AC: 20/12/18 HP: 40
Saves: F/R/W - 6/8/3
CMD: 22
Mercenaries (Caravan Guards)
AC: 26/14/23 HP: 110
Saves: F/R/W - 10/13/5
CMD: 30
Snow Elves (Arctic Rangers)
AC: 22/16/16 HP: 60
Saves: F/R/W - 7/13/2
CMD: 24
The snow elves press their attack, doing some damage to both the caravan guards and the red dragonflight. Two of the elves take advantage of your group's appearance to jump into the back of the rearmost wagon. You hear them digging ferociously around inside. The mercenarie nearest them alike react with irritated curses of disgust.
"Well, perhaps somebody could tell me who this mysterious client is?" Kelne asked irritably, "Because frankly, I can think of a few names the elves would be prefectly justified in not trying to negotiate with. Certainly the last person I saw in possession of prison gems like these was just such a person."
"You." He nodded to the nearest elf, "Who captured your friend and why?" He'd avoided asking a leading question which might tempt her to name Ormir, though of course she might have overheard him talking about him earlier.
He would have much preferred to sort this out through discussion after the Red Dragonflight were all dead, but clearly that wasn't going to happen, and he was going to have to pick a side.
In the interim at least, there were still Dragonflight troops within arms' length, and Kelne went after the one between him and the elf. He, at least, knew full well who the common enemy were - the people whose armies were marching about attacking cities and working towards the return of an evil god.
"Our client! yells one of the mercenaries back in Kelne's direction, "Is none of your damn business!" This guard and another near him then jump into the back of the wagon after the elves that just entered, and the sounds of fighting can immediately be heard from within.
Two more red dragonflight soldiers fall, but now two of the snow elves are also obviously near death; their delicate frames and nimble moves no match for the sheer brutal power of the experienced mercenaries.
Nasmarra closes the gap between herself and the Red Dragonflight soldier. She reaches out with a more subtle mental persuasion, not tearing roughly into his mind as in her first try. Tired and weakened by his initial resistance to her, he offers only a token fight against the assault. His mental barriers crumble quickly as she sends the tendrils of her will through gaps as large as the creatures pulling the wagons through the snow. She feels her control growing - a subtle control, but control nonetheless. She whispers with her mind, 'I will take care of that. You are needed in the fight. Kill the wagon guards and await your orders.'
"Oh? Well, I'll just assume the client's somebody I disapprove of, shall I?" Kelne snarled back, very angry indeed now, "You pick the wrong client, you live with the consequences. Alright people, we're siding with the elves. If the guards want to surrender, well and good. Otherwise, put them down hard."
He felt the odds of the guards being in Ormir's employ, or that of his surviving underlings, were good. They'd had their chance to give their side of the story, or to put their fight with the elves on hold, but had steadfastly refused to take it. Nor was he inclined to attack with anything less than full, lethal force, given how capable they'd demonstrated themselves to be.
"They're clearly idiots, Kelne. Dangerously so. I don't see that as a reason to slay the lot of them, but, well, time compounds their hostility. Can't exactly sit them down in front of a chalkboard and set them straight, can we?"
He snapped his blade out towards the nearest RD trooper, allowing the arc of his blade to dip low and hook towards the enemy's knee.
And, even though he'd extended himself to his tiptoes, he fell short by an inch. Rather than let this setback alter his mood, he let his blade's momentum carry with him as he crunched his way towards the center of the fray. He was certain the western 'sector' would be secure within moments, with or without his help.
Being around to help casually suggest to the mercenaries that surrender is a good option would be more beneficial.
Astar very nearly loses his grip on his sword, only barely hanging onto the weapon at the last second.
Now that it seemed that most of his companions were on the same page as him as to their relation with the mercenaries, Jorzan decides to strike the first telling blow in this now soon to be 2 on 1 battle.
There was something he had never yet tried before. For some time now, the shadows had been whispering to him, as they sometimes did. Their softly spoken words much less a language than a feeling, giving up their dark knowledge to those who could, or would, listen. For many years now in his dance with the shadows, Jorzan had been able to call them to himself, wrap them around him to hide his presence from the sight of all but the very most penetrating gaze. He had even been able to summon on of the shadows in physical form, evidenced by the dark extension of himself, Zan.
Now they whispered to him to give himself to them 'Surrender to us Jorzan, give yourself to us, and we will take you where you need to go.". And now, in the heat of battle, his steps blogged down by the snow, Jorzan does give himself to them, and something extraordinary happens. Wrapping himself more deeply in the shadows than he ever had before, the Shadowdancer disappears, quite literally this time, for the briefest of moments winking out of existence, gone in the shadows embrace. Yet the shadows remain true to their word, for at virtually the exact same moment, he reappears somewhere else. His gaze upon the two mercenaries in the back of the wagon facing off against the elves, Jorzan materializes out of the shadows, directly behind one of the surprised enemy before him.
Meanwhile Zan, feeling the mental commands of his master, leaves the half-dead Red Dragonflight soldier for the capable dwarf to finish off and glides over to a new enemy, unheeding of the vulnerability to attack this affords the soldier it had been fighting. As it closes the short distance to it's next foe, Zan reaches out a ghostly hand, driving it into the mercenary before it, literally leeching out the man's life force and mobility.
Zan touch attack:
Dexterity Damage:
Dot
Dit
Man I will be glad when Paizo fixes its message boards, meanwhile waiting for red dragon reprisals!
The Red Dragonflight soldiers continue to fight, even now, in the face of terrible odds. The one that took off towards your camp now stops and heads back into the battle, his mind overthrown by Nasmarra. Two of the warriors attempt to slice up Kelne and Hurin, but the northman and the dwarf are too skilled for the less-experienced Iridianese to penetrate their expert defenses or their thick armor.
Hearing Kelne's verbal command to switch targets Hurin wanted nothing more than to charge to the nearest merc and unleash his axe on more worth foes than the pitiful Red Dragon Flight scum that were presenting their feeble offense and horribly misplaced loyalties, but first he had to finish off the warrior in front of him before turning his back.
First attack two-handed power attack axe of thanes
Damage
Second attack two-handed power attack axe of thanes
Damage
"Submit to your dragon god now! Who's next!"
With two mighty blows he dispatches the man and turns to face the wagon where Jorzan has gone to rescue the elves. His dwarven sight penetrating the shroud of darkness a grin spreads across his beard thinking of the disadvantage the two mercs will have. Sir Justal might not be able to exploit it, but Hurin sure would!
Round 3, Initiative 2
HP: 111/111 AC/T/FF: 29/11/28 SAVES: F/R/W - 16/11/12
BUFFS: Bless Weapon (on Hammer), Divine Favor (+3/+3)
STANDARD ACT: Attack on Red Dragonflight soldier at [J,7].
MOVE ACT: Move 10 feet to [K,7]
Breathing heavily as he forced his way through the deep snow, Sir Justahl focused his stress and worry on the unfortunate enemy soldier in front of him. Even the possiblity that Nouhves might be imprisoned on one of the wagons produced a chaotic surge of both hope and fear, he didn't know what to do with it all.
Warhammer Power attack 1: Hit! for crush damage.
... Crit confirm? Confirmed! for an extra crush damage.
Shattered, the soldier falls into the red stained snow.
A little surprised at the soldier falling at a single blow, Sir Justahl hesitates a moment before turning towards the nearest enemy group and surging forward again to [K,7].
END OF ROUND 3
BEGINNING OF ROUND 4
Red Dragonflight Arctic Specialists:
AC: 20/12/18 HP: 40
Saves: F/R/W - 6/8/3
CMD: 22
Mercenaries (Caravan Guards)
AC: 26/14/23 HP: 110
Saves: F/R/W - 10/13/5
CMD: 30
Snow Elves (Arctic Rangers)
AC: 22/16/16 HP: 60
Saves: F/R/W - 7/13/2
CMD: 24
The Snow Elves, sensing a major shift in momentum, mop up a couple more of the doomed red dragonflight warriors and break off combat with the caravan guards wherever possible, and start running towards the last covered wagon, where combat is going on. They seem very intent on taking it, to the extent even of utilizing desperate and unwise tactics.
Kelne had planned to finish off his target, but instead wound up fencing briefly with the man, his blade turned away from any flesh.
The mercenaries continue on their path; hacking away at red dragonflight soldiers and snow elves alike. The one on the north side of the battle, being attacked by Zan, gives a surprised oath and drops his big greatsword. "A shadow!" he exclaims "I've got just the thing for you, you skulking scum." He pulls off one of his many other weapons, a short sword decorated with arcane characters of necromancy inscribed on the blade, and swings at Jorzan's shadowy companion, landing a hit and surprising the creature by tearing away a portion of its essence as if it were material.
Meanwhile, in the wagon, the two mercenaries slash and hack at the elves, who are holding their own but clearly outmatched. No one sees Jorzan standing behind the mercenaries.
The ghostly figure above the fray hovers briefly, watching the mind-addled puppet run back away from Gray and Cassandra into the battle. She sails back towards the fighting at a brisk pace, surveying what she sees. The nearest of the Red Dragonflight's soldiers is fighting hard against one of the elves, while another fights a guard a few feet away. She reaches out into his mind, probing it and finding him to be extremely focused on killing his enemy. She pulls the magic away before she wastes it beseiging his mental defenses, knowing that she can return to him later at a moment of graeter distraction, and seeps into the mind of the one fighting the mercenary. Quickly, she strips away his defenses and makes the one fighting Kelne his greatest enemy. His mind, at least for a moment, wants nothing more than to thrust his blade into his ally and friend.
Using Lunge
Now this mercenary was thinking, displaying preparation skills, advanced tool use, and reasoning under duress. Certainly a grade higher than your typical sword-stooge. It'd be a pity to kill him, especially if simple-minded greed was their sin. It was clear what had to be done. Astar spent a moment's thought making it clearer.
The first step was integrating what Astar had just seen about the mercenary, and extrapolating the likely response. It was clear that the mercenary would be aware of Astar trying to make an attack, and for a split second Astar's mind considered the recursive loop of the mutual awareness. Though skilled in his own way, it seemed unlikely that a frontal attack would be successful-- indeed, Astar could imagine several possible maneuvers and counter-maneuvers playing out that would end badly. What's more, the magical sword's capabilities were not wholly transparent to him, at least not yet. Unknown variables were dangerous.
With this all accounted for, his mind circled inwards towards the desired outcome. The second step was merely to move in the ways required, to put his feet where they needed to be for the correct amount of foundation, to move in with the blade with the correct feints, the correct amount of torque, the correct angles.
A few simple steps, a quick lunge, a flick of the twist and a forceful backswipe of his scimitar was all it took to topple his worthy foe. To do so with the smallest amount of fuss, with a few simple fluid movements, is what made this otherwise brutal act of yanking someone's knee out from under them almost artistic.
Compared to his last few attempts, Astar was quite content. He'd chalk this up to needing to warm up, literally. He'd also assert, if asked, that foregoing an implementation of Endure Elements had provided, in this case, some minor insight into the dynamics of a person's reaction speeds given such and such levels of cold.
"I believe we're just about finished up here."
"Arrrgh!" roars the Shadowdancer in pain as he feels a sensation he'd only felt something similar to once before, when his living shadow first manifested itself. This was different though, this was a tearing away, but it was also pain. Through their link, he knew that Zan had somehow been hurt. He didn't know exactly how, because Zan wasn't saying, and didn't seem to care, but Jorzan could tell that the shadow had been injured in someway.
Reacting in anger and no little fear for something he could feel but did not fully understand, the furious rogue jabs both of his poisoned blades into the enemy before him, cursing "Damn you! I'll see you all in Hell!"
Attack Keen Blade:
Attack Keen Blade:
Attack Acid Blade:
Attack Acid Blade:
Confirm Crit Acid Blade:
Poisoned Blade Damage+Sneak:
Acid Blade Damage+Sneak:
Total= 44 Dam.
Merc's 1st save vs poison DC14:
Merc's 2nd save vs poison DC14:
Two of the Shadow Rogue's strikes are turned aside by the excellent armor of his foe, but two of them get through. The special dual poisoned blade slips through, unloading its potent double payload, while his acidic blade slides in and burns flesh. Although he grunts in pain as the poison courses through his veins, Jorzan's foe is a hardy one, and his body easily fights off the poison's bite. Seeking to confound his enemies even more, after his strikes, Jorzan wraps the shadows around himself and, seeming to disappear in the darkness in the back of the wagon, slides 5' to the side.
FRS: Attack
5' step: Move to [R,7]
Free: Hide in Shadows
Meanwhile Zan, implacable as always, has no discernable reaction to being struck and damaged and simply continues it's energy draining attacks. However, being woven from the soul of a Shadowdancer, Zan is perhaps a bit more canny than the average shade and so, after it's attack, sinks straight into the ground below it.
Zan touch attack:
Dex Damage:
Total Dex Damage: -5
SA: Attack
MA (or 5' step?): Sink into ground
The red dragonflight soldier whose mind Nasmarra has overthrown glides away from his current opponent, who gives a baffled look. "...buh?" He looks even more confused as that same red dragonflight troop slashes his own fellow soldier twice, brutally, the second cut sending the surprised man to the ground in red-stained snow, unconscious and dying at Kelne's feet.
Another one then steps out of Jorzan's darkness right behind Kelne and delivers one wicked cut to the northman's unprotected left flank before he's able to spin and address the matter, handily deflecting a second attack with his shield.
Round 4, Initiative 2
HP: 111/111 AC/T/FF: 29/11/28 SAVES: F/R/W - 16/11/12
BUFFS: Bless Weapon (on Hammer), Divine Favor (+3/+3)
DOUBLEMOVE ACT: Move 20 feet to [O,9]
Breathing heavily as he forced his way through the deep snow, Sir Justahl plows his way towards the Red Dragonflight soldier that just hit Kelne.
Hurin charges across the blood strewn and steaming snow to the merc tripped and floundering in the snow by the shadow which looked disturbingly like the beardling at times. Hurin brings the axe down on the man with a mighty two-handed blow that would have shorn through his armor reguardless of if he was on his feet or not.
"I am guessing your employer didn't disclose to you the full nature of the cargo or the job. I respect your wish to keep your word, but if it was given because of false representation there is no dishonor in surrender. Yield now or die!, Stand up and die as well,I'll be waitin just a few seconds for your answer."
END OF ROUND 4
BEGINNING OF ROUND 5
Initiative Order:
Snow Elves - 21
Kelne - 19
Mercenaries - 18
Nasmarra - 17
Astar - 16
Jorzan - 11
Red Dragonflight - 10
Hurin - 5
Justahl - 2
Red Dragonflight Arctic Specialists:
AC: 20/12/18 HP: 40
Saves: F/R/W - 6/8/3
CMD: 22
Mercenaries (Caravan Guards)
AC: 26/14/23 HP: 110
Saves: F/R/W - 10/13/5
CMD: 30
Snow Elves (Arctic Rangers)
AC: 22/16/16 HP: 60
Saves: F/R/W - 7/13/2
CMD: 24
The snow elves continue to press the advantage. They do not speak and they move with silent, eerie grace around the battlefield, still converging on that final covered wagon. One jumps into the back, landing right next to Jorzan. The mercenary spins and sees her and assumes she is the one who just slashed him, since he can't see Jorzan. "So you're the poisoning b$*@# that stabbed me, eh? Prepare to die, knife-ears." he growls. Another elf attempts to jump in, but bumps into Jorzan and falls onto his back out in the snow, looking with confusion at the shadowy entrance, uncertain as to what stopped his entry.
Well, that had been a pleasant surprise. Of course, it was unlikely in the extreme that the Dragonflight trooper had aided him voluntarily, but Kelne tossed him a salute anyway, figuring it couldn't hurt, before whirling on his latest assailant, intent on taking a few chunks out of him.
damage
"Should have stayed down."
The mercenary by Zan and Hurin watches as the shadow sinks into the ground. One of his fellows who is nearby waves him off and makes some hand signal that none of you understand. The prone merc then takes advantage of incorporeal creatures' inability to strike when embedded in physical objects, and stands. He weathers Hurin's mighty swing and takes a couple steps back while his fellow moves in and stands just out of Hurin's reach, near the covered wagon. The wounded warrior yells at his dwarven assailant. "Cocky little loudmouth! You're a big talker from inside that magical darkness you're skulking around in, short-stuff. Why don't you come out and fight like a real warrior? Or are dwarves as chicken-s#*+ as we've heard?" The two both sneer into the dim light of Jorzan's shadows that partially conceal Hurin.
Inside the wagon, Jorzan -- momentarily distracted by the snow elf that crashed into him -- hears a gasp of shocked pain behind him and turns just in time to watch in helpless horror as one of the snow elves is impaled brutally on a mercenaries blade and breathes her last. The other one suffers another grievous wound and clearly does not have much fight left in him.
Outside, the mercenary near Kelne laughs as the northman suffers and extraordinary run of bad luck; first the tip of his sword catches on something hidden under the snow, and then while trying to free it he mis-steps and keels right over into the drifts, disarmed and prone before the red dragonflight soldier in front of him. The merc easily dispatches the one red dragonflight warrior whose mind was overthrown by Nasmarra, and points his giant blade at the now-prone Kelne. "Now I come for you, Forgelander."
"Before it was just polite and business, now you've made it F~+#inG PERSONAL LONGSHANKS! I'll put you and your tiny human sized dick out of your misery you son of a motherless goat!"
Whispers invade the mind of the mercenary closest to Kelne. No longer does he intend to come for the Forgelander. The whispers call him to protect his wounded and dead allies, for these attackers are too strong. He is the only hope for survival for his friend, and it will be through treating the greivous injuries rather than by killing his enemy. Above the melee, Nasmarra hovers. She watches like a puppetmaster, keeping her allies safe by tearing through the mental defenses of their foes. It is easier for her to nudge them, making it seem reasonable, than to outright destroy their wills.
Rising up from the ground, the implacable Zan once again reaches out to lay its paralyzing touch on the doughty fighter. This time however, after its attack the shadow rises up into the air, out of the warrior's reach.
Zan touch attack:
Dex Damage:
Total Dex Damage: -9
SA: Attack
MA: Rise 15' feet up
Jorzan has his own enemy to deal with, especially now that the skilled fighter has dispatched his other foe and can concentrate on him. However the canny rogue is never without options. Striking from the shadows the shadowdancer thrusts both his blades into his target.
Attack Keen Blade vs AC23:
Attack Acid Blade vs AC23:
Keen blade damage:
Only one of his blades finds his opponents flesh though the one that does sinks in nice and deep. Using his opponent's surprise and pain, along with his own surpassing agility, Jorzan slips past his enemy, leaving space for the Elf who had bounced off of him to enter and flank their mutual foe.
Acrobatics to move through threatened square DC30:
SA: TWF Attack
MA: Acrobatics move to [T,7]
Using Lunge, Prescience
Well, Kelne's predicament required immediate attention. Bolstered by the fact that he wasn't the only one having atrocious 'luck', Astar found it trivial to approach the Dragonflight trooper and pop the weapon out of his hand.
"There you go. You can't just stab an unarmed opponent, silly. At least not without my say-so."
"Dammit!" the arctic specialist Astar just disarmed curses at the scholar as he wings his weapon off into the snow. With Astar in lunging range and Justahl behind him, the red dragonflight soldier slides diagonally away, drawing his secondary weapon -- a simple short sword -- as he does so, and driving it down into Kelne's prone form.
Across the battlefield, his final two companions fight valiantly on.
Round 5, Initiative 2
HP: 111/111 AC/T/FF: 29/11/28 SAVES: F/R/W - 16/11/12
BUFFS: Bless Weapon (on Hammer), Divine Favor (+3/+3)
MOVE ACT: Move 5 feet to [P,10]
STANDARD ACT: Power attack red dragonflight member at [Q,10].
Just about to strike, Sir Justahl swears under his breath at being forced to plow even further through the deep snow towards the Red Dragonflight soldier that just hit Kelne.
Sir Justahl slams the hammer into the soldiers midsection, dealing crush damage.
IF they're chaotic, he takes another damage.
A quartet of covered wagons is making its laborious way through the snow, each wagon mounted on large skis and being towed by a gorgon-like construct of some sort.
Hurin Round 5 Initiative 5
HP: 128/128, CMD 27*, CMB 14*, (*+1 when armed with an axe)
AC: two handed/shielded 26/29, Touch 14/14
Hurin is a barbarian and his flat footed AC is same as standard AC.
Saves: F/R/W - 14/6/6
Hardy +2 Gain a racial bonus to saves vs Poison, Spells and Spell-Like effects.
Buffs: None known
Swift:
Sensing that the two Mercs are definitely up to something and probably something not in his best interest Hurin decides it is time to close ranks and buckle down.
Hurin quickly stows the Axe of Thanes and snatches his own battle axe from his belt. Using all his strength with both of his arms he hurls it at the northernmost merc the bearded axe makes one full rotation before embedding itself into the unfortunate man
+16 base but -3 for power attack
"How do you like them apples long shanks?! If you want me you'll have to come in here to get me, but like a badger in his hole, I'll bite!"
Hurin snatches the Axe of Thanes back into his hand, drops his shouldered shield into place as he takes a 5 foot step back and prepares to meet his foes in the shadows if they dare come for him.
Astar represses the urge to squint in sympathetic pain as the paladin's hammer performs its duty. Though it was a rather hefty impact, Astar couldn't feel truly sorry for the man for one simple reason:
"I told you not to stab him."
END OF ROUND 5
BEGINNING OF ROUND 6
Initiative Order:
Snow Elves - 21
Kelne - 19
Mercenaries - 18
Nasmarra - 17
Astar - 16
Jorzan - 11
Red Dragonflight - 10
Hurin - 5
Justahl - 2
Red Dragonflight Arctic Specialists:
AC: 20/12/18 HP: 40
Saves: F/R/W - 6/8/3
CMD: 22
Mercenaries (Caravan Guards)
AC: 26/14/23 HP: 110
Saves: F/R/W - 10/13/5
CMD: 30
Snow Elves (Arctic Rangers)
AC: 22/16/16 HP: 60
Saves: F/R/W - 7/13/2
CMD: 24
And, just like that, the scales tip.
Corpses litter the battlefield, the pure white snow stained crimson and pink with the blood of the combatants. In a matter of seconds, the Snow Elves -- with your able assistance -- have gained a clear upper hand.
In the wagon, Jorzan's cunning and quickness allow two of the elves to kill one of the mercenaries and further wound the other. Hurin's mighty axeblow allows another elf to sneak out from cover and slam an arrow through a second mercenary's heart, dropping him dead to the ground. Two of the last three Red Dragonflight soldiers are felled by elven arrows as the sleeping one is killed by coup de grace, leaving only the one facing off with Kelne and Justahl still drawing breath. The remaining elves take the opportunity to hurriedly drink healing potions and restore some of their vitality. They wince as wounds close, frozen flesh knitting shut in the arctic air is no treat.
Sensing victory is near, they press forward.
Kelne rose up from the ground, pulling his other sword as he came, with retribution on his mind. That retribution was swift in coming, his sword driving clean through the trooper's chest.
"Right," he said, wrenching the blade free and letting the body fall, "That's them dealt with. I for one am prepared to accept surrenders."