IC XII

[MonsterMash]

Thurgan, dwarf

Thurgan stays on guard for orcs emerging or the shrews approaching. He waits for the archers to start firing at the creatures.

[thirdkingdom]

Round Two

Aquar, thinking quickly, lights and throws a flask of oil into the dimly lit room. There is a roar of pain and several tiny, rodential squeaks. Without warning, two brown, flaming missiles streak through the gap in the door. Aquar is able to dodge the lightning quick bites the shrews try and deliver,but is so unnerved by the sight of squealing, flaming shrews that he takes off down the road after Severi! Mursely and Thurgan are both taken quite off guard as well, and run after the fleeing cleric. Brave Anohir stands his ground and fires a sling stone at the shrews, but misses. Half the mercenaries are as affected as the adventurers, and they too begin sprinting away from the rampaging rodents. Three bowmen and a crosbowmen, along with half the infantry, courageously stand their ground. The bowmen fire a volley of arrows at the shrews; one arrow pierces a shrew's eye and it dies instantly. The other quickly succumbs to the flames now sheathing its body. Aquar stands firm, even as arrows rain down around him.

Anohir notes that no orcs have yet to emerge from the building, although a chorus of bellicose yells can be heard from within. Rhys, by this time, has missed the routing of his companions. He rounds the northern side of the building and discovers two unlocked windows on the first floor and two on the second.

Okay, this is a bit of a complicated post. I decided that 2d4 was a little too harsh for the number of rounds spent fleeing, so nerfed it to 1d4. Aquar flees for 4 rounds, Mursely and Thurgan. Severi flees for one round as well, so will be able to act during Round Three. I just called that half the mercenaries fled, and made a morale check for the other half, to see if they would break upon seeing the bulk of the PCs flee. Luckily for you guys, they did not.

[Wyzard]

Severi will come back when he stops being scared.

This is going to be one of those fights that should have yackety-sax playing.

[Alethan]

Rhys listens at the nearest lower level door to see if he hears anything. If he doesn't, then he will open it and look inside.

[thirdkingdom]

Rhys listens at the nearest lower level door to see if he hears anything. If he doesn't, then he will open it and look inside.

They're windows, roughly the same height as the others.

[MonsterMash]

Thurgan, dwarf

Thurgan returns still looking shaken by the sight of the giant shrews. "Now I want to get them orcs".

[shaidar]

Mursley, MU

Mursley returns, rather embarrassed. He will hang back and use his sling, hoping the orcs finally decide to leave the building.

[Grognardsw]

Aquar picks ups a dead shrew and tosses it back through the hole, hoping that will draw the orcs out into the open. He is careful not to dwell in front of the hole, expecting arrows to fly forth.

[chap126]

Anohir, Priest

Anohir will keep firing stones at shrews and orcs that are visible.

[Alethan]

Rhys listens at the nearest lower level door to see if he hears anything. If he doesn't, then he will open it and look inside.

They're windows, roughly the same height as the others.

Oops! Sorry, misread the earlier post...

Rhys climbs to one of the windows on the first floor and peeks in.

[thirdkingdom]

Round Three

Rhys clambers up the wall and peers inside. He beholds a chamber, some thirty feet to a side, with a large stone door in the wall opposite (the southern wall). The door is slightly opened, not nearly wide enough to allow a man to pass through. The room itself is largely empty. A large circle has been traced onto the floor, in the center of the room. From where Rhys is perched, it looks like some sort of brownish paint was used to draw the circle.

Severi overcomes his fear of the shrill soricidaes and returns to stand beside and Anohir. Aquar picks up one of the shrews and bodily tosses it back into the room. This stratagem is soon followed by loud, bellicose bellows. The stone door is forcefully wrenched open and a large orc, at least a head taller than those encountered thus far, steps forth, blinking in the afternoon light. The orc is clad in mismatched, scavenged armor and wields a large axe. He is flanked on either side by several smaller, but no less vicious-looking, orcs!

This is the moment Anohir has been waiting for, and he lets loose a sling stone that hits the largest orc directly between the eyes. The orc lets forth a porcine roar! The orcish warrior swings wildly with his axe, catching Aquar with a massive blow.

Aquar takes 9 hp damage (don't forget to state if at any time you want to use the Shields Shall be Splintered rule). Just wanted to pause here and let Wyzard and GSW clarify what they want their characters to do. The other two (Mursely and Thurgan), will be back in time for Round Four, although Mursely can cast a spell this round, if desired.

[Grognardsw]

There was no chance to get surprise on the orc, given Aquar expected something to come out, heard preceding bellows, that stone door, an orc blinking in the sunlight? Aquar tries to hit with Fury's Fist hammer. - Fury's Fist (throwing Hammer (Masterwork +1), Skilled Proficiency +2, damage 1d4+3

[Wyzard]

I don't think it's even vaguely probable that they'd be surprised after we threw spells, molotovs, and a dead stoat through the door.

Severi casts his second and last sleep spell, if he can do it without knocking out the party.

[Alethan]

Rhys the Traveler

Rhys clambers into the room and climbs down to the wall. He moves towards the door, skirting the circle by staying to the sides of the room. When he gets to the door, he listens at the opening to see what he can hear.

[thirdkingdom]

Round Three, cont.

Aquar lashes out with his throwing hammer, but the large orc easily evades the blow. Severi, standing back away from the melee, casts Sleep for the second time. This time, his powers prove more puissant and all the visible orcs, including the large warrior, collapse to the ground.

Inside the building, Rhys puts his ear to the slightly open door. He hears the casting of a spell from a distance, then closer, gutteral voices, speaking in orcish: "An army of elves! We must retreat, and warn the tribe!"

[Wyzard]

Severi, Elf

Severi advances, slaying sleeping swine-men with each stride.

[Grognardsw]

Aquar, cleric

"Thou fobbing motley-minded gudgeon," mutters Aquar clutching his wound and spitting on the offending orc. For a moment there he thought that blow was to hit Severi, but the dice of the gods can be fickle. "Thou gorbellied fen-sucked younker!" He watches the elf kill it.

The curate applies first aid to himself, followed by a cure light wounds blessing.

[Wyzard]

Hey guys, I put a bunch of orcs to sleep, but maybe not ALL the orcs, so let's endeavor to start killing them rapidly before their friends wake them up.

[thirdkingdom]

The curate applies first aid to himself, followed by a cure light wounds blessing.

Aquar finds that he is unable to staunch the blood flowing freely from his wound by mundane means.

First Aid (9 Wisdom + 3 skill Ranks) (+2 penalty for performing it on oneself) Success on 1-10: (1d20=20, 1d3=2).
That's a roll you want to save for combat. No success, takes six rounds and uses up a First Aid kit.

Just to clarify, GSW, when you refer to using a "Cure Light Wounds blessing" you are referring to the first level CLW spell, and not the Cure Minor Wounds cantrip, correct?

[Alethan]

Rhys the Traveler

Hoping he isn't doing something completely stupid, Rhys opens the door all the way, staying just inside the door frame to try and limit the number of orcs that can attack him at one time... If any orcs get close enough, he will attack.

He calls out, "You shall not pass!"

Dannedd Blaidd, Magical +3 Sword (Skilled) vs. Armed: +6 To Hit (+1 BAB, +2 Skilled level, +3 sword); 1d12+3 Damage; -2 AC bonus vs 1; 1 Deflect