[IC] Wandering Star : Heroes of the Middle Reaches (Part One)

[helium3]

With a screech the last guard drake falls to wooden floor of the porch in a gurgling heap. The thief in the darkness south of Zarathas shrieks, "NOOOO!!!" and rushes at Zarathas, slicing him with his dagger. He fixes Horto with a glare, then turns and nimbly flips himself over the railing to his right. He falls the distance to the ground below and lands gracefully in the manner of the other hafling's earlier maneuver.

The cloud of shadowy wisps disperses and the other thief lashes out at Horto, slicing several deep cuts into the fighters sword arm before stepping backwards off the steps and into the shadows to the south.

The sound of the third hafling fades as he flees though he calls out, "I'm hurt real bad Boss!!"

[sblock=Zarathas]Hafling moves up and then attacks with Mobile Melee Attack (26 vs. AC) and 5 damage. Then moves (no OA) and makes two medium difficulty acrobatics checks, the first to handle vaulting over the railing and the second to absorb any falling damage taken from jumping off the porch.[/sblock]

[sblock=Horto]Hafling attacks with Mobile Melee Attack (22 vs. AC) and 6 damage. Then moves (no OA ) two squares and then moves more with another move to the position shown.[/sblock]

[sblock=Jorje]Illusory Ambush does not confer the -2 penalty to attack unless you hit. The last hit's -2 penalty to attack went away at the beginning of your last turn.[/sblock]

[sblock=Charlotte]I noticed you didn't take a move on your last turn. Would you like to have done so? Same with any minor actions you may have wanted to take.[/sblock]

[sblock=Varilar]Your turn.[/sblock]

 

[Redclaw]

Varilar looks at his companions and says, You three can handle the haflings. I will attempt to save the wizard. He then moves swiftly across the balcony and attempts to vault to the ground below, driving his dagger past the other elf's defenses.

[sblock=ooc] Move Action: move to K23, vaulting the railing and absorbing the shock of the drop. Acrobatics checks to mimic the halflings, 13 and 17
Standard Action: Piercing Strike vs. elf, Crit! for 8 damage, if he even gets to attack. [/sblock]

 

[helium3]

The elven rogue shouts instructions at his compatriots and races up the porch towards the imperiled Wizard. He attempts a graceful one handed vault over the railing but misjudges the maneuver and lands squarely with one leg on either side of the wooden beam.

[sblock=Varilar]Failed the initial acrobatics check so you can't leave the square that contains the railing as part of a move. You can get over the railing without making a check by using an entire move just to do that or you can attempt the acrobatics check again to do it as part of a move. To do either you will need to convert your standard to a move. Or you can use your standard action to do something else. You still have a minor action as well.[/sblock]

 

[Redclaw]

[sblock=ooc] I only have one ranged attack, so I would be tempted to use Trick Strike vs. the elf from that railing, throwing the dagger Varilar is already holding. However, I would hate to take advantage of knowing it was a crit, so I'll reroll, hits AC 14 for 9 damage, and slide him one square SE. If it's a miss (probably), I still get to slide him any time I hit him throughout the combat. [/sblock]

 

[The Digger]

Charlie curses as her star misses the target. As he does so she catches just the briefest glimpse of the elf leader. Decision time!

Barely a second goes by before she opts to follow her wounded prey. From the sound of things the drakes are finished now so there should be enough folk outside to deal with the elf.

That decided she hurries after the halfling trying to keep him in sight and readying another star as she goes.

 

[helium3]

Chasing after the hafling thief, Charlie sees him dart to the left around a corner. From his footsteps, she can tell he's just barely out of sight.

In desperation, Varilar chucks a dagger at the Elven Archer but his throw misses by just a hair's breadth. None the less, he can tell that the Elf Archer has been seriously thrown off balance by his near brush with death.

[sblock=Zarathas]Your turn.[/sblock]

 

[Blackrat]

[sblock=Zarathas]Your turn.[/sblock]

[sblock=OOC]Agh, bad timing. Weekend not good. No time to make decision right now, I'll try to post tomorrow. But I can't promise I can make it. If I haven't posted in 24 hours from now, just NPC Z'. Use At Wills.[/sblock]

 

[Blackrat]

Z's combat attuned senses have registered somewhere along the fight that there's someone harassing Jorje. The halflings seem only a minor threat, so he rumbles down the stairs and runs to help the mage.

[sblock=OOC]I'm a bit loss on how to count movement in 4e. If I got it right, diagonal costs 2, and moving the stairs costs double. so moving diagonal on the stairs is 4? Well anyways, Z uses two move actions to get as close to Jorje as possible. I'll leave the counting to you helium [/sblock]

 

[helium3]

The Dragonborn Paladin roars and runs down the stairs and towards the menacing Elven Archer.

[sblock=Ranver]Your turn.[/sblock]

 

[helium3]

[sblock=OOC]I'm assuming that Ranver's still AFC for now.[/sblock]
Starting at battle joined on the previously quiet flank, Ranver moves closer to the Human Wizard and summons another arcing Lance of Faith. Even though the shadows cloaking the elf make him hard to see, the blinding arc of radiance strikes true, boring a sizzling hole in Elf's chest.

[sblock=Roll]Critted on the attack against the Elf's reflex defense. Max damage is 12.[/sblock]
[sblock=Zarathas]You have a +2 power bonus to your next attack against the Elf Archer.[/sblock]
[sblock=Jorje]Your turn.[/sblock]