.
Niadroub starts placing his mists. What is everyone doing now?
Mouse starts to work on the lock of the cage, after a nice quick look for traps or alarms.
Mouse easily defeats the primitive lock the barbarians have on the cage. The cage door opens easily but needs oiling.
What now?
Mouse quietly slips in the cage, doing her very best to wake the nearest girl without scaring her enough to have her make noise. "we are here to get you to safety" she says with the softest kindness but urgent voice possible.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
The girls eyes open and she almost screams, but seeing the person beside her isn't a hulking male Barbarian tells her this is something new to her situation.
Her eyes dart to another girl and she reaches over, putting her hand over her mouth before she wakes her. Tamary. Someone's here for us!" She whispers.
You recall that Terrion Numesti's other daughter was named Tamary. She seems to be the leader of these girls.
They continue the process, waking the other girls silently, hands over mouths. Tamary looks at Mouse intently once all the girls are awake. "What now?" She whispers, keeping any other questions for a better time. :)
What are you all doing now?
"We have allies in the trees" the halfling points in to the direction, making sure each of them looks and acknowledges. "we go, slow and quiet, that way. If one of them sees us, you RUN that way, and we fight" she points to the children for RUN and her and Vibenia for fight. She also slips off her greater talisman of freedom and slips it over Tamary. "You can do this." she tells them simply, then starts to lead them out.
"Just move as quickly and quietly as you can and we should have you all to safety soon. Your father and sister will be happy to see you." Vibenia says directly to Tamary, reinforcing that they are friendly faces.
Knowing she wasn't that well suited for stealth Valeria stayed in the tree line to help provide cover for the girls with a prayer to cast a barrier of blades on her lips and ready to cast if it was needed to slow any pursuers down when they were slipping away. Gunoke, on the other hand, was more than capable of being sneaky and went with Mouse and Vibenia.
Gunoke became invisible as well, using aether to bend light and sound around himself. It wasn't quite as good as true invisibility but it was pretty close and combined with his diminutive stature made him very difficult to detect.
Rather than get down close to where the captives were being freed Gunoke flitted over to be half-way between the center most barbarians and kept an eye on them in case they started to react or look in the direction the breakout.
Alos, fairly sue that obscuring mist centers on the caster and moves along with them.
Using a combination of his vanish spell and his dimensional slide ability, Niadroub Kliip positions himself to cast two obscuring mist spells over and between the two closest guards to the cage.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"we go, slow and quiet, that way. If one of them sees us, you RUN that way, and we fight" she points to the children for RUN and her and Vibenia for fight.
Waffles pipes up:
"I'll stay with you to show you where to go if these two need to fight! What an adventure! (For us; I bet you're terrified!)"
.
The Barbarian guards look concerned as mist rises around them, they look around suspiciously.
The girls begin to try and sneak away. Green looks in their direction hearing something out of the ordinary, but turns hurriedly when Gunoke clatters a rock behind him.
He and Orange stare where the rock made the noise and stalk closer, looking around but unable to find anything.
The girls make it to the stream with Waffles 'encouragement', you get them across while the guards are looking around, still unsure as to what is happening, but not checking the cage.
They seem more concerned at someone attacking them from outside the camp.
Nicely done. You have all the prisoners freed and safely out of the camp. While they are overjoyed to be free they are intelligent enough to stay quiet. What now?
Tamary Numestri is like her sister, brave and honorable. She quickly agrees to make the trip in the Portable hole. Especially hearing that her sister is alive and made it to your kingdom, and that father is free and in charge of Fort Drelev now!
Niadroub Kliip unfolds and spreads the portable hole on the ground. After briefly talking to Tamary about what to expect, he helps her into the hole before he folds it up and stows it safely away. Joining hands in a circle with the four remaining children, the High Magister teleports himself and the children to the bedroom where the party had slain Baron Drelev.
Upon arriving, he immediately extracts Tamary from the interdimensional space. He instructs the children to find papa Numesti, explain what's happened, and let him know that they'll check in after they've dealt with Armag the Twice-Born. He then teleports back to the party.
Rejoining the party, the arcanist suggests crossing the river west of the camp and approaching under the cover of the trees. This puts them close to the lookout not surrounded by magical mist and to the tunnel leading into Armag's tomb.
As Niadroub Kliip prepares, Mouse tells each of the children, that they did a very good job being brave and quiet, giving quick tight hugs. And gives the arcanist a very appreciative smile when he returns announcing it went well.
With a nod at Kliip's suggestion, Vibenia flashes Mouse a grin. "Now, we hunt
.
What are you doing now?
Waffles looks at Niadroub Kliip meaningfully, but the arcanist only returns a look of confusion. Waffles repeats the look even more earnestly, and then after a moment once again with even more meaningful earnestness, before Niadroub Kliip's eyes widen in recognition and he remembers to casts haste on the party before they exit the trees.
With actual time to prep, Marten casts bless weapon, divine favor and weapon of awe.
.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Having cast many spells recently, Niadroub Kliip decides to dig out the old crossbow. He loads it with a +1 flaming bolt. Instead of firing at one of the first targets he sees, he's going to trust the three melee murder machines for now.
Waffles uses his greater invisibility ability to turn invisible, greatly.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Having cast many spells recently, Niadroub Kliip decides to dig out the old crossbow. He loads it with a +1 flaming bolt. Instead of firing at one of the first targets he sees, he's going to trust the three melee murder machines for now.
Waffles uses his greater invisibility ability to turn invisible, greatly.
Mouse quietly works out with her fellow murder machines, who to attack, since attacking outside a swarm is a concept that she would look at in slack jawed wonder if anyone suggested it.
Mouse quietly gets to the tree line and takes a moment to study her opponent, how he moves, shifts from foot to foot, how he holds his weapon.
Then she is ready, nods to her companions, and swiftly rushes him
.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
With haste, Tracer easily hops over the foliage and slides through the trees to come upon the nearest barbarian. Marten feels a tiny twinge of remorse about striking down a man who's just part of a tribe doing its tribal things, but those tribal things include kidnapping young women and that's just not polite.
He lashes out with Falling Leaf as he brings Tracer into combat.
(Presumably a miss)
Gorman moves up using Marten for cover and takes a shot with his pistol.
Gunoke had returned to the treeline just behind the hostages in case further distractions were needed but it seemed he had done his job well and all without being detected. He became visible then as they prepared to fight and was glad of the extra speed from the haste spell. With the attack ready to begin Zelera, with dagger in hand, and Gunoke, now invisible once more, moved through the trees quickly and got into position to support Marten, though neither chose to attack just yet.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Mouse makes Yellow squawk in shock as the point of her rapier suddenly emerges from his chest, he is still alive though, until Marten thunders in on horseback and puts him out of his misery.
.
Gorman clips Red, the sound of the shot ringing loudly across the camp.
Niadroub & Vibenia can act!
The unwitting barbarian didn't seem to give Mouse and Marten any trouble, and Niadroub Kliip is trying to conserve his resources; he holds his crossbow at the ready, but doesn't fire. If he sees that the front line starts to get outnumbered, that may change.
Vibenia silently stalks into the mist, speaking a command word as the beautifully detailed canine relief etched into her breastplate vanishes, Dusk materializing silently beside her, guarding against any approach.
The Barbarians fill the air with shouts of shock, surprise and rage. The sleepers stumble out of their tents. Those on their feet drink potions and you can see their skin growing rougher.
.
That is their actions this round. The party can now act!
Having already loaded a bolt onto his crossbow, Niadroub Kliip fires at his clearest shot.
Niadroub Kliip is out of practice with his crossbow. He sighs in disgust, but when he hears his invisible familiar laughing at his terrible shot, he drops his crossbow and digs out his wand of lightning bolt.
Waffles perches on a branch nearby, ready to defend his eagle-eyed arcanist. If any barbarians get within melee range, the faerie dragon will use his cone of euphoria breath weapon.
Mouse trades a look toward the mounted knight, then slips into the confusion behind hooves and is lost from sight.
Uttering the words to another spell as she reaches down to touch Dusk's shoulder, Vibenia seems to fade into her surroundings, disappearing in the chaos.
.
Marten swings his shining mithral sword overhead, shouts "Ha-HA!" and then pivots to bring Tracer around the tent. The speeding horse leaps over Mouse and closes in on the other barbarians!
(Miss again)
Gorman advances, using a tent for cover, and quickly reloads his pistol.
With the fight begun in earnest Zelera saw a chance for some fun. She called upon the Lantern King to bring some mirth to this fight and a sudden burst of divine power exploded and engulfed a pair of the barbarians in a brief cloud of power that muddled their minds.
Gunoke, seeing a chance to attack one of the barbarians attacking Marten a little, moved closer, still invisible, and unleashed a devastating blast, groaning as the backlash of his empowered blast lashed out.
Orange & Green look puzzled, but sadly no confused by Zelera's spell.
Marten treats Mouse as a jump and clears her easily. Slashing down on Blue and wound him.
Gunoke then blasts Blue nearly punching a hole through him with his shot.
Blue & Teal roar and swing at Marten
His blow missing. His partner swings and hits though.
Red, Black & Lilac] all hurl hand-axes at the obvious threat that is [b]Marten.
Only Red hits though.
The other Barbarians all rush over to join the battle this round.
The party can now act
Seeing more barbarians than he was expecting, and also seeing fewer allies between himself and those said barbarians, Niadroub Kliip changes tactics once again. He casts mass suggestion at the oncoming group of warriors.
"We're joost a distrektion! Goo face the enemies et the oother end of kemp!" He works really hard on his diction, but that's the best he's got.
Waffles stifles a snicker at his arcanist's trickery. He waits for any barbarians who are going to turn around to do so, and then casts grease underneath the closest barbarians running towards Niadroub Kliip and Zelera.
The little mouse moved away from the house (tent) to stab the big smelly louse (teal barbarian). Her blade guards her companion and his horse as well.
From her hidden position, Vibenia fills the night air with the terrifying sound of a hail of crossbow bolts, all aimed at the barbarian directly ahead of her, approaching Marten from his right.
Dusk charges forward, racing through the darkness to tear viciously into the first barbarian he faces.
Mouse surprises Teal with a nasty wound.
Vibenia sends Lilac to the ground looking like a human pincushion.
.
Black howls in shock and surprise as Dusk nearly rips his leg off!
Niadroub's targets all turn and head back to deal with the 'enemies' on the other side of the camp.
Waffles notes the two running forwards still and puts a Grease spell under their feet. They both slip and fall over.
.
Black hacks at Dusk
Teal hisses and swings at Mouse
Swinging about two feet over her head. :)
Darker blue swings again at Marten.
His blow going wild.
The party can now act.
Marten and Tracer go wild on their foes.
Gorman takes a shot at Dusk's foe .
Marten & Tracer dispose of Blue & Teal.
Gorman adds to Blacks pains with a shot.
Everybody else. You're thinning them out nicely.
While her initial spell seemed to have little to know effect on the barbarians her next one would at least break them up a little. She chanted, gestured, and called up a barrier of spinning blades to surround a portion of the barbarians.
Gunoke, seeing Mouse move in to attacks some of the barbarians, and unleashed a bruising blast of force at the one that had just attacked his tunnel buddy Mouse.
Niadroub Kliip goes back to trying to conserve his spells. He moves closer, but otherwise takes no action.
Seeing her swarm has handled the nearest wave of towering mass of muscles, Mouse breaks off to guard the path to their magical support.
Snarling in anger at the barbarian's axe connects, Dusk continues ripping him apart.