• NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.

Deus Ex Machina


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"Yes sir!" the guards reply in unison, obviously gathering their courage upon receiving orders from Erran.

One grabs the colonel's body and throws it over a horse, which dances nervously, smelling blood. The guards mount up, preparing to break for the path down the hill to the main camp.

Back in the melee, the tent inferno casts a hellish light over the blood-soaked scene of carnage. Spider stabs his opponent through the heart, killing it instantly.

Grace's fumbling with his sword brings a harsh laugh to the lips of his opponent, and the goblin easily slips out of Spike's grip. The creature's humor is quickly cut short, however, when Fixem's blade takes off its head with a clean stroke.

Distracted by Craft's flaming morningstar, one of the remaining goblins never sees 3AC's warhammer crash down and end its miserable existence.

Dog and Erran return to the battlefield with the horses, who pull at their reins, snorting at the scent of blood and fire.

The last remaining goblin looks around vaguely, and seeing his predicament, draws a flare-wrapped arrow out of his quiver. Aiming straight up, he fires it into the sorcery-drenched night sky. In a brilliant flash of bright purple, the flare explodes, sending a shower of colorful sparks down onto the hill. The Dhakaani grins, and then prepares to meet its fate.

[sblock=OOC]End Round 5. Your turn. Updated map:
[/sblock]
 


Erran shakes his head. No, lads. Our orders go beyond killing a few goblins. We need to head up that mountain and seek this 'Coaldust'. Let's mount up and get out of here before we lose that option.
He attaches his mule's lead to one of the saddles and rides toward the mountain pass. Spider, you take rearguard and let us know if anything is approaching. Craft, can you see to any damaged units?
 

Spider holds the bloodstained short sword, and is staring at it straight. "Mission accomplished. Vermin terminated, taking new assignment. " Spider moves next to the horses, bow in hand.
 

"Mount the horse from the right side of the animal, grasp the neck-hair near the front of the saddle with the left hand, place left foot in the stirrup, swing right foot over the animal, and seat yourself in the saddle. Use the reins to guide, pull back to stop combined with verbal command 'whoa', left or ride to indicate direction, verbal command 'ya!' with loose reins and light heel tap for forward locomotion. Keep close formation to continue unit cohesion," Dog instructs rapidly from memory only, not experience. Its own riding lessons had been brief and perfunctory at best, as the heavy warforged were less suited for cavalry. And horses were the third most expensive thing in the army, behind magic items like weapons and warforged, and arcanists and artificers.

Instructions dispensed to its unit, it continues with the previous orders issued by the corporal and colonel, and spurrs his mount to action to leave camp and get to the first cave as quickly as possible.

"Ya, ya!"
 

Spike returns to the horses, looks them over, pats one very carefully, and runs after Dog on foot.

OOC [sblock=OOC]
Spiked Body and Horse = Dead Horse
[/sblock]
 

Grace easily mounts a horse and does its best to steady the horse under its heavier-than-human weight. If no one deals with the remaining goblin archer, Grace will attempt to charge it on its next turn.

[sblock=OOC]That's assuming these are warhorses, of course. Chances are Grace can't make the check to control a non-warhorse in combat. Chances also are that a normal horse can't bear a 300 pound rider very far or very fast :p
Grace's mounted charge on the remaining goblin (1d20+6=17, 1d8+2=10)[/sblock]
 

"I don't need a horse. I will be more effective on foot. If that is OK with you sir. With that Fixem will pull rear guard with Spider unless given other orders.
 


Into the Woods

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