Grasker is stunned to see giant vultures kill first Horgus and then knock down Sir Sera.
"Make it to cover, and we can heal and pick them off!"
Grasker will then follow his own advice and withdraw towards the building he spotted earlier.
Round 3, Init 1
"H-horgus?!?!" Anevia stops where she's at, then heads back. Flanking with Ely, she attacks V1.
"Damn you! Don't you have enough blood already!?!?"
Round 4
Beagan/Xanthos: 16 (-29/-17)
Elyanius Myoch: 14
V1: 11 (-17)
Serra Iondri Phaer: 9 (-2)
Aravashnyel:9-
V4:sooo dead
V2: 8 (dead)
V3: 7 (-20)
Cole Zeff: 4
Grasker: 3
Horgus, 2 (dead)
Anevia 1
Round 4, Init 14
AC = 14
HP = 8/24
Weapon Equipped = Cold Iron Lucerne Hammer
Condition(s) = None
Eli looks down at his hammer, his blood bringing a stickiness to his grip. He nods to himself. This is not what I pictured. His eyes meet Anevia's for a quick moment, and he struggles to lift his hammer and aim it. The swing looks unproductive, until Anevia's threat causes the vulture's head to swerve into the hammerhead's path.
Eli steps away from the vulture responsible for his injury, beckoning it to follow him.
Round 4, Init 16
HP: 10/29
AC: 16 (ff 14, t 13)
CMD: 13
Init: +3
Fort: +4 | Ref: +2 | Will: +1
Per: +0 | Know nature: +6 | Know planes: +6
Equipped: Sword and empty vial
Calistria's Presto-Changeo Trick: 1/1
Dancing Holy Flames: 1/1
Flare Holy Flames: 1/1
Big R's Holy Flameball:1/1
Call upon Big R to protect/rejuvenate mount/protect from evil: 1/3
Call upon Big R to send assistance: 6/6
Scale = 3/3
At will: Read Holy Writing, Detect Blessings, Guide the Faithful, Resist the Enemy
Xanthos’ full stats
HP: 1/10
AC: 22 ( touch 12, flat-footed 20) (+2 Dex, +6 natural)
{+4 mage armor}
Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +0
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.
Acrobatics +7 (+11 jump), Climb +6, Knowledge Planes +6, Perception +5, Sense Motive +4, Stealth +5
Beagan looks on with horror at the decapitated body of the man, and spots Aravashnyel tending to Serra, as well as Eli and Anevia engaging the beast.
Unsteady in the saddle, he can't leave his companions behind, especially the noble, blind Elf. The almost staggered mount growls in agreement.
Only one claw seems to strike true. The mount steps back .
Swaying on Xanthos' back, Beagan retrieves a vial from his bandolier, and almost falls off as he quaffs it.
"C'mon birdie! Come after me and my mount. Or better yet, eat your brother there!"
Xanthos paws at V3, scratching him across the sensitive area above his beak. Then withdraws a few feet.
Beagan takes advantage of the relative safety. He pulls a potion and begins healing a little damage.
V1 turns at the squawk from the freshly injured V3 and attacks, aiming at his eyes!
Unfortunately, his own vision isn't all that great and he misses his target.
Round 4, Init 9
Serra wipes the blood off his face, still tasting the metallic blood in his mouth mixed with the potion.
"I took one down, Ara...with your magic. I hit it good. There are two more left and they are wounded. But so are we. Ely stands on wobbly legs about 5' towards the noise," Serra says, grabbing starknife.
"I'll get back in there soon. Let me catch my breath...and think...yes...it might work..."
Serra stands up, ready to get back into the fight.
"Where, where is he? I'll call for help."
The elf begins to murmur in his native tongue. It warbles high then higher and continues for several long moments.
V1 squawks loudly, looking for something to bite, then lurches forward at Ely. Blood still in his eyes, he misses his target.
Spellcraft
Serra shakes his head, making a mental note to ask Aravashynel about that later on.
"We are staying to fight in the open?! Very well."
Grasker comes back and takes a swing at the bird, standing over his dead traveling companion.
Round: 4, Initiative: 4
HP: 22/22
Weapon Equipped = Long Bow
Cold Iron Arrows = 21/30 (5 miss)
Silver Blunt Arrows = 10/10
Conditions = V3 is a hated enemy
Ranger Focus = 0/1 (+2 attack/damage)
Child of the Crusade = 1/1 (reroll failed save to be possessed or mentally incapacitated by a demon)
Silver Dragon Scale = 3/3
Bow Attack Mods: BAB +3, Dex +3, MW Bow +1, (Deadly Aim -1), (Rapid Shot -2)
Bow Damage Mods: (Deadly Aim +2)
"We are staying to fight in the open?! Very well."
"Yes, apparently our allies have a death wish - or they feel pinned down - it's hard to say which."
Cole continues his assault on V3 hoping for another pair of hits!
(point blank, focus) (point blank, focus)
(point blank, focus) (point blank, focus)
"We can't leave his body here! Grasker, he's too heavy for me. Can you move him?"
Anevia attaks V1 again. She tries to take advantage of Ely's distraction on the other side, but Ely no longer has the bird's fous and Grasker has stepped into the key spot regardless. With a sigh, she attacks anyway, and hopes for the best.
Her concern for Horgus' remains saps her attention and she misses completely.
Round 5, top of the round
Beagan/Xanthos: 16 (-29/-17)
Elyanius Myoch: 14
V1: 11 (-30)
Serra Iondri Phaer: 9 (-2)
Aravashnyel:9-
V4:sooo dead
V2: 8 (dead)
V3: 7 (-24)
Cole Zeff: 4
Grasker: 3
Horgus, 2 (dead)
Anevia 1
Round 5, Init 14
AC = 14
HP = 8/24
Weapon Equipped = Cold Iron Lucerne Hammer
Condition(s) = None, sadly
Eli watches as Cole's arrows find no purchase beneath the feathers of the savage creature, and grunts in frustration as he proves equally unable to clear a path away from the other vulture.
Round 5, Init 16
HP: 10/29
AC: 16 (ff 14, t 13)
CMD: 13
Init: +3
Fort: +4 | Ref: +2 | Will: +1
Per: +0 | Know nature: +6 | Know planes: +6
Equipped: Shield & Sword
Calistria's Presto-Changeo Trick: 1/1
Dancing Holy Flames: 1/1
Flare Holy Flames: 1/1
Big R's Holy Flameball:1/1
Call upon Big R to protect/rejuvenate mount/protect from evil: 1/3
Call upon Big R to send assistance: 6/6
Scale = 3/3
At will: Read Holy Writing, Detect Blessings, Guide the Faithful, Resist the Enemy
Xanthos’ full stats
HP: 1/10
AC: 22 ( touch 12, flat-footed 20) (+2 Dex, +6 natural)
{+4 mage armor}
Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +0
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.
Acrobatics +7 (+11 jump), Climb +6, Knowledge Planes +6, Perception +5, Sense Motive +4, Stealth +5
"I won't leave until the Elf is safe!" Xanthos growls before stepping forward striking at the beastie bird.
And the Gnome's eyes also look nervously at the battered condition of Eli and Serra, too.
Beagan and Xanthos attack V3, though only Xanthos manages to scratch him. Ely tries to hit V1, but misses as well.
Round 5, init 11
V1 makes a vicious attack at Anevia, one that would surely have left her bleeding in the street, but he judges too high and misses her completely.
Serra delays for Ara, not wanting to get caught up in whatever spell is about to be unleashed.
Round 5, Init 9-
Aravashnyel finishes his spell with a loud "WHOOO!". The air around him erupts into a a flurry of feathers as three luminescent owls pop into being in front of him.
He directs them with in a language so beautiful it almost hurts to hear it, then hopes for the best.
They attack in a scatter, though only two manage to get through the vultures filthy feathers to do any real damage.
"Much as I hate to admit it, Ser Serra, we may have to make a run for it. I should protect myself. would that I could cast this upon you, but it would only lay uselessly over the armor you already sport." He casts another spell, this one on himself.
Round 5, init 7
V3 snaps at one of the owls harassing it, but must be as blind as Aravashnyel, as it misses it.
Round 5, Init 9
"Soldiers don't run," Serra answers without thinking, words coming out of his mouth sounding more like his father than Serra.
You said that, Fatso?
I did. And I meant it. I WON'T RUN FROM THIS.
"We cannot run, Aravashynel, not while we can win this fight. We cannot allow these birds to harm anyone else in our city. They have already gorged to great size on the blood of innocents, no longer!"
Spellcraft
Serra enters his defensive crouch and moves to engage the birds again (V3), seeking a flank spot.
to hit; (heroism, flank)
damage.
Round: 5, Initiative: 4
HP: 22/22
Weapon Equipped = Long Bow
Cold Iron Arrows = 19/30 (5 miss)
Silver Blunt Arrows = 10/10
Conditions = V3 is a hated enemy
Ranger Focus = 0/1 (+2 attack/damage)
Child of the Crusade = 1/1 (reroll failed save to be possessed or mentally incapacitated by a demon)
Silver Dragon Scale = 3/3
Bow Attack Mods: BAB +3, Dex +3, MW Bow +1, (Deadly Aim -1), (Rapid Shot -2)
Bow Damage Mods: (Deadly Aim +2)
"Soldiers don't run"
Damned idiot. Soldiers run all the time… the good ones anyway. There are some fights you cannot win. Maybe not this one, but some.
Cole continues his assault on V3 hoping for a hit, any hit.
(point blank, focus) (point blank, focus)
(point blank, focus) (point blank, focus)
Serra steps up and slices at V3 with his star knife, wounding his wing.
Cole, grumbling to himself, puts an arrow right in the back of V3's head, dropping it at Serra's feet. quickly before most people could even think it, he launches another arrow, this time at V1, nearly taking off one of its wings with a well placed arrow in the joint.
Another round of fighting in the open...
Grasker finishes what Cole's arrow didn't dropping the last bird to the ground. The area reeks of blood and carrion and fear.
Anevia shoots a glance at the others, then begins to cut V1 open to retrieve Horgus' head. It is an ugly gruesome affair, and perhaps it offends the owls, for they don't stick around to see it finished.
Serra barely registers that the final birdthing has fallen, so tired and broken is he that it takes several moments of distrustful sky watching to realize that they are victorious.
Well, mostly victorious. Serra looks at what is left of Horgus' body.
"Did we lose anyone else? Should we retreat into that building while we decide what to do with Horgus?"
Serra begins to lead Aravashnyel to the safe building suggested by Grasker. Along the way, he will explain what is happening and doubly explain how glorious his celestial battle owls are.
"...their wings remind me of my mother's hair in the sunlight. She was beautiful as well."
"Horgus? Oh, that cannot be! We had our differences but.... " He shakes his head disbelieving. "There are too many dead already. I should have called the owls earlier. I have been selfish. My spells... I will not be able to memorize any more until we reach The Black Wing, until I can see one more. My friends there may be of help. And perhaps for Horgus as well. Maybe he is only mostly dead?"
He trudges along with Serra, a faint smile at the memory of a boy for his mother. "She must have been a beautiful woman indeed. Those owls came from the highest planes of good to help us. Their very being is imbued with a celestial light."
Serra keeps his eyes on helping Aravashynel rather than on Horgus' remains as they walk into the shelter for a bit of respite.
"He is gone-gone, Ara. It is a good thing you cannot see, for Anevia cuts his head out from one of the birdmen now. I do not see how we could have survived."
When inside, he will sit Aravashynel down and look for a carpet or rug big enough to roll up Horgus...or some other means of transport.
"Should we take his body with us? Or leave it here? Cole, Grasker...how much farther to our goal?"
"Should we take his body with us? Or leave it here? Cole, Grasker...how much farther to our goal?"
"I don't know if we should bury him here under some ruble, or bring him along. Will any at the other end want his body - or will they be settled knowing he died honorably, saving others?"
Cole looks up at the sky, looks down the path that's taken them this far, and thinks a moment. He doffs his hat and wipes his forehead before replying, "At the rate we're going, I'm going to say it'll take us another half a day to get there."
He lets that hang in the air a bit before continuing. "On a good day we're ten minutes from where we started and that's taken us two hours to traverse. We've faced demons and carrion in that short time as well. From the looks of some of you we can't do that again today so we may need to hole up somewhere close in any event."
"We're in dangerous ground and we need to be careful... and take cover when it's warranted."
Cole then gathers his spent arrows and mutters at how many are unusable. He gathers the misses and checks them for usefulness.
He looks about the immediate vicinity for a place to hole up - in case the party leans that way.
Seeing nothing in the immediate area he says as much, "We'll need to travel a bit in any event, I don't see a good place to hole up here - excepting maybe this building Grasker found. We might clear it out a bit and bed down well enough here if we have to."
"From the looks of some of you we can't do that again today so we may need to hole up somewhere close in any event."
"Yes, it seems I'm tied to my Holy Mount, for better and worse." Beagan rubs one of the undamaged sections on his armor, mirroring the spot where the vulture's vicious beak penetrated to Xanthos' core. The mount nearly staggers as his battered, furry head nuzzles the little, blooded Gnome. "I still have one potion left, and can call on the Rig R' to give a little pep back to my steed."
He gathers his gear, reequipping with his Calistrian shield and Big R's sheathed sword. "How far are we from Anevia's? Would her Irabeth know where we are most needed, or the best place to rest? Could we make it there? We also need to get Aravashnyel to his comrades, and contact any of Grasker's colleagues, but they are further away, no?"
"Ahhh, if only we had a Dryad to open a tree, we'd be safe in there." Although we couldn't afford the luxury of staying away for so long.
"How far are we from Anevia's?"
Eli nods. "Yes. It's closest. We've chosen." He leans on his hammer, and waits for Anevia to lead.
Anevia cradles Horgus' head wrapped in a bit of clothing. "I... I'm afraid I'm turned around." She sighs, trying to make heads or tails out of the new skyline of Kenabres. "Oh my! Is this the southern gate?!?" Her jaw sets firm; she will *not* cry.
"We are not nearly as close as I believed."
"And what of Horgus. I suppose...I suppose I can carry his body if we wish to bring it with us," Serra asks again, still looking for a wrapping for the body.
"I suppose we should take it with us to the Black Wing. We can consult with the others. He was a man of means, he should have a burial, I suppose."
Serra thanks Kastor for his thoughtfulness and fetches the rug.
Serra nods to Aravashnyel (who, of course, can't see it) and begins to roll Horgus in a carpet. This requires much huffing and puffing.
After straining to lift Horgus on his own, he reaches deep to remember things he hadn't used in a long time. Words of arcane power stumble out of his mouth, barely drawing the power together to bind the magics.
Low = Failure
Feeling strong, Serra lifts Horgus like his is carrying a large beer keg...and he is ready to move on.
Aravashnyel waits until Serra is done with the majority of his huffing and puffing. He keeps his voice low as he questions, "Ser Serra, Did I hear you aright? Were you casting something. Atol Haul, if I'm not mistaken. I didn't know you were a Kastor caster?"
*oof*
Serra balances the load as he walks, trying to answer Aravashnyel.
*huffa*
*puffa*
"Yes. I used this *huffa* trick when I stack kegs for my bartending, uhm, knightly training. *puffa* It comes in handy at times," Serra concentrates on putting one foot in front of the other, almost staggered by the weight.
Bluff - Knightlyness
"Oh! Oh yes, I think I've heard of that training method. It's supposed to get all of those muscles that are hard to get to otherwise. Or, so I've heard, I think. You hear a lot of things if you listen carefully enough. Just uhhh, lift with your legs."
"All right then, if everyone is ready - let's move out to the Black Wing Librarium and unload poor Horgus. It's close, and if there are survivors, we may just learn something beyond what a few isolated folk can tell us."
Cole takes the front, when everyone is ready, and continues to keep an eye out for danger, as well as paths that can lead us to safety as we plough ahead.
"Are we ready, then? Everyone looking their best?" The elf laughs, but it rings hollowly. "Is my bandage on straight?" His hands pat at his clothing, grimicing as he finds a damp patch.
"Would you mind terribly much if I took a moment to change? I... that is, I don't want to immediately cause worry at the sight of me."
Serra grunts as he continues to manage Horgus's girth upon his own.
*thump*!
Serra drops the body of Horgus, glad to be done with the burden for a while. He stretches his back out, glad for the respite.
"No, go change Aravashynel. It's been a long trip and you don't want to cause a panic."
Eli walks along, still quite weak from the predatory attacks, and tries to force his mind off of it in the petition of the elf.
"Don't you think that the sight of you alive will be enough to lighten their heart? You were at the heart of the siege, so a little tatter here and there is almost expected. And our scales bear witness that you were at its center." Does someone worry for him like Irabeth worries for Anevia, or is it someone above him, who might use his weakened state to deride him?
Grasker will convert Hold Person to cure moderate wounds for the well chewed Sir Beagan:
"I can channel healing energy if others are still wounded. We should find the Librarium close at hand, hopefully with sanctuary."
HP: 26/29
AC: 18 (ff 15, t 13)
CMD: 13
Init: +3
Fort: +4 | Ref: +2 | Will: +1
Per: +0 | Know nature: +6 | Know planes: +6
Equipped: Shield & Sword
Calistria's Presto-Changeo Trick: 1/1
Dancing Holy Flames: 1/1
Flare Holy Flames: 1/1
Big R's Holy Flameball:1/1
Call upon Big R to protect/rejuvenate mount/protect from evil: 0/3
Call upon Big R to send assistance: 6/6
Scale = 3/3
At will: Read Holy Writing, Detect Blessings, Guide the Faithful, Resist the Enemy
Xanthos’ full stats
HP: 6/18
AC: 18 ( touch 12, flat-footed 16) (+2 Dex, +6 natural)
Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +0
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.
Acrobatics +7 (+11 jump), Climb +6, Knowledge Planes +6, Perception +5, Sense Motive +4, Stealth +5
Beagan feels refreshed by the light of the Shining Lady Grasker sheds on his battered form. In return, he calls on the Big R' to help his faithful companion.
"Grasker, my evalasting thanks to the Shining Lady for all of her blessings. I think Serra and Eli took rather grievous wounds, as did Xanthos, so a blessing that channeled her gifts through all might be beneficial."
"Serra, Xanthos is using to carrying my flailing form around. I could walk and he might be able to carry our fallen comrade, if that is preferable."
"Beagan speaks truth, Grasker. I would be grateful for your god's healing energy." Eli moves closer to the Iomedaean.
"Serra, Xanthos is using to carrying my flailing form around. I could walk and he might be able to carry our fallen comrade, if that is preferable."
Serra grunts with the effort of carrying Horgus, but does not take Ser Beagan up on the offer.
"This weights just a bit more than your flail, Good Ser. My knightic training has prepared me for such burdens. I shall be fine."
"Don't you think that the sight of you alive will be enough to lighten their heart?"
The elf laughs, though there is no humor in his tone, "Truth to tell, she may not even notice." Still, he takes the time to don clean clothes and to wash the freshest blood from his face.
Serra laughs with Kastor and between his ragged breaths as he carries Ruggus around Kenabres.
"While you will make a fine knight one day, Kastor, you must know that one's physical size means little on the field of battle. What really matters is the size of one's heart, the courage you hold inside, and the strength of your convictions," Serra lectures joyfully. "Those are the true measures of a knight...and those are things that both you and Ser Beagan have in spades. No knight is judged by size alone...deeds and compassion and protection are better measures."
"Truth to tell, she may not even notice."
Serra looks at Aravashynel and smiles. He uses his other handy trick his mom taught him to help clean up the inn armor and weapons of course.
Low = Failure
Serra casts Prestidigitation to help clean up Aravashynel, getting him ready for whomever he expects to see, removing blood, cleaning ears, fixing hair.
"Who is not expected to notice us, Ara?"
The elf preens and sighs underneath the prestidigitation, but sobers almost to his reserved self at Serra's question. "What? Oh no, they will notice you. They will want to hear your tales of all that transpired beneath Kenabres."
Softer, when he feels fewer may be listening, he says simply, "Lylina. Her name is Lylina. She'll be there, at the Librarium." His jaw sets, as if considering the alternative is unacceptable.