Saki's glaive tears a bloody gash across the hobgoblin's shoulder. She snarls and switches tactics, her movements becoming more fluid and parabolic, reminding Saki of the cranes that lived in her homeland. Also, although she attacks Kyra, she appears to be studying Saki. "Very well," she says in excellent Taldane, her long canine teeth glistening white in the torchlight as she lashes out at Kyra with a combination kick to the stomach and uppercut to the jaw.
The two archers maneuver for a shot, but to no avail.
<--- Not a crit.
<--- I had the DC wrong earlier.
Anyone, go (Talhaearn's weapons are on the ground).
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Saki's brow arches again, both at the surprising skill at language and, of course, the shift in combat technique. The crane was a graceful bird, and martial artists who mimicked their ways could avoid even the worst of blows.
"Why persist in attacking?" she asks mid-swing, mustering the patience to continue parley with this hobgoblin. (She seemed moderately civilised - perhaps it was a chance to avoid more bloodshed.) "What do you have to gain from defending Pavo Vos? All your people are being cut down before your eyes!"
The crane's dance was hard to follow. Saki's blow flies somewhat askew as she tries to follow it; the paladin frowns at her own incompetence.
Seoni, Kyra, go!
Grim-faced, Kyra lashes out with her scimitar versus the woman.
"My friend's noble heart bid her try and talk you down. If you would make a surrender, you had best do it quickly!"
Talhaearn tumbles past the martial artist, who, on hearing Saki's offer, pauses, balancing in a graceful pose.
"All my people?" she says. "I have nearly sixty. But I will make you an offer. Pay me. We are mercenaries. Pay me and we will all leave. Right now, and good riddance to this place. Our fee is 500 gold crowns."
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Saki seems to hesitate, the consternation visible on her face. "I do not have that kind of money, and I would not force my companions to donate any funds of their own for a crusade of my own devising."
A flicker of guilt crosses the paladin's face as well. "... Although I suspect you have significantly fewer followers than sixty as of now. Possibly two-thirds that amount, or one-half."
"All I can give you is my word that your people can leave this place unaccosted. The alternative is more bloodshed that I am sure neither you nor I would like to see." Saki hefts her glaive with resigned confidence. "But I will accept that burden if you insist upon it."
Annoyance crosses the hobgoblin's face. "I challenge you to a duel!" she says. "You and me alone. Loser leaves."
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"That seems fair to me. I will make sure that you leave," Saki says with an almost patient smile. "The rose of peace is already in your hands. You have simply yet to realise it."
Saki utters a quiet prayer to Shelyn in her native tongue before turning to her companions, "Do not interfere with this."
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Tal shakes his head in disbelief as an "honorable duel" interrupts the battle. But when it is safe to do so he retrieves his swords; he'll hang onto them because he's not sure if kobolds are honorable.
Almost as an afterthought he says. "You two have your fun...but the second those archers fire on us all bets are off."
Kyra frowns thunderously at the suggestion of a one-on-one duel, but she takes a half-step backwards, suspicious eyes darting to the archers.
"If they will hold weapons while you sort this out, then I also will hold arms... for now," she promises grimly. "Saki, may Saranrae's fire join with the grace Shelyn has already given you."
She barks an order at the two archers, who instantly obey, pointing their arrows at the floor. She then launches a snap kick at Saki's head. followed by a finger jab towards the paladin's shoulder. However, Saki's armor deflects both attacks.
Saki, go!
[Anyone else, too!]
With a bird-like movement, the hobgoblin swiftly blocks the the glaive with s sweep of her leg. "Nope," she smiles viciously, showing a row of sharp teeth. She then whirls, throwing the same leg around her to spin and come at Saki from her other side. The paladin easily blocks this blow.
Saki realizes that while the hobgoblin's offense is relatively tentative, her defense seems impenetrable.
The two archers stand ready to fire, but hold back, waiting for their commander's signal.
Kyra stands by almost twitching with the desire to interfere, but she holds herself still, her dark eyes watching the archers in case they attempt anything underhanded.
Saki startles the female hobgoblin, dashing under her guard and seizing the monstrous monk in her armored grasp. The monk applies pressure to Saki's wrists and writhes free.
Saki (or anyone) go!
Saki?
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Saki is starting to get quite fed up with this situation. She takes a deep and slow breath, trying to calm the annoyance beginning to bubble within her.
"I can see this going nowhere quickly," she says finally. "Your defenses are quite remarkable, but you surely must see that you have no chance of defeating me either. Let us not waste each other's time with this."
Saki moves back to her glaive and picks it up again.
ROUND THREE
ROUND FOUR
A flurry of blindingly-fast kicks and punches to the head and kidneys leaves Saki bruised and almost unconscious.
"I repeat my offer," says the hobgoblin leader. "Pay me and I leave, taking all my hobgoblins with me."
Saki, or anyone, go!
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Seoni steps forward, her wand of magic missile in her hand.
"You ask too much gold. But there is an armory here and there are good weapons. We'd allow you to pillage what you can and leave. Surely you realize you're condemning so many of you're own to death that your victory will be nothing but Pyrrhic if you fight us."
Kyra adjusts her grip on her scimitar and looks grimly at the half-orc.
"You and your people may leave with no further lost, and take what you will from the keep, as my friend says. There are other battles that will pay you well, but you collect no gold if you're dead," Kyra says flatly, her scorn for the woman's mercenary impulses barely contained.
"Demanding gold from us is pointless, as we do not have it to pay you. What we have," she nods down at the length of her blade, "is steel. If you are a leader of your people, then you owe it to those who remain to take them out of this place. There is a great evil here that will care no more for your soldiers than it will for us."
"Tell me about the armory," she says.
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Saki allows her shoulders to sag a little upon realising the hobgoblin seems to be accepting their terms - although only slightly. She was fairly sure she had a couple of broken ribs, and too much movement would inflame that. "Just through those doors there," she says. "You can go look at it, if you like. Tonnes of weapons to outfit an entire army."
The paladin briefly weighs the impact of slaying an army of hobgoblins versus sparing them and arming them for further combat. She sighs to herself and rubs her temples. The holy path of Shelyn was lined with thorns, to be sure.
After a long heartbeat, the war leader stands up and strides over to the hidden armories and looks in. After several moments, she nods. "You have a deal. My hobgoblins take what we can carry from here and you take the keep. Good riddance."
She nods toward the western door. "Vos should be in there. I don't care what you do with him, but kill that conniving b++$+ in the basement. She deserves it."
Kyra's shoulders slowly sag with release of tension. "We have heard only evil of her. Rest assured we shall deal with her as it merits."
She keeps her eyes on the bowmen all the same, until they have followed their leader from the room, before she hurries to Saki's side.
"How bad is it? Saranrae preserve, but she was a mighty foe..."
The hobgoblins begin loading as much gear as they can carry. The war leader dispatches one to go find and bring back others.
PING!
Kyra watches the hobgoblins come and go with no love, but her attention is on Saki, and the injuries Saki has sustained. Kyra pulls forth the wand that holds Saranrae's blessings stored within it.
"Here. Save your own strength for the middle of battle: Saranrae is generous, right now."
That done, Kyra looks to everyone else. "Is anyone else much hurt? If not, then I suggest we progress to the western door... Vos cannot long remain ignorant of our presence, if he somehow still is at all."
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Tal finishes cleaning his fingernails and looks up at the cleric's remarks. "The western door. Why not? To be honest I've become a bit turned around having to fight hobgoblins every 20 feet. The peace and quiet will be a welcome change!"
Tal checks the western door for traps.
(in case it's trapped or locked.)
__________________________________________________________________________
The door appears untrapped, but is locked. Although it is a good lock, Talhaearn has it unlocked in seconds. It opens with an audible click!
"Aye," Kyra whispers to Seoni's words. "But one thing at a time. We deal with Vos first, and perhaps we can learn more of what we face."
She is running light on prayers, but no matter. If evil is ahead, they must stand firm against it. She nods to Saki to take point through the door, and follows behind her with scimitar drawn.
As Saki nudges the door open, you all see a large private chamber vaguely partitioned by beams that span the ceiling east to west. The northern half of the room contains a double bed and easy chair, while a large wardrobe and table with chairs occupy the south. An enormous wool carpet lies in the center of the room. Two sets of double doors allow egress from the quarters: one to the west decorated with carvings of oak leaves and acorns, and a much plainer one to the east.
There stands a man in gleaming mail and the uniform of a Molthuni officer, shield and sword in hand. He is clearly expecting combat.
"Those worthless curs have abandoned me, I hear," he says in contemptuous aristocratic tones. "Well, now you have met one blade you cannot buy off or surprise. I shall enjoy besting you, one at a time or all at once. Which shall it be?"
Kyra regards the man wearily.
"I would offer you quarter, but by your words you will take none. As you will, then. Saranrae takes no joy in more death, but some are fools enough to seek it. Drop your blade, sir: I do not require your surrender for that to happen," the priestess of Saranrae says grimly, raising her sword in answer to the Molthuni's own.
Yet she does not charge forward to attack-- instead, she mutters another prayer.
"Tal! Grab his sword should he drop it!" she instructs as she strides forward with her eyes flashing.
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"The only one bested here and now shall be you," Saki says grimly. The rapid-fire breaking and healing of her ribs had left her rather quiet as the tingly-pain of the curative wand left her body. She hefts her glaive and directs it to the apparent boss of this place. "Surrender or suffer the consequences. I do not think your odds of four-versus-one are looking particularly bright."
Her glaive begins to shine with an aura of rainbow colours, not unlike that of the tail-feathers of Shelyn's sacred songbird. She approaches Pavo Vos, slowly and carefully.
Initiative Order
Good Guys
Bad Guys
_____________________________________________________________________
Vos shouts in alarm as his sword hilt heats up, but he bears down and holds onto it. Kyra and Saki advance on the lieutenant, who waits grimly with his back to the wall.
Seoni, Talhaearn, go!
Ping!
______________________________________________________________________
"So be it," says Pavo Vos, closing and slashing at the half-elf.
MAP OF THE COMMANDER'S QUARTERS
Anyone, go!
Kyra's eyes widen at the amount of pain the warrior deals. She quickly calls on Saranrae's grace once more. "Goddess! Champion us!"