The gnome relays the information about the likely ambushes being set to the west, "Thosenorth/southdoorsarelikelynotaproblem, butthesetothewest... we'vegotareceptionwaitingforus."
After watching Sven attempt to use the crystal device Bugsby can't help but chuckle mirthlessly, as if his nature demands to acknowledge the humor even though he can't emotionally respond to it at the moment, "GottastandonthetilefirstSven, thenit'llwork." That said he moves to the north door (Q4) and opens it to examine inside. He repeats this on the southern door (Q4) as well.
Sven opens the door, shield at the ready, however, it is completely unnecessary as the waiting guards thoroughly slay the door he just opened.
Bugsby peers through the legs of Sven and into the room beyond, his eyes glittering brightly. Considering his next move he points to the wall behind the guards, his expression alarmed, "I didn't know the witches were down here as well!" he exclaims with feigned surprise -hoping to distract the guards long enough to hide himself.
The small rooms Bugsby just finished examining were actually interior outhouses. They smelled surprisingly clean, and there was an occasional sound of rushing water.
Sven hacks into the nearby guardsman, getting inside his shield and leaving a long gash across the man's chest. Bugsby follows up with a snapshot at the mans legs, causing him to crumple. He looks up at the massive northman with fear in his eyes, sword falling from his hand as snivelling escapes his lips.
Avora stabs at one of the guards with her spear.
Gilganis moves up with his loaded crossbow and fires at the northern guard. The guard grunt as the bolt strikes his shoulder.
One of the rear guards call out loudly, and the sounds of footsteps can be heard from the south. As he yells, the remaining guards in the northern room attack. Bolts and swords target the massive northman framed within the door. In an amazing show of skill, Sven blocks every strike and bolt, completely unphased by the assault.
Avora stabs at the guard just inside the door.
Avora's strike clangs off the icy doorway, deflecting away from the intended target.
Hearing the commotion from the south, the gnome realizes the safest place to be is probably in the room! He grips the edge of the doorway, turning sideways and peeking around the corner at the guard standing just inside. His little head peers up at him, eyes wide like a crazed monkey, "HelloStupidface!" he pipes shrilly, and tumbles through the door and into the room. He tries to continue the maneuver past the guard, but fails quite obviously.
Drawing himself up to his full 3', 2" in height he sneers at the guard, "How dare you sir!" he blusters in an outraged fashion. He runs a finger up his leg, like an alchemist striking a match, and tosses a daze spell in the guards face.
Hearing the guard's shout, and the sounds from the south, Ankih pushes back nearer Gil. Using the wall as partial cover, he intones a quick spell, then raises his shield and scimitar.
" Ware!" He shouts." More coming up behind."
Seeing an opening, the slightly wounded guard lashes out as Sven rushes his comrade. The strike bounces off the burly man's armor.
The burst of magic erupts in his face, but he is able to blink off the effects in but a moment.
The guard struck by Sven staggers slightly before falling back, clutching a grievous wound.
Gilganis reloads and fires again at the guard he just wounded, hoping to finish the man. The shot barely grazed the mans throat, but cuts deep enough to send a spray of blood across the room and splattering the Gnome in warpaint.
As more guards pour out of the southern room, the few remaining ones facing Sven lash out. The one guard tucked behind a doorframe barely gets his sword from his scabbard while the other manages to surprise Sven with a fancy sword draw technique that draws blood.
Ankih begins to defend himself, dodging a crossbow bolt but leaving himself open to a sword slash that nearly severs his leg!
Bugsby blinks some of the red from his eyes, and gives himself a quick look-over, "Red... It'snoblue, butIcanmakeitworkfornow." Seeing his two companions wounded in quick succession he beckons towards those still outside, "Letscomeinhere, andclosethedoor!" he suggests. Then he turns his attention to those inside, casting daze at one of the unwounded guards by Sven.
Sven sheers the arm from the one who bloodied him, and he falls back trying futily to stop his life blood from ebbing out. The other sees a burst of light before him and staggers back, blinking furiously while he tries to regain his sight.
Avora turns on her heel and faces the newcomers. Moving to the guard entering from the southeast, she shouts, "Llif aer, caniau dŵr, murmur ddaear, llosgiadau tân!" So saying, she reaches out to touch her target.
Staggering back from the sword strike,() Ankih heals himself with a grimace of pain.
" Blessed be Milady."
looking at the man who stabbed him...
" Come get me, you venomous snow lizard!"
Gilganis reloads his crossbow and moves to a better location to fire on the encroaching guardsmen.
The guardsman move in and surround Avora who had darted forward to attack their leader. Avora manages to dodge a few blows, but those that make it through strike with deadly accuracy as Avora is stabbed through the gut, shield bashed in the throat, and then hamstrung as she falls.
Bugsby's hands go to his head as Avora moves deeper into enemy territory, mouth agape. Then she's systematically bashed, slashed and stabbed by the guards closing in, and he shrieks in utter disbelief, the fresh image of Kalt going down in a gory shower of blood slamming into the forefront of his mind. "NOO!! Imeant'comeinhere'!!" and points into the room he and Sven are in, "Notgofartheroutthere!" He stammers for a bit, his recent and comfortable reality coming apart at the seams as his friends are cut down, first Kalt, now Avora. "Gil! Wouldabombworkhere!?"
Having said all he's able, he turns his muddled thoughts to how he can get them out of this mess. Hopping down from the bed and darting past Svens legs and through the door to stand behind Ankih. On the way he scoops some green energy from the walls, spits into the glowing mess, and lobs the concoction to the floor in the middle of the regular guards.
Crap! Avora's down. Can't let this be another Kalt situation....
" Bastards!"Ankih snaps as he steps back 5' again.
" Rest easy, friend. Blessed be Milady."
The lead guard slips and manages to catch himself on the axe blade of Sven, opening a horrible gash across his chest that sends him out of the fight.
Both remaining guards wobble but remain standing.
Gilganis' tail begins assembling his explosive device now that the guards have clustered up nicely for him. When the two guards do not fall he decides to cull the chaff from this fight, sending his gourd end over end at the central figure and catching the others in the explosion. The main target is consumed with fire, causing him to collapse in the surprisingly non-flammable grease.
The Guard the felled Avora refocuses on Sven, focusing more on a single stroke than the flurry he used on his lightly armored foe previously. The man deftly works his sword around Sven's guard and opens another laceration on the massive man's chest.
The previously dazed man that was left in the other room emerges and slashes at the gnome that spelled him, catching Bugsby in the shoulder.
The crossbowman surveys the fight and decides to pick on the little one, sending a bolt into the Gnome, that when combine with the sword stroke, leave the Gnome teetering on the edge of consciousness.
The final, badly singed guard, looks at the fight and elects to try and secure their prize, using the grease to slide Avora's body away and gets ready to start dragging it to the far transportation crystal.
"Leave My Friends alone!!"Shouts Ankih at the guard as he steps between him and Bugsby, slashing with his scimitar.
Have to end this quickly, can't let them take Avora.
"Ssssssss!!" he hisses in pain, the two deep cuts cover the already blood-covered gnome in blood of his own this time. I wonder if this is the end... Bugsby thinks to himself, his thoughts strangely sluggish. With a mental shake he clenches his teeth to keep from crying out at the pain, and takes stock of the situation. With a thought he ceases concentrating on the grease on the floor, and it vanishes from sight as if it never was. He rolls straight north, away from the guard nearest him and beside the over-large mirror.
Having a little distance the gnome throws a hastily gathered protoplasm at the sword wielding guard that just came through the door.
Tanglefoot Bag: A tanglefoot bag is a small sack filled with tar, resin, and other sticky substances. When you throw a tanglefoot bag at a creature, the bag comes apart and goo bursts out, entangling the target and then becoming tough and resilient upon exposure to air. An entangled creature takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls and a –4 penalty to Dexterity and must make a DC 15 Reflex save or be glued to the floor, unable to move. Even on a successful save, it can move only at half speed. Huge or larger creatures are unaffected by a tanglefoot bag. A flying creature is not stuck to the floor, but it must make a DC 15 Reflex save or be unable to fly (assuming it uses its wings to fly) and fall to the ground. A tanglefoot bag does not function underwater.
Gilganis loads his crossbow and readies to fire on the guard fleeing with Avora when he gets back into view.
The lead guardsman continues his assault on Sven and scores a nasty slash across his shoulder. Though continuing to fight, it's clear the man cannot take mush more punishment.
The guard struck by Bugsby's protoplasm is stuck fast, slowly being eaten alive in his cocoon. Ankih easily deflects a shot aimed at Bugsby from the crossbowman who continues his steady stream of bolts into the fray.
Giglanis fires when the man emerges at the southern edge of the room, the bolt zipping past Avora's form to bury itself in the man, causing him to crumple under the druid's added weight.
Bugsby painstakingly loads his small crossbow, his movements hesitant with the pain from his own wounds. Hefting the weapon high he launches a bolt at the guard battling Sven, and tries to keep the projectile from clipping his wounded companion. Though concentrating on his task he calls out, "Thiscloseonehereisstuck! Gethimquick!"
The guardsman staggers under the impact of the small bolt, nearly falling, but manages to stay upright, grim determination set in his face.
The group notices there had been some odd flickers of moment in the mirrors, as the reflections continually distort slightly.
And with that blow, the leader of this guard contingent collapses, a pool of blood slowly expanding outward. The last guardsman, seeing his sergent fall, tosses down his crossbow and makes a beeline for the door. A short time later you hear screaming coming from outside.
Bugsby watches with satisfaction as the bolt slams home and Sven finishes off the leader, cradling his left arm as the last guard bolts and things settle back down. "Gil, whydon'tyoudealwiththeseguardshere. Tiethemuporknockthemoutorsomething." With that taken care of the gnome limps to the door the screaming is coming from, giving the flickering mirrors a glance and sticking his tongue out at one for good measure. Nearing the door he pushes through as silently as he can, aiming to see what all the screaming is about.
"Bugsby, wait! Don't go off alone in your condition..." Ankih cries to his friend, as the little gnome walks away toward the door.
"Everybody gather together. Milady bless."
The gnome starts to roll his eyes, but then remembers his battered condition and the wisdom of the level-headed Ankih. He returns for the healing, looking a bit sheepish. "ThanksAnkih!" and then returns sneakily to the door to investigate the screaming. This time he heads to the 2nd level before heading east to see what is happening.