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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Emperor Valerian" data-source="post: 2053453" data-attributes="member: 15043">Attack of the Hill People, better know as:THE INFAMOUS GNOME INCIDENTThe next day, Nayu, Liu, Felonca, Meiji and Yari Ai all agreed that they needed to move quicker towards Mingzhong than their commoner friends could accomplish.  Wishing their former companions farewell and good journey, they began to gallop ahead.  Just before they were out of earshot, one of their former companions shouted a warning to them.“Beware of the hill people!  They’re getting riled up now that war is about!” “Wakabayashi Nayu... you have a great responsibility...”“I know, Father,” Nayu replied, bowing his head.  To his front, the shimmering apparition smiled.  “What shall I do with it?  Should I retake the throne?  Should I try to make a living quietly?  What do I do, father?”“Carry this burden with care, my son,” the ghost seemed to bow, before suddenly the ghost shot upright.  Its translucent face snapped to one side, looking off in the distance.“They come for me.  Hurry, Nayu!  They’ll chase you too!” his father’s voice called, and the ghost seemed to start waft away, each strand of thin white shaking into tinier strands until it vanished.“But Father!  What should I do!” Nayu called, terror in his voice.  “Who hunts us?”“Nayu!” a terrible scream came from the ghostly figure, as something long, spindly and white seized the rapidly vanishing form.  A cackle rose in Nayu’s ears, as he struggled to reach for the disappearing figure. Eight dark eyes flashed before Nayu’s eyes, their laughter burning deep into his mind as he stretched out, trying to save his father...“Nayu!”The young sorcerer shot awake, sweat and perspiration dampening his face and shirt.  To one side was the group’s campfire, low and crackling.  To the other, was a hunched over Felonca, her face away from him, scanning deep into the woods.“Are you awake now?” she asked gently, and Nayu felt her reassuring hand on his shoulder.“Yes.”  It was only a dream... even though I saw him so clearly, it was only a dream...“Good.  We’ve got company,” she whispered quietly.  “Act nonchalant, as if you’re waking up to stretch.  Don’t look out into the woods, but we’re surrounded,” she whispered matter of factly.“How many?” Nayu shook his head slightly, driving away the last vestiges of sleep that clung to his mind.“Twenty at least.  I can’t tell what they are.”  He saw her other hand was shifting uneasily between her warfans and the longbow on her back.  “They’re small buggers.  Maybe its the ‘hill people’ our friends warned us about.”  Suddenly, the hand on his shoulder vanished, and she shot into a firing position.As her longbow sang out, Nayu flipped himself to his feet, facing the same direction as her.  A quick glance showed the other three were already awake and armed, but neither Meiji nor Yari Ai had armor on.Great, Nayu groaned inwardly.  He closed his eyes, and a slow incantation came to his lips.  A few seconds later, the world around him seemed to shimmer slightly, as a magical wall of protection rose around him.  (mage armor)A screech arose from the forest, as the dull thwack! of an arrow striking flesh echoed through the night.  A long, low cry arose from around the party, and the woods seemed to come alive with crashes and cracks as dozens of feet rushed forward towards the party.“Wolves!” Felonca shouted, her hands flashing towards her quiver.  Nayu eyes flashed about, yet he saw no White Wolves, or regular wolves.  Instead, he saw on all sides the same image...  little people, almost miniaturized humans, running forward.  Unlike people, their eyes were shining yellow, and their skin was a dull gray in the firelight.  They each held tiny shields on one arm, and a dagger in the other, their mouths wide as they charged forward.Nayu closed his eyes, and held out his hand towards one group still a good distance away from the party.  Concentrating on speed instead of power, he felt his magic siphoning off into a single shining bead in his hand.  It flashed out, and a thunderclap shook the forest as a fireball engulfed six of the charging gnomes, their decimated and burnt forms cart-wheeling through the air as the trees took alight.Good ancestors... its basically three of us versus this mob! Felonca thought desperately, as she notched and loose another arrow.  Another screech echoed in the woods as a second gnome fell, and arrow in its stomach.  Meiji’s a fop!  He can’t fight!  And all Yari Ai has is that cane!She backed up, and felt herself bump into something.  By the fact that her head felt like it was on someone’s back, she guessed it was Nayu.“Nayu, cover this front!  I’ll protect Yari Ai and Meiji!” she called, spinning around him as she called.  When she spun clear, she suddenly stopped in shock.The first sight that greeted her eyes was accompanied by sound... namely the voice of Meiji singing.  His scimitar was out, yet he was merely dancing about, almost laughing.“The dregs run out,And I’ve been playedO, as they say,The orc got laid...”One by one, three of the gnomes charging him slowed, then stopped, before collapsing in fits of laughter.  Even as the battle rumbled on around them, they rolled on the ground, gasping for air as they split their sides with loud guffaws.The other sight was of the handmaiden that only the night before, had been so frightened and scared.  As four of the gnomes charged towards her, Felonca recognized the woman’s frighteningly calm movements.That’s a combat position, for fighting with a long blade of some kind... but she has no blade...For several agonizing seconds, the gnomes got closer and closer, while Yari Ai merely stood, partly facing away from them, holding the end of her cane out so it hovered just above the ground.  As the first gnome drew close and raised his dagger to strike, the young woman became a mere blur, her strike so fast it seemed a sheet of steel had struck from her, splitting two of her attackers in half.  For a split second she paused, just long enough for Felonca to see a long, curved blade coming from the end of the maiden’s cane...Nayu was to focused to have heard the sudden shing of Yari Ai’s blade striking, or even Meiji’s tune.  Instead, his eyes focused on the gap his fireball had created, and the shapes moving beyond... large shapes, far larger than the gnomes or even a human.White Wolves... he thought simply, and he reacted in a simple manner as well... another white bead formed in his hands.  As he made out six of the wolves, close together, rushing forward at breakneck pace, the bead lashed forth, landing in their midst.Another thunderclap, and the wolves broke their run, dashing to the side.  As two thundered towards Yari Ai and Liu, he could see they were badly burned.  Alarmingly, another two still hung back in the forest...Yari Ai is ok, Meiji! Felonca swung back to where her cousin was still singing.  Two more gnomes charged towards him, and did not fall under the spell of his song.  Meiji began to back up, trying to open the distance, until Felonca flipped over him, slashing apart one of the gnomes while in midair, before landing in front of him, blocking the last gnome from its intended quarry.  A quick slash ended that threat as well.“Your sword!  Use your damn sword!” she snapped at her cousin, before she spun around, to see Nayu surrounded by three gnomes viciously swinging and stabbing at him, and two White Wolves, blades drawn, heading towards Liu and Yari Ai...“GAH!” Nayu twisted and turned as the gnomes swooped in around him.  For a few moments, he danced and wiggled, trying to avoid their blades, until he noticed something.About six inches from his body, even if he did not try to dodge, their blades stopped.  (DM’s Notes: The gnomes had major major issues with Nayu’s post-mage armor AC)Well, I’ll be d-His thought was interrupted as two blasts of pain seared through his side.  He looked down, half expecting to see a gnome dagger stuck between his ribs.  Instead, drips of green, gooey liquid hung from his robes, still burning them.Acid... his mind snarled, and he realized why the other two White Wolves were still in forest, just within sight.  As the gnomes continued to slash and poke ineffectually, her turned towards the forest, a sharp and decidedly predatory grin on his lips.  He felt his magic building yet again, and yet another bead of shining power formed into his hands.  In the ensuing explosion he saw both White Wolf spellcasters burst into flame, their screams confirming their agonizing demise.Then, he turned towards the White Wolves trying to attack Liu and Yari Ai.  “You don’t learn, do you?” he snarled, baring his teeth.Another slash, another gnome squealed in pain as Felonca felt pain in her leg.  Damn daggers! she complained, making her way over towards Yari Ai and Liu, both of whom were now fighting toe to toe with two White Wolf warriors clad in full armor.Ambush, ambush! Felonca flashed about the battle, trying to make sure the wolves did not see her until it was too late.  As the thunderclap of Nayu’s third fireball echoed in the night, she felt a crackle of power above her head, and suddenly smelled ozone.She spun around just in time to see another gnome fall to the ground, sparks coming from its body.  In front of it stood Meiji, looking rather sheepish, sparks coming from his scimitar.“Sorry, cuz... didn’t mean to almost hit you there!”  He then spun towards the losing battle between Liu and the large White Wolf, and began to sing his song yet again.  Felonca was about to shout at him to charge in with his fancy sword, when she saw the wolf, too, collapse in fits of laughter.She didn’t have long to look, before more shouts from small voices warned her more gnomes were coming.  As Yari Ai backflipped away from her larger wolf pursuer, slashing a gnome in the process, Felonca echoed the move, cutting down another two attackers...There!  Yari Ai had backflipped out of the way, and Nayu let loose a blast of crackling flames straight towards the last of the wolves standing.  The wolf collapsed in fiery pain, and Nayu turned his attention back to the three little people still trying to stab him.  As their blows came up short, Nayu leaned over, a fierce grin on his face.“You don’t learn, do you?” he said, his voice deadly even.  The three gnomes looked at each other, before two suddenly dropped their shields and daggers, before running into the forest.  The third gave a brave cry and swung at Nayu again and again, coming up short.“Oh well,” the sorcerer sighed, and raised his hands towards two trees close to the fleeing gnomes.  They had already been battered by one of his fireballs, so when his scorching ray lashed into their burning forms at the appropriate moment, a huge, flaming bough fell right on the two fleeing hill people.Nayu then turned, and as the third gnome was in mid-swing, grabbed his dagger arm.  The grip was fierce enough the small creature dropped its dagger as Nayu grabbed its opposite arm.  It squirmed viciously, as he held it up, till it was at eye level.“What shall I do with you?” he asked, the noise of battle already dying around them.  The gnome spat back something in its native tongue, and spat in Nayu’s face.“Fine,” he replied sourly, walking with the creature close to the two flaming trees.  Carefully, he held the gnome out and arms length, and with a mighty kick, punted the screeching creature into the darkness.  His goal was to send the creature sailing between the burning trees.  Sadly, he shanked the kick, and the creature slammed head-first into the tree on the right, falling to the ground quite dead.Felonca looked at the carnage about her, and gave a sigh.  Why would the hill people side with White Wolves?  The last of the laughing growls from the White Wolf came to an end, as a sharp smack and a snap signalled Yari Ai’s blade finishing off the creature.  When the girl looked back up at Felonca, at first the rogue could see the calm deadliness in her eyes, and why she’d been picked to be a bodyguard.  The look suddenly changed, when the younger woman saw the blood coming from Felonca’s leg.“You’re hurt!” she walked over, blood streaming from a rake in her shoulder and dagger thrusts to her stomach and thighs.  “Psssha... this is nothing!” Felonca gave a fierce grin.  “I’ve been hurt worse!”  Nigh dead one time!  “No where near as bad as you... you should go see Liu about those cuts...”“He’s busy healing himself,” Yari Ai said quietly, before reaching out and touching Felonca’s shoulder.  The girl’s eyes closed, and a few whispered words came from her mouth.  Felonca felt the familiar queasy feeling as wounds filled up across her body.  The feeling didn’t compare to the shock in her voice.“You... you’re a healer?” she asked, as Yari Ai touched her own chest and repeated the same words.“Yes... the Maidens have long held methods of healing and even greater skills in high regard,” the girl replied, an impish grin of pride on her face.  “That way, if a charge is hurt, they can be healed immediately, or if an assassin is captured wounded, he can be healed for interrogation.”Felonca gave a low whistle.  “Remind me never to storm the Jade City unannounced.” = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Yep... Yari Ai is a cleric, with domains of Earth and Healing.  I thought it’d be a departure from normal to have a cleric with low strength, but high dexerity and little armor.  She depends on speed to survive battle, as the  heaviest armor she has is leather.Notes on this battle... the party was attacked by some 20-25 sviberneblin gnomes, along with 2 5th level White Wolf warriors, and 2 5th level White Wolf Sorcerers.  I’d intended it to be a hard challenge for them, with the swarming of the gnomes posing a problem, but the gnomes had a really, really bad day, with many attack rolls of 3 or 5 going around.  To complicate matters, once Nayu’s magical protect got going, the gnomes basically could not hit except on a 19 or 20, which they got only a few times... and when they did hit, they managed to roll minimum damage every time except once (I believe Felonca was poked for 3 points damage once).The White Wolves did far more damage, though since Felonca rotated to help Meiji with the gnomes, their ire mostly went against Liu and Yari Ai, both of whom were badly mauled by the end of the fight.It was a tale of two combats... one end, Meiji, Felonca and Nayu all spent more time shaking gnomes off their limbs and complaining about gnomes blocking them from moving, while on the other, the two other party members were in a life or death struggle.  Go figure.The burning bough crashing on the gnomes was 100% flavor, after the battle became a rout.  The ‘gnome punting’ was the same... with no opponents left alive, I ruled Nayu could take 20 on holding the gnome, and give me a ranged attack on where he punted it.  He biffed his die roll, so I ruled it sailed into a tree instead of between them.All in all, this was one of my favorite combats to run.  Sure, it failed on the devious side, but on the entertainment side... how can you beat punting gnomes? <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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