The fight was reaching its zenith but it seemed to Brek that it was soon getting out of hand. Dimitri's words highlighted that fact. Unwilling to lose for some reason or the other.
Brek was wondering what was happening when his keen eyes spotted Almah, Garavel, and a Pactmaster Guard go down the stairs and out the northern exit of the Battle Market, obviously in a rush. A Swift vault and leaping across nimbly over tables, chairs and other patron's heads brings him to Apollo's side instantly.
"Heya big guy. Almah and a few others went running out towards the North Exit. Maybe you wanna go see what's happening and maybe lend a hand or help me stop those two? At the rate those two are going at it, someone else is also going to get hurt. That look in their eyes say it all."
Still perched on a banister or something similar, the robed Ifrit turns a half sommersault and watches the fight estimating the best way to end it when he grins.
Maybe a spell or 2 will do it. His thoughts run as he wonders how else to get the crowd away from what he feels is good enough.
Ah Yes.
Making his way to Dimitri's lovely wife and getting her attention.
"Dimitri's about to do something that might cost you alot of patrons. Now that's bad for business. Tell him to stop?"
Worried that Almah's taking such action and trying to hide it, Je'grik tightens the bandages on the mages a little tighter than needed and heads off to meet with her, hand on his scimitar. He reaches them just after Brek.
"What's that fool blackguard about to do now?" he hiss.
"Oh nothing much except probably do something that may just hurt most of the spectators?" is Brek's quick rejoinder though he does so with a smile.
"Got a little something to rustle up smoke or something?"Brek queries.
"No. Not on me. I could get a torch, but it think I should go deal with whatever he's trying to do, don't you?"
"I can blind of them if you can take the other out" Brek offers.
"Sounds like a plan. I think he's been wanting to fight me for a while anyway."
Once again, Dmitri's fear does not quite sink in to the woman, maybe there is just something about being afraid that she doesn't process. She takes the hand on her shoulder, and twists the arm to spin around to behind him, holding his own arm across his chest. This allows her to use his own arm to press herself and the biting spikes into his back. She holds the crossed arm in the crook of her elbow as she leans in close to his ear, and gives it a nibble just to taunt him. "If you don't want an audience, why do we do this on the stage?"
(25 init) - Kori - 53/65 (lose at 32 or lower) - Friendly (DC 18)
(20 init) - Dmitri - 43/71 (lose at 35 or lower) - Indifferent (DC 13)
As their companions watch, and plot stopping their fight, Kori squeezes ever tighter onto Dmitri, sending her armor spikes further into him and causing blood to begin leaking out of his armor. From the multiple spike wounds in his body, a pool of blood begins to form at Dmitri's feet.
The crowd leans forward in their seats or cranes their necks ahead and forward, seeing Kori gain the upper hand yet again. Some begin to cheer the drow woman on once again, especially the women in the Market.
Struggling about against the spikes in his back, Dmitri smiles at the question as he manages to grab his weapon properly. Struggling against Kori's grip, he manages to free his arms, but can't escape just yet as she quickly tries to grab it again.
Reaching his arm out, he grabs the back of Kori's neck, placing a finger right into her ear, and surges it with a relentless amount of dark energy. Feeling her wince at the pain, he smiles a bit wide. "Twice you have resisted the darkness, Koritylija. That is more than most can ever say, or have ever said. Beasts have resisted the darkness only once. Even Kardswann shook at my voice. You have not." he said as he proceeded to drag a dark, surging finger all the way around to the base of her ear.
(25 init) - Kori - 53/65 (lose at 32 or lower) - Friendly (DC 18)
(20 init) - Dmitri - 43/71 (lose at 35 or lower) - Unfriendly (DC 18)
Struggling in the grip of his drow opponent, Dmitri tries to bring his scythe to bear, but the constricting grip of the grapple keeps him from using it effectively, no matter how much he struggles. He wriggles for several seconds, unable to act. The crowd seems disappointed by his inability to even do anything to his opponent and begin to boo Dmitri, and some even begin to throw small pieces of popcorn or copper pieces.
Kori's gamble paid off, as she figured he would have little ability to get out of her grasp. As he reaches around to try and push his power straight into her brain, she just laughs cruelly. With that she continues her spin back around to his front toward the shoulder of the arm she pulled across his body. Once she gets to the front, she hops up on him and wraps her legs around his waist. While there she pulls his hair back to look into his eyes as she allows her own weight to drag the weapon of her body down the front of his. She finishes by telling him softly, "I have felt much greater evil in my life from my people, and my slavery. You are... my... friend."
Feeling the spikes delve deep into his body, Dmitri smiles. This was enough... he thought to himself. As she leans down and whispers her words into his ear, he lays there, oddly content as he pushes her gently off, with the spikes sliding out of their respective puncture wounds. He'd effectively been made a pin cushion, but he didn't feel a vacancy in his pride at all.
He had fought well, and so had she. She wasn't an enemy, and if anything the 2 of them had shaken off their rust. It was exactly what he'd wanted.
Still on the ground, Dmitri spoke out to her directly, just loud enough to be heard by her, but not the rest of the audience, unless they slowly calmed down enough to hear him. "Koritylija." he said. For a moment he paused, waiting for something. He wasn't sure what. "You are a woman with a strong heart." he says as he stands up to the crowd's roars.
"I shall never lift a hand to you, nor shall I ever draw my weapon. From this day forward, we are blood siblings." he said, pressing the wound upon his forearm against the one on her wrist. "Thank you." With that final phrase, he lifts her wrist into the air to announce her the winner of the duel.
"Oh and Koritylija? Welcome home."
Sensing the fight over, Brek whispers to Je'Drik.
"Tell them to head over to the North Gate as soon as they're done. I'll see you all there. Something may have come up."
Brek turns and using his smaller form and acrobatics, melts into the crowd before breaking into a run, making sure to head in the direction where he saw Almah and the rest heading too.
What are the odds that I'll end up having to face some kind of enemy on my own while my powerhouses are all back there? Brek muses as his agile feet takes him where he wants to go.
Kori - 45/65 (35/55)
Dmitri - 33/71
Kori's strangely sensual, and deadly, move of wrapping herself around Dmitri and letting the spikes on her armor drag down his body, is a hit with the crowd and concludes the fight, injuring Dmitri enough to force him to concede. The crowd roars in approval of Kori, and many approach the stage again to reach for her, looking for a high-five or a nod or something. Kori's return is an explosive and popular one, and this duel is likely to see storytelling for many months.
The Gorumite from before ascends the stage and approaches the pair of them. "Y'all can take a lot of punishment before you fall...I'm not even sure how much I can do for you."
He channels energy anyway, hoping to alleviate some pains, at least.
Brek exits the Battle Market first, easily, to find Garavel and Almah worriedly conferring with a guardsman just outside the gate. "...don't want people to be too alarmed," Brek hears Almah say, "We can handle it ourselves, there aren't too many gnolls."
Gnolls? Oh the poor things. Apollo lives here Brek chuckles to himself knowing of Apollo's disposition towards the hyena-like creatures.
Coughing loudly to ensure that Almah and the rest hears him coming.
Brek steps forward, flashing a causal smile.
"What's this about Gnolls Almah? The rest should be here soon and knowing Apollo, there would be none left if those beasts know what's good for them."
Staring at Kori and Dmitri, still with a look of concern, Apollo listened as Brek made his approach but kept firm watch on his two old allies.
No. he said, shaking his head.
If they want to act the fool, it's down to them. I'm just watching to make sure they don't completely kill each other.
Keeping his serious tone, he looked to Brek out of the corner of his eye, turning his head to the right ever so slightly.
I've tried calling out and they're not listening anyway. What's Almah doing out the back? She only just left? he questioned.
As the fight went on, Apollo continued to watch, having more of an understanding as to why they were fighting than Brek or Je'Grik. Mainly, because he knew them better.
As the fight drew to a close, Apollo turned around satisfied that both combatants hadn't been fatally wounded, and walking with bold confidence, followed Brek out back, sipping his crimson red tomato juice along the way.
The crowd do love a good blood sport. If she hasn't experienced it before, Kori now has to deal with crowd favour and all of the aggrevating fans that come with it. They're not all bad I guess, but sometimes you just want some time to yourself!
Pushing the northern doors open with ease, Apollo's home and watchtower stood tall, overshadowing Almah, Garavel, Brek and the Guardsman in front as he casually made his way forwards.
Garavel. Almah. he said, nodding at Garavel and slightly smirking at Almah.
Brek told me he thought something was up, so once I knew Dmitri and Kori weren't going to kill each other, I came as soon as I could. What's up? asked Apollo.
She stands, the final move allowing her to release her harnassed bloodlust, weariness overtaking her. She only nods at Dmitri, and ignores the crowd, not caring about their show. As the man that directly follows the god that handed her power offers healing, she only nods a simple agreement about his estimation of their toughness. Then she herself uses the god's power to replenish some of her own health.
She turns to Dmitri, grabs his head in her hands and pulls his ear close to her mouth, as she whispers ever so quietly into it.
Garavel. Almah. he said, nodding at Garavel and slightly smirking at Almah.
Brek told me he thought something was up, so once I knew Dmitri and Kori weren't going to kill each other, I came as soon as I could. What's up? asked Apollo.
Almah smiles at your appearance, obviously pleased that you're here. "A gnoll threat on the town, Apollo. Care to help?" Of course, you don't even have to ask for weapons - ever-prepared, she hands you a quiver full of arrows, a longbow (+2 str) and a longsword. Should you request it, she can have a shield for you as well. "Weapons, obviously. I know you didn't come expecting a fight...we might have to delay our..night later." she says, with her pretty long eyes flicking towards Garavel in caution.
You had me at Gnoll laughed Apollo.
I don't suppose there'd be enough time to get changed into my old adventuring gear? It's been a long time since any Gnoll's showed their ugly faces around here, but I've been waiting for this.
Turning to stare out at the yonder beyond, Apollo quietly and coldly stated; We have unfinished business. That Gnoll King and I.
Perking up, he looked to Almah, placing his hands on her welcoming hips.
And lunch it would seem. Ah well, we'll make up for lost time, have no worries about that. smiled the man.
"Where were the gnolls last sighted? I could scout out first and determine their numbers and likely heading. We could setup an ambush from there to reduce injuries." Brek points out.
Seeing Almah hand Apollo weapons and his following question.
"If the gnolls are too near, then maybe we should set out once the others return. Another method is I could always attempt to delay them first."
Well, there's no sense in calling on help from the others. It would draw too much attention from the crowd if their two latest Gladiators suddenly disappeared off with the rest of the heroes who saved Kelmerane. No, we should keep this quiet and between ourselves, friend.
"Just you and me?" Brek asks doubtful.
Apollo may have being another powerhouse just like Dimitri and Kori but compared to those two, he seemed more fragile. A year ago whenever he looked Apollo seemed covered in wounds no matter when he looked but he was no Dimitri. While the former revelled in getting wounded, the latter did not show such emotion but was rather ignored in favor of everything else. Yes Apollo was strong in his own right.
Dimitri was tough and gloried in pain. He was like the Bulwark that desired to be tested. The armored opponent that proved inexorable to his opponents. Outlasting his opponents was the name of his game and if they could deliver more pain, Dimitri loved them all the more for it.
Kori was destruction personified. Violent and not afraid to show it, despite her rather petite elven frame, she could possiblity be the most dangerous with her destructive method of fighting. Favoring close combat the most out of the three and getting too close to her with her spiked armor simply meant more pain for the unfortunate one as shown in their bulk.
Apollo now was different. A tempest of fury would be the best description. At his peak, Apollo's ability to deliver mighty blows was telling and his complete disregard to his own safety in order to deliever that deadly blow of his own often paid off more than not. Yet the man was good in a fight and knew how to move silently.
Yep, this could work well. Brek thinks as he considers the differences between the three of them.
Turning to Brek, Apollo said; I was thinking...the reason Almah and Garavel may have moved out to me suggests they wished to avoid the public learning of such issues. It seems logical.
Looking around, Apollo comments; The two of us should be fine. I mean I haven't seen you truly fight, but with the help of a guard or two, we should be fine with little casualty. I just like getting up a bit close and personal with them, but I'm not against putting a few arrows into their furry hide beforehand.
The man grins, confident in his own abilities.
"As far as I know," says Almah, "They've already attacked, but they haven't infiltrated the town yet. A half-dozen guards went out there to hold them down while one of them came back here to warn me. They're across the river, to the northeast."
Well, it sounds like we're short on time. These clothes will have to do!
Tilting his head from side to side, Apollo began to psyche himself up.
Almah swee..., pass me those weapons. It's time to see how I handle myself without any protective wear!
Taking the longsword, +2 Str Composite Longbow and Quiver (guessing we have as many arrows as we need), Apollo sheathes the longsword, hoists the quiver over his back from shoulder to waist and carries his temporary bow in his left hand.
Taking three steps forward, Apollo gazes across the river and to the northeast.
Shall we? he asks, turning to Almah, Garavel, Brek and the guard, with a look of fearless confidence.
Dmitri's eye widens a little at what he hears. A wry smile crosses his face and turns into a stupidly large grin, but he shakes his head in disagreement. Turning back he whispers as well.
Leaning away, he hoists the scythe onto his shoulder and looks about with all of his wounds. The gorumite had healed him, but you couldn't really call it healing. He had healed the shallowest of the wounds, but the deeper ones, par the fact that they'd stopped bleeding, were still rather severe and could have opened up with any amount of exertion.
Spinning his scythe for a moment, he plants the weapon into the ground, pleased with the events, but looks about at the crowd, noticing that Apollo was gone. He'd never noticed Je'grik and Brek. He sheathes the weapon and turns, waving himself away, despite having lost; going so far as to take a proper bow before departing.
Bidding Koritylija follow him, he begins to speak as he leaves the arena. "Come, let us walk. I've babbled constantly about my own trials and tribulations. How were your travels?" he asks as he makes his way towards the nearest stairs.
Seeing Apollo all fired up, Brek Shrugs.
"Sure let's go then. It's being some time since I lent my skills particularly under this kind of circumstances."
Taking point and moving forward to scout.
Since there has been no screaming from the battle arena, Je'grik decides to follow Almah and find out what's going on.
"Anything I can help with, Almah?"
Kori agrees to walk with him, following wherever he intends on heading, and answers quite simply. "I learned a little. I was too late for my revenge, so I returned."
Walking along towards the upper stairs, Dmitri continues the conversation with remarkable interest. "Hmm? You found your enslavers?" he asks, as he retrieves a cloth from his pouch and begins to wipe off the blood from his face.
Almah turns, having just begun to swiftly walk to the northeastern side of the village. "A gnoll threat, Je'Grik. Apollo and Brek were just helping me and my guardsmen repel them. Care to help? I know you're capable, and you already look armed."
Swiftly running northeast, towards the river and the bridge across it, and, apparently, the unfolding battle over there, Brek, Apollo, and Je'Grik accompany Almah and a pair of her guards.
As they round a corner around a recently-built home, they see the unfolding scene before them - a dozen gnolls standing, and one fallen and dead, fight what used to be a half-dozen of Kelmerane's finest guardsmen, but now is only three harried and injured men.
Garavel - 30/30
Guard 1 - 15/15
Guard 2- 11/15
Guard 3 - 7/15
Guard 4 - 10/15
A gnoll ranger, 20/20
A gnoll cleric, 18/18
A gnoll warchief, 32/32
The gnolls variously use battleaxes and greataxes, and react with much excitement at the arrival of a half-dozen new victims for them to toy with and murder, their jaws slavering and with the occasional bark. The guardsmen, however, react with relief and happiness, calling out for help.
Initiative
Brek - 15
Defenders of Kelmerane - 11
Apollo - 6
Gnolls - 4
Je'Grik - 3
+2 Strength Composite Longbow vs Gnolls: +12, 1d8+6 x3
Longsword (two-handing): +13, 1d8+10, 19-20x2
Almah, it looks as though our guys are in trouble. I trust the teamwork between you and Garavel, so if you take out the priest in flanking with Garavel while I focus on the Ranger, that should remove their support. The guards should be able to hold their own for now!
turning to Brek and Je'Grik, Apollo asks; I hope you're ready for this guys! There's more than I originally thought.
Pulling back the string on his newly borrowed bow, Apollo takes aim at the far Ranger 60 feet away, taking a deep breath, exhaling only as he releases his shot.
All the more fun for me... he quietly utters, following his fired arrow through the sky with his eyes as it makes its way towards its intended target.
Meanwhile, Almah makes her way forward at a steady pace as she readies her flank with Garavel.
Garavel, we must focus on the support! communicates Almah, as she charges the Cleric, hoping to wound it enough for Garavel to deliver the final blow before too much damage can be done.
However, she's no Warrior and misjudges her step as she stumbles past the Gnoll Priest.
Brek sizes up the opposition. Pretty much a large amount of them.
Bringing up his hands, he cast Mage Armor on Apollo, wreathing him in flames as they travel across his torso, shimmering in a red hot flash of heat before settling down as a protective layer of armor.
"Charge into them and get their chief Apollo! The guardsman are about to be overwhelmed!!! I'll do what I can but I don't have enough spells for all of them!"
Brek cloaks Apollo in protective force energy as Apollo shouts tactical orders and shoots off an arrow at the gnoll ranger in the ranks of their enemies. The arrow impacts the gnoll in the chest area, and his body is shoved backwards violently, but he remains standing and hale.
Almah and Garavel charge into battle together, flanking the divinely-empowered gnoll together. Almah's strike is distracted and lackluster, but Garavel is well-prepared and silently efficient, and strikes the creature with his falchion, spilling its entrails by slicing through its belly. The gnoll cleric still stands, but it's staggered and falling over.
The guardsman with them charges alongside them, but doesn't make it all the way into the battle, due to his heavier armor.
The guardsmen already engaged in the battle, bolstered by the appearance of newcomers, strike out at the gnolls. One of the guards actually manages to fell a gnoll with his halberd, and the other slices into the gnoll and harms him, but the third guard misses entirely.
Concentrating hard, the gnoll cleric manages to heal itself without being attacked by the foes around it, and the gnoll ranger approaches Almah and slashes at her with a two-handed scimitar blow. The gnoll warchief, toting a huge greataxe, roars in rage and charges at Garavel, slashing through the warrior's chain shirt to reveal newly-bloodied flesh underneath.
The gnolls gang up on the town guard, but they're heavily-protected by half-plate, so only two of the eight gnoll warriors strike, although they strike well and powerfully and one of the guardsmen is felled.
Initiative:
Brek - 15
Defenders of Kelmerane - 11
Apollo - 6
Gnolls - 4
Je'Grik - 3
Garavel - 22/34
Guard 1 - 19/19
Guard 2- 5/19
Guard 3 - 11/19
Guard 4 - (down!)
One gnoll at 6/11
A gnoll ranger, 9/20
A gnoll cleric, 9/18
A gnoll warchief, 40/40
The sounds, sights, and smells of battle were a fairly welcome sight. So little of it in the temple he cared for...
"Dawnflower, guide my blade!!" He hisses loudly, rushing in and stabbing at the closest gnoll with all his might.
Je'Grik charges into the fray of the battle and, with a powerful swing of his new and magically-charged scimitar, easily fells a gnoll, slicing through flesh and bone.
Brek will choose his targets with care. Taking sight at the injured Gnoll (The one with HP 6/11)
He fires off a ray feeling its heat as it leaves his hands.
"Hmm? You found your enslavers?"
She merely shakes her head, never being the forthright kind when it comes to personal talk. "No. Not the ones I was looking for. The House of Azrinae had been defeated. They had some plan to end the world or something, and a powerful group of surface-dwellers had stopped them."
"My, that's mildly convenient. Hmm... It's fanciful, you know?" he says as he leans on the balcony railing that he'd just come to rest on. "Somewhere out there, there are people just like us; powerful, no. More powerful than we are, they are..." he says with somewhat of a grin.
"All the more reason to get stronger I suppose. I've no knowledge of the Hose of Azrinae, but Drow families don't easily fall. Though, to be frank, I do believe that our old company would be capable of doing such a thing. Even more so now, wouldn't you say?"
Dmitri was obviously happy that he'd grown in strength over the course of the events last year.
"No, it's not. Now they'll never know I came for them, and they won't feel the bite of my weapons. I can never get my revenge. I was prepared to die on my task, but I would at least take one of their house with me if not more. I would have them remember me. You do not know of drow families, our group is nothing to the ones that matter." She seems upset over her lack of vengeance, but speaks matter-of-factly about the power of her people.
Did such awful wretches truly deserve vengeance? Frankly I think your enslavers got the no-name death they deserved. They were punished astutely, and most ruthlessly. Very few transgressors deserve such fitting ends..." he says, calling upon some dark energy into his hand before crushing it into his fist.
"So few deserve their righteous destruction. Smiting evil is for paladins, wouldn't you agree? I am no such thing..." he says, placing the energy hand up to his covered eye. "No, most certainly not."
Her brow furrows, clearly he did not understand, "They didn't deserve it because they were wrong, nor did I want it because they were worth it. I wanted it, because they did it to me! What they deserved, is for me to come, so they could speak my name with their dying breaths, and know that they made a mistake by enslaving and selling ME!" Her fists clench, and her nostrils flare as she breathes heavy with hatred.
Dmitri stops for a moment to look her sternly. "I won't pretend I don't know what they did to you, Koritylija. I know you wanted your revenge for what they did." he says with a bit of a stifled, somewhat evil chuckle.
"And you may have it before our adventures are over, you know... that revenge." he says, looking out towards the sun.
She just shakes her head, confusion blanketing her face, "I... was... too... late. They're dead, their house is in ruin, their name means nothing. There is no one to get my revenge on. Like I said, it's been done, there's nothing else for me to do, but come back here. To who and what I know." She walks away from him.
Who's to say we couldn't resurrect their head of house and allow you to kill them all over again, Koritylija? he says, still looking out at the sun. "I would very much like to return to my birth country of Cheliax some day, and I do believe that when I do I shall assume the head of a house there." he said as he stood up and began to follow her.
"The clerics in the house of Mavis are powerful, and the House of Greed supposedly has diamonds the size of a halfling's foot. I would see you get your revenge properly, strangling the life out of someone so happy to be alive yet again..." he said with a wry smile.
"Wouldn't it feel good? To clench the throat of the house head that stole you away? To Steal her away from the peace of death and send her to the abyss properly."