The Morning star wielding hobgoblin, having just avoided twin attacks, finds himself in a bad position to counter. His awkward strike aimed at Bjarturius is poorly aimed at best and misses the Priest.
Th newly formed creatures join the fray, the falchion wielding fiend throwing himself down the dais stairs at Titus. Doing so, he passes next to Valka who tries to get him as he whooshes by her.
Valka AOO: Gladius Damage
Valka was slicing low at his feet from her position 5 feet under, hoping to hamstring the creature. What happens next is the exact opposite of the desired scenario: the hobgoblin leaps over her attack and uses the momentum gained to jump on top of Titus with an impressive two handed downward strike. Titus is caught completely off guard in his extended thrust lunge position. He barely has the time to raise his scutum: his only possible defense. The Falchion rips through the upper shield and slams into the legionnaire's chest, making a mockery of the boiled lather cuirass and biting deep into his shoulder and upper chest, GRAVELY INJURING Titus in a single blow.
To make matters even worse: the vermin reforming swarm is pressing north, now overwhelming both Titus and Bjarturius who feel the creepy crawlers climbing their legs and biting every opening available along the way.
The final primal Hobgoblin drops down from his position on the lower floor and rushes Valka from the south. She sees him coming in time and his battleaxe slash is angled off with expert skill by the warrior maiden's shield.
The old man back off a few steps, gives Bjarturius the evil eye while spitting out a curse at him: "The Evil Eye of Erythnul on you, Priest of a lesser God!"
The old hobgoblin hag meanwhile turns the corner and throws her last short spear at Gravus. The Dwarf spots the throw, times his response well, twisting his broad torso and letting the weapon pass him by harmlessly. But it was close.
When the vermin swarm starts attacking Bjarturius legs, he ignores it but asserts vigorously, his club high again, to the old man:
"You are NO match for te strengfh of te faitful of te Lort of Might!"
Fortitude (Distraction): 17
Gravus lets out a tightly held breath as the spear flies past him, narrowly missing his unarmoured frame. After quickly patting his flank to reassure himself that no harm had been done, he retrieves another elaborate vial from a different pouch. Twisting it in the same way to begin the energetic reaction, he casts the vial at the ground before him, causing a fiery blast to expand outwards and away.
Spitting blood, Titus staggers. His eyes loose focus at the force of the blow and when he opens them again he sees the horrors crawling up his leg. Some part of him wishes that his vision had not returned.
His God insulted, the usually jovial Bjarturius is now upset. He brushes off a few scores of the tiny vermin and thinks of his next move. But that Curse? Could it be real? His grandfather told him as a child of old Coruskian superstitions to ward off the evil eye of the beast. A simple gesture of the hand: index and pinkie held erect to form a horn, the hand waved in circle once over your head then backward as you spit out, to represent the casting off of the evil eye. Bjarturius always thought of it as wives tales and backward rural superstitions. His father surely thought so. But could his grandfather and village elders have been right all along?
So little strength remaining. Titus bites down on a beetle whose mandibles had clamped on his lower lip. He chews the insect and spits it out with some of his own blood.
"Pride of the Legionnaire" his Optio used to say. A man to whom the Fates had served so much harm he should just lie down and die. But not a Legionnaire and his accursed Pride: he will stand the pain like Prometheus himself, his liver eaten live by an eagle for all eternity for having sinned against the Gods. He will take the pain and fight back, onto death. Titus still has some fight in him.
End of Round 2
Start of Round 3
ROUND 3 MAP
ROUND 3 MAP 2
GRID MAP
Gravus uses the hard surface to skim the explosive concoction at an angle and thus channel the explosive force in a very precise outward direction. The Dwarf can't help but be pleased with himself: the resulting fiery force is strong enough to sweep all ground insects into oblivion and the inevitable fiery backwash both strong and gentle enough to wipe away the last vermin off both Titus and Bjarturius. Impressive.
The dwarf affords himself a self satisfied nod, but quickly thereafter cases a worried glance towards the goblinoid hag emerging from around the corner of the dais, and hurriedly pulls out his pugio.
Those hobgoblins are nasty, but Valka has got one target in mind: the Priest of Erythnul! Its the Second time he poisons her, and now he's gonna pay for it!
Valka, finding herself flanked by 2 of those primal savage humanoids, times her move. Having just deflected with her scutum the axe swing of the one standing on her path to the old priest, she pins down the hobgoblin's weapon to the ground with her own gladius, sacrificing its use to skillfully twist to her right and bypass him. The spinning maneuver ends with her slamming the spiked scutum into the priest. The spike itself rips through the ragged cloak and though it doesn't find flesh, the scutum impacts hard on the chest, causing him to grunt in pain.
Bjarturius indeed is upset, for no mortal, or even immortal, may insult the Lord of Strength, Courage and Might without incurring His wrath. "So veak, tis man, ant he tares talk like tis! He tares challenche te Lort, vit his tecayet boty! I vill preak his neck!" he thinks impetuously...
So much decay in this Empire, so lacking in real strength... Ah, the old ways! There's strength there, not decay and putrefaction of the ways! Strength against anything, even the evil eye! But at the same time, Bjarturius' warrior instinct tells him he needs to lend strength to the warrior-maiden, who soon will face three opponents, and not the least of which insulted his Lord! So he forgoes the ward against the evil eye, secured by his knowledge that his real shield is the Lord of Strength and his indomitable faith in Him!
He moves x21y11 -> x21y12 -> x20y13, calling on the name of "Korruudd!", first crushing the hobgoblin at x19y12.
Bjarturius takes advantage that the morning star wielding hobgoblin backed off for a moment, his primal mind scared by the fiery explosion nearby. Repositioning, the big priest is about to deliver a devastating blow on the creature that almost killed his new companion. But something is wrong: sweat in his eyes, second guessing, could it be the evil eye? No time to think and too late to follow the wisdom of his ancestors. Faith, faith in the God of Strength: that will save Bjarturius now.
Bjarturius grunts, aiming for the neck but missing it low by 6 inches or so. The great club, though not perfectly accurate, is wielded with such awesome strength it smashes into the chest, breaks many ribs and sends the creature reeling back.
Rallying himself, Titus sets to the task and creature before him, seeking to dispatch it before it can do more harm.
After he makes a solid thrust, he moves back a pace and a half, seeking to let the creature loose the tactical advantage that it now has.
Titus is badly bleeding, his chest wound burns so much it is almost unbearable. But the pain reminds him he is still alive. An opportunity: The Falchion wielder is sent staggering back by Bjarturius. Titus gives a classical equite backhand downward-arced sword-slash: quick to execute and economical in energy, two things crucial to him now. Not the most elegant blow, but it was conceived to hack down fleeing unarmored troops like velites, archers and slingers. In this case it does the job quite well considering the hobgoblin is buck naked: the abdomen is carved open wide, the creature collapses and dies, returning to the dark pool of blood that spawned him.
Titus sighs in relief as he retreats back a pace and a half. The morning star wielder sees the bigger Bjarturius as a more tempting target. Titus hates to admit it, but he breathes a second sigh of well earned life giving oxygen and peace for an instant. He is even more relieved when he sees the Coruskian able to parry the morning star successfully.
Valka's opponent, enraged at seeing his axe pinned for a moment, throws his body at the petite warrior, bowling her over for an instant, his axe swinging upward and catching Valka in her chain mail. Ouch those things are strong, Valka is sure she got a nasty bruise from that last rush. And wait: where did that Priest go?
The coward used the momentary distraction to withdraw west as fast as his old legs can carry him.
Valka spots that the enclosed area's entrance (SW) is covered by some kind of tarp.
The hobgoblin hag, now weaponless, also retreats west Gravus sees, making her way over the rubble to disappear in the hole of the collapsed area north-west, turning left (south).
END OF ROUND 4
END ROUND 4 MAP
END ROUND 4 MAP2
GRID MAP
START OF ROUND 5
Gravus almost moves to give chase himself, but with a growl of frustration he realises that his own legs are not long enough to match the speed of the fleeing pair.
"She's fled to the south," he states flatly as he steps closer to the legionnaire, his irritation managing to force itself into his usually gruff and even tone as he vents his anger by tossing his pugio forcefully towards the back of the hobgoblin assailing Bjarturius, "I suspect that's where that coward of a priest is headed, too."
Valka moan with pain when that big creature hit her. Part of her really want to run after the Priest now, but that hobgoblin need to go down! She attacks him with both her weapons and try to move to go around him too at the same time to get just a little closer to that Priest!
Seeing the priest flee, Titus calls out, Take care of those abominations, I have the old fool!
The pain is nearly crippling, but his thoughts are not for himself at the moment... The girl outside is worth a little more pain to save.
Gravus's pugio solidly plants in the hobgoblin's lower back, making him scream in intense pain.
Valka executes a darting gladius strike aimed at the hobgoblin's face. It is one of those all or nothing affairs and she isn't surprised when it misses, but Valerius had taught her the instinctive head avoidance it compulsively creates can buy you an instant in a fight. It does, she not only uses it to step into her opponent's right flank (by moving SW) but also slash the exposed right thigh with her scutum spike, leaving a deep bleeding wound. "Not bad, and worthy of Korud", Valka thinks to herself in her native Feruz tongue. Why did she think of that just now? That muscular Priest did, just now, take risks to aid her and Titus. Maybe his presence motivates her to push herself and succeed.
Turning about, Bjarturius looks at the legionnaire: he is courageous, considering the blow he took... Although the old Priest is weak in body, he could still reserve surprising foulness...
He moves to x19y12 (if possible) and raises his club, hoping to finish the hobgoblin and follow the old man to his lair...
Bjarturius raises his club while moving a step west and turning, his back now covered by the dais's side. The Coruskian has 2 targets available. The brave Titus is barely standing, Valka is holding her own: his choice his made. The hobgoblin reaches for his back, trying to dislodged the planted pugio. Big mistake. The great club smashes into his face with such brutal force the skull is crushed on impact. A rag doll, the hobgoblin collapses, turning to blood.
Titus pursues the old priest. As he approaches he readies his gladius to strike the foul man's legs, content to lob them off to slow his flight.
The last primal hobgoblin hops on his wounded leg, swiping with his axe at Valka who counters with the practiced efficiency of a well placed shield parry. The hop allows him to move so his back is away from his enemies
The old priest, seeing Titus catching up to him fast , storms his way through the enclosed room’s tarp and shouts, panting heavily:
“Erkin! Glaba!”
The tarp opened for an instant, Titus can briefly see inside the room. He spots a large cauldron at its center, the priest darting right and disappearing in the north-west corner.
Valka from her position sees him in that corner: he reaches for a crystal ball that rests there on a bronze tripod and shouts:
“Oculus Erytheusi, Diagoras clamo ob umbrae!”
END OF ROUND 5
END ROUND 5 MAP
GRID MAP
START OF ROUND 6
Gravus takes a moment to assess the situation, looking between the still fighting hobgoblin and the rock still in his hand several times before his gaze rests finally upon the fallen battle-axe laying on the stairs where it had dropped with the now formless remains of its former wielder.
Stepping purposefully into the mess, his sandals squelching unpleasantly, he takes up the weapon to put it to use against the remaining foes of his Domina.
Valka try her best to get by that last hobgoblin while I attack it with my gladius and shield!
"He's trying to use some kind of crystal ball!" Valka yells as loud as she can so everyone hears!!
Gravus grabs the battleaxe amidst the bloody mess. The weapon is crude, certainly unworthy of the Dwarven Halls, but it will have to do.
Valka launches a wide shield swipe (using the hard rim for impact), gladius slash and shield punch combo. The primitive reflexes of the creature are fast enough to avoid the first two but not that final strike. The scutum’s spike penetrates the chest and pierces the lower right lung. The Hobgoblin backs off, coughing green blood. Valka steps in to circle around him, her legs still feeling weak from the poisonous bites of the swarm. "God of Might and Strength! Humph!" Valka thinks "I may not be the tall ox Bjarturius is, but I do have speed and skill". Why is Korud on Valka's mind so? No matter, at least those thoughts are urging her to excel.
After the brutal headstrike on the hobgoblin, Bjarturius turns about to look at how the warrior-maiden is handling hers... He is pleased to see her fined-honed muscles put to good use, as she drives a spike into the wretched Bloot of Erythnul. The four minions are sent back...
"In Korud's name!" he clamors in his deep bass while moving past the warrior-maiden who seems a bit weak on her legs. Seeing this, he stops then at x17y15, then turns to help her straighten, and, with one hand on his Holy Symbol, looks in her eyes and says in a strong yet gentle voice:
"Let Him guite you!"
Maneuvering so close to the last hobgoblin, Bjarturius realizes something warriors of experience have known for ages: don't count on an enemy being out until you are sure he is. The primal creature makes an angry swing as the priest passes him by, but in his haste to strike he breathes in blood and chokes. The resulting attack is weak and Bjarturius easily avoids it.
Hearing the priest call out for support, Titus wavers. He moves forward cautiously, and holds his sword ready to attack anything that steps out from the curtain.
The hobgoblin hag emerges bursting from the collapsed area (NW), waving a morning star wildly and charging Titus with a loud shriek meant to unnerve him.
Meanwhile the last primal fiend, now badly coughing and vomiting blood, staggers and doubles over. Valka takes it as a sign to move in to finish the job, raising her gladius to deliver one final fatal blow: huge mistake. With its last dying breath, the hobgoblin jerks his axe upward and nails the blonde warrior in the upper groin/pelvis area. Red blood pours freely from the nasty wound. Valka tries to take a breath, but can’t, and collapses.
The Hobgoblin joins her on the floor, collapsing from his own fatal wound, and dissolves into a pool of blood around the maiden's fallen body, thick dark green mixing with Valka's red.
Titus was too focused on the curtain and reacts late. The old shrieking Hag isn't as strong as her primal counterparts, but her morning star, swinging in all directions, throws Titus off guard. The already gravely wounded and bleeding legionnaire makes a valiant effort to fight her off, but Titus is running out of steam. A blow lands square in his groin, his vision blurs. The following shot to the chest sends him crashing to the floor. Pain, then darkness.
END OF ROUND 6
END ROUND 6 MAP
GRID MAP
START OF ROUND 7
Bjarturius looks incredulously as his two companions fall almost simultaneously, from similar injuries! In a flash of comprehension, he grasps the lesson the Lord of Might sends him: the Trial of Strength, in combat, is in the end about enduring and resilience... One part being weaker weakens the whole, whether within a person or with several...
His hand unconsciously moving to his Holy Symbol as he grips it hard in realization, he wonders suddenly if this is why the Lord of Might wants His faithful to strengthen the people, and not just concentrate His strength in themselves?
Bjarturius, in his over-eagerness to punish the offending priest, failed to lend all of his strength to his companions...
The flash fades, replaced by the harsh reality of the two now fallen bodies of his companions. If Bjarturius failed in lending his strength to them, what better now than to restore theirs, then...
As only Korud can make it right now!
Bjarturius jolts forward and moves to x14y14, his hand still on the maces and spears star... A large inspiration, and looking to the sky he intones in a loud voice:
"Korud's vill!"
Gravus winces as the hobgoblin's blade cuts deeply into Valka's flesh, while Titus' fate remains hidden to him by the statues standing guard on the dais.
Hopping down from the steps, the dwarf drops the rock and cuts loose some fabric from his sleeve with the crude axe. Resting the weapon against his side as he hurriedly crouches next to his Domina, he takes out his waterskin to wash out the gory wound before trying to staunch the blood with his makeshift bandage.
When Gravus starts to put ANYTHING in Valka’s pelvic or groin area, that totally SNAPS Valka’s head back up (imagine a zombie coming back from the dead suddenly!!). She looks at Gravus with big wide eyes and a “What the HECK do you think you’re doing???” kinda look. Her head then gets all woozy from all the blood she lost and cuz she’s BARELY ALIVE! Pushing Gravus back (sooo ungrateful!), she makes a GREAT effort to get up using her gladius and shield for help and support.
“Don’t just … stand there …” she says to Gravus with difficulty
For a sec Gravus thinks she’s gonna drop back down again, but she doesn’t. Valka makes her way slowly, moving like a drunk, in the direction of the tarp, ending in front of Bjarturius
Seeing Bjarturius and Valka advancing in her direction with an unhurt Gravus, battle-axe in hand, not far behind, the old hag spits once in their direction, opts for the better part of valor and retreats behind the tarp.
In that quick moment the tarp is moved as she enters, the Heroes see no-one directly there
END OF ROUND 7
START OF ROUND 8
Gravus flinches back at the sudden movement from his Domina, his eyes widened in surprise, and as she pushes herself stubbornly to her feet, he can't help but be impressed with her fortitude, the wound she had received would be enough to fell most others and yet she presses on.
Reassured by this turn of events, the dwarf looks forward towards the tarp where the hobgoblin fled and his eyes find the prone form of Titus laying before it. At that sight, his fingers tighten around the shaft of his scavenged weapon until his knuckles begin to turn white and he rushes towards the tarp with the axe held determinedly in both hands.
Still clutching his 8-pointed Symbol, Bjarturius hardened face breaks into a wide smile as he sees the warrior-maiden rise, although it seems only the most elusive spark of strength lights her body. Still she moves, and even goes towards the danger! Such bravery can only be answered!
He turns to look at Titus, and his smile hardens a bit from seeing no change yet. The legionnaire's trial must have been tough indeed, yet he didn't flinch from danger even after being gravely wounded. Again this bravery calls for an answer!
Bjarturius moves to x12y14 and again calls to the sky:
"Korud's vill for the brafe!"
Valka continues her drunk-like barely alive movement forward! She goes on the other side of fallen Titus
Even if barely alive, she concentrate real hard on listening to what may going on inside the tarp area and keeping an eye at that collapsed area too just in case. If ANYTHING comes from any of those places at us: she attacks it with her gladius!
“Korud”. The name echoes in Titus’s muddled brain. “Did I just fall?” Titus thinks to himself. The legionnaire opens his eyes slowly. Everything in him hurts: his chest hurts, his groin hurts, his legs hurt, his head hurts, breathing hurts. The legionnaire squirms on the floor, struggling to reclaim even simple motor functions.
Valka tries hard to open her senses, but her head is buzzing with the tang of intense pain. Gravus, however, is unhurt, and he clearly hears something being said by the old priest. He cannot make out the words, but the rhythm in the voice, it sounds like a chant. Something else too beyond the tarp: a primal growl, similar to the one from those darn blood hobgoblins.
END OF ROUND 8
START OF ROUND 9
Titus wonders what happened... And realizing in an instant where he is and the danger there, he pushes to his feet. Valka looks as bad as he feels but he is encouraged to see the others looking so strong. He is however not as inclined to lead. He readies his gladius and prepares to hit anything that comes out of the curtain, and at the same time keeps a wary eye to were he saw the hag appear from.
Gravus glances down at the fallen legionnaire with concern, though as he sees the man's eyes flutter open he quickly dismisses the possibility of serious harm, assuming the soldier had merely has the senses knocked out of him momentarily.
Letting the axe drop into a low position in his left hand, the dwarf uses the other to grasp tightly onto the tarp obscuring the view into the room beyond, and gives it a firm tug.
Gravus tugs hard on the tarp and, though unable to rip it down, tugs it in his direction (S), allowing a partial view of the enclosed space.
A spear holding primal hobgoblin is standing there, and a second one, wielding a maul (2 handed hammer), is coming to life from its primordial blood at that very instant. The spear wielder, at the very sight of the Heroes, growls, his primitive blood-lust easily seen on his face.
Bjarturius, seeing finally movement of Titus, gives the legionnaire's a welcoming back-to-life smile. He is happy the Lord of Strength brought both of his companions back, but also still somewhat concerned by their slowness of movement... The wounds still bite deep, it seems... Korud's willing, he will help them once more...
Yet another time, he intones in his deep vibrant voice
"Korud's Strengfh!"
He finally moves to meet the Bloot of Erythnul at the side of Gravus. This Trial will soon end, he will see to it!
As Bjarturius moves past Titus to stand side by side with Gravus at the tarp's entrance a small rumbling sound is heard from above, a second before a strip of the ancient stone falls on Gravus and Bjarturius.
The culprit: a tiny 2 feet tall bipedal creature with dark green leathery hide, long pointed bat ears, a wide mouth full of sharp teeth and beady eyes that gleam of yellow. Standing on the rooftop , it grins evilly at the collapse it most likely caused.
Bjarturius is completely caught flatfooted by the stone trap.
But Gravus's race was born into stone: the Dwarf had spotted something odd and suspicious at a quick glance. The Tug on the tarp was strategically performed. Using the angle of pressure applied by the nails that pin the tarp to the stone, Gravus redirected west with craftsman's precision the falling rocks. They crash harmlessly in front of them. Bjarturius barely has time to realize how close this all was.
As an added bonus, the tarp is ripped from the nails by the falling stones, revealing the enclosed room to all. A large cauldron stands at the room's center, a makeshift cot-bed on the south-east corner, shelves and a small table line the walls of the remaining space.
Diagoras (he did name himself in the earlier incantation), holding the crystal ball, the 'Eye of Erytheus' (Bjarturius recognizes it of course), is not one but three: the Orb having triplicated the priest (there are 3 of him in the room). He stands at the south-west corner and is finishing an incantation that has summoned, from the blood of the mutilated breasts of his old hobgoblin hag partner, a second primal hobgoblin. The hag is also there waiting on the cot to surprise anyone who would have tried to barge in.
On the roof (seen by Valka and Titus only), the dark fey creature snarls in frustration.