Realizing what is going on Aelasuria cries out with a look of distress when Theo is knocked down. Her delicate graceful hands work quickly to weave magic. She casts Dispel magic using the blanket thirty foot radius to get as many of the orcs as possible. With any luck it will break the magic that has enhanced them well beyond what they should be.

"Let's see how they fair without the foul magic helping them!"   Even though she knows it's pretty dangerous she baits the orcs to get them off of Theo. "To the King! Theo is in danger! Help Theo! Stupid orcs attacking a human with a Elf standing so close!" She follows up immediately with a sleep spell trying to get at least two or more of the orcs without getting any of her friends. worst case if she gets one of her own she will apologize later for slapping them awake. If sleep is impossible and the orc baiting works she uses mirror image defensively.

Vagrenk was thinking more along the lines of 'stupid Theo' instead of 'stupid orcs' but wisely decided not to express his sentiments verbally. Instead he finishes looting the blackguards while the combat apparently somehow progressed past him. He was suspicious of some sort of magic at play. He could sense it in the air around him. He wasn't able to decipher it but he could tell it was there. "Be careful Dag, I thenthe magic in the air"

Then noticing the wizard Vagrenk nocs in the wizards direction and asks Dagnish "Ith the the wizard with you?" The wizard didn't appear to be an enemy but with the chaos of battle he wasn't making any assumptions.

Ovo, standing his ground and protecting his king, swung his axe in a sideways arc that was meant for the orc beside him and closest to Theoderic. The dwarf could only trust to his shield and the Queen's magic to save himself from the twain in front of him.

OOC: 19:55, Today: Ovo Goledshield rolled 9 using 1d10+2. Axe damage.
19:55, Today: Ovo Goledshield rolled 14 using 1d20+7. Ovo axe attack.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 18:45, Sun 22 July 2012.

Scolo scowls impatiently at the situation. He moves up the stairs and says
move you, get moving now

He points at the Orcs and a transparent thread of force extends out flipping the foot of the topmost Orc in hopes of causing it to tumble into its fellows and aid Ovo in knocking them all off the stairs.

Swift can't make a surprise attack and wants to take out the spell caster so she screams as she jumps at the Spellcster with her sword.

(ooc- 22:59, Today: Swift rolled 5 using 1d6+2. dam.
22:58, Today: Swift rolled 26 using 1d20+8. sword.

An elven arrow is a gods-send, but Alara doesn't have the time to look for where it came from. She lunges at the spellcaster, shouting a warcry as she moves  with Swift to strike. If the fury in her eyes doesn't distract him, then a crystal sword certainly will.

21:16, Today: Alara rolled 18,11 using d20+4,d20+7. intimidate, attack.

"Thank you," she gratefully says to Spica for healing Riordeg and Xybezza.

Rita is relieved that she, Riordeg, and Xybezza are able to make it across the open field to the Temple of Pluto and Xybezza's cottage.

OOC: Does Spica also run across the open area to Xybezza's cottage?

She had seen the magical attack on Spica from the top of the tower, which answered a key question in her mind. There most certainly is another spellcaster in the tower, possibly a wizard but more likely another demon shaman.

She runs to Theoderic's troops located closest to Xybezza's cottage. "Please watch over Xybezza. She's a priestess of Pluto who we rescued. This is her cottage. Riordeg and I need to get into the watchtower as quickly as possible to help the king and the others inside."

As soon as Xybezza is safely in the care of Theoderic's troops, she races into the tower, hoping the strength boon and the protection spell will hold out through another battle.

"Riordeg, we need to get into the watchtower!" she turns her head back and shouts urgently.

Once inside, she sees Vagrenk, Dagnish, Seti, and Scolo on the third floor while hearing the sounds of battle above.

"We need to get up there!" she says to the group, uncertain why they are standing around instead of joining the fight upstairs. "If you're not going up there, make way for me and Riordeg!"

She does the best she can to get around or past the others to the stairs leading up. If she is able to make it upstairs, she will cast healing spells on Theoderic and then on Ovo, even if that means risking the orcs attacking her.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:54, Sun 22 July 2012.

Dagnish looks towards Scolo for a moment, and answers Vagrenk:  “Well, in a manner of thpeaking he ith.  He’th a very unuthual wizard.”

Then, he gives Vagrenk a strange look and adds: “Don’t you think you can do that later?”  he leaves Vagrenk to go through the pockets of the fallen Blackguard, and hurries off to help sort out the situation on the stairs.

Rita leaves Xybezza with the troop of soldiers, and also with Riordeg and Spica, and with plenty of unanswered questions from both parties, and before she hears more than “wait, what?”  she is headed back to the watchtower.  Riordeg shouts “hey!” and hurries after her.  So do a few of the soldiers.

But in the meantime… much happens.

Aelasuria aims a Dispel Magic.  She targets the swarm of berserk Orcs.  But when used against an area like this, she knows the effects can be spotty- she only breaks the spell on a few of the Orcs.

But there are fewer and fewer Orcs, and help is arriving.

In the tower, the Shaman deftly evades Alara’s crystal sword, filling the air between him and her with a choking greenish smoke.  She feels it burning where it touches her.  But in backing away from Alara, the Orc Shaman gives Swift the opening she needs, and Foxclaw rips into the Orc’s back.


Theoderic might have tumbled down but he is not out of the fight.  His sword cuts apart Orcs.. and he has a much easier time with those that have had their magic cancelled.

Scolo sends the last of the Orcs falling down the stairs, and Theoderic and Dagnish are able to finish it off.  Theoderic resumes the advance up the stairs, hurrying to join Alara and Swift.

Scolo cackles as he steps on the orcs in the mad rush to get to the top.

Swift is fired up as she swings her sword against at the Shaman, trying to take off his head. "DIE"

(ooc-22:19, Today: Swift rolled 10 using 1d6+4. dam. Natual 20, what rules do you use for that?
22:19, Today: Swift rolled 30 using 1d20+10. sword. I maxed out both rolls, :) )

Sweet!

Seeing that Theo is back up she breaths easier knowing he is all right. Knowing at this point there was little she could do with everyone in close melee combat she stays close to Ovo and Theo. Aelasuria has one hand on her wand on the off chance she might be able to put it to use. Unlikely though best prepared just in case.

She perks slightly hearing Rita calling from somewhere behind them. "Rita?" Knowing how many people were ahead and behind she didn't see how her friend would catch up. Though she certainly didn't mind if she manages it. Aelasuria hurries along with Theo and Ovo. However if needed she makes room for Scolo and Vangrenk knowing at this point they will be able to do more then she can.

"Very nicely done Scolo. Which spell did you use to do that? Perhaps we should let Vangrenk help clear the way."

Uhm.. Well thank you ... Yes you're probably right he says to the lady, the flames and darkness dimming just a little. He looks back at the warrior coming up -
But .. I'll continue ... For now. He continues moving fast up stares.

Oh nothing ... Just Bigby's old-school tripper

He calls back as an afterthought to her question - ill show you sometime.

Bigby's Tripping Hand is certainly a classic favorite among college professors. But it never looked exactly like the way Scolo does it or you would have known it on sight.

pm

Ovo had somehow found himself on the ground even as the King rushed by!

"PROTECT THE KING!" the dwarf shouted at their backs!

It was then that Ovo saw he was on top of an Orc! Not knowing what else to do, he simply sat on it.

"Sit ye still! We'd both be the better for it." he growled.

Rita finds Ovo sitting on an orc!

Assuming Ovo is injured, she casts a healing spell on him. Then she wields her mace, prepared to join Ovo should he start battling the orc.

Ovo gave Rita a lopsided smile, his breath still somewhat ragged.

"Tis truly wonderful ta see ya again priestess."

He then held up a warding hand.

"Yet save yer spell I beg ye. We'd best see how our King is do'n afore I accept such favors from ye. Tis gud ta see ya lass just the same."

If the orc squirmed, Ovo merely elbows it "Sit ye still!"

Seti continues his way up the over-crowded stairwell, leaving Dagnish below. Looking up and forward, he commands one of their enemies, in Orcish, to fall down. The lantern archon who can maneuver much more easily trails Theodoric, using its divine powers to protect him from evil.

OOC: Lantern Archon has Circle of Protection vs Evil 10' and will cast Aid on Theodoric; Seti casts Command.

.


Even as the others arrive to help, the battle at the top of the watch tower comes to a sudden end, with Alara and Swift cooperating in the demise of the Orc Shaman.  Swift strikes the final blow, although she and Alara are both coughing from the bitter green smoke the Orc created.  Theoderic and Aelasuria get to the top of the tower just as the Shaman collapses.

Once the noise of the battle dies away, and calm settles over the watchtower, everyone realizes just how tired they are.   Ovo is already catching his breath, as is Dagnish.   Out in the town, without the tower, the Orcs defending are cut off from each other.  They have nowhere to go and are trapped and killed, piecemeal, by the troops surrounding Viroviacum.

The group has a chance to rest, and recover.  But there are still things to be done.  Theoderic organizes his soldiers into searching parties, and they scour the town.  He knows there was at least one survivor, Xybezza, and he hears of another, the young man rescued earlier, so he has the town searched in hopes of finding more.  He sends out teams as well to clean up the battle sites, especially the Temple of Juno, and hopes that the clerics here can help purify the Temple of Juno, which will be pressed into service as a gathering point for survivors. Theoderic assigns a few of his men to watching from the tower.  But he doesn’t want to use the place for any kind of temporary headquarters- he doesn't trust any place where the Blackguards and especially that Orc shaman were.  Besides, Gellas is already setting up the “command tent” in the riverside plaza, near the Temple of Juno.



What happens now is kind of complex.  There are a lot of characters here, and so it is best to sort out Viroviacum by place and subject, and ignore time.  We will assume it is the day following the battle, as the characters will spend the rest of the day recovering, and then settling in for the night.

Also, the next day, there are additional reinforcements:  Titus, Eadoin, Ali’cor, and Jaquen show up to the grand gathering, as does Cirrus, who has found herself traveling from Raviniacum far longer than she intended to.

From here, we sort out into different threads:

Viroviacum:  The Command Tent. Discussions related to military and political planning will occur in the Command Tent.
Viroviacum:  The Temple of Pluto  Talking to Xybezza or others about what happened here.
Viroviacum:  The Temple of Juno; gathering the survivors in the town.

Viroviacum:  Regrouping:  Social discussions between characters.  Cirrus is headed over here, as are the other NPC’s who showed up with Titus and Eadoin.

If anyone needs a separate thread for anything else, please let the gm’s know.

OOC: not sure where this will be so I'll post here for now and then wander.
When he reaches the top the lanky wizard is cackling with electricity but finds all the enemies neutralizes and he wanders around a few times in a circle until he is calm. He then sits down bringing Edgar out.

Oooooh hello he says to his only friend, well perhaps Lutu could be a friend too if he follows directions and finds him.

Don't you mean goodbye master? Are you going to send me back?
the purple ball sputters and floats lopsidedly.

Friezlepudding you scutrat is the only response.

The wizards clothes change back to a plain frock ith bunny slippers now looking worn out and sad. He puts his hands on Edgar with a wicked orange green light that sounds like crickets Edgar is healed but as he grows vigorous Scolos arms dry and the skin blisters and bleeds.

Scolo gives the Torque back to Seti and he wanders downstairs to look over the black gguards bodies, his arms still dripping blood. He will search them and the whole tower for any clue as to who they are, how many were here, and thier mission.

And he will whistle a sweet haunting tune as he does so.

Moving to temple of Pluto
This message was last edited by the player at 03:35, Tue 24 July 2012.

After verifying that the king and others are well, Seti lets everyone know that he will be at the Temple of Pluto, helping the local priestess sort things out until Theodoric should make other demands of him.

Alara coughs, trying to recover from the smoke, taking the moment of the 'calm' after battle to figure out where in the crush she should go. She coughs again, then starts looking for Rita. Figuring the priestess of Pluto would be in the temple of her god, the half-elf makes her way there, taking an easy pace so as not to push herself.

Alara would find Rita on her way down the stairs in the watchtower immediately after the battle. Rita will cast healing spells on her and on others who might need them, including Aelasuria and Ovo. Once she sees that Theoderic is okay, she will reassure Ovo that he needs the healing more than the king does.

When she sees Scolo all bloody with his skin blistered, she also offers healing to him.

There is so much she wants to do, and there are so many people she wants to see. Almost all the group from Raviniacum is here! But her first stop will be the Temple of Pluto.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:05, Wed 25 July 2012.

Oh, oh yes - thank you miss hmmm

Scolo, still in the tower, looks over Edgar.  He knows nothing about the strange creature’s biology, or what is wrong with it, other than the fact that parts that are floppy and wet seem stiff and dry.  Maybe Edgar will recover?  Maybe healing magic will help?  Who knows, with these weird things.

Then he uses a Detect Magic on the tower, the fallen Orc Shaman, and looks around in general.  He finds some things:

A ring of braided gold with a diamond- magical.
Several weapons of interest, but not magical.  One of the Orcs had a short sword with a grooved blade designed to deliver poison to wounds.

A large amulet on a heavy golden chain. 
      A skin bag with a potion of some sort.  Either the Orcs are very inefficient with potion brewing, or this must be several doses.

There are some good bows here, and arrows, as most of the “tower crew” were archers.  But Scolo soon hears that Theoderic has ordered any good bows found to be turned in to his “arm the Centaurs with bows” program