Luthael unleashes the wrath of Khors upon the three standing on the porch of the shack. But they are ready for the assault, each leaping away just as the *Whoosh!* of the fireball sends flame and heat exploding across the dry timbers, leaves, and shingles of the shack.
Moments later Ingryd and Aterro come diving in from above. The warcleric conjures his familiar hammer of Thor and sends it spinning toward the cane wielding bandit. But the unusual angle of attacking from above, throws Aterro's aim off and the spirit hammer sails past its target upon its initial pass.
Luthael reaches the edge of the hedge just past the totem and spots a pair of pathways branching off to the east and west. Neither seem to lead directly to the shack.
After gifting his companions with the arcane powers of flight, Gunnar retreats behind the cloud mass still emanating from the totem nearest his position.
Meanwhile, on the otherside of the shack and circle, Scramsax plants one of the beans from the little pouch found at Radovan's. Moments after covering the little legume with soil, a small mound of dirt begins to rise like bread dough in a warm oven. A little trail of steam rises from the center of the mound smelling of dark sugar, lemon, and raspberries.
Having managed the initial storm, two of the three large bandits turn their initial attention to the descending Aterro and Ingryd. Smoke from Luthael's strike lingers all about their bodies as they watch the two heroes descend with beady, gloom shrouded eyes. Their weapons stand ready for either of the two to come within striking distance.
The third man speaks some archaic command word and the wand spews forth a great glob of semi transparent greenish goo. The cloud of ectoplasm streaks up into the sky toward Ingryd.
Boyo 1: 110/125
Boyo 2: 110/125
Boyo 3: 110/125
With the totems foiling any advantage a flank manuever might have provided, Scram (from his perch in the oak tree) let loose a psionic blast drilling into the mind of Mr. Metal Cane...
...before hopping to another nearby tree via a thick branch, keeping his position obscured.
edit:
Ingryd feels a stab in her mind and Roars in pain! As she does she Rages and descends enough to swing at the Cane welder moving into position.
Ingryd takes two mighty swings with her Maul.
[
When she raged Bees appeared and swarmed the cane Bandit with get gusto as Ingryd growled and gnashed near the cane man.
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Aterro contemplated the situation. So long as he was here, hovering above the battle, he could be more mobile, holding himself in reserve in case the enemy pulled some trick. As things were, the three foemen were now forced to engage the howling, raging bearbearian, a prospect even he himself would not relish. So too, while here, he could freely pepper the enemy with spells while also staying free to support Ingryd, should her strength flag.
In all, he relished the feeling of being able to harm the enemy while still being outside their reach, like a poison-spitting spider on a wall, or an undead-summoning witch in the water, he thought, apropos of nothing.
In all, he decided to see how things reacted, not seeing a need to rush in.
So he just tried to set the enemy caster on fire.
And there was still the hammer.
Drawing closer to the fracas, Gunnar peers around the edge of the poison cloud, careful to not touch it. Getting a line of sight to one of the foes, he calls down the Curse of The Frost Giants on it, seeking to freeze bone and marrow…
and disadvantage on next attack.
Scrams PsiScrambler 3300X drives itself into the mental fortress that is the cane wielding foe. For several heartbeats the big man's eyes glaze over as mental shrapnel go pillaging across his psyche. Eventually the attack wears itself out, but not before leaving the man breathless and searching for the source of such an unusual form of assault. Unable to spot the lurking halfling, he chooses instead to attempt to avoid the rapidly growing mass of Ingyrd as the bearfolk descends from the sky like an avenging ursine angel.
Synapses still arcing from the psychic attack, the caster is slow to react. Ingryd's maul connects with a resounding crunch that knocks the man back several steps and clearly musses his already mussed cloak and tunic. Stepping in to follow up the blow, Ingyrd brings the maul crashing down again only to have it crash against a gloomy black arcane shield. The hammer blow deflects away harmlessly.
Thor's luck comes up snake eyes as the foe manages to step away from Aterro's flame attack and for a second time avoids the chasing spirit hammer.
Gunnar lingers just behind the poison cloud until finally the big, red capped warrior steps into sight after making his way through the hedge maze. A ray of frost leaps from the wizards fingers and crashes into the big bandit's chest. Ice coats the clasp of his cloak and upper left shoulder. But bandit merely shrugs, brushes off the chilly magic and hurries forward with a leering grin as he raises his big sword and charges.
Redcap 1: 185/200
Redcap 2: 185/200
Blackcap: 102/150
Luthael moves into the hedge enough for line of sight to the casting brother. With two quick prayers to Khors, he launches a holy lance and holy fire on to the Blackcap.
With his attention focused on Ingryd and Aterro, the cane wielding foe forgets about Luthael. This gives the cleric of Khors a perfect opening which he uses to full advantage. Summoning a holy lance he sends the bright weapon firing in toward the fat man as if it were launched from a ballista. The holy projectile slams pierces fat and muscle. He staggers backward into a rotted section of the porch. The ectoplasmic cloud hovering in the sky winks out of existence as boards splinter and the porch collapses under the out of control weight of the man. This sends him crashing down to the ground where Luthael adds insult to injury by striking him with a blast of holy fire.
Having spotted Gunnar, the redcapped bandit steps forward and...disappears. A moment later he reappears only feet away from the dwarf in a puff of mist and foul smelling fumes. With a menacing grin the man swings his sword and it crashes into Gunnar with bone rattling, armor shearing force.
The bullying bandit picks up a nearby rock. The solid looking stone is about the size of a man's head but the bandit seems to have little difficulty cocking back his arm and sending the stone zipping with deadly speed toward the hovering Aterro. Fortunately, the warcleric is easily able to spot the oncoming stone and flies up and out of the way of the projectile which eventually falls back to earth crashing somewhere in the trees north of the cabin.
Using the cane as a lever, the rotund mass of the third bandit pulls itself out of the wreckage of the porch. Beady eyes scowl back and forth between Luthael and Ingryd. Eventually they land upon Ingryd and keep their focus on the roaring bearkin. It brings the tip of the cane up and once again utters some kind of odd word. Three rays of pale green fire erupt from the cane. The fiery lances streak straight for the bearkin. Two hit Ingyrd square in the chest while the third one misses as the bearkin spins away.
Redcap 1: 185/200
Redcap 2: 185/200
Blackcap: 84/150
Luthael moves into the hedge enough to maintain line of sight to the Blackcap. He repeats the two quick prayers to Khors, launching another holy lance and holy fire on to the Blackcap.
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Aterro passively watches the man throw a rock in to the air, where it comes down, he cares not a diseased goat turd about.
"Hrmmm. Very good. Very well played," he says at the man, deadpan. "That is the right strategy in this case. Throwing a random stone at a flying armored saint is certainly better than attacking with your chosen weapon upon the attacker that is kicking your spell-caster's behind.
Truly your tactics are mind-boggling.
I, on the other hand, being merely a WarCleric and having studied conflict and confrontation from some of the great masters of our age, do not have your sublime grasp of warfare.
I am shackled by merely being able to undo almost all the effect of your spellcaster's second circle spell with a first circle spell of my own," he says flatly, pointing at the raging bearbearian and exchanging a puff of warm healing energy.
"And then also set him on fire. It doesn't have quite the panache of tossing a very small rock into the uncaring air for absolutely no gain or glory, but then we must needs work with the tools Thor gives us."
*fzzzz* the buzzing energy blade again cut through the leaves towards the Blackcap, and for a split second the cellular biology of the oak transcended its verdant destiny and felt a burst of humanoid emotions. It was third grade in school, and the oak was wearing sweatpants...that feeling of getting pantsed.
An unempathetic Scram nimbly jumped to another branch, keeping his location hard to pin down...
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Ingyrd growls as the spectral bees swarm about the Black Cap. She takes the blow and then begins to swing widely.
Holding his ground, Gunnar barely manages to conjure a shield in time to try and deflect the suddenly close red capped bandit. Seeing that his foe wears no metal armor, the Dwarven mage decides to try another frigid blast instead of his Blessed Hammer, hoping to foul the foe’s next attack.
Curse of the Frost Giants (Frostbite) DC 15 Constitution save or take cold damage and have disadvantage on next attack.
As Scram's every synapse exploded in concert to launch the deadly projectiles, his subconscious guarded itself and more deeply returned to Dawnflower's wasteland...where exploration of the lost fortress of Meadowcourt could commence...
He found himself back in the desolate wasteland of Dawnflower...or some reflection, recreation, some annex of it.
The Scouting Suit was another wise purchase from Uncle Albert's Teradyne think tank, with a water carrying capacity of 7.5 liters in cleverly distributed pouches running along his femur, clavicle, and spine. The narrow tubular intestines of the highplains mutant coyote delivered moisture through a network of capillaries braching towards his nostrils and the corner of his eyes. Meanwhile, the woven wing flaps of the lunar moth bats was a comfortable, springy material ideal for long rides such as this.
Kimmy, the strange chimera of mule+dolphin*feathered griffon^2 was cool to the touch, Scram's little hand gripping the hairy dorsal fin as they glided upwards from the heat below. *Ek! EEEPititaeekggrp!!* it chippered in the aquatic tongue of the Cetacea.
"I see it too, girl..." they had crested the highest dune, more a mountain of compact purple sediment stubbornly baked crisp, and beyond the sea of sands yet endured in its battle against the wind. But a silver spire glinted in the light, hovering far above...or perhaps it was a mirage, and instead penetrated deep into the cold earth below. "...the lost fortress of Meadowcourt."
He wasn't searching for the god-like creature, or the spider minions protecting its incursion into this space. He had long ago shelved an unfinished business plan (really more of a hostile takeover) of Teradyne systems and their astronomical profits. Instead, he sought the Dawnflower's greatest treasure...hidden miles away. The thief's mark was always more spectacular to imagine than to hold...and his blood was replaced with something more alive.
After dismounting and fitting the meal bag full of hay and kipper snacks over Kimmy's snout, the halfling's eyes narrowed warily at the one obvious entrance. It was too easy, he thought. Luckily the Scouting Suit was equipped with a mechanical wizard's eye, a flying device that could feed back visual and auditory information. He held the little rhombohedron contraption in his hand a moment admiring the Teredyne craftsmanship before tossing it like a throwing star into the gap...and with a puff of air it continued via its own propulsion.
Scram enjoyed some recycled water through his nostrils as the visual feed flickered to life on his suit's wrist display, a small patch of a million tiny multicolored beetle exoskeletons that would twist and rearrange to generate images. A coin sized membrane of eelskin near his ear vibrated an eerie ambiance...then footsteps.
He could perceive a dual-horned elven woman with blue hair take an idle path to a bookshelf before retrieving a slim title and settling into a plushy chair. A second, much more ugly creature with slightly oversized brown eyes, a stubby nose, and a large toothy mouth was writing a long legal document furiously with a giant feather. Something that resembled a frog also sat on a nearby table, with 2 blue points of light on its head, bio-luminescent eyes as if stars, looking directly at Scram's not-so-clandestine sensor.
"What is it, Snicker? Pah'draguusthlai's return?" she jested with a loving pat. It took a moment for the familiar to feed her the information telepathically, and she startled suddenly "A visitor. How wonderful. Keep writing, Anymore...it is my duty to formally greet them." she informed the other.
Next, two things happened very close to simultaneously. First, Scram's wrist display showed the woman exploding in a shadowy burst of teleportation magic. Second, a cool elven dagger wiggled a hello on the halfling's adam's apple. "Nice suit. Probably worth...oh I don't know...one small sea chest of gems, eh thief?"
"Z-Zove..." Scram stammered, nimbly avoiding cuts to his neck as he spoke "Hey what are the chances...can we talk?"
She tilted the halfling's gaze to take in the full splendor of the spire reaching higher and higher to a grand Court beyond "It flies like a moon above the swirling darkness..." she recited enigmatically "...will you?" stepping them both closer to the edge, Dawnflower's wasteland far below.
It was then the shadow fey caught a glimpse of the mule/dolphin/griffon thing for the first time and couldn't help but laugh haughtily, bearing her fangs in the starlight "Aha-ha! What master of light and shadow composed this theater?" her voice half-insane, slobbering slightly "Was there no room for lobster?" Kimmy, for her part, was slowly chewing some fish with her donkey teeth and not that interested in Scram's plight.
"Eh..thoughts take form here...or they did in the real Dawnflower..." Scramsax mumbled, his thumb slowly turning over an iron ring on his finger...an iron ring enclasping the sapphire orb. Just a little more...
"So you admit it freely, this is not the true lost fortress of Meadowcourt...ha, another of Usior's tests?" she seemed confused a moment, then resigned. "Yet...still you come to steal a shadow, or what...parse echoes of yourself for secrets and ancient lore?! Prince Valenden rules all, the real and the dream, memories and contingencies, and He does not allow His domain to be plundered without proper writ." slitting his throat instantly.
Luthael's fire and holy lance strike the bandit wizard with the full fury of Khor's. Although he dances away from Aterro's fiery blast, the move put him directly into Ingryd's zone of destruction. The raging bearkin pummels and batters the rotund villain with tooth and claw opening massive wounds upon his arms, chest and leg. Staggering backward the man mutters a few words, slaps a bloody palm against the brooch upon his cloak. Instantly a fae silvery mist surrounds the bandit and he simply disappears leaving the raging bearkin grabbing at air. A heartbeat later the bandit reappears at the open door to the cabin where he stumbles inside and quickly slams the rickety looking thing shut.
The redcap harassing Gunnar has little success breaking through the dwarf's defenses. Yet another massive blow careens off the arcane shield. The bandit's companion sends another rock zipping toward Aterro and this time he anticipates the warcleric's move. The stone slams into Aterro's armor with a loud *CLANG* that leaves a good sized dent and likely what will be a large purple bruise underneath. He then raises his big axe and prepares for the inevitable charge of the bear.
An officious little gnome sits across from the desk from you tapping away on some kind of arcane powered device. Each tap upon a runic labeled square resulting in a companion appearing on a crystal screen glowing with a pale blue light that reflects back toward you from the bespectacled eyes of the gnome.
"Scramsax of the Narg Nasty 6?" The gnome states in the dull, drone that you recognize as being popular among all the mid level bureaucrats in the Ministry of Trade and Finance back in Barsella. Not really waiting for your answer, the gnome continues to tap at the keys until finally he hits a larger button and the machine seems to whir to life until beeping several times and displaying several more runes upon the crystal.
"As the current holders of your debts for use of a variety of dream scale weapons and paraphernalia Uncle Albert's is legally required to inform you that all debts have been sold to a third party buyer. All payment's should heretofore be made to...let me see..." He leans in until his pointed nose practically touches the crystal. A finger taps at a key causing the runes to scroll by faster than you can even remotely follow until...
"Ahhh...here it is. Whimsical Wild Witches of Western Orzu. You and any other members of the Narg Nasty Six will receive dream confirmation of this change within five to ten dreamcycles. In the meantime, it does appear that you may be in arrears on your current payments. I am required to warn you that should this status remain in place, the WWWWO maybe able to institute clause 48.5b.12. You should refer to your original documentation regarding any questions of failure to make payment."
He taps a few more keys and then leans back. "This concludes your legally obligated information session. Happy dreaming and Uncle Albert's thanks you for your business."
"NEXT!" Shouts the gnome and instantly your find yourself falling through the blackness of the void only to land back in your own mind, feet standing upon the limb of a tree with the sounds of steel and magic ringing from where your companions continue to tackle the bandits.
Redcap 1: 185/200
Redcap 2: 185/200
Blackcap: 8/150
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Dale was bright for a chipmunk. His latest invention actually cooked acorns within their hard shells by harnessing solar energy: hardened sap was pressed into a window that let light in but did not let heat out, a small oven. The effect was tremendous for his whole family, by cooking the nuts their nutritive content was increased a remarkable 64%. This meant less time gathering nuts, and more time to focus on the study of mathematics and literature. His firstborn was already accepted into Zobeck University, while the pride of his eye younger daughter was making waves as a traditional ballet dancer.
So it was a tragedy when Scram's boot landed hard on Dale, squashing him into chipmunk paste on the side of the branch. The slippery mammal remains threw the halfling's balance way out of whack, and he plummeted a handful of feet only to get mega-racked on an upstanding branch. By some twist of fate, however, this new vantage lined him up perfectly for an attack on one of the remaining redcaps.
Adjusting his loot sack, Scram abandoned the high ground and took to the safer cover of shrubs and flowers.
Luthael moves into the hedge enough to get line of sight with the Redcap in melee with Attero. He repeats the two quick prayers to Khors, launching the holy lance and holy fire at the Recap.
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"OOOFFFFF--," Aterro grunts as the thrown rock slams into him with the force of a boulder thrown from a siege engine. "Alright, ya got me with that one," he concedes.
Taking a moment to scan the battlefield, he sees the spell-tosser execute a quick retreat. "Oh no," he mumbles, guessing the black-hat's plan to restore himself and perhaps refresh his assault with some kind of store of power.
"We can't have that," he says, using his newly gained powers of flight to dodge and weave into the open porch and SLAM through the recently closed door.
'He probably didn't have time to lock it. Probably,' he thinks moments before impact.
Ingryd moves into the red cap letting Attero finish the smelly magic-user. With the fury of the hive she bridges the gap. A thunderous roar sounds as she swings at the man who dared to end another mothers' family!
With his spell fizzling for the second time against the powerful foe, Gunnar changes tactics. Staying engaged with the redcap but rotating a bit so the nearest still-invisible totem was in a line directly behind the enemy, Gunnar summons one of his most powerful spells, unleashing a torrent of lightning at the foe and the totem behind it!
, DC 15 Dexterity Save for Half
Having sacrificed Dale for a better vantage point, Scram scrambles the mind of the first redcap battling Ingryd near the house. The halfling's psychic blades carve through the enemies thoughts like a hot knife through butter. A horrified Chip drops an arm full of nuts to the ground and he recognizes the shattered bloody smear coating the broad limb of the oak. Gazing upon the broken body in stunned silence, the chipmunk golden eyes gleam in the morning sun as the follow the swiftly moving form of the halfling. Soon enough the golden gleam turns to hate filled crimson as the chipmonk retreats into the nearest bole to contemplate its revenge.
Reeling from the mental blender churning through his mind, the redcap is unable to defend himself from Luthael's lance and fiery strike. Both once again strike the man.
He has little time to contemplate any form of retaliation against halfling or priest. That is because a raging mass of tooth and claw crashes into him. The thickset bandit is initially able to keep his feet, but Ingryd's claw rend flesh, hide, and cloth. Blood sprays in a great fountain as the bearkin opens a major artery at the base of the bandit's neck. A hand reflexively slaps itself against the wound. This in turn leaves the bandit open to Ingryd's riposte. Her open clawed swipe lacerates the bandit's side and upper hip and simply sends him sprawling to the ground where he lands with enough impact to indent the soft soil and rattle the few remaining bits upon the rickety porch.
The other redcap continues to dance with Gunnar's wizardly magics. Forgoing his chilling cold, the dwarf unleashes a powerful blast of lightning. Thunder booms across the clearing as the powerful bolt streaks toward the beefy bandit. Somehow the big man leaps to the side at just the right moment, avoiding much of the blast. The electrical blast travels on to finally slam into one of the totems where it erupts in a conflagration of arcane energy.
An awful high pitched, ear piercing screech erupts from the ghastly totem as the electrical arcs still swirl and curl along the out reaches of the sacrifice. Visible within the eyes of the seared, smoldering corpse is an eldritch glow as the head spins around to face the wizard. The glow intensifies...
...Aterro crashes into the door of the shack.
*FLASH*
The surroundings flicker. The shack is revealed as a large rocky outcrop stretching upward forty feet and covered with grass, moss, and twisting brambles. The door is a thick, iron banded barrier over ten feet tall and the same wide. Aterro's crash nudged the ponderous, heavy door open a few inches, but the having run into something much stronger and harder than anticipated, the warcleric currently lays sprawled upon the nearby ground.
Outside of a small clearing surrounding the cave entrance is a narrow clearing where Ingryd wrestles one of the bandits. The rest of the area between the cave and the totems is filled with a maze of wicked, churning, thorn-riddled vines that are currently busy moving to surround Luthael and direct the priest toward a previously hidden pit just a few feet from where he currently stand. The dark depths of the wide opening can't be seen, but a foul, odious stench pours forth.
The eyes of all of the remaining totems suddenly flash orange twice and then...
*FLASH*
The shack reappears along with the clear meadow and wedge of bramble maze near Luthael.
The redcap engaged with Ingryd staggers to its feet. Eyes wild with pain and fury it scrambles to its feet and brings the big axe around in a great sweeping arc that slams into the raging bearfolk. Armor gives and bones crack axe hits hard. Harder than any human should. The blow rocks the bearkin back on her heels and allows a moment for the bandit to reset himself to continue to fight even as his life blood drips onto the ground.
The second bandit tries once again to find a way through Gunnar's defenses but is unable to do so. The dwarf easily avoids the bandit's ponderous, plodding blow.
Redcap 1: 113/200
Redcap 2: 173/200
Blackcap: 8/150
Luthael blinks and stops moving knowing that he is more endanger than he realized. Thanks Aterro for running into the door.
With another prayer to Khors, he sends another holy lance toward the redcap. After a different short prayer, he launches bolt of holy fire toward the redcap.
Squaring up with the redcap bandit again, Gunnar follows up his lightning blast with a blast of thunder, threatening to shove the bandit back into the greenish cloud surrounding the adjacent totem as well as (hopefully) shattering the totem at the cloud's center!
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Aterro stands up, shaking his head and trying to get his bearings.
"I admit, I did not expect that to happen," he says, taking deep swoops of air and surveying the battlefield.
With the bearbearian murdering one foeman, and the mage and cleric handling the other one, he could see he wasn't needed so badly that he couldn't continue his pursuit.
"Let's try that again," he mumbles, again making to open the door and finish off the spellslinger.
Scram was sure he saw something fishy, but then again he had been up all night and was starting to go cross-eyed.
Ingryd takes the blows and then goes back in using her maul to push this man back to hurt him.
The lance of light clips the redcap on the shoulder but the wound is more a scratch than anything else. And this time the bandit is ready for Luthael's burst of magic. He quickly zigs and then zags at just the right moment to allow the bolt to fly past harmlessly. His dodging efforts are not so useful against the ferocity of Ingryd's assault.
Once again the bearkin pummels the burly foe with her heavy hammer. Although the blows are not quite as savage as the earlier assault they still knock the bandit back at step and force him to reset his feet before attacking.
Gunnar unleashes a thundering wave of magic that washes across and over the big bandit. Like a stone along the seashore the bandit simply lets the thunder roll across his body and then continues to try and find a way past the dwarf's defenses.
Forced to put his full weight into shoving the heavy door open, Aterro grunts and exhales as the mass finally shifts and slowly swings back to reveal a narrow cavern about fifteen feet wide that quickly slopes downward several hundred feet. A few bones and scattered remnants of ale barrels, sausage bits and other trash line the edges of the cavern. A trail of blood leads across the sandy floor and down into the darkness below.
Above the din of combat just outside the open door, Aterro can hear bits and pieces of a conversation.
"Told you....not to...blasted inn." A crusty, older woman's voice. Grating and angry.
"...do now. Which...heal?"
"Bah! Fool. Use...blue. It'll...all you need. Kill..."
Back outside, the big redcaps continue to rally and try to fend off the heroic assault upon their dark compound. With a respite from the psychic headaches, the eyes of the Redcap struggling against Ingryd finally clear and focus for just a moment. The big blade swings around for yet another attempt to hit the bearkin high, but then in a surprising display of strength and skill the blade dives low. It slams into Ingryd's thigh and scores a deep wound along her leg.
The second Redcap feints left, then right attempting to get a better sense of Gunnar's movements and ability to place his arcane shield. Suddenly he lashes forward in a quick attempt to break through the wizard's defense.
Redcap 1: 93/200
Redcap 2: 168/200
Blackcap: 8/150
Gunnar throws us another shield, depleting his magic but barely managing to deflect the heavy blow (ac 24).
After rolling past the bandit, Gunnar's magic slams into the nearest totem and the vile cloud surrounding it. Both shiver and shake like someone suddenly taken with fever. It's basic integrity and concentration broken, the cloud quickly starts to drift apart and away becoming little more than a bad smell upon the breeze.
The totem, devoid of its protective magics, ripples with the thunderous barrage. Brittle bones crack and wild eldritch eyes suddenly burst like grapes squeezed between a giants fingers. Moments later the eldritch light winks out and the entire totem simply bursts apart.
The holy lance of Khors attacks the redcap again.
Luthael remains trapped in the middle of danger. He breathes a new prayer to Khors a explodes a flaming sphere on the redcap.
Scram rubbed his eyes, trying again to see the truth behind the dream...
...finally unravelling the strands of the irrational and exposing the reality within. He glanced back at his beany mini-mound before creeping forward along the opening of the decimated totem...
Reaching out with his Blessed Hammer, Gunnar tries to make contact with the redcap and shock him, starting the cycle of lightning and thunder anew!
Ingryd roars again as she takes the blow and begins to step in. She takes two more swings, no faints no finesse, she just hammered through, her muscles held by the pledge to keep families whole, that the evils of the fey and undead won't touch them again.
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'Oh confound! The witch?! Here? We are found out! This all is some elaborate trap to ensnare us and here we are in the thick of it! Perhaps, with luck, we can turn the tables and make the predator the prey!'
Thinking quickly Aterro snatches up his spare dagger and places the point against the solid doorjam. Taking a great windup, he aims DeathMetal and SLAMS it into the dagger's head.
The sharp spikes miss the pommel and the full weight falls bluntly, sinking the weapon into the wood deeply, like a life-saving piton.
Following up his rapid success, Aterro uncoils his trusty rope, ever his companion since he first crept North the Nargenstal road. How long ago has it been?
Bah, best not think on it.
Saying a mental goodbye to the trusty rope, in a whirl he winds and winds the stout hempen cord around the door's handle and the well-sunk dagger. He did not know if this would provide a key element to ending the fight, but it would at least confound the enemy's plans of ever using this egress.
Especially if this next step went well.
he bellows, his Command Voice marching across the battlefield. "The Witch has found us! She convenes even now inside! Send thy flaming sphere into the house and burn them all up! I have made the door fast! Let holy fire cleanse their bodies and send them to the reward they so richly deserve!"
This plan now done, he made ready to use his powers of flight to jump onto Luthael's attacker and end him in a trice.
Luthael's holy lance slides off the bandit's armor, but avoiding that blow puts him off balance and he's unable to avoid the follow up blaze of holy fire. He regains his feet quick enough to duck away from Ingryd's first set of moves but a quick bit of misdirection from the bearkin has the bandit moving left and parrying low, when he should have been moving right and parrying high. Ingryd's second flurry pummels the bandit's chest and shoulder eliciting a multitude of angry, pained grunts. The attack is furious and pressing enough that is fouls the bandits counterstrike. He brings the big blade around, but his aim is wild and Ingryd easily avoids the swings and it whooshes past with tremendous fury.
Gunnar's fingers tingle when lashes out to smack the redcap he faces across the belly. The static build up of a hundred wool carpets is suddenly released with a loud snap and electrical arc that causes the bandit to reflexively jump back a step. The redcap snaps his axe up and then in a surprise simply dives the heavy steel head forward into the dwarf's chest. It is not the strongest of blows, but it still rattles the wizard's teeth and forces him back a step.
Meanwhile, Scramsax pokes and prods at the edges of the clearing, spending several precious seconds mapping a single arc of the circle not in the mortal realm, but within the mirrored dream plane. From this psychic vantage point, he is able to see through the layers of illusionary images. The squat stone bunker with the thick, heavy door currently being accosted by Aterro. The curling hedge and of course the ring of grim totems, one of which is now gone while the other smolders and smokes. He is also able to see how two of the other totems seem damaged. Although not inert by any means, numerous wounds have opened up on one even as electrical sparks dance along the midsection of the other.
The clear ring of steel on steel echoes across the clearing as Aterro pounds his dagger into the door jam. With a few swift blows the blade sinks deep into the wood and provides both a solid wedge and anchor for the rope the cleric uses to further secure the door. It takes several long moments, but the work is soon finished and the warcleric is certain it'll take the strength of a trio of giants to get the door open again.
Redcap 1: 75/200
Redcap 2: 161/200
Blackcap: 20/150
The redcap’s attack penetrates 2/3 of the way through Gunnar’s arcane ward, but the arcane magic kept him from injury…for now. Gunnar looks out over the battlefield and hopes his allies prevail versus these tough foes.
Trying again, Gunnar swings with his sparking hammer, attempting to arc the power through the large axe head the redcap so conveniently just presented!
Ingryd towering over this creature growled as she managed to swat away the attack and then used the opening to swing twice. In hopes to lay this monster low.
Scram crept closer through the ruins of the scattered totem, waiting for just the right moment to strike the wounded redcap before his footwork deftly found cover.
Luthael waves his arm pulling his flaming sphere from the redcap attacking Gunnar to the redcap attacking Ingryd. With another hop, he can put it next to the front door.
Then, the prophet holds his holy symbol above his head causing blessed sunlight to wash over the battlefield.