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<blockquote data-quote="Rel" data-source="post: 1015" data-attributes="member: 99"><p><strong>Guerillas in the Mist</strong></p><p></p><p>It was dark when they made it back and the party was tired from their long trek through the snow. But they were in good spirits considering how well their attack on the orcish patrol had gone. Arc was happy to see the group as well. Speaks used his magic to talk to Arc again and asked him to check their back trail to see if they had been followed. Arc obliged this request and left the cave as the rest of the party settled down to eat and rest through the long winter night.</p><p></p><p>Arc returned a scant five hours later and seemed agitated. Krase (who was on watch) woke Speaks but unfortunately he didn't have another <em>Speak with Animals</em> spell ready. He interpreted Arc's agitation to mean that there was someone following their trail. They decided to keep watch outside the cave in order to see if anyone was approaching their camp.</p><p></p><p>Krase took the first watch but as he had been on watch for quite a while already, he quickly grew tired. He woke Ilrath and turned the watching duty over to him.</p><p></p><p>An hour later, Krase was awakened by Ilrath saying, "Someone is coming." Looking around, he realized that Ilrath had spoken to him using his amulet. Krase quickly awoke Speaks but they decided to allow Rhys to sleep since any interruption interfered with his spellcasting abilities. As Krase emerged from the cave, he saw Ilrath charge a large form in the darkness outside the cave.</p><p></p><p>Moments later, three more of the large forms moved into the area outside the cave and it became obvious that they were under attack from the dreaded Undead Wolf Riders. </p><p></p><p>The riders charged by Ilrath one by one, stabbing with their spears. The barbarian suffered little damage from these attacks as his mithral beastplate and steel shield deflected most of the blows. Ilrath would normally have hacked a few out of the saddle but these riders deftly moved their mounts out of his reach as they made their attacks.</p><p></p><p>Krase emerged from the cave next and moved alongside Ilrath to meet the next charge. He was followed by Speaks who took a moment to observe what was going on. Seeing that undead wolves the size of horses were involved, he screamed for Rhys to wake up and join the fray.</p><p></p><p>The wolf riders charged in again and scored minor hits on Krase and Ilrath. But this time they stayed in melee range so that their mounts could attack as well. As it turned out, death hadn't done the giant wolves any favors with regards to speed in combat. The lunged clumsily at the dexterous barbarian and warrior and their attacks were easily dodged.</p><p></p><p>Ilrath swung Slashbane against the wolf rider that attacked him (coincidentally the same one he had struck on the initial charge) and slew him outright. His swing carried down into the riders putrescent mount but it proved quite durable.</p><p></p><p>Krase's swords darted in to strike the warrior opposite him. He struck with his grandfather's blade but not with the deadly Heartneedle. The orc seemed contemptuous of his prowess and drew back to strike with his spear.</p><p></p><p>Meanwhile, near the cave entrance, Speaks stepped forward and thrust his spear at another of the riders. He struck the orc, causing him a minor wound. Arc lunged in, bravely evading a thrust by the orc's spear and bit at the legs of his giant, undead cousin. He found the taste not to his liking and longed for the days when they had fought the bone warriors.</p><p></p><p>The riderless wolf that faced Ilrath again lunged at the barbarian. But enduring the stench of its rotting breath was the only damage that Ilrath suffered. The other nearby orc and wolf attacked Krase who was able to dodge both attacks. A fourth rider came forward to engage Ilrath and was able to find a way through the barbarians defenses with his spear.</p><p></p><p>Off in the darkness, Speaks waged his own private war against the other mounted orc. His spear didn't connect on the next thrust and neither did Arc land a tooth on the wolf. But the orc and his mount weren't so lucky as they appeared. A moment later, the darkness was illuminated by a torrent of flame produced by the wand of <em>Burning Hands</em> wielded by Rhys who crouched in the mouth of the cave. Unfortunately, the flames also engulfed Arc who yelped in pain.</p><p></p><p>Ilrath reversed his swing, hoping to cleave through the undead wolf he had struck previously and hack into the latest orc to arrive on the scene. He did strike the wolf but failed to bring it down. Krase swung again at his foe and this time both blades found their mark. Orcish viscera fell on the rotting flesh of his mount.</p><p></p><p>At that same moment, Speaks thrust again with his spear and the orc he faced fell to the blow he delivered. Arc again showed his bravery by continuing to battle the wolf, even with the threat of Rhys flaming the whole area again.</p><p></p><p>The last wolf rider left saw that the situation looked grim for his team. He gave his wolf the spurs and retreated from the battle off into the darkness.</p><p></p><p>In the moments that followed, the party quickly dispatched the undead wolves. Ilrath and Krase both gave chase after the escaped wolf rider but it soon became obvious that the wolf moved faster than either of them could and attempting to catch up was an exercise in futility.</p><p></p><p>They returned to the cave where Speaks and Rhys had already gathered the party's belongings and made ready to travel. While the warriors were off, tracking the wolf, Speaks and Rhys had also searched the bodies of the fallen orcs and discovered yet another of the amulets of communication. It was becoming obvious that the orcs were using the amulets to coordinate information between their patrols and that made them doubly dangerous. The group wistfully understood that their location was now known to the enemy and that others were likely to track them down if they didn't move. They shouldered their packs and began to make their way northwards in the darkness.</p><p></p><p>They only traveled a couple of hours before they stopped. A heavy snow was beginning to fall and few of them had gotten much sleep. Krase was about to locate a small stand of Novantae Pines, trees whose thick branches droop all the way to the ground. Crawling beneath the branches he showed the group that the tree provided excellent shelter. The party crept up next to the trunk of one of the largest of the stand to find a sizable amount of space sheltered from the weather. They spent the remainder of the dawn hours nervously watching for any signs of pursuit.</p><p></p><p>The following day, the group decided to rest and heal from the battle with the wolf riders. Krase, Rhys and Ilrath spent most of the day swapping stories beneath the branches of their tree. Speaks wandered through the nearby forest until he located some juniper berries upon which he used his <em>Goodberries</em> spell.</p><p></p><p>Ilrath dug his way out of the snow that covered the branches of their tree to go relieve himself. As he did so, he, Rhys and Krase spotted the unwelcome sight of a raven circling to the south. Krase used his amulet of communication to send a message to Speaks that a raven had been spotted and to stay under cover. Speaks replied that he had gotten their message and took cover under some thick trees to wait.</p><p></p><p>What became of the raven was unknown because Ilrath, Rhys and Krase huddled under the cover of their tree, staying out of sight until Speaks returned a few hours later. As nightfall came on, Speaks decided that it was too crowded under the tree for the five of them and went to another Novantae Pine close by accompanied by Arc.</p><p></p><p>During the night, the party rotated "watch" (more appropriately called "listen" since they were entirely enclosed by the drooping tree branches and a 5 inch thick layer of snow). Rhys was on "listen" when he heard a noise, specifically a "clank" to the south. It was shortly followed by another and he sent Tavis burrowing through the snow to see what was causing the noise.</p><p></p><p>Tavis climbed a nearby tree to get a better vantage, her winter coat of white fur blending seamlessly with the snow covered pine. After a few moments, she indicated that a sizable party was approaching from the south. In a few more moments, she confirmed that they were orcs, many of whom were dressed in scale mail which accounted for the clanking noises.</p><p></p><p>Using Ilrath's amulet, they informed Speaks of the situation. Speaks couldn't reply because he had already used his amulet for the day. He decided that he would get ready and spring into action as soon as he heard the rest of the party take action.</p><p></p><p>The remainder of the party stayed hidden under their tree and hoped that the orcs wouldn't be able to find them. It had snowed all day and they hoped that it had obscured their tracks enough to baffle the orcs. Tavis kept reporting the orcs locations as they drew nearer and nearer to the tree. Four orcs had the tree nearly surrounded when Rhys heard wings flapping above as though a bird had just flown out of the tree branches. He gave Krase and Ilrath a panicked look but before he could say more, the world exploded in flames.</p><p></p><p>Speaks' eyes went wide as some kind of illumination lit the night bright enough to be visible through the several inches of snow piled on his own tree. He gripped his spear and made ready to burst from the cover of his tree.</p><p></p><p>A few feet away, not one, not two, not three, but FOUR orcish shamans smiled as they finished unleashing their own <em>Burning Hands</em> spells centered on the tree. The party was fortunate (if any part of this can be deemed fortunate) in two ways. First, the tree was large enough that all four shamans couldn't overlap the areas of their spells. Second the thick layer of snow covering the tree took a bit of the edge off the spells. Still, they were all burned, some of them badly.</p><p></p><p>Ilrath was the first to recover from the shock of the situation and he stood and swung his axe at one of the shamans. Slashbane sliced through the light armor and the orcish flesh with equal ease, sending the shaman reeling to the snowy ground. The swing carried through into another adjacent shaman who clung to life with the most tenuous grasp. Krase also stepped out of the burning remains of his much sought after Novantae Pine and thrust Heartneedle into the breast of another shaman, felling him instantly.</p><p></p><p>Rhys cast <em>Mage Armor</em> and winced as he saw the onrushing forms of more of the "bulldog orcs" they had fought on their return trip from the Stone Tooth.</p><p></p><p>Within seconds, the second wave of orcs, including several of the "bulldog" variety, charged into the midst of the party. Ilrath, Krase and Rhys were all struck and Rhys was struck hard enough to send him to the verge of unconsciousness (0 hp exactly). The remaining shamans withdrew to regroup while a foursome of orcish archers formed up into a line. Fortunately (?) for the party, so many orcs were engaged in melee with them that the archers couldn't get a clear shot anywhere.</p><p></p><p>Speaks burst out of his snow covered shelter and charged one of the orcs that had Rhys pinned in. His spear struck home but was not enough to fell the seasoned orcish veteran he fought. Arc streaked across the snow to engage another orc who fought Ilrath.</p><p></p><p>Ilrath swung at one of the orcish warriors that engaged him and cut deep, but not deep enough to drop him. Krase thrust his swords at one of the bulldogs and he too scored a hit. But the strike failed to slay the burly, cleaver wielding orc. For his part, Rhys thought his chances of surviving the next few seconds were bleak. Three orcs were presently within striking range and his vision was getting black around the edges. He staggered back a few feet and quaffed one of the potions of healing that he'd been given by Speaks. Only one of the orcs was within range to swing at him now and thankfully, that one missed the mark.</p><p></p><p>It struck again at Rhys and again, the nicked blade of its battle axe skipped off the magical armor Rhys wore. Although Rhys had escaped the immediate danger of the orcs in melee, he had inadvertently stepped into view of some of the archers. A pair of them let fly at the young sorcerer but the cover he received from the melee combatants as well as the orcs less than stellar facility with missile weapons combined to leave him unharmed.</p><p></p><p>The other orcs in melee hacked at the pair of human warriors. Although Ilrath and Krase were both well armored, the sheer number of attacks were beginning to take their toll. As if matters were not bad enough, Krase watched with horror as one of the orcish shamans turned invisible before his very eyes. It was clear that they could not last much longer in these circumstances.</p><p></p><p>Ilrath hacked again with Slashbane and finally one of the barrel chested bulldog orcs fell to the snow. Krase did the same and felled one of his attackers. Now he was flanked on only one side instead of two.</p><p></p><p>Speaks stabbed the same orc again and this time was rewarded with having the unconscious orc slide to the cold ground beneath the still burning pine tree. That left Rhys free of attackers for a moment. He cast one of his <em>Sleep</em> spells at the line of archers. Two slumped to the ground.</p><p></p><p>The other pair of archers fired their arrows at Speaks and he was struck once. The remaining visible shaman, who had made his way to the rear ranks of the orcs, moved to waken his sleeping comrades. Those orcs in melee launched into another series of attacks that left Ilrath slightly worse for wear. Krase had channeled all his fighting prowess into parrying the blows of his enemies and was able to fend off the attacks directed at him.</p><p></p><p>Ilrath turned his axe on another of the bulldog orcs but his axe failed to connect (This is a rare event considering that with his combined bonuses and the orc-slaying axe, Ilrath needs to roll around a 3 to connect with the average orc). Krase managed to land a blow with his grandfather's gladius doing minor damage to another of the bulldogs.</p><p></p><p>Speaks moved around the burning tree to assist Ilrath against the orcs he fought. Rhys moved up near Krase, drawing a wand in the process. The night filled with brilliant colors as he cast <em>Color Spray</em>. One of the orcish warriors fell to the ground and the bulldog that Krase faced stood dazed.</p><p></p><p>The archers fired at Rhys again but their luck was consistently bad (not bad for Rhys who had 4hp). The shaman moved to awaken the other sleeping archer but he was starting to see the tide of battle turn against his team. The thinning ranks of orcs in melee continued to hack at Ilrath and Krase but now also had Speaks to worry about. They inflicted a couple more minor wounds but their attack was starting to lose steam.</p><p></p><p>Ilrath brought his axe around, this time slaying the remaining bulldog he fought and cleaving into another hapless warrior. Speaks quickly finished that one off with his spear. Krase thrust his swords into the thick chest of the bulldog he faced and drove him to the ground. Rhys, seeing that the archers were all conscious again, dropped another sleep spell into their midst. Again, two slumped to the ground.</p><p></p><p>One of the remaining shamans cast a spell and the battlefield was suddenly engulfed in a thick bank of fog. After that, what exactly happened was anybody's guess. Krase ran forward into the cloud, cutting down a disoriented orcish archer as he went. Ilrath also advanced slowly, hacking at any orc that still breathed. Speaks circled around outside the cloud and looked for any orcs attempting to escape. Rhys climbed a nearby tree with his <em>Spider Climb</em> spell until he was above the fog.</p><p></p><p>A few moments later, Speaks heard some noises and noticed two sets of footprints appearing on either side of him. He called for the other party members and they regrouped on the southern side of the fog cloud. They quickly determined that the shamans must have gone invisible and escaped back the way they came.</p><p></p><p>The party tried to give chase into the darkness (Rhys did cast <em>Light</em> on a crossbow bolt and fire it into the forest to aid their search) but found it difficult to discern the new footprints of the shamans from the ones left by the orcs as they had approached. After a while, they gave up and returned to the scene of the battle. There, they discovered two more sets of tracks leading away that probably had belonged to the sleeping archers.</p><p></p><p>Battered and cut, the party searched the dead shamans and found another amulet of communication, a pair of <em>Cure Moderate Wounds</em> scrolls and one <em>Invisibility</em> scroll. Surveying the battlefield, they realized that tomorrow they must move to yet another location.</p><p></p><p><strong>NEXT: The Battle is Joined</strong></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Rel, post: 1015, member: 99"] [B]Guerillas in the Mist[/B] It was dark when they made it back and the party was tired from their long trek through the snow. But they were in good spirits considering how well their attack on the orcish patrol had gone. Arc was happy to see the group as well. Speaks used his magic to talk to Arc again and asked him to check their back trail to see if they had been followed. Arc obliged this request and left the cave as the rest of the party settled down to eat and rest through the long winter night. Arc returned a scant five hours later and seemed agitated. Krase (who was on watch) woke Speaks but unfortunately he didn't have another [I]Speak with Animals[/I] spell ready. He interpreted Arc's agitation to mean that there was someone following their trail. They decided to keep watch outside the cave in order to see if anyone was approaching their camp. Krase took the first watch but as he had been on watch for quite a while already, he quickly grew tired. He woke Ilrath and turned the watching duty over to him. An hour later, Krase was awakened by Ilrath saying, "Someone is coming." Looking around, he realized that Ilrath had spoken to him using his amulet. Krase quickly awoke Speaks but they decided to allow Rhys to sleep since any interruption interfered with his spellcasting abilities. As Krase emerged from the cave, he saw Ilrath charge a large form in the darkness outside the cave. Moments later, three more of the large forms moved into the area outside the cave and it became obvious that they were under attack from the dreaded Undead Wolf Riders. The riders charged by Ilrath one by one, stabbing with their spears. The barbarian suffered little damage from these attacks as his mithral beastplate and steel shield deflected most of the blows. Ilrath would normally have hacked a few out of the saddle but these riders deftly moved their mounts out of his reach as they made their attacks. Krase emerged from the cave next and moved alongside Ilrath to meet the next charge. He was followed by Speaks who took a moment to observe what was going on. Seeing that undead wolves the size of horses were involved, he screamed for Rhys to wake up and join the fray. The wolf riders charged in again and scored minor hits on Krase and Ilrath. But this time they stayed in melee range so that their mounts could attack as well. As it turned out, death hadn't done the giant wolves any favors with regards to speed in combat. The lunged clumsily at the dexterous barbarian and warrior and their attacks were easily dodged. Ilrath swung Slashbane against the wolf rider that attacked him (coincidentally the same one he had struck on the initial charge) and slew him outright. His swing carried down into the riders putrescent mount but it proved quite durable. Krase's swords darted in to strike the warrior opposite him. He struck with his grandfather's blade but not with the deadly Heartneedle. The orc seemed contemptuous of his prowess and drew back to strike with his spear. Meanwhile, near the cave entrance, Speaks stepped forward and thrust his spear at another of the riders. He struck the orc, causing him a minor wound. Arc lunged in, bravely evading a thrust by the orc's spear and bit at the legs of his giant, undead cousin. He found the taste not to his liking and longed for the days when they had fought the bone warriors. The riderless wolf that faced Ilrath again lunged at the barbarian. But enduring the stench of its rotting breath was the only damage that Ilrath suffered. The other nearby orc and wolf attacked Krase who was able to dodge both attacks. A fourth rider came forward to engage Ilrath and was able to find a way through the barbarians defenses with his spear. Off in the darkness, Speaks waged his own private war against the other mounted orc. His spear didn't connect on the next thrust and neither did Arc land a tooth on the wolf. But the orc and his mount weren't so lucky as they appeared. A moment later, the darkness was illuminated by a torrent of flame produced by the wand of [I]Burning Hands[/I] wielded by Rhys who crouched in the mouth of the cave. Unfortunately, the flames also engulfed Arc who yelped in pain. Ilrath reversed his swing, hoping to cleave through the undead wolf he had struck previously and hack into the latest orc to arrive on the scene. He did strike the wolf but failed to bring it down. Krase swung again at his foe and this time both blades found their mark. Orcish viscera fell on the rotting flesh of his mount. At that same moment, Speaks thrust again with his spear and the orc he faced fell to the blow he delivered. Arc again showed his bravery by continuing to battle the wolf, even with the threat of Rhys flaming the whole area again. The last wolf rider left saw that the situation looked grim for his team. He gave his wolf the spurs and retreated from the battle off into the darkness. In the moments that followed, the party quickly dispatched the undead wolves. Ilrath and Krase both gave chase after the escaped wolf rider but it soon became obvious that the wolf moved faster than either of them could and attempting to catch up was an exercise in futility. They returned to the cave where Speaks and Rhys had already gathered the party's belongings and made ready to travel. While the warriors were off, tracking the wolf, Speaks and Rhys had also searched the bodies of the fallen orcs and discovered yet another of the amulets of communication. It was becoming obvious that the orcs were using the amulets to coordinate information between their patrols and that made them doubly dangerous. The group wistfully understood that their location was now known to the enemy and that others were likely to track them down if they didn't move. They shouldered their packs and began to make their way northwards in the darkness. They only traveled a couple of hours before they stopped. A heavy snow was beginning to fall and few of them had gotten much sleep. Krase was about to locate a small stand of Novantae Pines, trees whose thick branches droop all the way to the ground. Crawling beneath the branches he showed the group that the tree provided excellent shelter. The party crept up next to the trunk of one of the largest of the stand to find a sizable amount of space sheltered from the weather. They spent the remainder of the dawn hours nervously watching for any signs of pursuit. The following day, the group decided to rest and heal from the battle with the wolf riders. Krase, Rhys and Ilrath spent most of the day swapping stories beneath the branches of their tree. Speaks wandered through the nearby forest until he located some juniper berries upon which he used his [I]Goodberries[/I] spell. Ilrath dug his way out of the snow that covered the branches of their tree to go relieve himself. As he did so, he, Rhys and Krase spotted the unwelcome sight of a raven circling to the south. Krase used his amulet of communication to send a message to Speaks that a raven had been spotted and to stay under cover. Speaks replied that he had gotten their message and took cover under some thick trees to wait. What became of the raven was unknown because Ilrath, Rhys and Krase huddled under the cover of their tree, staying out of sight until Speaks returned a few hours later. As nightfall came on, Speaks decided that it was too crowded under the tree for the five of them and went to another Novantae Pine close by accompanied by Arc. During the night, the party rotated "watch" (more appropriately called "listen" since they were entirely enclosed by the drooping tree branches and a 5 inch thick layer of snow). Rhys was on "listen" when he heard a noise, specifically a "clank" to the south. It was shortly followed by another and he sent Tavis burrowing through the snow to see what was causing the noise. Tavis climbed a nearby tree to get a better vantage, her winter coat of white fur blending seamlessly with the snow covered pine. After a few moments, she indicated that a sizable party was approaching from the south. In a few more moments, she confirmed that they were orcs, many of whom were dressed in scale mail which accounted for the clanking noises. Using Ilrath's amulet, they informed Speaks of the situation. Speaks couldn't reply because he had already used his amulet for the day. He decided that he would get ready and spring into action as soon as he heard the rest of the party take action. The remainder of the party stayed hidden under their tree and hoped that the orcs wouldn't be able to find them. It had snowed all day and they hoped that it had obscured their tracks enough to baffle the orcs. Tavis kept reporting the orcs locations as they drew nearer and nearer to the tree. Four orcs had the tree nearly surrounded when Rhys heard wings flapping above as though a bird had just flown out of the tree branches. He gave Krase and Ilrath a panicked look but before he could say more, the world exploded in flames. Speaks' eyes went wide as some kind of illumination lit the night bright enough to be visible through the several inches of snow piled on his own tree. He gripped his spear and made ready to burst from the cover of his tree. A few feet away, not one, not two, not three, but FOUR orcish shamans smiled as they finished unleashing their own [I]Burning Hands[/I] spells centered on the tree. The party was fortunate (if any part of this can be deemed fortunate) in two ways. First, the tree was large enough that all four shamans couldn't overlap the areas of their spells. Second the thick layer of snow covering the tree took a bit of the edge off the spells. Still, they were all burned, some of them badly. Ilrath was the first to recover from the shock of the situation and he stood and swung his axe at one of the shamans. Slashbane sliced through the light armor and the orcish flesh with equal ease, sending the shaman reeling to the snowy ground. The swing carried through into another adjacent shaman who clung to life with the most tenuous grasp. Krase also stepped out of the burning remains of his much sought after Novantae Pine and thrust Heartneedle into the breast of another shaman, felling him instantly. Rhys cast [I]Mage Armor[/I] and winced as he saw the onrushing forms of more of the "bulldog orcs" they had fought on their return trip from the Stone Tooth. Within seconds, the second wave of orcs, including several of the "bulldog" variety, charged into the midst of the party. Ilrath, Krase and Rhys were all struck and Rhys was struck hard enough to send him to the verge of unconsciousness (0 hp exactly). The remaining shamans withdrew to regroup while a foursome of orcish archers formed up into a line. Fortunately (?) for the party, so many orcs were engaged in melee with them that the archers couldn't get a clear shot anywhere. Speaks burst out of his snow covered shelter and charged one of the orcs that had Rhys pinned in. His spear struck home but was not enough to fell the seasoned orcish veteran he fought. Arc streaked across the snow to engage another orc who fought Ilrath. Ilrath swung at one of the orcish warriors that engaged him and cut deep, but not deep enough to drop him. Krase thrust his swords at one of the bulldogs and he too scored a hit. But the strike failed to slay the burly, cleaver wielding orc. For his part, Rhys thought his chances of surviving the next few seconds were bleak. Three orcs were presently within striking range and his vision was getting black around the edges. He staggered back a few feet and quaffed one of the potions of healing that he'd been given by Speaks. Only one of the orcs was within range to swing at him now and thankfully, that one missed the mark. It struck again at Rhys and again, the nicked blade of its battle axe skipped off the magical armor Rhys wore. Although Rhys had escaped the immediate danger of the orcs in melee, he had inadvertently stepped into view of some of the archers. A pair of them let fly at the young sorcerer but the cover he received from the melee combatants as well as the orcs less than stellar facility with missile weapons combined to leave him unharmed. The other orcs in melee hacked at the pair of human warriors. Although Ilrath and Krase were both well armored, the sheer number of attacks were beginning to take their toll. As if matters were not bad enough, Krase watched with horror as one of the orcish shamans turned invisible before his very eyes. It was clear that they could not last much longer in these circumstances. Ilrath hacked again with Slashbane and finally one of the barrel chested bulldog orcs fell to the snow. Krase did the same and felled one of his attackers. Now he was flanked on only one side instead of two. Speaks stabbed the same orc again and this time was rewarded with having the unconscious orc slide to the cold ground beneath the still burning pine tree. That left Rhys free of attackers for a moment. He cast one of his [I]Sleep[/I] spells at the line of archers. Two slumped to the ground. The other pair of archers fired their arrows at Speaks and he was struck once. The remaining visible shaman, who had made his way to the rear ranks of the orcs, moved to waken his sleeping comrades. Those orcs in melee launched into another series of attacks that left Ilrath slightly worse for wear. Krase had channeled all his fighting prowess into parrying the blows of his enemies and was able to fend off the attacks directed at him. Ilrath turned his axe on another of the bulldog orcs but his axe failed to connect (This is a rare event considering that with his combined bonuses and the orc-slaying axe, Ilrath needs to roll around a 3 to connect with the average orc). Krase managed to land a blow with his grandfather's gladius doing minor damage to another of the bulldogs. Speaks moved around the burning tree to assist Ilrath against the orcs he fought. Rhys moved up near Krase, drawing a wand in the process. The night filled with brilliant colors as he cast [I]Color Spray[/I]. One of the orcish warriors fell to the ground and the bulldog that Krase faced stood dazed. The archers fired at Rhys again but their luck was consistently bad (not bad for Rhys who had 4hp). The shaman moved to awaken the other sleeping archer but he was starting to see the tide of battle turn against his team. The thinning ranks of orcs in melee continued to hack at Ilrath and Krase but now also had Speaks to worry about. They inflicted a couple more minor wounds but their attack was starting to lose steam. Ilrath brought his axe around, this time slaying the remaining bulldog he fought and cleaving into another hapless warrior. Speaks quickly finished that one off with his spear. Krase thrust his swords into the thick chest of the bulldog he faced and drove him to the ground. Rhys, seeing that the archers were all conscious again, dropped another sleep spell into their midst. Again, two slumped to the ground. One of the remaining shamans cast a spell and the battlefield was suddenly engulfed in a thick bank of fog. After that, what exactly happened was anybody's guess. Krase ran forward into the cloud, cutting down a disoriented orcish archer as he went. Ilrath also advanced slowly, hacking at any orc that still breathed. Speaks circled around outside the cloud and looked for any orcs attempting to escape. Rhys climbed a nearby tree with his [I]Spider Climb[/I] spell until he was above the fog. A few moments later, Speaks heard some noises and noticed two sets of footprints appearing on either side of him. He called for the other party members and they regrouped on the southern side of the fog cloud. They quickly determined that the shamans must have gone invisible and escaped back the way they came. The party tried to give chase into the darkness (Rhys did cast [I]Light[/I] on a crossbow bolt and fire it into the forest to aid their search) but found it difficult to discern the new footprints of the shamans from the ones left by the orcs as they had approached. After a while, they gave up and returned to the scene of the battle. There, they discovered two more sets of tracks leading away that probably had belonged to the sleeping archers. Battered and cut, the party searched the dead shamans and found another amulet of communication, a pair of [I]Cure Moderate Wounds[/I] scrolls and one [I]Invisibility[/I] scroll. Surveying the battlefield, they realized that tomorrow they must move to yet another location. [B]NEXT: The Battle is Joined[/B] [/QUOTE]
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Rel's Faded Glory Campaign (Thank You Old One!)
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