Inconnu casts Grease as per the agreed plan.
As he said he would, Micheo swings his sling and launches the now-visible light-infused bullet - at a kobold.
Dugan runs forward a few feet adding his momentum to the throw of his pilum, aiming for the kobold directly in front of him.
Dugan hurls his pilum, and the missile buries itself in the abdomen of the kobold warrior on the tower above. However, this warrior - his armor and his scales clearly set him apart from the rest of the rabble - endures the wound, even if just barely.
Another hail of slung stones soars out from the walls, although only one each pelt Micheo and Dugan.
Undeterred, Micheo's own sling bullet cracks the skull of his targeted kobold, leaving the small body to fall limp as the glowing stone clatters into the courtyard just beyond the gate.
Not far from that now-illuminated point, Inconnu works his magic and calls forth a slick sheen of grease that weeps out from the dirt and gravel.
One more kobold, a sneakier looking sort, climbs and slides his way into position atop the tower. Rather than stones or spears, this one carries an actual crossbow.
The tougher kobold warrior, the one with the pilum sticking out of him, throws his own javelin in response - but the weapon only finds its mark in Dugan's shield.
Joanne moves quitely and stealthily into position to attack the sneak Kobold
Pulling the Javelin out of the ground Ulark planned to throw it back...sadly it broke as it came out. He could do little but toss it aside...
A brief chorus of howls keens out from the stand of trees to the right of the ruins, signalling that the wolf pack is about to burst forth.
Your attention is torn from the approach of your unlikely allies by the sight that emerges from the monastery gates. An enormous, pale toad bounds forth, dripping with slime and possessing two walrus-like tusks that jut from its wormy mouth.
A kobold warrior, clad in studded leather and a spiked helm, rides atop the creature and hurls a javelin as its bizarre mount navigates the grease upon the ground.
The thrown missile whistles past Ulark's head; he can feel the rush of air brush upon his ear.
'Where are those damned wolves?!?!' Dugan shouts as he draws and flings another pilum at the kobold he struck a moment ago.
Joanne kicks the kobold off his high place into the combat below.
The kobold atop the walls and eaves of the monastery roofs continue to rain down sling stones as a handful of their kin scramble along to reinforce them.
The slung stones pelt Micheo and Dugan, still doing little beyond dinging against their armor.
Beyond the gates, in the shadows of the courtyard cast by the glowing stone, you can see a number of wolves rushing past with slavering jaws. You can hear the fearful calls of unseen kobold warriors as the wolves fall upon them.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Joanne, having silently scaled the weathered old tower, springs her attack upon the crossbow-wielding kobold. Her first kick does little but to bring her leg atop the crest of the tower, creating better leverage for her follow-up.
Her second kick launches the kobold nearly six feet straight into the air. As he plummets to the ground below, in his dying thought he realizes that these are the same pink-skins who snooped around the ruins earlier and he regrets that they were allowed to leave alive.
This regret, though, is cut short as he is violently reintroduced to the ground.
Micheo grasps one of the javelins loaned to him and throws it hard at the mounted kobold.
Micheo's borrowed javelin strikes the mounted kobold warrior, leaving a decent wound in his gut.
Inconnu changes position and starts calling out encouragement to his peers cheering them on.
Taking one of the javelins handed to him, Ulark threw at the wounded kobold targeted by Dugan:
Growling in frustration, he pulled out his axe and began running forward...
The worg joins the fight in the courtyard as his packmates engage the kobold guards.
One of the better trained sentries atop the tower hurls a javelin at Joanne, grazing her with the small projectile. Owing to her physical resilience, she does not even notice the poison smeared on the weapon.
The kobold champion mounted atop the grotesque frog steed barrels toward Dugan, but his spear only skitters off the dwarf's shield and the tusked frog's snapping bite comes nowhere close to landing.
Joanne uses her wings to glide down to knock the kobold champion off his frog.
Dugan roars as he knocks aside the spear of the charging kobold. His hand flashes to the battle axe at his hip. Drawing the axe up and back, the dwarf directs and overhand chop at the large frog face before him.
Micheo grsaps and throws his second and final javelin at the crossbow-armed kobold up on the wall, buoyed by Inconnu's encouraging words.
Joanne floats down from the tower, her feet aimed squarely for the kobold champion. He turns his spear as she approaches, leaving a slice along her leg.
Nevertheless, the impact knocks him from his crude saddle and he tumbles beside his frog-beast.
Dugan's axe swing only leaves a deep cleft in the ground as the frog-beast reels back.
Sling stones rain down on Inconnu and Micheo, but only the latter man is struck by the small missiles.
The wolfs begin to tear into the kobold guards in earnest, and you can hear the feral sounds rising from the courtyard.
Micheo's mighty javelin throw practically skewers the dismounted kobold champion as he struggles to right himself.
There is still some fight left in him, but not much.
Inconnu continues cheering on his allies as he moves to strike at the mount.
Ulark bellows a hoarse war cry, and he charges forth with his axe.
With a mighty swing, be fells the kobold champion as though he were nothing more than a sapling.
Inconnu's sword almost makes contact, but the thick coating of slime upon the frog-beast's hide causes his sword swing to slide aside.
One more javelin sails down from the old tower, but Ulark knocks the missile aside with another swing of his axe.
Joanne charges a Kobold kicking it
Dugan swings again at the large frog.
Joanne delivers a mighty kick to the frog-beast's broad, slimy flank. Though she rues the slimy film that coats her leg, her attack badly bruises - and even breaks - parts of the creature's overgrown amphibian anatomy.
Wounded and angered at the death of its kobold companion, the slurk chomps down upon Dugan. Although its tusks clamp painfully upon the dwarf, his armor and tough resolve resist a potentially more devastating wound.
In retaliation, Dugan furiously buries his axe in the creature's broad, flat head - leaving the creature twitching upon the ground.
On the crumbling walls of monastery, the kobolds begin to withdraw. They scamper towards holes in the roof and dive inside, likely retreating for their lair hidden within.
Inconnu moves around towards the gap in the Eastern wall.
With the threats at the gates more or less resolved, Ulark ran full speed into the courtyard. He sought to support Inconnu by getting behind the kobolds that the bard was fighting.
Micheo followed Inconnu and Ulark, drawing his rapier as he does.
Ulark and Inconnu flank the two kobolds they catch atop a low, crumbling wall. Micheo, however, slips upon the magic grease summoned by Inconnu in the gateway and falls to his knees.
In the courtyard, the lone kobold veteran still guarding the door strikes one of the wolves with his spear, bringing the beast down.
Another kobold warrior leaps down from the tower, landing upon the gate walls overlooking Micheo. He appears to be preparing a leaping attack upon the fallen Micheo.
Joanne charges the threatening Kobold kicking it
Dugan removes his axe from the head of the large frog with a sickening sound. He then begins rushing toward the courtyard. Seeing Micheo slip he chuckles but stops abruptly when the kobold begins to ready it's attack. Shifting his grip on the axe he gives the weapon a fling towards the creature.
A jumping high kick from Joanne knocks the kobold warrior from his uncertain perch, and the creature tumbles backward and cracks his reptilian skull upon the tumbled stones lying beyond the wall.
Dugan's battleaxe sails through the air and lands with a skidding clatter in the courtyard beyond.
Only two kobolds are left atop the walls, pincered between Ulark and Inconnu, as all the rest scamper back inside towards their refuge. Panicked, the last two critters stab downward at the logger and performer with their spears. The stone spearheads painfully lance both of them.
Meanwhile, the wolves' jaws bring low the last of the guards by the door.
Inconnu tried to swing at the kobold but lost his footing on the rubble.
Sadly, Ulark barely fared any better. It *must* have been the rubble’s fault...
Micheo attempts to get up and move out of the greased area, towards his allies.
The large wolf and his one packmate who still stands rush beside Ulark. They bound up the crumbling wall and each snatch one of the surviving kobolds by the leg, dragging them down and savaging them.
The two badly injured wolves begin to limp towards the gap in the wall, intending to retreat into the forest to lick their wounds. They are joined by the third, who briefly nuzzles against them, as though checking to see if they can still run.
"As we agreed," their leader rumbles, "We have helped you break through their defenses. The cowardly survivors have retreated into their warren beneath the ruins, likely with your whelps.
"Their tribe is dozens strong, but you have dealt them a great blow. You will find them desperate and afraid. We will reclaim our lair once you have culled them and reclaimed your whelps."
Dugan retrieves his axe from the courtyard and breathes heavily. He nods to the large wolf. 'Agreed, the ruins are all yours once we're done in there.'
Micheo extracts himself from the greased area, then stands with a surprising amount of dignity.
He turns to the wolf leader.
"That is fair and what we agreed to."
He turns to his companions and begins to make for the inside of the monastery.
"Come. We have children to rescue."
Inconnu gives the wolf leader a nod before heading inside with the others.
Doing his best to ignore how he almost fell on his face, and was likely saved from being stabbed by the wolves, Ulark nodded and went inside with the party.
The wolves retreat into the wooded foothills, but you suspect they will be keeping an eye on the ruins from afar.
Inconnu grabs the glowing rock he cast to provide light as the group again finds itself probing the dark, dusty halls of the old monastery. The fainting echoes of the kobolds and the hasty tracks left in the dust make it easy to trace their flight to the far, northwestern corner of the ruins.
The trail first leads you to a small study that has clearly been lived in recently. Gnawed bones litter the floor and tufts of gray fur can be seen here and there. It is readily apparent that this corner of the monastery serves as not only the entrance to the kobolds' lair, but the wolves' den as well. An old stone desk sits in the center of the chamber, scratched and cracked in many places. The stench of wet fur hangs heavy in the air.
In the room beyond, gaping holes in the roof allow faint starlight to enter the ruined chamber. One of the stone columns that once supported the ceiling is toppled, its broken pieces littering the floor. A thick patch of mushrooms - more of the precious Ironblooms that you once sought - hides in a nearby corner, giving the room an earthy scent that is barely noticeable above the ever-present stench of wet fur.
A well-worn stone staircase on the far side of the room descends to the ruin's cellar - and presumably the refuge of the kobold tribe that has spirited away the children from the Hollow.
Inconnu floats the rock ahead of the group down the stairs using mage hand. "Given we are following kobolds into their own lair I think we should stay alert for traps."
Dugan gets his wind back and falls in behind Inconnu.
'Little bastards love a vicious trap. Think we should take some more of those mushrooms when we leave? We may need more of that cure.'
"I just hope they've not trapped the mushrooms we are looking for."