Joined: Sept 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 1,216 Location: Melbourne, Australia Karma: 195
Re: (006) Farther and Deeper... « Reply #45 on Sept 13, 2011, 6:56am »
That, gentlemen, was the surprise round.
The passage to the mine car is overrun with enemy; a mass of dark, long-limbed, supple fiends who slash and stab with rude blades and fight three abreast in the wide passage.
Barald and Eohild are all but surrounded in the fray, and there are Orcs already clambering over the mine car with evil intent!
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Re: (006) Farther and Deeper... « Reply #46 on Sept 13, 2011, 7:43am »
Soval curses himself a fool - intemperate words are one thing, battle another. Since he gives light to the party, he will battle with sword alone. His tactics will be to fight forward through the orcs until he can shield Barald and Eohild, and then, if he can, help them both enact a fighting retreat with him, so that they can all fall back as a group to a more defensible battle line.
"Friends! We are beset!" he calls out as he steps forward with his sword...
Re: (006) Farther and Deeper... « Reply #47 on Sept 13, 2011, 8:32am »
If Lómëluin has a clear shot, he takes it and reloads.
If not, he judges the situation too serious to waste precious time hunting for an opening. "Hold here and bring down as many as you can!" he barks to Telthalion in Sindarin.
He then draws Andúnë, sets his shield on his arm and rushes to meet the Orcs clambering over the cart.
"Well met, filth of Sauron! Thought ye the Firstborn were all gone into the West? Learn otherwise to your sorrow! LORIEN ENTULUVA!"
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Re: (006) Farther and Deeper... « Reply #49 on Sept 13, 2011, 9:17pm »
Largo will continue to mutter complaints, but under his breath, so as not to attract undue attention. He will also shift his sling to his off-hand and draw his dagger.
If any orc has its back to the hobbit while attempting to engage a larger foe, that will be Largo's target (with the dagger). If no target is any more inviting than another, he'll go after the orc climbing across the cart.
Should this process be taking too long, he'll simply drop his sling, rather than switch hands, to speed things up a bit.
A Ardenbard a Largo B Barald... b Baraglin* E Eremin... e Elindir G ......... g Legandir H ......... h Hepti* L ......... l Lomeluin N Nat...... n Norin O Eohild... o R Beranger. r S Soval*... s Sili T ......... t Telthalion U ......... u Burmon*
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Re: (006) Farther and Deeper... « Reply #51 on Sept 14, 2011, 5:56am »
Soval's strategy is thus to hack his way forward towards the cart until he has everyone, including Barald and the hobbits, behind him; then to effect a fighting retreat until their group is all together. His first priority is protecting Lady Eohild.
In light of the large force attacking, IF there is another light behind him in the eastern party, he will set his lantern down and ready his shield before he fights his way forward. But if this will leave things dark in the event that his lantern-light dies he'll bite the bullet and try to get people out with sword and lantern in hand instead.
Soval ... tactics will be to fight forward through the orcs until he can shield Barald and Eohild, and then, if he can, help them both enact a fighting retreat with him, so that they can all fall back as a group to a more defensible battle line.
"Friends! We are beset!" he calls out as he steps forward with his sword...
Eohild swears disappointed not to have posted a guard for an event such as this. She is spurred on with the calls from her party. She will use her sword and shield to fight back. She will take a step back and holding her ground near the mine cart so she is not surrounded by attackers on all sides, and to allow Largo and Eremin to attack also. Eohild calls out to Barald, "Fall back behind the mine cart for you are out numbered friend!".
Joined: Sept 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 1,216 Location: Melbourne, Australia Karma: 195
Re: (006) Farther and Deeper... « Reply #56 on Sept 15, 2011, 8:37am »
The clamour of battle breaks upon the company as a tide upon rocks!
At the pointy end Eohild and Barald are immediately beset by uncountable enemy, rushing around them, past them, and right at them, stabbing and slashing viciously with weapons of bleak iron. The noise is staggering, the blows buffeting at them like hammers at anvils.
Barald has no pause to un-sling his woodsman's axe, just barely drawing his dagger in time to [1d20=15] thrust it into the first of the Orcs pouncing upon him [1dd=2] pricking it in the chest for 2 hit points as the Orc pack hammers at him without mercy [3d20=3,2,2]! But these Men of Mirkwood are made of tough stuff. The Old Boar, a black arrow in his back, negotiates a dozen hatchet blows and does not falter yet.
Simultaneously, Eohild finds herself with her back to the wall with two enemy jabbing at her as other rush past behind them. She manages to rip her sword free of its scabbard and give the Orcs pause enough for her to also shoulder her shield, and not a moment too soon as the Orcs drive home their advantage [2d20=16,12]. Hard blows smash repeatedly at her Rohirim plate armour and Horse Lord's shield. The sign of the White Courser is dashed as her shield is splintered under the attack (Eohild sacrifices her shield rather than take a wound). [1d20=3] her counter is unbalanced and ineffective.
Meanwhile, Baraglin Banks slips away form the worst of it into the Troll den, but a sinewy Orc has sniffed him, and follows after...
Now Largo is hunking right down behind the mine cart, almost beneath Eremin, as he pulls out his untried Shire made dagger. A fine mess this is Harfoot, he tells himself -- now he'll find out whether Bungo Weatherbee's smithy arm was worth the coin he trusted to it...
Eremin, meanwhile, springs up to stab an Orc as it bounds recklessly off the back of the mine car and over the top of both of them as would a ravenous hyena. Now that [1d20=16] is a nasty surprise which ever way you judge it. Eremin jabs his sinuous blade into the unsuspecting Orc's soft parts from beneath [3dd(including backstab dice)=4,5,6] causing it to tumble squealing and cursing. It is sorely wounded but not finished, and now it has a fierce eye on Eremin!
Joined: Sept 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 1,216 Location: Melbourne, Australia Karma: 195
Re: (006) Farther and Deeper... « Reply #57 on Sept 15, 2011, 8:43am »
Soval rips his sword from its sheath as he swings about and wades into the onrushing storm of Orcs, striving to reach Barald and Eohild with his lantern flying as widely as his shearing blade.
But the Orcs are already flying madly at him, even as Nat Pickthorn and Beranger hastily attempt to form up a battle line. The Orcs hit [1d20=4,18] with a wild clatter. Nat deftly avoids the worst of it, but Beranger takes the brunt and is pierced by a black blade for [2dd=2,6] 6 hit points. He staggers on. Soval is met head on by two great, loping Orcs [2d20=12,18] who beat and smash at him with heavy cudgel and crooked sword blows. He suffers a ringing blow against his mail for [2dd=2,3] 3 hit points before he can retaliate. But then Soval's bright blade is everywhere; cutting, stabbing, slashing [2d20=14,4] at the enemy. And he doth roar as he gouges the bolder Orc [2dd=4,5] with a deadly throat wound for 8 hit points, dashing out its windpipe with a glut of black blood. Nat and Berenger also fight back [2d20=12,10] and Nat makes purchase with his weildy flail [2dd=1,1] clipping his adversary's skull for 2 hit points.
As this madness unfolds Arbenbard retreats behind the fighting Men just as the innumerable Orcs smash into them, hitting and screaming wildly as they slash all about with their cruel weapons. But alas! One of the loathsome monsters slips unnoticed between Nat and Berenger in the fighting and sneers right at Arbenbard as it comes on toward him -- a long, curved knife in each of its gritty claws...
Joined: Sept 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 1,216 Location: Melbourne, Australia Karma: 195
Re: (006) Farther and Deeper... « Reply #58 on Sept 15, 2011, 8:44am »
At the other end of the passage Lomeluin judges instantly that the delicate precision of archery will be useless here, and exchanges bow for sword and shield as he challenges the enemy, unconsciously switching to the tongue of his forefathers that Orcs should yet fear.
Norin and Sili, turn upon the old enemy grim faced, and wordlessly set into a determined, unfaltering double-time march aimed directly at the fray, as though the pair of them deem themselves the rightful Masters of this place, and the Orcs merely an inconvenience to be swept aside as a fly swished away from dung.
Legandir, Elindir and Telthalion follow with bows ready. Burmon and Hepti hold nervously where they are.
Norin and Sili, turn upon the old enemy grim faced, and wordlessly set into a determined, unfaltering double-time march aimed directly at the fray, as though the pair of them deem themselves the rightful Masters of this place, and the Orcs merely an inconvenience to be swept aside as a fly swished away from dung.
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