Ronalt swears but nothing comes out ~bugbear clerics~. He gestures to Felicia with a knife hand over his throat, before pulling a new arrow out to send it at the advancing human warrior.
OCC: Ronalt fires 2 arrows/round

Spellcasters.  The group around Arek was falling, this was good.  But spells were being cast.  This was bad.  Yesil gritted her teeth and dodged to her left around the meleeing cluster there.  She was headed for the bugbear southeast of their group.

[Private to DM: Wasn't sure if she'd get close enough, so I rolled:  19 (unmodified) to hit; damage of 8 with her strength bonus.]

Vestan had been distracted. Coming up below ground he had noticed all these dead bodies around him. Figuring the others wouldn't need his help just yet, he decided to collect a few trophies. Fingers, ears and noses being the ones for the moment (the others might protest if he took skin again). Using Gaynor to cleave off the difits and a knife for the other bits, he spends several minutes gathering his crop before jumping up with a guilty start as he stuffed a cretures ear into a blood stained pouch.

He hurries to join the archer, taking stock for the first time at how the battle was progressing.

The felling of the gnoll pleased Arek greatly. It must have pleased Clanggedin Silverbeard even more for his next blow, aimed at the bugbear before him, connected with a force that shattered bones and smashed vital organs!
[Private to GM: To hit: 14+1(bless): 15 (AC:3)
Damage: 7]

Those involved in melee are begining to weary on both side though the bugbears and Yesil show least fatigue.

Ronalt fires two arrows at the human charging Adia-Ny but misses both times.  Adia-Ny himself strikes the bugbear in front of him causing damage but not taking it down. The bugbear strikes back and hits! Adia is shaken badly by the hit and has bearly regained his balance when the human charges him. Fortunately he misses the monk his long sword swishing harmlessly though the air.

In the main battle, Arek dispatches the wounded bugbear infront of him with ease freeing Peter who goes to fight alongside the barbarian.  It is well he does so as she faces the bugbear shaman and the healed gnoll. The shaman misses Yesil as she spears him causing considerable damage.  The gnoll however gets an easy hit and in turn hurts the barabarian.  Peter's arrival and subsequent strike takes the shaman down.

The human infront of Arek also misses his longsword sliding off the cleric's mail. Elmo however is in trouble his attack on the gnoll goes awry opening up his flank.  The monster wastes no time in taking advantage.  Its morning star catches him in the ribs causing him to doubles up. A spray of blood erupts from his mouth as he collapses in a heap, either dead or very close to death. Exultant the gnoll issues a series of howls as it steps over his body to confront Arek.

Vestan meanwhile approaches Ronalt unheard.  It is only when he reaches him and the sound of battle disappears that he realises the silence is not just due to his own abilities.

Back up the hill the other bugbear shaman heals one of the wounded monsters, this time a bugbear raises to join the fray. The elven cleric is now out of sight.

OOC: can everyone in there next post include their current hit points to ensure they tally with my arithmetic?

[Private to Adia-Ny: 6 hps damage taken]
[Private to Yesil: damage taken 5hp]

[Private to Felicia Florette; Ronalt de Gault; Vestan Pance: You find yourselves in total silence and cannot hear the screams of the dying let alone anything else. When you post can you post in clear what you think the others might see and PM between the us what you think each other might see and PM me any actions you do not think will be seen by anyone.]

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.  Land           =  Thick Wall    ||  Drawbridge
~  Water          -  Thinner Wall  *   Crumbled Wall
S  stairs down    x  trap door
// double doors   / normal door    \shuttered window
D-dead enemy      d-dead ally

1  Drawbridge    2   Tower (unexplored)
3  Bandit layer  4   Snake Room

Y-Yesil          F-Felicia
R-Ronalt         V-Vestan
A-Arek           E-Elmo
Ad-Adia Ny

P-Peter          m-militia        t-teamster
y-Yesil's horse

B-bugbear        G-Gnoll          h-human fighter
g-goblin         L-Elven cleric

With the silence deafening, Ronalt runs to help Adia-Ny. His bow in his off-hand he draws his longsword before he crosses the drawbridge.
Should the bugbear be alive when he arrives he focusses upon it, attacking his giantkin foe. If only the human remains he attack with his longsword.

[Private to GM: OCC: Longsword Attack, rolled 19 using 1d20+1 (18).
Longsword damage vs Bugbear: rolled 6 using 1d10+5 (1)
Longsword damage vs Human: 1+2(specialised)=3 damage  ]
This message was last edited by the player at 06:40, Sun 19 Mar 2006.

Perhaps the Father of Battle didn't favour Arek as much as he'd hoped. The old dwarf was dismayed to see Elmo go down and his opponent join the attack on himself. He was even more disheartened when his own blow went wide.
[Private to DM: Present HP: 19
Bless spell now expired]

Felicia hurries to the gate at the top of the footprint, readying a spell to help her friend.

Looking surprised toi see the others fighting such a large force, Vestan curses to himself. I've missed all this sword play!" he thinks to himself.

Without further ado he scampers around the teamsters drawing Gaynor as he does. He moves over the drawbridge, planning on joining Adia Ny. As he moves closer he'll attempt to throw his axe at the foe without hitting the wanderer.

Yesil staggered back a moment and shook her head.  The light-headedness was just the thrill of battle, no?  Yes!  With a wild grin she spun to see the gnoll and took up a stance of challenge, swinging her heavy sword in an arc.

She lunged at the thing, but met its own weapon instead of its flesh.  With a howl that cut the air like a wolf's cry she spun and prepared to lunge again.


[Private to DM:

Current HP tally: 9/14.

]

The heavy breathing and curses of the fighters, friend and foe alike can be clearly head across the field along with the ring of steel on steel. First to strike, the agile Adia-Ny attackes the wounded bugbear without success. Felicia reaches the drawbirdge and pauses ready to cast a spell if it should aid her friends. Arek attacks the human warrior again without drawing blood.

Peter attacks the gnoll in front of him but like the rest to no effect. the bugbear cured the previous round charges Yesil but his aim poor and badly timed. Vestan rounds the corner and throws his axe.  To his surprise the throw is a good one and inflicts further wounds on the bugbear attacking Adia-Ny.  It still stands.

The shaman moves across to aid another of the unconcious enemy but reaching the gnoll discovers it is beyond healing. Cursing, it closes on Yesil. The gnoll in front of the barbarian attacks his morning star just failing to connect. The human fighting Adia-Ny also misses as Ronalt comes flying into the battle. His input is immediate and deadly as the wounded bugbear is brought down. Yesil is less successful seeing her weapon parried by the gnoll, sparks flying.

The last attack is from the human in front of Arek, again his armour saves the priest from damage as it's morning star slide off the chain.

OOC: lots of misses!! Can everyone please include their current HPs in their post please as a PM if you prefer.

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.  Land           =  Thick Wall    ||  Drawbridge
~  Water          -  Thinner Wall  *   Crumbled Wall
S  stairs down    x  trap door
// double doors   / normal door    \shuttered window
D-dead enemy      d-dead ally

1  Drawbridge    2   Tower (unexplored)
3  Bandit layer  4   Snake Room

Y-Yesil          F-Felicia
R-Ronalt         V-Vestan
A-Arek           E-Elmo
Ad-Adia Ny

P-Peter          m-militia        t-teamster
y-Yesil's horse

B-bugbear        G-Gnoll          h-human fighter
g-goblin         L-Elven cleric

Felicia continues to move to the bridge to support her friends in the battle.

If Adia-Ny brings down the human Ronalt moves quickly forward to help Arek and deal with the gnoll threat.

If the human attacking Adia-Ny doesn't fall, Ronalt slashes down on the human upper leg and follows with a second cut to the side of the abdomen.
Rolls
Longsword Attack 1 16, Damage 8
Longsword Attack 2 21 (critical natural 20), Damage 8 x?

HP 27 (I think)

Arek cursed as his hammer missed it's target again. Fighting two opponents like this was seriously bad for an old dwarf's health - he was lucky to be as yet uninjured in this battle.
[Private to GM: HP: 19]
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 08:22, Thu 23 Mar 2006.

Yesil retaliated with a back-handed swipe but it was no good.  The bugbear was too fast and her steel rang on his.

[Private to DM:
9 "to hit".  Bah.

Hp:  9/14

]

Vestan moves across the drawbrifdge his little legs pumping as fast as they can. Drawing his short sword, he moves to support the Wild Woman and attack the creature fighting her.

HP - as far as I'm aware I'm on full but then I've not been keeping track of them.

The fight continues to swing backwards and forwards.  Yesil misses again her heavy sword being a bit unwieldy in restricted space. Behind her she hear Adia-Ny gasp as he his hit hard in the ribs by the human fighter in front of him.  His pain mixed with the scream from his advesary as Ronalt cuts him down. Momentarily distracted Arek drops his guard allowing the human fighter to take advantage and smash his morning star into the side of the cleric who grunts with the pain. The Gnoll beside also tries to take adnvatage but again its weapon glances of the dwarves armour.  Finally, Arek gets a blow in but his aim is poor and there is little to show for his effort.

The bugbear warrior facing Yesil strikes at the barbarian missing badly, Peter at her side inflicts a viscious wound on the Gnoll to his front. Silently it slips to the ground, the shaman's healing not sufficent to withstand the blow.

Adia-Ny, his oppontents now all dead, rushes to the aid of Arek, thogh his aim is wild. Vestan likewise rushes forward though this time to help Yesil.  His charge  brings him to the flank of the bugbear warrior where he delivers a vicious blow keeling the warrior over.

OOC: Ok folks, there are three enemies left in on the battlefield, a human and a gnoll attacking Arek and the bugbear shaman attacking Yesil. Ronalt, Vestan you are both at full hits.

[Private to Adia-Ny: 5hps damage taken]
[Private to Arek Blackiron: 4 hps damage taken]

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.  Land           =  Thick Wall    ||  Drawbridge
~  Water          -  Thinner Wall  *   Crumbled Wall
S  stairs down    x  trap door
// double doors   / normal door    \shuttered window
D-dead enemy      d-dead ally

1  Drawbridge    2   Tower (unexplored)
3  Bandit layer  4   Snake Room

Y-Yesil          F-Felicia
R-Ronalt         V-Vestan
A-Arek           E-Elmo
Ad-Adia Ny

P-Peter          m-militia        t-teamster
y-Yesil's horse

B-bugbear        G-Gnoll          h-human fighter
g-goblin         L-Elven cleric

Arek swore as his hammer once more skittered off his opponents armour. Must be the pain of his recent injury...
[Private to GM: To Hit: 3
HP: 15]
This message was last updated by the player at 11:41, Fri 31 Mar 2006.

Ronalt turns and runs forward to deal with the next gnoll nearby. He darts around Adia-Ny's flank and steps over the corpse upon the ground to slash at the gnoll; so to turn its attention away from Arek.
[Private to DM: Attack roll 9 vs the gnoll ? any flanking bonuses?
Damage if longsword connects to the gnoll is 13. I am guessing the attack was a wild haymaker. Certain to get the gnolls attention.]
This message was last edited by the player at 11:26, Fri 31 Mar 2006.

Felicia moved forward, but could not sucessfully cast her spell without affecting her companions too.  She grimaced in a mixture of sympathy and fear at the sights that beheld her, particularly the pained expression of her travelling companion, the old dwarf.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:21, Sun 02 Apr 2006.

"You'll mek a fine vest later!" Yells Vestan at his fallen foe, his voice full of glee. He turns his attention to the shaman attacking Yesil. He attacks with all the savage glee his short form can muster, using his short sword,  mirth bubbling from his lips in a high piutched giggle which sounds not quite sane.

Yesil spun back again as the thrill of battle sang through her veins.  She lunged forward, her knees bent to lower her center of gravity, and brought the sword in line with the shaman's mid-riff.

[Private to GM:  16 to hit; 5 damage (4+1)]

In quick succession, Yesil, Vestan and Peter hit the bugbear shaman and it goes down.  The human cuts and runs, Arek missing as he flees.  The remaining gnoll also tries to escape but is cut down by Ronalt. The field it seems is theirs.  But at what cost? Many of the villagers lie dying or dead.  Elmo, who has proved his worth several times over is down though, Arek quickly reaslises he may still be saved.

As the human flees he is suddenly cut down by arrows, further up the hill a powerful voice rings out. "So die all who fail me!" The bushes part further up the hill and the elven cleric alongside the Ogre and mage fought earlier surveys the scene. Even at this distance it is clear the ogre has been cured of his injuries. In a sneering voice the cleric continues, "Heros of Hommlet! Ha, pathetic..." He turns and stalks away, his retinue in tow, only the head of the ogre now visible.

Peter make no attempt to follow but quickly crosses to where Elmo lies unconcious.  Praying to St. Cutherbert he lays his hands on the inert form of the villager. Immediately the laboured breath of the village drunk eases though he does not regain conciousness.

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.  Land           =  Thick Wall    ||  Drawbridge
~  Water          -  Thinner Wall  *   Crumbled Wall
S  stairs down    x  trap door
// double doors   / normal door    \shuttered window
D-dead enemy      d-dead ally

1  Drawbridge    2   Tower (unexplored)
3  Bandit layer  4   Snake Room

Y-Yesil          F-Felicia
R-Ronalt         V-Vestan
A-Arek           E-Elmo (unconcious)
Ad-Adia Ny

P-Peter          m-militia        t-teamster
y-Yesil's horse

B-bugbear        G-Gnoll          h-human fighter
g-goblin         L-Elven cleric   w-mage
O-ogre           H-fleeing human(now dead)

This message was last edited by the GM at 00:22, Wed 05 Apr 2006.

"Check the fallen, see whom can be saved." Ronalt calls out as he moves to assist the fallen.

OCC: Are any of the wagons still present or have they been taken?

"Well, We're not the ones walking away!" Yells Vestan to the retreating group. "Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough!" he continues, the traditional halfling war-cry coming easily to his lips in a kind of half song, half chant.

He starts to jump up and down pointing in their direction whilst yelling. "You've never won sod all! You've never won sod all! You've never won sod all! You've never won sod all"

He keeps on going even when they disappear.