Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
PS: Rokko, you owe a fortitude save...
Squeak carefully took aim and loosed his bolt - only to have the Worg rider dash to the side as the bolt buzzed through the air. Methodically Squeak started loading another bolt.
”Companion horses number one and two. Please stand your ground and prepare to engage the enemy,” Palisade called as he jogged past the beasts of burden in a clatter of armor and weapons. The enemies were approaching, voicing their glee. Well, the higher their spirits were right now, the harder the first casualties would hit them, the ‘forged reasoned. And to facilitate that, maximum carnage would be useful.
”Creator-Goddess, grant this one your blessing,” Palisade intoned, and a greyish-purple luminous mist began emanating from his blade, shrouding the sword and trailing behind it and the ‘forged as it lumbered towards the goblins.
Aiming at the nearest attacker on his side of the wagon, Val took his time to follow the motion of the warg rider, then pulled the trigger.
The bolt flew straight and true, and hit the goblin in his shoulder. The bolt pierced his armour and embedded itself deep in the muscle. The impact rocked the goblin backwards on the warg, and after a brief struggle to keep his balance, he fell from the beast. Howling in pain and anger, he attempted to call his charging beast back to him.
I'll let this run one more day to let the other two players post.
Rokko? You're still with us, right?
Not this round. The squares are 5' squares so your options are move (double move, run?) or cast some other long range spell.
Questions?
Game on!
@Rokko: OK, that's better. We can excuse you if your absence is due tot work. But not too often. :)
Rokko weathered the night quite well. Constant hubbub at all times of day is a constant in the Cogs, and from an early age he was largely inured to sleeping under such conditions.
Even so, he lost valuable seconds looking around as the goblin riders hurtled closer. He'd been in scraps and the occasional serious knife fight - Lower Sharn can be dangerous, after all. But this? This was battle, something new.
The warfored set off, their reactions honed by previous experience. As they departed Rokko gathered his wits, grabbed his bow, and cried a chant of the Silver Flame. "Stand up, stand tall, for battle is joined! Let virtue be your shield, and righteousness your sword!"
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
, pass
, miss
, hit
, hit
, miss
, hit
, hit
Yes, fire jet has a range of 20' from 'you'.
Game on!
Bronwyn pulled out her magic missile wand to use on the goblins as she got close enough to use fire. Luckily for her, the goblins only seemed interested in the lead wagon and not what anyone else was doing. She pointed the wand and spoke the word to activate the magic.
As his strategy had worked well the first time, Val decided to repeat it. Ignoring the riderless warg for now, he took aim at the nearest goblin.
Luck was again on Val's side. His bolt took the second goblin rider straight in face, nearly passing straight through his skull. His arm tangled in the reins as he fell, and his warg veered to the right to compensate for the dead master he was now dragging.
As the wagoneers began to fall, Rokko was filled with righteous fury. To slay gentle folk just going about their business was a great injustice. "Onwards, friends! Let justice prevail!"
Squeak fought down the urge to change tactics. Methodically he cranked the crossbow as he moved forward, gears spinning in his hands. He stopped to load the bolt and start aiming.
The action was practised. Something that had been done in ranks when he was part of a band. The effect was devastatingly efficient en-masse, but far less so when there was only an individual. "Target 3" he declared, lining up his shot. Of course the tactic assumed the enemy would be charging you, and the movement was usually backwards - thus the importance of not trying to aim on the move. These enemy seemed far more preoccupied with the melee ahead. 'Perhaps I am best served loading for Val.' mused Squeak.
The enemies were showing admirable focus as they all flocked around the lead wagon, Palisade noted. Though it certainly would have been more convenient if a few had seen fit to come meet it halfway. But lacking such considerate enemies, the 'forged had little choice but to keep jogging forward.
Turn 085 - Taking Out the Drivers
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
, fail
worgs 2 and 3 bolt
Finally closing in on the enemy, Palisade raised its sword and rushed the closest mounted enemy, landing a heavy overhead chop that practically cut the goblin rider in half, from shoulder to navel. The lifeless body fell to the ground as Palisade wrenched its sword free, splattering dark blook all over its armor and the nearby wagon.
"Anouncement. You shall become rust on this one's blade," the 'forged said calmly as it raised its sword into high guard.
Rokko moves up swiftly behind B. "Do not fear! Honest folk should never quail before the dark!" He takes aim with his bow at the approaching worg and shoots.
so... what about the other guards...?
B suddenly realizes that she is without her usual bodyguards as the worg turns its attention to her. She let out a choked squeal at her predicament before instinctively releasing fire at the creature from her finger.
Grinning savagely, Val relished the sight of the second goblin toppling from its mount. However, his newfound prowess with the crossbow wasn't enough to keep the goblins from winning. The lead wagon was already pulling away. Perhaps if enough of the warg riders were killed, perhaps the outriders could recover the wagons.
Rokko was in the way, so he took a big step to the side to ensure that he wouldn't risk hitting him. Then he loaded, aimed and release in what was becoming a smooth and beautiful movement.
The rider beside the lead wagon took the bolt straight in the shoulder. The goblin
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
, hit
critical?
, hit
, yes
, miss
If Squeak had teeth, he would have gritted them at the sound of Bronwyn's squeal. Barely aiming he shot his bolt uselessly at a fleeing Goblin - his old trainer had drummed home the foolishness of running into a melee with friends with a loaded crossbow. Not even stopping to look at the flight, he drew on the charged fibres in his legs, and ran towards the scream.
"Wooo! Yeah! You better run!" Val screamed in victory as the goblins gave up and ran away. He turned to see what was happening at the rear of the caravan, but before he could make sense of it, he heard Bronwyn scream. Turning again, he saw his friend crumple on the grass.
"NO!" he screamed, already running. There was no way to shoot without risking both Bronwyn and their new goblin companion. He had to get closer, and fast.
[ooc]Can I charge and attack this turn? If Rokko moves east 5 feet, then I have a straight shot at the warg. If not, just move to get closer and hopefully flank.
Rokko yells, "Back villain, or the Flame shall smite you!" He then intones a prayer of protection for B.
As the spell takes effect Rokko quickly says to her, "Do not attack the beast and the spell will protect you." Then he drops his bow and grabs his spear. "Come fight me, beast!"
Hearing the sound of anguish from behind, Palisade immediately forgot all thoughts of pursue and turned around in horror to see Bronwyn savaged by a goblin's wolf mount. Reacting instinctively, the 'forged rushed towards the battle, drawing and throwing a dagger on the run and watched the small blade bit deep into the wolf's flank even as it readied its heavy sword for the follow-up.
As he ran, Val considered yelling at Rokko to move out of his way. But he saw a faint glow briefly surround B, and he hoped it meant that the goblin was helping her. Rather than shove him aside, he slowed his approach to come in from behind the warg, so he could flank it.
Bronwyn tried to remain conscious as pain radiated from her arm and threatened to cause her to black out. She was about to roast the worg with more fire as her last heroic action in this life when Rokko said not to fight back. Trusting in her new acquaintance she instead took her heal potion, which was always within reach, and then shakily got to her feet. All the while, she kept an eye on the worg to see if Rokko spoke the truth about his spell protecting her.
Turn 087 - Who’s a Good Doggy?
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
, pass
Rokko was extremely relieved when the worg decided that discretion was the better part of valour. He hoped his spell had something to do with that calculation, but either way he hadn't really fancied his chances too much if it had turned on him. As the goblins and their mounts escaped, he was content to let them go.
He leant on his spear and breathed deeply for a few seconds, then turned to B. "Here, let me staunch your wounds." He placed his hands on her wounds and murmured a prayer to the Silver Flame.
The he said, "I must see if there are others in need." He picked up his pack and went to treat any wounded.
Rokko spoke to the woman. "My lady, perhaps I am not the right person to speak to you in this. But defiling these corpses will achieve little and will certainly not deter other bandits. I understand that you grieve for your loss and wish to do something. Instead, would you like me to speak some words for your son? I do not know if you are followers of the Silver Flame, but I hope I can provide some small comfort in this dark hour."
Rokko spoke to the woman. "My lady, perhaps I am not the right person to speak to you in this. But defiling these corpses will achieve little and will certainly not deter other bandits. I understand that you grieve for your loss and wish to do something. Instead, would you like me to speak some words for your son? I do not know if you are followers of the Silver Flame, but I hope I can provide some small comfort in this dark hour."
She wiped tears as she grunted and staked another pole in the rocky ground. She stopped, panting, "He was a good boy. Brave too. It was him and that other boy who killed this here worg, you know?"
She snorted, "Can your flame bring 'im back? If you want, you can tell your flame that he was a good boy. We here all know that."
She sighed, "Thank you but I think I'm gonna get back to impaling these goblin bandits. Bandits are no good, you know?"
tag?
"No, the Flame cannot bring him back. But he was brave and true, and his soul will doubtless join with the Flame and protect us all. I am sorry for your loss. I shall say a prayer for him, and for you."
Rokko bobbed his head and left the woman to her grisly task. He didn't know the boy who had died, of course, nor have any idea about his virtues and vices. But he said his words of comfort anyway and walked off to find someone who might benefit from his healing.
Action 1
Seeing that B would be all right, Val's mood changed yet again to one of savage, victorious glee. "That's right, doggy! Run w' your tail between yer legs. See if you dare attack the Red Gauntlet again!"
Turning to his friends, he grinned and said, "I'm starting to see what you mean about this adventuring thing. Did you see how many goblins I shot? It was amazing!"
tag?
Action 2
Fighting back tears, she asked, “What do Red Gauntlet veterans do with fallen enemies? What do we do with the worg?”
Val's glee had dimmed in the face of the two deaths. Silently he wondered if such a price was worth whatever was in that wagon. Surely it would have been better to let them take it. They might be stuck with the mercenary life for another week, but after that, he wasn't sure if he'd take up the mantle again.
Kicking on of the goblins over, he knelt beside it and said, "What we do with the dead depends on the situation. Mostly we just take what we can use, an' leave 'em to rot. No point wasting time with scum like that. But here, I think you have the right of it. Spikin' them won't help your son any, but if it makes 'em think twice about attacking another caravan, then it's worth it. I'll help you."
Val carefully checked the bodies for anything useful, then helped Berna spike them. Deep inside, Vi's voice was screaming in horror at what he was doing, but he shoved the voice away. Val did this kind of thing all the time - she didn't have a say.
Action 1:
B pushed herself to her feet. She could still feel the pain from her mauling and she cradled her arm. "Thanks for your concern." She manages a weak smile, "It's just a flesh wound. Are they gone?"
Action 2:
There was enough to be done in returning the caravan to pre-attack status so B busied herself elsewhere rather than answering Berna. She had no real answers so it seemed more logical to say nothing. Also, she knew she didn't have the stomach or the strength to stake dead goblins.
Squeak approached Bronwyn at speed, saw she was being cared for and took off after the fleeing Worg. While he almost matched its speed, it gained ground inch by inch. After a few hundred feet he slowed, then swung back.
"Perhaps." stated Squeak, helping to strip the bodies "It would be better to remove the heads and preserve them. Check the body for identifying marks. If these raiders have crossed their hierarchy, and we can prove it to their commander, then he may send a force to find their camp. If he kills the parents and enslaves the children, it may actually be profitable to do so. Potentially the commander might be interested in hiring mercenaries."
She manages a weak smile, "It's just a flesh wound. Are they gone?"
”The enemy has retreated the field of battle for the time being,” Palisade said as it picked up the dagger it had thrown and turned its attention to Bronwyn. ”From the amount of casualties they suffered in so short an engagement, this one surmises they were young warriors eager to show their skill since they so severely underestimated their opponent. It is possible that they will return with more reinforcements, unless this raid was clearly unsanctioned by the leaders of whatever tribe or warband the warriors belonged to. Heightened state of preparedness is advised until further notice.”
”This one would, with your permission, examine the state of your wounds,” the ‘forged stated. ”Bite wounds from canines are prone to infect if not treated properly.” Once again, Lady d’Deneith had been hurt on Palisade’s watch, so the ‘forged felt necessary to try to compensate for the failure, particularly since the Lady had already announced she would not be considering offers to have Palisade destroy itself as punishment for its failure.
"Perhaps." stated Squeak, helping to strip the bodies "It would be better to remove the heads and preserve them. Check the body for identifying marks. If these raiders have crossed their hierarchy, and we can prove it to their commander, then he may send a force to find their camp. If he kills the parents and enslaves the children, it may actually be profitable to do so. Potentially the commander might be interested in hiring mercenaries."
Palisade nodded as it listened to unit Squeak’s suggestion. Once again, its trusted teammate was proving his worth with his analysis. ”Suggestion has merit,” Palisade said in its expressionless voice, as if speculating about the rising prices of potatoes and other tubers on the town market. ”Opinion. This one finds impalement a needlessly labor-intensive form of trophy presentation as mere wooden stakes are difficult to insert into orifices with sufficient force. Addendum. The effort loses most of its effectiveness if the subject has already deceased, although the lack of struggling on the subject’s behalf does ease the process. Instead, this one suggest crucifixion as it is much more easily achievable and results in less spilled blood and intestines.”
Rokko sighed at the warforged's conversation. Perhaps his views on the nature of their souls were not entirely unjustified after all.
”This one would, with your permission, examine the state of your wounds,” the ‘forged stated. ”Bite wounds from canines are prone to infect if not treated properly.”
Bronwyn gave the 'forged her arm, "Of course you can examine my wound, Palisade. Thanks for your concern."
"You were impressive." conceded Squeak to Val "Your contribution exceeded mine significantly."
Squeak approached Val, away from the others. "We're running low on salted pork. I've not travelled with organic creatures in such a situation. I have heard people claim goblins are similar in flavour to pigs, but I understand there is some sort of cultural taboo? I was considering dressing the Worg. Do you think Berna would mind?"
"This trip has been pleasant." Squeak noted to Palisade. "Far fewer casualties than I expected. Jurak should make a tidy profit, even allowing for us recouping expenses." "[/b]
"This trip has been pleasant." Squeak noted to Palisade. "Far fewer casualties than I expected. Jurak should make a tidy profit, even allowing for us recouping expenses."
”Agreed. The lack of further attacks likely mean the raid was not sanctioned by a leader of a major faction,” Palisade said. ”Furthermore, assuming the raid we experience was not an isolated event, the added danger to caravan passages should by itself raise the prices of import goods and thus the profits of the caravan masters.”