Against Darkness

[Sulara]

When Tybalt gets close Niamah whispers from the shadows "A woman is here, a warrior should not place himself between her and a door, she attacks from behind...

[Todd Spengo]

Tybalt nods and moves to a spot on the opposite side of the door.

[Eulalios]

Antheris

Antheris steps back into the passage and uses his tincture of neutralize poison, and calls out,

"Is there a door we can wizard lock to keep anything from attacking us from behind?"

Lorath has been helplessly hanging about, despite his stated intent to go explore while the battle works out to its conclusion. Now he whispers to Niamah and Tybalt: "Should I simply bar the door with a spell? That may save us from disaster, but delay us from our destined path."

[Todd Spengo]

Tybalt nods and says quietly, "Perhaps investing in defense is worthwhile. We've suffered many wounds. Who knows how much further we may push before we must withdraw?"

[Sulara]

"Agreed." Niamah whispers from the shadows.

[Eulalios]

Lorath wizard locks the door.

[Magnus]

Round 2

The party acts quickly, taking initiative against the remaining giant forces.

Ethan is first to move. He springs across the gulf of thick mud, cutting Heldga off from her escape. She hisses at him as he lands. The knight responds with a wicked slash, which cuts off her arm at the elbow!

The hill giant to Ethan's rear does not take kindly to his interloping. He draws a jagged iron sword and slashes downward, scraping heavily across Ethan's back!

Ethan - 9 damage! Shield bonus negated due to attack on the rear.

For her part, Heldga howls in pain as blood spurts from her stump. But she has enough wits about her to draw a short, thick blade, which drips with a thick, ochre liquid. She plunges it into Ethan's gut!!! Fortunately for the fighter, his strong constitution fends off the effect of the virulent liquid, allowing him to stay in the fight...though he is badly wounded...

Ethan - 9 damage; save versus poison made

Hollis follows the fighter, realizing that he can reach the fray even if it requires navigating through mud. The cleric does his best to wade through the thick mud, but he unfortunately slips and remains stuck about 10' south from Ethan. Two crossbow bolts thump into the cleric...piercing through his platemail and into his lung and liver. The stoic priest can barely contain his screams as he coughs up his own blood.

Hollis - Critical fumble!!! 9+15=24 damage!

Antheris takes a step back, and administers his neutralize poison tincture to himself. He feels the toxins in his blood fade and dissipate.

Gaerys remains down on the ground charred and bloodied...his life continues to drip away...

Marcus, hearing the warning of attackers to the south, clasps Vorsyin on the shoulder and marches the mage into the secret room between the main chamber and the giants' dwelling. The mage, always conservative in the use of his magic, sees that he may need to intervene in the fight against the giants.

Tybalt and Niamah take positions on either side of the south door; Nia remains hidden amongst the shadows.

Lorath moves indecisively through the aethereal mists. However, the slowing of time across the Border Aethereal permits him a bit of slack. The mage calls out his abjuration and within a few seconds, the door snaps still with magical force. Nia and Tybalt hear a pounding on the door and are grateful for Lorath's useful spell.

The hill giants' last stand is proving more stubborn than expected, and the party faces another attack potentially from the south...

*************************
Antheris: 39/48 [-30 lightning damage]
Vorsyin: 48/48
Gaerys: -5/60 !!!!
Hollis: 13/50 !
Lorath: 40/40
Ethan: 10/71 !!
Marcus: 31/35
Tybalt: 18/46
Nia: 30/33
***********************

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[NJWilliam]

Antheris

Antheris shouts "Niamah, Tybalt, get back here!"

He then crushes some mistletoe in his mitts and casts Cure Serious Wounds on Gaerys.

Cure Serious Wounds: [1d8] = 3 + [1d8] = 2 + 1 6 damage healed, that's an ugly looking macro

[Computer +1]

Vorsyin takes a position near the doorway looking into the large room and the wizard locked door. He prepares himself to unleash his most deadly magics lest the group be overtaken from behind. I will hold anything that comes this way. We must withdraw! We cannot fight on two fronts at once!

[Sulara]

Niamah whispers "The one of mist can look beyond and see what evils lie behind a door."

[drpete]

Seeing little aid coming from his friends, Ethan scrambles, trying to put an end to the fight quickly. He first tries to finish off Heldga, then with her down, turns to face the other giant.

To Hit giant with Frostfell (ThAC0 11) [1d20+6] = 4+6 = 10 damage [1d12+6] = 7+6 = 13

To Hit giant with Frostfell (ThAC0 11) [1d20+6] = 9+6 = 15 damage [1d12+6] = 9+6 = 15

Ethan's obviously in trouble. Assuming we get initiative, Ethan's goals are to get Heldga down, and get turned to face the other giant before it attacks... if we can time Ethan and Hollis' attacks to make that more likely, that would be awesome. If getting that to work would take a boot jump, I'll do that. I'd also love to drink my last healing potion, if you'll allow it. You were a little iffy on that earlier.

[Todd Spengo]

Tybalt moves to Gaerys and drags him out of the immediate line of fire. "What's the situation with the mud? I am not sure I can get across without becoming mired."

[Eulalios]

Lorath takes the hint and glides through the door to see what waits beyond.

[saalaria]

Hollis will strike at whatever giant he can reach, aiming to stay in step with Ethan to ensure maximum carnage:

mace Attack [1d20+2] = 18+2 = 20 Damage S [1d6+3] = 4+3 = 7 L [1d6+2] = 1+2 = 3

A bit better - shame about the damage!

[Magnus]

Round 3

Perhaps sensing the growing desperation of their situation, the party again takes initiative.

Ethan exhales a lungful of chilled breath, which lends an eerie fog to his corner of the battlefield. He follows with a mean swing that opens a huge gash in the gut of the giantess. She shrieks in pain and, just as she prepares to return the blow, Hollis manages to drag himself out of the mud in time to smash his mace across her spine. The obese matron twists and falls flat on her face in the thick mud. She twitches with a pathetic desperation as her life ebbs away. She begins to sink into the mud…

Ethan then spins and delivers another brutal slash across the abdomen of the hill giant formerly at his rear. For its part, the giant returns the blow with an overhead smash with its rusty blade. The slash finds its mark…Ethan sees stars and feels a few drops of blood on his forehead before collapsing.

ETHAN 11 DAMAGE!!! ETHAN DOWN!!
The two giant crossbowmen fire at the cleric, but the bolts stick in the mud just short of the cleric’s body.

Antheris applies the blessings of the old gods to the fallen ranger, dragging him from the brink of death. Gaerys coughs and spits as he regains consciousness.

Marcus draws his bow and fires an arrow at one of the hill giant crossbowmen. The young knight’s inexperience shows, as the arrow merely bounces off of the tough hide of a giant. Vorsyin holds his position…watching the southern flank of the party carefully.

Note: V cannot see Niamah.

Tybalt begins to move north. As the heavily armored paladin does so, he hears familiar gibbering and is intercepted by two quickly-moving loping forms. Two ghasts fall upon him, ripping and tearing with claw and fang…unbelievably, the valiant paladin manages to fend off all of the attacks and resist the stench of the foul creatures.

Another ghast trails, and followed further by a small pack of hornfeet bearing crossbows. They will surely be a factor in the next moment or two.

Sulara remains hidden in the shadows. Even the ice-blooded thief could not help but sweat a bit, perhaps, as she sees the forces of darkness begin to crowd around her…though none seem to notice, for now.

Lorath swoops south, around the wizard locked door. He sees a group of three hornfeet, as well as a single marsh giant, crowded around the door, banging on it. The mage’s spell remains effective, however.

DECLARE ACTIONS!

*************************
Antheris: 39/48 [-30 lightning damage]
Vorsyin: 48/48
Gaerys: 1/60 !!!
Hollis: 13/50 !
Lorath: 40/40
Ethan: -1/71 !!!!
Marcus: 31/35
Tybalt: 18/46
Nia: 30/33
***********************

Map:

Huge Battle!.jpg (330.23 KiB) Viewed 1077 times

[Computer +1]

Vorsyin summons the energy and releases a lightning bolt at the group of hornfeet to the south.

To Marcus and Antheris he yellsTybalt is engaged with ghasts and hornfeet!

[Todd Spengo]

Tybalt calls upon the Lord of Light to smite these foul creatures of death.

Tybalt attempts to turn undead {As a Level 6 Cleric} [1d20] = 6

[saalaria]

Hollis is a bit stuck - he swings at the giant in front of him:

mace Attack [1d20+2] = 15+2 = 17 Damage S [1d6+3] = 1+3 = 4 L [1d6+2] = 3+2 = 5

[NJWilliam]

Antheris

Antheris casts obscurement to create a wall of mist across the mud so the hill giants on the other side of the mud cannot see Hollis, Ethan, or the corridor in which Antheris remains.

[Sulara]

Niamah remains still in the shadows, her hand reaches for her dagger...