The Southern Continent (part 2)

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Jack Rothwell
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Re: The Southern Continent (part 2)

Post by Jack Rothwell »

"Any orders for an encounter?"

"They're unchanged, rank up tight and watch the trees, guard our backs, keep two soldiers to a riflemen and keep them firing." Gabriel barked to a messenger as the scouts disappeared from view. "Keep the mages guarded at all times, they're our last minute warning and our artillery, make sure those bastards know it."

As the Captain marched he reached to his side and unwrapped the bundle he'd carried since his arrival. He held the object in his hand, angling it first one way, then another with an admiring gaze.

"What is that?"

"A means to a violent end." He replied.

...........

A few minutes later the advance party drew to a halt. Tamina saw them some fifty yards away from her hiding place, she gritted her needly teeth and drew her bow-string, as she listened to the leading pairs conversation.

"See him?"

"No. We should fan out, that force bolt crap doesn't play nice in groups."


OOC I leave what happens to the half-dozen scouts to the players, just bear in mind that fleeing would be their first choice when faced by twenty kobolds, two knight protectors and an elf with a really, really sharp sword.

...and, not to influence your actions people, but James McKellar, that's the guy in the lead of those scouts, is a hard-working, honest man who just happened to fall in with the wrong bunch of people in his search for a decent job. He recently moved in with a divorcee and became a second father to her son, little Timmy, teaching the boy to read, and even paying the medical bills to treat his rare genetic condition that renders him unable to hug puppies. Oh, and thanks to Logan's increased wages, he's finally saved enough to buy a ring and propose to Mariella (his girlfriend) which he plans to do when he returns home.

But, like i said, I leave the decision to you. :D /OOC
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Re: The Southern Continent (part 2)

Post by Alberich »

[OOC: Writing this on an "if nobody objects" basis]

[OOC2: My understanding is that Drusia stayed back at the village to recover from her superlong teleport ordeal. If I'm wrong, great, 'cause she's welcome! But even if she's here she might not feel the need to intervene this early.]

"Six" was close enough to "ten" and they didn't have the mages with them. Okaaayyyy --

Khoo, on Udo's prior instruction, threw up a barrier right behind these six. Udo put up a shield in front of himself, to block bullets, and charged forward screaming OOODADADADADADADADA!!!!! The scream was his signal to the kobolds to take some Ralkin Revenge! They swarmed. Some were moving invisibly through the jungle, some on the path. Moreover, the noisemaking awoke alarm (or sympathy? or mating instincts?) in a group of distant heeka who went heekaheekaheekaheekaSHREEEEEK!

Obeying their first instincts, the scouts turned to run - and bumped their noses on Khoo's magic barrier and tangled with each other. And one took Tamina's arrow in the back. He went down like a Killikah beast feast.

Three on the sides tried to penetrate the impenetrable jungle. If they could just get around this damn barrier they'd be okay! But the undergrowth was thick and the vines and things were everywhere and the footing was treacherous and the noises were disturbing -- and the kobolds were mobile here and they weren't. Their demises were ugly but also invisible (and inaudible over all this noise).

The last two turned to fight. One fired his rifle at Udo before he realized the shield was there, then tried to defend against the kobold horde with a butt stroke. For the bruise he dealt out he paid with his life.

The last and bravest was poor James McKellar, the boy who made good by joining up with the bad. He saw his end was before him, and faced it sword in hand, commending his sweetheart and his stepson to the protection of Luminosita (and maybe he wasn't so devout, but any port in a storm) -- and hoping his comrades would find the unfinished love letter among his effects, and send it to her after all, with all his pay so she could start a new life....

His back to the barrier, he fought with grim determination. but not for long - there were too many and they were mad. He went down under spears. Battle was indeed dehumanizing. It turned men into meat.

Udo looked through the barrier to see if any more enemy were coming up behind it. If they weren't he'd wave the kobolds back into the trees, have Khoo take the barrier down, and hide again to wait for the next ones. If they were, then he'd have some improvising to do.
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Re: The Southern Continent (part 2)

Post by Jack Rothwell »

OOC That epitaph was beautiful Al./OOC

"I see you, you furry fuckers!" Called an aggressive, yet cheerful voice, whose owner appeared at the head of his troops. Tamina made a mewling noise and notched another arrow. The hunters bared their teeth at the approaching soldiers from behind the safety of Khoo's barrier. Gabriel scanned the native's faces with an air of detachment, and shrugged.

"You all look the same to me." He said derisively. "Is there a Tamina among you? Alec's damn property?"

The kobold's claws bit into her palms as she stepped from her cover to answer the summons. The hunters parted to give her a view of the Captain, she pressed a hand against the barrier and scowled.

"I'm no-one's property!"

"There won't be any cuffs this time, mage." He said flatly. "You recognise her, gentlemen? Familiarised yourselves with what she can do?"

A murmur swept through the platoon as they fanned out into the immediate undergrowth, there was a low chrous of clicks from hammers being pulled back on firearms.

"You're going to make one of these men very wealthy today." Gabriel intoned. "The bounty on your head is substantial... I don't suppose any other of our benefactor's enemies are hiding back there? The elf-bitch? That girl with the guns? You really shouldn't bother hiding. We know exactly where you are."

The mage at Gabriel's side pointed a finger to a nondescript trunk in the undergrowth, a gunshot sounded, a hunter fell. Tamina roared.

"Mages!" He called, drawing a revolver. "Drop that fucking barrier!"

OOC If anyone's planning to take a swing at Gabriel pm me for details. Just a note that arrows will have difficulty punching through the thicker armor of the regular troops./OOC
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Re: The Southern Continent (part 2)

Post by Alberich »

Udo saw Gabriel at the head of his forces - exactly where he wanted him! And Udo was shouting instructions of his own - in Tsuirakuan.

"<Drop the barrier!>" said he to Khoo. "<And raise it behind that goatfucker!!!>"

Putting the barrier behind the first scouts had been like slicing off a piece of cake. And anyone who took a look at Udo knew - here was a man who believed in cutting off a second slice!

Now where the mages were when the barrier went up again depended on where they were standing. But if any mage was on this side, Udo was going to engage him in magical combat, to draw his attention and keep him off of the kobolds. Or if they were both on the other side, he'd use his own magic shield to strengthen the barrier - two wizards versus two, giving his friends the maximum time to take out the enemy leader! For he couldn't do it all at once, and he didn't want to blast at Gabriel Goatfucker -- that guy was quick and could dodge, so that Udo's bolts would hit the barrier and help the enemy take it down. No, he'd have to concentrate on the mage or mages, and leave the hand-to-hand villain to the others.

The situation called for faith in his companions. And he had that in abundance. It also called for a bold, inspiring battle cry --

"RALKIN SUCK DONKEY BALLS!!!!"

This was as good odds as they were going to get out here. To work!

Some of the kobolds stayed in the jungle - they'd gotten wise to the fact that the enemy might try to get around the barrier, and they needed to be ready to kill them where they were on the stronger ground. And watch for opportunities, like the cunning hunters that they were. Others had revenge to take on the path, with whatever weapons they thought best. And Tamina? That bravest of and kindest of kobolds knew best what she would do.

[OOC: If Drusia did indeed come with us, now would be a realllllly good time for her to get involved!]
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: The Southern Continent (part 2)

Post by Jack Rothwell »

Gabriel laughed as the barrier came up behind the front unit of his company and twirled a finger in the air. The riflemen dropped into a disciplined crouch before the charging kobolds in the clearing and fired a volley, hunters fell, one kobold going down with a bullet between the eyes courtesy of their revolver carrying leader, Gabriel absently twirled the object he'd been given as he took aim at another. The bundle's contents was best described as an ornate-looking stick, elegantly carved and embedded with small crystals, if it had a use, it was yet to be seen.

The kobolds return fire began at the same Udo started trading magical blows with the mage who'd been left on the Captain's side of the barrier. The mercenary was good, Gabriel had assessed the young man before hiring him after all. He was certainly good enough to adapt to a change in the battleplan; the mage managed to get off a blast of fire in the direction of the humanoid snipers before a force bolt crashed against his shield.

The arrows were proving ineffective against the thicker armor of the core soldiers of The Black Guard, for every shaft which found a mark, half a dozen others clattered uselessly off thick plates, or simply didn't hit with enough force to penetrate. The only casualties to the front unit so far had come from the single hunter who'd survived the first volley making it close enough to tear a guard's throat out, and one from an arrow Tamina had imbued with energy to give it an harder punch, and that wasn't an easy spell for her to use in repetition.

The riflemen fell back to reload, switching places with the larger number of melee fighters the Ralkin had brought to the fight. At the same time the second merc magic user got to Khoo's barrier to focus on tearing it down. Soldier's shields were hefted as they moved to engage the kobolds who'd moved into cover at the start of the fight. War cries were called, and screams began shortly after.

Tamina saw her opportunity at the split in enemy forces. The kobold lashed her bow into the legs of a charging sword carrier, angled herself towards the riflemen, and channeled.

She hit the front soldier as he was raising his firearm at an unprotected tribesman back, turning his face into a red ruin before he roared and dropped his weapon. The second went down clutching his ribs after a barbed kick between the plates on his torso. Tamina turned to the last pair and hissed, taking gratification at the fear which flashed in their eyes.

A blow struck her in the side with terrific force, sending the native crashing to the ground, blinking stars from her eyes. Tamina staggered awkwardly to her feet and wheeled to see where the attack had come from. Gabriel smiled back at her.

"Shoot that fat fuck with the staff, he's bothering the artillery." He said levelly to the surviving gunmen. "I've got a bounty to claim."

Tamina wiped blood from the corner of her mouth and dropped into a crouch, baring her teeth, ready to pounce.

"Try and take it!"

OOC I think Dru'll be ok to join the fight when it spills back to the village, she's recharging, and I was planing to move it back there soon anyway if that's alright. Just... give our beloved spider-gah and donkeyballs the chance to work out a couple of issues first, they really need the therapy. :roll: Oh, and the captain-side mage is fighting back against Udo after his first attack on the kobolds, in case my wording wasn't clear./OOC
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Re: The Southern Continent (part 2)

Post by Alberich »

[OOC: Okay, back to the village it shall be.]

Udo snarled for only a moment. He'd hoped the barrier would cut off Gabriel almost alone, instead of with this disciplined and too numerous "front unit" - but he couldn't blame Khoo for doing only what he could do. The enemy had some disadvantages here - the constricted path, the difficult jungle where the kobolds knew the ground and could move more freely. But they still had numbers, iron discipline, excellent armor (magic-proof in Gabriel's case), and every kind of superior firepower.

On the far side of the barrier, the mage Jeremy, in obedience to his prior orders, was blasting at Khoo's barrier to take it down. But he was not so well armored as the rest. A kobold arrow from the jungle pierced his neck and dashed his dreams. However, the kobold sniper had to flee return fire from the numerous Ralkin riflemen - they might not see her well through the thick growth, but she wasn't trained to face that kind of fire, and a bullet would find her soon if she did.

The kobolds still on the path on Udo's side obeyed the law of survival and scampered into the jungle. Udo was forced onto the defensive - there was no way he could defend against bullets and magic blasts except with his shield up, and that meant he couldn't shoot back. The remaining Ralkin wizard gave a predatory grin as he focused his power to batter Udo's shield down. But his extreme forward focus proved his undoing. An enraged kobold huntress with a short spear -- she'd seen her brother killed in the last volley -- leaped down from the jungle and impaled him. Gabriel turned and shot the kobold at close range several times, and the spear-pierced wizard, in spite of the spear, roasted her to the bones point-blank.

Udo, with that angry protective instinct that had almost killed him in Port Lorrel, dropped his own shield and blasted the wizard -- a fatal blow -- but that left him vulnerable to the next shots from Gabriel's men. A bullet buried itself in the fleshy part of his thigh. (Ah, but then, all the parts of Udo's thigh were fleshy, weren't they? Okay, maybe the rest of him, too.) Another punched into his belly on the right side, adding a massive red splotch to Alleece's body art. He fell against a tree and got his shield back up but knew this fight could not continue.

Udo shouted the one word in kobold he'd learned before the battle -- "<RETREAT!!!>" He hoped the enemy didn't know the language, and so wouldn't be sure what was going on.

Khoo, per their prior arrangement, dropped his barrier and unleashed the wind sprite he'd prepared to blow up along the path in the enemy's faces -- and Udo hoped it would be powerful enough to keep the enemy from advancing while they got the hell out of there!

Whether Udo himself made it back, or only his staff -- that depended on Tamina and what she could do. He himself was no healer. If he could grab up some dead men's rifles on the way back, he would -- they'd make for good defense behind Leli's walls, better than kobold arrows for sure -- but he suspected he'd be lucky even to get his own bloody piss-soaked carcass back there.

What the total losses were like on both sides, Udo couldn't say -- if you didn't count the first fight with the advance party (where all six had gone down with satisfying speed and no kobold casualties), the enemy had gotten the best of it on the path. He hoped they'd gotten the worst of it among the trees unseen. But there'd be time for counting later. (Also for a hygiene spell on that loincloth.)

Actually, if Gabriel reported back by his magic commo rock, Leli would probably know the enemy's losses before anyone got back...

Udo knew nothing of Khoo's bomb or what it could do. Whether Khoo wanted to use it now or save it for the next stage of proceedings -- back near the village with Drusia -- this was up to Khoo.

[OOC: Udo would've preferred sex therapy to getting-your-ass-stomped therapy, if anyone'd asked him, but it's the thought that counts.]
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: The Southern Continent (part 2)

Post by Jack Rothwell »

"Try and take it!"

The Ralkin Captain grinned, holstered the 'stick' he was carrying and levelled his revolver at Tamina. The kobold used her enhanced charge to close the gap as Gabriel fired a pair of shots, one grazing her arm, the other missing entirely before she struck. The mage hit the soldier in a tackle that took them both to the floor, throwing a flurry of strikes that caused sparks from the Captain's breastplate and a spray of blood as a claw opened up his cheek. Gabriel grunted, and snapped a hand out to seize the swiping talons above him. Tamina stifled a shriek as fingers like iron wrapped painfully around her foreman and held it still. She batted frenzedly at Gabriel's face while he covered up with his other arm. With a curse and a tremendous heave the Captain threw the humanoid clear and rolled back to his feet. A buzzing noise rose from the man's body as the tissue from his wound began to knit back together.

"Not nearly good enough." He said flatly.

The remaining Ralkin wizard gave a predatory grin as he focused his power to batter Udo's shield down. But his extreme forward focus proved his undoing. An enraged kobold huntress with a short spear -- she'd seen her brother killed in the last volley -- leaped down from the jungle and impaled him. Gabriel turned and shot the kobold at close range several times, and the spear-pierced wizard, in spite of the spear, roasted her to the bones point-blank.

Tamina roared and threw herself against the Captain again, but this time Gabriel was ready for her, in a blur of movement he interrupted her charge with a punch to her gut that left her wheezing. Gabriel seized the humanoid by the throat and lifted her into the air. The kobold's legs pinwheeled as she tried to force a ragged breath into her lungs.

Udo, with that angry protective instinct that had almost killed him in Port Lorrel, dropped his own shield and blasted the wizard -- a fatal blow -- but that left him vulnerable to the next shots from Gabriel's men. A bullet buried itself in the fleshy part of his thigh. (Ah, but then, all the parts of Udo's thigh were fleshy, weren't they? Okay, maybe the rest of him, too.) Another punched into his belly on the right side, adding a massive red splotch to Alleece's body art. He fell against a tree and got his shield back up but knew this fight could not continue.

"U...do..."

"He's dead."

Tamina gritted her teeth and locked her hands around the one that was crushing her throat. With a last burst of effort, she twisted her body away from the Captain's and channeled. She swung back in with a double-footed kick as strong as her mana would allow. Fingers tore free of her neck as the Captain slammed into the ground with a dull clang. The kobold fell to her hands and knees, trying to gasp away the black spots which were pin-pricking her vision.

"<RETREAT!!!>"

Her head craned as the call, and Tamina saw her burly knight protector, not dead, but in a hell of a mess. A snarl behind her announced Gabriel was getting back to his feet. She made a decision.

The kobold ran to her friend's side and set to work.

"<Cover me!>"

"<On it!>" Alleece's voice, and a few others from the tree's beyond them. Tamina cringed as she assessed the damage. Bullets began to hit the highwayman's barrier.

The mage fixed Udo's thigh easily enough, and poured healing magic into the gut wound as best she could, but the severity of the larger injury required someone more adept than her to finish the job. Panting heavily, and with a murmured word of reassurance, she grabbed the highwayman's arm and began pulling him his back to his feet.

"<Come on, we're got to go!>"

Alleece scurried from her hiding place as the advancing troops began to turn the undergrowth into a warzone, she ducked under Udo's unoccupied arm, kissed his cheek, then the trio made their staggering escape. As the jungle swallowed them she heard Gabriel's orders ringing through the air.

OOC You didn't think Tamina would have left her Burly Knight Protector to die, did you? ;) /OOC
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Re: The Southern Continent (part 2)

Post by Alberich »

Khoo's wind-sprite gale in their faces was enough to keep the enemy away while the remaining kobolds -- all hidden in the jungle -- got out of there. When they could they regained the path to move faster.

Udo was the last and the slowest in flight, as he was determined to be -- if the enemy got around the gale too soon and pursued the kobolds too fast, they'd have to deal with him first!

The fact that they were totally capable of doing this didn't enter into it. They'd still have to. They wouldn't even need their defunct wizards or Gabriel's mystery toy - they'd just have to plink away with rifles 'til he ran out of energy for his shield, and in his current state that wouldn't take very long. But thanks to the gale he just might escape.

At least he managed to take up a dead man's rifle and ammo and hang onto his staff -- his kobold-gift spear was still stuck in the ground way forward somewhere. He could only hope that the enemy, deprived of their wizard eyes to detect ambushes, would move with more caution on the way to the village, so that even he would have time to get behind the walls.

One he got there he probably wouldn't be able to do much. What he could, he would. The last line of defense would be in Drusia's hands and Leli's.

[OOC: No, I'm sure she'd carry him away like a special kind of Valkyrie if she had to.]
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: The Southern Continent (part 2)

Post by Jack Rothwell »

"<How many dead?>" Tamina didn't want to ask the question, in her panting breaths as they escaped the Ralkin pursuers, but there it was all the same.

"<Of ours? Seven. Two more wounded.>"

"<...who?>"

"<Coreen, Hillan, Lorreece, Ilarin... Geena, Yalah and Teesha.>"

Tamina screwed up her face in a mixture of anguish and fury. The throbbing in her neck seemed to grow worse at the news.

"<How many of theirs?>"

"<A dozen, I think... maybe a couple more. This isn't going well Tammy.>"

"<Leli can stop them, Drusia will slice them into pieces.>"

"<I really hope so.>"

Tamina checked the wound of the injured highwayman slung between them and winced. There was another issue the Elder would have to attend to.

OOC Arriving back at the village at the next post, unless Dru would like to write the return? I imagine the elf would be keeping an eye out from trouble.

Also :) at Nyan Valkyrie./OOC
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Re: The Southern Continent (part 2)

Post by Graybeard »

OOC: I wasn't even aware that Khoo was anywhere close enough for his thaumatobaric bomb to be part of the first line of defense, even though he apparently cast a Barrier somewhere. Let's assume that the T-bomb is being held in reserve ... where, if I get to write it, it's going to have some unexpected side effects.
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