OOC: Yesil, Arek, can you post here please....

IC:

As Arek and Yesil listen and agree their course of action, the noise of battle continues though shouts are indistinct. Across the courtyard can be seen the body of the dog faced humanoid that Felicia killed. As they watch, a crow land on its face and starts to peck at it.
This message was last updated by the GM at 19:39, Mon 30 Jan 2006.

"Muh," Yesil muttered.  Of course she should go out and risk her hide.  With a glance at the dwarf, she made up her mind that this was the way things were and she started forward in a crouch.  She intended to slink along the nearest wall to a point where she could see what was going on.

Yesil moves along the walls until she reaches a partially ruined section where she can look out with little fear of observation. As she approaches the sound of battle gets louder.

[Private to Yesil: You can clearly see the fight. There are humans and humanoids attacking the caravan that came with you to claim the weapons and armour cache.  The Paladin leads a stout fight and the militia capable, but it is clear they will be overwhelmed. They seem to be trying to retreat towards the moathouse, the wagons already abandoned. Even as you watch a militia man falls.]

Letting his hammer drop down beside him, Arek slung his shield over his back and readied the sling staff. Creeping as best he could in his chain armour, he positioned himself in cover where he could rain down rocks on anyone coming close to Yesil.

Yesil winces at the noise the old dwarf makes as he repositions himself. The noise of battle however masks any sounds he makes. The recognisable voice of Peter Sygor, can just be heard over the din. "Fall back to the moathouse!"

Yesil crept back to where Arek was so the dwarf wouldn't have t "sneak" any closer.  Once there, she kept her voice low, but figured anyone involved in the battle would likely not be listening for her anyway.

"More of the beasts out there.  They over-," she bit her lip. "Run over the wagons that come here with us.  The beasts will win the fight."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:12, Sun 05 Feb 2006.

Elmo leaves the shadows of the moathouse interior and crosses the coutyard to join Arek and Yesil. "Who's fighting?" he asks, blinking as his eyes adjust to the daylight.

Ronalt whispered back, "Best we bring the others up so we can deal with them in the open at our calling."

"Us?"  Yesil's eyes went wide.

"The beasts are strong.  We may not help."

"How many were there and what are they armed with?" Ronalt asks with a whisper."We need to make sure our way out of this moathouse is not impeded, else we have nowhere to retreat to. If these beast are a blocking force we need to deal with them. Elmo would you get the other two from the tunnel below and I will go observe the threat."
Ronalt waits to see if there is any further discussion before quietly moving forward to observe the "beasts" from a concealed position.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:36, Wed 08 Feb 2006.

Peter's voice can be plainly heard now, the remnants of his group nearing the moathouse. Elmo looks from one face to the other then explodes "By Beory you cannot leave them to die!" he turns on his heals an runs towards the entrance to the moathouse and the drawbridge his battle axe in hand.

"Damnation, get the others from below." he curses as he moves to a window to help cover Elmo's charge.
Ready Longbow for archery combat.

OOC: thought a map might be useful now...

I've gievn the mosters their identities partly because I'm fed up typing goblinoid but I think you would have figured them out by now.

Everyone is in the courtyard except the badies and the caravan.  I've interpreted Ronalt's action to mean that he has gone to a ruined part of the courtyard wall where he can see and fire out.

IC:

Outside the fight goes on... Despite the scrub, the remnant of the caraven can be seen. They are slowly being ground down already two militia and one of the teamsters are down, the others and Peter all injured.  The fight seems doomed unless the party help out.

On the rise behind the fight can be seen a strange combination of two bugbears, possibly shaman and what must an elven priest. Currently, they watch the fight but make no effort to aid or are acting in concert.  There is no sign that they have observed the spying activities of the group but Elmo will surely change this shortly as he rushes to the entrance.

There is no sign of the wagons though Yesil's pony can be seen being led away by a squat goblin.

.................................................~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
..........................~~~.................~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
......~~~~~~~~~....~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~..
......~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~........
....~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~============~~~~......
...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=        x =~~~~......
...~~~~====================================          =~~~*......
..~~~~~*                | S               |    3     =~~*~......
..~~~~~*      +-/----------+  D           |          *~~*~......
....~~~*      /                           +---/---===****~......
..~~~~~*      +-/--+--/----+          D           =~~~~~........
..~~~~~=           |       |--       D            =~~~~~........
..~~~~~=        D  |      /   //    +----+  +-----=~~~~~~.......
..~~~~~= ---\---\-----\--+     //-- |    |  |     =~~~~~~~......
...~~~~=               D           -|    |  |     =~~~~~~.......
..~~~~~=                            |    /  /     =~~~~~........
...~~~~=                            \    |  |     =~~~~~........
..~~~~~=                            |    |  |     =~~~~~........
..~~~~~=                            |    |  |     =~~~~.........
..~~~~~=                            |    |  |     =~~~~~.......
..~~~~~=                         AY +----+  +-----=~~~~~........
..~~~~~=                            |             =~~~~~........
..~~~~~=                            |             =~~~~~~.......
..~~~~~=                            \D    4       =~~~~~........
.~..~~~=            E               |             *~~~~~........
..~~~=== /D               R         |             *~~~~~........
~~~~~= 2 ====    =================================***~~~........
~~~~~=====~~~||||~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~........
~~~~~~~~~~~~~||||~~~~~~.....~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.........
~~~~~~~~~~....1.........~~~~....................................
~~~.............................................................
................................................................
................................................................
................................................................
.................B. ............................................
................t.mh............................................
............ ....m.B............................................
.........hm tm.P.BG.............................................
..........GGh.B.h...............................................
................d...............................................
.................D..B...........................................
...............d...BL...........................................
..........d......D..............................................
................................................................
................................................................
.......yg.......................................................
................................................................



.  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

Ronalt will pick the closest bugbear as his first target.
OCC: Is the human fighter battling the militia man next to him? Ronalt is trying to determine who are foes and allies.

Arek grumbled under his breath (as if he ever stopped!) and fished out his holy symbol.
"Gather round you lot an' receive th' aid of The Father of Battle."
[Private to GM: Cast "Bless" on initiative 1 plus casting time of one round (so next week sometime?)]

OOC: Just to clarify, the human fighters are also baddies, so on your side are the teamsters, the militia and Peter.

"Don't let them eat my horse," Yesil grunted.  Someone had to get the others, so it might as well be her.  She spun on her heel to chase back down the passage after the rest bearing her news:  "Come quick -- there is battle."