Aicard's shield stretches out to bash the giant. Targrish flies in and slashes, his kukris doing devastating damage as he scores two critical hits! Orozomoc shoots her as well, leaving the giant grievously injured.
Meanwhile, Vashta surrounds the dwarf with mirror malefactors. They attack him, but the dwarf resists the spell and the illusions shatter and vanish.
"Ha! Let's go!!! For GORUM!" the dwarf declares, letting go of the barricade and allowing himself to float up into the air! He gets between Aicard and Targrish, his enlarged size allowing him to threaten both. He focuses on Targrish, entering a resolute stance before attacking!
The giant draws her greatclub and attacks Targrish as well, now flanking! She delivers two critical blows, paying the thaumaturge back!
The archers continue to shoot at Vashta. One arrow finds its mark.
HP 101/125 (Toughness)
AC 30
Fort +20, Ref +22, Will +21; fire resistance 5 (crown), poison resistance 13 (brass dwarf), xx weakness 5? (brass dwarf)
Hero points: 3
Active Harrow Omen: The bear (hammers)
Chaotic Destiny []; Incredible Improvisation []; crown of the fire eater []
Spells: 1st [][[][][], 2nd [][[][][], 3rd [][[][][], 4th [x][[][][], 5th [x][[][][], 6th [x][x][][], 7th [x][][]
Focus Points: 3/3
Effects:
Vashta hisses at the slight pain of the arrow, but looks far more dismayed by Targrish's pain. Frowning at the giant, she sends a horrific vision his way, before turning her attention back to the archers.
She frowns and ducks behind a nearby boulder.
for
for
Aicard refuses to enter the gravity zone but he does move closer to Targrish.
Despite resisting Vashta's spell, the mental anguish is enough to overwhelm the giant. She cries out in fear before her body goes limp!
Aicard and Oro both heal Targrish as he moves to attack the enlarged enemy dwarf! He exploits the dwarf's personal anathema as he slashes, but the dwarf seems to be quite resilient against slashing damage! Targrish's blade barely leaves a scratch.
"Ha! DIE!" the dwarf shouts as he swings his greatsword, slicing Targrish again.
The archers fire on Vashta, scoring no less than three critical hits!
Seeing Vashta going down triggers something in Aicard's rotten blood and for once, he doesn't mean giving in to it. He taps into the inherent anger and rage of his kind and unleashes it on their foes. "How about you try taking ME on? I could beat you with one arm on my back!"
HP 67/125 (Toughness)
AC 30
Fort +20, Ref +22, Will +21; fire resistance 5 (crown), poison resistance 13 (brass dwarf), xx weakness 5? (brass dwarf)
Hero points: 3
Active Harrow Omen: The bear (hammers)
Chaotic Destiny []; Incredible Improvisation []; crown of the fire eater []
Spells: 1st [][[][][], 2nd [][[][][], 3rd [][[][][], 4th [x][[][][], 5th [x][[][][], 6th [x][x][][], 7th [x][x][]
Focus Points: 3/3
Effects:
Vashta lets out a cry as the arrows nearly kill her -- they might if not for her old friend's help -- then flashes a smile at Oro as her new companion seals many of the wounds with merely a touch. Her gaze turns back to the archers, becoming steely.
"I will deal with you in a moment," she threatens, casting a spell of protection first that sends her various Varisian scarves whirling around her
[ooc]Cast whirling scarves at 7th level (so DC 7 flat check), then cast guidance on Oro
Targrish's form shimmers with magic as he slices at the enlarged dwarf.
for
Oro heals Vashta as the sorceress defends herself with whirling scarves. Aicard delivers a critical strike to the dwarf, but Targrish is unable to get past his armor.
The dwarf spits some blood from his mouth and grins at Aicard. "A worthy foe! GORUM!!!" He slashes at the paladin, who deflects the attack with his shield. The enlarged dwarf then invokes a spell, conjuring a storm of greatswords to whirl around him!
The archers continue to fire at Vashta, but only two arrows make it past her defenses.
HP 35/125 (Toughness)
AC 30
Fort +20, Ref +22, Will +21; fire resistance 5 (crown), poison resistance 13 (brass dwarf), xx weakness 5? (brass dwarf)
Hero points: 3
Active Harrow Omen: The bear (hammers)
Chaotic Destiny []; Incredible Improvisation []; crown of the fire eater []
Spells: 1st [][[][][], 2nd [][[][][], 3rd [][[][][], 4th [x][[][][], 5th [x][[][][], 6th [x][x][][], 7th [x][x][x]
Focus Points: 3/3
Effects:
Bedeviled by the archers, Vashta frowns at them. Moving closer, she unleashes a spell, sending a brilliant spray of colors to catch them all.
"Enough of you!"
The dwarf's magical assault manages to dance around Aicard's shield, but it doesn't matter. The tiefling and the dwarf are trading fatal blows, and Aicard feels like he's coming out on top. "You play the role of the villain admirably, my despicable foe. But we both know that in the end, the villain always loses!"
The conjured blades pierce Targrish, though protective magic protects him somewhat.
The dwarf hovers in the air and his amulet shimmers while he strikes out at the Gorumite.
for
As Oro moves to heal Targrish, Vashta moves to get the enemy dwarf and two of the arches in a prismatic spray! The dwarf shouts in pain as a red beam burns him. A violet beam slows one archer, while the other one is weakened by the poisonous green beam!
Aicard delivers a powerful blow to the dwarf Gorumite, then Targrish scores a critical hit!
"Argh! Cover my retreat!" the enlarged dwarf commands. He turns to flee, moving sixty feet further up the stairs!
The archers shift their aim to Aicard and Targrish, opening fire on them! Targrish takes a critical hit!
HP 35/125 (Toughness)
AC 30
Fort +20, Ref +22, Will +21; fire resistance 5 (crown), poison resistance 13 (brass dwarf), xx weakness 5? (brass dwarf)
Hero points: 3
Active Harrow Omen: The bear (hammers)
Chaotic Destiny []; Incredible Improvisation []; crown of the fire eater []
Spells: 1st [][[][][], 2nd [][[][][], 3rd [][[][][], 4th [x][x][][], 5th [x][[][][], 6th [x][x][][], 7th [x][x][x]
Focus Points: 3/3
Effects:
"You can run, but you can't escape your fate," Vashta calls after the fleeing dwarf, again pulling a card: The Lost. A horrid vision of a bodak leaps from the card as it falls from her hands, dissolving to reappear in her deck. It races after the dwarf, spinning around him to confront him in terror.
Targrish's amulet is the only thing keeping him in the battle. He weaves a deceptive spell around himself and flies down toward the archers.
Aicard throws himself to the left to intercept the arrow coming right for Targrish's throat. Shortly after, the thaumaturge turns invisible, leaving Aicard to his own devices. Seeing the other dwarf, their villain, trying to escape, Aicard takes aim at him with both shield and word. "Don't run, the lesson has only just started!"
The dwarf partially resists Vashta's spell, but he is frightened by its effects. Oro fires a strategic arrow into the dwarf's back, then Aicard hurls his shield, scoring a critical hit! It bashes the back of the dwarf's head in, and he groans and collapses, swiftly dwindling back to his regular size!
With their commander fallen, the other mercenaries turn to retreat, heading further up the Storval Stairs!
"Well, that was quite the little fight, dears," Vashta says, displeased not only with her nearly fatal injuries, but also the damage to her clothing!
Targrish settles lightly to the earth, then steps out fro mthe shroud of invisibility.
"Yes, not your average bandits. No wonder the clans wanted our help." The dwarf grimaces at his wounds. "Too bad we couldn't find out who set them up to this, but I'm in no condition to go harrying over the Cinderlands."
"After we tend our wounds, dears, let's take a look around and see if there was more to this tale."
After Oro's minstrations, Targrish pokes around the ambush site for documents or clues.
When you return to the checkpoint after healing up, you find it is occupied once more. This time, three harpies perch upon the barricade of logs and debris, halberd at the ready. They shriek with malevolent glee as they prepare to dive down at you!
|
Having commmuned with the spirits here and enticed two new wisps into his fetishes, Oro eyes the winged shapes with a deep sense of unease.
"Brace yourselves for this. Harpies are not to be taken lightly."
He raises his bow, but before drawing it, he thinks back to the stars he'd consulted at break of day. What did they augur for this battle?
Seeing weal in the stars, he looses an arrow, confident in the knowledge that you've got to aim just under their buzzard's collar of white feathers.
Oro's aim is true, as he injures one of the harpies. But a few moments later, the creatures dive in to attack in a war formation, remaining adjacne to one another and using their halberds to maintain reach as they slash at Aicard!
One of them only makes one attack, following up by singing a haunting, captivating melody!
Success: The creature is unaffected.
Failure: The creature is fascinated, and it must spend each of its actions to move closer to the harpy as expediently as possible, while avoiding obvious dangers. If a captivated creature is adjacent to the harpy, it stays still and doesn’t act. If attacked by the harpy, the creature is freed from captivation at the end of the harpy’s turn.
Critical Failure: As failure, but if attacked by the harpy, the creature can attempt a new save at the start of its next turn, rather than being freed at the end of the harpy’s turn.
Kept at bay by a trio of polearms, Aicard hides behind the barricade that is his shield. When one of the attacks manages to slip past his defenses, he involuntarily grows a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth. He can feel how his blood is starting to boil.
HP 125/125 (Toughness)
AC 30
Fort +20, Ref +22, Will +21; fire resistance 5 (crown), poison resistance 13 (brass dwarf), xx weakness 5? (brass dwarf)
Hero points: 2
Active Harrow Omen: The bear (hammers)
Chaotic Destiny []; Incredible Improvisation []; crown of the fire eater []
Spells: 1st [][[][][], 2nd [][[][][], 3rd [][[][][], 4th [x][x][][], 5th [x][[][][], 6th [x][x][][], 7th [x][x][x]
Focus Points: 2/3
Effects:
Vashta shakes her head, pulling a card out of air. As she glances at it, she looks at the nearest harpy. "The Trader. Let's see what he holds for your futre," she says.