"Ugh. Not good. Should we stay here and assume they'll come to us, or should we go try to set up an ambush?"
"WE BRING THE FIGHT TO THEM. KEEP THE TOWN SAFE."
That is army heading to town? Do we not go back to warn that trolls are coming?
Racket follows the others upstairs and out the door.
"I can't tell where the bastards are coming from. Anyone else?"
Not coming here for certain. It's the army heading to the town. We should get there and warn as fast as uh... Zavier turns to look at the rest of the group. One is tiny, the other is lumbering, and the last is lame. Maybe Zavier run fast to warn them of orc and troll and the rest come as soon as possible to help defend town!
Yes Zavier, make haste to the town, the rest of us will catch up to you. The town has to be warned, and you are our best hope. He then turns to the half-orc, glaring at him as he says, you are coming with us. We shall decide what to do with you once the attack is over.
Grok nods in agreement and heads towards the town.
Then if no one has worry Zavier will run to town. His boots will be like thunder!
[ooc]How do you want to handle Zavier hustling back DM? Zavier will try to pace himself and stay safe while doing[/b]
Racket rolls his eyes at Zavier's enthusiasm, then climbs up on Grok. "Let's go, big man."
Your group hustles forward to try and reach the gates before the attackers force them to be sealed. As you run, the sounds of the army become even clearer than before. Where you once heard a single drum, you can now hear dozens. Horrible horns made of human bone accompany the drums, and when they are played, a chorus of orc war cries sound out in reply. But even worse, you hear the roars of some beast that are now carrying over the drums, horns, and screaming orc warriors.
With about a hundred feet to go, you hear a massive crash from the north, then see a huge boulder fly over your heads to smash into Trunau. A guard tower and several buildings explode into deadly wooden projectiles. A huge cry goes up from the horde, and hundreds of orcs stream out of the woods and charge the city.
Only a few seconds after the first rock crashed into the city, another huge crash echoes across the field and a large section of the wall is destroyed by the tumbling boulder.
"LEAVE THE PRISONER. LEAVE HIM SAFE, BUT HE IS NOT THAT IMPORTANT."
Grok looks to the prisoner.
"RUN, AND I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF."
After he is secured in a building, or under leaves, or anything slightly protected.
"FIND THE LEADERS, DEFEND THE TOWN."
We would survive better as a group. Whichever of you has the greatest tactical acumen, take the lead, Katrezra shouts over the din of drums and boulders smashing the walls, looking amongst the group and at the approaching hoards.
"This is going to be... uncomfortable. I'll defer to Grok. He seems to think he knows what he's talking about..."
We run inside and Grok and Zavier strong enough to help close gate fast. But we must hurry!
As your group moves toward the gate, Daktani sullenly follows you, apparently cowed by Grok's threat. You reach the portcullis and luckily the guards inside recognize you - they quickly open the portal and allow you inside.
Turning back, Grok and Zavier are able to assist the guards in closing the portcullis again. With their combined strength, they are even able to help overturn a wagon, creating a sturdy barricade against the onrushing horde.
One of the sergeants points south, "Glad you could make it, we'll take all the help we can get. We're sending all the civilians up the hill to the longhouse. It's the most defensible position in town. The rest of the guard leaders are up there too. The bloody orcs have already broken through our walls in two places and they're bringing up ladders - the ridge is only about fifteen feet high there, so it's only a matter of time before they get into the city."
Shouts of alarm ring out and several guards point up at another incoming boulder. The massive rock sails east of your position, and you feel the ground tremble when it slams into one of the buildings.
Another guard yells over at the sergeant, "Not good, Sir. That was Clamor!"
A small group of guards is gathering nearby, the sergeant glances over at them, then back to your group, "So we need to reinforce the wall, and we need to check in on Sara to make sure she made it out. Which way do you want to go? My boys will head the other way."
First check Sara, if all okay we reinforce wall? Zavier asks the rest of the group.
"Fine with me. Less chance we'll get killed there, right? Sure... sure." Racket speaks mostly to himself, obviously unhappy about the current situation.
Grok pounds a stony fist into his palm.
"LET'S KILL SOME ORCS."
He then looks to the other guards.
"I'M GOING TO NEED SOME JAVELINS."
Yes, we need to check on Sara, Katrezra says, fear and concern in his eyes, and we have no time to lose. Not waiting for the rest of the group, he begins limping towards Clamor House, using his spear as a make-shift staff in an attempt to aid his movement. There is an urgency in his step, similar to the urgency you saw when he came to meet you before heading to the plague house a second time.
Zavier keeps pace with the limping spellcaster helping him move just a bit faster to where Katrezra's friend is.
You hurry toward Clamor as fast as you can. As you get closer, you see thick smoke billowing up as nearby buildings begin to catch on fire. Several more boulders sail overhead and crash into the inner walls of Trunau.
You arrive at Clamor to find Sara's shop a flaming carcass. It still stands, but fire covers nearly every surface. A small part of the ceiling crashes into the main part of the building. As you star through the thick smoke, movement inside catches your eye - it's Agrit, and she is attempting to lift something. The dwarven woman screams as she strains, "Somebody help me! Please! Sara is trapped!"
Katrezra rushes into Clamor House, smoke burning in his eyes, bringing back what he thought were long dead memories... But he pushes through, making his way towards the dwarven form trying to lift the rubble.
Racket is on Grok's shoulders, so he goes where Grok goes.
Strong men move rubble! Zavier comes in
Zavier tries to hold his breath and goes in to try and help the dwarf woman move the rubble.
Grok also runs into the blaze and attempts to remove rubble. He sets down Racket just at the edge of the building.
Katrezra, Zavier, and Grok move inside the rapidly crumbling structure. Smoldering pieces of wood and ceiling fall to the floor. The smoke in here is thick enough to obscure vision, and it is quickly getting worse. The roaring of the flames makes speech nearly inaudible, and you have to shout to be heard more than a few feet away. And the heat is nearly unbearable - this is what it must feel like to be inside an oven!
About twenty feet inside the building, Agrit kneels over the fallen body of Sara. Her eyes are closed, and she is not moving. A massive beam lies across her chest, and large pieces of debris cover the lower half of her body and the rest of the beam.
Agrit screams as she pleads with you, "Please help her! She was conscious for a moment after the wall collapsed, but she closed her eyes and I can't wake her up again!"
Most of them run off toward the wall breaches, but four run in your direction. It doesn't appear that they have seen you yet, but they will be beside Clamor very soon.
Katrezra looks to Sara and to the debris, thinking of perhaps calling upon his powers of healing before deciding that he can handle that after the debris is clear, and sets to work doing such as quickly as he can, not wasting time with words.
Grok looks to Agrit.
"CLEAR ANY ROCKS YOU CAN LIFT."
He then clears as fast as he can.
Zavier helps with moving the debris as fast as possible.
[occ] That makes four actions so far right?[/ooc]
Racket jumps behind a portcullis before the orcs see him.
He then quickly looks along the burning building for some precarious debris that he might be able to use to take out several of the orcs at once.
Katrezra, Grok, and Zavier work with Agrit to rescue Sara. The smoke continues to get thicker in the building, and even more flaming debris falls around you.
-----
Grok will continue clearing.
Zavier will lift after one of the others clears a bit more rubble.
"Damn." Racket says under his breath. He will then try to sneak into the area where his friends are and warn them of the incoming orcs.
Ketrezra will continue clearing as well, mumbling concernedly about Sara and the smoke filling the area
Between the four of you, the debris is finally removed, and the beam is lifted off of Sara. She lies on the floor with a trickle of blood coming out of her mouth. Her left arm is obviously broken near the wrist, and her breathing is very shallow.
Racket runs in, revealing the fact that several half-orcs are charging down the street. As he's speaking, three half-orcs stride into the house, all of them bare-chested with white swords painted on their torsos. Their eyes are wild, and they lift their battle axes as they scream "DEATHHH!"
Agrit yells at you, "They're blocking our only way out! Hurry, Sara can't last much longer!"
Unfortunately, the smoke has gotten thick enough that the air itself tastes like ashes. It causes your eyes to water, and breathing is becoming difficult.
Grok is not willing to play any games with outsiders. He drops any beams (after clearing them) (free action). Moves to the enemies, drawing as he goes, and strikes.
The strain of lifting the beam causes Zavier to inhale a lungful of black smoke.
Still he steps into a flanking position with Grok and one of the half orcs and grabs on.
Death to you!
Racket will move into flanking with Grok, using Acrobatics if necessary, and then attack the same half-orc as him.
plus
Katrezra, in no mood for games, but recognizing his own weakness, calls upon Iomedae: Lend your warriors your might that they may slay their foes!
Zavier drops his side the beam and leaps forward at the surprised half-orcs, grabbing one in a giant bear hug!
Grok follows a moment later, dropping his side of the beam and striding forward drawing his massive sword. He unleashes a furious blow and cuts one of the half-orcs completely in half, sending the monster's torso flying across the smoke-filled room.
Racket leaps behind the last half-orc and thrusts with his rapier, but the thick smoke obscures his target just enough that the attack goes wide.
Katrezra calls upon his patron to bless his companions in their fight.
Zavier's target attempts to break free of the grapple:
... but the creature fails to escape!
The third half-orc swings his axe at Grok:
... but his blow slides off Grok's armor without wounding the oread!
------
Healer man! Help Agrit get Sara out of House! Zavier shouts out while squeezing the half orc in his grasp so hard that its ribs start to crack.
Katrezra nods and turns to Sara and Agrit, reaching to down to the prone form of Sara while saying to Agrit, Take her feet, we must get the two of you out before this place collapses upon us.
Grok swings again.
Zavier attempts to hurt his opponent, but the orc surprisingly fights back!
Grok levels a blow at the orc in front of him and drops his foe in a heap.
Katrezra rushes back into the house where he and Agrit pick up Sara.