Adventure 67: The Bonds Would Break...

[DM B]

They make a fine target, colossus and sorceress...but none of the arrows that seek out the Duchess strike true...

The Ogre, seeing this new threat does not hesitate. He leaves his soldiers and orogs to slaughter your army while he makes straight for the Colossus. You had thought him able - but not like this. Some dark force must be granting him powers beyond those of his normal awnshegh self. With great speed he closes the distance, dodges the fist of the colossus, grabs hold and ascends along its hind quarters. His target - the Sword Mage.

[X-IHH/Wallac Isilviere (Kasper)]

The remaining Armsmen seeing the Ogre leaving for his flank to oppose the SM renew their efforts to press back the masses of Osoerdes rouge soldiers.

Meanwhile Drago Tanar is moved further back and given first aid

[X-Tornilen/SM (Alexander)]

Behind her mask, the Swordmage's face is twisted into a mask of hate and rage. With one hand she supports herself on the Colossus, while unleashing several bolts of lightning down towards the Ogre. She barely notices the pain as some of the charge is conducted through the Colossus and into her legs. Every muscle is clenched, every part of her screams for her to jump from where she stands, down into the Ogre's face, cutting him to pieces with her blade.

Yet she does not do that. The image of her fallen brother flashes through her mind, her memory filling out all those details she could not see from up here. All she saw was his armour and his shape as he was dragged away from the melee. Suddenly her mind clears, it is as if she hear her brother's voice clearly... lecturing her after one of her temper tantrums. "Think Marya, think before you act." She looks at the Ogre, climbing up towards her on the Colossus. Then she is struck by an idea.

She then focuses on raining magic down on the Ogre. Trying to time it right. She commands Colossus to ignore the Ogre. Perhaps fooling him into believing that it cannot touch him. She hits him with all she has got and then she waits, letting the Ogre close on her. As he is moving up from the legs, unto the torso of the colossus, she gives a new command: "Throw yourself on top of him. Crush him!" And then she throws herself out from the colossus, aiming vaguely at the IHH lines while trying to slow her fall with magic. In front of her, she see the colossus grab for the Ogre with one arm while it begins to fall.

[X-Elinie/RiD (Niels)]

Rashida bint Daouta had been running for the catacombs, when suddenly Orogs began emerging. She saw the archers being engaged, and the scouts lose their way and shoot aimlessly into the air as they scrambled to disengage.

With resolute steps, Rashida grabs the nearest scout and yell into is face; "Regroup! Regroup and take firing positions on the Orogs!"

She yells the order repeatedly for the scouts, as she jogs to join the dragoons, they being confused on whether to charge or shoot at the Orogs.

"Dragoons! - Hear me! - I am general Rashida, and you are now under my command! - Form up! Assume melee weapons and prepare to charge!"

As the order sifts though the din of battle, Rashida yells to the archers to prepare to fall back and then reform once clear. She then finds herself at the front of the Dragoon squad, clenching her shield and sword. She bangs them together, the men around her picking up the rhythm as they discard their bows and crossbows and take up their shields and melee weapons. Once the noise is one reverberating roar, she screams the order and they charge the orogs.

Their goal is to engage the orogs, clearing the armsmens backsides, and letting the archers slip out of the direct melee.

If all goes well, the battlemap attached show the new configuration.

EDIT: This is in the valley, therefore in the adventure thread, but it might belong in the war thread?

[DM B]

The Colossus stops and leans backwards. Then it starts to topple. The Ogre is nearly to the top already, but the Colossus throws up it's arms, preventing him from leaping to safety and instead he too goes down, pinned somewhere behind the Colossus' head and arms. The sound of the crash is so loud that the battle stops for a moment as warriors look about...see that neither combatant rises again...and then the killing resumes.

---

Meanwhile the archers have been butchered by the orogs - those few that have survived have thrown themselves into the river, hoping to escape. Now they turn their attention on the IHH dragoons...who are far tougher opponents and has an able leader in Rashida. On the other side a lone unit of IHH armsmen, bolstered by the Sword Mage, is holding its own against no less then three enemy units. The other armsmen unit is gone, victim of superior numbers and the rage of the Ogre. Your scouts are as yet untouched and there is some missile support from above.

[X-Elinie/RiD (Niels)]

After fighting in the frontline awhile, Rashida happens to be pushed back into the ranks. The battle continues to rage, and as she steps on to a knoll to look around, she can tell that the battle will be a close one or a loss, if the status quo is not altered.

Turning around, she spies the area where the wounded are brought and remembers the fierce warrior who faced down the Ogre before succumbing.

Quickly, she moves through the pushing bodies to the field lazaret and seeks out Drago Tanar. Seeing him badly battered and barely breathing, she kneels at his side and place her hands on his chest.

"Dear Avanalae, I pray to you in the name of all that is holy to your visage, let your grace heal this man who serves Cuiraécen, that his rage may turn this battle to victory for Light and life."

Concentrating deeply, Rashida repeats the prayer under her breath, bending further until her forehead rests upon the breastplate of teh fallen warrior.

A faint glow emanates from her hands and seep into Drago's prone form as she lays on hands and fuels it with all her healing talent as well.

(OOC: She is a 7th level paladin, her LoH and spells make for quite a bit of healing, and hp for hp, Drago is one of our toughest agents on the field)

[DM B]

If you look at your own map you'll find that Rashida cannot be anywhere near Drao.

(so if she's going to see him she'll have to cross the field - and abandon her unit in the process)

[X-Tornilen/SM (Alexander)]

The clashing blades sends splinters of pain through the Swordmage's arms. She barely succeeds in beating the orog's blade aside and suddenly finds herself grappling with it. It howls at her as she smashes her helmet into it's face, feeling the sharp ridges cut into flesh and bone. As it stumbles she rips her blade up and across it's body, cowering herself in it's blood as it falls down, stomach torn open and organs tumbling freely. She barely has time to register that the orog warrior falls, before the next opponent smashes into her shoulder. She tries to shout something, but the weight is suddenly removed as an IHH templar tackles the orog. They both go down disappear under the throng of fighting men.

"Kriesha's tits, this is going badly. Where is Drago, I need to... something." She keeps favouring her left side, occasionally stumbling a bit. She twisted something as she fell to the ground, though her sorcery took most of the fall. Every extremity feels oddly numb, due to the power she grounded in herself and the Ogre before leaping off the Colossus. Grimazing, she begins to recognize that there is no hope here. She turns to a nearby officer, thrusting herself close to him.

"I need to, I need to get back to the column. Let yourself be pressed against the walls of the cliff, fight with your backs to it... we will pour arrows down into the middle of the valley. Aid is coming."

Then she dregs up some strength, reaching for what power remains within her. She launches herself into the air, chanting underneath her breath. A wind lifts her up the cliff face. As she rises prepares for pain. She knows that her cloak, enchanted and bladed as it is, will take most of the punishment, but she is well aware that she is a target as she rises up. She assumes that the archers on the valley edge will recognize her and not fire at her. She is going to rejoin the first column outside the valley.

[DM B]

The clashing blades sends splinters of pain through the Swordmage's arms. She barely succeeds in beating the orog's blade aside and suddenly finds herself grappling with it. It howls at her as she smashes her helmet into it's face, feeling the sharp ridges cut into flesh and bone. As it stumbles she rips her blade up and across it's body, cowering herself in it's blood as it falls down, stomach torn open and organs tumbling freely. She barely has time to register that the orog warrior falls, before the next opponent smashes into her shoulder. She tries to shout something, but the weight is suddenly removed as an IHH templar tackles the orog. They both go down disappear under the throng of fighting men.

"Kriesha's tits, this is going badly. Where is Drago, I need to... something." She keeps favouring her left side, occasionally stumbling a bit. She twisted something as she fell to the ground, though her sorcery took most of the fall. Every extremity feels oddly numb, due to the power she grounded in herself and the Ogre before leaping off the Colossus. Grimazing, she begins to recognize that there is no hope here. She turns to a nearby officer, thrusting herself close to him.

"I need to, I need to get back to the column. Let yourself be pressed against the walls of the cliff, fight with your backs to it... we will pour arrows down into the middle of the valley. Aid is coming."

Then she dregs up some strength, reaching for what power remains within her. She launches herself into the air, chanting underneath her breath. A wind lifts her up the cliff face. As she rises prepares for pain. She knows that her cloak, enchanted and bladed as it is, will take most of the punishment, but she is well aware that she is a target as she rises up. She assumes that the archers on the valley edge will recognize her and not fire at her. She is going to rejoin the first column outside the valley.

Topside action can be found in the War thread.

[DM B]

Rashida has finally made her way across the field to the IHH armsmen and the body of Drago. For all her healing powers it is beyond her - she cannot with good conscience call someone back from the grave. Everything is undone...

And how right she is...the blood and the death...the distinction between waking and ream, light and shadow...it is blurring an fading. Where the Veil was once weak it now ceases to exists and the two worlds become as one again, as it was at the dawn of time.

---

From above more arrows are raining down on the enemy, but the magelight is all but gone now. Only the treacherous light of a partially clouded moon remains. And it is hardly fitting for an archery competition. What is worse - the remaining enemy units suddenly find themselves togetehr with the comrades that have already crossed over. Armsmen and dragoons are pinned together, with scouts hiding in between. Soon you will be dead, all of you.

[X-Elinie/RiD (Niels)]

With a mighty heave, Rashida slams her shield into an orog, sending it spinning backwards. With her sword she sticks another in the neck and takes a look around.

The battle is lost, now there is only the price of death to be bargained. - If they are to have any hope, they must find shelter and reduce the number of enemies who can reach them.

The closest haven is the catacombs, and the battered and now spread out orog unit that emerged from there is perhaps possible to be blown through, if her battered forces find determination enough.

"Troops! - To me! Rally to the catacombs! - We can hold in the tunnels! - To the tunnels!"

Before launching herself into battle once more, she casts Light upon her helmet, like a tiny star in the darkness. The light is seen plowing towards the catacombs, pulling dragoons, armsmen and scouts with it, in one desperate push for the caves.

[DM B]

(with that there are no real heroes down in the valley, so we'll recombine this battle with the one above)