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A little further observation reveals that the three gnolls in the courtyard aren't spending their time just sitting close together, but are wandering to and fro, sometimes climbing up the remains of the outer wall's walkway to check the path to the fort, sometimes snoozing, sometimes eating, etc.. Getting all three to bunch up will require some way to lure them together. Shooting the gnoll on top the tower would be an extraordinarily difficult task - after all, the place is designed to prevent just that sort of thing (with battlements and everything)!
Hmm. If we can draw the gnolls on the ground to us, we can use the hole in the wall as a bottle neck and use the wall itself as cover. we start the battle as Yousef is climbing, so the archer drops his gaurd. What could we use to lure the gnolls so they don't expect and attack? I'm not so sure we could pull of an convincing explosion, or that it would be the right reaction, maybe something it would like to eat? Wild animal perhaps? Other option is to wait for one to fall asleep again and to attack then.
"Yousef. Before you go. Give me back Zaina's bottle please. I trust she was quite helpfull?" Bahram says looking at Zaina approvingly.
"Yeah, she was a lot of fun." he says as he hands back the bottle. "Zaina, we'll have to do it again sometime. Minus the gnolls of course." He smiles at the little genie.
Rashid cogitates for a few moments, and then comments:
"Waiting for one to fall asleep could work, as could making a sound like a goat bleating on the other side of the crack, to get them to come towards it, and place them in a perfect formation for Color Spray and Burning Hands.
I am happy with either; if the first one does not eventuate soon, however, I would suggest trying for the second. All in favor?"
ah
"Sounds good."
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"Zaina, we'll have to do it again sometime. Minus the gnolls of course."
'But Master Yousef,' Zaina retorts, with a grin, 'the gnolls were so much fun!'
So...
... as Yousef sneaks towards the tower, the others get in position - Lavender and Keldar flanking the chosen breach in preparation for unleashing their respective magics, and Rashid and Bahram casting their pre-combat spells to bolster their companions...
Before he leaves, Yousef asks Lavender, "Hey, do you think I could borrow that ring that helps us float while I climb the tower? It would help me feel better about the climb." He puts on his biggest, most attractive grin he can muster.
stealth if not here for action burning hands
"Hey, do you think I could borrow that ring that helps us flo--"
Lavender pulls off the ring mid sentence and holds it out to him.
Gods speed Mr. Yousef!
Initiative
Stealth + Full cover (wall)
Pre-round/surprise round:
Lavender casts Ghost sound, giving the sound of a goat bleating and moving about in their general area and maybe a weak little bell that would possibly have on its neck if that makes sense. She keeps the sound soft but loud enough for the gnolls on the grounds to hear.
Surprise/Round 1: She steps out from behind the wall and casts colorspray if at least two of them come in range. If only one, she peeks around the corner and dazes the gnoll.
Watching Yousef ascend the tower Bahram starts to get nervous yet again. The previous fight still fresh in his mind he is determined to do better, although secretly he wonder what he could have done differently. It was all supposed to be so simple, yet the gnoll proved an impossible target for him. If not for Lavender he would probably be dead.
Looking around the group with grim determination he tries his best to calm and steel himself for the conflict to come, praying his aim will be better.
Hugging cover as much as possible, Rashid carefully makes his way up to the chosen gap, and waits with scimitar in hand...
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As the sound of an innocent frolicking mountain goat, lost from its herd, drifts temptingly over the gnoll camp, the three in the courtyard obligingly prick their ears up, grab their spears and bows, and start to make their way over... only to stop (still out of colour spray and burning hands range), exchange a few pointed growls, and spread out as they obviously move to flank the group lurking behind the wall...
Meanwhile, Yousef silently pulls himself up, over the parapet atop the tower. The centre of the roof is dominated by a raised stone platform, maybe ten feet high, with a large (but broken) siege-sized catapault mounted on it. A rusting metal ladder leads from the roof to the top of the platform. The gnoll guard, however, is on the lower portion of the roof, warming himself by a campfire he's got going... although as Yousef drops to the roof he hears the growls from below...
... the rooftop gnoll grabs up his bow, moves to the battlements overlooking where Yousef's friend's are hiding, and knocks an arrow...
if dont get two or more together than with shield equiped and scimatar ready prepare for nasty fight time to get me some gnoll pay back
Yousef silently glides across the top of the tower, spear poised and drawn to strike. When he is close enough to his prey, he brings his weapon down with both hands into the gnolls back.
Damn! Lavender thinks to her self.
Lavender readies an action to daze the first gnoll that attempts to attack an ally. If possible she tries to get cover other than the wall.
Rashid sighs, and moves to smack the first Gnoll that presents itself to him with the flat of his blade...
, for damage.
'Oh well..' Bahram sighs inwardly. 'Stay close Zaina.' he says as he moves forward to stay with the group.
initiative
Seeing a sneering gnoll face peek around the corner Bahram contempuosly bursts a flare in it's face.
int attack with scimatar is
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On the roof, Yousef moves like a shadow even as his gnoll prey pulls back his bowstring and takes aim... only for his arrow to spin off harmlessly into the night air as Yousef's spear pierces clean through the gnoll archer's shoulder, causing the creature to howl in pain and surprise! Dropping the bow completely, the gnoll collapses against the parapet for a moment, before pushing himself up with his one good arm, rolling round so that his back's leaning against the battlements, propping him up, and fumbing for his scimitar...
... which he manages to draw, swiping wilding at Yousef as the curved blade clears its sheath - but the blow merely glances off Yousef's nice new chain armour as the half-orc twists to the side...
In the courtyard one gnoll rounds the wall at a different breach from the one the ambush was set at and bounds up to Keldar. The hyena-man grunts slightly as Lavender attempts to magically daze him, but doesn't slow down as his powerful spear-thrust bursts through the dwarven druid's salvaged hide armour to rip a deep wound in his side.
The second gnoll leaps through the primary breach, his spear clutched in both hands as he brings it down on Rashid with a mighty overhead swing... a swing which the veteran dwarf manages to deflect with his shield... just...
The third of the gnolls has equipped his longbow, instead of his spear, and steps out from behind the cover of a pile of rubble to take a shot at Bahram - the arrow splinters as it strikes the ruined outer wall, right next to the sorcerer's head!
Rashid swings the flat of his blade at the gnoll who nearly impaled him, but the blow glances off the creature's chainmail-clad shoulder, illiciting nothing more than a grim chuckle...
Reeling from the pain of his fresh wound, Keldar hacks back at his assailant, his scimitar hitting home as it slices into the muscle of the gnoll's right thigh... the gnoll howls, but seems more determined than ever to slaughter Keldar...
Seeing Keldar wounded, Bahram flings a flare at the gnoll attacking him... but the hardy creature seems to merely squint a little in response as he redoubles his efforts at dwarf-slaying...
But since your roll was higher, I'm not going to complain!;P
Lavender's brows furrow Well... At least are plan worked... She says, as she starts up her next spell.
If it is possible to colorspray more than one, Lavender will do so, but I doubt that is the case. Lavender readies an action to cast the grease spell, this time at the bowman...er bowgnoll's Bow, right as he er...it is pulling it back to shoot...
After the gnolls blow glances off his new armor. "You like it? I got it off your buddy!" Yousef circles around and without another sound, jabs the gnoll in the gut with his spear.
He pulls the spear out as the gnoll collapses, then looks over the edge for his team. Seeing them engaging the gnolls, he steals himself. Backs up, and sprints to the edge, leaping off the parapet and activating the Ring of Feather Fall, and glides in the direction of the gnoll with a bow with his spear held high. His face a stern mask of concentration.
ooowww that hurt fighting on
Frowning at his own impotent magic he turns to Zaina [b]"Zaina! Aid Keldar with hat gnoll!"[/i] he orders.
Turning to face his own attacker he unleashes lightning at the gnoll archer.
ranged touch ,
Frowning at his own impotent magic he turns to Zaina [b]"Zaina! Aid Keldar with hat gnoll!"[/i] he orders.
Turning to face his own attacker he unleashes lightning at the gnoll archer.ranged touch 1d20+3, 1d6+1
Bahram just looks at his hand in surprise I guess or he will draw the nice dagger and charge the bowgnoll. ,
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11 posts before yours, I was the first to do it...;_;
Yousef indeed manages to kill the gnoll atop the tower with his sheer awesomeness... and a spear through the gut... Leaping from the tower, he hopes that the magic ring is going to work as he plummets rapidly towards the ground...
ooowww that hurt
The gnoll who just speared Keldar laughs a hyena-laugh and thrusts again... but this time the dwarven druid manages to turn the spearhead aside with his shield.
Gnoll number two - the one attacking Rashid - turns away, pivoting on his back foot, only to bring his spear full circle round his body, catching Rashid across the cheek and bridge of his nose, opening up a bloody slice across his face!
The gnoll archer nocks another arrow and draws... only for his bow to twang out of his hands and smack him in the face! A quick glance confirms that Lavender has just finished her arcane gestures and incantations, undoubtedly the cause of the gnoll's misfortune.
Rashid swings away, and again the flat of his blade deflects off his attacker's armour.
Keldar's slash at his own attacker likewise glances off the creature's chainmail armour.
"Zaina! Aid Keldar with hat gnoll!"
Even as he yells, Bahram spots his opening as the gnoll archer staggers a little from his cover after being hit in the face with his own bow... a bow which even now he's having trouble picking up as it repeatedly slips through his clawed fingers... Unleashing a crackling electric-blue line of arcane power Bahram manages to hit his target! The gnoll yelps with pain, frustration, and surprise... but his protests are quickly cut short as Yousef lands on him from above... spear first! The ring, thankfully, appears to have done its job, slowing Yousef's fall at the last moment, but he still had enough momentum to punch his spear through the gnoll's skull and pin it to the ground.
Zaina, meanwhile, calls out to her Master,
'Master Bahram, is that your wish? If it is, then please say so quickly - I don't think your minion Keldar will last much longer!'
"My what?!?" Bahram looks puzzled. "What do you mean wish Zaina?" Bahram asks sternly, "Since when do you do wishes? You are a zhyen! Zhyen don't do wishes... Do you?" his sertainty fades into confusion.
Amidst his growing confusion a nagging suspicon creeps into the back of his skull. 'I should have read that damned contact! Oh well..' "Zaina. I wish you would give Keldar all the aid you can in his strugle with that gnoll."
Down Boy! Lavender yells at the gnoll attacking Keldar. Lightning springs to to her hand and forms into a lance. She yells...
Lightning Lance!
...and she then chucks the energy into the gnolls chest, straight through its armor.
...and she then chucks the energy into the gnolls chest, straight through its armor.
good shot girl. thanks for the help
Bahram hurls himself into the fray with Rashid, trying to distract the gnoll enough for Rashid to take him down.
Surveying the scene, Yousef quickly notes the gnolls attacking the dwarves. Without a word, he sprints off in an arc, circling around to get the one fighting Rashid in between them, as if to flank...
Nodding to both Bahram and Yousef in thanks for their assistance, Rashid grimly attempts to smack at the Gnoll with his scimitar, still using the flat of his blade...
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"My what?!?.. What do you mean wish Zaina?.. Since when do you do wishes? You are a zhyen! Zhyen don't do wishes... Do you?"
'Humans don't hurl lightning, do they Master?' retorts Zaina, at the same moment that Lavender yells...
Down Boy!
... and blasts the gnoll attacking Keldar through the chest (zipping over the top of Keldar's head to do so, not quite parting his hair, but causing it to stand on end as the crackling lance of energy streaks past). The gnoll seems to grin for a second or two... but it's really a grimace, as tendrils of smoke seep from between its clenched teeth and it keels over, dead.
'Besides,' continues Zaina smoothly, seeming pretty inured to the act of lighting-coaxed death, 'a "wish" doesn't have to mean reality-shattering wishcraft... sometimes it just means the terms of the contract... but... uh... let's not talk about that, okay?'
"Zaina. I wish you would give Keldar all the aid you can in his strugle with that gnoll."
Zipping over to the still smoking gnoll corpse Zaina takes a look, prods it a couple of times, then shrugs,
'I don't think he's needing much aid right now, Master...' she muses for a moment or two, then adds, '... but don't worry: I'm pretty sure that means that wish didn't count!'
Laughing at Bahram's seemingly pitiful attempts to slash at him with a simple dagger, the final (visible) gnoll swipes at Rashid only for the dwarf to deflect the blow with his shield. However, it seems the joke's on the hyena-man as, taking advantage of the distraction caused by the sorcerer's deliberately wild dagger-work, Rashid finally manages to sneak a shot past the gnoll's guard, catching him a heavy blow on the temple with the flat of his blade! The gnoll curses staggering back a pace... just enough movement for him to catch Yousef's sneaky thrust out of the corner of his eye and sidestep it at the last moment.
Surrounded by a dwarf, a half-orc and a human, his head ringing from Rashid's blow, the last of the gnolls glances between his foes, shifting his spear this way and that, and growls...
Yousef levels his spear at the beliigerent gnoll and yells in its language. "I'm in no hurry to death, but if you are keep swinging that thing around and we can arrange it. DROP IT AND SUBMIT!"
sits down or is that falls down hard on a boulder, pulling out goodberries[2] ahd eating them really hate to be without healing spells
...And stay down! Lavender turns to see the last surrounded Gnoll. ...It might be overkill... but, what they heck, Daze!
"With the ruckus we have created, I think now is not the time to interrogate this creature; we don't want the remaining Gnolls coming out to savage us whilst we have a chat with this one."
So saying, Rashid attempts to clobber the Gnoll with the flat of his blade again...
, for non-lethal damage.
...And stay down!
"yes mum
...And stay down!"yes mum
"Ahh, sorry Mr. Keldar, I was talking to the, um, dead gnoll, not you! Kinda got caught up in the moment!" Lavender says, apologetically, with her right hand rubbing the back of her neck.
Bahram continues to distract the gnoll for Rashid, trying to kick dust in his face.
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The last gnoll glances and scowls at Lavender as she casts her cantrip on him, but he seems to shrug it off.
However, at Yousef's growled gnollish the creature turns pale (although it's hard to tell under the fur) and pointedly drops its spear... then curses as it barely ducks Rashid's next blow... (Bahram's kicked dust it doesn't even seem to notice...). Nervously glancing from the dwarven cleric to the half-orc the gnoll wimpers...
Keldar's enchanted berries make him feel better... and fuller!
Zaina zips over to float by Bahram's head,
'You can... um... stop summoning that... er... sand elemental (yes, that sounds good)... Master... I think the stinky hyena-man has surrendered to the Gener... to Master Yousef...'
However, at Yousef's growled gnollish the creature turns pale (although it's hard to tell under the fur) and pointedly drops its spear... then curses as it barely ducks Rashid's next blow... (Bahram's kicked dust it doesn't even seem to notice...). Nervously glancing from the dwarven cleric to the half-orc the gnoll wimpers...
** spoiler omitted **
Yousef smiles at the gnoll his tusked half-orc grin, baring his teeth at the gnoll.
"With the ruckus we have created, I think now is not the time to interrogate this creature; we don't want the remaining Gnolls coming out to savage us whilst we have a chat with this one."
Then he turns to Rashid and says angrily.
"Well why the f#*& were you trying to smack him with the flat of your blade? Nevermind, I got an idea."
"Ahh, sorry Mr. Keldar, I was talking to the, um, dead gnoll, not you! Kinda got caught up in the moment!" Lavender says, apologetically, with her right hand rubbing the back of her neck.
oh, yea, uh sorry misunderstood. keep fighten girl doin a good job there
Not sure exactly what they are doing with the gnoll, Lavender readies an action to Daze the gnoll if it tries anything funny.
What are you guys doing? Kill it!