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Message: <blockquote data-quote="arwink" data-source="post: 1167736" data-attributes="member: 2292">Blarth looms in the doorway.  He's half a head shorter than the gnoll, but the bloodied half-orc is easily wider than his opponent and his eyes gleam with psionic power.  The gnollish leader swings a battleaxe and catches Blarth on the arm, and seems slightly taken aback with how little blood comes from the wound. He blinks a few times, hammering the half-orc with the other weapon and getting a similar result.  Blarth swings his sword, and cuts a large gash in the gnolls chest.  The blow is easily as powerful as the two he's taken, and blood gushes out of the gash like a fountain.  The hulking leader howls in pain and frustration.  The half-dozen remaining warriors standing behind him start to think very carefully about charging into the frar.  At least one starts slinking back towards the stairway, getting only a few steps before he’s cut down by Halgo’s crossbow.  The hulking gnoll lets loose in a furious assult, swinging both axes with a surprising degree of grace and dexterity given his size and anger.  One of the weapons reflects across Blarth’s shield, but the other cuts through the half-orcs defenses.  Blarth grunts, moderately surprised that he’s been hit by something nearly as strong as he is for the second time in two days, but kept alive and steady by his mental control.  He swings in retaliation.  It’s a clumsy blow, one the gnoll easily ducks before righting himself and letting loose with a howl of glee.  Luckringer seems to flare with a golden light and the weapon bounces off the stone doorframe with unexpected force.  Blarth feels the sword twist in his hand, and by some twist of fate its blade ends up in the gnolls neck.The gnoll grunts, lashing out with his axe before stumbling back into his fellows with blood spurting from his neck.  Halgo sees the gnoll stumbling back from the doorway and picks him off with a crossbow bolt.  Blarth emerges from the doorway, blade swinging twice and cutting down the next two gnolls in line.  The half-dozen gnolls that remain, already doubting the wisdom of a frontal assault after the half-orcs arrival, decide that there is only the possibility of life containing more than an endless succession of battle and bloodshed if they flee the fight and continue living.  To a gnoll, they turn and start springing.  On the rooftop, Geoffrey and Yip have cut down all but two of the gnolls that swarmed up the ropes.  Both the attackers have taken grievous wounds, but are well armed and armored even by the standards of the band.  Geoffrey circles warily with a beast that wields a heavy morning star and a mithril shield, trading blows that rattle each others defenses.  Yip and the spear-wielding Gunnar fight the other, trying to punch through its defenses as it blocks blow after blow with paired hand-axes.  Blarth emerges from the trapdoor and distracts Geoffrey’s opponent, allowing the cleric to smite it down.  With the five defenders suddenly free to engage it in melee, the second gnoll lasts but a few seconds longer.As the gnolls body falls, everyone looks at one another in a kind of stunned surprise.  The air is nearly still, broken only by the frightened shrieks of fleeing gnolls and the tired breathing of everyone.  The battle has lasted a little over two minutes, but everyone feels like they’ve been fighting for hours.“You want chase?” Yip asks wearily, pointing in the direction of the fleeing gnolls.  There is a sudden sound of air igniting, and the frightened shrikes are suddenly cut short.  Halgo cocks and ear at the noise, trying to place where he’s heard it before.“Fireball,” he sighs.“Gods no,” Geoffrey says, although no-one is sure if he’s answering Yip’s question or simply expressing the sentiment they’re all feeling.  With weary determination, they pull themselves upright and prepare to repel the new threat.“Into the second story,” Halgo suggests.  “Close quarters if they can fireball us,” Geoffrey suggests.“We can hide,” Halgo points out.  “They can’t hit us if they don’t see us.  And nobodies dropping a fireball at their feet after they’re ambushed at close quarters.”Everyone descends into the room, taking up ambush positions and hiding as best they can.</blockquote>

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