Marcus continues his assault upon the fowl ogre, to the west of him. Grunting with effort, he swings his sword in a mighty arc intersecting with the wretch's torso, cutting deeply into it's flesh, sending a spray of blood across the battlefield!
[dice=Power Attack, Favored Enemy: Ogre, Barra's Buff]1d20 + 9 + 2 - 2 [dice=Damage]2d6 + 6 + 6 + 2 + 2
Hakon skirts around the towards the remaining Ogre, sword and shield at the ready. "Why did you take the children, brute?!"
Marcus continues his assault upon the fowl ogre, to the west of him. Grunting with effort, he swings his sword in a mighty arc intersecting with the wretch's torso, cutting deeply into it's flesh, sending a spray of blood across the battlefield!
Ranek studied the battlefield, then decided that Hakon, Marcus, Bolkvar, and Thurvek could handle the Ogres. Since Barra appeared to be all on his own, he gave him a little help, creating a puddle of grease under the troll, hoping to cause it to slip. The giantkin's legs flew out from under it and it hit the ground with a satisfying thud. Ranek then climbed down the ledge to the main floor.
Bolkvar stepped forward towards the uninjured ogre. He fully expected his companions to put down the wounded beast. As is, the last thing he wanted was for any of the creatures to get around them to their flanks. Therein lay defeat, and he would not allow that to happen. He glared at the monster, showing no fear despite being so greatly outsized. Pulling back a fist, he punched the creature straight in the sternum, following it up with a kick to the knee, and finally an uppercut to the chin. With his magical blessing, and Barra's arcane encouragement, his blows hit with even more accuracy and force than they normally would. Every strike was like a hammer hitting, as he willed his fists to harden far past what would normally be possible. With the third blow, the ogre fell.
Ari takes a step forard to get a better view of the battlefield. Seeing the majority of her companions bearing down on the ogres, she decides to focus her attention on the troll. Drawing from her inner ki, Ari unleashes a volley of arrows at the troll. While her first arrow goes wide, her second and third shots find their mark.
With the battle joined, Thurvek takes over the ogre that Bolkvar slew. With his battleaxe in hand, the dwarven cleric whispers a quick prayer to Clanggedin Silverbeard, and strikes the ogre before him. It fell just as the other had.
Hakon skirts around the towards the remaining Ogre, sword and shield at the ready. "Why did you take the children, brute?!" he asked as he slashed deep. "For magic!" the ogre roared back at him.
Barra ducks under the troll's ungainly lurch and slides past it, slamming both blades into its sinewey hamstrings as he goes. Alas, both are turned by its leathery skin.
Aldon continues his speech as he watches his Construct torn asunder. He leaps to the ground below summoning another construct in the wake of the now destroyed one'e destruction.
The last ogre further answered Hakon with a wild swing of its club that sailed well clear of the knight.
Elsewhere, the fallen troll rose from the ground, taking a slash to its flank from Barra for its trouble as the other closed with him.
troll falls down
1 ogre for Hakon
miss
2 trolls, one fallen. Fallen dude gets up, provoking.
Other closes in on Barra.
The dwarven cleric advances on the remaining ogre menacing the paladin.
Now on the ground floor Aldon continues his speech this time congratulating his companions on their use of such sound tactics, his Construct then materializes and together they charge the troll that has once again risen, his hands light in a halo of flame. The construct strikes first or at least attempts to as Aldon flanks.
Astral Construct I - Slam Attack - Damage
Aldon Unarmed Strike - Damage
Hakon brings his sword down in a wicked overhanded chop that he follows with a smash from his spiked shield. "What do you mean, "Magic"? They're CHILDREN!"
Ranek moves forward, drawing out his sword as he does so and imbuing it with magical energy. He stops a short distance away from a troll and casts a quick cantrip, firing a glob of acid at it, burning it's thick, leathery hide.
With blood covered hands Bolkvar went for the next foe
With three of the Ogres down and the last one surrounded, Marcus turned his attention to the trolls. He surged forwards, gracefully ducking under a clawed arm to pivot and sweep six feet of steel through tough troll hide, sinew and bone and out the other side in a spray of greenish ichor!
Ari continues her hail of arrows, directing them at the troll next to Marcus. Her first arrow misses yet again, but her second and third strike true.
I'll add the damage when I resolve the next round.
Now staring down two of the swamp creatures, Barra does his best to dance around them and keep them all lined up while he scores their hides with his blades.
Tempo: 5
With three of the Ogres down and the last one surrounded, Marcus turned his attention to the trolls. He surged forwards, gracefully ducking under a clawed arm to pivot and sweep six feet of steel through tough troll hide, sinew and bone and out the other side in a spray of greenish ichor!
Ranek moves forward, drawing out his sword as he does so and imbuing it with magical energy. He stops a short distance away from a troll and casts a quick cantrip, firing a glob of acid at it, burning it's thick, leathery hide.
With blood covered hands Bolkvar went for the next foe, swiftly dispatching the final ogre.
Ari continues her hail of arrows, directing them at the troll next to Marcus. Her first arrow misses yet again, but her second and third strike true, lodging deep in rubbery flesh.
Thurvek turned from the fallen ogre and advanced on the nearer troll, cutting deep into its acid-burned flank.
Hakon turned on the same troll and brought his sword down in a wicked overhanded chop that cut the giantkin down. "What did he mean, "Magic"? They're CHILDREN!"
Now staring down a troll and a dead troll, Barra does his best to dance around its claws and keep his blades all lined up while he scores their hides.
Now on the ground floor Aldon continues his speech this time congratulating his companions on their use of such sound tactics, his Construct then materializes and together they charge the troll that has once again risen, his hands light in a halo of flame. The construct strikes first or at least attempts to as Aldon flanks.
Stricken, beset by flame and acid, the troll made a wild swing at Barra and fled its bane...into the waiting steel of the company. It was slain breaths later.
Ranek takes the time to cast his acid splash cantrip into both of the trolls to make sure they stay dead, suggesting, "Someone should free those two children."
Bolkvar walked over to do just that.
”Oi, little ones. We’re here to rescue ye. Just stay calm...”
Hakon stays silent, but remains visible, letting his quiet calm and strength support Bolkvar as he tries to calm the children.
Thurvek continues his attack on the troll.
After shopping the head off a troll to make sure it's dead. Thurvek put away his weapon and calmly walked over to the children.
"Little ones, we have come a long way to find you and take you home."
Ari rushes over to the children in the cage with the others and gives them the best smile she can muster. She suspects it's not terribly grand, given the circumstances, despite her efforts to focus on the positive aspects of their present circumstances.
To the children, Ari says, "We'll have you out of here in short order. Are there others trapped here somewhere? Or is it just you two?"
Following Hakim's example Marcus holds back initially, although he flashes the children an encouraging smile. Instead he examines their surroundings letting his god granted senses detect any lingering stench of evil.
If there was nothing urgent then he examined the area with mundane sensed, looking for any clues or signs of passage.
"Give them some space folks, let them breathe." Barra says gently. "Ranek, can you help me make sure these trolls stay dead?"
Setting his pack on the ground and opening it, Barra feels about for his torch and flint.
Bolkvar walked over to do just that.
[dice=Heal: In what shape as the children?]1d20+10
[dice=Diplomacy]1d20+7
”Oi, little ones. We’re here to rescue ye. Just stay calm...”
Bolkvar found the children decidedly less than clean. Their hair had been roughly cut away without much care to the scalp beneath, leaving them marked by cuts and scabs. For all that, the boys seemed largely in good health. The girl remained laying on the ground, deathly ill and asleep.
"Are you really here to save us?" one boy, the one who had been pacing, said. The other stood silent, shaking a bit and staring past Bolkvar at the mutilated remains of the trolls and ogres. "They said that before."
Marcus detected evil from the boy who spoke and the stricken girl, faint for her but a stronger taint for him.
Bolkvar casts Detect Magic on the children. Focusing to see if there are any spells on them, and if so, of what nature.
Thurvek begins to rummage through his backpack for his healer's kit.
Marcus's eyes narrowed, and urgently he warned "Ware! They have the taint of evil, especially the boy."
Favouring the boy with a disapproving frown he asked firmly, "That remains to be seen. Who are you, and how did you get here?"
Aldon lights his hand in a wreathe of fire, plunging his fit through the head and heart of each troll to ensure their death.
"Well fought my friends".
He watches the proceedings with the children with a somewhat detached affect, after all he cannot have nor has he ever had children and his interacts with them have been limited at best.
Aldon searches for other ways out of this area.
Perception
Thurvek grimly walked over to the girl and bent down to administer care. He first moved a dagger from his belt to his boot for easier reach, then opened the healing kit to begin tending to the stricken girl, yet being cautious about any sign of attack.
I came here to save children, and by DAMN, that what I'm gonna do!
Barra clasps his hand on both Thurvek and Marcus's shoulders. "Remember the gems? Can we... put them to sleep and check?"
At Marcus's words, Ari tenses. The little bit she had let herself relax fades away and she keeps her bow by her side. She can't imagine striking one of the children down, but they had already encountered one illusion, who's to say the two in front of them are actually children? Hopefully there is another explanation.
Ari listens for answers to Marcus's questions and tries to discern their truthfulness.
Ranek studies the children, then says calmly, "When they cut your hair, did they do anything else?"
Bolkvar casts Detect Magic on the children. Focusing to see if there are any spells on them, and if so, of what nature.
Bolkvar detected necromancy and enchantment about the speaking boy, but only necromancy about the girl. The other boy showed no Art at all.
Bluntly Bolkvar pointed out his observations. He then said ”...remember the horse?”
Marcus's eyes narrowed, and urgently he warned "Ware! They have the taint of evil, especially the boy."
Favouring the boy with a disapproving frown he asked firmly, "That remains to be seen. Who are you, and how did you get here?"
[Dice=Sense Motive]1d20+6
"We're from Auvandell. I'm hight Aglar. He's Orn and she's Maelra." Orn continued looking warily at the company. "The monsters took us." Ari is quite sure that Aglar is telling the truth, but also that he's keen to get something past them.
Thurvek knelt down to get to work with the children, starting with the stricken girl. It took no time at all for him to find a fresh cut in her scalp, just at the base of the skull. It reminded him of the marks on the twisted horses' brows.
Ranek studies the children, then says calmly, "When they cut your hair, did they do anything else?"
"They just took us and cut our hair," Aglar said. Orn gave him a puzzled look.
The only exit from the area Aldon saw was through the large, dark archway to the south.
Aldon keeps an eye on the dark archway as his allies focus on the children to ensure that no potential foes get the drop on them.
Thurvek looks up from examining the stricken girl into Bolkvar's eyes to nod, silently confirm his suspicions.
The dwarven cleric leans down close to the girl's head and speaks with a soft, calm tone.
"Maelra. My name is Thurvek. It looks like you have a sharp cut on the back of your neck. I will need you to turn on your side so I can see it better."
Maintaining the calm tone of his voice, Thurvek asked, "Marcus, can you please bring a light so I can see better."
From with the healer's kit, Thurvek produces a small pair of tweezers.
Ari gives Aglar a hard stare. She wants the boy to know he can't get anything past her. Finally, she says, "I know you're trying to get something past us, but it's not going to work. It's in your best interest to tell us what happened. Now, tell us what else happened. Everything else that happened."
Once alerted to the auras surrounding the kids, Marcus whispered a canyrtip that attuned his senses, sure enough he saw the auras but they made little sense to him.
Marcus really wasn't at all sure what was going on here. He hoped the taint was from the crystal and wasn't innate to the lad. Time would tell of course. "All right Aglar, I believe you. We'd like to help you but I'm curious about two things. Firstly I've seen that kind of mark before, did anyone hurt you? And you mentioned others before said they'd rescue you. What happened to them?" Marcus asked gently but firmly.
After any reply he summoned a light to assist Thurvek. "We need to check that wound. There might be something in it. Don't worry the gods will help us cleanse it..."
After any reply he summoned a light to assist Thurvek. "We need to check that wound. There might be something in it. Don't worry the gods will help us cleanse it..."
Thurvek gave The Swordarm of Torm an exasperated look as the human brought some light over.
Wondering if the monk still had his mental rapport still active, the dwarven cleric thought, Aldondrick, could you please explain the concept of 'bedside manner' to the Paladin of Torm. By the GODS! The LAST thing we need are these children to become as spooked as the horses were!!The cleric of Clanggedin Silverbeard took a deep breathe to calm himself and began to examine Maelra's wound .
Ranek said to the boy, "As my companions said, there are some lingering magical auras about you. If possible, I'd like to study them to make sure they don't cause you any harm."
If they agree, Ranek will cast his cantrip to detect magical spells, and then study the auras to determine what they are.
- "Peace Marcus of Torm, it will not do to distress the children.
The time for truth is after trauma".
- "Perhaps I should use some of my power to soothe the most belligerent child?"
Thurvek looks up from examining the stricken girl into Bolkvar's eyes to nod, silently confirm his suspicions.
The dwarven cleric leans down close to the girl's head and speaks with a soft, calm tone.
"Maelra. My name is Thurvek. It looks like you have a sharp cut on the back of your neck. I will need you to turn on your side so I can see it better."
[dice=Diplomacy]1d20 + 0
Maintaining the calm tone of his voice, Thurvek asked, "Marcus, can you please bring a light so I can see better."
From with the healer's kit, Thurvek produces a small pair of tweezers.
Maelra simply moaned. Thurvek wasn't sure she was well enough to even understand him. She did flinch when Marcus' light suddenly appeared nearby, though.
"The trolls scratched us when they took us," Aglar told Marcus. "And those other ones are dead. They brought them up and showed us. That's all that happened. And they made us eat something funny."
Ranek said to the boy, "As my companions said, there are some lingering magical auras about you. If possible, I'd like to study them to make sure they don't cause you any harm."
"There's magic on us?" Orn said, looking suspiciously at his own hands. "We're not from Silverymoon. Or elves!"
In a fatherly voice, Thurvek explains, "Don't worry, son. We'll do everything we can to make you healthy enough for travel." The dwarven cleric attempts to find the same materials in Maerla's cut as those found in the ramaging horses. "Now, Algar, while I'm tending to Maerla, please try to describe the weird things the trolls made you eat. It may be important."
Bolkvar crossed his arms and watched. There was a good chance they’d have to end up killing younglings this day, much like the horse. A damned shame. He hoped the others could remove the taint. He thought about what they might have been forced to eat that had to do with magic...
"I don't think you would have cast any spells - far from it. I do, however, think someone may have cast spells on you. If so, I'd like to determine what kind of spells. The scratches from the Trolls or what they made you eat may also be causing the auras. I assure, this will not harm you, and it may allow us to help you."
In a fatherly voice, Thurvek explains, "Don't worry, son. We'll do everything we can to make you healthy enough for travel." The dwarven cleric attempts to find the same materials in Maerla's cut as those found in the ramaging horses. "Now, Algar, while I'm tending to Maerla, please try to describe the weird things the trolls made you eat. It may be important."
"It was meat."
Thurvek took careful stock of Maelra's wound. It was new, only a few days' healed. There should be no difficulty finding and removing a crystal, assuming the Art about it didn't cause any complications and that one was present. Probing with fine metal instruments, he soon found a hard spot where the flesh should still be soft and a small area of softness about it, which ought to be hard. He thought a small part of her skull had been removed to make way for the hard object within. It was just the size of what they'd found in the horse's brows.
"I don't think you would have cast any spells - far from it. I do, however, think someone may have cast spells on you. If so, I'd like to determine what kind of spells. The scratches from the Trolls or what they made you eat may also be causing the auras. I assure, this will not harm you, and it may allow us to help you."
"Get it off!" Orn said.