"Damn it Rokar! Fall back and get yourself healed!"
Norasha swung her axe again, hoping to take down some more orcs.
|
Corric puts a bolt right through the eye of his target, dropping it wordlessly to the ground. Omast swings but misses his foe! Aisha tries to stun an orc but it resists the attempt and keeps driving forward. Working together, Rokar and Milani drop the orc in front of them and Milani moves to close the gap, wounding the orc before Norasha, climbing atop the mounting bodies of the dead to do so. The orc falls before her bite and claws! Norasha, for her part, closes the gap and swings at an orc but misses.
The orcs keep coming, heedless of the bodies that are piling at their feet. One next to Omast strikes the warrior, even as the one that he missed also misses. The warrior is showing his wounds, as he visibly stumbles, but gets right back up. Milani's foe misses the agile cat, but Norasha is not so lucky, taking a blow from her opponent.
Norasha gritted her teeth! She said a prayer to the dwarven gods as she swung again and shouted, "Everyone who is wounded, fall back! That means you Omast! I'll cover y'all's escape!"
This time her axe struck its target.
"Gods of the Dwarves, we need a miracle right about now!"
Aisha winces. They simply don't have the fire power to fight off the sheer number of orcs they're face. And there doesn't seem to be any help on the way. But maybe... She rushes over to the fallen orc bombardier, tearing into his clothes and pouches to look for more explosives. Maybe the orcs can provide their own downfall.
Confident that he's hidden well enough, Corric works on setting in another bolt into his crossbow. Hopefully, he'll drop another mook with his next attack.
Rokar hears Norasha's warning, but can't heed it.
'We're ALL wounded, and there's nobody left to defend the gate!' he thinks desperately.
"We've gotta hold this gate!"
Sliding forward next to Milani, they continue their stand, holding their ground even as the horde struggles and pushes its way in...
|
|
ROUND 12
Corric sets another bolt into his crossbow. Omast swings, beheading the foe before him as Aisha desperately searches the fallen bombardier for anything that may be of use in the fight. She finds one vial of what must be alchemist's fire, two smokesticks, and a tanglefoot bag. Rokar and Milani again take down an orc with their teamwork, and Norasha's axe rises and falls in rhythm, slashing at the orc in front of her.
Omast's foe no sooner hits the ground than another steps onto the body of the fallen and slashes at the warrior, as does its companion. Omast dodges one of the blows but in doing so, steps into the other. Norasha is also attacked, but the blade merely rings off her armor.
Aisha scowls. "Who sends a bomber with one bomb?" she mutters. She knew orcs could be stupid, but this is just ridiculous. Still, she grabs gear and steps forward. The frustration makes an excellent sonic blast on the orc fighting Omast.
Corric pulls himself out of hiding, and lets loose another bolt, hoping it will do enough to prolong his comrades lives.
His attack seemingly glancing, Corric yells in frustration, throws his crossbow to the ground and pulls out his two saps. He was taking the fight to them!
Rokar and Milani continue to hold the line, at this point grateful for every breath they take, though they do perk up a bit as Corric bounds forward.
|
|
ROUND 13
Corric sends another bolt flying, catching one of the orcs threatening Omast in the thigh. The orc merely roars and continues its assault. Scowling in frustration, Corric draws his two saps and joins the fray. Omast pauses and withdraws long enough to pull of vial from his belt pouch and down the contents. He looks much healthier and sturdier. Aisha blasts one of the orcs threatening Omast with an ear-piercing shriek, causing it wince in pain.
Rokar and Milani take down another orc by working in tandem. Seeing that opponent fall, Norasha slashes at the one that had been menacing Omast and sends it to the ground.
With a roar, the remaining orc surges towards Norasha, slashing madly. The orc hits with what would surely have been a telling blow, but again, the dwarf's armor deflects the blow!
The end is in sight as a handful of other orcs begin to squeeze between the boulder and over the logs. Beyond them, the horde has thinned to a manageable number for the guard. Those squeezing through include two large orcs and a female leading a massive lizard on a chain. Ropes of drool hang from the lizard's toothy maw.
Aisha moves in closer to get a good angle on the woman and the lizard squeezing through the gap by the boulder. Then she hurls the flask of alchemist's fire straight at her. Unfortunately, her aim is a little off and she manages to hit the boulder, sending burning oil raining down on the woman, the lizard, and even Milani.
HP: 6/15
"Grghhh!"
Corric, filled with love for his home and still a bit of suicidal abandon, flings himself at the enemy.
Corric will then start bashing the orc on the top of the head.
"We're almost done! Keep it up!" Rokar yells, knowing the end of the fight is in sight, for better or for worse.
Maneuvering forward, he and Milani take on the Lizard-thing.
Norasha swung her blade at the nearest enemy, hoping her attack turned the tide of the battle.
"Get back you knaves!"
|
|
ROUND 14
Corric, now joining the melee, scrambles up the arm of the orc attacking Omast and begins pounding it on the head using his two saps. Omast rejoins the attack, putting the orc to the ground. Aisha throws a vial of alchemist's fire, hitting the boulder and splashing Milani, the orc female, Rokar, and the lizard.
Milani and Rokar manage to put the lizard down, leaving it laying on the ground, breathing heavily. Norasha steps into the space vacated by the orc that Omast killed and takes a swing at the new one approaching. Her aim is true and the attack leaves a gaping wound, but the orc keeps coming.
The two orcs nearest Norasha attack her, but both miss. The female orc scowls as her lizard companion falters and steps over its body to attack Rokar. Her strike is solid and finds its mark, leaving Rokar bleeding.
Aisha focuses her mind and hurls a confusing mass of pain and sensation at the female orc.
HP: 6/15
Corric continues to beat the orc's head as hard as he can, not giving any notice to the oncoming horde.
"Crap! Someone help Rokar out!"
She swings her axe again at the orc she had just attacked.
Rokar wobbles on his feet as he focuses his gaze on the now-unconscious lizard's handler, before swiping at the woman with all he's got!
'If I run now, then Trunau's lost!'
|
|
ROUND 15
Corric, his foe felled by Omast, moves to the next orc in line, but as he begins to scramble up its arm, it shrugs him free. Undeterred, the halfling pounds on the orc from the ground. Omast moves to back up ROkar and taps him on the shoulder. "Step back!" he shouts into Rokar's ear. "I'll take it from here!"
Aisha psychically assaults the female orc, leaving her reeling and confused. Rokar takes advantage of the distraction, he and Milani inflicting serious injury, though not enough to bring the foe down.
Norasha strikes, sending the orc to the ground, bereft of its head. The remaining orc squeezes between the boulder and the wall, scrambling over the logs. In a state of confusion, the female orc drags her wrist across her double axe, a line of blood welling up. Angrily shaking her head, she clears the fog from it.
Aisha grits her teeth and slams at the female orc's conscious again, this time bombarding her with images to make her dazed and unable to fight back.
HP: 6/15
Just a big, ugly tree.
Corric scrambles up as best he can, hate in his heart and rage seething from his stinging wounds.
Rokar feels Omast's tap on his back and hears his words with relief, hoping more help is coming soon.
He and Milani each take a final swipe, then fall to the rear.
"Thanks Omast..." he pants, "...we just need a minute."
Norasha quickly attacks the orc Corric is engaged with!
|
|
ROUND 16
Corric tries again to scale the orc's arm but still does not succeed. He pounds away with his sap but inflicts no damage. Omast waits for Rokar to step back. Aisha mentally blasts the female orc, who reels under the mental assault. Rokar steps back after he and Milani fell the female orc with a savage attack! Seeing the female go down, Omast moves to assist Norasha and Corric. His weapon slams home, cutting deeply into the orc's flesh. Norasha sweeps low and finishes the orc!
As the orc falls, there is a clattering sound from before you and a second portcullis drops into place before the fifth wave of orcs can make it through. The guards give you a thumbs-up as Omast turns to you.
"You've done well, my friends. The bards will sing of this day! But the battle is not yet won. Rest for a moment, and then you will need to go on with your mission."
Aisha groans as the last orc finally falls. "Thank gods! I thought they were never going to run out of more orcs." She steps back and drops heavily on one of the fallen logs. "Please tell me that's the last of the raiders."
Corric smiles, his hands gripping his saps as he puffs out his chest and looks over the fallen bodies.
Then he falls over.
"Just give me a second..." Corric manages between heavy breathes, "Need to catch my breath is all."]
"The next beacon, yeah," Rokar grunts, still out of breath.
With a sniff, he begins poking around at the Orcs, looking for anything that might help heal them or provide a strategic advantage before they move on.
"We might need to sneak our way towards the next beacon, you guys. I don't think Milani or I can take another hit like those Orcs have been dishing out..."
Aisha takes a look at the vials to see if she can identify the contents.
Rokar tries to ID the potions by taking a quick note and sniff from one of the bottles.
"Ah, thank the gods," Rokar says, throwing back a potion.
"Anyone else? Corric?" he offers, holding the other potions out to the other injured warriors. "...Gods know I could use another one, and Milani too," he says.
"I've exhausted a fair bit of magic, but I'm not actually hurt. Patch yourself up as much as you can. If there's still more fighting to be done, you'll need it."
"Bottle Corric half begs as he lies on the ground. Dumping the contents in his mouth, he starts to feel a bit or warmth in his muscles and tingling over his open wounds, most likely them closing but he doesn't bother to check.
HP: 12/15
"Okay, we got another beacon, or...god, I think I got smacked in the noggin one two many times. What are we doing other than killing orcs..?"
"The beacon, yeah," Rokar responds, before pointing out the direction of the beacon to Norasha, the only non-native of Trunau, and finally, convincing Milani to drink one of the potions.
"One left, Norasha, if you need it?" Rokar says, still himself not looking particularly well.
Rokar, drinking the last of the potions himself after Norasha insists, can't argue that he's feeling, at least a little, better.
"Onward, then? The beacon should be.....that way?" he says, conferring with Omast.
"Hopefully it's the last one. Let's go."
"Onward! May we pound a few more skullcaps on the way," Corric says cheerfully, running along with the others.
|
|
Once you exit the inner quarter, the final beacon at the Hopespring is finally within reach. Trunau’s lower quarter is surprisingly peaceful for now, as most attackers have already passed through, though the sounds of battle still rage throughout the town.
The wood pile for the beacon is still intact and ready to be set alight.
Everyone make a Perception check.
If the above check is successful, then anyone may make a Craft (alchemy) check.
"Hold on, what's this yellow stuff? Rokar says, as he looks through his survival kit, pulling out his flint and steel.
"Any ideas?"
"Wait, he said, sniffing the oddly familiar smell wafting off the wood pile, "it's an explosive!" Someone's rigged the beacon!
"Sabotage..." Aisha says quietly. "Can we clean it off, or do we need to get new wood somewhere?"
"So we can't set the wood pile alight or the beacon will blow up?"
Corric immediately moves to start removing the 'tainted' fuel source by hand.
"I'll toss in my pack for a fuel source if we have to, but we gotta get this stuff out first!"