Raine nods at Tolus's words, licks blood off her lips, and grips her spear tighter.
Tolus taking another cut is the thing that decides her.
"Now! Back up the stairs!" Or-- to do as he will, with his magic.
Draahzin attacks fiercely the last Anubite in front of him, hoping to take it down, thus freeing the way to go to help his companions.
Tolus is suddenly sobered by a searing gash across his left ribs. He cries in pain, and clamps his elbow to the cut in a futile attempt to ease the throbbing anguish.
On Raine's signal, Tolus disappears and follows. He takes up a position behind Raine, waiting for a target to come up the stairs.
Round Eleven Results
Raine and Tolus both pull away.
The Anubites seem momentarily distracted by the dancing lights but their familiarity with magic allows them to identify it and press on.
Two of the Anubites go after the two who ran up the stairs. One of those two moves up after Raine and gets attacked but is missed. He double moved so he does not get to attack.
His buddy double moves towards the other stair case.
The Third Anubite that was pressing decides to go after the pint-sized spellcaster Mia. In a startling leap and one move, the Anubite is right next to Mia The Anubite slashes at Mia dealing 7 points of damage.
The Fourth Anubite is cut down by Draahzin.
The other militia begin to move to aid. Yaline and one militia move to assist Mia and the other two men move to cut off the other Anubites at the stairs.
Round Twelve Begins
Okay, here's the deal, I am done with the map for now. There are Three Anubites left, one right next to Mia that Draahzin can reach in one move.
The other two Anubites are on the stairs. One directly in front of Raine and the other is at the base of the other stairs in melee with two militia men.
Draahzin cannot reach the other two Anubites.
So, this fight will end shortly I imagine. Let's continue and see if you guys can finish them off without taking more hits.
Regarding AoO; Mia only has her doll in her left hand.
"If" it is allowed, :) , she uses the AoO with her doll as sort of Unarmed Strike. {1d2)
Aiming for a very nasty spot...
Followed by Withdraw action, switching directions as she goes to avoid a clear prediction of her destination. (Can't be too careful if they leap that far.)
If it is not allowed;
Mia just uses Withdraw action, dashing as far away from the anubite as possible, switching directions as much as possible.
Tolus is behind and slightly beside Raine. He waits for her to step back before stepping in front of her (after her attack) and attacking the Anubite himself.
Raine steps back again to use her weapon effectively!
Vengeance is mine, saith the guisarme!
Draahzin charges at the Anubite threatening Mia. His attack is a bit sloppy, tiredness and haste do not blend well.
By the rounds end all the Anubites will have been defeated.
Raine and Tolus cut down the Anubite on the stairs. The militiamen finish off the remaining two.
The inn is now clear of threats but the sounds of chaos still fill the streets. There are more Anubites outside.
Yaline approaches you. "This is the biggest attack they have ever launched. This could be it. The attack that is meant to silence this town for good. We've got to do something. Do any of you need healing?"
Panting Draahzin catches his breath, examining his surroundings. So many deads, I hope its better outside or else we are dead meat.
'… need healing?' he hears Yaline asking.
'I am a little bruised, but Tolus and Raine seem in very bad shape. Mia is injured too.'
When the fight is over, the pain begins. Tolus staggers back a step, grunting loudly. Blood seeps from under the hand clutching his left side and is slowly soaking the light linen at his right shoulder. He collapses onto a wall and smears a line of crimson and green blood as he slides to the floor. Not even his blood is normal.
Careful... He manages to gasp between waves of agony, Poison
As she holds her left shoulder and grits her teeth, Mia hears the fight is over.
Mia comes out of hiding from underneath a table. Though her wound is not as severe as Tolus or Raine's. She does have a slash across her left shoulder.
Her small figure appears near the others. She takes a look at the other two who're in much worse a state. Ignoring the pulsing slash, she reaches into her pouch, revealing a few small herbs from back home (her own weaker clw and anti-poison). As well as a rather large cloth, likely large enough to be a small kilt....(thank you militiaman).
She gets to Tolus, as he tells her to be careful about the poison, she just looks with her usual blank stare.
"Careful? Heh....i'm from an apothecary. Now..*hold still*...", in a tone that suggests you'd know she's right and objecting is futile.
She shreds the herbs, devides them together on the cloth and applies it to the major wounds.
Same treatment to Raine.
After the treatment she sits down, hugging the doll.
"Child, what are you doing...?" Raine says, but she's in no real state to protest-- she feels dangerously close to passing out, honestly.
"Tolus and I are both wounded," she answers Yaline's question, slumping down onto the stairs and gripping the bloody shaft of her spear. "I must... go check... on Simoom..."
But she feels the pain ease from whatever the 'little girl' is doing. Raine stares at her wordlessly.
"You are no true sapling."
"I've been raised being around herbs, medicine and treating ailments and wounds. Is it then strange to know how to use a bandage?, she says in her normal childish voice.
Mia's herbs relieve a marginal amount of the pain and staunch the bleeding somewhat, but Tolus still can't speak more than a couple words at a time.
'Raine, you are in no condition to go check on Simoom. My wounds are shallow, so, with your permission I'll go check on our beasts. You stay here and let Yaline and Mia get you back from the Land of Dust and Bones.', says the kobold with anxiety and concern in his raspy voice. 'Meanwhile if someone goes upstair, can he bring back my armor? Going outside naked does not seem smart.…'
Mia's shoulder's wounds have mostly healed.
She shakes it abit loose, thanking Yalina.
"Draahzin, i'll get it."
She heads up, but aside from Draahzin's armor she also goes into her own room, taking her small crossbow and sickle. She hides it under her outfit and heads back down. Handing it over to Draahzin she gets back to the two injured.
Sitting down in front of the two, she looks back at Raine, whom just a moment ago said she was no mere sapling.
"You seem somewhat confused. Surely it can't be the herbs, they have no sideeffects."
Raine stares with a frown at the small figure before her.
"I am not confused," she says with her brows drawn, but in truth, she is. Not by Mia so much as everything in this strange land. She does not know the way of fighting here. She does not understand Tolus's ways, and she is traveling with a kobold and a 'child' who, if she really is that, is like no child that Raine has ever known. The world is inside out. She cannot trust her own judgment anymore, and she longs for the simplicity of the open sand, Simoom's companionship, and nothing else.
Mia gets a somewhat impression as to what kind she makes towards the others. Clearly the facade won't be able to be upheld at this point.
She looks at Tolus, who gives a faint hint of the same expression.
Fine...the main reason was to get here anyway.
Calmly and expressionless as always, she decides to share something with the others.
"So, it's clearly not going to work with you anymore. I will answer a few questions you have without a doubt.
Am i a normal human child?.....No, it's a birth condition.
Am i a child at all?....Yes, I am still a kid, a minor. Just with the condition i look younger than i am.
Am i in need of constant protection?...Not really.
Am i an apothecary child?....Yes, that is no lie."
'Thanks Mia. I'll be right back.', says Draahzin. Then he darts in direction of the stables looking for his mount and Raine's.
You enter the stables and find all the beasts, yours and Raine's as well, undisturbed.
However, commotion still runs rampant outside. Anubties are everywhere battling militia and snatching any non-combatants they can get their paws on. They tie them up or knock them out and then proceed to load them on carts.
There is much going on. It appears to be a full scale attack. This is no simple raid. The Anubites seem intent on wiping out this town for good. This is a final battle one way or the other.
Each of you receive full healing from Yaline. "There you all go. This is the largest attack I have ever seen. Thank you for helping me protect the sands but I now worry for the rest of the town."
The to be clear, you are ALL healed to max by Yaline.
Now you have to chose what to do next.
Two of your options are stay and fight or flee through the back These aren't the only options, clearly a clever party can come up with far more. These are just currently the most obvious.
Your time to decide what to do next is now.
The kobold comes back from the stables. 'Simoom is well and undisturbed. The Anubites are drawing everybody, who doesn't fight into cart. I didn't see Hadule or Azamad …'
The kobold comes back from the stables. 'Simoom is well and undisturbed. The Anubites are drawing everybody, who doesn't fight into cart. I didn't see Hadule or Azamad …'
Raine listens to Mia with her brow still furrowed. Birth condition? Raine feels her ignorance of the outer world keenly, once more, but she nods slowly.
"....I do not care to be... misled," she says, slowly. "But I will acknowledge you... may have had your reasons. If we are to protect each other in battle, we must trust one another."
Getting painfully to her feet, Raine continues to lean on her spear until Yaline's healing washes over them. She nods her thanks.
Raine moves up the stairs to grab her gear, and to don her armor . At Draahzin's return she looks up sharply, only breathing her relief when he confirms that Simoom is well.
But his other news is less good. Raine frowns at the idea of facing dozens of the jackal-men.
"We cannot stand against such foes in an open battle. But they will have to form a caravan to take slaves back to their tribe. Caravans are long, spread out over the desert... vulnerable. We could perform raids, striking at the guards and outriders, Draahzin and myself harrying them from our mounts, while Tolus and Mia slip in to free prisoners."
Mia nods....
"That can work. But remember what was said earlier?
Kill their leader and they lose focus, even fleeing."
'Yes, but how can we spot these leader? If he's not obvious it'll be hard for outsiders like us.'
Draahzin procedes to don his armor as he talks.
"If there is the leader, it should certainly stand out...maybe a headdress or special clothing. If in a caravan, likely in front or in a colored box on top of a camel. Anything the normal dogs wouldn't wear."
Draahzin shakes his head slowly.
'We can't hope for that, we need to be sure. Yaline do you know about Anubites' customs? Would a warchief wear something special?'
Also, Tolus adds, Do we need to kill just the highest chief, or some of his subordinates too?
Yaline's healing floods through Tolus. It was spectacular. He just lays there for a moment and savors the lack of pain. The front line was not for him. Never again. Screw that noise. If I'm standing anywhere in melee ever again, its going to be behind those b(:/&$ds.
Yaline nods. "Chiefs are pretty easy to recognize. On top of being the most intelligent, they carry scepters in addition to their weapons and they have a strange red amulet they wear. They are also larger in stature."
She looks to the back door. "If we get outside I can help you find the leader and we can take him down. I will help. If he drops the other Anubites will lose direction and revert to animal instincts and be much easier to deal with."
Tolus nods, Sounds like a plan, but I'm not standing in front again. I have suddenly discovered an attachment to my hide.
Mia tilts her head looking at Tolus;
"Aside from your clothes?"
Looking back up at Yaline she asks:
"If that is what we'll do, who'll be the few to make a strike at him?
"
I can strike harder if I'm unseen until I do the striking. But I might be better suited scouting for this leader. He glances down at Mia and gives her a smile that says, "naturally, little one".
'Raine and me will charge him. If we're mounted I believe we can deal some very crippling blows to him. We just need to hope it'll be enough, else … we're probably dead.'
"Yes. I am happy to charge this leader, but I would prefer to do so from my camel. Simoom is, in her way, as effective a warrior as I am. We must use every advantage we can. Perhaps while Tolus scouts, we shall collect our mounts?"
'Right behind you!'
Seeing the plan come together, Tolus turns to Aline and says, I assume we are the scouts then. Have you any idea where this leader would be?
"A theory:
A leader, say: teacher, a director of a band, drillsargeant, they all need to keep order in their group. As a leader, you want to see all right? So....
If you're a leader of a group of dogs, whom without direction go stupid, you'd want to oversee the field instead of risking death by fighting.
You'd likely stand on a hill or a high building or tower to direct, wouldn't you?", she looks at Yaline.
"What's the highest building in town?"
Looking back to the others;
"It's just a theory, I could be entirely wrong.."
Though it would be practical to do so.
Raine frowns. In her world, commanders ride into battle with their men. To do otherwise would be cowardly. But then, these jackal-men might well be cowards.
Still. "If they are preparing to leave the town with their slaves, then even if he is up high, surely he would not stay there?"
She shrugs. Tolus is to be their eyes; she will leave it to him to ferret out the leader. She only wants a clean, open warfare.
'Tolus it's up to you to discover where that leader is. Track him. Then we'll bring it down.', says Draahzin with resolution.
'Raine do you have a lance? It's truly efficient to kill people from horseback.'
Raine looks at the kobold and puts her hand firmly on the haft of her guisarme.
"This is my weapon. It comes to me from my grandfather, and his mother before him, and back three generations. I do not use other weapons unless I have no choice."
Tolus makes his way out of the building (preferably with Yaline as she knows the terrain) and makes his way through shadows and back-alleys to the side of town where the dogs seem thicker. If he can pick up the trail of a man-cart, all the better.
'I mean no offense. It's a fine weapon.'