They're going to get themselves killed! Rushing ahead like that. I'd expect better from children, and they're not children.
Sander heaves a deep sigh and rushes to follow as quickly as his short legs will carry him.
The top of the stairs was blocked by a pair of orcs with greataxes. More stood behind, along with the drummer. THe orcs frothed at teh mouth and their muscles seemed to be swollen with berserker strength.
HP 18/18
AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 14
Fort +6 (+2 vs. poison), Ref +7, Will +2 (+2 vs. fear)
CMD 13
Stones: 0/10; Bombs: 5/5; Mutagen: 1/1
Effects:
Sander, seeing a crowd again, tosses another bomb ahead of his onrushing companions, hoping to bowl over their foes and give them access to the skald inside.
"That's the last one of those I have the ingredients for," he calls out, voice tinged with a hint of panic as he realizes he's nearly defenseless now and the enemies seem to be barely reduced in number.
Be strong, he thinks. Louly's depending on you!
Initiatives:
group
orcs
The enormous Gorumite clanks up the stairs before sweeping out with his pretty great sword at the nearest orc.
Molly fits another arrow in her crossbow and winds the crank while she follows the others at a more sedate pace, content to follow once Storn and Yelena have cleared the first press of troops.
Storn's shout echoed painfully from the stone walls of the tower, and the orcs at the top of the stairs quailed a bit. That was all the opening the big man needed to kill the leading defender. the small vial thrown by Sander lofted over Storn's head and exploded on the next defender in line, shaking the tower and splattering Storn and the stairway with orc gore. The orcs behind the leading line also were injured, though not nearly as severely. Yelena was unable to get a good angle around the winding staircase, and with Storn blocking most of the hallway. The big man ducked as something flew past his head, his hair briefly plucked by the passage of Quill's arrow on its short, but terminal flight into the center of an orc's forehead. The green-skinned monster looked stupidly upwards as it tried to see the shaft, its eyes crossing before it slumped to the tower's roof.
Only one orc was left on the roof of the tower, a crazed looking brute with a large skin drum. The orc was in a frenzy, pounding the drum in a syncopated rhythm, and muttering words under his breath. To Storn, it sounded like bum, ba-dum, ba-dum, hold pig steady...ba-dum, badum.... The song struck Storn as hilarious, and he felt the laughter bubbling up inside him.
Only one left on the tower roof.
Storn owes me a DC13 Will save. I'll post results after you roll the save.
Initiatives:
group
orcs
Here's the map
Storn is completely blocking the door to the roof, with Yelena and Quill right behind. There is enough room to squeeze past Storn, or for Storn to step fully onto the roof and open the way for everyone else.
As soon as Storn moves out of the way, Molly calmly steps out from behind him, aims her crossbow at the skin drum and squeezes the trigger.
Storn lets out a hearty laugh.
Storn charges up onto the roof, spots the orc.
However, Storn trips as he comes up out of the stairwell, almost losing his sword in the process as he tries to hit the skald.
Mariana holds in the back, unable to get a good look at things and knowing others should lead the charge.
Ah. In that case I shot at the Orc.
The companions stormed the roof of the tower, with Storn leading the way. The orc drummer was less of a threat once his honor guard had been dealt with. Molly's crossbow quarrel skipped off the orc's drum to take him in the belly. It was followed closely by Quill's shot to the chest. Yelena finished the orc off with a mighty blow of her hammer. The orc flew backwards, slipping over the parapet and falling to land with an audible thud on the ground below.
Storn lets out a sigh as his trip allows Yelena to rush forwards and send the orc sailing off into the sunset.
Looking out over the city, Quill is mostly blinded by the smoke. Then, just for a moment, the smoke clears and he see a sizable force of orcs making for the gates to the Inner Quarter. The defenders who were supposed to be there weren't. At least, no living ones were. There was some sort of barricade hastily constructed about forty feet inside the gate, and a figure was moving around there, but Quill couldn't make out who it was, or whether they were orc or not.
"How many are there?" Sander asks plaintively, not even getting a moment to appreciate the fall of their foe.
He looks around quickly -- to make sure the orcs didn't leave anything of potential importance -- before rushing to follow his companions to the gate.
Storn roars with laughter at Yelena's joke, slapping her on the back in a comradely fashion with a hand the size of Yelena.
Happy that Sander is taking a moment to look like a good warrior of old, Storn starts stomping down the stairs.
At the base of the tower, you stopped to loot the skald's corpse, as it was the only one with any significant loot on it. Aside from the drum, you found two vials of curative, five scrolls, and a wand. His chainmail armor and axe were of decent quality, and might fetch a good price if there wasn't a battle going on.
Mariana
Molly
Quill
Sander
Storn
Yelena
dogs
orc
Between the tower and the gate was a stand of old oak trees, now aflame with some green and purple fire. The choking smoke boiling out of that mess was worse than normal smoke, and you immediately began coughing as soon as you breathed any in.
An orc was standing, back towards you, reveling in the burning trees. She had a trio of dogs on chains, and the creatures leaped and snarled in your direction.
Storn 20
Quill 16
Sander 16
Mariana 12
orc 11
dogs 10
Molly 3
Yelena 2
Here's the map
Anyone entering an area covered with smoke must make a DC15 Fort save or be nauseated for 1 round. PCs can hold their breath (as per the Suffocation rules to gain a +2 bonus to their Fort save.
Mariana follows the group, though with the threat of combat imminent once more, she arranger herself. She spends a moment reloading the wand into her wrist sheath, then she draws her bow and takes an arrow at the ready, prepared to shoot down any orcs she can.
Upon seeing the dogs and the orc, she shivers slightly and draws the bow, loosing the arrow before her companions can get in the way.
"Let them come to us," Sander yells. "That smoke and fire are dangerous!"
Sander quickly launches a sling stone toward the orcs, only to watch it sail into the fire as a wave of heat hits him.
Now returned to normal size, sadly, Storn stalks up beside Yelena, eyeing the smoke from the fire.
"Sander is right, unless they breathe smoke they're not going to happy there."
Storn roars a challenge, raising his greatsword high.
"Come on you bastards! Meet the blessed of Gorum and die with a blade in your hand!"
Storn moved forward to plant his feet and ready defensive moves as Quill's first arrow took the orc cleanly in the shoulder. Mariana's crossbow bolt followed quickly after, and Sander's stone sailed harmlessly into the smoke. The first dog to reach Storn died as the big man's sword cut deeply into its back. Yelena, not quite as prepared, still managed to fend off her attackers, though the swarming dogs made it impossible for her to wield her hammer.
Molly 3
Yelena 2
Storn 20
Quill 16
Sander 16
Mariana 12
orc 11
dogs 10
Here's the map
Anyone entering an area covered with smoke must make a DC15 Fort save or be nauseated for 1 round. PCs can hold their breath (as per the Suffocation rules to gain a +2 bonus to their Fort save.
"Dogs," Molly grumbles. "Why'd it have to be dogs...? Eat steel, carrion-eater!"
The Kellid girl aims her crossbow at the Orcish dog-trainer and squeezes the trigger, then slams her bayonet into the grooves at the crossbow's front.
Storn rips his blade upwards through one of the dogs, sending its corpse flying behind him. He then spins his blade overhead as he steps in before bringing it down on the second dog with one smooth motion.
Sander reloads his sling and fires another shot toward one of the dogs, taking care not to hit the dwarven militia captain.
Or...I'll tie.
sorry about that
Mari moves up to S50 as she knocks a second arrow and whispers a prayer of luck.
Molly's shot took the orc woman in the left eye, spinning her around. Her shriek of agony was cut short as Mariana and Quill fired almost simultaneously. Arrows sprouted from the orc's back and she fell to the ground, partially obscured by the unusually heavy green smoke. Storn stepped in and cut another of the dogs down, freeing Yelena to step back and bring her hammer to bear. The heavy head pulverized the last of the hunting dogs with ease.
The fires continued to rage, and it looked like you could skirt the buildings without being in the smoke for too long. Of course, who knows what useful items the orc might have had on her...
Mariana quickly moved into the smoke, disregarding her own health with the hope of getting the orc body free and taking whatever they could find to assist them in this defense.
The orc wore battered leather armor, and carried a trio of javelins. The double axe fastened to her back was of decent quality, as was the scabbard at her side. The scabbard was intriguing, as it looked to fit a sword, but the woman carried none. in a pouch on her belt, Mariana found 36 dp in mixed coins, and a pair of cure light wounds potions.
Mariana leans down and scoops up what she easily can. Seeing the scabbard is odd, so she pulls that free quickly, as well as the weapons, coins and potions, then carries them out of the smoke. "Whew...that was vile..."