Colm rises to his feet, staggering out into the courtyard. Despite nearly destroying the Moothall, no villagers seemed badly hurt, Colm and Osric were not dead either!  His body and mind were both screaming in agony and he was barely conscious. He had given the Dark Witch pause for thought though.

"There is a powerful Dark Witch inside, holding the villagers hostage. We must attack together to kill the Servants of the Darkness!

OOC - If Colm is not healed by Kores or Caith this round he Colm quaffs his Healing Potion. This is a certified one, not the batch brewed by Kores! +7HP.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:09, Thu 30 Apr 2020.

Giles directs Kores to a position where they can both see the black knight and huscarles. “Kores the black knight appears most dangerous of the three. Have you any magicks to strike him down or incapicitate him?”. Giles for his part takes out his sling and lobs a stone at the nearest huscarl
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:10, Thu 30 Apr 2020.

Caith shifts from wolf to woman as she draws closer to Colm's sudden exit from the hall, and still shuddering from her own quick rearrangement, chants Cernach's Laird  back together from near death with unsettling speed...

Colm Cernach:
"There is a powerful Dark Witch inside, holding the villagers hostage. We must attack together to kill the Servants of the Darkness!"


"Aye. Get him away from them, and the job's halfway done." growls Caith, trying to remember how speech from a human mouth works again.

OOC: Caith shifts, hopes her reflexes are quick enough to make a difference and casts GREATER HEALING on Colm (+7 Health back, Cost 3MP) if she can get within 5 meters of him in time.

Also, as a player comment, between Real Life and getting site to behave issues, it's been a bit difficult to post, and sorry for not doing so earlier.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:06, Thu 30 Apr 2020.

Osric leaps to his feet and surges forward attempting to crush the prone Huscarl

13:07, Today: Osric Grim rolled 19,8 using d20,d8+1.  Blacksmith’s hammer, ABR, 7HP dam.  {Bugger!}
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:05, Thu 30 Apr 2020.

"Deise, no!!" gasps Leaf as she slips backwards slightly after he is hit. She catches herself before she falls off the roof, and climbs back up to where Deise is lying, and drags him up to the window and makes sure they can't easily fall off.

She looks at his wound, and checks that he is still awake and coherent. Not being the healing type, she leaves everything as it is, not wanting to make it worse. "Don't worry, Deise, Caith will sort this all out for you shortly, I'm sure."


Making sure to keep one hand on Deise, so that he doesn't fall down off the roof, Leaf leans forward to look through the window and the happenings inside. At first, she notices Colm and Osric. She then notices the scary man in the middle... walking towards the trapped villagers.

Without thinking, she lets go of Deise and puts both hands on either side of the window frame, focusing her energy.

On the other side of the building, behind the huddled villagers, a loud crash echos through the room, and where a once plain wall had been, now a gaping hole big enough for people to get through was there. "GO!" She yells, "RUN OUT!"



Leaf uses Raw Power for 4MP.


OOC: I assume Deise isn't too weak to stay on the roof with his own strength. Leaf holding onto him was more of a token gesture than to actually keep him from falling. If he is too weak, Leaf will get him to hold on to her leg, or she'd stand on his clothes or something. Hah
This message was last edited by the player at 09:57, Thu 30 Apr 2020.

After giving Leaf a boost up on to the roof, Usopi turned to where Osric, Colm, and Caith were facing off against the large red-eyed knight. Osric leapt at the enemy, and Usopi made to follow.

Sir Turren Uvedale:
'We're with you, friend,' Sir Turren tells Aphail as he and Sir Uthen storm through.

'As one,' Turren says, perhaps to Uthen, perhaps to God. Shield up, sword poised, into the fray.


Uthen crashes in with the others. He looks around to try and work out what to attack - assuming there is something to attack.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:04, Thu 30 Apr 2020.

Giles directs Kores to a position where they can both see the black knight and huscarles. “Kores the black knight appears most dangerous of the three. Have you any magicks to strike him down or incapicitate him?”. Giles for his part takes out his sling and lobs a stone at the nearest huscarl.


Kores looked at Giles and chuckled then pointed up to the roof of the house opposite the moothall.

He muttered to himself and a glowing green ball of light appeared above the level of the roof.

Aphail holds his position outside.  After hearing the noise round the front, he is expecting Sir Uthen to be thrown clear by the defenders, whence Aphail might get a clear shot with the Luna Arrow.

In reply to Leofwyn (msg # 8):

Deise appears unsteady, shocked and a little breathless but cogent. The end of a cross bow shaft protrudes from under the right shoulder. Dark blood stains everywhere.

“Thanks Leaf, just disoriented. Hurts like hell but I think it’ll hold for a short while. The dark knight, faced nothing like it. Unerring, effortless. We need to unseat him or we’re doomed and so are they.” Pointing at the villagers.

“My weapons are useless, need eldritch arts to fell that beast. If you can, I will watch your back. Just stay hidden.”

'We're with you, friend,' Sir Turren tells Aphail as he and Sir Uthen storm through.

'As one,' Turren says, perhaps to Uthen, perhaps to God. Shield up, sword poised, into the fray.

Uthen crashes in at Turrens side. He looks around to try and work out what to attack - assuming there is something to attack.

Aphail holds his position outside.  After hearing the noise round the front, he is expecting Sir Uthen to be thrown clear by the defenders, whence Aphail might get a clear shot with the Luna Arrow.

Turren and Uthen burst through the side door and come face to face with a hulking huscarl they recognised from the palace, except that his eyes were glowing red and he was swinging a heavy lochaber at Turrens head.

Turren evaded the blow but his own was disrupted, unperturbed Sir Uthen struck decisively as the huscarl recoiled from the wound Aphails shaft struck him in the arm and he immediately fell to the floor snoring...the red light fleeing from his eyes.



..............

Osric sprang up and ran forward towards the collapsed and almost unconcious huscarl, but in order to get to him he had to leap over Colms still burning Sheet of Flame.  He did so but it threw off his aim...the hammer coming crashing down onto the stool beside the collapsed man....he looked up at Osric with a dazed expression, " Who are you? What is this place?" And then a stone whizzed through the flames just missing Osric and struck the man dead where he lay...

Ignoring Osric utterly as he stalked forward through the flames out of the hall, the red-lightning chased armoured form raised his blade and walked slowly towards Colm.

" Your death approaches."

An unusual furred wolf arrived at Colms side and healing energies flowed from it and into the Laird Cernach.



...............

Giles queried Kores then sent a stone spinning through the sundered doors of the hall, through the burning wall of fire and into the battered and dazed man laying on the floor, killing him dead.

Kores seemed to produce a glowing ball of green flame which hovered over the roof of a nearby house.
.................

Doron laid a hand on Brannons shoulder, " If things look lost, we go in."

................

<quote Leofwyn>

"Deise, no!!" gasps Leaf as she slips backwards slightly after he is hit. She catches herself before she falls off the roof, and climbs back up to where Deise is lying, and drags him up to the window and makes sure they can't easily fall off.

She looks at his wound, and checks that he is still awake and coherent. Not being the healing type, she leaves everything as it is, not wanting to make it worse. "Don't worry, Deise, Caith will sort this all out for you shortly, I'm sure."


Making sure to keep one hand on Deise, so that he doesn't fall down off the roof, Leaf leans forward to look through the window and the happenings inside. At first, she notices Colm and Osric. She then notices the scary man in the middle... walking towards the trapped villagers.

Without thinking, she lets go of Deise and puts both hands on either side of the window frame, focusing her energy.

On the other side of the building, behind the huddled villagers, a loud crash echos through the room, and where a once plain wall had been, now a gaping hole big enough for people to get through was there. "GO!" She yells, "RUN OUT!"

At Leafs words the villagers began to move out of the moothall, but there was little urgency to their exodus, though obviously scared their movements were almost lethargic as the moved away from the hall and into the village.

Leaf and Deise watched them move away...

Aphail kisses the bow in his hand 'Thank you, Blessed Artia' and leaps to his feet, sprinting across the open ground to the side door or the Moothall.

To loose an arrow into a melee with your friends backs exposed had to be instinctive.  To overthink was to shoot your friend in the back.  That was an inspired shot, placing an arrow above the striking arm of Sir Uthen, between the two knights, taking the Huscarl in his unprotected arm must have been guided by Artia herself."

"Go! Go, I've got the prisoner." Aphail intends to run to the prone Huscarl, tie him up using a snare from his pack, then retrieve the Luna Arrow.

15:47, Today: Colm Cernach rolled 7 using 2d6.  SER Sheet of Flame #3.  Still in Effect.

Colm feels invigorated by the strangely familiar wolf creature beside him and encouraged that the rest of the warband have sprung to action.  He is perturbed by the seemingly indefatigable Dark Witch he now faces.  "Death approaches us all Witch!  Come, lets us meet it together, but before that tell me...

Why are you still here? I thought you to be a day ahead of us. Unless you don't know how to enter the secret Pass? How could you not know the way to the ancient city of your Dark Lord?

I know the way, been here before I have. I know these villagers and the ways of these Woods.  I also know that whomever dies here today, YOU will certainly be among them.."

Colm strides away from the Hall, goading the Witch to follow, drawing him into the open and keeping outside weapons reach.  A serious expression on Colm's face.

OOC - Terminate Sheet of Flame, +2MP Fire Pool.

Edited for more goading...
This message was last edited by the player at 09:44, Sat 02 May 2020.

Osric has no lofty chivalric ideals and runs around Colm’s fire wall (or through where it used to be) to attack the witch from behind with a ferocious blow to the back.

OOC: 09:56, Today: Osric Grim rolled 2,2 using d20,1d8+1.  Blacksmith’s hammer, ABR, 7HP dam.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:05, Sat 02 May 2020.

Usopi moved toward Colm and the wolf, hoping to flank the enemy.

"Leaf we need to get down there, this roof is not likely to hold."

OOC: on e the enemy is engaged Deise is considering jumping from the roof to the head of the black knight to distract him long enough so that the  more powerful can put him down. Last trick left.  Speak now if you think it will get in the way of your combat actions (eg dangerous magic that Id rather not be jumping into).

"Just say the word, my Lord." Brannon nods grimly, loosening his sword belt, and beginning to ready his shield. Arrows will be no avail here.

Sir Turren heeds the archer's claim - no beheading - and with Sir Uthen, moves to engage their next closest target, or whatever Sir Uthen chooses to next engage. Sir Turren is mindful of the escaping folk too, and keeps one eye on them lest they come under further threat.

'Got your flank,' Turren snarls to Sir Uthen, eyes smouldering. 'Take the lead - I'll keep pace.'

"Just wait a moment," says Leaf, putting a hand lightly on his shoulder. She looks down at the figure walking towards Colm and the wolf and focuses on him.

Suddenly, roots shoot out of the ground, and home in on the large warlock, wrapping around his arms and legs.

She looks back to Deise. "Ok, go now!"


OOC: Leofwyn casts Roots for 5MP.
GM, I'm not sure of the climate here - so it could be 4 or 6 roots.

Edit for grammar and clarification after speaking with Deise.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:22, Sun 03 May 2020.

In reply to Leofwyn (msg # 22):
"Nothing enchanted about me Leaf and the bow I picked up is the same as meself. But if you can enchant an arrow?"


OOC: Leaf, save your MP as Deise can jump.

Uthen speaks. "Onwards, then." and advances looking for a target. If he sees one he will immediately engage.

The shewolf looks up, and regards the speaker scornfully, paying no heed to their words, nor to the pretty lights playing about their armour as she makes a liar of them by getting close enough to drag Colm back from death's reach.

The woman within the wolf wonders what just happened, gives up trying to explain it to herself, and silently concedes that the goddesses move in mysterious ways.

OOC: I assume Caith is still a wolf at this point. If she has to move out  before she can change, then so be it.

She does as she is commanded to by her Laird, even if the wolf would rather bite the lightning's wielder where he sits, and growls even in tactical withdrawal.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:21, Sun 03 May 2020.

OOC: Looks like we're advancing in on the dark nasty knight's six.

If it will take an extra round to close, Turren will give this dark knight the Good News of our lord and saviour by throwing his Javlin (Falchorus +1) on the way in, then rip out sword again as the fight is a step from joining.

If we are within charging range this round, then no throw on approach, just straight to melee.

OOC: I have changed my post slightly, after talking with Deise.

Turren and Uthen began running through the moothall towards the darkling warrior as Aphail bound the sleeping huscarl.



..............

Colm and Caith backed away from the approaching figure stalking towards them.

Osric charged towards the armoured witch, bringing his hammer across hard, it connected with the armoured forms shoulder but it seemed his armour deflected the heavy blow fully.

He turned towards Osric with a grin, " Well struck."

The huge grey blade came across smashing through Osrics maille and leaving a deep cut across his chest, he had barely registered that when the blade reversed and left and matching wound across his abdomen.  Bright blood sheeted down his front....but he still stood.

Leofwyn summoned the energies of nature and six thick roots wormed up from the ground grasping at the foe, he forced his way through turning his back on Osrics bleeding form, but the last root wound about his leg and held him fast. He looked over his shoulder towards Leofwyn.

...............

Kores pointed up to the glowing ball, " Watch."

He muttered fell words and spread out his left hand towards the green orb.

" Fly away home...."

The green orb lifted suddenly into the air and sped away to the north....

Giles watched in confusion and sent another stone at the armoured foe but it went wide.
.................

Doron winced as Osric was struck, " Well...he's still standing..."


OOC:


20:15, Today: GM, for the NPC Blackheart, rolled 12 using 1d10+2.  ABR. -7 hp Osric

20:14, Today: GM, for the NPC Blackheart, rolled 1 using 1d20.  ATT 31 - DEF 14. -7 hp Osric.

20:13, Today: GM, for the NPC Blackheart, rolled 7 using 1d20.  ATT 31 - DEF 14.


20:24, Today: GM, on behalf of Leofwyn, rolled 4 using 2d10.  SPD 16 vs EVA 7.

20:24, Today: GM, on behalf of Leofwyn, rolled 13 using 2d10.  SPD 16 vs EVA 7.

20:23, Today: GM, on behalf of Leofwyn, rolled 16 using 2d10.  SPD 16 vs EVA 7.

20:23, Today: GM, on behalf of Leofwyn, rolled 12 using 2d10.  SPD 16 vs EVA 7.

20:23, Today: GM, on behalf of Leofwyn, rolled 11 using 2d10.  SPD 16 vs EVA 7.

20:23, Today: GM, on behalf of Leofwyn, rolled 10 using 2d10.  SPD 16 vs EVA 7.