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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 429232" data-attributes="member: 2323">[PLAIN][Realms #192] Storming the Keep[/PLAIN]Ledare's sword was in her hand in an instant. "Ruze, Kirnoth see if there is anything you can do to the crossbowman from a distance," she said, her voice calm but commanding at the same time. "Draelond, you're with me."She went to meet the two men charging them across the bridge."No arrow has been pointed in my direction, so I assume they have not seen-" Kirnoth began, but was cut off as a crossbow bolt whistled over his head. He gulped and looked back at the quarrel thrust into the earth behind him. "Scratch that," he concluded and readied his bow.As the elf moved cautiously toward the bridge, Draelond was cocking back the lever on his own crossbow and Ruze muttered a hasty prayer to Shaharizod.Then the two enemy warriors were upon Ledare.Expertly, she sidestepped the first man's wild swing, ducking under the blow and coming around on his unprotected flank. Her silver-iron longsword tore through his chainmail as if it were parchment and he fell lifeless to the ground at her feet. His compatriot, however, used the Janissary's momentary distraction to land a solid, but hardly life-threatening, blow of his own.A bolt from Draelond's crossbow sailed to Ledare's right and disappeared into the moat. Ruze appeared at the big man's side and laid a hand on his forearm. "Now, listen up, without Finian here, we are one less," the Battleguard barked. "But, Draelond, with your strength I know we will prevail. With Shaharizod as my Queen, I bless thee. Now follow me!"Draelond didn't need convincing, and he moved forward, unsheathing Ravager as he went."Kael's Loom!" Kirnoth cried out as another crossbow bolt thudded into the ground at his feet. The elf raised his bow to return fire, but the man had ducked back behind the corner of the gatehouse's right-hand tower. Kirnoth held his bow drawn and waited for the man to reappear.Ledare swung her sword at the second warrior, and her blade darted in low beneath his shield and drew blood from the man's thigh. Before he could return the blow, Draelond was there and he swung his massive bastard sword at the man. Somehow, the out-numbered warrior managed to raise his shield and deflect the blow away although Ravager's jagged teeth gauged into the wooden device. The man's longsword cleaved ineffectually through the air.Ruze ignored the melee and walked resolutely across the bridge toward the gatehouse. The crossbowman darted out from behind the wall, spotted Ruze and raised his crossbow. Kirnoth let fly with his arrow. But it had been too many years since he'd last used a bow and his arrow clattered harmlessly off the gatehouse wall. The crossbowman seemed ignorant of the attempt on his life; he sighted down his weapon at Ruze... but was unable to fire. Ruze scowled at him, and cursing, the man ducked back behind his cover.Ledare and Draelond exchanged misses with the grim-faced swordsman. Steel rang on steel, but no one landed a blow. Kirnoth ducked around the combat and followed behind the Battleguard, nocking another arrow as he went.There was still no sign of Finian."Ursh! Get out here!" they all heard a voice cry out from inside the keep. "One of 'em's a spellcaster! We could use a little mojo!" Only Ruze was close enough to hear the sound of retreating footfalls coming from the other side of the wall.As the swordsman momentarily directed his attention at Draelond, Ledare's blade slashed across the man's throat, dropping him to the ground amidst a spray of blood."Well struck," Draelond said with a nod.Ruze drew his twin scimitars as he felt the power of his Sanctuary spell recede. Beyond the ruined gate lay a courtyard choked with dead weeds. Off to the right was what looked like a well, covered with moss and decaying vines. Straight ahead was the main keep itself; it had seen better days. The fieldstone walls of the dilapidated, two-story structure had weakened in many areas, leaving large cracks and gaping holes. Many sections of the roof had completely collapsed, exposing rotten timbers and leaving shingles and planks scattered around the base of the building.The Battleguard spotted a shadowy figure dart inside the structure. Kirnoth saw it too and he let loose with another arrow, but it struck earth well away from the retreating figure.The elf glanced back over his shoulder and saw that Ledare and Draelond were hustling across the bridge toward them. He and Ruze stepped forward through the remains of the gateway, and blundered into a low-hanging string that was hung amidst the weeds that grew between the two towers. Small bells that depended from the string rang out loudly as they were disturbed."Oops," Ruze began, but an instant later a new voice cried out from the shadow of the ruined keep."Hold, intruders!" the voice cried out in thickly-accented common. "Taste the doom that awaits all who trespass on her sacred ground! Taste it and tremble!"Ruze felt an unholy spell wash over him, but his faith in the Silver Queen bolstered his will and the enchantment failed to take hold. "It is you who will tremble before the divine might of Shaharizod!" the Battleguard bellowed and charged forward.A quarrel whistled passed Ruze's head, nearly parting his hair as it went and then he saw the enemy cleric, a bald half-orc dressed in brown robes trimmed in yellow. An unholy symbol of Aphyx hung around his neck and he stepped forward with a quarterstaff to meet Ruze's challenge.Kirnoth raised his bow to fire, but found that, somehow, he lacked the will to attack the half-caste. Much as he wanted to, he just couldn't loose the arrow. Draelond and Ledare rushed passed the elf, following on Ruze's heels.</blockquote>

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