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"This is bad," thinks Tommi as he bleeds onto the grass beside the orc corpse and the stampeding giant boar. He knows objectively that it isn't the beast's hot breath he feels, but the warmth of the blood on his leg is deceptive.
"Sherlen's gonna kill me."
Tommi sucks in air and rolls back, over his shoulder into a standing position. It's a graceful move that he's practiced, and would have looked great, putting him just outside the range of the boar-rider's pike, had he not staggered as the blood rushed from his head into the direction of his feet, but not quite making it.
He staggers back a few steps, Gutter hanging in his right hand, and he pivots and runs.
OOC:
hp. 11/33
Ill-advised plan: Stand (15' move), Disengage (action), Move 15' east (rest of move), Move 30' east (bonus dash).
So that puts him 45' east, and perhaps out of range of a charging boar. Reaction to halve any damage incoming. If none, and if someone ends their turn within 5' of him, he moves an additional 15'. "Skirmisher" huh.
Marauding gnolls (Ardeep Forest, noble hunting party hostage)
Orcs in the north (Harpshield Castle, Floshin Estate, Newfield)
Lizardfolk with steel weapons and armor (Rock Tower, Crom’s Hold)
Spells
1) 4/4 Absorb Elements, Cure Wounds, Hunter’s Mark
2) 2/2 Pass Without Trace
4/4 Boon of the Elk. Can cast Knock four times (without the loud sound) as an Action. Until he uses the last one, non-good aligned Fey count among his Favoured Enemies.
Vairar - elven cleric
Tommi - human rogue urban bounty hunter
Dandin - halfling bard guild merchant
Enseth - warforged war cleric shield guardian
Angis Honack - dwarven ranger outlander merchant
Titus - human Waterdhavian noble fighter
Lionel - halfling rogue folk hero
Escella - Human sorcerer
Dandin was feeling rather down on himself. He wasn't doing a lot of good here, though he was trying. And now they were at the gates. He did see one big orc on an auroch of all things and it looked like it was wounded. He took one last turn at the arrow slit, hoping to peg the orc before calling Ol'Sooty to follow him to the gatehouse.
There was not much left of the arrow slit now and soon the orcs would pour in. Suddenly, there was a big crash from the gatehouse and Lionel wondered if the front door finally had given in. The orog in front of him did not relent and kept picking away at the arrow slit. Stop it! Lionel shouted and brought down his sword yet again.
As the door exploded inward and the boar charged him, Vairar set his pike, not to impale it, there was no time, but to hold himself steady. The beast hurt him, sure, but he didn't give an inch of position. As the lance of the orc rider hits him too, intense electricity races back over the shaft shuddering the orc harshly.
Vairar frowns and grits his teeth, but holds the spell in place. Moving aside, hiding behind the wall from the archers, he casts off his pike and dons the shield on his arm, closing some of his wounds in the process.
Sergeant Ryallan remains close to the great beast and stabs into it. The boar flinches away and the next attack just leaves the bristles on the side neatly split in a line without drawing blood.
"Get the boar! And kill that Orc caster!"
Closest guard gets his bow up, but in all the comotion misses the boar. The ones on the arrow slits don't have the luxury of choosing targets, both target their respective orogs, trying to get them off the slits.
Unfortunately, only one manages to actually hit his target, orog already slowed by the wounds from before.
Things began to go badly at the gatehouse. The door was down, and Vairar and Sgt Ryallan struggled to hold the breach. Blow after blow thundered down on his shield as Vairar strapped it into place. The boar-rider had taken a serious shock from Vairar's lightning, but stayed on, such was orcish tenacity. Vairar's host of elven spirits swarmed about, doing their best to bring down the foe. Their presence kept the majority of the orcs at bay for now, but they threw javelins and arrows into the breach. Sgt Ryallan could not stand to such an onslaught, and he was brought down by an arrow that struck him between his helmet and shoulder plate.
At the north tower, the orog struggled to get his pick into the stone of the arrow-loop. Dandin put an arrow into his shoulder, and left the elf guard there (who was struck by an arrow as he moved up, but his helmet saved his life). Dandin found his bear waiting in the hall and he moved toward the main gate-room. The portcullis was half-up, to give those at the gate a chance to pull back. Dandin wondered if now was not the time as he saw the elf sergeant fall and Vairar, standing behind his shield, blocked blow after blow, while Escella and another elf guard tried in vain to find targets out of the remaining arrow loop.
In the south tower, Lionel stabbed down at the orog there. He was doing well - holding his own against a terrifying foe. His elf guard companion fired an arrow past his hip that struck the orog in the eye, and it fell dead below the opening. Then there was shouting, cursing and grunting as two orcs took up the spot, climbing on the large body of their fallen ally. They struck their picks into the stonework and a piece of the wall crumbled down, showing them in brick and dust. The wall now open wider, an arrow came through and struck the elf guard in the stomach. She fell on the floor and gurgled, leaving Lionel alone, saddened and frightened.
On the roof, Angis traded blows with the Ogress. He struck her twice with his axes before being knocked hard with her club. He grunted and spat and for a moment, he forgot all his troubles.
Down the road, Tommi ran and a boar rider chased him. In turn, ORB5 chased the rider, firing little missiles that struck the orc, but failed to slow him down. Tommi felt shooting pain as the rider's pike struck him from behind, and he stumbled forward. It was close, but it was not yet a fatal blow. The pain made his eyes tear up, but through the haze, could see a raven flying toward him. Further away, in the growing light to the east, Tommi could see the shapes of several larger animals coming out of the forest.
GM:
Resolutions
(PCs) Angis did 6 & 7 (axe) to Ogress
Dandin did 8 (bow) to Orog1
Escella missed (EB) OrcEye
Lionel did 18 (sword) to Orog2 (dead) Tommi ran Vairar did 16 (thunder) to OBR1 & healed himself 5 (HW)
-Spirit Guardians* did 7 to OBR1 & 6 to DB1;
(NPCs) Ol'Sooty dodged Sgt.Ryallan did 6 (bow) to DB1
SunElf Guard1 missed (bow) SunElf Guard2 missed (bow) SunElf Guard3 did 7 (bow) to Orog2, died ORB5 did 13 (MM) to OBR2
Auroch dodged OrcAurochRider dodged DireBoar1 missed (gore) Vairar
DireBoar2 dashed OrcBoarRider1 did 10 (pike) to EEG
OrcBoarRider2 did 5 & 8(4) (pike) to Tommi (Down) Ogress did 11 (club) to Angis
OrcEyeofGruumsh did 7 (heal) to OAR
Orog1 missed (pick) AL1 Orog2 died OrcArcher3 did 11 (bow crit) to EEG (dead) OrcArcher4 did 6 (bow) to SEG3
OrcArcher5 did 9 (bow) to SEG2
Orc2 did 8 (pick) to AL4 (destroyed) Orc3 missed (javelin) Vairar Orc6 missed (pick) AL4 Orc8 missed (javelin) Vairar Orc9 did 6 (javelin) to EEG