Lil is torn between using her offensive spells or saving them for later healing, and finally decides that with this many enemies still standing she should save her magical energy for healing, and continues to rain down holy fire on the enemy, concentrating on the enemy they've already destroyed once.
Sacred Flame on Volg/Zombie... Radiant Damage
The storm continues the boom and rumble overhead while pelting everything and everyone below in continuous rain. The thunder countered by screams of battle and dying croaks of frogkin on both sides. Toki's whip ploy fails to budge the hulking half-giant as the blood and rain soaked stone of the courtyard proves too slick for him to get any kind of traction. Despite being mauled by bearkin and gearforged, Verrack can't help but crack a bloody grin at the young human's weak tugs. But before he can make any wise quip, he's forced to dodge away from Beordt's snarling snout. Teeth snap in the air right before his face, blocking his line of sight to the bearkin's blade as he drives it up from below and catches Verrack in the side with the long blade.
Rilkus adds to the giant's troubles. The gearforged lands a bone cracking blow across the half-giant's back that leaves him momentarily gasping for breath as he rocks forward.
Recovering her balance with ease, D'Nateh plants her feet firmly on the ground and catches the next frog warrior low in the groin. Her teeth sink deep into frogflesh and the little warrior launches a flurry or squealing groaks and croaks as it tries to drive back the big hyena with its spear.
Dacknar hacks away at zombie Volg, reducing the creatures ability to fight even further. The beast raises its arm for another attack against the crafty elf and his frogkin allies. Lilly tries to end the unnatural creature's existence with a burst of radiant flame, but Eshu turns on his disciple and the burst misses when the creature lumbers to the side at just the right moment.
Grinda and Qwerbrac continue to rally the frogkin, but their numbers grow smaller as the dead mount and courage breaks among some. Qwerbrac and his small group join N'Dateh in trying to take down the warrior she is engaged with. They leap in and out, hopping back and forth and manage to open up several additional bleeding wounds in the blue foe, but he still stands.
The fury filled Grinda beats away with the handful that still remain around Volg, but the undead beast simply ignores most of the damage and continues to ravage the frogkin. The undead beast slams the iron down and pulps another rebel frog, crushing its skull and splattering blood and brain upon the already blood and rain soaked Dacknar and Grinda.
Verrack recovers himself and free of the bard's mind clouding magic strikes out with his trident. The flesh ripping tines catch Beordt right in the gut as the half-giant's strength forces the weapon through armor and flesh. The with a brutal jerk, Verrack yanks the trident free spilling more bearfolk blood upon the cold stone. He pivots and whips the ivory end around catching Rilkus in the head. Hardened bone meets iron head and this time bone scores a victory. The strike put a solid dent in Rilkus' gearforged frame forcing him back a step.
The frog warrior nearly gutted by N'Dateh tries to rally and hold off the rampaging hyena but to no avail. Too weak and wounded to get any strength behind his blow is does nothing but careen off the hyena's thick hide. Another warrior continues to press Rilkus. Using the distraction of Verrack's sudden counterstrike, the warrior steps in and jabs its spear into the iron dwarf's gear works. Fortunately for the gearforged, nothing too substantial is actually damaged by the frog's lucky strike. Elsewhere along the line the warriors manage to down another two rebels leaving only three more plus Qwerbrac to continue the fight.
Moments later Dur staggers out from the black archway blinking his eyes at the gray cloudy sky.
Verrack: 36/100
Volg: 1/85
Frog Warrior #1: 0/30
Frog Warrior #2: 0/30
Frog Warrior #3: 2/30
Frog Warrior #4: 19/30
Frog Warrior #5: 30/30
Frog Warrior #6: 17/30
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Beordt whimpers a moment, but renews his fury as the dull whir of his whimper builds like a wave before he bellows matching the thunder of the approaching storm.
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Toki doesn't like being laughed at, hooking the soles of his feet at the edge so that he is hanging off the side, and redoubles his efforts with a scream, hoping to catch Tor's ear!
N’Dateh snaps right back at the bloodied wound.
N’Dateh rolls with fallen body and leaps at the next Frogkin.
"For Schaphigroadaz!!" Dacknar calls out to rally the frogmen and to harden their resolve. Then goes back to slicing at the ogre.
Blades slashing away but only one strike finding any meat to cut into.
Rilkus didn’t feel pain in the normal sense. Rather, it was just the knowledge of damage being sustained. He went ‘Tsk’ at the feeling of metal being rent and gears forced aside, but he did not falter. Which likely caught the half-giant off guard as he continued his assault, swinging his hammer as if though nothing had happened.
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"Hey guys, I'm pretty sure there's a succubus or something in there... whoa! You look kinda rough." He drops his rapier, drawing his bow once more, and attempts to sink an arrow into Verrack.
The sudden return to bright light after the suffocating darkness caused Dur's shot to fly wild.
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Dur's trick shot misses the mark and goes ricocheting off into the winds of the storm. But the sudden passage of an arrow from directly behind him causes Verrack to twist toward the unexpected threat. By the time the half-giant realizes his mistake it is too late. Much, much too late. Beordt drives his massive blade forward too quickly for the out of position Verrack to block with his trident. The heavy steel blade slices armor and flesh once again, this time piercing a lung and shattering several ribs. The barbarian yanks the half giant forward using his blade as leverage and sinks his teeth deep into Verrack's weakening shoulder and arm. From the other side Rilkus steps up and swings his hammer into the half giants back. It hits. A series of cracks and pops cascade from the center of the blow as the silvered hammerhead pulverizes the slaver's spine and upper pelvis.
Verrack's eyes glaze over in pain as he remains standing for another few heartbeats. Then they roll into the back of his head and the half-giant tumbles to the ground, his innards flowing from the massive gash in his front and his blood mixing with the rain out across the stones of the courtyard until in washes down the grates with all of the other blood spilled this day.
At about the same moment, N'Dateh finishes off a frog warrior and carries on to the next stubborn fighter who still stands against the reinvigorated rebels.
Dacknar and the frogkin continue carving away a the stubborn zombie, but the thing simply won't fall. To make matters worse, it lurches away from Lilly's radiant fire once again. The escape leaves it free to do more harm in a dying cause. The iron bar comes swinging around. Dacknar feels a slight shift in the way the rain is hitting his face. Grinda croaks a warning. Feminine laughter echoes from the darkened doorway. The iron bar backed by the still massive weight of the animated ogre crashes down onto Dacknar. Bones crack. The elf's head snaps to the side in an entirely impossible manner. With a curse lingering upon his lips, Dacknar falls to the cobbles. The rain pelting his quickly cooling face.
Using both Verrack's and Dacknar's fall as a distraction the frog warriors try to press forward and break free. One pricks N'Dateh with a minor wound and the other drops yet another rebel. The third decides he's enough room to chance an escape. He steps back and the leaps high up onto the wall and then to the empty balcony above.
Verrack: 0/100
Volg: 1/85
Frog Warrior #1: 0/30
Frog Warrior #2: 0/30
Frog Warrior #3: 0/30
Frog Warrior #4: 10/30
Frog Warrior #5: 30/30
Frog Warrior #6: 17/30
Beordt roars in furry. He turns to the frog warriors around him. He lays into the first with sword and teeth.
Toki shakes his head, Succubus?!? Isn't that some kind of fiend or something?
Pulling himself back up to the upper floor, he rolls to the side to sweep out the legs of one of the frogkin warriors!
With the warlord down, the gearforged paladin turned towards the undead monstrosity. Completely ignoring the few remaining warriors, he stomped towards the monstrosity. Intoning "You are unnatural, and must be purged." He raised his warhammer and brought it around squarely into the back of it's neck. He did so without a hint of irony, given his own condition.
N'Dateh leaps at the next Frogkin, leaping under Beordt sword, biting low.
"I dunno, but she kept doing mind mojo, and trying to kiss a rat! Who'd do something like that?"
Lil rushes to the side of the fallen elf, and calls on holy power to knit some of his wounds.
Cure wounds
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Toki laughs that mock-scolds his ratkin friend, Don't Kink-shame, buddy! Maybe you're her type!
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Dodging the zombie ogre's blundering swings and stumbling stomps, Lilly rushes to Dacknar's aide. Within moments broken bones knit together and the elf's neck twists and snaps back into place with a shiver inducing grind and pop. Dacknar's eyes flutter open just in time to see Rilkus stomp over and slam his hammer into the battered remains of the former ogre enforcer.
But it isn't until Dur lines up another arrow and sends it zipping toward the zombies already cracked and broken skull. The arrow hits. An audible crackling sound rattles from the creatures head as it throws its head back and releases an unholy, undead roar. Midway through the eerie, bone jarring death scream the zombie's head simply bursts apart as the entire bone structure gives away. The iron bar clatters to the blood splattered ground. Lightning flashes from the storm momentarily backlighting the headless corpse. Then Volg's body simply collapses to the ground in a single massive heap of flesh, broken bones, and ogre innards.
"Schaphigroadaz!" Shout Grinda and few remaining frogkin surrounding the fallen tormentor.
The chant continues among the frogkin while Beordt, completely caught up in the frenzy of battle, mauls another of the frogkin warriors with his blade. The bearkin turns toward his next target just as Toki sweeps the unsuspecting frog warrior to the ground. Bear and hyena fall upon the hapless creature. Eventually it struggles back to its feet and manages to stab Beordt once with its short spear.
It is as the final blue skinned warrior seeks to escape that something quite unexpected and even extraordinary occurs. Having already reached the balcony above the courtyard, it is only a short leap up to the roof of the short keep and then a quick run and leap over the wall. Something of relative ease for a nimble jumper like the frogkin. But as he makes his leap, a bolt of murky green energy leaps from the glowing eyes of Grinda and slams into the fleeing warrior. Frog flesh sizzles and boils where the swampy green power hits. The blast slams the frogkin against the building and he drops thirty feet back to the courtyard. He broken and burnt body twitches for a few seconds before growing still.
Frogkin eyes turn to Grinda who wears a look of surprise that slowly turns to understanding as the small wooden frog shaped amulet that hangs around her neck begins to glow with the same green power.
"Schaphigroadaz..." Several frogkin croak in wonder as they gaze as the rescued and grim looking female with her bloody club. Qwerbrac steps over toward Grinda his eyes wide and reverent.
"The gods power *croak* runs through you. *groak* You are the first to be chosen by Schaphigroadaz in many, many, *croak* many moons." He starts to kneel before her, but she stops him. Reaching out her hand she points to his own charm and much to the frogkin's obvious surprise, his glows with the same soft algae green light. Qwerbrac's mouth drops open and for the moment he is actually unable to speak.
"Oh dear!" A feminine voice says drawing attention away from the two frogkin and toward the balcony above once again. "What have you and your troublesome friends done, little mouse?" The voice comes from a beautiful, red haired, teifling. She sits, legs crossed, upon an elaborately decorated carpet that hovers in the air and continues to drift upward as she looks down upon the carnage in the courtyard.
"What have you done?" The melodious voice asks yet again. She cocks her head inquisitively to the side. "Awakened something best left sleeping would be my guess. The Beys need to know of this. So alas, little mouse I must depart. But do not despair, I am certain we shall cross paths again."
The tiefling continues to float higher and higher into the air, the last of the frog warriors falls to the frogkin, Beordt, and N'Dateh. Cheers and celebrations erupt from the remaining frogkin. Two rush over and throw open the gates. While others begin to blow horns and dance with wild abandon. Not only have they thrown out their oppressors, but their god has awakened and blessed their people once again. Thunder rumbles overhead as the rain continues pour. The water washes the blood of battle from the stones of the courtyard in tiny rivers that empty into the into the drains and dark forgotten places beneath the ages old keep.
Verrack: 0/100
Volg: 1/85
Frog Warrior #1: 0/30
Frog Warrior #2: 0/30
Frog Warrior #3: 0/30
Frog Warrior #4: 0/30
Frog Warrior #5: 0/30
Frog Warrior #6: 0/30
"So I was half right about her! I'll take it. But why does she keep calling me a mouse? Is it meant to be belittling? Is it like that thing where you insult your enemies and their brains melt out their ears?" Dur questions Toki, looking for the bard's input.
---
"So... Frog clerics and a new big bad?"
Beordt not one for belittling speeches grabs a javelin and hurls it at the tiefling.
The sounds of waves, is all what he remembers when his eyes flash open. He lets out a short scream seeing Lil hovering over him.
"Oh sorry Lil, Dam me head hurts. It be like I had way too much bad grog."
Looking around at the frogs cheering and dancing.
"Did we win?" Dacknar asks.
Getting to his feet, Dacknar collects his weapons, working his shortsword free of the now really dead ogre.
Perhaps, Toki smiles, But like I said, maybe that is her kink? Maybe she likes you, little Mouse.
The skald laughs and claps Dur on the shoulder before going to herald his companions and their deeds!
Beordt roars at the fleeing woman. Pacing a few times before looking about. His muzzle puffs as he breathes heavily.
Relax, my friend. Let us enjoy our victory. There will be time enough to face her again, of that I have no doubt, Toki lays a hand on his big friend's shoulder. Now would be a time for mead! N'Dateh, can you ask them what kind of alcohol, they might have?
Beordt moves to the corpse of the fallen Verrack looking for anything useful.
When the ray hit the jumping frogkin, N'Dateh paused and gave the awakened frogkin a hungry look.
When she had first awakened to her true power, she had recalled tales of the desert magi, who described their journey as punctuated by 'the ten oases.' She knew she had passed the first oasis a long time ago and, recently, had felt the taste of water in her mouth, a new sense of discovery, along with a deeper understanding of the Desert's majesty and Its greater mysteries.
But now, as her mouth feels a renewed sense of wonder and a fresher look on the mystery of life, she, for a moment, confuses the frogkin with One of the Desert. With a smile, she, still a hyena, paws forward and smiles, a welcoming of sorts for a sister.
But then she spies the necklace and the connection severs. With a growl, she turns and walks off, finding a corner to lick her wound under the falling rain.
She yawns when Toki asks her for a translation, ignoring the bard and remaining in her beast form, happy for the tingle of the rain and the smells it lifts from the ancient grounds and the fallen corpses.
Relax, my friend. Let us enjoy our victory. There will be time enough to face her again, of that I have no doubt, Toki lays a hand on his big friend's shoulder. Now would be a time for mead! N'Dateh, can you ask them what kind of alcohol, they might have?
"Do our frog friends have mead?!?" The bearfolk lets out a happy sound.
Hearing the talk of celebration. Dacknar shakes his head, "The battle is not over yet, There are still our allies in the jungle that are being hunted down like animals as we talk of drink. We need to find them and stop those that are still hunting them. Beordt can you remove the head from the over sized orc. I think that should be enough if we show the hunting frog kin that they have already lost the battle."
Toki shakes his head with a wry smile, Go on, stay a doggie then. Lil? Can you translate? Do they have scouts that can take us to our friends?
”Dacknar is correct.” Rilkus intoned. ”But let our allies celebrate. I recommend taking part to build rapport.”
Beordt's javelin flies high into the air, but not nearly high enough. Instead it is caught by the blowing wind of the passing storm and goes arcing over the wall and somewhere out into the surface far, far below.
For the frogkin, the celebration is short lived as the heavy toll taken during the battle is tallied. Of the just over two dozen frogkin who participated in the fight against Verrack nearly three quarters are dead or have fled. Those who remain all have wounds to tend.
Qwerbrac limps over and bows deeply to each of you. "A hard won victory. *croak* But a triumph not possible *groak* without your aide and strength. The debt of my people is much. *croak* Although we have little, we will share what we can." He says, letting Lilly translate for those who still find his odd language impossible to understand.
When asked about drink. He looks thoughtful and nods his head slowly. "You wish to drink Gruchu? *groak*" His wide mouth parts into a smile. "I've none here. *croak* But I will ask others." He says. "Verrack did not allow it *croak* here, but someone always sneaks some in." He adds with a sly grin.
The frogkin hurries off to ask about the supply of Gruchu for Beordt while Grinda tends to the wounded with a stoic look on her face. When asked about possible scouts for finding the others, she shakes her head.
"I am sorry. Nearly all are dead." She says, her voice raspy and harsh even for one of her kind. "Others must stay. The people must hold a moot. They must know of the gods awakening." Her hand unconsciously touches the still softly glowing amulet around her neck. "And we must decide what to do next. If the witch is Sated Fang's spy, then the Bey will come with more men to wipe us out or put us in chains."
Her eyes grow dark and her jaw clenches. "We must prepare. For the I....and the people....will never again submit. And there is still Grumph to deal with." She adds nodding toward one of the blue skinned warriors being unceremoniously dumped down the very same shaft Grinda had been tossed only a few hours earlier.
While he waits for a drink, Beort searches Verrack's remains. The bearkin gathers the half giant's trident, a pouch containing 50 gold coins and 30 silver from various nations. A half dozen pieces of fine jade carved into various shapes of sea creatures. The half giants fine armor is completely useless and not salvageable having suffered too much damage during the fight. He also discovers two unused bottles containing different liquids. One is made of thick clear glass, the other is a sea green.
Mayhap, the better trained rangers should head out to call back our friends. I will stay and help tend to our friends here, Toki looks determined as he tries to help tend the wounded as best he can.
For those in attendance, being tended to, Toki will sing a song of one of the edda.
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"Yes, Taking a short breather before looking for those scallywags in the jungle is in order. I don't think I would be any good to anyone with out a rest." Dacknar says.
"And now who is Grumph? I thought all we needed to get rid of was Verrack."
Toki chimes in, I believe that Grumph was the brute that our friends drew off while we rested. That last of Verrack's brood, I would guess.
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Dur looks down at his conspicuously undamaged form, and tries to whistle nonchalantly. Rat's aren't good at whistling, but the short rest does allow him to regain his
N'Dateh finally returns to her weaker form, but stays lying and resting, watching the others discuss while she ponders the new mysteries that seem to be opening for her.
After a short while, she grows impatient, thinking of their comrades, whose saving was the point of this whole folly. She stirs and stretches like a lioness, then rolls to her feet: "Let's find the captain, yes?"
LIl stands silent as the muted celebration begins. When called on for translation she does so literally and without comment. Too much bloodshed... too much loss of life... the taste of victory seems a bit bitter to me.
She helps comfort any still injured frogkin, and uses here last spell slot for cure wounds on any near death.
"I too am not stealthy, nor good at the arts of woodlore, however if given a minute to give thanks to Eshu for our costly victory, I will be available to either accompany the group to find our scouts, or stay here to protect... whichever I am needed for the most".
Qwerbrac nods to Toki, stepping away from binding the wounds of one of the surviving frogkin. Gesturing toward the doorway that was once shrouded in darkness, but is now lit by the fluttering flames of a few oil lamps. It is a wide hall. A central oversized table with sturdy wooden benches sits in the middle of the room with two rows of much smaller tables and long benches lining the sides of the room. A smoldering cook pit with a still bubbling pot of gruel takes up the opposite side of the room while two sets of stairs climb up the back wall to a second level.
It is up the stairs that Qwerbrac leads and to a narrow door. Qwerbrac tries the handle but it seems to be locked.
"Grumph, was the one with the key. *croak* And Verrack's witch. They were the ones who kept the tallies of useful goods. *croak*" He says with a shrug. "Most of us *groak* were not trusted with such things. *groak* It was all *croak* kept here until being sold to those who also come for the prisoners. *groak*"
"Since not many prisoners taken this last season, *croak* not much is here. *groak* But you are welcome to what is here." He looks at the locked door. "Once we get in. *croak*"
Toki turns toward Dur and Dacknar, Either of you able to tackle this lock?
"Well I might have had past that walked on the shady side that gained me knowledge of how locks work. Let me take a look."
Dacknar pulls out his picks but before going to work. He take a good hard look for any traps on the door or lock.
If none found he picks the lock or to disable the trap.