Khalid, following Azarek's monosyllabic instructions, hastily assisted him into his armor. Having been at best, a mediocre student of own profession, the intricacies of the buckles and straps that distributed the massive weight of the armor completely baffled him. Unable to tolerate his nervous fumbling for long, Azarek finally pushed Khalid away and finished the task himself. Shayla followed Gorak out of the portal while Khalid gathered up his belongings. Dropping out of the portal right on Shayla's heels, he immediately pressed himself flat to the ground. He raised his head up and quickly glanced to the west, blinking in the morning light. A dust cloud of considerable size hovered over the road, heralding the imminent arrival of the military convoy. Startled by the proximity, Khalid hurriedly launched into his preparations, casting a spell then reaching out and touching Shayla on the shoulder. With barely a breath between, he drew out a scroll, frowning slightly as he spoke the final words of activation. Pilfered from the clutches of Ruwayd's captor, it was a spell he was unfamiliar with and had never had the chance to fully study, but given the circumstances he was willing to expend it. Again, he reached out and granted the magic to Shayla.
Gorak and Azarek were similarly involved, while Shayla kept a watch on the approaching Dwerro. Azarek was planting arrows point first in a semi-circle around himself within easy reach, while Gorak, kneeling in front of Khalid, growled out the words to a spell with his hands buried in the damp earth. Khalid searched around, picking out the markers Gorak had set the night before that indicated the boundaries of their first line of defense. Crawling up beside Gorak, Khalid completed the last of his defensive wards, and tried to flatten himself as low to the ground as he could. Azarek and Shayla mimicked him, their eyes on Gorak, who remained crouched, watching the road.
The seconds that followed felt like hours while they waited for Gorak's signal. Unable to clearly see the road through the grass, the sounds of the approaching Dwerro were more than enough to tear at Khalid's fragile courage. Through the rising din, his mind worked to make sense of the chaos; the grate of flexing armor, weapons clanking, the snorts and grunts of the boarish mounts, a knights raucous laugh, and above all, the measured beat of the infantry's march. Sweat slicked Khalid's palms and dripped down his face, and his mouth dried to the point he worried he would be unable to fulfill his role in the looming battle. Briefly, his spirits soared as he contemplated the possibility that Gorak too had lost his nerve and would let the caravan pass. He should have known better.
Gorak raked his hand across the earth, shouting words of power, and ripping open a shallow trench in the earth in front of him, that spread along the ground, parallel to the road. A vast, howling gale erupted from the elemental rift, flattening the grass around them, and stripping the battered hat from Khalid's head. Shayla rose up from the grass, not stopping as she stood, flying into the air under the power of Khalid's spell. Her blazing curls danced in the wind, like the flickering flames that played across her long, delicate fingers. Power resonating in her beautiful voice, she halted in the air, and leveled her hand at the Dwerro. In an instant, half a dozen of the mail clad infantry vanished in a ball of fire, the glowing remains of their armor and weapons clattering to the scorched earth.
The Dwerro reacted like the professional soldiers they were, scattering into the ditch on the other side of the road while the screams of their comrades still hung in the air. The four knights at the head of the column spurred their porcine mounts into a charge, and cut directly towards them, seeking to come around their left flank. From the rear of the troupe, the fur clad battleragers rolled to their right, drawing out wicked two handed axes as they ran. Clearly, they sought to encircle the ambushers, driving them against the line of infantry and the metal plated wagon. Just like Azarek and Gorak had predicted.
Both groups hit Gorak's defensive works at the same time; piercing squeals from the mounts mingled with the shouted curses of the skirmishers. The blades of grass in front of them had grown razor sharp and hard as steel at Gorak's urging. Invisible against the foliage, the magical trap shredded the soft under pad of the boars hooves and sliced through the soles of the Dwerro boots. The mounts bucked and reared, sending two of the knights tumbling to the ground. The others tried desperately to control their resisting mounts under Azarek's steady gaze as he drew back his bow. Loosing an arrow, one of the knights screamed out in pain as the arrow sunk deep into his upper thigh, between the plates of his armor.
Barely raising his head about the scant cover of the grass, Khalid called out the words to a spell, gesturing at the skirmishers on their right. Already wounded and hobbled by Gorak's trap, they were rendered practically immobile as a blinding explosion in their midst coated them with golden dust. On the other side of the road, the infantry tried to find cover from Shayla as they fitted bolts to their crossbows. Firing in unison, most of the volley of bolts was scattered by the force of the gale roaring in front of her. The sole bolt that made it through exploded in a shower of sparks as it impacted on the defensive spell Khalid had enacted from the scroll.
Shayla kept her attention on the infantry as Gorak raised his hands into the air, calling again on the fury of the elements. The grass on the opposite side of the road began to flail about, seizing hold of several of the Dwerro that were mustering to charge, and pinning them to the ground. Azarek reached for another arrow and fired, then cursed in anger as a knight's hastily raised shield deflected it. Seeing the knights whipping their mounts frantically, forcing them through knife-like grass, Khalid opened a gate over their heads, smothering them in noxious fumes and causing them to retch and gasp for air. Launching into another spell, Khalid's voice mingled with Gorak and Shayla's, spells rolling from their lips with barely a pause for breath between. Above, the rumble of thunder threatened from the clear sky at Gorak's call, while Shayla incinerated another group of the crossbowmen. A sharp report split the reverberated through the air as a stroke of lightening arced down from the sky and electrocuted a lagging berserker.
Inside the giant wagon, the drivers lashed at the massive pigs straining in their traces, urging them forward; straight into another of Gorak's traps. It proved barely effective however, as the huge beasts seemed unfazed by the thick mud the encountered. Oblivious to the noise and chaos around them, the boars plodded on, dragging the wagon through the mire, hardly slowing despite the enormous weight of their metal barding and the pull of the caravan. Their cover rolling away, and their formation broken by the savage attack, the remaining archers began to fire as quickly as each could reload. Reserving her more powerful spells, she eviscerating a cowering archer with a handful of shining magical discs. Foiled by the magic protecting Shayla, the archers turned their attention on Gorak. The wall of wind scattered most of the bolts, but not all and Gorak's bark-like armor failed him. He flinched aside as one dug a furrow in his leg, then staggered back as a bolt lodged in the thick muscles of his shoulder. Shrugging off the wound, he called down another blast of lightening, half blinding Khalid as it touched the feathered crest of a knights helm. Smoke boiled out from the cracks in his armor, as the Dwerro slid off his mount, tumbling to the earth to lie shaking and twitching at the feet of his mount.
Azarek, still in a kneeling position, drew back his compound bow for another shot. Ignoring the crossbowmen, who where being systematically destroyed by Gorak and Shayla, Khalid returned his attention to the berserkers. Repeating the words to his last spell, Khalid tore open another gateway, drenching the flanking skirmishers in toxic fumes. Blinded and sickened, they staggered helplessly through Gorak's spell, streaming blood as the blade-like grass continued to pierce their feet. Khalid stuck his head up, and surveyed the battle quickly, for the first time beginning to hope they might actually prevail. The attackers on their flanks were incapacitated, and would be for some time. Gorak and Shayla were handling the crossbowmen while Azarek fired relentlessly at any target that was presented. Considering his next move, Khalid was about to launch into another spell when he caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye; the air shimmered and warped in an all too familiar way as a Dwerro unlike any Khalid had seen before materialized beside him. Clad in a gold embossed cuirass crossed with a crimson sash and cloak, the Dwerro's skin was as dark as Gorak's. The polished steel helm left the lower part of the warrior's face uncovered, and a long white mustache hung down almost to his belt. Khalid absorbed all of this in an instant, before focusing on the huge warhammer that was descending rapidly towards his head. The Dwerro's battlecry mingled with Khalid's shriek as he rolled out of the way. Blue sparks erupted from the ground as the hammer thudded into the earth in the spot where Khalid's head had been only a second before.
“Azarek! Gorak! Help me!” Khalid cried shamelessly as he struggled to get to his feet and away from the threat. In a scene straight out of one of his many nightmares, the implacable Dwerro advanced, milk white eyes narrowed in rage and hammer held high for another blow. Khalid knew it had been nothing more than luck that saved him from the first blow. The Dwerro would not miss again. Raising his hands in a futile attempt to ward off the inevitable, Khalid closed his eyes in anticipation of the end.
The clear ring of steel on steel split the air. Amazed to discover he was still alive, Khalid opened his eyes to find Azarek standing over him, shield raised protectively. Thwarted again, the Dwerro spat out a vile curse as Azarek drew his sword. Oblivious to the chaos around them, the two warriors circled warily, probing for a weakness.
Gorak, too pragmatic to be concerned with the niceties of a fair fight, glanced over his shoulder and broke the stalemate with the flick of his hand. A bolt of lightning flashed down and blasted the Dwerro, sending him reeling backwards. Azarek seized the advantage and lashed out, smashing a deep rent in the Dwerro's breastplate. Dazed and wounded, the Dwerro mumbled out a word of command through numb lips as he leveled a blow at Azarek. Stepping into the swing to steal the force of the blow, Azarek caught the hammer on his shield. Again blue sparks erupted with a thunderous detonation, but whatever the intended effect, Azarek's inhuman will shrugged it off.
Overhead, Shayla continued to rain down destruction on the cowering soldiers. Gesturing at the berserkers, she incinerated them in a blast of flame, briefly burning away the foul smoke that enveloped them. Khalid, freed from any immediate peril, took the opportunity to blind a pair of archers that had failed to put enough distance between themselves. Another bolt of lightening directed by Gorak eliminated one of the remaining knights and Shayla finished off the other with a jet of white hot flame.
Seeing few opponents remaining, Khalid looked to the caravan, rumbling away to the east. “Shayla!” he shouted above the howling wind. “We've got to stop, yes, stop the caravan! Kill one of the boars!” Finishing off the last of the archers with a stream of glittering darts, Shayla looked down and nodded, willing herself over the gale and after the wagon.
Gorak glanced up and shouted, “Wait damn you! Don't go alone!” but his words were lost in the roar of the wind. Turning to follow, a grunt from Azarek pulled him up short. The Dwerro warrior, hardier than he appeared, had shrugged off the initial assault, and was slowly gaining the advantage on Azarek. Limping slightly, Azarek raised his battered shield to deflect another blow, staggering backwards as the Dwerro's swing clipped the bottom and slammed into his ribs, crumpling the edge of his breastplate and driving it deep into his side. Reeling, Azarek's feeble counterattack was easily turned aside as the Dwerro pressured him relentlessly.
With a growl, Gorak spat out the words to a spell, his eyes still on Shayla. As his hand burst into flame, he flicked a glowing cinder directly into the face of the Dwerro. Only his hastily raised hands prevented the warrior from being blinded, as the searing flame burned his arms. Forced to fight two opponents, the Dwerro immediately went on the offensive, trying to best Azarek and even the odds. Backpedaling, Azarek took blow after blow on his shield, while Gorak stalked the warrior from behind, burning him badly each time he saw opening in the Dwerro's failing defenses. The Dwerro, recognizing the threat too late, turned and swung and Gorak, driven him backwards with a powerful blow from his hammer. Azarek leapt forward and swung with all his strength, smashing his sword into the Dwerro's helm. The metal crumpled and buckled beneath the force, like the Dwerro himself. He slide to the ground, hammer falling from nerveless fingers.
Not sparing a moment for the fallen foe, Gorak jumped into the air, his body blurring into the form of an eagle as he sought to catch up to Shayla. Hindered now by their defenses, Khalid and Azarek were forced to circle around, to avoid the trap. Shayla reached the wagon, and was about to fly past it to deal with the draft animals, when a hatch on the roof popped open and a Dwerro, holding a massive crossbow, emerged. Before Shayla could alter her course, the Dwerro aimed and fired.
For an instant, Khalid was sure the Dwerro had misfired. The bolt tumbled through the air well over her. Like Shayla, he recognized the danger too late, when the projectile burst and a weighted silken net dropped over her. Struggling frantically, Shayla thrust an arm through the bonds and screamed out words of power, her voice shrill and panicked. A sizzling line of flame skipped across the metal plates on the roof, narrowly missing the rope and the Dwerro holding it, who promptly vanished into the wagon, closing the hatch with a bang. In unison, a half dozen slots opened up on the sides of the behemoth and a volley of bolts soared into the air. A shower of sparks and debris exploded around Shayla as the bolts impacted on her magical shield. Khalid couldn't believe that the magic held. Until Shayla looked up, straight at him. Against her pale white skin, he could see blood streaming from the the terrible gash on the side of her face.
Khalid was close enough to hear the twang of the bows when the second volley flew out. This time, there were no sparks. Shayla stopped struggling, going limp as she slowly spiraled to the ground, still being dragged behind the caravan. Fear seizing his heart, Khalid ran heedlessly towards the wagon, while Gorak dived down from above and reverted back to his natural form. Bolts whizzed past, as Khalid reached him. Azarek, hindered by his clanking armor, ran past, still favoring his right leg. Holding his shield out he tried to offer cover while Gorak struggled to cut the rope. Seeing their assailants give up the pursuit, the Dwerro released the cord, hoping to leave their pursuers behind.
Gorak roared out the words to one of his most potent restorative spells, but when he touched her wounds, they didn't mend or close. Standing up, he grabbed hold of Azarek, who gasped, then stood up straighter, placing weight on his wounded leg. With murderous rage in his eyes, Gorak ran blindly after the caravan. Stunned as the realization of what had happened settled in, Khalid knew he couldn't abandon Gorak, and turned to follow. Azarek cursed, and struggled to keep up.
In the rear of the caravan, a ramp opened, falling with a crash to bounce and jump along behind. For a brief instant, they could see straight into the belly of the beast, before five armored Dwerro, with huge tower shields stomped out of the back, in perfect lockstep. The ramp was drawn up, and the Dwerro, each dressed in a thick coat of mail and carrying light spear, formed into a phalanx in the center of the road. Gorak slowed to consider the threat, but Khalid ran right past him. Unfortunately, for the Dwerro, their carefully planned positioning turned out to be a terrible mistake. Skidding to a halt, Khalid thrust out his hands and shouted out the words to a spell. A chaotic torrent of blinding color swirled around the Dwerro warriors, overwhelming their senses. Shields and spears dropped from nerveless fingers as the soldiers toppled over, rendered senseless from the magic.
Approaching the wagon, the grim reality of the situation became painfully evident. Bolts continued to sail past, coming dangerous close. “So whadda we gonna do wit this bitch when we catch er?” Azarek cursed, as he deflected a bolt harmlessly away with his shield. “Knock politely?”
“Khalid?” Gorak growled, trying to staunch the flow of blood from the wound in his shoulder. He was breathing heavily, and blood soaked his leather jerkin, dripping steadily into a growing pool at his feet.
Khalid wracked his brain for any possibility, any hope that might remain. But this time, there was no goblin fire oil; no scroll to bluff with; no wand to block the caravan's passage. “I have nothing left,” Khalid replied weakly. “My powers, yes, are exhausted.”
Gorak, hands clenched into fists, threw his head back and howled in rage at the uncaring sky. The three of them stood in the middle of the road, watching helplessly as the dust shrouded wagon trundled slowly away to the east. Tears of grief and frustration welled up in Khalid's eyes as the evidence of their failure rolled inexorably onwards to Caer Morag, while the price they had paid to achieve it lay unmoving on the ground behind.
* * * * * * * * * *
Notes:
This was a great fight, despite the outcome. Shayla just made the mistake of assuming that, since I've been playing D&D for years, I actually know what I'm talking about (which is rarely the case). We should have been expecting some type of anti-wizard defense, but nobody was really expecting a net. Worse still, I remember watching Galeman roll - I think he critted her 4 or 5 times and went through something like 70 pts of protection from arrows, and about 25 hps in 2 or 3 rounds. At the end, I had no offensive spells left, after the color spray, and Gorak was around 1hp, with no cures left.
I also remember Galeman hinting that he didn't think we'd actually attack that many Dwerro
and *something* that we did, tipped our hand and cost us the surprise round. We went first, but didn't get the surprise round - which meant Shayla was only able to get one fireball off before they all scattered. I think if we'd surprised them, we'd have probably won but it was still nice to see our plan work pretty much the way we expected it too. Except for the dying and the losing of course.
