Rel
Liquid Awesome
Hit and RUN!
The plan was far from complex. That was a good thing because the group had proven time and again that their complex plans fell apart, usually just moments after they were conceived.
"We swoop in. Kill as many as we can and fly out before they even know we're there. It's simple." said Raven.
"Most of the really good and really bad ideas are." commented Speaks.
"Is there a backup plan?" asked Scar in an uncharacteristic moment of caution.
"No backup plan," insisted Raven. "It distracts us from the primary plan!"
On that inarguable point of logic, Speaks remained silent.
The group girded themselves for battle. Both Raven and Scar recieved the blessing of Moradin, endowing them with Bull's Strength, Freedom of Movement and the ability to Endure the Element of fire. Speaks used a spell to give his Skin the toughness of Great Root's Bark. He also rendered himself Invisible to any Animals the Dark Druids may have watching. They exchanged glances and all knew they were ready. Speaks summoned the power of the wild and they were transformed into eagles.
Speaks took a slight lead over the other two and in just a few minutes the Dark Druid camp was in view. He flew just above the treetops dodging the occasional tall pine that jutted above the oaks. Without hesitation, he swooped in and alighted in some branches just on the north side of the compound. He didn't wait before using his magic to summon a Web of Briars upon the southwest side of the camp, inside the hedges. The encampment started to erupt in chaos and the battle was joined.
Before the Dark Druids could react at all, Speaks shrouded the other side of the camp in a similar Briar Web as Raven and Scar swooped over the treetops and into the edge of the camp. As he watched his companions descend into the enemy's lair, Speaks summoned forth an area of Spiked Growth around the break in the western hedge of the encampment. Whatever was inside the camp was going to stay there and hopefully the undead army camped outside couldn't get in either.
The first enemy reaction came in the form of a bird flying out of one of the smaller tents and landing near the entrance to the large central pavillion, just outside of the area enmeshed with the Briar Web. Scar darted down and came to rest atop the central pole of the pavillion. Raven opted to get his feet back on the earth a bit sooner and landed near the entrance to the pavillion where he found himself face to face with a skeletal ogre.
No sooner had Raven's little birdie feet touched the ground when a column of fire arced from the heavens and he was Struck by Flame. Though it was startling and impressive, the attack did little damage to the dwarf thanks to the protective magics upon him. The worst was the sickening feeling caused by the unholy force from which the Dark Druids channeled their magic.
At nearly the same moment, the oak in which Speaks perches burst into flame as another such column of fire struck down frm above. Speaks too suffered only minor injuries from the attack and was able to cast about and locate the probably source: A pair of other large bird forms were perched in the trees on same side of the camp that he was! In response, Speaks called upon the woods to Entangle them, hoping that would keep them busy for a while.
Back in the center of the Dark Druid camp, Raven transformed back into his normal form. As always, the change was a bit disorienting. Adding to his confusion was the tremendous backhanded slap that he recevied from the ogre skeleton (critical hit). Shaking off the blow, Raven retaliated with his hammer and the skeleton exploded in a storm of bone fragments.
One of the Dark Druids in bird form managed to break out of the tangle of limbs that tried to grasp it and its falcon form shot toward Speaks, failing to rend him with its claws. Speaks attempted to consume his avian attacker with a Creeping Cold even as he took to the air in retreat. The falcon seemed to shake off the effects and keep coming.
Below, Scar resumed his normal form and took great delight in swaying back and forth atop the pavillion support pole as he drew out his weapon and prepared to join the battle proper. A moment later, the half-orc jumped slightly and the tent fabric ripped under him and he plunged into the pavillion ready to deal death to those inside. A short way away, Raven called forth a Magic Circle Against Evil as he took a step away from the main tent and cast about for a new enemy. He didn't have to look far.
Even as Scar made his grand entrance to the tent, an Elf emerged from it with a green-glowing rod in his hands. He spoke strange words and with a wave of the wand, darkness sprang out of the earth near Raven. From above, Speaks watched helplessly as the darkness separated into individual Shadows who swarmed over the dwarf, sucking the strength and life out of him...
NEXT: Moradin, Give Me STRENGTH!
I hope this little cliffhanger is enough to keep you going until I get back. We're headed to the beach tomorrow and I've got about a million little things to do before then.
When I return, look forward to the rest of this battle, which lasted a whopping 33 combat rounds and consumed an entire game session.
The plan was far from complex. That was a good thing because the group had proven time and again that their complex plans fell apart, usually just moments after they were conceived.
"We swoop in. Kill as many as we can and fly out before they even know we're there. It's simple." said Raven.
"Most of the really good and really bad ideas are." commented Speaks.
"Is there a backup plan?" asked Scar in an uncharacteristic moment of caution.
"No backup plan," insisted Raven. "It distracts us from the primary plan!"
On that inarguable point of logic, Speaks remained silent.
The group girded themselves for battle. Both Raven and Scar recieved the blessing of Moradin, endowing them with Bull's Strength, Freedom of Movement and the ability to Endure the Element of fire. Speaks used a spell to give his Skin the toughness of Great Root's Bark. He also rendered himself Invisible to any Animals the Dark Druids may have watching. They exchanged glances and all knew they were ready. Speaks summoned the power of the wild and they were transformed into eagles.
Speaks took a slight lead over the other two and in just a few minutes the Dark Druid camp was in view. He flew just above the treetops dodging the occasional tall pine that jutted above the oaks. Without hesitation, he swooped in and alighted in some branches just on the north side of the compound. He didn't wait before using his magic to summon a Web of Briars upon the southwest side of the camp, inside the hedges. The encampment started to erupt in chaos and the battle was joined.
Before the Dark Druids could react at all, Speaks shrouded the other side of the camp in a similar Briar Web as Raven and Scar swooped over the treetops and into the edge of the camp. As he watched his companions descend into the enemy's lair, Speaks summoned forth an area of Spiked Growth around the break in the western hedge of the encampment. Whatever was inside the camp was going to stay there and hopefully the undead army camped outside couldn't get in either.
The first enemy reaction came in the form of a bird flying out of one of the smaller tents and landing near the entrance to the large central pavillion, just outside of the area enmeshed with the Briar Web. Scar darted down and came to rest atop the central pole of the pavillion. Raven opted to get his feet back on the earth a bit sooner and landed near the entrance to the pavillion where he found himself face to face with a skeletal ogre.
No sooner had Raven's little birdie feet touched the ground when a column of fire arced from the heavens and he was Struck by Flame. Though it was startling and impressive, the attack did little damage to the dwarf thanks to the protective magics upon him. The worst was the sickening feeling caused by the unholy force from which the Dark Druids channeled their magic.
At nearly the same moment, the oak in which Speaks perches burst into flame as another such column of fire struck down frm above. Speaks too suffered only minor injuries from the attack and was able to cast about and locate the probably source: A pair of other large bird forms were perched in the trees on same side of the camp that he was! In response, Speaks called upon the woods to Entangle them, hoping that would keep them busy for a while.
Back in the center of the Dark Druid camp, Raven transformed back into his normal form. As always, the change was a bit disorienting. Adding to his confusion was the tremendous backhanded slap that he recevied from the ogre skeleton (critical hit). Shaking off the blow, Raven retaliated with his hammer and the skeleton exploded in a storm of bone fragments.
One of the Dark Druids in bird form managed to break out of the tangle of limbs that tried to grasp it and its falcon form shot toward Speaks, failing to rend him with its claws. Speaks attempted to consume his avian attacker with a Creeping Cold even as he took to the air in retreat. The falcon seemed to shake off the effects and keep coming.
Below, Scar resumed his normal form and took great delight in swaying back and forth atop the pavillion support pole as he drew out his weapon and prepared to join the battle proper. A moment later, the half-orc jumped slightly and the tent fabric ripped under him and he plunged into the pavillion ready to deal death to those inside. A short way away, Raven called forth a Magic Circle Against Evil as he took a step away from the main tent and cast about for a new enemy. He didn't have to look far.
Even as Scar made his grand entrance to the tent, an Elf emerged from it with a green-glowing rod in his hands. He spoke strange words and with a wave of the wand, darkness sprang out of the earth near Raven. From above, Speaks watched helplessly as the darkness separated into individual Shadows who swarmed over the dwarf, sucking the strength and life out of him...
NEXT: Moradin, Give Me STRENGTH!
I hope this little cliffhanger is enough to keep you going until I get back. We're headed to the beach tomorrow and I've got about a million little things to do before then.
When I return, look forward to the rest of this battle, which lasted a whopping 33 combat rounds and consumed an entire game session.
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