Subject: Grrr...

Well, I dislocated my shoulder yesterday and my arm is in a sling. I'm typing one handed at this point until I get back some range of motion. I'm gonna try to get a turn out today, but it's gonna take me a while. Bear with me.

Subject: Attack! (part pi, or Tossuc Gets Tagged)

Elotai, seemingly distracted for just a moment by something behind him, swings his sword just wide of Tossuc's head, the blade glancing off the chain shirt covering the raider's shoulder. [attack 16, miss] Buchek, pressing ever forward, swings hard at his uncle's side, but almost loses his grip on his axe handle from the blood dripping down his arm. The axe head swings wide in a wild arc as he struggles for control. [attack roll 1 + 9 mod = 10, miss]

Holn circles behind the melee, stepping gingerly over the body of one of the unconscious barbarians dazzled by Elotai's blast, heading toward the remaining archer who is lighting another arrow off the side of a burning building.

Bermid, taking advantage of Tossuc's momentary distraction by the wildly flailing axe of Buchek, drives the point of his sword low, catching the side of the barbarian's leg and drawing a growl from the man's lips. [attack 24, hit, damage 11]. The guard beside him, who had been frozen by Erk earlier, presses the opening in Tossuc's defenses to score a hit on the barbarian's upper arm. [attack 20, damage 6]

Two other guards press in to attack almost at the same time, but interfere with one another and allow Tossuc to sidestep out of the way of their blades. However, in avoiding the two guards, the giant barbarian does not see Erk's dwarven war axe swinging hard at the small of his back, which forces him to stagger forward into Buchek's shoulder. [attack 27, hit, damage 12].

As the force of Erk's blow strikes the barbarian, the sky above lights up in a large explosion sending a blast of sound across the courtyard. Kayla and Telwyn, both running for the door of the inn, are blown nearly off their feet into the doorframe by a shockwave coming from the tower. Glancing back, they see black smoke rising from behind the structure, and large cracks that have crept up the face of the edifice.

Tossuc, having landed hard on Buchek's shoulder grabs roughly ahold of him [touch attack 18] and whispers in his ear, "It is time for me to leave you, nephew. My work here is done." With that, the world is plunged into darkness for all those in the melee. Elotai, feeling a form rush past him, tries to take a swing, but strikes nothing [AoO on Tossuc moving backward 9, miss] Holn, looking back, sees only a cloud of inky blackness where the group had been before lit by dim torchlight.

Out of the cloud, Tossuc runs along with two of the other raiders, seemingly right at him.

[ODM: Okay. Logistics. The two torch bearers are in the inn. Kayla and Telwyn are up against the doorframe of the inn, having been knocked there by the explosion at the base of the tower. Erk, Buchek, Bermid and Elotai are in the dark with a 20% miss chance, and have heard their opponents' footsteps withdraw away from them. Elotai tried to make an AoO, as did one guard, but both missed. Holn now sees Tossuc and two raiders coming toward him, and has watched the last archer light an arrow.]

Subject: Attack! (part pi, or Tossuc Gets Tagged)

With a howl, Buchek leaps after Tossuc, charging in the direction of the retreating footsteps, prepared to bowl over any who get between him and his uncle.

OOC: Matt, my inclination is to have Buchek tackle Tossuc if he catches up to him, but I'm not sure what the rules are for that type of attack, or how proficient Buchek would be at it (not that he could be much less proficient than he's proving himself to be with his axe). Can you tell me?

Subject: Attack! (part pi, or Tossuc Gets Tagged)

Malevolent syllables of energy come to Holn's lips, electricity crackles all around him. He will stand his ground against the enemy.

(Shocking Grasp)

Subject: Attack! (part pi, or Tossuc Gets Tagged)

Erk is happy to see the raiders retreating while his whole party is still alive. But the detonation of the tower makes him wonder what their true purpose was. They lost many lives in this raid. What did it gain them? He hopes to find out after the dust has settled.

In the meantime, he dimly sees Buchek hurtling off after the leader. Barbarians. Good rumblers, no discipline. But he will do what he can to help.

OOC: Matt, if Erk has the time, he will drop his axe (free action), draw a hand axe as part of his move (+1 or better bab lets him draw and move in same move action) and throw it at the fleeting Tussoc (regular action). Can he pull this off? How far will Tussoc be by the time he can throw it? Will he still have the 20% concealment?

Subject: Attack! (part pi, or Tossuc Gets Tagged)

The darkness? arrival is instantaneous and absolute. A spell. Tussoc had touched something on Buchek...

...how could a barbarian, clearly a warrior, be able to conjure magical darkness? He must not be stupid... or perhaps he had the blessing of something divine.

A faint image manifests itself in Elotai?s mind. Tussoc, something... as quickly as the image arrives, though, it is gone. Before he can begin to think about interpreting it, the ground shivers beneath him. Instinctively he turns to look at the inn, even though he can see nothing in the darkness. If Tussoc cast a darkness glamour on Buchek?s person, or perhaps his weapon, then the best way to escape the black would be to stay put.

?Dwarf Erk! This darkness is magical!? he calls out. ?The big one cast it on our berserk friend!? He can?t think of any better way to refer to the barbarian who had been in the guard house [Elotai does not, as I recall, know Buchek?s name]. He reverses his grip on his sword and snaps it quickly into its sheath.

Elotai will spend this round getting his bow out and an arrow ready. He will also move as far forward as he can while doing this.

Subject: Attack! (part pi, or Tossuc Gets Tagged)

"Tossuc!" Holn screams, static crackling about him. "You'll fry for what you did to our kin!" He holds his ground brandishing his mace in defiance, determined to make a stand at any cost.

OOC: There, now I wish that I had taken Web instead...

Subject: Adjustment to Last Turn

After discussing a couple points with TomD, I noticed that I missed a few AoO when Tossuc cast his spell and withdrew. Everyone who had been threatening him previously should have gotten one whack at him. Elotai had his and missed, as did two guards on his way out (they missed, so I didn't write those up), but I never made rolls for Buchek, Bermid, Erk or the last remaining guard. (I had only rolled for those he passed on the way out, not those who he was running directly away from)

So...

<

One guard also lands a blow on the leader as he flees [attack 19, damage 4], but then the large raider disappears into the darkness.

Erk [attack 9] and Bermid [attack 15] feel their weapons catch only air.>>

I'm including a map here for everyone, too. The two red dots in the inn are the raiders, the two blue dots outside are Kayla and Telwyn. The blue dot closest to the river is Holn. Everyone else is inside the darkened area. While inside that area, you may make an attack on someone who is within a 5 foot step of you, though you have a 20% miss chance due to concealment. Anyone further away is out of your vision and you cannot attack them.

You know which way they have headed, generally, and may do a Listen check to try to get close to them, but ranged attacks have an automatic miss and you can't move at top speed. You may move at one quarter speed without any difficulty. You may move at half speed with a successful Spot check DC 15 to avoid tripping on the unconscious or dead bodies, or their dropped weapons. If you move at full speed, you must make a Balance check to avoid falling down on said obstacles.

To answer Kayla, all you see is stars at the moment. ;) No, seriously. You were slammed against the doorframe for no damage, see a lot of smoke coming from behind the tower and large cracks in it. You see only a dark cloud where the melee had once been, and burning buildings all around it. You can even start to smell smoke from inside the inn. That all goes for Telwyn, too.

Also, as a side note, the town is burning, and all your gear is stored in the inn, with the mules. I'm sure that thought would occur to *someone* - but it's been so long since you stored your gear in RL time that you may have all forgotten about it.

Subject: Re: Adjustment to Last Turn

OOC: Whoo-ho! Buchek finally landed a blow! How much damage has Tossuc sustained, in total?

IC: Buchek grunts in satisfaction as he feels his axe bite into the flesh of his uncle's back. As the electricity courses into the elder barbarian, Buchek shouts "feel that, brother slayer? That sting is the wrath of our forebearers. By our ancestors, I will hold your heart in my hands, and wear it's ashes about my neck! You are mine, uncle."

With this (as before), he tears out after Tossuc, running at top speed, ready to bowl over any that get in his way.

OOC: I had completely forgotten about our gear, but in any case Buchek wouldn't be in any state of mind to consider the stuff anyway. Honestly, it's been so long that I can't even remember what Buchek's gear was. I'll have to dig out my character sheet and see. Of course, given the fires that may be a pointless thing to do.

By the way, how's your shoulder doing Matt?

Subject: Re: Adjustment to Last Turn

Okay, let's try that with the attachment this time...

D'oh!

Btw: Shoulder update - the orthopedist said I was lucky and there isn't so much damage. Mainly just strained and stressed ligaments and muscles. Nothing's torn or broken, which is great. I'm not using the sling anymore for household things, only for more active things. So, I'm typing with two hands again, which is so much nicer.

Subject: Re: Adjustment to Last Turn

Hold off on that spell, then.

Replace with:

Holn sees an oncoming blackness, and prepares himself for the worst.

(total defense)

Subject: Re: Adjustment to Last Turn

Telwyn shakes his head, trying to clear the ringing from his ears. Pulling himself up off the doorframe, he looks back at the guard tower. It's a good thing they got out when they did; there's no way they would have survived a blast like that from any closer. The smell of smoke from the inn brings him back to the moment. All of the party's gear is in there. He signals to Liwanu to come in close, then spins around and takes a step through the door.

OOC: Telwyn will fire on the closest raider he sees. I assume that since he has only taken one step, he can get off two shots with Rapid Shot, in which case he will do so (both at the same target), but if not, then just one shot (obviously). The map shows both raiders still in the common room, so I assume that he can see at least one, but correct me if that's wrong. And I apologize for the holdup, everyone. Getting the site switched over took a lot more work than I expected.

Subject: Sorry about this week

My apologies for the break, but I've been occupied in transferring files from one computer to the next, and then moving my comp between houses. I still don't have internet access with it, and won't for a week or so, likely, but I'm sneaking some time on my roommate's laptop. Unfortunately, my cowgame files are all on the other comp, and I don't have access to them with this machine.

Hopefully all will be up and running relatively shortly. Fingers are crossed.