1 - 026: The First Piece

[K Man]

Yuri, Sehanine, Balin, Girud, Romar and Galdren - Mordrock watches the debate crawl by with a confused look. It is apparent that the small goblin is easily confused by larger words.

We have to go, now. The guards will not prevent our escape. I bargained with them for our freedom. Now let's move, I will explain everything when I know were safe. Let's leave this descelate place.

Yuri tosses the equipment into the cell. A few of the guards huff at the notion of prisoners being allowed to escape but a few quick words from the kobold in the next alcove and they keep their opinions to themselves.

Driking the potions Krysta provides fills each of you, especially the fatigued Sehanine with an energy you did not think you would find.

{Girud gains 6 HP from one potion. Want to drink another?
Sehanine gains 9 HP from one potion.
Balin gains 5 HP from one potion.
Galdren gains 5 HP from one potion.}

Everyone begins to don their respective gear but it quickly becomes apparent that their are different agendas at hand.

Kyrsta and Girud, not wanting to abandon the promises they made to the less fortunate, argue their points and cause Mordrock's face to furl even more.

"If we are to leave, then I must keep my word. The other prisoners must be set free. I will not allow them to rot here while we make our way out of this hell. They may also be able to help. And as for the guards; since they are lowly numbered now, and Yuri and Romar seem to be in full health, compared to us, I say we deal with them swiftly before they have a chance to react. Shoot them first with as many arrows as we can, and then charge those left, making sure they do not live to warn any others. The goblin here will also be accompanying us as well, so give him what weapons and armour he can use. I am sure you have more than enough there in your hands, as not all of that was our equipment."

"These fools here must die. The innocents they have enslaved must be relesed. For me there is no question about staying or going. We must do what we can."

Romar, saddened by the loss of a dear friend and companion, speaks his words, deciding on a different course of action.

"I regret that I have something to do while you free the others. A vampire, the same one who brought me here enthralled, took something precious of mine and I fear it may already be too late. Húna, my steed, means more to me then even the best of companions, and I have to look for her. Forgive me my seclusion, but I can not be stopped in this matter. I will go outside immediately and find her. If I can do anything while I go there for you then I shall not hesitate."

Krysta voice her opinion to Romar, feeling that his actions to head out for his horse are less significant than the task at hand.

"Romar. I know how you feel, as we all do. We have all had to make choices in this cruel war, and leaving behind a loved one has hurt us all. I have lost my only parent that I knew, and that was not too long ago. But I honored him, knowing that he sacrificed his life so that I may continue his fight. Huna also has played a role in this whole scheme. Honor your companion by continuing the fight, and not walking to your doom. If you are to save your horse, then we should go in one group. For if you get to Huna, and manage to alert any enemy, you will have surely brought our demise back to reality this night. Once we have dealt with these captors inside, we will help you find Huna. If your steed is alive, then I will help free it. If it has been lost to the enemy, then we will have set about the right path. To free those in need."

The debate points fly back and forth, causing Mordrock to spin his head as he looks to each person speaking and trying to comprehend their words. It is only when the object of his desire, Sehanine, speaks to him that he finally lights up.



"You care for Mordrock! Others care for horses, people...but you! You care for Mordrock."

The fact that Mordrock will remain loyal until death is suddenly illuminated. Removing his key and taking on of Krysta's weapons, the axe, Mordorck makes his way to the door of his cell. He bravely removes the key and makes his way to the rest of the group, standing uncomfortably close to Sehanine.



"Mordrock fight by your side...till death!"

The small goblins words are drowned out by more debate about actions to take. Yuri resumes the discussion of the fate of those already captured.

Sadly, we cannot save these people. I gave the guards my word that only you can be spared. I am sorry, but we do not have time to discuss this, we have to leave now before they change their minds. Even if we eliminate the guards, it will still alert the others outside the compound. It will be much harder to hide a large group of people through an army of the dead than a small warparty. They do deserve punishment for their actions, yes, but not at the expense of our own lives.

Krysta retorts.

"As you surely know, you gave your word you would free us only. WE gave our word to free the others. If you want to turn your back on that which we have fought to protect, then so be it. I will not leave, as I have given my word to Mordrock that I will see him out of this place, along with the other prisoners."

Mordrock smiles broadly again, convinced his reputation and clout with the party has grown to proportions the pathetic creature never thought possible.
Yuri, growing impatient, raises his voice and reiterates.

Did you not hear my idea? We can still keep our promises. Just let the goblin and Sehanine stay to free the others when the guards fall asleep. I will take three of you out of this place and we will wait for the others on the outskirts where it is safe. Please, whomever wishes to leave with me better do it now. We have no more time to argue!

Girud settles for an end to the debate and voice his thoughts in a finalized manner.

"Now is not the time for words, it is a time for action. If you must leave because of your bargain, then you must. I'm willing to bet that you didn't promise them no harm upon our release. You leave if you will, I am freed. Thank you for this. Now, I must do that which I promised I would. The prisoners will go free."

Krysta agrees, nearly ignoring Yuri and beginning to plan on an attack.

"It would be best to make sure we can all effectively take them out easily. I would rather shoot into them and then charge them, as it would be while they are not aware, and the quicker we dispatch of these creatures, the better. After all, we are not at our full health, as the guards are. That set of keys should be enough for him to set the others free. I will be along your side, to deal these vile creatures that which they sought from us....Death!"

Yuri senses a split here and now between the party. He voices a final statement before following Romar down the hallway to the exit of the complex.

It is apparent that none of you, save Sehanine and Fharlanghn, are willing to listen to me at all. I say again: You are free. You are too weak right now to fight them head-on, especially Sehanine. They will come back shortly. If you are not gone by then, they will kill you and have you continue digging for eternity. There is no point in me repeating my suggestion on the situation because of the anger and mistrust of me that blinds you. I'm leaving this forsaken place and finding the Master on my own if need be. If anyone cares to come with me, follow me. Otherwise, I bid you farewell.

In all of this debate, Mordrock finally shouts out his opinion.



"STOP!!"

Looking to the small goblin, you puzzle over such a strong reaction.

"When Mordrock see you first, you all together like friends...Mordorck not see this in orcs, Kobolds or others. Mordrock happy to see this and now..."

The small goblin throws his arms outward in a huff.

"You act no different than them. Go for horse, leave, save people...why not work on all of these things?"

Mordrock pauses in mid-statement as he feels a presence behind him. In the emotion flying around the room, the small goblin forgot to pay attention to the guards that stood mere feet behind him. A hulking orc now hovers over the goblin, motioning to the key in his hand.



"SO! That what happened to key!"

Mordrock gulps and drops the key to the ground in a childish effort to hide his crime.



"What key?"

The orc raises his wicked axe and as you all react to the movement, you hear noises coming from the hallway leading to the exit.

{I have Romar in the hallway, maybe 20 ft. into it, Yuri another 10ft. behind him. The rest of you are clustered together near the cells, guards included.}

Peering down the hallway, you see a figure stumble around the corner. It is an orc, probably a guard from the main entrance to the complex. He moves shakingly, more like he's having a siezure or suffers from some muscle affliction.

As he finishes rounding the corner, you can clearly see what is wrong with him. He is full of arrow shafts that protrude from his body at varying angles and in important points in his body. He collapses to the ground without a word and blood dripping from every hole on his body.

The orc next to you screams.



"Intruders!!"

{Initiative: Mordrock, Romar, The guards, Krysta, The Intruders, Girud and Balin, Galdren, Sehanine, Yuri.}

{Post more than 10k. Others coming later.}

[K Man]

Hero, Newt, Garor, Caelith and Callian -

Garor looks over the field before him. The swarm of enemies, the ballistae on the edge of firing...and then the monsters atop his own walls.

It is too much.

He sounds the retreat and orders his men to fall back into the keep, taking every precaution to ensure they are not attacked as they move. {Withdraw Actions?} The young man sent into the inner keep earlier announces the withdraw loudly.

"The North Front is retreating!! The walls are overrun!"

{Garor, should you so desire you can fall back to the tunnel entrance and even begin getting your men down into it. It's up to you where you want to fall back to.}

Hero is outside the keep and the path seems clear between the hillside and the forest. If kept in small groups lead by trained men, it appears as al those unable to fight will make it out of this scuffle alive.

The Captain, hearing the sound of the North Front collapsing and taking but a moment to glance over to the ramparts, drops his jaw. The more than two dozen creatures already on the wall with more clambering over now unhindered sends him into a protective mode. You can hear him bark orders above the chaos.

"The Freehols falling! Men! To the tunnel and may the gods watch over you!!"

{Withdraw Action Captain}

{The North and West Fronts are collapsing}

The North Front, now unhindered, sees another twenty monsters make it into the keep without pause as the first wave makes their way into the keep.

The goblins, orcs and kobolds smash, break and open everything in a desperate search for the ones they know must be hiding here. It becomes grotesquely apparent that they are in search of meat or other unmentionable deeds as they scour for the keep's inhabitants.

You also hear the distinct thud of two ballistae bolts striking the wooden drawbridge in succession. They reverberate with the impact and you know it won't be long before the main door to the keep is torn wide open.

{Next round there will be opposing STR checks for the ballistae bolts. Only two hit and the third hit the wall so is useless.}

Callian {Will edit upon his decision since I was lazy and didn't have a post up. }

Newt, sneaking around the battlefield, you do manage to spot a figure that stands above the others and appears to be addressed as a commander. He is an orc, relatively small and slender for his species, but he bears a clean suit of armor than looks like it was more built for a human.

{MS and Hide Checks, Newt}

The orc does not seem to notice your approach and you can move in closer.

{Listen Check, Newt}

Sneaking in a bit closer at a steady pace, you pick up pieces of a conversation he's having with a lesser warrior.

"The North and West fronts have fallen. Our warriors fill the keep."

"Good. And are the ballistae ready to tear down the drawbridge?"

The orc seems to speak with great intelligence and well chosen words.

"Yes. We will soon be in the keep."

"Good. Once this wretched place falls, the Master will be one step closer to owning the world."

It appears that all the army is doing here is just gaining territory in the name of 'The Master'.

The South Front, relentless so far in its' beating, does not let up. Caelith is faced with the hoardes as they advance. The battering ram is heard crashing below you. {DC to Break = 31 vs. Combined STR Roll of orcs = 26. The DC will decrease by 2 each round the door is not reinforced somehow.} The door nearly shatters, barely hanging on by its' almost useless timbers.

The monsters, more than a dozen in number, attack with ferocity. {14 attack rolls, 8 successes. [Caelith NOT included] Damage Rolls = 5, 6, 3, 2, 2, 4, 7, 3} The three men wounded earlier drop to one knee, the wounds from the battle proving to be too great. One appears dead.

As if the battle wasn't going the wrong direction already, the remainder of the hoarde tosses the last ropes. {1 Attack roll, fali} Fortunately the ropes don't stick to their targets but there are more climbing the walls to the keep.

Caelith orders his men to hold their ground and fight, tossing his flask of alchemists fire into the fray. HIs nine standing men find the morale to go on, striking with their blades. {9 Attack rolls, 9 successes, 2 critical. Damage Rolls = 5, 6, 9, 7, 8, 7, 4, 13, 15} In a great stand, nearly every creature struck by his men is dropped and falls lifeless.

Caelith tosses his flask over the edge of the keep towards the greatest concentration of enemies. {Ranged Touch Attack = 16} A goblin near a concetration of enemies is struck directly on the head with the flask and begins to scream as he burns. {4 damage, other take 1}

{Caelith, you have 5 monsters on the wall, and more on the way. Also, you have lost one man and 7 are wounded.}

The West Front floods forward without the Captain and his men to stop it. More monsters begin to come over the walls and soon they will saturate the keep with their filth.

East Front. {Holding on Callian's Decision.}

{Initiative: Garor, Hero, North Front, Callian, South Front, Caelith, East and West Front.}
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[Fangor the Fierce]

ooc-KMan, Yuri had previously stated that he handed us 4 potions, where I drank one, and passed the rest along. Then I fumbled for my own set of potions, and handed them out to anyone needing them. That should be 8 potions, not just the 4. If I am missing something, let me know.

Seeing that there must be reinforcements outside, Krysta turns to the guards, releasing her arrow into the orc intent on harming the Goblin. She then drops her bow, grabs her weapons and says, "Looks like we got company!"

[K Man]

ooc-KMan, Yuri had previously stated that he handed us 4 potions, where I drank one, and passed the rest along. Then I fumbled for my own set of potions, and handed them out to anyone needing them. That should be 8 potions, not just the 4. If I am missing something, let me know.

{No Krysta, I probably missed something. This campaign is hard to track sometimes. If there are indeed that many potions, then all present may drink until they are at full HP...or tell me how many they want and I'll handle it from there.}

[VemuKhaham]

noticing that I am probably now standing in the curve of the hallway, I'd like to get a view of what is coming from there

---

Romar notices things getting out of hand in a sudden, and grabs his bow from his back and with one straight move he turns and releases an arrow, aimed at the orc with his axe raised. He can't let Mordrock perish like this, and he sees he has a clear shot into the orc's back.I look if the others can handle it, and if Mordrock is still in danger.

If no-one comes down that hallway from outside and Mordrock is safe, I intend to go down that hallway. If I also think the others will be able to handle it all, I might be able to use this 'distraction' to my own advantage (no offence intended). If Mordrock is still not safe and/or someone comes down that hallway, I will shout who or what it is and continue the fight.

---

Longbow, composite (+5, 1d8, x3, 110ft., P)(no str.)

[Japic]

Girud gains 6 HP from one potion. Want to drink another?

Nope, 7 is enough for now. Pocket the other. It will come in hany soon enough.

I free my greatsword and move to attack one of the guards, I don't care which one. Actually I didn't see Krysta in your initiative post, so I'm not sure where she goes. If it's before me I attack the wounded guard, hopefully cleaving on to another. If it's after, I go for one of the smaller guards, hopefully cleaving as well.

{+6 to hit, 2d6 +6 dam. Cleave when possible.}

[GeneralMHB]

Yuri prepares for whatever comes from the entrance of the cave. He takes a quick peek around the corner to get their identities.

[Jevva]

OOC: So, what's happening with the potions?

After the intruders come into view, if they do, Galdren attacks them if they're hostile; if not, he merely assaults what guards are left.

+4 katana, d10 +3
+4 wakizashi d6 +3, cleave with katana if possible

[Fangor the Fierce]

There are 8 potions, I took the first, as handed from Yuri, then passed the 3 remaining to the others.

(Girud gains 6 HP from one potion. Want to drink another?
Sehanine gains 9 HP from one potion.
Balin gains 5 HP from one potion.)
I then reached into my BAG and procured the 4 potions I had stored, giving one to Galdren for the 5hp as mentioned before in your post.

That would leave the 3 potions that I posted that I handed out, offering one to the half giant if he needed/wanted it and the rest to whomever needs them. Hope that helps to clear things up.

I am also missing some HP from drinking the potion and also my initiative order for the battle in question.

[Hero]

DM: Hero is outside the keep and the path seems clear between the hillside and the forest. If kept in small groups lead by trained men, it appears as al those unable to fight will make it out of this scuffle alive.

Action: Hero starts moving the people out in accordance with the plan - civilians with a proper escort. As the first band departs, she says to the soldiers going out "There is honor in stealth, when stealth may save the innocent. Go quickly and go quietly."

Hero will guard the opening staying as out of sight as possible.

[K Man]

From Wizard:

BOYD---uhhh...nothing posted yet for the keep. Callian struggles with his nonexistence, considering the philosophical implications of the new world-view suggested by a doddering old sage who talked maniacally of The Boards.

[K Man]

BUMP: Added the post for those inside the keep.

[Jevva]

Oh, ok, well, if there're potions floating around, I'll take one.

[Merovingian]

Finding this information only angers newt as to the greed and destruction of the master and his followers. Moving with his utmost caution and grace of shadows he heads slowly back to the cave exit to check on the progress. If he can Newt will try to locate Hero and as many trained warriors as he can.

To Hero and others: We may have lost this battle but I think I have found a way to send a message that we will not go down with out a fight. If we skirt around the battle field while the army is focused on the keep we can ambush the general and some of his officers. The army could do little to respond to a small group such as ours and the ensuing chaos my cover our retreat epically if the destruction of the keep goes to plan. Will you join me?

[sonnetinkinston]

I draw my longsword, my resolve hardened by the sight of my family heritage inscribed in elvish upon the blade, and move in front of Mordrock. I intend to protect him from the guards should they attack him, but will move forward should anyone attempt to attack any of the others.

(-2 Dex/Str, making my attack +3)

[K Man]

{Just to let everyone know, I've not forgotten about this campaign. I'm just supre* busy. I'll get a post up soon.}

* - Yes, this is the proper English 'Supre'..not a typo like you all think

[Japic]

...move in front of Mordred.

I'll assume that you meant Mordrock, I'm betting that you'll do no such thing for Sir Mordred the Pure. lol

(Just messin around here, I've already posted my actions)

[BluSpecs]

Garor orders his men to fall back to the tunnel only after he makes sure it won't leave any of the other groups vunerable from behind.

Just so they can hear

Hold on men, we need to buy the others some time to fall back, once they do we move!

Yelling:

Stick it to them men! They may have broken through walls but dammit we'll take a good part of them down with us!

[sonnetinkinston]

Japic said:

I'll assume that you meant Mordrock, I'm betting that you'll do no such thing for Sir Mordred the Pure. lol

Oops! Thanks Japic! I fixed it. And yeah, for Mordred, it would be something more like:

I moved in front of him, prepared to grease his pansy a** if he even twitched...