You set out from Fort Westwatch three weeks ago. It's been a long and thus far uneventful journey, through first northern Andoran, and since through Isgerian countryside.
The air is stale and dusty, the sun glares like an angry eye from the clear sky. You're prodding along the track as you've been for weeks now, kicking up dust when you walk. Your necks are sticky with sweat as the summer heat makes traveling almost unbearable. The state of the road doesn't help - it's packed dust, and you've been stirring it up as you walk, getting it into your lungs.
But your're nearing Isger proper now - The Aspodell Mountains loom to your left, grand and imposing, and the first Isgerian town, Drellin's Ferry, should be less than five hours ahead.
The vista of rolling hills would be stunning, if long exposure and the small aches of the road had not taking their toll. As it is, you know you will sleep in a proper bed tonight, and that is a small favor.
Antonius walks at the front of their small group. Out of everyone, he had the most experience in these sorts of wilderness situations. Of course, he was better suited to the trials of civilization. In the Andoran proper his heavy clothing and wide brimmed hat were appropriate, but here, in the oppressive heat, they only served to amplify the oppressive heat.
He stops for a moment to dab the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.
"Not long now." he comments to the rest of the group "With any luck we should arrive just before sundown."
Although protected from the inclement weather, Pelius bones are aching from the long trip. Memories from the first time the old man have been in these mountains come to him, but the time faded names and faces of who and how.
I will appreciate a little break as well as some food and fresh water, before we do that last stretch. Says Pelius in a soft voice but with a loud tone. What do you think?
If no one is against stoping briefly, the old man arranges some of the food that is created after some chanted psalms.
As soon as Pelius suggests a break Inara plops down on the ground. “Yes please! It feels like we’ve been walking forever.” Inara sighs dramatically. She tries to brush the dust off her clothes but it’s a lost cause. Her clothes, while still colorful, are embedded with dirt. The fetchling shakes her head and takes a roll from Pelius.
“I love that you can just make food. I tried to learn that but it wouldn’t fit in my head. Too much in there I guess.” She thinks for a moment. “I guess I could summon a rat and eat it but that sounds gross. This is much better.”
I know this is not the kind of meal I'll choose to pay for in a city, but here, in middle of nowhere, it is a god-send.
Answers Pelius to Inara. Then, after serving all the food, the former archivist have a question for Antonius.
Tell me Hunter, how is that your regarded Commander Gerregne did not think to give us mounts?
Antonius scowls to himself. He hated delays terribly, a pet peeve of his really. But once Inara has settled in as well he knew that any argument would be wasted. Instead, he helps himself to a snack as well.
"Well...a horse would have died by now" he replies matter-o-factly.
There's a little cluster of trees, almost a small forest ahead, where you settle down in the shade for your snack. Once you're feeling ready to march on, you break camp.
As you make through the blessedly shady woods, you can make out what looks like a ruined farmhouse through the trees. As you come closer, the road crests a small rise, and descends into a shallow dell. There are flies in the air here, probably because of the relative humidity and the nearby creek; you can hear running water through the trees.
Perception for you:
Antonius notes the glint of... something, through the undergrowth. A moment of careful oberservation reveals fierce, hairy men in armor, smeared in green and earthy colors, bows in their hands. As you open your mouth to shout a warning, they notch arrows on their bows.
The rest of you do not react before arrows come flying out of the woods.
The whole thing starts off with the sound of wolves howling. Two emanciated wolves come carreening down the path towards you. There's fire in their eyes and their maws, and although you could count their ribs if they stood still, and their fur is patchy, covered in small wounds, some of them still open, you can tell that they're strong - if they locked those jaws around your throat, they'd snap it like a twig.
There's chanting from inside the farmhouse - it sounds to Pelius like some sort of broken infernal prayer, he can just about make out "Mother", and "flesh".
There's a shouted order from the trees, in some rough tongue you do not understand, and arrows come flying out at you.
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Round 1
Antonius is able to twist out of the way of the arrow in time, avoiding a more serious wound, suffering only a small cut across his arm instead. "Bah!" he shouts "Why did we even bother sending Kyras to scout if we were to be ambushed regardless!?"
He moves towards the north-western edge of the road and draws his sword and pistol. "They're flanking us on either side, as well as the dogs ahead. Careful not to get caught between the two."
With a flick of his wrist he sends the beastwood blade into the brush, seeking one of the ambushers.
They're common to the mountanous regions on the northern bank of the Inner Sea.
A hundred years ago or so, they thrived in Chitterwood in particular, but Isger organized a militia to drive them out. Seems like they're back now, although they're not known to keep pets like those hounds.
The whip wraps around the warrior's leg, and with a clank of metal hitting the ground, he does just that.
Another of warrior comes running out of the farmhouse. She's carrying a wicked, curved glaive in one hand, and a pistol in the other. She has long dreadlocks that flow after her as she runs, and a splash of red paint on her breastplate.
Pelius, in a quick move, raises a silver medal with a red pentagram on it, and suddenly waves of dark energy burst from it, stealing the life from the living that it hits.
Meanwhile, his other hand gestures quickly and a enchantment is pronounced, making the old man vanish.
Beware with those strange dogs, as they breath fire! -Says Pelius voice from nowhere.
One of them slumps to the ground, bleeding from his eyes and mouth. The others are still standing, but looking harrowed from the wave of dark energy.
Inara looks around at the ambushers. We're in a bad position. Time for a distraction Shadow energy surrounds her hands before bursting forth into new creatures.
Two eagles coalesce out of the darkness. Inara sighs. I was hoping for more. She points at two of the ambushers. "Sic 'em"
The eagles split up and swoop at their respective targets.
The southern eagles isn't having much luck, but the northern eagle digs a deep gash in the already weakened hobgoblin's scalp, as he tries in vain to get out his shield and bring it into position to defend from attacks from above.
"The heat is really fierce here. I have heard of knights dying of heatstroke during the 5th siege of Absalon. Luckily I can refresh myself creating some water."
Johannes had just cast Create water over his head when the first arrow started to fly.
"What ..."
Realizing they have been ambushed, Panzer face show a wide grin when the arrows bounce harmlessly on his armor.
"You think that those pinprick will slow me?"
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20
Knowledge (local): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
Knowledge (planes): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
If applicable: Monster Lore +3
Pellius is protected by Inara eagles. Antonius is in a bad position, alone he is easily sourronded, I should support him.
"Antonius, try to engage the one to the west, we should break the encirclement."
Spellcraft: The prayer you heard was a divine caster casting invisibility, somewhere down in the ruined farmhouse.
Knowledge:The planes: The hounds are fire-breathing beasts from Hell, called, appropriately, hell-hounds. They're found on the material plane a lot more than other outsiders, although they aren't native to this plane, often in service of evil cults. Fire-giants like to keep them as pets, as they have the Fire subtype and are immune to the heat that surround those giants. As a consequence, they're also vulnerable to cold damage.
These appear particularly vicious.
Spellcraft: The prayer you heard was a divine caster casting invisibility, somewhere down in the ruined farmhouse.
Johannes advances on the struggling hobgoblin. As it fumbles to get out its shield, he steps on its legs to keep it in place, and brings his sword down on its chest with all his might. He feels chainmail crack under the force of his blow. The hobgoblin stills on the ground, bleeding out. There's still some life in him, but he won't be getting up anytime soon.
The hellhounds come carreening down the road, kicking up clouds of dust behind them as they go. One of them falls on Antonius, tearing after the old hunter's throat.
The other moves to engage Irina.
Meanwhile, the hobgoblin woman comes running leasurely after the hounds. She levels it over the hound, and, with a great flare of fire, she shoots Johannes in the back. The pistol spent, she carelessly tosses it aside in order to grip her glaive in two hands. She grins at you, and growls.
, + :
Round 2
"If only I could Johannes, but it seems I am already quite popular" says Antonius, replying to his allies advice while barely twisting out of the way of the hellhounds maw. The crack of a pistol round striking the armored warrior drives the point home nicely.
As he recalls the Beastwood Blade he turns to meet the female hobgoblin and hound. A quick glance shows that the majority of the group is out of range of his pistol at the moment, so he elects to save the shot. Instead he tries to reposition himself into the forest, alongside Johannes, and prepares for the next series of blows. This wasn't the first time he had been in a situation like this, and it wouldn't be the last.
You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from, as they say.
"Ok, let's go with «done» and remove an hellhoud. Abadar, help me in bringing down our foe. "
Switching his grip on the sword to use it two handed, Johannes strike the hellhoud with all his might.
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"S+@~!"
"Be wary, there is someone invisible."
Antonius opens a deep wound down the side of the hellhound. It doesn't seem to slow it down, however.
You hear harsh orders being shouted from... somewhere near the farmhouse. Sound is surprisingly hard to determine the sound of without visual input, especially since you depend on your eyes for orientation. It's somewhere between the trees and the farmhouse entrance, you think. No time to worry about that. The hobgoblins are regroup, and with their swords and shields out, they seem to feel they have the situation in hand. Two of them close in on Antonius and Johannes, while the remaining two duke it out with the eagles. They shout encouragement at each other, or perhaps they are coordinating as you are, it's hard to tell. Nevertheless, they all slam their shields at you, hoping to knock you silly with a wild opening move.
1:
2: , ,
4:
6:
They are quite unlucky in their efforts. You easily turn aside their blows, ducking, blocking, or stepping out of the way. Only one of the eagles takes a heavy blow to the body, and pops out of existence. The lucky hobgoblin advances, probably planning to finish the job.
Panzer comes to Antonius' aid, but overextends his powerful blow, and the hellhound jumps aside.
Damage:
24-DR 3/- = 21
fire 8 - fire resistance 4 = 4
Current HP 27/52
Pelius, even knowing this will expose him too much, decides to get into the middle to try a powerful burst of energy and finish the fight, or at least to turn the tide to his favor.
The man appears from the thin air, with his asmodean holy symbol in his hand, emanating dark energy waves to all, although his travel companions and the eagle remains untouched by it.
I hope this help... uh? The man gets interrupted when notices for first time the arrow in its belly.
Oh man, this looks ugly.
1:
1:
2:
2:
3:
3:
4:
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5:
5:
6:
6:
H1:
H1:
H2:
H2:
W:
W:
?C:?
?C:?
The dark waves surge across the battlefield, leaving utter destruction in their wake. Hobgoblins fall to the ground én masse, bleeding from eyes, noses, ears and mouths.
Apart from the hounds, only two of them remain standing. Their leader, the one with the dreadlocks, the glaive and the red gauntlet painted on her chest, zeroed in on the old man. There was a promise in those red, bleeding eyes. They spoke of his death, and smiled.
Inara does not appreciate having a hellhound in her face. She twists away from the creature and moves away with surprising grace.
She whistles at the eagle to attack the beast. It swoops down on her.
Meanwhile Inara opens her mouth and appears to scream. The sound is inaudible to everyone except the woman stalking after Pelius
One claw drags a long wound in the hound. It turns to snap at the tasty distraction.
, +
The other circles around Antonius, and breathes a tongue of fire from its maw, covering the hunter and Johannes, and starting small fires in the bushes.
The hobgoblin woman brings about her glaive, ready and eager to remove what seems at once the biggest threat and easiest atarget on the battlefield.
She swings it around, closing in with a vicious arc. The blade passes within two inches of Pelius' face, but impacts in the dust of the road instead of his chest. She heaves it up, ready to attack him again.
Round 3
The Hunter shifts east, stumbling out of the forest and onto the roadway. Despite his best efforts he is unable to put out the flames effectively and suffers a healthy burn across his right side.
He is vaguely aware of how close Pelius had come to suffering a terrible wound and decides to put the hellhound on hold. Once again he casts out the Beastwood Blade, this time so that it can coil around the Hobgoblin leaders leg and drag her to the ground. He follows the attack with a shot from his pistol, aimed at the remaining Hobgoblin warrior. Pellets pass inches away from Johannes and chew through underbrush as they go.
"Johannes, quickly! Deal the killing blow before she can find her feet!" he says
The hobgoblin crumbles to the ground, the front of his chainmail penetrated by multiple shots.
Both the woman he just tripped, and the hellhound behind him take advantage of the opening as he fires his pistol.
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Down the path, you hear chanting start up. A smell of brimstone begins to fill the air.
Although his risky move paid well, and the glaive warrior hasty attack went unbalanced, Pelius knows he must not remain at sight without his defenses up.
Sending another dark wave through its silver asmodean symbol, Pelius concentrate in casting a spell without letting any opening to the glaive wielder, and after a quick chanting, the man vanishes again.
After this, I fear I'll have to take care of Antonius wounds.
H2:
W:
C?:
One of the hounds slump to the ground. The cleric's chanting peters out with a frantic gurgle as blood fills his mouth, his concentration broken.
Reflex save against the hell hound (with +1 bonus from Lastwall Phalanx):
Round 4
"Inara, if you can, call something to block the hound movement."
"Not on my watch!"
Seeing Antonius fall grievously wounded Johannes call the power of Abadar and heal some of his wounds.
"Don't dare to die on me."
then he step adjacent to the hobgoblin woman, trying to interpose himself between her and Antonius.
Inara shouts "Somebody down the road is summoning something nasty!" She steps closer to the wounded cleric, chants a few words and claps her hands. A line of freezing shadow streams from her hands towards the hound.
The remaining hound opens its maw to breathe a shock of flame at Inari, retaliating for against her frost-tinged shadows. In the process, the flames engulf the invisible Pelius as well.
The hobgoblin turned, strugling to get up and bring her glaive about in close quarters. She catches Panzer's sword on her glaive, and fients with the pommel against his ribs, giving her room to stand and step back and bring her glaive around in a wide arc against his head, but not without giving him an opening to strike her first.
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The blow slips past Johannes' guard, and he can do little but brace himself for impact.
You all hear the sound of armored men running up the path. The reinforcements arrive just after Kyras, who's sneaking closer in between the trees, thusfar unnoticed.
The hobgoblin turned, strugling to bring her glaive about in close quarters. She caught Panzer's sword on her glaive, and fiented with the pommel against his ribs, giving her room to step back and bring her glaive around in a wide arc against his head.
Wide, wide grin on Jhoannes face when she tries that maneuver.
"Gotcha!"AoO when she raise on his feet, using power attack
When she take her 5' step back, Step Up.
As she is in contact she can't use her reach weapon.
"I love people that try that little trick."
Your hit is a clean cut across her left arm, and you step up as she tries to create distance between you.
She does... Something. A half-step that somehow turns into a backwards hop, she suddenly creates enough distance to bring her weapon about, despite your swift footwork.
Your hit is a clean cut across her left arm, and you step up as she tries to create distance between you.
She does... Something. A half-step that somehow turns into a backwards hop, she suddenly creates enough distance to bring her weapon about, despite your swift footwork.
"Nice move, miss."
Johannes seem to have fun with this melee.
Combat reflex, second AoO
After being hit he become more grim.
"Damn, that was close"
Round 4
Antonius stumbles back from to his feet from his short stint of unconsciousness. He's still a little groggy, but he does his best to stagger towards the Hobgoblin and help Johannes. He swings the Beastwood Blade, wrapping it around the haft of the glaive with a sharp tug.
Kyras sees his new companions in dire straits and fires off a shot at the hobgoblin with the glaive while attempting to stay hid in the brush.
There's a brief tug of war as you struggle to get the thing out of her grip, but in the end, your superior skill wins out, and the glaive lands in the dust.
Weaponless, and favoring her injured arm, she never the less falls into an unarmed stance, ready to absorb and redirect whatever blows might be thrown at her.
A sudden explosion rings across the battlefield, and the hobgoblin's head whips forward a bit from the force of the shot, before she collapses into the ground. It was a good shot, right in the back of the head.
Kyras attempts to disappear into the shade of the trees once more, but gunpowder is a fickle mistress, and this particular shot was accompanied by a powerful flash of light, making his position very clear to everyone present.
The incoming reinforcements seem unsure about the situation, but at some harsh orders from the invisible cleric, they move forward. Two of them are in range to close in with Kyras, and do so, swinging their swords above their heads.
12: ,
11: ,
Kyras curses as the hobgobs practical swarm him but he manages to dodge both their clumsy strikes.
he steps back, just out of reach of the striking goblins,then drops his musket behind him at his feet while pulling his shotgun from his shoulder and unloads two clips at almost impossible speed.
after firing he shouts. Begone Craven! or die as you stand!
After being burned by the hound, Pelius worries about his tiny companion, but then he remembers that the pest is tough as nails, so if he survived, it must be still in one piece. Finally, he rises again his holy symbol, this time the wave of energy effects his companions, revitalizing them.
Inara dives away from the hound's attack, managing to avoid some of the flames. A groan escapes her lips when she sees the reinforcements rushing over. How many more of these things are there?
A pitch black shortbow materializes in her hands. When she puts her hand to the string an arrow covers in ice appears there.
Still a bit shaken by how close he has come to getting hit by a fatal blow Johannes engage the hound.
The healing wave rushes over the battlefield, and while invigorated yourself, you also note some of the hobgoblins twitching as their wounds close. Will they be getting up to stab you while you're otherwise occupied? You're not quite sure it isn't so.
Johannes chops the hellhound's head clean off.
Neither Pelius or Johannes are quite sure where the cleric is.
Kyras' shotgun rears in his hands as fires. The front two simply collapse, their chests a bloody mess of ripped up armor. The back ranks fare somewhat better having been protected by the bodies in front of them, but one still looks like he's about to keel over.
Round 5
Having spotted Kyras being swarmed by by footsoldiers, Antonius starts to make his way over to help. Along the way his limbs elongate slightly and his features become slightly emaciated.
"Oh, the blood...how it sings to me!"