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Joska easily counters the outcast's attempt to attack her with his scimitar and presses back with her own attacks.
Kevin spits flesh out out his mouth and shouts "Oh! That is disgusting! Not going to do this again! Nope!" as he pulls his dagger and attacks the mongrel he bit.
With their surprise effective, as quick as she can, Nicolette pulls her daggers from their sheaths. The flail is her big worry, as feeling its crushing blow intimidates her more than the spear. With agility, she attempts to dodge both. She watches partially as her allies combat their foes and is somewhat horrified by Kevin's actions.
Missy kept her eyes open to the battlefield, observing everything she could. The best way to keep people healthy was to just prevent injury in the first place. So when she heard the sound of a bow's string and arrows flying, she reacted quickly. By shoving against Amelia's leg, hopefully knocking her out of the way of the incoming arrows.
After doing that, she glanced around the battlefield. Joska and Kevin had their foes pretty well in hand, but Nicolette could use some help. Likely Meraati as well. So she slid in between the two taller people, before lashing out with her dagger against one of the mongrels that were in Nicolette's face.
Callen ducks the blow of the charging traitor, with his shield raised up to help deflect the oncoming weapon. From his strange, low angle, he can't help but chuckle as he sees Kevin spit the mouthful of mongrel flesh out and expels his curses. He drives forward, trying to thrust up with his longsword into his foe. He is admittedly more skilled with his fighting mace, but the long sword is more capable of a deadly wound, and that is what is needed right now.
Thankfully, earlier she had placed her daggers in their sheathes and concealed them a little bit under the folds of her cloak. With the guards not searching them, they still sit there easily reachable. Quickly the medic draws them and swings at the one bearing the spear.
Missy's sudden lunge pushes Amelia back just out of the oncoming path of the arrow. What would have greviously wounded her instead impacts into the wall behind Amelia. In return, Amelia snaps of two arcane bolts that both veer toward the mongrel archer and strike her. Meraati then directs her demonic glare at the archer, shaking her to her core.
Joska's blade cleaves brutally through her already wounded foe, leaving the traitor in two pieces upon the bloodstained floor. Quickly she spins on her feet and closes in on the opponent facing down Kevin. Switching to the dagger tucked in his garb, Kevin thrusts for his foe, catching him under the chin. Yet somehow the creature remains standing, though looks noticeably weakened.
After saving Amelia for near certain doom, Missy brings the small blade to bear, but has difficulty working into the melee between Nicolette and her two assailants. Nicolette moves to a defensive position and flicks out with a quick strike, though finds no purchase for her blade. Callen turns his sword against the charging mongrel, but the tight space prevents him from striking successfully.
The mongrel that has suffered from Kevin's assault steps to the side, allowing him and his ally to try and bring down the paladin.
Meraati's direct assailant thrusts once more at her.
The pair facing Nicolette split their efforts, with the spear wielder striking at the half-elf, and the one armed with a flail going after the diminutive halfling.
Callen's attacker rears back and swings again.
The arachnid-formed Mongrel, seeing the tide of combat not going in her favor, darts through the door but stumbles, then runs for the southern end of the room, where she throws open another door.
Her the mongrel she'd flanked moves in a direction she doesn't intend to go, Joska must content herself with a quick slash at him with her sword before moving up to take some heat of Meraati. To ensure she gets the attention from the mongrel she wants, she pistons her arm out, bashing him with her shield.
Meraati makes a jab at the one attacking her, if Joska hasn't yet finished them off.
If they are already down, she moves towards, but not within direct reach of, the fleeing one, drawing her whip.
Missy cursed as the attack snaked out and hit Meraati before she could provide any aid. She'd have to just deal with the pain for now, because the middle of a battlefield was not the place for first-aid. Ducking out of the way a flail-swing, she rushed forward, trying to drive the point of her dagger into the mongrel's gut.
Kevin again stabs at the one he bit. He then tries to follow the one to the south door.
Seeing the female mongrel fleeing toward the door, he realizes the danger of one escaping, "Don't let her escape!" He is concerned leaving Amelia back with the traitor, but tactics are key. He dodges out of the melee, dropping his sword and shield, before snatching out his bow. As he gets in the clear, he snaps off a shot at the fleeing traitor.
Nicolette can see Meraati in trouble, as well as the fleeing woman. The tide of the battle in her eyes is still precarious, especially for Amelia. The girl has shown little combat prowess and more nervousness. Missy, however, cannot handle herself against three of these traitors. With a quick swish of her blades, Nicolette strikes toward a rib of the first and an artery on the second one of the foes attacking her.
She then takes a tactical step, dodging hopefully any incoming attacks.
Amelia looks at the mongrel next to her as Callen runs past, a touch of fear on her face. Shaking it off, she tucks into a crouch as she weaves a spell, flicks of electricity dancing on her fingertips.
Joska's heavy sword swing strikes down the mongrel that had earlier suffered Kevin's wrath. Turning quickly, she punches out with her shield, catching the one confronting Meraati in the side.
Meraati snaps out with her rapier as the archer runs past, drawing a trickle of blood. She then brings it back against her aggressor, causing a wound even as the mongrel is shield bashed by Joska.
His first foe defeated, Kevin turns the mongrel in between him and the archer, snapping his dagger around in a cruel blow.
Missy lunges forward with her dagger and stabs the mongrel before her with surprising force. Nicolette then swipes at each of the pair with her twin daggers, causing wounds on both.
Callen evades the mongrel's attempt to stop his movement and makes it around to an open line to fire at the fleeing Archer, catching her in the shoulder.
Magic missile -6
Rapier -5
Longbow -11
Taking an arrow to the shoulder, the arachnid archer spins around and snaps off an arrow at Callen, even as a nearby mongrel turns to stab Callen with their short spear. The halfling is caught unprepared and takes both blows. The archer then darts through the door.
The mongrel southeast of Kevin swings again with his axe, but he seems shaken by the encounter and has little conviction in his attack.
Having taken the shield bash from Joska that opened him to Meraati's blade, the sickly thin mongrel who had exited the other room turns towards Joska and thrusts upwards with his ragged blade. It catches her where two plates meet, and punches deeply into her kidney.
Having survived Amelia's shocking spell, the mongrel turns his cudgel and swings at Amelia, but fails.
The flail wielder swings his mighty bludgeon again, but Missy manages to duck under the dangerous blow.
Joska grunts at the unexpected pain of the stab wound, then snarls at the mongrel as she answers with another set of attacks.
Kevin tries to clear a path to go after the archer attacking the mongrel again.
Amelia lashes out with her dagger at the mongrel threatening her purely by instinct.
After the blood sprays across her face, she stumbles back a few steps in shock.
Missy could hear the sounds of her allies getting hurt, but they were too far away to help. She grits her teeth at that while ducking under yet another swing of the mongrel's flail. "J-Just go down already!" With a yell of anger, she tried to drive the dagger into the Mongrel's thigh.
Callen ducks away from his pursuer to charge after the archer, knocking an arrow as he runs and letting loose as soon as he can see his target.
I forgot I had access to something resembling Power Attack because of Feat Tax.
Meraati attacks the same mongrel that Joska is hitting.
It is clear that she was able to tempt the foe away from Amelia. "Thank goodness. Let's see what she can do!"
Hopefully, now with more space to work, and Nicolette potentially ending the threat in front of her, she will be able to flank with her allies.
"Wait...where is Callen?"
With no time to think, she attempts to sidestep the enemy and finish him with two swift slashes.
She looks briefly around, only to see the halfling combating something out of sight and going after it. "Is that his blood on the ground?"
Amelia and Nicolette both thrust a dagger into the scorched mongrel, ending his miserable existance.
Joska's heavy sword blow kills the mongrel standing before the doorway, allowing her to take a quick step across and deliver a bash with her shield to the foe south of Meraati.
Kevin thrusts at the mongrel before him, but his blade just gets hung up in the man's hide armor. His distraction, however, allows both Meraati and Joska to hit, finishing the mongrel off.
Missy stabs one more time into the mongrel with the flail, and finally, he collapses at her feet.
Callen's shot catches the arachnid archer above the shoulder, in the neck. She lets out a cry as she tumbles and crashes into the wall of the stairs, unconscious.
The lone standing mongrel, suddenly shocked to see all his brethren cut down, draws a look of panic and rage, and charges the one who initially wounded him, Nicolette. Sadly, even fueled by hit bitter rage, he is unable to stab her.
Joska rushes the last of the mongrels, finishing with a strong swing, perhaps too fast and too strong.
"Damnit!" he quietly blurts out, even as his target falls. 'Someone down those stairs had to have heard that...' he thinks even as he steps back into the chamber and closes the door.
Turning around, he sees the lone fighter swinging wildly at Nicolette. He considers his own wounded condition before raising his bow and snapping off a shot.
With most of the enemies dead, she was able to turn her sight on what really mattered. Healing her allies of their wounds. Amelia was hurt, but she was stuck behind everyone else. Nicolette could handle her, so she hurried off to Callen's side. Ducking down a bit to inspect Callen's wounds, she clicked her tongue. Arrow.
Glancing up at him, she made an executive decision. A small prayer slipped past her lips and her hand started to glow golden as she placed it against his side.
With Callen showing up once more, evidently victorious but wounded, she is put at ease when Missy heals him. Now she is able to focus more directly on the battle. The blade comes in and she dodges it. Somehow, she manages to shift under it to his flank. With Kevin hopefully moving in, she waits until the traitor is distracted from all sides.
"Those ones don't get to live to later cause problems either," she mentions in regard to the foes stuck outside.
Callen's arrow strikes home as Nicolette slices into the last remaining defender, and the mongrel collapses to the ground. For a moment, at least, you are alone in the chamber. Yet from the stone doors that lead out to whence you came, you can hear the muffled yells and pounding of those locked outside.
Joska draws a couple of deep breaths from her exertion before speaking.
"Very well done all of you. That could hardly have gone better. We'll get through this."
She looks toward the door leading back out the way they'd come in.
"Seems they want to come in. We should oblige them. If there's an alternate way around we don't want them taking it. We'll stop them cold at the threshold."
Joska takes up a position directly in front of the doors and readies herself, waiting for someone to open them.
Kevin looks around and says to everyone, "Grab your gear then we hand the ones outside. Joska and I at the front and the rest behind us. It would be good for two of you to guard that door the bowman went out. When we are ready if someone would open the doors. Does anyone need healing?" He then begins to put the rest of his gear on and readies his scimitar for battle.
Nicolette flicks the blood off of her blades, then using the clothing of her fallen foe, she wipes them clean. Quickly she assesses the situation.
"Yes, Callen and Meraati need healing, and Joska took a horrible blow," she answers Kevin, in particular, pointing to Joska who took a critical stab to her kidney.
She will distribute a potion to Callen to drink, and one as well to Meraati.
"Drink these, quickly, before they burst through that doorway." Kevin can easily handle Joska, but if the woman needs more healing, Nicolette will Kevin's healing efforts.
Joska shrugs.
"Eh, it's just a scratch. It can wait until later."
As Nicolette comes to heal him, he points to their partially mended state after Missy's efforts. "Thank you Nicolette, but Missy already lended her skills. I think Joska can use your talents more at this point."
He goes back over near the door and recovers his discarded gear, tucking his sword in his scabbard and securing his shield at his back. "I can cover the interior door, while also assisting... if necessary... as you deal with the three behind us."
He goes back to the southern door, cracking it open and listening to hear any activity beyond it.
Missy breaths out a sigh as the fighting comes to a halt, hurrying over to the dropped equipment. Sticking the dagger away, she grabbed her mace and strapped her shield back onto her arm. There, now she was properly set up for a fight. "I-I got plenty more magical healing if need be. Haven't even really tapped into my reserve."
Moving north to stand beside Joska, she nodded at the door. "R-Ready to take them out whenever you all are."
Amelia moves to gain sight of the archer again and lets out another pair of multi-colored missiles. Both strike solidly into the mongrel archer.
Your group assembles before the stone doors exiting the chamber back into the underground, and removing the bar, pulls them open. The mongrels on the other side hear the scraping of the locking bar from the other side and are prepared for the encounter.
INITIATIVE
From across the room at the southern doorway Callen draws his bow and prepares his son. The range back to the stone double doors was but a trifle to an archer. Still, he had many allies in front of him, causing Callen to consider his target carefully. He recalled the monstrous brute they had seen outside, and plans to aim for his large figure as soon as the doors opened. Assuming he is within sight, Cal will snap off a shot at him.
Callen's concern for his allies causes his shot to fly high, skipping off the stone ceiling.
With a brief halt between when the others perished and now with these seeking to enter, she observes those who have been killed. Were they faking? Did they have any readily obvious gear that would be beneficial to the coming fight?
If truly dead, before the others enter, she will activate her spell in an effort to become more capable.
"Great One who has blessed me with powers from beyond. Give freedom to these who bear a life down here. These fools have oppressed and trapped them far too long. Give me your boon, please."
Nicolette is hardly ever ready for combat. With her divine host's boon, as well as darkness seeming to cling to her like an odd ink, she is as ready as she can be. The medic had sheathed her gear in favor of her needles due to the tactics of the situation. With the doors now open, she hurls one after the other at the foe in front of her.
When the door opens Kevin attacks with his scimitar hoping to score a hit on the mongrel before it is ready.
Meraati starts a rhyme about kicking @ss.
Joska smiles down at Missy reassuringly when the halfling comes to stand by her. Joska likes her, she may lack some self-assurance, but Missy is truly brave.
When the door opens Joska waits for a mongrel to come to her before striking out.
Missy... can't smactually do anything to help here at the moment. The way was full of better fighters than her, so she was just stuck waiting behind them. To either shove them out of the way of an attack at them or to heal anyone injured.
The stone door swings open, with the trio of mongrels on the other side. Before anyone else can react, Nicolette snaps off a pair of her razors that tear into the face and neck of the man who spoke earlier. With a gurgle, the back-swept sword that had replaced his crossbow falls from his hands ashe hits the stone dead.
Meraati's voice strikes up another empowering tune, bolstering your will to defeat your foes.
Kevin tries to get a swing at the hulking brute, but glances off his armor as Callen's arrow streaks harmlessly overhead.
Joska leans in with a vicious blow that cleaves a massive wound in the brute's chest, but he still remains standing.
Missy stands ready to defend her allies.
Amelia weaves her arcane magic and launches two bolts at the spearman in the back.
Across the chamber, Callen had previously cracked the door and listened in. His scout's ears are focused, and he catches a distant reaction. Two voices, a long ways off, echoing up from below the stairs. "Cries of pain that be, swears it." "No, yelling blind, ain't trouble no." "bah, know you nothing, checking be wise." slowly, an unbalanced footstep, like a heavy limp, begins making its way from wherever the voices originate from.
The mongrel brute, heavily wounded by her attack, swings his axe at Joska.
The spearman, now lacking a shield in the form of his ally, lunges out directly at Kevin.