Round 10, initiative 4
After deflecting the priest's attack Linah once again calls for Sarenrae's healing touch to close Sajan's wounds
Linah pours more healing into Sajan.
Round 11
Taking advantage of Sajan's block, Grall steps in behind the priest, sinking his falchion directly into its spine with all of his considerable magically enhanced strength, just below its armour. The point of the sword makes it all the way through its body, protruding through the front side and when the gnoll withdraws the blade several of the priest's vital organs come with it in addition to a fountain of blood.
The priest's morningstar drops to the balcony with a thud. Mortally wounded, the priest sways on its feet, choking out in common: ... Carrion King .... kill you all... Its eyes seem to focus on something you cannot see. Master! I served you! No! NOOOO! It dies face contorted in fear and pain.
Nuveril and Sajan each dispatch one of the unconscious gnolls.
The gnoll's alarm horn continues to sound in the background.
Linah lets out a sign of relief as the emissary falls to the floor. "Quick, we need to find Arjun!", she says then rushes to the exit to see if she can find a clue to where the alchemist has run.
Grall sheathes his weapon and picks ups the priests body and morning star, despite him being winded from the combat.
Someone should do a quick check of theirrr belongings to find out what they werrre doing herrre...we can expect to have theirrr full attention finally.
Linahrrr, wait forrr me. Rushing after the priestess.
Grall takes the priest's body and morningstar.
Between them the other gnolls had 5 scimitars, 5 heavy wooden shields, 2 longbows, 30 arrows and another half dozen spears which you could loot relatively quickly. They wear studded leather armour (taking that would also take time).
Tied to the belt of the gnoll that started the fight behind the gnoll beast is a sack that clinks with the sound of several more vials. Theres also the odd shaped pole that it dropped on the ground. It has some kind of screwable metal bit on the end.
Linah lets out a sign of relief as the emissary falls to the floor. "Quick, we need to find Arjun!", she says then rushes to the exit to see if she can find a clue to where the alchemist has run.
"My guess is something else has found the fire-thrower," Nuveril growls, nodding her head upward toward the sound of the alarm drum. As her battle-rage dissipates, her wounds seem to begin to bleed more freely, as if she has kept every muscle in her body clenched to choke off the flow until now. She shows no interest in the gnolls' equipment, as it is all too big for her anyway.
Linah stops dead in her tracks as Nuveril's wounds begin to flow. She emits a series of healing bursts once the downed gnolls have been delt with.
Linah then resumes her rush towards the entrance to try and locate Arjun.
If they are coming in force, we should meet them here. Good place to defend. Sajan says as Linah heals his wounds. Seeing that Grall has gone to protect Linah, the giant Vudrani frowns as he does a quick circuit of the building, seeking alternative entrances the group may have missed.
Linah stops to do some quick healing and then rushes outside followed by a fatigued Grall (with the dead gnoll still with its armour and gear over his shoulder).
After receiving healing, Sajan does a quick circuit. The room the priest came from appears to have been utilised as makeshift quarters but aside from a bedroll and some personal items you see nothing useful on your quick scan. Aside from the windows (ground floor at the front, second floor at the back) there appear to be no other entrances. It occurs though that most of the building is made of wood..
Linah heads outside. There is no sign of Arjun which she takes as a bad sign.
The gnolls appear to be mobilizing although none are yet in sight. You have a good view of the lower sections of the town here but can see little of the upper.
Sajan will close the shutters and report to Khalid.
Its defensible enough. Couple of windows that will need boarding up. The buildings made of wood though; we'd run a risk of being burnt out.
Grall looks at Linah and puts his hand on her shoulder,
We can not rrrush off without the otherrrs looking forrr him, I am sorrrry. He may be out of the town by now as full of fearrr as he was.
We should leave, if we let the Gnolls trrrap us herrre, they can starrrve us out or just brrring all of theirrr might on us and we arrre alrrready weakened. You must convince the otherrrs...at least we should hide in anotherrr building beforrre they arrrrive...
Sajan will close the shutters and report to Khalid.
Its defensible enough. Couple of windows that will need boarding up. The buildings made of wood though; we'd run a risk of being burnt out.
"I'll not die in a damned hole!" Nuveril insists, her wounds looking less immediately lethal after the cleric's positive energy washed over them. "Why you think we are 'safe' in a box with no exit and gnolls at the only door is incomprehensible. We run and fight as we go, using the terrain to our advantage. If worse comes to worst, we can scatter and each try our own luck against the split forces that can come against us; at least a few of us should survive." She moves quickly to the doorway to join Linah and Grall outside before she can be trapped within.
Sighing deeply Linah nods and takes one look at the lower part of town before rushing inside again. "We need to find Arjun. Quickly, we need to leave before more gnolls come!"
"I'll not die in a damned hole!" Nuveril insists, her wounds looking less immediately lethal after the cleric's positive energy washed over them. "Why you think we are 'safe' in a box with no exit and gnolls at the only door is incomprehensible. We run and fight as we go, using the terrain to our advantage. If worse comes to worst, we can scatter and each try our own luck against the split forces that can come against us; at least a few of us should survive." She moves quickly to the doorway to join Linah and Grall outside before she can be trapped within.
I never said we were "safe" Nuveril, but we have ran enough. I for one, wish to face this force they are assaying against us- and we stand a better chance against them in here than out there. Khalid, what say you? Sajan answers slowly, as he begins to barricade the window.
Sajan follows Khalid dutifully, but makes his opinion known.
This is a foolish course of action. The Gnolls from the guard house are likely already on their way. We have struck and run too many times- its time to make a stand.
Stopping to think a moment...
"Of course, we could storm another one of these buildings...for instance the guard house. Come along, Sajan. I think this is another case where combining philosophies can be of advantage to us."
A wise courrrse I think...my people will not attack until they have overrrwhelming forrrce. If we stay in the house they will do what they must to drrrive us out and kill us as we trrry to escape. Burrrning this place to the grrround would mean nothing to them...
Grall follows as Khalid leaves.
"What about Arjun? We need to find him. We can not let the gnolls take him!", Linah pleads.
Grall moves into position behind Linah, ready to grab her and throw her over his other shoulder should she try to leave the group to find Arjun...
He growls at approval at Khalid's statement.
Grall moves into position behind Linah, ready to grab her and throw her over his other shoulder should she try to leave the group to find Arjun...
He growls at approval at Khalid's statement.
Grall moves into position behind Linah, ready to grab her and throw her over his other shoulder should she try to leave the group to find Arjun...
He growls at approval at Khalid's statement.
But I probably can no longer move 40 wth the weight since he probably puts me in medium or heavy load with his armor. What kind of armor was he wearing BTW? The last aciton is more of a RP move than any actual ability to grab her...
"But we should still look for him!" Linah protests. "He can not have gone far", she continues and looks towards the lower part of Kelmare hoping to find a trace of the alchemist.
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"Linah, Stop. If we see any sign of him along the way to our next target we will do what we can for him, but I will not risk the mission or any of the rest of us to go after someone who wandered off when the rest of us went into battle."
Khalid lowers his head, almost ashamed...
"I know it is harsh, my friend, but we are in a harsh land."
Linah's shoulders slumps as she gives up. "We should not let the land take control of our souls", she sighs quietly and follows.
Grall moves into position behind Linah, ready to grab her and throw her over his other shoulder should she try to leave the group to find Arjun...
He growls at approval at Khalid's statement.But I probably can no longer move 40 wth the weight since he probably puts me in medium or heavy load with his armor. What kind of armor was he wearing BTW? The last aciton is more of a RP move than any actual ability to grab her...
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
It's some kind of protection racket. When I boot up out of Safe Mode, it pops up a window meant to look like a Windows notification that says my hard drive is corrupted, "attempts" to "fix" the problem, then tells me I have to purchase an Advanced module for "US 84.5" to repair the problem.
Of course, there's actually nothing wrong with my hard drive, as verified by a pre-boot diagnostic; they just want my credit card number. It clears off my desktop so the only icon on it is their "Windows Vista Recovery" icon and erases everything from my quickstart menu, although everything's still there if you go in through My Computer.
What it's doing is placing a driver in my system files under Program Data. The first one was C:\Program Data\41803512; when I deleted it in a "Could it really be this easy" attempt, it just installed a new one called 41869048. Before it shuts down my antivirus, I get a message that it blocked an attempt to download from searchalready/org/dfrg/dfrg, which is the fake Windows repair utility. And then it keeps popping up "security notifications" that my hard drive is unreadable, my RAM is corrupted, etc., etc., and won't let me close the demand for $84.50.
Okoya found this and wondered if it wpuld help, seems pretty relevant-
Apologies if this sounds obvious, but have you tried a system restore?
** spoiler omitted **
It wouldn't let me System Restore, but I don't think I was running in Safe Mode then. It kept shutting the system down when I was trying things. I'll add System Restore from Safe Mode to the list of stuff to try. The laptop did try a System Restore in Startup Repair one time when I rebooted, but that didn't do any good.
Why not move to the north end of the battle marrrket and attack them? It will be wherrre they least expect it and the Gnolls will not expect us to attack!
You tersely (and quickly) discuss your options and all leave the building, heading for the eastern path. Grall follows a distraught Linah closely, the armored body of the gnoll slung over his left shoulder, his falchion in his right.
Perception
Grall
Nuveril
Linah
Khalid
Sajan
Victoria
This time it seems as if the gnolls are coming for you.
You can hear if not see what sounds like a gnoll warband forming up on the upper section beyond the top of the short western path. The gnolls seem to be coming together from multiple directions, crying and yipping to each other, working up their bloodlust.
You can hear several gnolls calling The flame witch. The flame witch! She comes!
To the east you see a fast moving gnoll force come around the corner of the sloped path. In the lead are hyenas, foremost the enormous hyenadon you saw on the bridge (although this time without a rider). Three other normal sized hyenas run with it. The hyenas call out as they sight you, more of a roar from the large one.
Running behind the hyenas are four gnolls. Two are tall and lean with studded leather amour and recurve longbows and two are axemen in leathers with the usual shields.
Meeting these forces out in the open may yet cost us dearly. Sajan says grimly, loading his heavy crossbow.
Meeting these forces out in the open may yet cost us dearly. Sajan says grimly, loading his heavy crossbow.