets about it.
Hirda brings her weapon down one last time on the chieftain's neck, nearly severing his head. Coming partway to her senses, she attempts to free herself from the vines around her.
Vors, Vors, kin ya see me et all? These two er nought but corpses now. Git back n' 'elp tend t' yer folk. N' one more thing--Git yer orc friend outta me sight afore I 'ang 'is guts out t' dry.
After hearing the others announce the final blow, Perrin turns to Nella and Abigail as Mel descends from the tower. "Could you please go with Mel, in case she needs help moving the injured? I'll be there in a moment, but call me if there's someone where she can't stop the bleeding."
With that, Perrin heads out of the gate and looks around, still unsure about what happened in the darkness. "Is... is the leader dead?" The doctor speaks haltingly, as though struggling to find the words. He turns to Halak with a quizzical expression. "How did he know so much healing magic? And what was he saying there, at the end?"
Perrin looks down and shakes his head distractedly, as though trying to focus on the issue at hand. "Speaking of healing magic, do you have any of your own? Most of mine will return to me at midnight."
Perrin's eyes turn upward to the stars and the sliver of moon, tracking their progression across the sky.
Halak grunts and gives you a rough translation of Ukar's last words. He shrugs regarding the origin of Ukar's abilities. The supernatural darkness fades away after the death of its creator.
Halak says
Me can cure one more but they no let me touch.
Looking at the stars, Perrin determines midnight is almost upon you.
The leader of the men from Astin rides up to Vors while directing his other two men to see to their fallen comrade.
What happened here? he demands.
"Yes, I could use the help; thanks." Mel says to Abigail and Nella.
Hearing Perrin's question as she leaves, Mel turns around and replies "He said: 'You took my soul in exchange for power and your power has deserted me!' Apparently he chose poorly; his god demanded a high price and ultimately betrayed him." She shoots Perrin a piercing glance, and then continues on to the palisade accompanied by Abigail and Nella.
Vors points at Ukar, dead on the ground. "I'm Vors Falchen, formerly a sergeant in the army of the Bishopric of Helm. Captain, you've saved us from destruction, that's what. This one, called Ukar, was leader of the warband. He sent an advance party a few days ago, and we caught wind of it and took them out. One orc we kept prisoner, and he gave us an accurate timeline for the attack - we wouldn't have been as well prepared as we were if it weren't for him."
He looks over at Halak and yells, "Halak, Mel will try to get someone to let you heal them. If they don't, go back to the barn, I'll come deal with you soon enough."
Shaking his head, Vors goes on, "They were planning to attack Rush Junction. We were just in the way. That damn karak - their word for that monster you kept bringing down - Ukar was counting on it to lay waste to us all, and it probably would have, if not for your arrows. We lost... we lost too many, as it is. Five at the gate, two at the bridge, perhaps a pair up on the wall. A high price to pay for a town as small as ours."
"I'm glad that our townsman, Thomas Nolton, made it to you to deliver the word. I assume he wasn't able to follow at your speed? What other news from Astin?"
Halak grunts at Vors' instructions and waits for Mel. If she has no instructions for him, he sulks into the barn. The captain responds
I am Captain James Hannady. If not for that young fellow up on the ramparts with his fire, I'm not sure we could have kept that thing down. Your man, Nolton, made it to Astin all right. And he made quite the scene, insisting that I bring a whole battalion to your little town. Normally, I don't listen to the rumors of small folk but he seemed extraordinarily sincere so I came with a few of my lieutenants.
He glances over at the body of his man.
Wish I'd taken the small fellow more seriously. And yes, he'll be along in a while. Seems your village has suffered quite a bit. My men and I will help you bury your dead then we must bury ours. Anything the foul cretins may have had should be used to help your village.
Perrin meets Mel's gaze, but the look he gives in response just seems tired - and a little bit helpless.
He turns away as Mel moves out of sight, and his next words are addressed to, of all creatures, the dead chieftain's horse. As the panicked beast struggles to break free of the brambles, Perrin reaches out a hand and murmers, "It's okay. It's all okay." He then speaks to the Brooksiders starting to emerge from the gate: "Could one of you please tether this poor animal to the palisade before someone gets hurt?"
Perrin's attention turns to the captain as he hears his mention, and he slowly makes his way over to the Astin riders. "Hey. I'm Perrin." he offers as a rather lackluster introduction. "I, well, I patch people up. And sometimes that involves fire, I guess." He seems to find his rhythm and continues speaking, more sure of himself. "My point is that I usually try to take care of the living people before the dead ones. So if you need bandages or water or just a place to rest, well, the bodies can wait. We'll do whatever we can to help."