D&D: The City of Shaldra~Zin

[Grimsvald]

Jaks' rapier pierces through the enemy's armor with little resistance. The tip of his weapon clanks against the stone rubble behind the duelwielder and it vibrates the handle in Jaks hand. The enemy is far from dead, but he seems paralyzed by shock until the rogue's blade is removed. The duelwielder puts both his hands onto Jaks arm and forces him to remove the rapier. As soon as it is out the duelwielder falls forward onto all fours coughing and making desperate noises. He was so swept up in frustration and anger that he didn't see this coming at all. The reality check was much more painful than the wound.


The two longswordsmen (formerly spearmen) marched towards Adrik with their shields raised. Adrik knew that with these short swords they would need to get close in order to attack. He also knew that this weapon shield combination would require them to compromise their guard in order to make an attack towards such a stout dwarf. Adrik slowly and confidently marched towards the two incoming longswordsmen. When the three met there was a moment of hesitation. Adrik seemed as if he was looking past them, but he was fully ready.


One of the longswordsmen peeled back his shield to thrust his longsword. The sword pierced Adrik's shoulder and he grit his teeth. The longsword stuck between two of the bones in his shoulder long enough for Adrik to hack the enemies arm off. The second longswordsman made his attack, but missed. Adrik tore the sword out of his own shoulder and thrust it into the second enemy. These enemies didn't stand a chance against one of the Dizzy Dwarves.


As if to answer Jaks call when he thought "Where is that guy?" Kelter Rowe ran up and slammed his mace down on top of the duelwielder. "Try to kill me will you!" He yelled. (dealing 4 dmg). The strike wasn't to impressive. Considering he was an older man as well as recently dead...it was a valiant effort.


Lastly the greatswordsman. He rushes towards Jameak and slams his sword down with all his might. A nearly flawless attack of fury that would have cleaved normal men in half. Against Jameak it merely damaged his armor. The enemy proved less daunting with every passing moment.

 

[Redsirrah]

Jameak brought his mace on the offending swordsman and nodded at his new ally.


Hit


[dice]18827[/dice]


Damage


[dice]18828[/dice]

 

[Grimsvald]

Jameak's mace landed on the cheek of the great swordsman's helmet. His head was turned by this blow. He made a sound as if spitting to get the blood out of his mouth. The great swordsman was beginning to look in bad shape. His armor creaked at the joints and missing rivets caused panels of steel to dangle.

 

[Yesman]

Jaks looked up at the recently revived Kelter. "Oh, Kelter. There you are. I was just wondering where you'd gone," he grinned as he aimed his rapier for another stab into the duelwielder's back. He looked around for the one who summoned the fire. His eyes fell upon Jameak.


"Hey," he called to the cleric. "You're that guy from the tavern, right? Fancy meeting you here."


[dice]18863[/dice]


[dice]18864[/dice]

 

[Redsirrah]

Jameak swung once more at the armor and looked up. "What are you doing in the sacred temple of Pelor, thief? Its not exactly a good night to be running around."


[dice]18865[/dice]


[dice]18867[/dice]

 

[Grimsvald]

Jaks’ rapier pierced the creature’s back and it collapsed from its hands down to its elbows. The armor quivered and cried. “Wait…wait I was just following ord…” The creature’s excuse was cut short by Kelter’s mace. He swung his weapon backhanded and downward, striking the helmet from its shoulders. The helmet skipped across the ground coming to rest on some stones charred by Jameak’s magical fire. “Following orders? I’ve heard it before…” Green smoke plumed from the neck hole until it left the armor empty. As the smoke lifted into the air Jaks could hear a whisper, “We are not the villains here…you are…foul..fiendish…evil….”


Jameak cracked the enemy again with his mace, but this time his attack hit light and was shrugged off. The greatswordsman immediately retaliated with shocking force. The swordsman jumped towards Jameak thrusting his large sword downwards and letting his falling weight drive the weapon deeper. The enemy’s sword pushes into Jamaek’s neck breaking through his collarbone and driving down into his body. He felt the cold metal push through his chest cavity and separate his intestines. The weapon had been sheathed in him. The world went black. As his head fell forward his teeth clinked on the weapons hand guard. (17 damage)


Adrik hacked at the foe in front of him. The longswordsman managed to block it with his shield, but Adrik used his weapon to disarm that shield. His axe rained in a second time. Instinctively the enemy drew up his shield arm. The dwarven axe cut through the arm and crushed into the enemies chestplate. Once again green smoke poured up over the dwarves crazed face. He turned his attention to the last spearman standing. This was the one Jameak must have wanted him to kill.


The final spearman was sneaking up on Jaks and Kelter when he saw Adrik charging towards him with wild eyes. Fear overcame the enemy and he stumbled backwards throwing his spear inaccurately. The spear still manages to hit Adrik, but nothing can stop him on his mission. (5 damage) Once the spear is loosed the enemy pulls up his shield to stop the dwarf.


Jaks, Kelter and Jameak are healed by the clerics lurking in the ruins. (+12 HP) The rogue and old paladin are at full health, but Jameak still struggles to live. His eyes flutter open for a moment and he feels intense pain until things go black again. To come back from this would be quite the tavern tale.

 

[Yesman]

Jaks watched the smoky apparition dissipate. "Fiendish, evil, maybe. But I don't think I smell that bad," he replied the ghost. "Do you think he was referring to you, Kelter?"


Hearing the commotion behind him, he spun around just in time to see a dwarf charge another monster as the greatswordsman brought down his blade on Jameak. The rogue jumped on top of the rubble that stood between him and the greatswordsman while shouting, "Give me a hand, paladin!"


He stabbed downwards at the monster with his rapier, aiming for the collarbone.


[dice]18908[/dice]


[dice]18909[/dice]

 

[Grimsvald]

The greatswordsman quickly tore his weapon out of Jameak to swat the rapier away. Blood slings up and splatters across Jaks face. The weight of the greatsword slapping Jaks rapier would set Jaks slightly off balance. Jameak's body would fall limp to the ground. Gold healing dust still doing its work on the tremendous wounds.

 

[Grimsvald]

The greatswordsman’s weapon didn’t have time to return to his side before it was swung again. After it parried away Jaks’ rapier it rotated around his back and arced over his head in a powerful vertical attack. Even though he tried with all his might, Jaks’ high ground advantage was too much to overcome. The enemies weapon landed short of its target, chipping away some of the stone by Jaks feet.


Kelter did not hear the whispering voices in the green smoke so he did not understand Jaks comment about them. The thief ran off before the paladin could ask him anything about it. Kelter knew he wasn’t nimble enough to make it onto those stones so he ran around them. He approached the greatswordsman from the side opposite Jameak’s body. ~Who is that unfortunate soul?~ The paladin thought to himself. Kelter swung his mace down on the enemy. The hit was not direct, but it was affective. The paladin began to form a plan as to how he would make it over to Jameak and heal him.


This wasn’t the first time Adrik had come across a foe with a towershield. He launched into the air and landed on the top half of the enemies shield. His axes swung over the Longswordsman’s defenses and tore him apart with a howl. The armored figure dropped to the ground and Adrik tumbled away into the rocks. He laughed and slowly made his way back to his feet. It wasn’t often he fought such untrained enemies.

 

[Yesman]

Jaks stepped back to avoid his opponent's sword before moving forward again and thrusting his rapier downwards.


[dice]18926[/dice]


[dice]18927[/dice]

 

[Grimsvald]

When Jaks moved forward again to strike his enemy he could feel his foot slipping on the stone beneath him. He was forced to give up attack accuracy in order to maintain his footing. Because of that his rapier tip glanced off the greatswordsman's armor. The greatswordsman realized he could not over come Jaks higher ground positioning so he disengaged. He put himself on the other side of Kelter and chose to attack the paladin instead.


As the greatswordsman enters the paladin's melee range. The paladin made an attack of opportunity. Kelter's mace swung short and he missed. The enemy's greatsword swing in, but Kelter raised his shield in time. Kelter held back the greatsword enough to create an opening for his next attack. He swung his mace in, but the greatswordman stepped back to evade it. Once the greatswordsman stepped away Kelter ran to Jameak side. "Don't worry. Death will not take you today stranger."


Two howling axes flew in towards the greatswordsman. The first ax stuck in the ground to the enemy's right. The second ax landed to the enemy's left. He too was unable to get to Jameak and heal him. But the trusty clerics of Pelor managed to heal what they could. Three of them managed to get their golden dust onto Jameak healing him (for 9HP)

 

[Redsirrah]

Jameaks eyes fluttered open, then focused on the greatswordswordsman. He stood and pulled out his tome, reading the prayer that had missed his foe last time.


[dice]18968[/dice]


[dice]18969[/dice]

 

[Grimsvald]

The greatswordsman disengaged again, stepping away from Kelter in order to dodge Jameak's fire attack. After dodging several attacks in a row it was clear this final foe was on his guard. That level of skill would be truely tested up against 4 heroes.


"Rrrr, but how!?" Cursed the greatswordsman when he saw that Jameak lived again. "Next time I will make sure you stay down!"

 

[Yesman]

Jaks, still on top of the rubble, moved forward once again and threw a throwing knife at the monster. "Hey, I'm feeling ignored here!" he called before addressing the recently revived Jameak. "Yeah, that happened to me too. It's not really fun, being almost dead and all."


[dice]19020[/dice]


[dice]19021[/dice]

 

[Grimsvald]

Jaks' throwing knife silently shot through the air. It passed just over Kelter's shoulder, which may have caused the rogue to hold his breath. There was a *dink* sound and the greatswordsman stumbled back another step. The throwing knife had passed through the opsen face of the enemies helmet and punctured the back. A half inch of the blade sticks out of the back of his helmet. The creature regains his footing but some hinges snap causing the knee to fall off and the ankle to break.

 

[Redsirrah]

Jameak felt a rage burning up inside him, and paced towards the suit of armor. "You appear out of nowhere, kill innocent men, women, and children, and you think I will stay down?" Jameak raised his mace. "Go back to where you came from and tell them that the light of God always shines upon the true and just!" The mace came down like the hammer of a judge.


[dice]19045[/dice]


[dice]19046[/dice]

 

[Grimsvald]

Jameak's attack left his enemy as a smoking heap of scrap metal. The battle had finally come to a close at the foot of the temple ruins. The cleric would feel that anger inside him fade away with the gratification of avenging his own death. He truly felt the hands of his god upon him in this moment, soothing him and calming his soul.


Kelter would sigh in relief. It was nearly a miracle that any of them still lived. He had never faced such worthy adversaries before. Looking down at the holes in his armor the gravity of the situation still had a hold on him. He ran his fingers over the cuts in his chainmail remembering what it felt like to die. To feel unjustly dispatched by a lessor and evil being.


The cloth tunic below Kelter's chainmail was stained red and brown with blood and dirt. When he peeled open one of the cuts in his tunic he could see two parallel scars where the shortswords of the duelwielder had taken his life. If Jaks and Jameak looked over themselves they would find similar scars. Jaks has a scar on his left side just above the hip that runs all the way to his center. Jameak has a 3 inch scar crossing over his left collarbone. These little marks would haunt Kelter, but he wouldn't regret his decision to make a stand.


Kelter harnessed his mace at his hip and slung his shield onto his back. He leaned down and pried the greatsword free from the broken armored hand by his feet. It was covered in scratches and nicks, such poor condition he was surprised it held together during the battle. "Even without god by his side he was able to cut us down with this gnarled blade. Such power feels beyond achievement yet here I stand with his weapon in my hands. I cannot help but believe I can turn those powers towards good. This shield protects me well, but maybe I need to think of ending the enemy before it has a chance to end me." The paladin stepped away from the body keeping the sword.


Adrik. Chimed in with a cracked sad voice, "My city! My home!.....look what they've done to it" he cried as he walked forward and examined the city. As the sun began to rise it revealed destruction. Building were on fire and ripped apart. Anyone you could see was morning over a corpse or ruined building. "These devils has the brass in their steel hides to call US the villains."


Suddenly he would snap out of his sadness and into panick. "The Tavern!!!" He screamed and immediatly ran off.

 

[Yesman]

Jaks watched the dwarf run off before shrugging his shoulders and look over the field of rubble. After a short breather, he did what any sensible survivor of a battle would do and began looting the dead bodies. He left anything that looked religious on the corpses but he took coins, small weapons, and his thrown throwing knives.

 

[Grimsvald]

When Jaks loots the bodies he found 14 gold and 21 silver. Most of the armor and weaponry is damaged beyond use or sale. His best salvages were 2 short swords from the duilwielder and a solid gold necklace tangled up in one of their pockets.

 

[Redsirrah]

Jameak searched among the fallen to find anybody with a breadth of life he could save. As soon as he was sure there was nothing else for him to do, he planned to follow Adrik to the tavern. Jameak noticed the rouge fishing about the bodies and quietly disapproved, but held his tongue.


[dice]19129[/dice]

 

[Grimsvald]

Jameak searched hard for someone to save, but any man left with a breath in his lungs was already being saved by the clerics of this temple. The closest thing he found was a dog caught under some rubble. It whines and huffs staring up at the cleric with sad eyes. Looking into the creature's eyes he can tell it is aware of the creeping hand of death clawing towards it.

 

[Redsirrah]

Jameak crouched and scratched the dog behind the ears, then pulled out his book and began to read a prayer inscribed on the page


[dice]19187[/dice]


[dice]19188[/dice]

 

[Grimsvald]

The dog managed to push its way out from under the rock. It licked Jameak and ran off. When Jameak began his journey towards the Dizzy Dwarves Tavern Kelter would join him. The paladin Kelter would call back to Jaks, "Holt your thieving and hurry along rogue, those trinkets don't even belong to the devils we sent back to hell. You steal from the victims of our victims. Linger too long and someone from this fair city may come to collect your spoils of war."


On their journey through Shaldra~Zin back to the tavern they would see nothing but people morning the dead and cleaning up after destruction. When they arrived at the Dizzy Dwarves Tavern there was a spectacle to behold. Finruk and Rockheaver had slain these enemies and piled their bodies high enough to build a rook onto the front of the tavern. A narrow doorway was pushed out of the metallic corpse pile and beyond it the party could see Bethany serving the dwarves their favorite ales.


If they lingered near the doorway long Bethany would spot Jameak and smile herself blush in the cheeks. She would invite them in and fetch free ales. Kelter would waste no time entering. "Thanks for the ale. I prefer something carder like whisky, but I'm sure this is great."

 

[Yesman]

Jaks followed the paladin back to the tavern. He stopped right outside, looking over the ruined tavern and the pile of corpses in front. To think earlier that night, he was drinking and laughing here with a crowd full of others as if there he wouldn't see the next morning.


At this point, thought the rogue as he entered the building. I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't.

 

[Grimsvald]

Jaks would notice a few other people scattered throughout the bar. A handful of surviving warriors, but none that he recognized. They all sat around telling stories about their night and sharing free drink. At one moment they would be so happy they survived, so proud of how they managed it. The next moment they would be sad for who didn't make it and how they remembered losing them. Either way drinks helped.


He could pick out stories in the crowd like "I woke up to find my own armor looming over my bed, brandishing my father's sword to my throat. I was sure I was going to die, but then I remembered the crack in my greaves. You know the one I got when you sparred with my two nights ago. I never would have thought that weakness in my armor would save my life...." and stories like, "I don't know her name. I saw her here yesterday. Some regal type with a pale face and fancy get up. Cute thing, but frail. As soon as hell broke out I found myself holding her in my arms. Blood poured out of her throat and I didn't know what to say to her..."