They moved as fast as they could, pushing through the tangled underbrush for long enough to wind them all.
Talas noticed the smoke first. By the time he'd called it out, they were all starting to smell it. Then they saw it. It stung the eyes and lungs.
Thedra didn't let up her pace though. Around her neck she wore a kerchief and a pair of goggles. She yanked them up into place one after as she skipped over a gnarled root.
Then the foliage ended.
It was like bursting through a green wall. The ground was smouldering. The underbrush was gone. The trees were black. Ash rained down from the burning canopy. In the middle of the fiery clearing was a jungle fort made up of a series of elevated platforms and wooden palisades. It looked old and in disrepair, and now also on fire.
Assaulting it were humanoids wrapped from head to toe in thick leathers. Not a sliver of skin was exposed. They wore strange goggles and carried strange looking hand axes or massive burning brands. They were bigger than humans, powerfully muscled. Two of their number did not wear the strange leather suits. Instead, they were shirtless and covered in patchwork burn scars. They looked like orcs, but the scars they bore were so extensive that it was hard to tell. In their hands they wielded raw fire like weapons, hurling it into the trees.
In the trees trying to defend the fort were a human and an owl-like humanoid, as well as an elf in white who could only be Spectrum.
As the acrid smoke of the burning jungle rolls over them, Talas coughs and drags up his kapenia scarf from around his neck, to cover his face and try to breathe through the dyed cotton instead. At the same time, he struggles out of his pack, letting it drop, so that he's free to move as unencumbered as possible. He hurries forward, pressing flat to the tree trunk before him in an attempt to hide from ...orc? are those orcs? orc eyes for a few seconds, to better strike next round.
Looking into the burning chaos Ariela narrows her eyes. The environment was against them here and if they couldn't deal with that, combat would be more of a nightmare than it was going to be. Grasping, what looked to be simple armbands, she slips them down to her elbows and back up, her outfit changing into a black ensemble complete with a mask and hood designed to keep the worst of the smoke and dust away.
Moving forward, she studies the odd runic circle for signs of it's significance.
Garridan immediately squints against the tears that begin to water his eyes from the stinging smoke and ash. He coughs as the smoke fills his lungs, but he immediately pulls his orange, black, and grey kapenia up and quickly wraps it around his mouth and nose to block out as much of the foul smoke as possible. He nods at Talas as the two men move forward behind the nearby tree trunk, seeking to gain some cover and concealment from the orcish creatures. 'What a strange world...'
Moving forward, she studies the odd runic circle for signs of it's significance.[dice=Knowledge Arcana]1d20+8
The rough details were easy to spot. It was an area on the ground completely clear of vegetation and roughly flat. It also had a number of large symbols dug into the ground along the perimeter. Other than that it was hard to tell.
Through the smoke and at a glance it was difficult to make out details about the circle. Ariela was going to have to take a closer look to try to figure out the nature of the runic circle.
Though the air was thick with smoke, Dolgrin didn't have a scarf on him to use. Instead, the Dwarf relied on his battle training to keep his breath to a minimum. He continues to jog forward instead of run since sight is a bit of an issue.
The scarred shaman barked something in a guttural tongue and pointed as the newcomers as they broke the treeline. The leather-clad warriors rushed in a fury, smoke streaming off of them.
Two of the savage axemen bore down on Thedra...
...but she dodged aside nimbly and countered. Her form seemed to flicker a moment, then she was through their guard...
...her blade buried to the hilt in the skull of one of her attackers. It died without a sound.
.
The shaman vaulted up onto a fallen tree and tossed a ball of fire at Ariela just as one of the hulking brutes came around the burning foliage to rush her from the front.
.
Another pair from the southern end of the fort turned from where they were starting to climb the torn-down platform and rushed Dolgren
.
The other shaman concentrated on Spectrum, throwing two blasts of fire at the elven mage...
...but the elf ducked down behind the palisade letting the fire splash harmlessly against the wall.
.
Skirmishers swarmed up the old fort, heedless of the fires on the catwalks. They leaped the broken areas easily and bore down on the defenders in the trees.
Hurled axes whipped toward Eythil.
Followed by one of the skirmishers nimbly cornering off the catwalk to swing an axe towards him
.
Two more skirmishers run up the southern catwalk and threw axes at the Owl-like Ylmen
Vance charged the other foe in front of Thedra, leaping over her as she bore her slain adversary to the ground...
...his foot connected with a meaty thud.
Kestrel ran past to try to help Ariela, drawing a strange rope-blade as she went...
...but her swing was deflected by the warrior's axe.
Spectrum remained low, administering aid as best he could to two injured recruits. They groggily regained consciousness.
"Get up." the elf ordered. "Orcs are in the fort. We're fighting. Move."
Dodhing the ball of flame, Ariela doesn't notice the hulking warrior advancing on her until it is too late.
As much as she thought herself ready for this battle, nothing prepared her for the brutal shock of the massive axe biting into her side, even if the sky were a normal blue, and area not ablaze, her world would still be a blazing red as the pain threatened to take over everything.
With a scream of agony she focuses, her training keeping her on her feet, keeping her focused on the fight, focused on facing the monster before her knowing she couldn't survive another blow like that.
Deperate to do as much harm as possible, she begins a chant shifting her body hoping to summon her inner power without leaving an opening, the sharp spike of burning agony tearing through her side betraying her, as she launches a punch crackling with electricity aimed at where she assumed the spleen on a creature this similar to an orc would be..
Talas launches forward towards the orc engaged with Vance, throwing himself into a shoulder roll across the scorched earth, and coming up behind the hulking brute. He brings his elven blade down across the back of the orc's legs, as hard as he can, hoping that if he can't sever bone he can at least sever hamstrings.
"I'm coming to help you, Ariela!"
"Garridan!" Talas shouts, pointing up at the orc on the palisade wall. "Can you take that one out?"
Round 2
Garridan watches the battlefield from his vantage point and realizes things are not going well for their little group. He turns suddenly when Talas shouts and points towards the nearby orc standing atop a fallen tree trunk. He nods to his friend and rushes behind the melee combatants and hurls one of his chakram at the witchdoctor!
The chakrum flew true, slicing a gash out of the scarred orc's chest before spinning off into the ashy ground just as Garridan's blade took one of the warrior's legs out from under him. He snarled, huffing in pain through his strange mask, but did not fall.
The heat and smoke were intense today, but nothing Eythil had not felt before. He stood along the mid elevated ring on the burning fort and watched as the Orcs closed in. He was the only defender on this level that hadn't fallen yet. It was then that the appearance of an unexpected group of individuals below drew his attention.
Then in the corner of his eye he noticed a billowing white and he turned to face the threat.
How?
In the moment he turned his attention away to look at the Elf that was helping the others, a handaxe came flying at his face. It would have been a solid hit had the angle not been off, instead it tore the bandages that had been covering his face.
He looked back only to see a second axe flying in and he couldn't dodge in time, fortunately it arced just enough that the haft of the spinning blade struck his armored shoulder, causing the axe to bounce off the side of the walkway.
The Orc that followed was slow by comparison. As it lunged in with its axe, Eythil caught it with the blade of his ranseur throwing it aside.
Now that there were too many others nearby, Eythil was forced to change his plan. He threw his flail over his shoulder and inhaled deeply, speaking in the elemental tongue he called to the smoke filling the air.
"Əñ'čđæīñ𠧜ķ"
The intense billow of smoke almost instantaneously covered the majority of the platform and all of those on it. Eythil smiled for he could see through it all perfectly as though it wasn't really there. He then backed away from the Orc to stand next to the Elf.
One of the recruits on the ground gasped and jerked back into motion, his handsome face covered in dirt and an expression that was a mix of pain and consternation. His breastplate clanked as he swiped his longish dirt blonde hair away from his eyes to stare up at the elf helping him.
"The hell...Spectrum?!" The recruit shook his head to clear it, struggling to his feet and scrabbling for the morningstar in a sling at his belt. As he did so, a tiny head poked out of a pouch and nipped viciously at his hand. Cursing, the recruit swatted at the offending little animal in a half-hearted sort of way.
"Damnit, Prick, not now!" He blinked a few times, trying to get his bearings, seeming to notice the chaos of the battle for the first time. "Hoo boy."
Kenna sat up, painfully. She snatched a corner of her cloak and pressed it tightly to her face.
Two enormous pigmen were blocking the walkway ahead, beyond Spectrum and the others. Supporting herself with one hand, she crawled on her knees away from the sorcerous monsters. Heat poured across her burns as she approached the fire, and she turned her face away.
The pigmen were only barely visible through the smoke. Kenna rested against the tree and fumbled in her belt for the miraculous elixir kept there. She counted a hundred thousand thanks as her fingers closed around the vial.
Ylmen's broad feathered face snapped back and forth tracking motion on the jungle floor. Overwhelmed by the commotion, he lowered into a squat before looking out and up and spreading his great wings into a canopy more than twenty feet from wingtip to wingtip.
Skirmisher S3 throws a handaxe at Ylmen: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
Slashing: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Before he could pull himself into the air a hatchet crashed into his back. A flash of white light crackled across his brown and grey feathered torso as the weapon shattered through a magical barrier and carved a wide crescent gash. A second, immediately following, clatterd off the protective field and spun, ringing from the impact, to the jungle floor below.
Already commited to take-off, Ylmen lunged forward with a startled screech, struggling to get airborn and avoid the flames while reeling from the sudden injury.
With one massive wingbeat Ylmen launched himself skyward, his right wingtip cutting through the hot and furious air near the spreading flames.
"Tkri-hi tchkritk Kghree!" Ylmen half swore, half chanted. A dense cloud of fog erupted in his wake as he shot out from the platform.
This is a great plan Dolgrin thought to himself as he jogged towards the Orcs. He thought himself a hero, charging into battle with a raging army behind him, ready to crush the skulls of every Orc they could find. What could possibly stop him? And then it hit him.
Right on the helmet, the Orc's giant axe suddenly falls hard. Blood flies straight into the air as the axe pierces through, leaving the steel helmet to split apart. The second Orc got too excited, and cleaved early enough for Dolgrin to step back. Holding his shield firmly, the Dwarf was scared to leave himself open again. He holds restraint as he fends off the Orcs, hoping for some reinforcement soon.
Ariela's lightning-laced punched devastated her foe, it dropped to a knee clutching it's side, coughing blood through the filtration holes in the strange mask it wore. It was not finished fighting though. It rose and swung with all it's dying strength.
.
Talas' slashing blade hamstrung the warrior that had just been kicked in the face by Vance. It still lived, but barely. It lashed out at Vance, hoping to take the young Acolyte with it into death.
Vance ducked and drove his fist into it's masked face.
But the warrior's tucked it's head and took the blow on it's armored helmet.
.
Kestrel continued the momentum of her last attack, whipping her rope-blade back toward the warrior caught between Vance and Talas.
but it too glanced off the warrior's armor. She cursed.
In the flurry of attacks launched against it, it made the mistake of briefly ignoring Thedra, who turned and drove her bloody dagger up under the warrior's chin.
It gurgled and finally died, Thedra was immediately running, barely taking the time to pull her blade free. She was calling out, watching helplessly as Dolgren was under seige by axemen.
The other orc harrowing Dolgren turned to swing at Thedra as she came running up...
..but she was a ghost in the smoke.
.
One of the Skirmishers on the catwalk dropped back to get line of sight on Ylmen and hurled another hand axe.
.
Up on the platform, the howling ambushers were proving themselves very adept at fighting in the smoke.
The lead skirmisher yanked another axe from it's belt and swung twice at Spectrum...
...but both blades ricochet off an invisible field of protection.
Another attacker rounded the corner through the fire to close on Eythil...
.
Two more skirmishers approached from the platform above. One vaulted the palisade and dropped down, landing next to Kenna with a heavy thud, leading with it's hatchet in both hands.
The other remained on the platform above, tossing bombs down on the defenders...
.
The Witchdoctor standing on the fallen tree hopped down and unleashed a blast of fire into the croud that had just downed his warriors.
In the wake of the flames, Vance's clothing had caught fire. He began flailing to put himself out. Kestrel had protected herself with her arms, which were very badly burned.
.
The other Witchdoctor crouched behind a palisade in the smoke, out of sight.
A language that sounds like a crackling bonfire can faintly be heard.
Now that you've gotten a closer look at the Witchdoctor near you, it looks like it is actually standing in a small bonfire. Waves of heat are pouring off of it and kindling fire where it walks. The trunk of the tree is now burning, and the cinders at it's feet are re-lighting. It does not seem effected by the flames.
Spectrum waved his hand and sent a blinding flash of mind-ripping color out toward the attackers.
Two slumped twitching to the ground.
His focus on the dwarf who had just been brutally hacked apart-- dear gods, the poor bastard, they'd barely even met half an hour gone-- Talas turned an instant too late to the witch doctor's blazing flames. He threw himself to one side, but fire still seared over his flesh like the inside of a furnace. The Varisian let out a hoarse, strangled scream. They'd have to mourn Dolgrin later... if they all lived.
He pointed with his blade at the scarred doctor. "If we don't take him out he'll burn us all to death! Vance, get away from him then roll on the ground!"
"He's a damn walking bonfire," Talas shouts. "I think this is going to hurt, but he's got to be stopped-- Kestrel, if you can take one side I'll take the other!"
Talas runs in, much closer to the flames than he would like to be, but if they let the witch doctor keep walking forward, all will be flames. He twists and turns past the witch doctor, his boots sliding in the charred ash of the jungle leaves, and throws a desperate glance back over his shoulder to see if Kestrel is coming to strike as well.
When-- or if-- she does, Talas takes a swing with as much power as he can put behind it...
The heat from getting close enough to attack seared Talas' flesh, but his blade scored a deep gash in the firewalking orc.
Round 3
Garridan watches in horror as the dwarf they had only met moments ago is cut down by these strange orcs; however, the fight still raged around him and he devoted his attention back to the task at hand... He quickly sends two chakram whirling towards the fire-wielding orc as Talas moves to engage! "Careful Talas!"
Two flying blades leave more bloody stripes in the burning orcish shaman, but the wounds do not slow it yet.
Consimed with the fact that her opponent was able to both stand back up and attack, albeit weakly, Ariela throws herself forward in a quick switch step that brings her foot forward aiming for the same spot scorched and battered by her punch.
The flames of the small fires that exploded around Eythil were nothing that he hadn't felt before. His skin always felt like it was on fire.
As the Elf next to him cast his strange muti-colored spells, Eythil had to avert his eyes momentarily, when he looked back he saw two of the Orcs had fallen to the ground while the one in front of him had resisted.
Opting to deal with the threat in front of him, he swung his flail at the Orcs legs intending to bring it down.
He then thrust the tip of his Ranseur attempting to disarm the Orc behind scout that had run up behind the human woman.
"Gah!" Even as he raised his weapons, the newly conscious recruit Teral found himself surrounded by swirling mists that cut off his vision of the battlefield. He hesitated briefly before moving, which served only to get him caught in the ensuing blasts of flane. Still off his guard, Teral flung up an ineffectual hand against the alchemical explosions, succeeding only in getting that arm more burned than the rest of him.
"Arechie di E'li, cirre pilie! Abbastanra di keri!"
Pivoting around the other recruit (something with a K...Karma? Kella?), he took a few cautious steps to the south to spread them out a bit, then raises his voice over the clash of the battle. Surprisingly for a man with his relatively slight build, his shout rings out clarion clear, and a pulse of subtle power runs through the mists with the sound, though not all understood the words.
Ylmen banked sharply to the right and began to descend. A barely audible series of clicks and chirps from the Syrinx was responded to with an even fainter screech as a tiny feathered head poked out from the thicker feathers around Ylmen's neck. A tiny owl, no larger of body than two stacked fists, burst into flight clutching a pouch nearly half its size. The two diverge, Ylmen descending to the east and his tiny winged companion further ascending to the northwest.
Another hatchet crashed off of the barrier around Ylmen as he glided down and flew over Teral, Kenna, and an orc fighting in the smoke. "Triii-Kitah, Srah!" he shouted, and a spiraling wall of water erupted from the fog cloud, curving unnaturally to crash into the skirmisher on the higher platform.
After a short ascent to the northeast, Ylmen's owl companion released his payload upon the skirmisher on the catwalk below.
Ariela's kick was barely deflected by the haft of the badly wounded orc's axe.
Up on the platforms, Eythil's flail took the orc's legs out from under it, but he couldn't yank the axe free.
The small owl's bombing run was ineffective. The goo splattered harmessly against the catwalk. Ylmen haad better lluck. His blast of water hit the already unconcious orc and sent it sliding down the catwalk into the damaged area of the platform, extinguishing fires with the power of the spray. The orc's weight caused the broken wood to give way sending the orc tumbling down to the ground below in a heap.
Dolgrin tried hard to keep himself well protected as he fended off the two Orcs. As he made what he thought to be a safe attack against the putrid Orc, it leaned into the strike and cleaved with astounding power. Dolgrin had no time to react, his head was already soaring across the battlefield before words could have been spoken. The Orc roared with pleasure, and struck an over-head blow down the remainder of Dolgrin's body.
One of the monsters dropped down from the upper platform and landed clumsily in Kenna's path. He swung a hatchet through the smoke at neck height, and the strike missed Kenna by a bare margin.
As she jerked back from the pigman's weapon, two fat flasks exploded beneath her feet. She flinched against the molten spray. The smoke surrounding them all lit up with garish colors. The platform shook as unseen bodies fell heavily to the boards. Unintelligible cries rang out from every direction. In the confusion, Kenna hesitated.
From over her shoulder, Eythil's long blade ripped past Kenna's face to catch her attacker's weapon.
The monster before her maintained his grip and reared back to strike again. Kenna backed swiftly away, slipped past Eythil and dodged around a fallen monster.
"Kill these two, now!" Thedra barked, hoping someone heard her.
She wove past the swinging axes and slid to a halt right diving onto Dolgren's body, reaching out to grab his severed head where it fell a few feet away. Then she, and Dolgren vanished.
"C'mon, c'mon you stubby, bristle-faced nut, you're not done yet..." she muttered.
Kestrel moved in with Talas's call for help. She lashed her rope-blade out at the witchdoctor attempting to yank it's feet out from under it...
...it hit the charred ground with a snarl and a thud.
Vance hit the deck and started rolling to put himself out.
The burning shaman in front of them knew it was in a bad situation. It lashed out with a burst of fire at Talas, then stepped in towards Kestrel to cheat her out of the benefit of her longer weapon.
It left fire in it's wake, the cinders flaring to life in front of Talas.
Next to Ariela and Kestrel, the fires in the downed tree's branches snapped and writhed, forming a canine body that started snapping at Ariela as soon as it manifested.
This is a fire elemental, roughly dog sized.
That was a summoning spell. One of the enemies out there is calling allies from other planes.
It sunk it's buring fangs into Kestrel's arm, but she pulled free and managed to slap the flames out.