The Battle at the AbbeyThe Battle at the Abbey |
Scouting around outside the southern wall of the Abbey grounds, Kry'Ojenix became aware of two riders approaching along the road. One was a huge, heavily-muscled human barbarian, decorated with ornate jewellery and multiple piercings. The other was an elf of average height and build, nondescript in appearance and dressed in weathered green, grey and brown clothing. They approached the battlemage as if they'd been looking for him, and it turned out they'd been given descriptions of the party by the Dalethorpe village council.
Introducing themselves, the ranger Rellik and barbarian Darmavan Wolfheight were explaining that the council had sent them to assist the party when all three began to hear the unmistakable sounds of battle coming from within the Abbey. Looking over the low wall, they were in time to see the monks in the fields begin transforming and whirled their mounts, spurring for the gateway into the grounds.
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 DM Note: No Steve this week, so Rative escaped the carnage in a very Steve-like manner; Loz and Chappie have suddenly always been lurking around near the Abbey gates. . |
Becoming aware of the imminence of more demon monks (lots more!) Ozymandias stepped across to the chapel and swung himself up into the wooden scaffolding surrounding it. From there he clambered to the roof, where he paused to look out across the battle. Three seperate fights were unfolding. Tallan and Karsen were back to back near the stables and the orchard with monks closing in from two sides; Gamaros, Lord Brellmone and Skewkild the sorcerer were directly below him at the scene of Denarius' death with monks approaching from three directions; and Darmavan, Rellik and Kry'Ojenix were riding hell for leather at the gates where three demon-monks awaited them.
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Tallan and Karsen were both archers, and took a heavy toll of the approaching monks; Karsen managed to completely clear his side of the encounter and turned to face the two monks approaching Tallan. Their earlier animosity was shelved in the camaraderie of battle, and the pair squared off against the foe.
Karsen felled another, and Tallan glanced at him. He seemed to have everything under control. "You be all right to handle the last one on your own?" she asked. Karsen nodded, and Tallan's form dissolved into that of a black bat which soared towards the roof of the chapel. Karsen swallowed his revulsion at the reminder of the elf warrior woman's tainted nature and lifted his shield.
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Lord Brellmone was still fairly badly wounded, so he shifted his sling into his left hand and let fly. Despite never having used the weapon off-handed before, he struck true and one of the approaching demon-monks went down in a spray of blood and brains. Gamaros, standing ready with his sword and shield, grunted in approval. Behind them, Skewkild sent a dart of Magic Missile energy slamming into one of the two the demon-monks approaching from the other side, tearing flesh and spikes from one arm but not slowing its' headlong charge.
The three just had time to drop their missile weapons and draw blades before the monsters closed. Gamaros lashed out with his dire mace, missing once again (maybe it was a bit too heavy, he thought), while the others opted for spells. Brellmone took a chance on his armour and healed his fighting arm while Skewkild cast a Sleep spell at the oncoming demon-monks. One toppled, but the other charged on, and tearing claws ripped the big-boned sorceress' throat out.
As they approached the gates, Rellik called on a family power and magically Held the demon-monk he was charging towards, then shot an inaccurate arrow at it. Darmavan, already snarling and slavering in rage, swung mightily with his huge sword and missed, the force of the swing nearly throwing him off his horse. He was still fighting for balance when Kry'Ojenix cast a Web that engulfed the gateway, two of the three demon-monks, and Darmavan himself.
Fluttering to the roof of the chapel, Tallan returned to her natural form and glanced around. Demon-Monks were converging from all directions on his comrades. Lifting her bow, she began loosing arrows and Fireballs across the abbey grounds.
Karsen, still fighting the last demon-monk of the four he and Tallan had faced, heard a rustle from behind him. Glancing across, he saw a second monk emerge from the fields, cross in front of the stables, and join the attack on him. Parrying desperately, he fell back towards the trees of the orchard where his ranger's abilities would make him stronger but savage claws bit into his flesh. Stumbling, he struck a last despairing blow as darkness closed in on him.
Lord Brellmone and Gamaros changed facing as they realized Skewkild was down and they were facing several demon-monks alone. His fighting ability restored, Brellmone drew his sword and stepped over the mage's cooling corpse to attack her slayer, while Gamaros whirled his mace in a deadly arc, stoving in the ribcage of another. From above them came soft flicking sounds as Ozymandias sent hand crossbow bolts winging down, delivering swift death to a couple of foes. For a moment things seemed to be going well, then Gamaros' mace swung slightly too far to one side and a monk's claws gutted him. He crashed agains the refectory wall and slid down it in a smear of blood and entrails.
At the gates, the demon-monk furthest from the gates started to work around the Web to try and reach the intruders. Rellik dropped off his horse, ran to the refectory wall and took what cover he could; there wasn't much. On the other side, Kry'Ojenix jabbed his greatsword into the webbing and finished off his trapped opponent. Meanwhile, Darmavan tore himself free from the web and accounted for the one Rellik had Held earlier. His earlier rage was now mounting to a screaming blood fury and his vision began to go red.
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Atop the chapel, Tallan had moved to stand next to Ozymandias and had hurled a Fireball through the hayloft window of the Abbey barn. She was hoping for a massive cider-fuelled explosion, but had to be content with a rapidly-spreading straw fire. Meanwhile, Ozymandias had accounted for the last demon-monk within range that wasn't dangerously close to one of his companions. Lowering his weapon, he recalled the voice of the Abbot Denarius and reproduced it, calling all the monks to "return to the chapel".
Some turned to head there immediately, while others stood looking baffled.
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Alone now, and badly outnumbered, Lord Brellmone muttered a heartfelt prayer to Nolat of the Swords. Through strange agencies, his prayers were answered; a missile from above fatally drilled one of his foes while another simply turned and walked away, disdaining to notice the slash in the guts Brellmone gave him as he did so.
Not quite able to believe his good fortune, Brellmone turned to the last demon-monk and almost casually slashed his head off. Bouyed up by his success, he stared around before noticing another one walking rapidly across the grounds towards the chapel. Lifting his sword and screaming a warcry he charged it.
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Looking to his right, Darmavan noticed the third of the gate's defenders circling the Web to reach him and leaped to meet him. Yelling and cursing, he struck blow after blow, beating its' defences down and crusing its' skull to bonemeal. As he did so, he felt his leg buckle under him and the ground came up to slap him. A second demon-monk loomed up from where it had flanked him and wounded him. Oblivious to the pain, the barbarian thrust upwards with his blood-covered sword and skewered the demon-monk through the face.
Three more emerged from behind the now flaming barn, heading towards Kry'Ojenix and Darmavarn. Shifting his weapon into both hands, the dwarvish battlemage stepped forwards to meet them. Evidently his stature led them to expect an easy victory, because in a very few moments all three were expiring in chunks.
On the other side of the web, Rellik saw another foe slipping around the Web. Once again, he Held the monster, and closed to touching distance. Checking around him that he was unobserved, he struck a suspiciously skillful blow at the back of the neck, killing it instantly.
Finally, the last demon-monk was at bay, facing Lord Brellmone's avenging blade. Desperately it dodged, trying to get away, but its' fate was sealed. No-one was quite sure whether it was Brellmone's sword, Ozymandias' bolt or Tallan's arrow that ended the fight, but suddenly all was quiet except for the racking breaths of the survivors and the sounds of Darmavan beginning to mount the heads of the demon-monks on stakes at the abbey gates.
Session Date: 12th Jan 2016