Alicia frowns and gets to work on the lock.
Alicia works as quietly as she can to jimmy the lock.
Having successfully opened the lock, Ali waves the others over, gesturing for them to do so with as low a level of noise as possible. As they do so, she attempts to open the door slowly--just a crack, to see and/or hear what's going on inside.
Vhailor continues to watch on with interest... Carbonel instead focuses upon an unlicked section of his left front paw.
"Time ta go." Dorn moves out as he catches sight of the rogue's signal.
Marikel sighs and glances at his armour. He puts his shield away, mutters a prayer to Iomedae and moves up to join the others.
Ali eases the door open a crack while Dorn and Marikel move closer, with varying degrees of quietness.
"Killing Urnsul was the last straw," another voice agrees. "Daktani was right; a half-orc can't get an even break around here, unless he truckles under to the humans. Isn't that right, Rishka? Rishka?"
There is no answer, just as you notice a slight movement of the door. Someone on the other side appears about to open it!
Alicia quickly grabs a vial from her belt, downs the potion, and vanishes from sight.
Ali snatches her hopeknife from its sheath and scurries around the corner.
As Ali arms herself and moves quickly around the curve of the wall, the door she was just listening at flies open. From her present position, however, she can't see inside the gate tower.
Alicia retrieves a vial from her belt, downs it, and vanishes from sight.
Alicia drinks a potion and disappears.
The rest of the party sees a half-orc holding a longspear standing in the door of the gate house -- and he sees them.
Marikel strides towards the door and points at the half-orc.
"I command you to approach and explain what's going on here."
Vhailor moves up behind Dorn before pausing to peer through at the gate house.
Marikel and Vhailor move closer to the gate house, and the priest issues a command to the half-orc in the doorway.
Shortly thereafter, a second half-orc barrels through the open door, greataxe in hand, heading toward the priest. "" he roars. "" He swings at Marikel, but his blade is stymied by the priest's armor.
"A little help here," Marikel suggests as the half-orcs come at him.
"There's another inside heading up."
"On my way, laddie!" Dorn moves up next to the cleric to give the half-orc another target. As he does, he calls out to Skyreaver to attack.
Skyreaver takes off and gets in position to flank with his dwarven ally, attacking when he does.
Dorn and the roc rush to surround the half-orc attacking Marikel, the bird delivering a vicious peck.
The half-orc in the doorway approaches as if under compulsion, oblivious to the dangerous gauntlet he is walking through as he passes the dwarf and his bird.
Alicia dashes past the other half-orcs and chases after Katrezra, moving to draw her rapier as she goes.
Both half-orcs in the open are severely bloodied but on their feet.
Alicia shimmers back into visibility as she charges through the open door of the gate house, rapier in one hand and hopeknife in the other. A ladder leads up to a closed trapdoor in the ceiling.
Marikel steps to the side so the unfortunate approacher is between him and Dorn's companion.
"Now is your last chance to surrender."
Marikel slashes his blade neatly at his flanked opponent.
Vhailor trots forward at the outskirts of the melee scrum, ready to cast a confounding cantrip towards those in combat if they continued to be ornery. Carbonel keeps to the gnome's heel.
Marikel's longsword cuts a fresh gouge in the already-wounded half-orc's flesh.
Vhailor moves up, ready to cast.
The half-orc with the greataxe snarls in defiance, and Vhailor is quick with his cantrip. The half-orc stutters in mid-snarl, swaying on his feet.
"There, on both walls. Vhailor, take cover."
Dorn continues his assault on the same half-orc.
As the hammer connects with a solid *thump!*, "This one won't be surrenderin', no sir."
Skyreaver follows suit with the others and attacks any half-orcs still standing.
"There, on both walls. Vhailor, take cover."
Dorn's hammer crushes the half-orc's collarbone and rib cage, dropping it into a twitching and gruesomely-misshapen heap in the road.
The roc turns its attentions to the other half-orc, its talons putting an end to the threat in a less spectacular if no less final fashion.
Alicia sheathes her hopeknife and climbs the ladder. Once she reaches the trapdoor, she attempts to push it open with some force, hoping that it's not locked.
Putting away her hopeknife, Alicia climbs the ladder to the trapdoor in the ceiling, which lifts without resistance when she tests it.
As the two enemies collapse to the ground, Marikel nods to Dorn.
"My thanks."
He crosses to the door, peers carefully inside, then moves to the base of the ladder.
Marikel enters the tower.
The half-orc on the uphill side of the wall fiddles with something on the side of the tower before setting an arrow to his string and loosing it in the direction of Skyreaver.
On the downhill side of the wall, another half-orc with a bow steps out into clearer view, taking a bead on Vhailor and releasing an arrow which pierces the flesh of the unarmored gnome.
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Round 3:
Reacting to Marikel's warning by promptly getting shot through the hip Vhailor half-spins to the side and lets out a pierced hiss of pain. Measuring the distance to respond as too far he shuffle-waddles at pace to within the tower, Carbonel nipping at his heels as he does so.
As the two enemies collapse to the ground, Marikel nods to Dorn.
"My thanks."
Nodding in return and grinning, "Any time, lad." He then looks up and notices they're caught between archers. Chewing on the side of his lip in thought, "Reaver! Ewch i gael yr un!" the dwarf commands, pointing to the farthest one. He then drops his shield and weapon and pulls out his bow, drawing and arrow and firing at the closest half-orc.
As the arrow goes clean over the wall, coming nowhere near the half-orc, "Blasted wind!" he curses, ignoring the fact that it's a calm day.
Skyreaver takes off and heads directly for the half-orc the dwarf pointed out, attacking as soon as he reaches the enemy.
Dorn's arrow flies wildly over the wall into the Lower Quarter.
The half-orc on the other wall just manages to duck the roc's attack.
Alicia clambers up the ladder and looks around cautiously, then moves toward the open door to the south.
The upper floor of the tower is lined with weapon racks and crates which presumably contain extra supplies and ammunition. Alicia moves quickly to the door and finds it locked.
Scowling when she finds the door locked, Ali fishes for her lockpicks again.
Marikel sheathes his sword and climbs the ladder after Alicia.
Marikel climbs up into the upper room to find Alicia kneeling in front of the closed door that leads out onto the wall.
The archer on the uphill side of the gate moves further out onto the wall and shoots an arrow in Dorn's general direction.
The half-orc Skyreaver attacked steps back from the roc and releases another arrow at the bird.
Vhailor looks towards the ladder, realising that it must be somewhat crowded above already and doesn't immediately seek to join the crush. He instead calls out "Should I above or stay down here Marikel" gingerly prodding at the bloodied shaft still protruding from himself.
Marikel seems a little surprised and looks down at Vhailor.
"Stay with me. I'll keep you safe."
He frowns at Vhailor.
"Are you alright?"