Betony readies lance and shield. She leans over Thistledown's neck and whispers "Don't worry boy, will get that much out of your fur tonight after we kill us some bandits.
"Anything they want to avoid, so do I."She then nods that she is ready to proceed into the Keep
Skane grimly smiles and moves toward the Keep as quietly as a large, heavily armoured Northman can;
:
Hack growls at Krill when he butts in.
Perception:
Survival:
He hefts his Greataxe, nods and moves forward with Skane.
The group gathers itself together and approaches the littered steps towards the main keep door. The still of the keep is disturbed by heavy footsteps, kicked debris of the approaching warriors. Stone skitters across the flagstones of the main door and strikes the door, a single knock announcing your arrival.
Hack and Siral pauses at the door awhile before pushing it open, confident nothing was amiss. The great doors swing lazily open, letting out a long creaking sigh.
Rats scurry towards cover, and within, what was once a great audience chamber is now in decay. Banners and tapestries adorn the walls. Whatever valuables have thoroughly ransacked. Cobwebs hang from the ceilings and leaves with dirt litter the floor. Rubble and partial beams poke through the ceilings, indicating the total collapse of the upper floors.
Standing at the South point of a diamond shaped hall, a door is seen at the the North, closed. Two corridors lead to the East and West with a blocked upwards stairwell at the East corridor. The hall measures 50x50ft.
Wesh looks around and says "careful there might be big spiders here."
Hack turns to the newcomer...
What is the deal halfman? You said this was their lair. Doesn't look like much to me. Step up here and lead the way to the flame-haired one. Now!
Intimidate:
Wesh wonders if this is a trap and they have been betrayed and tries to think if this makes any sense given the evidence.
Skane stands firm at the point of the group, shield raised should an ambush or trap be sprung. In thick accented Common-tongue the Northman voices wisdom to their halfling guide;
"Best do as he bids half-a-man... We Northerners are not known by our patience, nor our mercy..."
Krill gives a look of bewilderment on the accusations leveled at him.
What? I don't know the place like the way I want to. I said I know where his hideout is, not that I've actually been exploring in it though.
Krill shuffles to the front of the group, acting as point.
Not that I prefer to act as point, but with the din you're making, it's like walking around with percussion in tow. I'd like everyone to keep ears clean and eyes peeled, there's never enough of those.
His eyes darting forward and sideways, he shoots back.
Where to? Door ahead or the corridors right and left of us?
Door ahaead, half-a-man.
Wesh says "Yes door ahead."
Skane moves up to shadow Krill, his beaten shield providing the halfling with cover;
With a grim smile the Northman looks down at the rogue;
"Well litten friend... Shall you check the locks or shall I go first..."
The halfling looks at the Northern fighter with a worried look.
Better I check the doors first. Unless you'd want to go ahead and knock?
The soft steps of the barefoot halfling is as silent as a cat as he scuttles towards the door. He gives it a practiced look before nodding to Skane with a gesture indicating it;s safe.
Hack follows Countless to the door, hefting his Greataxe, prepared to enter.
Bearing his shield before him, Skane brandishes his axe and moves forward with a nod to Krill;
"Kommen Hack... Let us whet our axes..."
:
The Brambleknight pads forward, lance pointed at he door and shield ready. Betony leans over Thistledown's neck and whispers in his ear, Speak with Animals "Smell any of them bandits, Thist?"
Wesh also looks for bandits ahead.
Hack, tired of waiting around, kicks in the door.
Perception:
As Krill is shoved aside, Hack powers through the door, his heavy boot flinging the door open, revealing at first glance an overturned table and then, some skulking human heads peering from the lip. A shout and yells from within announced a good number of people within, at least a half-dozen by Betony's estimated count.
Cowered behind a barrel and table, the steel heads of quarrels pointing at the doors twitch with eagerness.
Initiative:
"RrrBarkRrrRrr....I mean, these are the bandits all right."
Eager for the head of Blod-hair Skane tenses for battle;
:
As the door swings open, time seems to be moving more slowly as the bandits within jolt with mild shock before beginning to squeeze the triggers on the trained heavy crossbows. Only Krill and Betony seems to react faster.
As the door opens, Thistledown surges without any encouragement from Bettony...he has their scent. Betony catches her balance as he weaves through her friends and lowers Nettle as they burst into the room.
The door opens and the bounding form of wolf and rider dart in as the rider bears her lance at the bandit cowering behind the barrel. Her poke aims true as she punctures him as he squeals in pain. Thistledown sniffs the air in protest as he notices the rest of the band lying in wait.
Krill shuffles to the side, before he pulls out a flask and draining its contents. No apparent effect is noticeable at first, only a faint shimmering surrounds the halfling.
I would take all measures to survive, once you've kicked the hornet's nest!
Krill shrieks, glaring at Hack.
The sharp sounds of crossbows discharging slaps the air within the room as quarrels fly towards the intruders. Betony takes note of the aiming bandits to give him a good opportunistic poke, before bolts slam into her and Thistledown howls as another comes close.
A couple of bolts sail towards the doorway at the barging barbarian. Despite partially hidden by the door frame,Hack finds one stinging him deeply into his shoulder.
The leader waits. deliberately delaying.
A low rumble in Skald issues from Skane's lips as he rushes in after Betony, finishing his ode with a hefty swing at the nearest bandit, the axeblade biting lustily into the ribs with a splatter of blood.
deyja skepna, deyja frændr,
Við sjálfir deyja einnig.
ÉG vita einn hlutur þessi er ódauðlegur:
Heiður af orrusta dauður!
Betony stabs at the same Bandit as it shoots at her, but to little effect.
Wesh will cast bless and move to J17.
A loud battle-cry challenges Skane as the presumed leader shoves his way to engage Skane. His bald shiny head grows steadily scarlet as a rage takes over him. With a smarmy arm he clutches Skane tight, holding the Northerner in a grip.
"Come on Skane, You can shake 'im."
Betony tries again to put down one of the Crossbowman.
Thisltledown meanwhile crouches toward the man wrestling Skane and tries to bite him.
Betony skewers her target, riddling him with a second hole that leaves him slumped , resting critically against the wall.
Slipping closer to Skane, Thistledown's jaws gnashes at the bald leader, savagely wounding him in the shin. He winces in pain but still maintains his hold over Skane.
Krill skips in the room, standing adjacent to Betony before he fires off an arrow at the fellow halfling lurking in the corner. The arrow however nips him with a minor wound on the left upper arm.
Siral utters words of encouragement in Shoanti, calling for luck and fortune in battle.
Betony finds herself surrounded as the bandits close rank, dropping their crossbows before attacking two-handed with their longswords. However the blows glance off her armor or misses as she maneuvers atop Thistledown.
The bandit halfling discards his crossbow and pulls out a shortsword, positioning himself to flank Krill before lunges a jab. But the point glances off with a 'clang' as it strikes an invisible wall of force.
The bald bandit leader attempts to secure Skane down, and Skane is helpless as the burly leader pins him down.
Skane watches as the leader's minions reposition and swings, throwing their weight behind the blow. Skane's armor holds out as the blows rebound off with a metallic sound.
Hack screams in rage and charges the leader pinning down Skane as he moves next to him.
ATT:
Fortune ATT:
DAM:
Wesh moves towards the badit that attacked krill and then will swing at taht one with his moringstar.
Too close for the lance, Betony drops it in favor of Razor-Leaf (vs Brigand 1).
Thistledown adds to this attack
With a roar of frustration Skane attempts to break free;
:
Hack steps in the room with fury, swinging his greataxe at the closest enemy within reach. The blow cuts deep, sending a spray of crimson across the room. Heavily wounded, the bandits sways as he keeps standing.
Skane struggles against the leader's vice grip, but the hug grows even tighter.
Wesh squeezes past Hack, before swinging his trusty spiked morningstar at the petite halfling, who sneers as he dodges it with little effort.
16 Siral
12 Betony
12 Krill
10 Human Bandits
09 Bandit Leader
07 Hack
06 Skane
06 Wesh
Siral takes a short step, cackling as if encouraging Hack before he draws a symbol of ill fortune, pointing at the leader.
Being in the thick of the action, Betony whips out her small sized Razorleaf, before swinging it, the blow taking a bite of her target's abdomen. Clutching his gaping torso, the man coughs blood as he struggles to remain standing.
Krill steps back away from the fray, before he draws and looses off an arrow at one of the bandits surrounding Betony. He gives a loud hiss as the arrow tumbles out from his bow before it skitters along the floor.
Bandit 1 takes a step back, cautiously holding his guts in.
Bandit 3 and 6 continue to focus attacks on conveniently held Skane. Though the one closest to Hack over exerts himself and crumples to the floor. Skane weathers the beatdown without injury, his armor dissipating the blows.
Bandit 4 and 5 swing swords at the gnome, wielding longswords two-handedly. The swings each were far from the mark.
The bandit halfling shoes himself closer to the pinned Skane, looking for a chink in the armor. He finds it and worms his shortsword into the cavity within.
Skane feels the vice he's in tighten as the leader deals him an underhanded punch.
Cursing as he struggles against the lethal entrapment, Skane summons his Northern grit and once again tries to break free;
"Craven dogs! This son of the Nord shall drink from your skulls!"
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