Karthan takes a full round cast (5' step forward) and casts Flaming Acid Arrow at the other 'goblin. (The Intimidate check didn't beat the DC needed to shake me.)
Ranged touch to hit 'goblin Righty with it...and scores a critical.
Sadly, the critical damage only applies to the first turn.
Acid arrow on Lefty.
He keeps an eye ready for the charging gnoll. At 600' minus 90' -5, he's at 500ish feet now.
@Sir Justal: As you blast through the streets, Nouhves' hooves skittering over the cobblestones and loose gravel, you hear a whooming roar from far behind you, but cannot see anything when you turn to look and don't want to pause or risk taking your eyes off the path for too long. As you round a corner onto Strict St., a main drag that slashes diagonally across the three Hill Districts, you see a group of hunched and cloaked figures pushing a cart far ahead. You think they're about where The Light is, but spattering rain forces you to briefly turn your head, and when you get your bearings back they have vanished. It was a fairly large group.
Forward you charge, The Light shines.
Agon glances back to the halberd-wielder. "I choose the path right in front of me," the monk notes with a strange certainty to his voice. As he reaches for the door, he stares at the symbol plainly visible upon it with distaste. "Lamashtu, goddess of monsters. Those who look for villainy will find it here, no doubt."
He opens the door, his firm gaze kept right ahead as he adds: "My name is Agon."
Initiative:
Perception:
Kelne couldn't help but grimace at frustration at this development. He might at least have distracted the man from his work. He didn't have much time to do so, but he intended to rectify that. Step one being getting past these two.
@Karthan:
The other Hobgoblin tries to shield itself with its arms but the acid arrow strikes true; it smokes clean through the 'goblin's left wrist and bores into his forehead. He lets out a horrid shriek and falls to the ground, twitching a bit. His scalp is melting slowly off his head.
The Gnoll lets out a menacing growl and redoubles its efforts to reach you.
The other Hobgoblin sees what happens to his companion, lets out a little yelp and finally jumps inside the library.
Gnoll is at 330 feet, and will get to 240 feet this round.
I'll saunter closer (30' move) and cast Ghost Sound. The result sounds something like this:
This should leave us at about 210' between our moves.
Damage to Lefty. Last round for him to take damage.
When the Gnoll crosses 160', my held action will be the full-round cast of Flaming Magic Missile. This will be sometime NEXT round.
I'll then move past his (likely smoldering) corpse, and walk into the library, changing my outfit to match one of the guards stationed here.
@Kelne:Keeping a wary eye on the entire situation around you, you notice there is some kind of strange shadow towering up behind your friend in the robes. It appears to be a spectre of some sort, a tall, crushingly beautiful blonde elven woman. She flickers in and out of sight, and her movements are identical to this other caster's movements. You notice that there is a small skull on a chain around his neck, and when the "ghost" moves, the eyesockets on the necklace flash an eerie, spectral green.
The hobgoblins step forward to attack...
The Hobgoblins, while alarmingly skilled for Hobgoblins, are still clumsy combatants. If it weren't for the absence of your shield, which you've grown used to, you would have easily avoided both blows. As it is, the hobgoblin on the right gets in a lucky jab while you are distracted by the "ghost" and the necklace on the robed mage, and slashes open your side, where your armor joints meet up at your waist.
Jorzan was still somewhat bemused by the whole idea of his new...friend. First of all there was that word, Jorzan had never had much oppourtunity to use it in the past, in fact he couldn't recall a time he had. He had many aquantinces, surely, some he was more, or less, fond of than others, but 'friend'? Rolling the word around his head some more he decided that perhaps that term was not quite accurate, yet, and he immediately felt better for the decision.
He had found the last few weeks entertaining, to be sure. The little 'hide & seek' game Karthan and he had developed was both a test of his skills, something he always enjoyed, and a chance to share his love of the stealthy arts with another. However even this was not fully satisfactory. Yes, of course, Jorzan was winning their little competition, but he should be damn it! Stealth was his stalk and trade. He had to admit to himself that it irked him that the half-orc was nearly as stealthy as he himself was. Nobody that big should be able to move so stealthily! Granted, the sorcerer did have that damned tricky vest in his favour, and this fact mollifed the young shadowdancer's pride somewhat. Still though, he made a promise to himself to improve his skills even more, and to never let the half-orc beat him at their game again. Even better, and this thought brought a smile to his face, the big lunk obviously had no idea he was being followed now.
Suddenly though, after mumbling something the Shadowdancer doesn't quite catch, Karthan starts jogging faster towards his destination, which is liklely the library. Sensing something is up, Jorzan speeds up his pace and follows, while still remaining hidden.
As the pair arrive at the library, Jorzan's suspicious are instantly confirmed as he sees a group of hobgoblins and gnolls standing around the library entrance.
At the moment the creatures came into sight Karthan stopped and after a moment, was suddenly a Gnoll in robes. 'That vest of his keeps getting more and more handy thinks the stealth rogue as he continues to move forward. By now the pair we virtually paralell but Karthan's obvious distraction and Jorzan's skill kept him hidden. Karthan then stopped again and bega casting. Jorzan kept moving forward but almost stopped in surprise when a huge foreball exploded ahead of him, taking out most of the enemies before him. 'Holy $"%@! he exclaims silently ' Note to self, do Not get on the big guy's bad side.
After the explosion only three foes remained, very confidant now that his new ally could handle the three, and equally sure that the answers to whatever was really going would only be found inside, Jorzan continues his stealthy way to the door, drawing his rapier as he does. Just as he reaches it, a bolt of acid strikes the hobgoblin who had had his hand on the doorknob. Jorzan takes that moemet to strike from the shadows, sinking his rapier into side of the acid struck guard. He does not pause though, but opens the door, moves through it and immediately wraps the shadows around himself as he stealthily walks 20' up the wall beside it and hides, only then pausing to observe the scene before him.
Stealth:
Stealth:
Stealth:
Stealth:
Initiative:
Attack:
Damage: + sneak attack:
Perception:
Perception:
@Karthan:
As the hobgoblin to your left moves through the door, it lets out a surprised, squeaking yelp and through the window you see it collapse. You could also swear you catch a glimpse of a wisp of shadow, something moving with tremendous grace and stealth into the library past the now-fallen hobgoblin sneaking in just as the door shuts.
As the Gnoll approaches, its Kukri held high, you casually complete the sequence of movements for Magic Missile and launch three glowing arcane bolts toward the doomed creature. It howls in frustration and agony as it is torn to shreds, one arm landing well away from the body, one leg spinning off into the brush.
Changing your outward appearance to that of a hulking Warbanian in full Siegebreaker Plate Armor, you walk to the library.
@Jorzan:
After cleanly removing part of the wounded hobgoblin's intestines and watching it fall dead to the floor, you silently and stealthily move up the wall and to the enormous (at least 400' square, 60' high ceilings) main room of the library. Before you is a grim sight; dozens of young students are passed out or dead, some have horrible wounds where Gnolls have started eating them, and two lone warriors appear to be the only defense; one is a giant Warbanian, wounded but holding his own against a pack of six oversized gnolls, the other is a less-armored fighter -- also wounded -- with the appearance and garb of a travelling adventurer standing off against two hobgoblins and a spellcaster of some sort. Twenty more Gnolls are scattered through the library, and beginning slowly to close in on the two human warriors. The Gnolls are clustered into five groups of four.
Karthan is all out sprinting - and still has the music from Ghost Sound running. He'll activate the Ventriloquism amulet on general principles.
Feel free to compress time as needed to get me in to witness Kalne and Jorzan being awesome...and I figure the Ghost Sound should be helping Jorzan be stealthy by making sure nobody's even LISTENING for footsteps. Sometimes the best Aid Another you can give a stealthy person is to be loud yourself.
Perception to see Jorzan
In Karthan's estimate, how safe is a fireball in this place? Note in particular that he'll have to answer to his mother, which should hedge his gut check.
Only if Karthan thinks a fireball is safe will he use it. Otherwise, he'll use Flaming Acid Arrow on the 'caster. The verbal component will be coming from a niche about 40' away, as if one of the students had woken up.
It will NOT be coming from the Hulking Warbanian charging in full plate with full (ukelele) orchestral accompaniment.
@Agon and @Tanel: As Agon reaches for the door handle, it blasts open in his face, and out comes a large, grouchy...barista.
The man, clad in a coffee-stained apron, lets out a startled "Gah!" as he sees the two of you, looking rather ghoulish, you must admit, standing on his doorstep. He has a bucket filled with trash and coffee grounds, and was about to reach for the large trash barrel to the right of the door. Past him you see the cozy and inviting interior of a coffeeshop, a few patrons looking questioningly out the door at you. You can now see that this building, which is very long, is the sort that has shops on the ground floor and residences on the second floor.
"I...can I help you?" asks the barista.
Suddenly there is a low, scraping shriek from above, causing the barista to blurt another oath, and the owl takes off from its perch and flies a ways down the alley, to where you heard a door shut just a moment before. It lands on a roof to the right. Briefly, across from it (on your left), in a second-story window, you see a light appear and quickly get extinguished.
@Karthan:
'Sorry. Wrong door!'
He turns sharply towards the owl, just in time to see the light extinguished across from it.
'Well Agon, I think our feathered friend is staring directly at our destination.'
Tanel turns left and runs to the door, opening it with his halberd at the ready. Puddles spraying as he strides through them.
@Tanel: Arriving at the door, you pause for just a moment as you notice small, grey, cloaked figures flapping around in the air. Each is the size of a small human child and fades in and out of view like a spectral vision. They are flying in a moebius-strip pattern over the alley, all have glowing eyes and are singing a high-pitched off-key song, the words for which go "deathdeathdeathdeathdeathdeathdeathdeathPOWER". More are flying in from over the ocean.
As you reach for the door handle it blasts open in your face to reveal a giant, grouchy...
.
.
.
Gnoll. In masterwork platemail and wielding a Glaive.
@Agon:
@Sir Justal:
The monk stares at the shopkeeper in confusion, still somewhat mystified by these so-called coffeeshops, but quickly regains his purpose. Rather than reply to the surprised owner of the place they were just about to invade, he dashes right after Tanel.
'What the $%#@??' Is the first thought in Jorzan's mind as he observes the horrid events unfolding before him. Infuriated at the fate befalling some of the students, many of them much younger than he, the young Shadowdancer wants to lash out at their attackers, yet he knows that the most important target is the caster and so keeps the evil magic wielder in his sights.
Keeping hidden as he moves across the wall to the perfect spot, Jorzan, fearless as always, suddenly leaps into the air, twists about and sinks his rapier into his hapless foe. As he lands he grins at the other two warriors, as in the think of battle is one of the few times he is truely happy, and says "Looks like you boys could use a little hand."
Acrobactics:
Attack:
Damage: + sneak attack:
Hero point used to re-roll attack! Attack:
@Tanel: Arriving at the door, you pause for just a moment as you notice small, grey, cloaked figures flapping around in the air. Each is the size of a small human child and fades in and out of view like a spectral vision. They are flying in a moebius-strip pattern over the alley, all have glowing eyes and are singing a high-pitched off-key song, the words for which go "deathdeathdeathdeathdeathdeathdeathdeathPOWER". More are flying in from over the ocean.
As you reach for the door handle it blasts open in your face to reveal a giant, grouchy...
.
.
.
Gnoll. In masterwork platemail and wielding a Glaive.
'Ahh!
Reflex:
Perception:
Seeing the armed Gnoll, he grabs his halberd tight.
Init:
'Let's not do anything stupid friend.'
Faith check:
For want of a better plan, Kelne went after the more skilled hobgoblin, launching a couple of heavy blows at him. If he could bring one of them down, he should be able to slip past to get at Skullstaff. The arrival of reinforcements was welcome indeed, if a bit of a shock to see the man appear with so little warning. Working together, they ought to be able to inflict a bit of carnage.
Full attack:
Damage:
@Agon and @Tanel:
The door flies open, catching both Tanel and the Gnoll completely by surprise; they knock each other slightly off-balance as Tanel didn't expect the door to blast open into his face and the Gnoll didn't expect a halberd-wielding warrior to be there. The momentary stalemate between you two allows Agon to get the drop on everybody.
Agon and Tanel, you both notice a bag on the ground just outside the door; it reeks of rotting flesh and the Gnoll's eyes keep flickering to it. As Agon thunders up to the door the Gnoll yells back into the room "HURRY UP YOU IDIOTS WE HAVE COMPANY!" You both can see past him into the room -- it is a deserted shop of some sort, and there are stairs 30 feet away. From up those stairs you see the flickering of torch light and hear a deep, low chanting.
Tanel, the chanting is a bass counterpoint to the hideously off-key screeching of the grey flappy things that are right above you. Their song is drilling into your head: "deathdeathdeathdeathdeathdeathdeathdeathPOWER"
@Sir Justahl: Though the rain is harsh and getting harsher, you keep your eyes on the light. While so doing, you notice that some kind of strange grey band is surrounding it, as if trying to extinguish it in the air. Concentrating harder on your faith and your connection to the Inheritor, the light shines anew, casting a silver blaze on the rooftops below.
You have no sooner defeated this spiritual enemy when you are faced with a physical one; a pair of large handcarts, conveniently large enough to span the entire width of the street, have been overturned in your path. The cobblestones are too slick to stop on and there is no side street, you're going to have to do some fancy riding to dodge this obstacle.
@Karthan:
Perception before entering the library
Ride check:
@Jorzan: After executing a flawless flip off a balcony buttress and out of the shadows -- causing no fewer than 8 Gnolls to look up and point at you and let out dismayed and confused "YIP"s -- you land lightly and effortlessly a couple feet behind the mage in brown robes, immediately thrusting your rapier into his back. You feel the blade burst through the other side of his chest and watch as blood splatters the back of the hobgoblin's helmet and bounces off the oil-treated raincoat the human soldier is wearing. He seems not to notice.
Distressingly, this hideous wound has not stopped the spellcaster. His words now have a terrible, burbling quality to them, but he is still speaking. The towering apparition above him, stretching nearly 20 feet above you, but completely phantasmic, keeps moving its arms.
The caster, meanwhile, turns around and lightly touches your chest...
...and nothing happens. His blank eyes look quizzically at his hands as blood pours out of the wound you punched through his chest, and the eyesockets of the skull on his necklace pulse with a terrible green light.
@Kelne: With a single mighty swing you hack off the hobgoblin's arm as its partner to your left grimaces in dismay. Continuing your momentum up and around, you thrust your sword deep into its chest, blasting through the plate mail like it was silk and shattering the 'goblin's sternum on your way through splitting its spine. It slides off your blade and lands on the floor with a wet thud, dead.
The other hobgoblin yells an order to the Gnolls in its scratchy little voice: "GET IN HERE YOU BLASTED COWARDS THERE'S ONLY TWO OF THEM! FIGHT OR VERIALA WILL EAT YOUR SOULS AND ALL YOUR CHILDRENS' SOULS! YOU'RE AS USELESS AS PUGWUMPIS, ALL OF YOU!" It then lunges in to attack you.
You see the attack coming a mile away and parry the blow, your superior strength sending its sword clanging off-course.
@Sir Justahl: Nouhves attempts to jump but slips on the wet stones and catches a front hoof on the cart. You both pitch forward, and you are launched from the saddle. You hit the hard, cold, wet ground with a massive CLANGTHUD! and Nouhves hits hard on his side with a similar racket. You slide about 30 feet before coming to a stop. You can tell this one's gonna hurt in the morning.
As you shake your head, clearing it, still concentrating on your mission, you hear a racket up ahead of you, the way you're going. The group of robed, hunched figures you saw earlier are a couple hundred feet up, and have tipped two more carts into the road just like these two. They then run up the road, tossing debris as they go and basically making your road as hard as they can. They make yipping, barking, dog-like noises as they run.
Nouhves comes up and nudges you with his nose, making a great horsey snort. His glorious coat is wet and covered with mud, and while he's scraped up, all his legs are fine and he appears eager to go again. You yourself are also now soaked, cold, covered in grime, and banged up.
Standing up, you notice the Light of Iomedae is still where last you saw it, but now there is also a hideous funnel cloud forming over the building where the light is, spinning the rain and whipping garbage and street-detritus around. The funnel cloud is massive, and at its center is pure blackness. You see a second funnel cloud, just like this one, forming over the University District as well, by the library, you'd guess.
@Karthan: As you're sprinting to the library you suddenly notice that sitting up on the roof of the library is a figure in robes, sitting in between the twin rows of lights you saw earlier that initially drew your attention to the library. There is also a giant funnel cloud forming over the library, spinning the rain and whipping the trees and bushes around. The funnel cloud is massive, and at its center is pure blackness. You see a second funnel cloud, just like this one, forming somewhere over the city, in the Traitor's Hill Market District, you'd guess.
Even the sight of the black funnel clouds couldn’t distract Sir Justahl from total humiliation. His first mission, given by Iomedae herself, and he was stopped by an overturned wagon?
No. Not now!
A towering rage at those… creatures took him.
”Onward Nouhves!” he shouted. As Nouhves broke into a gallop, he snatched up his fallen lance and leapt back into the saddle as he was running by .
Fastmount-Ride DC20:
...misses, just manages to grab the pommel and hauls himself into the saddle after even more embarassing dragging...
And charge ahead up the street intending to spit the lot of them on his lance.
But through his anger came the thought that they were distracting him from his actual charge; finding and protecting the girl. Whoever that is. So he altered the point of his lance and guided Nouhves toward the light that marked his actual mission.
“The Inheritor Commands it! Charge!” he roars as Nouhves thunders up towards the figures.
Perhaps they’ll try to stop him…
Even the sight of the black funnel clouds couldn’t distract Sir Justahl from total humiliation. His first mission, given by Iomedae herself, and he was stopped by an overturned wagon?
No. Not now!
A towering rage at those… creatures took him.
”Onward Nouhves!” he shouted. As Nouhves broke into a gallop, he snatched up his fallen lance and leapt back into the saddle as he was running by .
Fastmount-Ride DC20: 1d20+10+8
...misses, just manages to grab the pommel and hauls himself into the saddle after even more embarassing dragging...
And charge ahead up the street intending to spit the lot of them on his lance.
But through his anger came the thought that they were distracting him from his actual charge; finding and protecting the girl. Whoever that is. So he altered the point of his lance and guided Nouhves toward the light that marked his actual mission.
“The Inheritor Commands it! Charge!” he roars as Nouhves thunders up towards the figures.
Perhaps they’ll try to stop him…
Whoever they are, they have laid two more carts in your path, and piles of junk all over the road.
Perception:
Perception: 1d20+2
As you charge up the street, you catch a glint of light from one of the many braziers that line the street, and it shines off a metal blade behind the carts, then a second. It appears two of your new friends are waiting in ambush for you to attempt another jump.
Tanel steps forward after Agon mounts his assault and follows the giant's attack with one of his own, stabbing hard at the Gnoll's midriff.
Atk with Power Attack:
Karthan slows down, seeing the person on the roof in robes and makes an educated guess. He cautiously takes a five foot step, and then casts Flaming Acid Arrow at them. (Third of four 3rd level spells for the day) to disrupt their concentration for a few seconds.
Ranged Touch Attack
Damage, Round 1 of 3
For a moment, Sir Justahl wants nothing more than to trample and lance the ones lying in ambush; but a still small voice whispers in the back of his mind "Distractions".
Making up his mind to trust in their armor and speed to simply bypass them, he leans forward and whispers in Nouhves' ear. "They lie in ambush at the barricade! Don't make it easy for them!" The horse neighs eagerly, and as they approached the overturned wagons, cut suddenly to another line of approach at the last second.
Ride check (for the jump):
Ride check (if needed to block an attack on Nouhves):
"The amulet!" Kelne called, "Get the amulet!" With that, he set about cutting the hobgoblin in front of him down preparatory to turning to face the gnolls and buy the newcomer time.
Full attack:
Damage:
Critical confirm:
Extra damage:
Agon's brow furrows; clearly the Gnoll is a threat, but his words indicate that one even greater may be past these stairs. So, rather than go for his bow, the tall monk practically leaps forward!
Index- and middlefinger streched out from his fist, he attempts to strike a very specific spot at the left side of the gnoll's stomach, employing the dangerous Scorpion Style technique taught at his monastery in order to render the monster's left leg useless for awhile.
@Jorzan:
@Agon: You lunge forward, but the gnoll adjusts its position just enough to cause you to miss the nerve point on its side and instead punch its metal breastplate, your fist glancing harmlessly off. Tanel takes advantage of the bigger target and thrusts his halberd in, but the gnoll changes position again, and the blade glances of the corner of its armor with a loud KSPLANG! that echoes back and forth up the street. The gnoll tabs back at Tanel with animal fury.
The blade of the gnoll's glaive launches at Tanel's head, but the more skilled human warrior sees it coming and ducks out of the way, the blade singing sinisterly through the air where he was.
He may have missed his target, but the gnoll is still blocking the door, and you can hear the chanting getting louder up the stairs behind the gnoll. You can also hear a clatter of footsteps and weapons being gathered in the same upstairs area. From away to the left, past the end of Dogshank alley, you hear the clattering of handcarts and barking, yipping noises. Also, a little more distantly, off to your right you hear the sound of galloping of horse hooves. Only sounds like one, though.
Both of these sounds are a little ways away, maybe two or three rounds.
@Sir Justahl:
This time, Nouhves gets a better head of steam and you have a better eye on the angle. With a mighty lunge you soar over the carts. Two cloaked and hooded attackers leap up, stabbing with longswords. You smack one away with your armored forearm, and the other glances harmlessly off the hardened leather of Nouhves' barding.
As you pound your way swiftly up the street, you hear the startled voices of your attackers behind you, speaking in gruff, barking tones. "H-hey! Hey there! You can't just run! Come back and fight! What kind of hero are YOU?!"
As you round a corner onto Dogshank alley, you see the light is very close now, just a few hundred more feet. You hear the distinctive sound of a sword striking armor, it echoes down the street to you over the hammering rain.
A frustrated growl escapes Agon's throat as he stumbles to the side, surprised that the gnoll was able to react so quickly -- or perhaps standing around in the rain, followed up by the short but intense run had exhausted him more than he thought.
"Looks like we'll have to take care of this one first," the giant grumbles as he pulls the huge bow from his shoulder with his left hand while simultaneously reading an arrow with the other. Only a moment later, the first arrow flies right at its target!
@Kelne: As the hobgoblin's sword whistles past, you grab his forearm and pull him to you. The confused look on its face quickly turns to terror as it realizes what you're doing. Holding your sword steady, you pull the hapless 'goblin onto the blade, spitting it on the shining mithral of your longsword. Once the sword bursts out its back and is buried up to the hilt, you switch grips and brutally tear the sword out the side of the hobgoblin, sending chunks of flesh flying against the wall. With a wet burbling sound, the hobgoblin falls dead.
@Jorzan:
@Karthan:
For the second time today, your acid arrow strikes true. The flaming bolt sizzles as it flies, frying rain drops and causing a trail of water vapor to describe its deadly arc. It nails the caster in the chest and he howls in pain. The lights he is sitting between immediately begin to fade and he yells in frustration.
He is looking around in the rain and dark. He's peering in your general direction but you're not convinced he actually sees you. He yells over his shoulder and points towards the courtyard. Two gnoll archers appear by him and start looking for you. They are blocking your view of him, giving him partial cover. They also look for you, peering ahead.
The archers spot you almost immediately and nock arrows to their longbows.
@Agon: Your arrow shrieks through the short distance between you and the hyena-man, and with a solid THUNK! lodges itself in his clavicle, in the spot of bare skin by the armor strap, blasting out through his shoulder and making a loud K-PONK as the arrowhead strikes the inside of his platemail on his back. He yells in pain, flecks of spittle dotting the air in front of him.
Flurry 1
Flurry 2
Flurry 3
Flurry 4
Flurry 5
"Amulet? What Amulet?" Jorzan calls out, to caught up in the heat of battle to notice at the moment what the warrior is referring to. Instead, the rogue concentrates on slipping his blade into his enemy once again.
Attack: (oops +flank)
Damage: sneak attack:
Then, after his attack and seeing the approaching enemies the Shadowdancer steps to the side and wraps the shadows around himself, seeming to dissipater from sight.
Stealth:
Initiative
Flaming Acid Arrow damage on caster, round 2 of 3.
Tanel, now very aware that his armor is in his enchanted bag, approaches the gnoll more carefully this time, ducking in to strike with his halberd just after Agon's arrow hits home.
Sir Justahl takes a moment while approaching to cast Bless Weapon on his sword, which now gleams blue white along the edges, and Divine Favor, which intensifies his aura with a golden radience.
He peers ahead, trying to see where the "girl" might be under the divine marker.