The caravan travels quietly along the road to Tevinter. All around are the tired faces of humans, and elves, forced out of thaig and village by darkspawn, numbering about 30, with some live stock. Each face you see is tired and hopeless. This is the 3rd day crossing the Anderfels.
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Easy there boy Henry said as he caught an elven boy tripping over. We'll be resting soon. i hope . The gods seem to have forgotten about us. Once the boy was back on his feet Henry smiled.
there you go. he said patting the boys shoulder.
It had been like that for three days. At least the darkspawn had only been the little ones, and also in ones and twos. Henry's hand brushed his bow thinking about it. The air was dry and smelled of ash. Blade his hound sneezed beside him. Henry bent and gave his head a rub. Sleep seemed a long ago memory.
Rane had joined the caravan two days ago. It was, quite frankly, headed the wrong direction. But the Anderfells weren't safe to travel alone, as he'd found, and he was hoping they'd bring news or precise information about these new eneemies, this new "blight".
It was perhaps fair that they did not pay much attention to the exact details as their lives burned around them, but Rane could not help but be slightly annoyed with the refugees.
He'd have much preferred to travel with a trained cadre of soldiers than this fatuiged band, but that was rarely feasible in his line of work. The one time he did have an escort, they weren't exactly friendly towards him, so perhaps it was just as well.
He noted that, down the caravan, a youngster tripped and one of the humans set him on his feet. Rane kept his focus on the road and terrain ahead, walking on.
Illyri sits on the back of the cart, administering aid to a child who had fallen ill the day before.
I hope we can make it across soon. This one isn't going to last much longer
She wears simple traveler's clothes, but her staff and healer's bag belies her profession.
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Henry kept talking to the boy beside him
Let me tell you about blade here. Pure chance I got him. These hounds aren't found around here, you see. They are from the wilds of feralden, far from here, where barbarians rule. They breed these hounds, mibari they are called. For war and the hunt. Some barbarian traders had arrived at my home. They were in a bad way, darkspawn attack. We cared for them but they were ...well lets us just say they did not survive. There was a pup with them. I took a liking straight away. Over the last few years we bonded. I have saved his life and he mine.
The boy timidly moves toward the dog.
"Is..is it alright to pet him?"
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Oh yes.
Blade responds to the pat with a big lick on the boys nose, his tail, what little there was, wagging furiously
be a little careful. He's a lot smarty than you may think, and he's a greedy begger. He an endless stomach, you see.
Blade gives a hurt look to Henry, who laughs
don't give me that you know its true.
blade just gives a lofty look.
Yarask sits alone in a corner of the caravan honing the blade of his sword, not wishing to draw attention to himself:"Desolation and sorrow everywhere I turn my head to. And these people... they have been defeated before fighting. If we can't find a way to increase their morale and give them some hope, the accursed darkspawn will eat them alive, bones and all. And then they will turn their ugly heads back towards the Stone. And I cannot allow that. I need to find a way to turn the tide! But... HOW?"
The caravan is moving through a small forest. You see, hear, or smell something moving through the woods.
Yarask is so intent in his morose thoughts he doesn't notice anything unusual.
Rane noticed something out in the undergrowth. It might just have been a wild dog. Regardless, he drew his sword and began to move towards the relevant segment of the caravan.
"Who goes there? Show yourself!" He proclaimed in a carrying voice.
As Yarask hears Rane's voice from outside eh realizes there's something going on:"Mhh? What is that human talking about? Better take no chances!"
In an heartbeat the dwarf is on his feet heading towards the spot where Rane is.
As soon as Rane makes it to the underbrush, he is attacked by a genlock
Everybody roll initiative as the caravan is attacked by a dozen darkspawn.
2 refugees go down at the first volley from the trees. The rest are grabbing whatever weapon they can find, but few have any more than a stick or a pitchfork.
A few others are mercilessly chopped down by genlocks and hurlocks weilding axes and swords. A nasty looking hurlock is running toward Henry and the boy in half plate, brandishing a blood covered greatsword.
Illyri, having heard the sound, prepared her stave and casted Rock Armor on her self.
Rane brought his claymore down with a wild swing, attempting to server the
small cerature in twain. If he inpacitates it, he approaches the big one with the greatsword. If not, he circles the beast, putting himself closer to the one with the greatsword.
"Get the children inside the wagons!"
[Damage]2d6+9[/dice]
Yarask scoffs at the darkspawn arrow narrowly missing him and advances on the creatures, silent and grim, his anger raising with every step he takes:
The darkpawn with the greatsword charges at Henry, taking a swing.
(roll fort against taint, as you are now into wounds)
Yarask's greatsword hits its mark, biting into the shoulder of the nearest genlock.
The archers take their next shots
1 more refugee goes down.
Illyri tries to entangle the darkspawn on the north side of the caravan (the opposite side of Rane. DC 14)
Only 2 are entangled by the plants and roots.
Rane misses the genlock, his sword hitting nothing but air as it dodges out of the way.
Henry spins around to hit the alpha hurlock, hitting it through a gap in the armor.
Genlocks and hurlocks attack the refugees. 3 go down.
Blade's turn, then top of the round.
G 1 11
G 2
G 3
H 1
H 2
HA 1
HA 2
HA 3
HA 4
HA 5
HA 6
Alpha 18
I did 22 damage to your dog, his he even up still?
The creature's axe would have bit into his arm if it hadn't been caught on the chainmmail reinforcement there. As it was, Rane just got a small cut and a large bruise.
He berated himself. He had not been consciouss of the doings of the mage. They were liable to cut deals with demons in desperate times as these.
He hadn't time to think, though. There was only time to fight.
He raised his greatsword, attempting a broad slash.
Illyri runs over to Henry, cutting her thumb and pressing it to the wound.
Cures vigor, not wounds.
Yarask had just delivered a huge hit to the darkspawn he was facing, yet the creature didn't seem affected. The dwarf muttered a curse, feeling his ire boil up, almost ready to explode.
[ooc]Yarask attacks again, with power attack[/dice]
The darkpawn with the greatsword charges at Henry, taking a swing.
(roll fort against taint, as you are now into wounds)
Yarask manages to hit the genlock again, cutting deep into its flesh. It's on it last legs
The archers take their next shots
No more refugees go down by arrow, as they are too busy trying to escape the roots.
Illyri heals Henry
Rane misses the genlock again. The genlock taunts him
Henry moves back and tries to shoot the Alpha again, but misses by a mile.
Genlocks and hurlocks attack the refugees. 3 go down.
Blade bites the attacking genlock, but doesn't seem to do damage.
G 1 23, wounded
G 2
G 3
H 1
H 2
HA 1
HA 2
HA 3
HA 4
HA 5 En
HA 6 En
Alpha 18
Illyri heals herself and moves as far as she can from the darkspawn.
Rane shouted at the nearby dwarf, who seemed to be holding his own surprisingly well in the thick of battle. "We're going to have to work together if we are to stand a chance!"
Disregarding the... thing attacking him, he moved towards Yarask, and slashed at the genlock he was fighting.
Illyri shouts at the others.
We need to take out the large one first! Help the archer!
As Rane backed away from the genlock, he felt a biting pain in his side. Looking down, blood spew from a deep wound. He'd probably not be standing for much longer.
He took in the scene, the refugees dying in heaps, the creatures swarming the caravan. Those few who could fight were badly pressed by now.
This was death, then?
He threw himself back into the melee.
You are tainted. You get one more save tomorrow. Add it to the stat bar so I remember. Oh and you do kill the genlock Yarask was fighting, if he misses with his attack. Otherwise, you c an charge the big guy, attaxk the darkspawn you were fighting, or attack another.
If Yarask kills it, Rane will charge the big guy instead.
Yarask, still silent as death, attacks again with all of his might.
Yarask misses the darkspawn, his blade glancing off the armor.
Bows this round are assaulted by refugees, they are focusing on them. 3 more refugees die.
Rane viciously cuts down the genlock Yarask was fighting.
Genlocks and Hurlocks attack more refugees. 2 more go down.
Henry backs up and aims for his head. He hits him, grievously injuring him. he weaves and staggers, but it is still fighting.
G 2
G 3
H 1
H 2
HA 1
HA 2
HA 3
HA 4
HA 5
HA 6
Alpha 38, wounded
Rane takes his blade to the thing.
As the genlock falls Yarask sets his aim on the Alpha. Growling the dwarf finally lets his rage explode as he charges towards the brutish creatures who commanded the attack.
Yarask charges the Alpha, cutting its head off.
A few archers manage to kill the refugees that attacked them, refocusing on you. The other 3 are still held up by refugees. 2 more die.
Illyri hits the hurlock coming at her with a bolt of magic. It seems to affect the hurlocklock more than a weapon would. She backs up toward henry and blade.
Rane spins around to attack the darkspawn on his tail. He hits him with a nice clean blow, but it shrugs it off.
Henry turns and shoots and the same darkspawn Illyri shot, hitting it in the abdomen.
The two others are still battling refugees, but they manage to hold their own this turn.
Blade bites and trips the darkspawn attacking Illyri.
G 2 7
G 3
H 1 15, trip
H 2
HA 1
HA 2
HA 3
HA 4
HA 5
HA 6
The genlocks axe went under Rane's guard as he raised his sword to strike again, and hacked deep into his inner thigh. The distraction was enough to let the creature's teeth get close to him, and a scream pierced the air as it rent into his neck and shoulder.
He felt, more than saw the world go dark around him, as he succumbed to his wounds, the genlock still biting into him.
Yarask momentum doesn't stop twice as he decapitates the Alpha, he just snarls, spits and spins towards the nearest darkspawn:
The last thing you see before you slip into unconsciousness is an arrow shot through the head of the darkspawn poised to end you. And the last thing you hear is the thunder of a charging battalion. And a voice. "Not yet"
A horde of dwarves, elves, and human warriors charges into the fray, slashing at darkspawn along their way. The ensuing battle is epic as the two units clash in the heat of battle. The darkspawn are overrun by these new warriors. After the last one is slain, a old dwarf with a scar running between his eyes and a earthbreaker in his hands grins at you, revealing missing teeth. With a crazed look in his eyes, he says "Well then. That was fun.".
Yarask fights with wild abandon, when the newcomers join the fight part of him exults as he's remotely aware the tide has suddenly turned in their favor, yet a hidden, darker more animalistic part of him screams, for it wanted to end the darkspawn itself.
As the battle ends the exiled noble regains control and, as the other dwarf chuckles he answers with an hint of regret in his voice:"It wasn't. Look at all these dead. We might have won the day.... but it's still not enough. Not even remotely enough"
"In the end, that's all anyone could ask for, laddie. Doesn't make battle any less the rush, though"
What few refugees remain mill about, in shock of what happened. The boy Henry bumped into before is on his knees, crying at the feet of a dead woman. An elf.
Illyri tends to Rane, using the blood from her arrow wound to fuel healing.