Not seeing the silent warrior, Tag takes the lead with Dunz and Darrin
trying to peer ahead into the light fog and find the enemy before the Orcs
can spot your group. Darrin's breath is ragged, but he keeps up gamely,
his axe held before him two fisted. Varn takes up a position near
Fynvola and leaves Jeremiah and Zantorax to fend for themselves, though
all can hear her muttering under her breath, "Maeg, you better be okay,
or I'll take my pan to your skull."
Tag leads you with silent steps towards the barren plains and the sound
of scrabbling movement ahead. In the faded fog, you are able to spot them
much faster and as you are just able to get a glimpse of their numbers and
formations, Tag's voice is already uttering a spell that makes the fog even
denser and darker than Zantorax's original efforts, though from the original
fog there is still a few streaks of lightning up high above you.
Before the spell is descended however you can see small groups of about
ten orcs each and the cry goes up from each group as they spot your group.
One group in the middle with six groups fanned around it has closer to twenty
orcs, most with bows coming to bear on your party, and an Orc standing tall
from amongst them shouts orders from their midst, his arm pointing towards
you. Near that group, cowering on the ground you can see huddled forms,
cringing in terror with only a hand's count of Orcs crouched low around them.
One group on the left side, suddenly begins to shriek and you think you see
a grey streak enter their midst, as they begin to bolt into the two groups
nearby, one the obvious Leaders and one to the rear of the leaders.
One Orc stands firm trying to fend off whatever it is that attacks them.
Darrin's cry of "Bryll!" ends in a ragged cough as just before the fog hits
full, you see a hail of arrows coming your way from the central group near
the prisoners.
Fynvola sighs audibly at the sight before her and looks to Darrin, Zan and
Tag for guidance whispering in a voice only barely audible but obviously
fighting fear, "Now what? I have only close combat ability and nothing to
protect me from arrows!"
The warrior takes swift notice of the trajectory of the short-bowed arrows
fired and leaps into action. "This way!" With his shielded arm going up as
protection, he darts in front of Darrin while grabbing him around the
waist. "Lean into me." he barks as he carries him off to the right side a
short distance.
With a cry of pain, Darrin reaches back and grabs for Fyn to haul her away
from the deadly strike. His hand wraps around her wrist but as he yanks her
towards him, but noting the danger flying towards them, Jeremiah senses that
the range of these missiles is not great. Swiftly reaching towards the Lady Fynvola,
Jeremiah guides her backwards away from the ranged attack, while raising his
shield to intercept any arrows which may come their way. Hopeful that the
original aim of the archers was to the center, the priest hopes (and prays) that
moving back swiftly will serve to take him out of the center of the attack.
Guessing that Tag or others will soon bring back the fog, Jeremiah takes careful
notice of the approaching orc warriors. His first actions when away from the
arrows will be to cast entangle on those approaching groups. Trusting to his
medium shield to protect his space, the young cleric swiftly moves away from the
approaching danger.
Darrin meanwhile backpeddles to stay within Dunz's grasp. Dunz's
pull protests under the strain of Darrin trying to reach the other way
but the big warrior somehow pulls him away from the arrow's paths. Varn
pulls Tag the other direction just as he finishes his spell.
With the fog having returned anew, Zantorax realizes that his magic will
be mostly useless until he gets closer to the orcs. The barrage of arrows
headed this way, however, is of grave concern. Zantorax mutters arcane words
and a large ring of lightning appears in front of him, moving with him as he
dashes to the right side of the group, cutting up the middle to Darrin's
side, the magical shield in front of both of them. "Darrin, come with me.
We're going to flank them. Tag, what are your chances if you lead
the rest of the group in a frontal assault?"
Several arrows plunge into the ground where moments before stood you had
all been standing.
Tag hisses, "Are you insane young one? I have some long range capability,
how about you? Attack from afar seems best, until forced to come close.
I do not relish charging in amongst sixty maddened Orcs, regardless of what
our Karaturian colleague is attempting as we speak."
Map now
o o
x O p o
o o
DaDu
VT Z
JF
"That orc Leader showed some smarts. He was not smart enough (apparently)
to prevent Shiro from outflanking his position. (He thinks he is fighting
"Khan" instead of "Kann") I have an idea based on the following. 1) A
single arrow broke up one orc group which shows just how skittish they
really are. 2) They waited in ambush rather than fight in the fog. 3) We
must break them before they get up the courage to attack in force. 4) We
must strike now while there is a window of uncertainty for the orcs
because: a) they saw us, b) they were attacked elsewhere, c) they were
attacked from behind earlier, and d) the 'killer fog' has descended!
Therefore, what say...
[Zantorax]
I am afraid you are the bait. We need to wipe out a large number of orcs
quickly and you have a spell that will facilitate it. It is called Taunt.
Every orc that fails a saving throw will want to personally wring your neck
with their bare hands (using no bows), and they will blindly charge towards
your voice, and then directly for you when they see you. The rest of us
will be arrayed in front of you to pick them off as they filter through.
Agreed?
[Jeremiah]
You lay down Entangle beginning in the light fog and extending it into the
deep fog where they will never see it until it is too late. Prepare to
firebomb in a few turns. You choose best how to fight after that. Agreed?
[Tag]
It is the canyon ambush once again. Except this time, we also have added
spellpower. Agreed?
Tag whispers, "We will be flanked warrior, but once they start to
flank around us, we should enclose ourselves into a circle."
[Varn]
Well. Do what you do best. ... Agreed?
Varn's only answer is to heft her axe and peer towards her ancient enemy.
[Darrin]
Do not yell like that again to the prisoners until we can reach them. You
would not want them used as bargaining chips if the orcs somehow figured
out that this is very personal? Agreed?
Darrin is barely able to nod as he concentrates on gasping for air.
[Fynvola]
Okay missy, perhaps we can see that close combat ability you mentioned.
On second thought. just keep him out of trouble. But, be careful.
Rumor has it the boy has a foot fetish.
[All]
We can try something else if someone has a better idea? If not, Jeremiah
and Zantorax should stand at the edge of where the Entangle will be and
cast simultaneously. Then after the taunting begins, retreat to the back of
the formation while the rest of us back away as well. We want to be able to
have a visible killing field in the light fog, which is partially entangled
as well and will slow down any orc still moving threw it. But only attack
the ones not trapped! Good hunting.
And we will be moving quickly after this, most likely a flanking maneuver
towards the prisoners under cover of the screaming, dying, burning orcs in
the wall of flame. If the others make a timely appearance, many orcs left
will break for it, particularly when we appear in their midst.
[Jeremiah]
Save that spell.
[All]
We need to move quick, so here it is quick and dirty (if agreeable)... I
doubt if they will charge because of the fog and the short bows. (They can
wait. We cannot.) So sitting here does nothing and the others can not
succeed alone. We need a 'co-ordinated' attack or we will be taken in
pieces, sooner or later.
I propose everybody except Tag, Jeremiah, and myself go right, in the light
fog. We will go up the middle just close enough to launch Entangle in order
to trap orcs where they stand and put a buffer between us. Then both groups
will fight to where the prisoners are located.
Do not burn the entangled area until we make sure no prisoners are trapped!
Or should we try to deliberately trap as many orcs as possible regardless
of the prisoners? (Of course that may happen somewhat anyway.)
I am figuring (and hoping) that in their skittish state, they will react to
just about anything and the more we come at them from different angles, the
more jittery they become. One great shove will break their morale to stand
and fight.
So, between noises on the right, attacks on the left and from the rear, our
frontal (non-attack) feint all under cover of a deep fog (the unknown)
should surprise them enough before they fully regroup and do something else
smart.
Let's do it?
[Tag]
Mages tend not to be sane in the head if you ask me, but what other choice
do we really have to us?
[Zantorax]
Take your group and outflank them on our right. After moving directly away
from our position, attract their attention (drag feet heavily, a loud
whisper, make gasping sounds, etc.) and move up half way so they think an
attack is coming now. Then go silent and wait until next round. Okay?
---------
As Cathil, Dalin and Maeg await an opportunity, they notice the other
groups attack on the enemies and since no Orcs are looking their way...
"Since the orcish archers are unaware of our presence, I think we should
charge down and take out their bowmen. If we get rid of them then wounds and
casualties will be greatly diminished."
Maeg calls out, "Yes, it is now or never, friends!"
As the groups make their way forward, you hear a few shouted orders, and
from the far left you still hear a large amount of movement.
Tag proceeds silently up the middle with Dunz and Jeremiah right behind
him. Dunz lets fly a couple of rocks high in the air, towards the first
group and in response, can be heard another flurry of arrows going
over the heads of the frontal assault team. Before anyone can see him,
Tag tears off another bauble on his necklace and launches it at the first group
he can see. Even as his bauble explodes and firey missiles land amongst a
group that can now be easily seen in the fog, there is a sudden explosion
amidst one of the rear groups and then into the group of leaders as well.
The orcs scream and in a panic begin to shoot out in all directions, their
well formed groups busted completely by the surprise missile attack from the
far left. Jeremiah's entangle spell goes off even as Dunz finds two more
rocks to throw into the fray, and most of the Orcs to the front, find
themselves tripped up and scrabbling to break free of vines that have gained
a life of their own.
Seeing the confusion around him, Zantorax decides that it would be best to
take an alternative action. Keeping his magical shield between himself and
the orcs, he moves quickly off to the right, moving to flank the enemy
opposite Shiro. However, he only moves far enough that he can get a clear
line of sight on the leader of the orcs, trying his best to remain unnoticed
by the orcs. From there, Zantorax will unleash a magic missle at the leader
of the orcs. His missile strikes true even as another explosion lands
close to the same Orc. Darrin and Varn move quickly to stand their ground
against the oncoming rush of terrified Orcs and Darrin can be heard to
mutter, "Not again..." One Orc seems to make for the slight lass Fynvola,
but Darrin steps quickly in front of the Orc and with unleashed fury his
axe is buried deep into the creatures chest. Varn strikes true as well and
highly demoralized most of the other Orcs take a wider curve around this
group.
From behind can be heard battle cries and the snik, snik of two arrows let
fly, and as Tag whispers words which make the fog begin to dissipate over
the center of the fray, Maeg, Cathil and Dalin can be seen cleaving into
the final orcs huddled at the rear of the prisoners. Shiro is seen to
be settled on one knee preparing to launch another strangely formed arrow,
but seeing the rout taking place, sees that it would be a waste to fire
once more.
Tag is quick to draw his swords and wade carefully into the entangled growth,
his blades quick to find a home in several enemies. Even a few of the prisoners
are on their feet and kicking and punching at any orc still within range, though
those are spotting areas amongst you now, that look safer to run through where
your blades are out of reach of them. Maeg, Cathil and Dalin make it to
the prisoners astride their horses, and stand over them protectively as the
final Orcs in that area are handled swiftly and surely.
Darrin runs towards the prisoners, his hand clutching his side and it seems
he knows the name of each one. Most are whipped and beaten cruelly, and
Darrin's axe makes a great clanging noise as it severs the links of chain
that hold the prisoners tied to one another. A woman, lithe, and hard-boned
with dark hair tied tight to the back of her head, lays amongst them, a bad
cut on the side of her head. Darrin kneels at her side, turning to cry out,
"Jeremiah, quick... please."
A young boy of perhaps twelve says quickly, "The beast rapped her hard when
she tried to answer your call. I tried to stop the blood, Darrin, as Bryll
has taught me."
"It's okay, Alec," Darrin says softly to the younger boy. "We have a healer..."
The woman smiles quite strongly up at Darrin and says gently, "You're pale
little one. Your healer should be lookin' at you, and if he don't I'll look
as soon as I can, lad. I'm not so close to death, just light headed. Like
I've been kicked by a cow. Have him see to some of the others as well," she
adds with a quick glance to a few of the younger children, lying nearby, those
that can standing guard over them. Her light blue eyes, twinkle in the
waning moonlight.
Maeg is quickly off his horse, and trudging quickly towards, Varn, finishing
what Orcs he can, as she does the same towards him.
Tag says quickly, "I figure there to still be thirty or forty, should
they regroup at all. We must keep watch and we must decide how best
to get these people home."
(
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