The rather confused debate about what exactly Coalface wanted dug and where it is supposed to be comes to a sudden halt as several of the allied humanoids suddenly turn to attack the ogre Uberthudd. There may be some debate later about who started it. Was it Nurzhan the orcish archer who suddenly sprinted 30 yards away before turning, shouting something at the ogre then firing two arrows at Uberthudd. Certainly his arrows flew before Dregz the goblin and the little poison dusk lizardfolk Riza launched their own missile. Their shots all happened before Minmorc the orc actually charged at Uberthudd with his spear, although Minmorc had already been arguing with the ogre moments before it all started. Or did the goblin druid Jurz say something that sparked it all?

But such debates are for the future. Nurzhan's arrows ricochet harmlessly off the ogre's thick hide armour, so it is Dregz's sling bullet that gives the ogre its first bruise and Riza's arrow buries itself to the feathers in Uberthudd's back. But Minmorc's spear cuts deepest by far, seriously injuring the mighty ogre.

The unexpected attacks enrage the ogre and he bellows incoherently in his rage as he swings his greatclub down on Minmorc's head, hitting so hard that an ordinary orc warrior's skull would be pulverised by the blow. Even Minmorc is grievously wounded by the blow.

OOC: Main game map uploaded (Geoff location map shifted to group 0 map). The visibility through green forest squares is about 60 feet, so the other goblins and hobgoblins near the northern edge of the forest won't be able to see this fight, but they will most likely hear it.

Nurzhan silently looses two more arrows at the ogre, Uberthud.

13:03, Today: Nurzhan rolled 22,9 using 1d20+7,1d8+4. Rapid Shot #2.
13:02, Today: Nurzhan rolled 23,8 using 1d20+7,1d8+4. Rapid Shot #1.

OOC: That should be only 1d20+5. I screwed up again, and forgot to apply the -2 Rapid Shot penalty this time. So the first attack is a 20 vs. AC dealing 9 damage, and the second one is 21 vs. AC dealing 8 damage.

The shock of the blow echoes throughout his entire body and for the second time in his life Minmorc knows what it is to be "totally hammered". Darkness clouds his vision and in the ringing in his ears he hears the coarse jokes and joyous laughter of his tribes warriors from the celebration the night of their great victory, the battle that saw him rage for the first time... The rage had carried him then and it carries him now, Uberthud snapping into focus as the only thing that matters. Minmorcs cry is equal parts euphoria and rage as he lunges forward with his spear yelling "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!"

"Noes, nows hes  gonna smash us allzz" dashing behind the other goblins and squeaking out a rhythmic chant, and covering his face.


as Arlen bounds out of the tree with a 'merr' and dashes at the spear-wielding ork rubbing his leg.

As he  waits for his summoned eagle to arrive and attack the ogre, Jurz calls Frog to him and climbs aboard the riding dog. He climbs aboard and readies both his shield and scimitar.  Again there are a few harsh words as he speaks another spell.

Bulldust looks back towards the goblins and hobgoblins on the plain.  Its clear that they'll notice the fight.  He waves to them and shouts "Hey you guys!  Uberfudd's caught an elf.  Oo oo its wriggling!  Quick, come and see!"

Riza focuses and let's another arrow fly at the stupid ogre... No one hit Minmorc and lived she thought to herself


She hopes the others will join in she knew how tough the ogres are


OOC: rolled 22 to hit ogre doing 7 damage

Dregz's eyes bulge full wide as Uberthudd shrugs off all the hurts thus far inflicted to deliver what must surely be a fatal blow to Minmorc.

Yet the little goblin is surprised further as the fighting orc in turn manages to keep his head and even respond in kind ... though he doubts that with his head ringing from that heavy blow he'll be able to distinguish the ogre from the surrounding trees !

Fighting his instinct to wet himself and/or flee from the clearing to the safety of the forest canopy, Dregz grits his teeth and begins to move forwards.

"Oh mighty and terrible Bargrivyek," he mutters pulling out the 'sacred stick' from his pocket, "dat big orc der was der first to stand up to der overseer ... will youse not 'elp 'im ?"

Nurzhan shoots another two arrows at the raging ogre. Both pass perilously close to Minmorc's head before burying themselves deep in the ogre's gut.  The impact rocks the ogre and he howls in pain.

Perhaps those arrows distracted Minmorc just a little, as his spear thrust doesn't manage to find an unprotected spot on the ogre's body.

Oopses the nervous goblin scurries across to shelter behind Jurz and Dregz, chanting as he goes and his cat Arlein dashes into the battle zone to show its affection for Minmorc by rubbing against his legs. Instantly Minmorc grows in size until he is over 12 feet tall and now stands a head taller than the ogre, without even counting the large purple bruise already beginning to bulge on Minmorc's forehead.

Jurz the goblin druid joins in with a completely different chant as he swings himself up onto his riding dog, Rog. Just then an eagle suddenly appears from nowhere right in front of Uberthudd’s face, flapping its wings madly and clawing and biting at the ogre's face. It doesn't harm the ogre but certainly diverts his attention away from Minmorc.

So Uberthudd never even knows about the final arrow from little Riza that lodges deep under his left armpit. He convulses once then drops like a falling tree, toppling forward into Minmorc's arms. Blood continues to spurt past the arrow under his left armpit.

Dregz the goblin priest adds yet another discordant goblin voice as he waves his sacred stick and rushes forward beside Minmorc, muttering something about helping him.

Perhaps Bulldust the bugbear and his 'sister' Moffdust the goblin are a little too far away from the battle to see clearly what is happening. He suddenly shouts, "Hey you guys!  Uberfudd's caught an elf.  Oo oo its wriggling!  Quick, come and see!" He is answered by shouts in the goblin tongue as 7 goblins carrying bows and 2 hobgoblins carrying bundles of shovels blunder through the forest in your direction. Unfortunately the last hobgoblin carelessly bumps into the bugbear as he rushes past. Bulldust angrily lashes out with the shovel he is carrying, clobbering the hobgoblin on the head. The satisfying clunk and the following thud as the hobgoblin falls face-first on the ground, unconscious, go unnoticed by the other hobgoblin and the goblin archers.

The 7 goblin archers and the other hobgoblin arrive at the clearing and start shouting excited questions.

"Oo, lookz! Uberthuddz is down. Who's done it?"
"Who's dat? How didz dat orcz getz so big?"
"Where's de elfses? Which wayses didz it goes?"

OOC: Main game map updated.

From all of the shouting and screaming Grakk is awoken to see a Goblin standing close to what felt like his fallen carcass.
Quietly Grakk sretches and checks each of his limbs for soundness and carefully picks up the old pitchfork he had stolen from the barn he was hiding in before he was chased out by the knights running to exhaustion to where he lay now.
Grakk surveys what is going on before he realises that  Uberthuddz is dead, the reason he was hiding in the barn in the first place.

With a final roar of "waaaaaargh!" Minmorc squeezes uberthudds neck with one hand, plants his spear into the ground and slams his other hand into the ogres face. He then spins and shows the ruin of the ogre to the new hobgoblins and goblins. "Uberthudd is dead. His plan is dead. We try to fight horsey men we is dead." Minmorc then points his great bloody hand at the goblin cleric and goblin Druid. "Their gods have made Minmorc strong! Minmorc follows the goblins away from men, come back when Minmorc stronger!"
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:10, Sun 26 Jan 2014.

In reply to Minmorc (msg # 51):

Sidling back in the general direction of the goblins, Arlein stares at the still cowering goblin.

"Oo Moffa.  I fought hobboz were tuff.  Not as tuff as shovels."  Bulldust admires his shovel for a moment then moves quietly up behind the other hobgoblin.  He raises his shovel and waits to see how the goblins and hobgoblin react to Minorc's inspiring speech.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:05, Sun 26 Jan 2014.

Moffdust hops from foot to foot as she tries to see what's happening up ahead.
" ooo Bully now we's for it, better go getz dem overs before dey dobs on us!"
She scampers towards the row of goblins with bows with a strangely focused expression, preparing a magic missile as she advances. She targets whoever looks to be likely to start trouble.

Jurz surveys the scene and realises that there is no way to bluff their way out of this, so he selects an enemy, turns Rog to face it and gives the command to attack.  As the hound takes off, Jurz looks briefly over his shoulder towards the eagle, expecting it to attack the nearest of these new enemies now that the ogre is defeated.

Rog feels the pressure on the guide reins.  Anyone else but HIS familiar master would have been thrown off immediately, but he knows  this one. This one looks after him.   And it is time, the master is says so.  Rog is looking straight at a goblin, the one the reigns says to look at, when Jurz gives the command.

The growl builds in Rog's throat as he suddenly launches himself forward.

---
17:29, Today: Rog rolled 23 using 1d20+5. Attack G2.
17:30, Today: Rog rolled 8 using 1d6+3. Damage G2.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:32, Sun 26 Jan 2014.

Guiding Rog with his knees, Jurz screams a battle cry as he prepares to hit the unfortunate Goblin on the end of the dog's charge.

---

17:34, Today: Jurz rolled 18 using 1d20+10. Ride roll.
17:35, Today: Jurz rolled 25 using 1d20+6. Attack G2.
17:35, Today: Jurz rolled 18 using 1d20+6. Potential Crit.
17:36, Today: Jurz rolled 1 using 1d4. Damage G2.  (Doubled if the Crit is confirmed) :)
This message was last edited by the player at 17:41, Sun 26 Jan 2014.

So the battle isn't over. Nurzhan steps five feet towards some cover and looses two more arrows at an enemy that isn't engaged in melee, so he has a clear shot.

22:17, Today: Nurzhan rolled 20,12 using 1d20+5,1d8+4. Rapid Shot #2.
22:17, Today: Nurzhan rolled 10,6 using 1d20+5,1d8+4. Rapid Shot #1.

Minmorc shrugs, didn't expect common sense and rationality to prevail in a world so immersed in hatred and violance. Still holding the Ogre he will grab his spear and set it against a charge.

Riza grins to herself... She loved this sort of confusion. It let her do as she pleased. She also didn't want to risk any of the new arrivals being on the side of the dead ogre.

She readied her bow and waited to see if the new arrivals would attack... If they did she would open fire with pleasure

Dregz shakes his head sadly. "Youse should be on our side !" he calls out to those coming belatedly on the scene.

Minmorc's defensive stance meets with the little goblin's approval.  "I tink der god likes youse," he informs the big orc, squinting at the ogre's suspended corpse, quite sure that the creature is dead and very pleased about that.

He brandishes the sacred stick as he explains "If youse are worthy den Bargrivyek will help youse ..."

Just in case there was any doubt about who should be given the credit for it, the giant Minmorc simultaneously strangles the unconscious Uberthudd and smashes his fist into the ogre's mouth, making sure he will neither breath nor speak again.

"Uberthudd is dead. His plan is dead. We try to fight horsey men we is dead," Minmorc shouts then points his great bloody hand at Jurz and Dregz. "Their gods have made Minmorc strong! Minmorc follows the goblins away from men, come back when Minmorc stronger!"

Grakk the minotaur, Bulldust the bugbear and Moffdust the goblin move up behind the goblin archers, waiting to see which way this is going to develop.  Riza the little lizardfolk waits too, with an arrow already nocked on her bowstring. Arlein the cat calmly sidles back to Oopses the nervous goblin.

It is Jurz that makes the decision everyone is waiting for. The goblin archers are too slow in their response to Minmorc's announcement so Jurz charges forward on his riding dog, Rog, to attack one of the goblin archers (g2) near the left end of the clearing. His scimitar draws blood but it is Rog's fangs that rip open the goblin archer's throat. The eagle that had appeared from nowhere moments before, now swoops toward another of the goblins (g5) nearer to where Uberthudd lies. Its claws leave bloody gouges in the goblin's face then with a final squawk the eagle vanishes back to wherever it came from.

Nurzhan follows his lead instantly, shooting another pair of arrows at the goblin archer (g1) nearest to himself. The first arrow deflects off its armour but the second strikes cleanly and the goblin topples without a sound.

The hobgoblin (h1) bellows in fury at this unexpected attack, throws down the bundle of shovels he was carrying and draws his longsword. This inspires the remaining goblin archers to reach for their arrows and swing to face Jurz, Nurzhan and Minmorc.

This is just what Grakk, Bulldust, Moffdust and Riza were waiting for. Grakk impales the goblin (g3) next to him on the pitchfork he is carrying then lifts the unconscious body off the ground.

Bulldust brains the hobgoblin (h1) with the shovel he is carrying, which makes the hobgoblin dizzy as well as angry. The hobgoblin swings around and tries to skewer Bulldust with his sword, inflicting a nasty gash in Bulldust's unprotected belly. However the effort is too much for the grievously wounded hobgoblin and he passes out and drops to the ground.

Moffdust rattles off a rapid incantation and sends a magic missile at the goblin archer (g5) the eagle attacked. The missile scorches the goblin's back leaving it seriously wounded but still alive.

Riza targets one of the goblins (g7) preparing to shoot at Minmorc. Her arrow strikes the goblin in the shoulder, leaving this one seriously wounded but still alive too.

Meanwhile, Dregz the goblin cleric has decided his god is ready to patch up Minmorc. He waves his sacred stick and the massive bruise on the orc's forehead shrinks and fades just a little bit.  Then he turns to call sadly to the goblin archers, "Youse should be on our side!"

Having the goblin cleric admonish them like that is the last straw for the surviving four goblin archers. With the ogre, 2 hobgoblins and 3 of their goblin comrades already down their courage finally fails and they turn and flee northward. Two of them make the mistake of trying to squeeze past Bulldust and Moffdust. Bulldust flattens one (g6) with his shovel although Moffdust misses the other one (g5) when she tries to stab it with her trowel. These last 3 goblins flee northward, shouting about treachery and murder as they go.

OOC: Main game map updated. Note that the visibility range in the forest (green squares) is only 60 feet, so the fleeing goblins are already out of sight for Nurzhan, Dregz, Minmorc and Riza
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:34, Tue 28 Jan 2014.

"We should let them go. Their running through the forest should lead the enemy towards them." The civilized orc then goes through the battlefield, collecting any intact arrows.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:45, Tue 28 Jan 2014.

”Yes.  Lets dem go.” Jurz nods his agreement, although his reasoning is that going that way they aren’t a current threat to him.  As he climbs down from Rog he speaks to the rest of the group  ”See wot dey got.  Dey might have stuff we need.” he says as he starts searching the goblin that he and Rog killed.  ”An dey don’t needz da stuff anymore.”

”Den we’s got to go.” Jurz says nodding his head hard.  ”Coz some one else will come when dey catch doze gobos.” he says pointing the way that the others have run.

”I’s going deep in da forest.  Den maybes even to da next forest!” he declares solemnly ”And you's all can come wit me, if you's wants.”  he says issuing the invitation to all of those that fought with them.  The  new comers as well as the original ones.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:06, Mon 27 Jan 2014.

In reply to Jurz (msg # 64):

"So we aren't going to die?  Wow your a big orc, no wonder that orge didn't have a chance."