It looks like the rest of the group has the warrior ogre occupied, so Elisani decides to go after the spellcaster. She takes a good hard look at her enemy, then sprints toward the ogre, ready to dodge any attempts to hit her with its longer reach.
The half-elf's rapier flashes out in a lightning quick jab at the spellcaster's leg.
@Elisnai: You barely avoid taking an AoO, and your rapier heads in only to hit the thick skin of the ogre.
Kaven looks behind him and says to Vale, "I'll take this one, you get the new guy." Clearly not wanting to engage with the brutish ogre looming over them. Kaven stabs with his rapiers....
...and though the dagger stabs true, it still isn't enough to bring the caster down.
So Vale has the wisdom score to do the tacticle thing and starts off his attacks at the caster, then will 5 foot step (if she goes down) to finish his attacks against the new ogre....
...and the caster (finally) goes down. Vale steps to the side and continues his assault....
...scoring two good hits. But, again, the ogre doesn't seem to mind the blood now leaking from his sides.
Jakardros steps back, saying, "Now that, that is a chieftan." He draws and takes aim....
and
and
...also scoring two direct hits.
Shalelu needs to move...
...but isn't nimble enough to avoid the AoO from the ogre....
...but after taking a wallop of a hit, Shalelu turns and raises her bow, shooting through a grimace of pain...
...sinking an arrow into the ogre's skin for very little damage.
____________
INITIATIVE!
Ceven Initiative: 19
Enemy Initiative: 16
Estella Initiative: 12
Sherman Initiative: 12
Tarphrex Initiative: 12
Elisani Initiative: 10
Black Arrows Initiative = 10
Overall, a fair amount of damage done. One ogre down, the other ogre grinning in joy at the fight before him.
Ceven is up before the new ogre gets a turn.
Cev blasts the ogre, hoping to draw its ire this round.
The room is a tight fight, even up at the ceiling ...
A shrill voice calls out from the wall away from the ogre, "Tarphrex says friends be ready! Tarphrex help friends!"
@Elisani: Luckily for you, you're not on his list.
For reasons undisclosed, the new ogre looks down at Estella, and swings the hook like a baseball bat....
and
and
... for 48 and 39 damage per hit for a total of 86 damage.
And now I must say that I may have just killed Estella. Unless there is something not factored into Estella's listed AC that would make that first attack miss.
The new ogre screams out in ...
...and turns its attention to the rest of the room.
_______________
INITIATIVE!
Ceven Initiative: 19
Enemy Initiative: 16
Estella Initiative: 12
Sherman Initiative: 12
Tarphrex Initiative: 12
Elisani Initiative: 10
Black Arrows Initiative = 10
Slight pause to hear back from Estella.
Alright, Estella is safe for now. Let us move along.
INITIATIVE!
Ceven Initiative: 19
Enemy Initiative: 16
Estella Initiative: 12
Sherman Initiative: 12
Tarphrex Initiative: 12
Elisani Initiative: 10
Black Arrows Initiative = 10
The 12's are up: Estella, Sherman, and Tarphrex. All of which are in range of the ogre....
Still invisible, Tarphrex casts haste on everyone in the party other than Ceven and himself. He makes himself very small and hides behind Sherman and Jakardros as much as possible.
Estella dodges out of the way from the first attack at the last possible moment, but the second attack slams right into her. She recovers, but weakly.
That came WAY too close to killing me...
She gathers herself and continues her chant.
At that moment, the spirit wisps surrounding the party slam into the enemy.
Estella, meanwhile, takes a step back, building some distance between her and that awful ogre.
Then, bolstered with Tarphrex's haste spell, she strikes!
Tarphrex uses his magic to further increase everyone's numbers advantage.
Estella draws blood with a multitude of smaller hits.
___________
INITIATIVE!
Ceven Initiative: 19
Enemy Initiative: 16
Estella Initiative: 12
Sherman Initiative: 12
Tarphrex Initiative: 12
Elisani Initiative: 10
Black Arrows Initiative = 10
Sherman, then Elisani.
Not wanting to stay near the ogre and its hook at all, Sherman scurries away from the giant, ugly thing. Unfortunately, in his panicked retreat, he lowers his defenses.
Badly battered, Sherman retreats into the corner and uses his divine magic to heal his wounds.
Somehow managing to dodge the hook, Sherman turns around and blasts the enemy with scorching rays.
I'll roll a new character...
@Sherman: Would be adjacent when you provoked, so no miss-chance...
and
...one point off of the critical threat, but still 35 total damage. Relatively low on damage rolls. But added to the 15 from life link and that is 50 total for Sherman on his turn. A big drop in hp for the old priest.
_____________
INITIATIVE!
Ceven Initiative: 19
Enemy Initiative: 16
Estella Initiative: 12
Sherman Initiative: 12
Tarphrex Initiative: 12
Elisani Initiative: 10
Black Arrows Initiative = 10
Elisani is up before the Black Arrows.
Elisani offers a quick, silent prayer to Zohls as she takes a moment to size up the new enemy. Verity, show me the truth I need to defeat this evil. Normally she's not one to rely overmuch on the gods, but they need all the help they can get right now. Having seen how her new enemy moves, she dashes toward him, ready to evade his powerful blows.
The detective keeps going until she's positioned herself to flank the ogre with Vale. Her rapier flashes out toward the enemy's hamstring.
@Elisani: As agile as you are, you are not so dexterous as to avoid the attack of opportunity. But he doesn't take one. And, luckily, your attack still hits without the flanking bonus, it doesn't deal as much as you'd like but it does deal some damage.
_______________
Vale shouts behind him, "Kaven, get into flanking, now!" Vale then steps and unleashes on the brute...
...Vale absolutely lays into the ogre, cutting chunks from its body.
Kaven shouts back, "Just a moment, this one is stirring."
He stabs into the ogre mage a few times before taking a 5 foot step towards the standing ogre.
Jakardros adds his own voice to the din, "The others will have heard his war cry, we have to take him down fast."
Stuck in a corner, Jakardros drops his bow and pulls his longsword as he steps in front of Shalelu, then attacks...
...but slips on the gore of the first ogre you all killed in this room and misses.
Shalelu, heavily injured, tries to get out of the way...
...and just barely does, not that it matters overly much. She stands next to Sherman and takes aim with her longbow...
...the arrow barely breaking skin.
So, a great showing from Vale, but not so much from the rest of the Black Arrows.
_______________
INITIATIVE!
Ceven Initiative: 19
Enemy Initiative: 16
Estella Initiative: 12
Sherman Initiative: 12
Tarphrex Initiative: 12
Elisani Initiative: 10
Black Arrows Initiative = 10
Ceven is up, then the enemy. You've been warned that the other ogre in the fort have likely heard the commotion, between the lightning bolt earlier and this new ogre screaming at the top of his considerable lungs.
Banking on the ogre not having gained additional AoO's in the last 6 seconds, Ceven lashes out at the swaying enemy pinning him into the corner of the room....
...the blast slamming into the beast. Who staggers but somehow stays on his feet.
Staggered, bleeding, dying, the ogre chieftan makes a single melee attack against Vale (the one who hurt him most last round)....
and
...slamming into the giant hunter and nearly bringing Vale to his knees.
____________
INITIATIVE!
Ceven Initiative: 19
Enemy Initiative: 16
Estella Initiative: 12
Sherman Initiative: 12
Tarphrex Initiative: 12
Elisani Initiative: 10
Black Arrows Initiative = 10
The twelves are up. The monster is wavering, just needs a little push to take him over the edge. You know that more ogre are likely to be incoming in the next 6 seconds, but that Jakardros thinks you can scare them off/demoralize them if you show that their chieftan is dead.
Estella keeps clamoring, boosting the rage further.
Then, with a furious flurry of thrusts, she presses the attack herself.
@Estella: Irrelevant, as the ogre just needed 5 more hp of damage to take it out for good....
As the spirit wisps surrounding you slam into the ogre alongside Estella's spear tip, the ogre brute lets out one last grunt like a bellows before falling to its knees, then flat onto its face. It lays, unmoving, not even the slightest twitch, as you all gulp air trying to catch your breath.
As you take a moment to recover, a voice calls out to you from the hall. The voice is feminine and speaks Common in an unrecognizable accent, "How very disappointing, my plans here are ruined. But, unlike my sister, I have back-up plans." These words are followed by the sounds of spell casting.
Everyone is quiet for a moment, until Jakardros speaks while switching back to his bow, "A worry for another time. Vale, get the head. The rest, be prepared to fight. The rest of the fort won't know their chieftan is dead yet." He checks on Shalelu, who is checking her own wounds. "Are any of you practiced at intimidating foes?"
_________________
You have one round (maybe two, it is unclear) before the other ogres you can hear on the stairs make it up to your level. Vale is busy cutting the head off the ogre, Jakardros and Shalelu are checking her wounds. Kaven is checking the pockets of downed enemies.
What do you do?
A tiny disembodied voice speaks up after a pause. "Sound like lady-voice cast not-here spell. Unknowing which." Then he speaks again, in his native tongue:
@Estella: Irrelevant, as the ogre just needed 5 more hp of damage to take it out for good....
As the spirit wisps surrounding you slam into the ogre alongside Estella's spear tip, the ogre brute lets out one last grunt like a bellows before falling to its knees, then flat onto its face. It lays, unmoving, not even the slightest twitch, as you all gulp air trying to catch your breath.
As you take a moment to recover, a voice calls out to you from the hall. The voice is feminine and speaks Common in an unrecognizable accent, "How very disappointing, my plans here are ruined. But, unlike my sister, I have back-up plans." These words are followed by the sounds of spell casting.
** spoiler omitted **
Everyone is quiet for a moment, until Jakardros speaks while switching back to his bow, "A worry for another time. Vale, get the head. The rest, be prepared to fight. The rest of the fort won't know their chieftan is dead yet." He checks on Shalelu, who is checking her own wounds. "Are any of you practiced at intimidating foes?"
_________________
You have one round (maybe two, it is unclear) before the other ogres you can hear on the stairs make it up to your level. Vale is busy cutting the head off the ogre, Jakardros and Shalelu are checking her wounds. Kaven is checking the pockets of downed enemies.
What do you do?
So then the visually greusome plan should probably be ... for Cev to float the head of the Ogre out in front of him as he goes out to Intimidate them (INTIM is one of Cev's highest skills at +10, so +18 wouldn't be too shabby)
SOMETHING LIKE:
Is this what you want? Do you want to be a decoration? Do you want me to grow herbs inside your skull? Do you want me to sell your head in the city so that it can be defiled for pleasure. LEAVE!!!!!
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"In my shameful past, I wasn't above using intimation to make others submit to my will." Sherman says, and the sadness in his face makes him look so very, very old.
Tarphrex sighs in relief as some of his bruises and burns are healed by Sherman's holy presence.
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Elisani translates for Tarphrex. She starts riffling through ogre pockets as well, looking for keys or other immediately useful things.
Estella gratefully accepts Sherman's healing. She moves up to the door entrance and braces her spear, forming a block at the door entrance right behind the hole. That should keep the room secure enough to put the intimidation plan into motion.
As she settles next to Ceven, she looks him in the eyes and begins silently mouthing something.
Ceven raises his left eyebrow just a touch, and nods as he looks into Estella's eyes. He would drop the man off a cliff if he needed to.
Estella nods in return and faces the door. Little more she can do right now without seeming suspicious.
Tarphrex moves to the spellcaster’s body and starts searching for tools or trinkets of potential use.
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@Elisani: Going through the chieftan's possessions:
The ogre hook is (of course) impressive and magical. And size Large.
There are 2 potions.
His armor is magical. Also, Large sized.
His belt is magical.
Other than that, the chieftan has no other possessions on him. Not even a belt pouch.
@Tarphrex: The mage has:
A potion.
A wand.
An amulet.
A headband.
A ring.
And a dagger, nice but not magical.
___________
I've got all these things listed out, but you won't have time to identify them yet. Instead....
____________
As you set yourselves, prepared for a counter offensive, bodies begin to squeeze their way into the hall beyond.
Estella stands braced with her spear, hoping the pit slows the ogres long enough to get a few good stabs in. Jakardros and Shalelu draw their bows and take aim.
Ceven and Sherman lift the head of the ogre chieftan by the hair, one on each side, and shout at the ogres to flee else they be struck down like their vaunted leader.
As quick as they were to fill the hall, their feet turn to flee. Shouts of rage become shouts of fear and dismay as they yell back at those behind that Jaagrath is dead, all hope is lost. After a tense few minutes, you hear the front gates being pushed open as the shouting continues. But, as panic does, it has escelated. Ghosts of the Black Arrows have arisen to strike back at them. Jaagrath and Dorella got into a fight and killed each other. Lucrecia turned on them and is killing all the ogres in the fort. Run. Flee for your lives. Make for the hills. An army is coming. Etc, etc.
Jakardros and Vale breath a sigh of relief and lower their weapons. Jakardors turns to you all. "I cannot thank you all enough for what you have done. It'll take years to get the Black Arrows back into shape, if we even can. But any help I can ever give, just ask."
Tarphrex waits for the outcome of the second wave of ogre attackers before saying, intentionally loud enough for everyone to hear. "What Kaven find on spellcaster? Interesting thing?"
Tarphrex recognizes the Wand of Acid Arrow and the Ring of Protection +2.
"So... that's it? Huh." Estella asks confusedly, as if she didn't have a brush with near-death just a moment before. She gives a grateful nod to Jakardros. "I suppose I shouldn't have expected any different from a skilled mercenary group. I couldn't have dreamed of such a perfect surgical strike myself. As for help, it seems by helping you we've already helped ourselves anyway."
She doesn't elaborate while potential traitors are still around, but in her mind she's connecting some dots. Connections between the ogres mentioning Lucrecia, the voice taunting them mentioning a sister, and the letter they took from the naga in what feels like an eternity ago now. Elisani would be proud! She thinks, anyway.
But, first things first.
When Tarphrex suddenly asks Kaven something, Estella immediately jumps into the conversation. "Did you find some sort of clue, Kaven? Let's see it!" She steps closer towards him.
"I'm sorry I was so busy blasting, but I'm glad someone had time to start the investigating: what was found?"
Ceven is asking Jakardos ... but looking at Kaven
Kaven stands from kneeling over the ogre caster and turns to find a great many eyes on him, few of them trusting. His easy smile is disarming, as he immediately goes grand. "Oh, just a clue. Courtesty of yours truly." He opens one side of his vest with one hand and reaches in with the other, reminding some of you of street performers. He then wipes out a patch of leather with a flourish, which he snaps out and presents like a presenting a gift to a lord.
With so many examples nearby, you can recognize a patch of ogre skin, cut (presumably) from the ogre caster behind him. More importantly, most of you recognize the tatoo on that skin; a seven pointed star with a rune on each of the seven points. The sihedron, mark of the Runelords of Thassilon.
Jakardros and Vale seem unperturbed by Kaven. Shalelu is as unreadable as ever.
"Well done, everyone." Elisani watches Kaven closely, eyes narrowed. What is he up to?
With the Sense Motive, and only because it is so high, you realize he didn't want to share this clue with you and yours specifically. If it had just been Vale and Jakardros, he'd have been more open about it. But, obviously, you don't know why.
Sherman is unimpressed by Kaven's antics.
"A clue? What does the clue tell us?" The priest eyes both Kaven and the patch of skin.
"And yet a better question is why did you make the effort to take that during the heat of battle? And how come did you know to look for the tattoo?"
The manic kobold gets very solemn after looking at the patch of skin, "Is mark for greedy people. Tattoo means when dead, soul feeds Zoog, makes him stronger. Tarphrex saw this before. What Kaven know about this? Why you hide it from us?"
Elisani gives the Black Arrow in question a look that promises nothing good. "I would be interested to hear what you know of this mark later on, Tarphrex. In the meantime, Kaven, you have some explaining to do. It was us-" she gestures to the non-Arrows in the room- "-specifically with whom you were reluctant to share this information. Why is that?"