Sinan nods and cleans plant matter off his blade. "So be it."
Gamble blinks. "Where did Deerslicer go? We had better do something. Prisoner ruse is as good as any!"
I imagine that Sinan walks in with Simon at the front, at sword's point.
At this moment, the orc dumping the sludge notices you. He grows wide-eyed as he eyes the two new intruders, but doesn't hesitate and drops the bucket in the sludge as he reaches for his weapon. Up close you can see he's tall. Around seven feet tall and built powerfully as you can almost see his muscles ripple under his armor. He has what looks like a dagger on the hip, some shoddy breastplate on him and a couple of javelins at his back.
"Roth'klar," he says loudly enough that his companion also turns to see the tableau, his hand reaching for a javelin.
From behind their cages, the animals are jittery, perhaps sensing the palpable tension in the air.
Sinan grins as he gestures to Simon. "I found this one skulking around the gateway." The priest gestures to the iris. "Pretty sure he's one of the do-gooders that beat that oaf, Hallod. I should make a report to the big boss about it. They here?"
The orcs narrow their eyes at Sinan and Simon. The one near the horse smiles and draws a javelin.
Sinan sighs. "Nope. They want to kill us." He brandishes his blade and starts moving around the sludge pool away from Deerslicer. "So uncivilized." he barks in orcish as his eyes fill with fire. A beam of pure flame erupts from the holy symbol in his hand at the orc nearest the sludge pool .
The black armored orc screams as searing fire burns through his leathers and shoddy armor.
Burning from the Dawnflower's light, the orc is taken completely by surprise as the bush transforms into a rapidly approaching goblin with a twisted dagger rushing at him. He drops his bucket, his eyes on the goblin while from behind him small brown bear rushes over to surround him. He's about to say something as Deerslicer's kukri slashes at his legs, striking an artery! He falls dead on the ground by the sludge, bleeding profusely from the leg wound as the rats in their pen slam against their cage but can do nothing more beyond chitter loudly.
Gamble draws his longsword and moves around the hedge and through the gate. He advances around the muddy pool, careful to avoid the slick.
The orc by the cage watches Deerslicer cut down his friend. He immediately unlocks the cage, swings the door open and rushes over towards the northern cave entrance!
The moment the horse’s cage is open, it dashes forward towards Deerslicer, rears on its legs and slams its hooves at the goblin twice!
As the horse attacks Deerslicer, Gamble can see that this is no ordinary warhorse; its flesh has a stony appearance, and its hooves appear to be made of metal.
The first hoof clips Deerslicer violently on the head! Sensing blood, it tries to trample him, yet the goblin, badly hurt manages to swerve and dodge out of the way! More than likely Gracie moans at Deerslicer being in danger.
As Simon gets closer to the eastern cage, the rats within chitter madly and slam themselves against the door!
"Well this will not do at all," Sinan muses as he hurries around the sludge bog. He then turns his eyes skyward and cries out "Sayidat, min fadlik salat aldaw' ealaa shifa' sidiyq khadimik."
Sunlight streams into the area to find Deerslicer and heal some of the contusions caused by the giant stone horse.
A bright warmth courses through Deerslicer's body as his aching head gets mended thanks to the Dawnflower's love.
...south.
The wind picks up and Sinan quickly discovers that the fumes are especially strong, creating a draft that stretches 20 feet from the pool.
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Deerslicer observes the creature, sizing it up as an enemy.
Deerslicer notices nothing out of the ordinary about the horse, and tries to order it to attack the orc instead.
He decides to leave this thing and deal with the orc.
"Gamble, let's team-up on d'is guy!" He motions toward the orc as he approaches.
The horse neighs and snorts as the rats in the cage slam themselves against the gate, but the gate appears to have been made with this type of behaviour in mind as it resists the assault.
"I'm on my way," Gamble answers Deerslicer's call to flank. "This is certainly a battle to write about in a poem later: fierce orcs and beasts representing the elements!"
He makes his way cautiously around the stone horse and then thrusts his sword at the orc while the goblin distracts him.
Gamble's sword nicks the orc on the cheek,, the cut draws a thick line of blood as the orc draws a stout, metal blade with a horizontal basket hilt with blades jutting from each end.
"Bastard," it says in Taldane as it drives the dagger towards Gamble...
...and he rams it at his side! With Gamble injured, he throws a heavy fist at Deerslicer, which the goblin easily sees and ducks out of the way as the orc runs into the cavern!
Up close, Simon can make out the details of the stone warhorse. It's a large animal with spiky metal hooves and skin speckled like granite. The horse turns its uniform white eyes at him, snorts and strikes out with its hooves! Neighing wildly, it attempts to trample the former con-man several times, but Simon keeps stepping out of the way as the heavy hooves draw ruts in the ground. Flicking its tail it turns towards Deerslicer, a stone mountain that towers over the goblin as it attempts to crack open his skull! The hooves stamp raising a dust cloud, giving the orc time to escape as Gamble perhaps watches in fascination at how Deerslicer nimbly dodges the blows!
At the smell, Sinan tries to hold his breath and not inhale the noxious fumes.
While his head does not swim, he considers himself mostly successful. But he's not exactly willing to try his luck. "This confirms it. The north does not like me." he mutters more to himself than anyone else as he releases his held breath while scrambling to join the newly converted- or so he suspects.
"Seems you might be able to use some assistance, Val- er.. Simon. As ever, I am here to help." Sinan slashes in with Dawn's Light, hoping the blade can make purchase on the stone monstrosity.
As Deerslicer chases after the orc, the orc turns, crouches and lowers his knuckle dagger and blocks the slice with a ferocious grin, as the second strike goes for his leg, he rises, the large 7-foot orc towering over the smaller Deerslicer as he takes a half step and avoid the cut as it slices by his leathers.
Back outside, the dust raised by the horse has barely begun to settle when Sinan slashes with his sword, the blade releasing a rain of sparks as Sinan would notice that his well-placed cut barely cut through the stoney hide!
Kunsheng's bullet bounces harmlessly off the rough horse's skin.
The rats keep chittering, but beyond pressing against their cage there is very little they can do.
"Get him, Deerslicer! We've just got to wear this stone horse so it doesn't chase us down the tunnel, and we'll be right there!" he says and then speaks a word of occult power before twisting the fingers of his free hand in a complex gesture.
Deerslicer's sight upon entering the cave switches from colors to stark black and whites. The orc grunts in pain, as a sudden throbbing crawls from behind his nead and towards the front of his skull . His eyes water as he drives his vicious knuckle dagger twice into Deerslicer through tears.
Pained, he keeps running deeper into the cave, shouting out in orcish: "𝔚𝔢'𝔳𝔢 𝔤𝔬𝔱 𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔭𝔞𝔫𝔶!" In the midst of battle the goblin would see that the tunnel opens up to a much larger cave and that there are bubbling cauldrons within.
Outside, Simon sees his opportunity as the horse whips towards Sinan! The man rushes and putting all his strength into his arm, manages to drive his rapier all the way to the hilt through the tough stonelike skin of the horse! The animal gives out a startled neigh of pain, but even Simon can tell that the stab wasn't really that effective against the beast! Wheeling on Simon, the horse rears itself its full length and kicks its hooves out towards the young man's face! Blood pours from the kick as the horse stamps on the ground and gives Gamble a kick with it's hind legs, but the ulfen is on guard and takes half a step back, feeling the iron hooves move near him.
The wind blows...
...westerly, the foul smell of the bubbling pool carried towards the wall of brambles.
Outside, as the horse buckles and stamps. Kunsheng would see Simon take a beastly blow to the head. Thankfully, the young man's Shield from the Dawnflower takes most of the impact from the horse's hoof Tossing his flask, it breaks on impact as the horse suddenly gives out a pained neigh. Frost quickly climbs up the horse's flank and legs, giving it a cool light blue color as the sudden transformation of flesh to ice makes it go wild!
Inside the cavern, Deerslicer's arrow takes the orc in the back, making him lose a step, but the orc, badly wounded from the kukri and arrow is still standing, determined to get help against the interlopers. Deerslicer's whistle echoes through the tunnel as Gracie hears the call.
The rats, tired of slamming against the cage wall, watch with interest the actions of the ulfen and the neophyte priest.
Gamble steps away from the stone horse's deadly hooves after Valor makes his assault. He then gestures at the horse and speaks a word of occult power.
Inside the cavern Deerslicer watches the orc keep on running, blood flowing on the cavern floor as he reaches the light of the two vats. Two orcs were working them, having stopped at their friend's cry for help, as they turn towards the source of alarm by the entrance. The injured orc, falls on the ground and scrambles behind a counter, his breathing hard as sweat lines his face.
AS Gamble moves towards the cavern himself. Simon attempts to stab the horse again, but the horse suddenly moves away, driven mad by another painful jolt to its head. Simon and Sinan, carefully avoiding the large warhorse's metal hooves would watch it wheel and turn in place, placing its head against the ground, before shaking its solid stone mane and giving a vicious kick to Sinan!
Kunsheng's flask strikes the horse in the snout just as it's about to trample Sinan, deadly frost freezes up its nostrils, blocking his airways and as it gasps for air, its throat stiffens and it falls kicking and struggling on the ground, neck muscles tensing and eyes bulging in its struggle to get some air.
Deerslicer would see one of the orcs rush over to the badly injured one, grab a potion from his bandolier and bring it to the lips of the badly wounded orc!
Despite his bruises, Sinan motions for Simon to follow him as he hurries after Deerslicer and the Orc now that the stone horse has departed.
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Deerslicer calls, "We got more orcs! Could use some bombs in here! Also, one o' you longshanks need to heal me."
Staying where he is, he designates the nearest orc as his target and fires, while remaining in cover while he waits for backup.
Deerslicer *thinks* this guy he's shooting at is an orc, but isn't completely sure.
The black leathered orc looks around the cavern, his eyes seeking whatever intruders harmed his companions. The steam flowing up the cauldron clouds his vision when he sees... a small goblin drawing a shortbow! He begins to shout an alarm when the arrow takes him in the shoulder. Cursing, her drops behind the cauldron, yanks the arrow out and draws his dagger swearing revenge on that little...
"We've got company! Goblin down the tunnel!" he yells to his other two companions.
"Hang in there, Deerslicer," Gamble says encouragingly as he advances into the tunnel to defend the goblin. "We've dealt with their stone horse. These orcs merely have flesh."