The Evil of Ravenholm - Chapter 1: The Dark City

[NayrVentess]

--1--2--3--4--5--6--7--8--9-10-11-12-13
A 0--0-----------------------0--0--0--0---0-----
B 0--0-P---------------------0--0--0--0---0----- 0 = The City Walls
C 0--0-Ge-------------------0--0--0--0---0----
D------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------
F--------------R--R----------------------------- 5,6
G-------R-HK-Gr-R----------------------------- 3,4 - Karz and Hars are in the same space,6
H--------------D-------------------------S--C------ 5,12
I------------------------------------------------
J------------------------------------------------
K------------------------------------------------
L-------------------------------------------------
M-------------------------------------------------

Initiative Order
1. Grashuk: 24hp, sword shedding bright light, Initiative
2. Hars: -9hp, +2 to defenses, +4 on attacks against Dregthuk, DYING
3. Pelloth: concealed
4. Skar: 54 damage, oathed by Cain, action point expended, bloodied
5. Gerash:
6. Dregthuk: 71 damage, marked by Hars, cursed by Pelloth, -2 to attacks, action point expended, bloodied
7. Cain: Oath'ing Skar
8. Random Thugs: F6 is cursed by Pelloth
9. Karz the Impaler: 27 damage, marked by Hars, action point expended, attempting to devour Hars

Cain brings forth all the power that Tharizdun has to offer him; Skar sees him charging wildly toward him and attempts to deter him...to no effect. As Skar has a broadsword shoved clean through his rib cage, he feels himself being transported. When he re-appears, he has a globule of blood in his mouth. The Avenger then rips the sword out of him, leaving a gaping wound which has bloodied the gnoll. He then spits the blood that has risen to his throat into the Kenku's face. Smiling a rueful grin, revealing yellow and bloody teeth, SKar says in a raspy voice, "Good hit Kenku. Don't worry I won't leave you." He then lifts up his Khopesh, ready to fight hand to hand.

After Grashuk rose off the floor and sorted himself out, three of the thugs kept attacking him. A sword, a club and two daggers, all piling into the Bugbears defenses. But his superior skill kept all the weapons at arms length, except for one strike from the club that caught him on the head, dealing 4 damage.

The last thug that was left attacking Hars was an elf. He had not yet managed to break down the doppelgangers defenses, but he felt his time coming. He twisted his longsword to attack Hars' weakened areas, but Hars turned in time to deflect the stirke.

But that did not matter, for now Karz the Impaler made his attempt to gut the tricksy white skinned b*****d. So crazed is he that he didn't even attempt to get an advantage in combat by using his allies. With savagry in his eyes, his Katars came pummelling in. Fortunately for the weakened Hars, the gnolls wildness in battle caused him miss by a long way with both strikes...fortunately for Karz though, he has an Action Point! Two more strikes came in; Hars life hangs in the balance...The first Katar; just caught Hars' armour but glanced off...the second strike; buried into the fighters upper thigh! Taking 13 damage, Hars goes down!

Karz lets out a shout of success! Then to all your horror, falls down on top of Hars, drops his Katars and looks as if he is about to maul him, mouth open and looking hungry.

(( Since iDragow asked earlier, I'm going to say that Hars delays until after Grashuk...I know he is dying and this shouldn't really be happening, but shh! He asked aaaggess ago... ))  

[iDragow]

Grashuk's eyes fell to the Gnoll attempting to devour the Tempest Fighter, and his jaw clenched. The bright light of his broadsword dimmed down, so that it was only slightly glowing. He pulled the sword as far back as possible, and then lashed out. Even if he failed to hit Karz, the Changeling should be invigorated to realize that he wasn't fighting against him alone.

"Hars! Pull yourself together! How are you going to kill Dregthuk if your being devoured by this stray dog!?"

The Warlord then shouted: "Everyone! Move to a more advantageous position! I want this scum dead before the rain stops! I want to prepare an adequate fire for the feast!" Grashuk himself dodged in between two of the larger threats, in order to get into a better position to assist Hars, should the changeling need more aid.

Quote:

Free Action: Change the bright light at 20 squares to a dim light at 1 square. Still radiant damage.
Standard Action: Fearless Rescue on Karz. 18 vs. AC, and Hars can spend a healing surge.
Minor Action: Inspiring Word on Hars. He can spend a healing surge, and regain an additional 4 HP.
Move Action: Repositioning Command. Me and all allies within a Close Burst 10 (Tactical Presence) can shift 1 square. I shift 1 square SW to be South of Hars/Karz, in case he wants to shift North for flanking.

 

[Vorastrix]

Pelloth shifts SE to C4 while saying almost casually to Gerash, "Get in my way again, and I won't bother to reposition myself" allowing the implication to linger without actually stating the threat.  

[SporkMaster5000]

"I'm sorry, I assumed you could see around me with that swollen head of yours," Gerash returns to the drow, not budging despite Grashuk's command. His vantage point was working just fine.  

[Arc Vembris]

((there was no note that I was grabbed or anything so...))

Hars' blank eyes snap open. Just as the gnoll's jaws comes down it pauses in surprise at Grashuk's attack. Hars rolls back a pace and rises to his feet in a fluid motion.((shift north granted by Grashuk and move to stand))
He then shifts his form to that of the smallest, most petite young human girl he can manage, which is still roughly in her mid-teens. Smudge-faced and flecked with plenty of blood, she leaps high over the clash of blades to land opposite Dregthuk, driving her weapon home.

((minor to use changeling disguise, standard for Blade Vault[rogue 3, mp]. shifts two squares se to flank Dregthuk with Grashuk. 28 vs AC, 27 damage, sneak attack expended))

As blade meets organs, Hars manages a tittering girlish giggle. "Sure Mister, I always like a good fight."

((If he ain't dead, he's marked))  

[NayrVentess]

--1--2--3--4--5--6--7--8--9-10-11-12-13
A 0--0-----------------------0--0--0--0---0-----
B 0--0-----------------------0--0--0--0---0----- 0 = The City Walls
C 0--0-Ge-P-----------------0--0--0--0---0----
D------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------
F--------K-----R--R----------------------------- 3,5,6
G-------R---------R----------------------------- 3,46
H-----------Gr-D-H-----------------------S--C---- 5,12
I------------------------------------------------
J------------------------------------------------
K------------------------------------------------
L-------------------------------------------------
M-------------------------------------------------

Initiative Order
1. Grashuk: 24hp, sword shedding dim light
2. Hars: 28hp, marking Dregthuk
3. Pelloth: concealed Initiative
4. Skar: 54 damage, oathed by Cain, action point expended bloodied
5. Gerash:
6. Dregthuk: 98 damage, marked by Hars, cursed by Pelloth, -2 to attacks, action point expended bloodied
7. Cain: Oath'ing Skar
8. Random Thugs: F6 is cursed by Pelloth
9. Karz the Impaler: 41 damage, action point expended

Grashuk sees the wild gnoll jump on top of the unconcious Hars. He can't have that. He steps foward and swipes his sword from the ground up, hitting Karz in the side and sending him flying off the doppelganger. The bugbear then pumps up his ally and brings him round, ready to fight again. After shouting his commands, he then moves to a better position from which to fight from. ((As I said in the OOC thread iDragow, you still had a standard action left, but its been too long and I want to move on so you have lost it, sorry))

Tada! Hars was once more ready to fight. After nimbly getting back on his feet, the white skinned man once more changed his shape, becoming someone who you wouldn't think would be all that into fighting and stuff. But nevertheless, the now young innocent looking teenage girl Hars used outstanding acrobatic skill to end up in a position flanking Dregthuk. She then used the advantage to drive her blade into the hobgoblins kidneys. As he felt his organs being punctured, Dregthuk turned his head and shouted, "Urgh! Good hit, once I am done killing your friends, I'll show ya what I do with little girls like you!  

[Vorastrix]

Pelloth sends his curse upon Karz the Impaler, then puts it immediately to use by prodding all of his curses in the area to bite at their hosts. Pelloth smiles at the madness he has caused, but releasing he may have overstepped by allowing drawing the impaler attention to himself, he steps a few paces away, once again, embracing the shadows.

Quote:

Minor: Curse Karz

Standard: Cursebite, v Fort 28(crit)-K, 21-D, 27-R

Damage: 32 on Karz and 17 on the rest

Move: 2 SE to A6

 

[NayrVentess]

--1--2--3--4--5--6--7--8--9-10-11-12-13
A 0--0------------P---------0--0--0--0---0-----
B 0--0-----------------------0--0--0--0---0----- 0 = The City Walls
C 0--0-Ge------------------0--0--0--0---0----
D------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------
F--------K-----R--------------------------------- 3,5
G-------R---------R----------------------------- 3,6
H-----------Gr-D-H----------------S-----C---- 5,11
I------------------------------------------------
J------------------------------------------------
K------------------------------------------------
L-------------------------------------------------
M-------------------------------------------------

Initiative Order
1. Grashuk: 24hp, sword shedding dim light
2. Hars: 28hp, marking Dregthuk
3. Pelloth:
4. Skar: 54 damage, oathed by Cain, action point expended, bloodied
5. Gerash: Initiative
6. Dregthuk: 98 damage, marked by Hars, cursed by Pelloth, -2 to attacks, action point expended, bloodied
7. Cain: Oath'ing Skar
8. Random Thugs:
9. Karz the Impaler: 73 damage, action point expended, bloodied

As Pelloth draws upon the dark powers that he has been infused with, he feels a connection with the three cursed enemies around him. The one to the south east of him, he feels its life force extinguish almost immediately, must have been a weak one. He feels the connection with Dregthuk and sends his power forth. But the hobgoblin is surprisingly resilient and manages to resist the drows attack. Karz however feels the full extent of Pelloths pact. His curse pains him greatly enough to cause blood to slowly drip from his nose. Karz then looks up at Pelloth with a wild abandon, you feel you may have just set him off.

Over on the east side of the battlefield, Skar is trying to fend off attacks from Cain. He is holding his own with his Khopesh, but he then hears Dregthuk shout, "Skar! Stop ******** about with that sparrow and get over here!" He knew Cain would pursue him, but Skar had to obey. Shifting closer to his boss, the old grizzled gnoll then brought out his symbol and muttered his curse at Hars. But Hars shrugged off the spell, causing no end of annoyance to Skar, since he could already hear the Kenku screaming wildly and charging toward him ((Joe tell me where you want to shift to))  

[SporkMaster5000]

Gerash points his orb at Karz, clutching it tightly, rather than cradling it. A small grin creases his desiccated features as a bolt of black energy fires out of the dark orb into the gnoll's chest. "The drow might kill you," he warns his victim, "but I will make you suffer," he chuckles lightly then follows after said drow, beckoning the gnoll to follow.

((Ray of enfeeblement on Karz, 26 vs. fort, 7 necrotic damage and weakened for a turn. Then move to C8.))  

[NayrVentess]

--1--2--3--4--5--6--7--8--9-10-11-12-13
A 0--0------------P---------0--0--0--0---0-----
B 0--0-----------------------0--0--0--0---0----- 0 = The City Walls
C 0--0------------------Ge-0--0--0--0---0----
D------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------
F--------K-----R--------------------------------- 3,5
G-------R---------R----------------------------- 3,6
H-----------Gr-D-H----------------S--C------- 5,11
I------------------------------------------------
J------------------------------------------------
K------------------------------------------------
L-------------------------------------------------
M-------------------------------------------------

Initiative Order
1. Grashuk: 24hp, sword shedding dim light
2. Hars: 16hp, marking Dregthuk, bloodied
3. Pelloth: concealed
4. Skar: 54 damage, oathed by Cain, action point expended, bloodied
5. Gerash:
6. Dregthuk: 98 damage, marked by Hars, cursed by Pelloth, action point expended, bloodied
7. Cain: Oath'ing Skar Initiative
8. Random Thugs:
9. Karz the Impaler: 80 damage, weakened, action point expended, bloodied

Gerash does well to take some of the kick out of Karz's energy, but you get the sense that the gnoll will still charge like the crazy ******** that he is.

After Skar had finished his attack, Cain followed him all the way, making sure to stay with the gnoll.

Dregthuk looked around, it wasn't going as well as earlier when the doppelganger was being mauled by Karz. Trying to sort it out, Dregthuk shouted, "Move your asses! I want a formation sorted out here boys!" It didn't work, Karz was too far gone and had lost all sense of reason. Skar was being tied down by Cain, and the other three...well they looked like fleeing. Infuriated by this, Dregthuk just launched out an attack at Hars. He just managed to get a hit in and dealt 12 damage, again bloodying the shapeshifter. Dregthuk is beginning to sense victory slipping from his grasp...  

[joe-dude667]

As the scum moved away from him, Cain quickly followed. He wanted a fight! Why wouldn't he fight him back? The Gnoll just kept going for his stupid companions... He'd catch his attention.

"Stop running away and fight the Kenku!" Cain shouted at Skar, in a perfect copy of Dregthuk, before pushing his blade deep into the Gnoll's chest.

Quote:

Pre turn:
OA vs Skar:
+5 [0str, 2lvl, 2prof, 1enh]vsAC=15/14
Doubt that hit, but just in case: 1d10+2=12

Standard:
Bond of Pursuit vs Skar:
+9 [4wis, 2lvl, 2prof, 1enh]vsAC=28/10
1d10+6=14 damage and if Skar doesn't end his turn adjacent to me I can shift 4 squares as a free action closer to the target.

[[Totally been forgetting my weapon is versatile and I use it two handed... stare ]]

 

[NayrVentess]

--1--2--3--4--5--6--7--8--9-10-11-12-13
A 0--0------------P---------0--0--0--0---0-----
B 0--0---------K------------0--0--0--0---0----- 0 = The City Walls
C 0--0------------------Ge-0--0--0--0---0----
D------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------
F--------------------------------------------------
G--------------------------------------------------
H-----------Gr-D-H----------------S--C------- 5,11
I------------------------------------------------
J------------------------------------------------
K------------------------------------------------
L-------------------------------------------------
M-------------------------------------------------

Initiative Order
1. Grashuk: 24hp, sword shedding dim light Initiative
2. Hars: 16hp, marking Dregthuk, bloodied
3. Pelloth: concealed
4. Skar: 68 damage, oathed by Cain, action point expended, bloodied
5. Gerash:
6. Dregthuk: 98 damage, marked by Hars, cursed by Pelloth, action point expended, bloodied
7. Cain: Oath'ing Skar
8. Random Thugs:
9. Karz the Impaler: 80 damage, weakened, action point expended, bloodied

Skar was confused when he heard Dregthuks strange command, but he realised it was the Kenku when the bird yet again gutted him with his sword. "For ******** shake!" Shouted Skar as he struggled to keep down yet more blood bubbling in his mouth a fresh.

The three remaining thugs were looking around, worriedly. They seemed to be contemplating fleeing. And as they looked at their leader, battered, bruised and bloodied...they stopped contemplating. Heading either east or west, the three of them ran. ((Hars and Grashuk can make an OA against the thug next to them.))

Ignoring everything around him, and his weakness, Karz the Impaler charged at Pelloth. He didn't have his Katars, but he had his deadly claws. He scraped and he bit and he tried to dig his dirty nails into the drows flesh. But a combination of his fury and the shadows coalesced around Pelloth, kept the dark one from harm.

Grashuk, Hars and Pelloth may go!  

[Arc Vembris]

Hars has no interest in cutting down the coward. Someone had to spread the tale anyhow. Hars, who still looked like a badly wounded little girl in skull-motif hide armor whirls and lashes out with both shortblades at the injured Dregthuk. The loss of blood is hampering Hars though, and her form is slipping.((16 vs AC and crit miss, he's still marked though))  

[Vorastrix]

Pelloth only laughed derisively as the gnoll charged him and is many slash attempts which he danced away from. The laughter continued as the shadows surrounding Pelloth seemed to engulf him and he disappeared. Pelloth then reappeared against the wall behind the enraged creature and he struck out with an eldritch blast.

Quote:

Move: Ethereal Stride, teleport to B3 and gain +2 to all defenses.

Standard: Eldritch Blast at Karz 22 v. Ref and 17 damage.

Minor: none

 

[iDragow]

Unlike Hars, Grashuk had no problem striking a foe down as they escaped. In fact, he preferred to do it. That way they had the glimmer of hope that they may survive, just to have it crushed as his sword fell upon them. Lashing out with his b*****d sword, he could see that this was one of those times, even though the blade only seemed to knick the foe. No matter, he had bigger flesh to fry.

"I believe you have forgotten about me, Dregthuk!" The Bugbear called through gritted teeth. He then stabbed with his b*****d sword, attempting to impale the Hobgoblin. However, the unwieldiness of his weapon, combined with him giving away his position forced him to strike nothing but air.

Quote:

Free Action: OA against fleeing thug. 24 vs. AC, 9 damage.
Standard Action: Viper's Strike against Dregthuk. 18 vs. AC, miss...