Idrian moves toward the melee at the northern gates.
Algus hurries to the cliffside to Viznett's aid, trying to find where he is. he calls out for Viznett a couple of times before the strain put on his voice begins wearing it out.
Hearing the cry for help, Jo'no also runs forward looking for the source of the call.
Tania, Algus and Jo'No rush towards the edge of the cliff, peering over the side carefully to avoid falling themselves. It's the Shoanti who sees him first, a little gnome gripping precariously to a lledge about 20 feet below them, and a little over halfway to the ground. His upper torso seems well placed on the eldge, but even from this distance the group can see he is badly burnt and battered, as if he had been caught in some great fire or explosion.
Looking up, gnome again calls for assistance, and all three of them can plainly see his eyes are swollen shut and a great burn marrs his face. He will most likely be useless in any attempt to get him back to the top of the cliff.
Meanwhile, Idrian rushes towards the combat at the northern gates. As he draws nerarer he sees a few furtive goblinoids dashing to cover and out of sight. From this distance he really can't find a target, but the sounds of snarling grow louder, now accompanied by the desperate cries of a human male calling for assistance by the town guard.
Blood running from several wounds, Feldspar shakes the blood and gore from his hammer and turns to look at True. "I fear that I've been more sorely wounded than I'd have expected given the cowardice of our enemy. Healing would be a kindness."
At the sound of more trouble, he raised his warhammer warily, frowning. "There are more in need of our help, but I fear I would be of no use in a further confrontation without your assistance, friend True." He moves closer to True, eyes still searching out the trouble.
Tania yells at the top of her lungs: "VIZNETT! HOW LONG CAN YOU WAIT THERE? THE CITY IS UNDER ATTACK AND WE'RE SORELY NEEDED!"
As she waits for the gnome's answer, she tries to find a way to reach him.
True asks what the others have found then makes a quick decision, "Feldspar follow me!"
Once she reaches the edge, the holy warrior sheathes her sword and grips the holy symbol so that its sunburst pulsates with golden healing. The positive energy travels out thirty feet encompassing Feldspar and the wounded gnome. She does this twice.
"That should help a little."
Feldspar bows his head gratefully. "Thank you."
He looks toward the gnome and then back at the gates that Idrian has rushed off to. "I'm needed at the battle. Thank you for your help, my friend."
Then he follows after Idrian, holding his warhammer with both hands as he runs as fast as he can.
Jo'no observes that the gnome has good footing where he is, and then looks towards the party, "In his condition, and the current state of things in town, he's probably in the safest place he could be right now. Perhaps we should just tell him to stay put, and that we will be back for him once we have assessed what's happening in town?"
As True's healing washes over the group, those looking at the gnome can see him visibly recover some of his strength. The bruisng and burns seem to reduce and his eyes crack a little. Fear shows on his face as he realiseshis predicament. His hands scabble desperately at teh loos rock and he drags himself a little further on to the ledge. "No, I cannot stay here. Please help!" While his words seem desperate, it is clear that he isn't going to fall any time soon, now that he has been healed a little.
Further up from the cliff, Idrian and Feldspar move a rapidly along the road and soon come to the scene of the battle. A large goblin rides atop the back of a dog like creature. It has no fur and its pinkish skin is marred by numerous scars from the the lash tied to the goblins waist. These two are busily engaged in combat with a large wolfound, and even as the two warriors watch, the goblin swings its halberd like weapon around and cleaves the skull of the animal in twain. Idrian just barely catches sight of a man crouched behind a barrel near the battle, and as the dog falls he cries out in fear. "Desna's mercy, somone help please!". Crouched behind the man, and protected from attack by his arms around her is a young girl of maybe 7 years. Her head is ducked into the man's chest and she quivers in fright.
Seeing the dog is now dead, another goblin ducks out from an alley where it had been hiding, a vicious grin on its face. No one seems to be aware of the two who arrived at the lower end of the street.
Feeling a sense of bliss and purpose washing over her as True focusses the Lady's mercy on them, Tania takes a breath to savour the divine feeling, then turns back to the Gnome: "WELL, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT!"
Turning on her heels, she dashes towards the commotion.
"He needs assistance, though, Jo'No! we don't know how badly he's injured...I'll just climb down and aid him. I'll make sure he makes it out alive, don't worry. feeling an impending sense of dread, Algus decides to be absolutely certain of getting Viznett alive. he takes out two vials out of his robes, and hastily downs them.
Algus' form begins rapidly changing and growing to an even greater size than the previous time he downed the brew; he grows to the point that he's noticably towering over his Shoanti friend. he takes off his mask to have better view of things, revealing the nightmarish, goblin-like visage again.
"I'M ON MY WAY, VIZNETT!! HANG ON!! A deep, booming, raspy voice proclaims as Algus begins climbing down the cliffside.
"Goblins!" Feldspar cries as he moves forward, strapping his shield onto his arm. "I am Feldspar the Flamebeard and by Torag's hammer you will rue this day that you have brought your filth to this town!"
Seeing that Algus has things well in control, Jo'no keeps pace beside Tania to join the others.
Now that the gnome is healed, True shouts down, "do not climb up unless you know what you are doing. I will be back with rope to ensure your safety, gnomefriend."
Then True hurries after the other warriors, leaving Algus. More of a slow plodding run than a quick lithe thing of grace, she is sweating heavily by the time she reaches the battle.
The half elf ranger calmly draws an arrow and looses it at the nearest goblin. The shaft plunges deep into the creatures back and pins it to the wooden wall of the building it stands in front of, killing it instantly.
The creatures death is marked by the yowl of anger by more goblins coming from between the buildings and currently out of sight for the ranger.
Feldspar however, can now see two more of teh creatures from there postion in the left side alley. The creatures eyes glow in the dimming light of the evening as they ready their weapons and shields to press forth the attack. These creatures have a different look to the others, most likley the mark of a different tribe.
Algus, with his newly enhanced form easily scrabbles down the cliff. He is half way to the gnome when he comes to a difficult patch of rock, crumbling a little beneath his weight and big hands.
Jo'no casts Mage Armor on himself, and hastily advances forward. Trying to close the distance between him and the leader, Jo'no makes a 5' diminensional hop forward.
Feldspar looks down the road at the goblin on its loathsome beast and then glances at the two approaching from the side, conflicted. His immediate concern was for the innocents in danger but he knew he could not reach them immediately; nor would he be of any help if the goblins surrounded him as they did the previous battle. Torag did not reward those who fought without reason.
Taking a deep breath, he threw himself forward to strike with speed and determination at the closer pair of goblins. [b]"In Torag's name I will rid the world of your evil!" he cries.
Algus does his best to continue climbing down, but the treacherous, craggy cliff is proving to be quite a dangerous test to his strength. he moves slower as he approaches his Gnomish mentor, feeling that his footing may be very unstable.
Idrian moves up to AQ96, takes sight on the goblin dog and lets another arrow fly.
Composite Longbow: to hit
Composite Longbow: damage
Jo'No responds rapidly to the situation, forming armour of pure force around his body before moving towards the threatened man. His blinking teleport proves useful to gain him thse few extra feet needed in situations of desperate combat.
Feldspar follows suit, charging the left flank and swinging his hammer with great skill into the goblin he faced. The creature twisted at the last, turnign an otherwise fatal blow into something less deadly, but it still realed from the blow. Feldspar's smile of satisfaction suddenly changed to a frown as he realised a third goblin had been hidden in the alley and he now faced three opponents again.
Idrian at the lower end of the street took aim with his bow and fireed, but the arrow flew wide of the goblin dog, skitting off the wall of the buildings nearby.
The goblins hidden in the alleys reacted with customary violence to the new threat. Surging fromt he darkened alleys, the creatures engaged the nearest things they could find, wielding their dogslicers and hefting small shields, these were obvioulsy more warrior like than the goblins previously encountered. The first goblin to attack Feldspar struck with consumate ease, slding past the dwarfs defenses and sliding the metal blade along his ribs. The creature lacked the true skill to make the most of such a blow though, and while stinging, it was hardly debilitating . The other two opponents missed completely, the one having been hit with Feldspars hammer particularly struggling to get focus on the battle.
Jo'No discovered too late that more of the goblins were hiding on the right hand side. One of them was particularly close, and he rushed the Shoanti, sticking the blade deep into the mages thigh with a high pitched cackle . Another of the creatures rushed from the top of teh road, charging and screaming while it waved its weapon but it travelled too far to do any harm.
The goblin dog rider put away its weapon and drew forht a short bow instead. Trying to steady its vicious mount it aimed down teh road at Idrian but its first shot was horribly short of teh mark. The creature snarled and kicked into its mount, obviously intending to move closer for its next shot.
Edit - Map below
Map Update
True rushes up to help Jo'No, realizing too late that the dwarf had managed to get heavily outnumbered again. He seemed so sensible on the journey down to Sandpoint, must be dwarven battlerage.
She charges down the centre of the street. Then the holy warrior ends her run with a sweeping forehand across the neck of the little goblin warrior.
Moving parallel to True, Tania dashes forth, charging the goblin closest to her and threatening her long time friend.
Breathing a sigh of relief as True and Tania come to his aid, Jo'no turns his attention to Feldspar, and calls out "Feldspar, attack and step back!"
Jo'no then delays his action.
Feldspar grimly brings the hammer around for a second blow.
As he swung, however, his eyes flickered to the third goblin and he lost his focus, the hammer sweeping effortlessly past the first goblin's head.
Recognizing the wisdom in Jo'no's words, Feldspar bit back his desire to curse and stepped back.
Jo'no quickly utters some arcane words which is followed by a pool of grease forming underneath the 3 goblins, and in front of them.
Idrian grimaces at his miss even as he nocks another arrow and aims at the goblin dog again.
Composite Longbow: to hit
Composite Longbow: damage
Determined to not let his Gnomish mentor perish like this, he continues to climb down to the and finally reaches him. he outstretches one of his giant hands towards the Gnome, to serve as a platform for him. "You old fool, how did you get down here? I didn't think the Goblins could overwhelm you so greatly...", he says to Viznett with the hoarse, deep tone that the brews give him, which hides the feeling of great relief that goes through his mind as he finally rescues a close friend and mentor.
True and Tania move to engage the goblins threatening their mage friend, but to no avail. Both warior women miss their targets, but serve admirably in distracting their opponents.
Jo'No, taking advantage of the moment teleprts a short distance before moving forward to aid Feldspar, who had missed with his oen attack. Muttering arcane words and waving his hands in strange patterns, the Shoanti managed to bring forth a large area of grease at teh feet of teh goblins attacking the dwarf. The heavily injured goblin fell almost immediately, its teeth jarring with the force as it landed butt first on the ground. The scene would have been almost comical if the creatures weren't so intent on killing and eating everything they could find.
Idirian took aim again, loosing a weel aimed shot at the golbin dog. The arrrow looked as if it were going to kill the beast but at the last moment the goblin rider reffed the animal to the side and the arrow flew wide. It was an amazing display of riding skill, and one unlikley to be replicated with any ease from the unpredictable creature.
Further down in the town, Algus finally managed to make his way fully down the cliff face and pulled his Gnomish friend up from the brink of death. At his words, Viznett responded through the pain "The wagon exploded when they set fire to it, threw me right of the cliff." The big man stood carefully on the small ledge, cradling the burnt and broken Gnome in his arms while he looked for a way to get back up.
The goblins responded to the groups actions with almost comical inneptitude. One of the goblins who had resisted the grease effects initially, found its feet slipping and sliding to such an extent it could not move. The third one in the magical area managed to carefully step out of the effect and dashed behind the house as it tried to move around and flank the attackers.
The opponents facing True shift around their opponent, moving away from the long spear and trying to skewer the holy woman. While one of them misses, the other manages to land a glancing blow and she feels the sting as her skin parts on the metal blade and blood wells from teh wound
Having avoided Idrian's last arrow, the goblin dog rider moves in closer and again trades arrows with the half elf. However, the difficulty in controlling its mount and firing arrows proves too much and the arrow flys wide.
"Well, don't worry about it, friend. there's already a group of people dealing with the raids...for now we ought to get you to safety. just hold onto my robes, for we'll tread through a dangerous path... Algus replies to Viznett, as he now proceeds to climb back to the top of the cliffside, doing his best to keep a good pace, while protecting his gnomish mentor.
Tania curses as she misses the goblin. She follows their movement around True and compensates to get behind them. Then she moves quickly forward, putting her hips in the thrust of her longspear.
Idrian is getting frustrated at missing his target.
Composite Longbow: to hit
Composite Longbow: damage
True takes a moment to assess the fight, especially the state of her friend Feldspar. Then she redoubles her efforts against the goblin she flanks.
This time she sets it up with a series of high and low blows finishing with one that travels up between its legs as she closes.
"That should do it." She points the dripping blade at the second goblin and smiles.
Seeing the odds start to even out, Jo'no advances forward towards the goblin leader and casts a spell in an attempt to daze him.
As his warhammer sweeps uselessly past the goblin's head, Feldspar growls in frustration and fury. "By Torag's beard, these goblins have a fiendish luck!"
Moving carefully around the grease, Feldspar approaches one of the other goblins and swings his hammer in a large arc to strike it down. "Torag, guide my arm in the service of the people of this town!"
The melee swirls in teh street, as the light continues to fade on Sandpoint. Above the sounds of battle, the first of the evening stars can just be made over the light of fires burning in the lower town.
Tania shifts her position to flank with True, but her spear still proves innefective in striking. It does teh job of distracting the creature though, and the Knight of Iomidae slips her blade deep into teh groin of teh creature, severing its femoral artery and killing it in a spray of dark blood and a high pitched scream. It's companion looks fearful for a moment until the goblin rider screams in goblin to its warriors
Goblinoid language
The creature snarls then and attacks, its bladde skills much better but the blow is turned aside by True's shield and the knight smiles her grim smile.
Feldspar's missed attacks left one of the flanking goblins free to move. Coming around the corner of teh building it saw Idrian even as the half elf loosed his arrow at the goblin dog. This time the weapon struck true and the creature yelped in pain as the shaft grazed its meaty shoulder. The free goblin screamed and charged across the gap, swinging its dogslicer in a vicious arc at the ranger
The two greased goblins desperately try to rally and escape, however the one closest to Feldspar slips from its feet and falls in a scrambling mess at the Dwarfs feet opening itself to an attack from the Paladin
The other one however manages to drag itself to its feet and crawl from the sticky mess, panting in exhaustion from the effort.
Jo'No chants rapidly, dropping another dazing effect on the Goblin leader, though again the Shoanti is frustrated as the creature shrugs the effects off.
Snarling in anger, the leader changes focus and looses an arrow at the wizard. The shaft whistles dangerously close to the mage but his force armour deflects the thing far enough to avoid damaging him.
Farther to the southwest, Algus climbs over the edge of teh cliff with the almos unconcious gnome in his arms. Huffing just a little, the large Alchemist sees the combat roiling away further uphill
Edit - Map round 3
Feldspar offers an inner prayer to Torag as he takes advantage of the opening the goblin gave him and swings his warhammer down with all his strength.
True slashes across the face of the second goblin, ear to ear.
Then she steps round the goblin a little towards the leader.
As the goblin leader fires an arrow at Jo'no which narrowly misses him, the brave Shoanti looks down at the slice across his belly a goblin formerly gave him. A slight look of concern shows on the wizards face. He realizes now that he has the full attention of the goblin leader. Fearing that he may not fare well from further injury, Jo'no calls forth the power of his bonded staff. Jo'no slightly hesitates while he debates whether disarming the leader would be better than dismounting him. The Shoanti knows the benefit of what a good leader can do, and decides that limiting the leader's ability to withdraw would be in their best interests. Jo'no conjures a slick grease on the saddle of the goblin leader's mount.
Jo'no then runs in into the middle of the melee, in an attempt to gain some cover from True.
Tania runs forward, deciding to cut the possibilities of the leader to charge at them. She aims for the leader's heart with her longspear.
"We made it...." Algus says as he finally reaches the safety of high ground. he gently places Viznett on the floor, and takes out another vial of deep red fluid from his clothes. "now drink, old fool...don't die just yet. we still got things to discuss, experiments to make." he says in his hoarse, deep voice as he beings administering the vial to Viznett.
Feldspars hammer rises and falls with a sickening crunch on the prone goblins head, cruhing it to a bloody pulp. The dwarf smiles in satisfaction as he is finally able to land a blow against the hated foe.
True tries to kill her second opponent, but it ducks beneath the cut, narrowly avoiding becoming even shorter than it is. The young woman continues moving to keep the battle flowing and possibly prevent the thing from escaping.
Jo'No, calling on his bonded power is rewarded again with great success. The goblin rider cries in consternation as the saddle slips out from underneath him, landing him on his back beside teh riding dog.
Tania takes the opportunity and charges the evil creature, her long spear punching through his armoured chest and piercing the heart within. The goblins eyes bulge at the damage before fading to a dull and lifeless red. There is a collective cry of dismay from all the goblins as this happens, though the goblin dog continues snarling heedless of the fact its rider is gone.
Idrian, faced with an immediate threat, steps parallel to the building next to him and shoots the goblin through the head. It topples ponderously backwards, twitching its death throughs out on the ground.
The remaining two goblins turn and flee, the one nearest True drawing an attack from her as darts past her on its run to the gates. The second one, protected from attacks by the grease effect and the surrounding buildings flees silently into the darkness, not to be seen again.
The goblin dog, incensed now by its earlier injury and the smell of blood in teh air, attacks Tania with the savage feorcity only feral animals can attain. However, the young bard easily avoids its bite, stepping aside and readying her spear to kill the thing.
Algus meanwhile pours his healing potion into his new friends welcoming through, further healing the battered gnome, though only mildly. Perhaps the vial was close to its point of expiration, for the magic did not seem so strong as Algus would have liked. Looking up, the big man sees that the combat near the northern gates is all but over.
Have expended all of his advanced arcane talents, Jo'no relies on ole' faithful. The Shoanti advances towards the dog and attempts to daze it with his magic.
Have expended all of his advanced arcane talents, Jo'no relies on ole' faithful. The Shoanti advances towards the dog and attempts to daze it with his magic.
As soon as the thought of casting Daze enters Jo'no's mind, he recalls that it only affect humanoids... even despite the number of times he tried it on the neighbour's cats.
He considers his options, and decides to wait see if his other more martially gifted comrades can fell the beast.
Idrian is still off balance from the goblin's attack as he launches another arrow towards the goblin dog.
Composite Longbow: to hit
Composite Longbow: damage
Then True moves up next to Tania and slices down at the dog, a vertical stroke aiming to pass through the spine or heart.
Shifting her weight to slip away from the beast's bite, Tania steps back to bring her longspear to bear: "You're the ugliest dog I've ever seen! Even worse than Mrs. Eldisky's fungal poodle!"