You wait in your hiding places, the soft scent of summer pollen, the mellow buzz of insects and the gentle gurgle of the stream all lulling you into a sense of calm.
Then a trundle of wagon and horses comes from the south.
The Armigers ride along, the four horsemen talking together as they survey the treeline. Most of their chat is about food, horses, uncomfortable armour and the rigours of training.
Behind them the lockwagon has 6 Armigers on the running board and the mood is much more serious, probably because a hard-faced Signifier sits alongside the wagon driver.
The lockwagon has a large crossbow mounted on top, the Armiger behind it is leaning against the stock, looking bored.
The mounted Armigers have just passed the bridge - the ambush is on!
ETA: As soon as Janiven figured the wagon was a half-hour away, Pontia casts mage armor on herself.
Surprise Round Initiative
Hyngrot
Astra
Pontia
Daxius
Nicolai
A lone bird of prey, hanging in the sky, suddenly plunges after its prey. You realise the time has come to strike.
Surprise round:
Pontia moves to CJ-31 and prepares to cast her spell next round, when the wagon is closer.
Yeah, my action depends on how well Nicolai's arson works out. Daxius holds his action until he hears boom.
Astra waits patiently for the wagon to be trapped, then she'd make a mad dash for the wagon.
bump?
surpise =
Nicolai takes 5ft step and chucks bomb.
Pontia moves into position to cast.
Daxius and Hyngrot go for combat.
Astra goes for the lock.
Janniven starts shooting.
Yes?
Assuming so:
Time seems to slow as the lockwagon inches toward the bridge...
Nicolai, time to throw your bomb!
Nicolia pushes out of the greenery, and charges his bomb. He squints in the morning light, and targets the oil-soaked bridge.
Nicolai bounds out of the undergrowth and flings his bottle of explosives at the bridge. They sail clear and true through the bright morning air and land with a resounding thunk on the deck of the bridge.
Nicolai's bottle has failed to break and the explosives are still trapped within.
armiger
signifier
Oh, my lord!
Janniven dithers: What should I do now?
initiative Janniven
Clearly the plan going off the rails has distracted Pontia, but not so much that she can't call to Janniven before she acts. "Shoot the signifier!"
"Come on Nic. We need that bridge on fire!"
Nicolai mutters dumbfoundedly, "That's not good..."
Hyngrot moves out from under the bridge by the side of the road. "Don't tell me I'll have to hop on this thing."
Initiative order
Surprise round:
Nicolai - chucks bomb
Hyngrot - Moves out from under bridge
Astra
Darius
Pontia
Astra, you're up!
Daxius swears under his breath as he jogs out of the bushes toward the lock-wagon. He has his shield strapped on his arm, ready to defend himself, but has not yet drawn his sword.
Initiative order
Surprise round:
Nicolai - chucks bomb
Hyngrot - Moves out from under bridge
Astra - dash for the cart
Daxius - Only one standard or move action allowed (CP45?) in the surprise round
Pontia - The water is about 3ft deep: just waiting for your surprise round action.
Anticipating that the wagon will make it across the bridge, Pontia wades to the other side of the stream to position herself for casting her spell.
Initiative Blocks!
1 = Signifier
2 = Nicolai & Janniven
3 = Armigers
4 = Everyone Else
Janniven aims for the signifier
attack
damage
Suddenly struck by an arrow, the signifier grunts in pain and then barks out a command to his men: Position Crux! Get over the bridge! and clambers over the back of the lockwagon to take over the mounted crossbow on the top.
Nicolai squints, and tosses the second bomb at the bridge.
Nicolai's bomb hits the bridge with a blast of flame, igniting the unexploded bomb as it goes .
The force of the blast sends splinters of rock flying through the air and the fuel on the bridge ignites with a whoomph of sucking air.
Janniven lets fly another arrow at the armiger, then heads north through the woods, looking to help the distraction team to disappear.
attack
damage
Uh oh, I'm on the wrong side of the stream. Maybe they'll try to push through.
The armigers on horseback see the wall of flame just as the distraction team start firing arrows at them. They waste a moment wheeling around on their horses before careening toward the distraction group, only to hit the caltrops they laid in the grass and find their horses semi-lamed.
Two of the armigers are unmounted but you barely notice as the men before you spring into action
Meanwhile, the men on the running boards reach for their weapons and hop down to confront their foes. The driver tries to calm the horses, who are panicked by the sudden flames.
The horses are well-trained and respond to his touch and calls, they do not bolt.
new map, the armigers are hard to see so I have revealed their status bars.
Two of the armigers reach Astra and decide to gang up on the smallest of their foes.
attack
damage
attack
damage
Both Armigers show some skill but are unable to land a blow upon the lithe woman.
Initiative Blocks!
1 = Signifier
2 = Nicolai & Janniven
3 = Armigers
4 = Everyone Else
Round 1 (I think):
Pontia hurries back across the stream. Idiot, idiot, idiot.
Hyngrot circles around to flank the armigers with Astra, striking out with his scimitar as he moves.
Pontia wades back across the stream, she can feel the fierce heat emanating from the bridge next to her.
At the same time, Hyngrot cleverly circles the armigers and lashes out with his scimitar. Unfortunately his blow skitters across the man's chainmail shirt without doing any harm.
Daxius continues to move as a trot, shifting to a charge as he sees an armiger move into his path. He draws his longsword as he charges, swinging it in a wide arc to attack.