War is Coming (IC)

[Psilulz]

Lady Elizabeth
"Indeed if we drop down to the monster's level, are we no better than the monster itself?" the knight reflects.

"It is an honor to be assigned such a noble steed. I will be sure to look after it to the best of my abilities." She bows, and says, "It has also been a great honor to speak with you." and then goes off to speak with the quartermaster.

[Cleavon]

Deklin

Deklins grin widened as Hunter spoke, the rough and tumble way the man recounted the harsh realities of war brought a swell of pride to the paladin. He had a passion for the common soldiers, and was always amazed by their sense of duty and persistence in defending Athla and defeating the Kenelm forces.

"Well Hunter I'm not averse to getting my boots dirty or spending some time in the trenches. Anything to stop the forces of evil that pester us at every turn. To the real reason I am here though. Lord Grendson sent me to speak with you about a sensitive matter. If this elf here happens to be your new protege, then I might have his ear as well. Is there somewhere we can speak in private?"

[Gamblerjoe]

Lady Elizabeth

Spoiler

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[you procure a mwk longsword]
[you procure a breastplate]

Deklin and Aramil

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"This is Aramil Whitewood, and Im gonna make an archer out of this boy! It's just the three of us here, so you can speak freely."

"Aramil, this is Deklin Rilos. I served with his father in a few Bravarran campaigns. I can tell you, the bard tales do him no justice. He had a very strict code, but theres nothing I cant work around. Plus, we had a lot of similar views, particularly when it comes to women and children."

"I suppose I know why you're here. Iv been in constant conference with Lopt, whom from now on you will refer to as "Eagle," on how to proceed with our war plans. I requested one of Eagle's best men, and he told me that none would be better for the job than the son of Amos. Iv got plenty of MUTS recruits to chose from, and Iv made my picks. Im assembling a team of six. Three from within the MUTS ranks, two templars hand picked by Eagle, and a member of the Fighter's Guild, who is still pending. The paperwork has all been signed and burned, and starting tomorrow, you all belong to me."

John

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You take a stroll around Highcastle, but most of the shops are empty. only a few shops appear to still be in business, and all seem to only have the most basic of equipment.

Some members of the Fighter's Guild overhear your problem, and approach you.
"It's a total ghost town, huh? My friends and I cant even find any potions or oils. Oh well, but you, my friend, we may be able to help. You see, we've got a quartermaster traveling with us, and he happens to have some goods for sale. He ran out of the popular items pretty quickly, but im pretty sure he has some scopes on hand."

"The only catch is, he will only sell to members. I suppose this is the part where I sell you on our fine organization. What we do is similar to what all guilds do, but for fighters. Mercs, hunters, barbarians, templars, anyone who knows which side of a sword is which can benefit from our organization. We provide work, we issue lisences, we sell exclusive gear, we provide food and lodging, the list goes on. Our dues are annual and worth every copper! The best part is, there is no obligation. As long as you pay your dues, you dont owe the guild a thing. They are there for you, not the other way around."

"If you like what you hear, go talk to Buster. Signing up is quick and easy, and you'll have your new scope quicker than you can say 'dead goblin'."

[Dresil]

"Well met, and may the stars shine upon thee, Deklin Rilos. The elf gives a small bow before resting his hands lightly on the tip of his longbow.

"The Hunter here is the pride of this army and the fear of theirs, and I can surely attest that you will be in good hands with him, just as long as you can keep up."

[Cleavon]

Deklin

"A pleasure Aramil, I am certain that Hunter here is a true testament to what our forces can do. I vaguely remember being a young boy in the courtyard swinging his first practice sword and hearing my father speak about the prowess of someone that sounded quite like Hunter here."

He gave a wide grin and turned towards Hunter, his arms crossing over his chest and his tabard fluttering in the breeze just a bit, looking as if ready to begin training that very instant.

"It sounds like we have a rather formidable group coming together. I can't wait to meet the rest of the recruits and set to training. I've long wanted to make a difference in this conflict."

[The_Admiral]

John says So whats the catch?

[Gamblerjoe]

John

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"All it takes is gold my friend. Entry level members pay 100gp per year total. Higher level members pay more, but gain access to better equipment, and receive better paying work. If you sign up with Buster he can point you in the direction of the quartermaster."

[Gamblerjoe]

Everyone
You are instructed to meet Hunter and the rest of your team at an old farm house outside of town. The building is 3 stories high and very sturdy, but completely boarded up. The fields where never replanted after their previous harvest, and look completely baron. The land is mostly flat, and you can see for miles in several directions.

Hunter is the first one there, and once there are seven of you total, he seems content.
"Alright, I see everyone's here now. Get used to each others faces, because you're going to be spending a lot of time together. We've got a lot to do, and not a lot of time to do it."

He looks around, and starting from his left approaches each of you.

First the tall, fair haired human paladin. He wears a breastplate and a tabbard with the holy symbol of Tyr. A fine looking longsword is sheathed at his side. "Deklin Rilos! Templar of the church of Tyr, turned soldier over night. Graduated from Grendson Academy at the top of your class. Your daddy was a soldier, his daddy was a soldier, and his daddy was... a horse breeder or something like that."

Next he moves on to a rather average looking human wearing leather armor. His only weapon is a cheap looking crossbow with an expensive looking scope on it. "John Walts! The mystery man from the Guild. I need someone with grit and determination. Someone with guts. If you are willing to follow me to Baator and back, the compensation will be more than you can imagine."

Next up is a finely dressed elf with violet eyes and silver hair. He has no weapons or armor of any sort. "Emalus Verres! You came a long way to join our fight. Everyone assumes you come from the elven capitol of Siinj, but I know where you really came from... Mt. Celestia! You're clearly the answer to my prayers for a siege engineer with exactly two thumbs and a working brain."

He moves on to a fiendish looking individual. She appears as an average human female, except that her skin is red and almost chitinous. Her hair is pitch black, her eyes glow red, and she has 2 malformed horns. Her breastplate and greaves are of the same style as Deklin's. She bears the tabbard of the church of Torm, who together with the deities Tyr and Ilmater form the Triad. "Lady Elizabeth! You went from being a noble, to being downtrodden, to being a servant of Torm. Quite the wild ride, but if you work with me, and give me everything you've got, it's only up from here."

Then he approaches what can best be described as a humanoid-looking construct. He appears to be made of metallic black plates fused on to some kind of sinewy material woven into the shape of a muscular human body. His eyes glow with a dim green light. Deklin, a man of above average height, stands shoulder high to him. Hunter and the two elves are about chest high to him. "Evan Loneblade! You've been training with the grunts, and working in the forge for years. Your service record is impeccable, yet your duties and responsibilities have never changed. Maybe this is because people think "robots" belong in the forge. Or maybe you just lack drive. Either way, I need a literal heartless wrecking machine on my team when the steel starts to fly. So what do you say, you enormous, glorious metal bastard!"

Another elf stands beside Evan. This one is wearing some very sleek looking leather armor, camouflaged for wooded environments. Slung on his back are a fine looking recurved bow, and a quiver of arrows. "Aramil Whitewood! A real life elven hunter, torn from your home by the Armies of Kenelm. So you did what anyone would want to do, but few would have the skill to pull off. You walked your skinny ass all the way to Athla and signed up with the first batallion revenge squad! Good on ya son, if its all I can do, I will deliver you that revenge on a silver platter."

Your training begins, and is mostly gauging skill between everyone. Deklin, Evan, Elizabeth and Hunter pair up and spar, rotating partners. John, Aramil and Emalus take hours of target practice, under Hunters tutelage. There are no siege engines to practice with currently.

For the second half of the day the group works on drills. Everyone brings special skills to the table, so its important for everyone to cross-train. Most of the drills focus on hand-eye coordination and being able to guess range. The goal is to be able to compensate after missed attacks, whether they be from side arms or siege engines. The party must also get used to hitting markers such as smoke sticks and dancing lights spells.

[Gamblerjoe]

The Farmhouse
In a recessed area at the back of the house, there is a bulkhead though which you can enter the basement. The floor is made of fine stonework, more indicative of the basement of a mansion or guildhouse. There is one spacious room, with 10ft high ceilings, and several very small rooms. The large room has some weights, exercise equipment, dummies, sparing gear, and a large wooden wheel.

The ground floor resembles a typical farmhouse. The two largest rooms are the kitchen and the dining area. The pantry is reasonably well stocked with some longer-lasing goods: cereals grains and a few potatoes, but nothing as luxurious as fresh meat or eggs. Even the adventurer shops have been sold out of jerky for weeks.

The second floor is all living space that has been converted for several purposes. Hunter doesnt talk about the second or third floors at all. He has a lot of other things to talk about that are more important.

From this point on, you are all MUTS. Your actions are top secret. This "abandoned farmhouse" is your headquarters. Each member has their own personal sleeping quarters, though they are tight.

[Dresil]

Only four hours of trance is a boon for Aramil. With his new longbow, albiet a bit weak on the draw, it still is a good improvement over the last one he had. Getting going at the crack of dawn was no difficult task for him, so it meant the hunter could train harder, work longer (although not as much as the warforged), and learn to shoot faster.

In the common areas, Aramil is on the quiet side, but will always listen, and over a cup of coffee the elf can be told anything one would want his comfort or advice on.

Spoiler

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Mainly continuing his training for shooting faster with Rapid Shot.

[Cleavon]

Deklin

Greatly pleased to be a part of such training, Deklin takes to the sparring practices with much intensity, working on both his strengths and weaknesses during the long hours that the fighters meet in practice Melee.

Deklin is at first apprehensive to spar with Lady Elizabeth, but it comes not from her fearsome visage. Deklin's family line has long held a tradition of its women abstaining from being warriors, and he in fact seems much more defensive and less apt to go through his attack routines against her.

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It's my Flaw. take -4 to attacks made against females and try not to fight them in general. She's tough though, she can teach him a thing or two about women being able to fight

[Gamblerjoe]

After a week of group training, you really start to feel out each other's skills.

Deklin, in addition to being a templar and skilled swordsman, is an expert negotiator and natural born leader. His presence and voice inspires troops to fight bravely on the battlefield.

Lady Elizabeth, in addition to being a fierce warrior, has in depth knowledge of politics, and various codes of honor. She can use her appearance and cunning on the battlefield to call out foes, and demoralize enemy troops.

Emalus, in addition to being a skilled siege engineer, is also a highly skilled artisan and smith. He possesses many crafting skills rarely seen outside of mage's guilds and arcane universities. His services are at the team's disposal.

Aramil, in addition to being a fine marksman, is a skilled hunter, tracker, and stealth specialist. He has been training the group in the use of hand signals, and helping them to improve their battlefield awareness.

Evan, in addition to being a fierce warrior, has many uses outside of combat. His pliable attitude and ability to function without eating or sleeping make him infinitely useful to the group. He is willing to perform mundane tasks, but also has a lot of skill with a smithing hammer.

John is somewhat of an enigma. He came highly recommended from the Fighter's Guild, but seems just as green as everyone else. His skills with the crossbow cannot be doubted. The weapon he uses has some sort of automatic-reloading device, and an unusual looking lens mounted on top of it.

New Day

Hunter wakes everyone up as per your usual routine. Once the group is assembled, he gives the orders for the day.

"Alright, we've got a little field trip planned for today. A caravan is leaving for Hobart this morning. They're carrying the last of the wounded and refugees. We're going to accompany them, and then catch another caravan back here. If everyone is on schedule, we will be back at Highcastle by dusk. Our armies depend greatly on the food, supplies, and reinforcements that are on their way here. Signs of raiding parties have become evident throughout the kingdom. Monstrous threats are once again on the rise, no doubt at the beck and call of the Kenelm Army."

[Psilulz]

Lady Elizabeth

"Food is important in these parts... We should be wary of raids on the caravan." the knight says.
Waking up this morning, the lady seems somewhat refreshed and in a better mood than usual. The chance to hone her skills more sharply seems to have been the cause of this.
Praciticing with Deklin was a frustrating experience, however. She knew he was not fighting nearly as hard as he could have been, and it offended her that he would not take her seriously. She feels that he does not see her as a true warrior.

[Gamblerjoe]

The sun has begun rising, and it it time for the convoy to head out. The bustle fills the air. Foremen shouting... the cracking of whips followed by beating hooves...

Hunter: "Alright, Its almost time. We'll be bringing up the rear. Id say that there is between a 99 and 200 percent chance we're gonna see some action today. When those baddies come out of their hidey-holes, its gonna be the guys in the front, and us in the rear that get hit the hardest. When they get close, you give 'em everything you've got, and send those bastards back to hell!"

A squad of troopers hitches an Oxybeles on wheels to the back of your cart. The cart itself is a modified flatbed with 3' walls lined with benches. This is the Athlan army's primary topless troop transporter. There is a decent supply of oxybeles bolts as well as arrows and crossbow bolts.

The Convoy heads out
You begin your scenic route through the Whispering Hills. Various brooks, streams and waterfalls run in areas that can be heard but not seen from the roads, giving the area its name. The countryside is fertile land, filled with rolling hills, and flat planes. Its a clear day, and visibility is great.

After a few hours, the convoy nears one of the many bottlenecks in the journey. The road runs through a lightly wooded area where the hills are particularly steep, and the ground is too soft for horses and wagons. The trees help to prevent erosion, keeping the ground flat and solid, and constant use keeps the path well beaten.

Hunter gives you all a description of the land, and informs you of some cave systems at the bottom of the steep hills. Most of the caves run between two large swamps, which used to house a small peaceful tribe of lizardfolk. They havn't been heard from in a few years. No one knows if they have become more reclusive or if the minions of Kenelm have something to do with it. Hunter tells everyone to keep their guard up.

[Gamblerjoe]

MAP

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John

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[spot success!] You spot gnolls at E'-37, I'-35, J'-31, H'-25, K'-19, M'-17, F'-10, G'-9, J'-6, C'-2, H-26, M-14, and I-1.

Deklin

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[spot success!] You spot gnolls at E'-37, I'-35, J'-31, H'-25, K'-19, M'-17, G'-9, J'-6, C'-2, H-26, M-14, and I-1.

Lady Elizabeth

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[spot success!] You spot gnolls at E'-37, I'-35, J'-31, H'-25, K'-19, M'-17, G'-9, J'-6, C'-2, H-26, M-14, and I-1.

Aramil

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[spot success!] You spot gnolls at E'-37, J'-31, H'-25, M'-17, G'-9, J'-6, and H-26.

Hunter yells "Gnolls!" at the top of his lungs, then bails over the side of the transport and charges into the woods. He pauses to fire 3 arrows at once into a bush, yell "Hold that spot!" then continues his sprint into the woods. A hail or arrows follows him, but only kicks up dirt at his heels.

Surprise Round
Monsters (below)
Deklin closes with a gnoll.
Aramil fires at a gnoll. (6 damage)
Lady Elizabeth closes with a gnoll.
John fires at a gnoll. (miss)

As the party leaps into action, arrows begin flying in their direction as well.
G1 (E'-37) Attacks one of the Athlan Cavaliers. (miss)
G2 (I'-35) Attacks one of the Athlan Cavaliers. (miss)
G3 (J'-31) Attacks one of the Athlan Cavaliers. (miss)
G4 (H'-25) Attacks one of the Athlan Cavaliers. (miss)
G5 (D'17) Attacks one of the horses pulling your wagon. (2 damage)
G6 (K'-19) Attacks a wagoner. (miss)
G7 (M'-17) Attacks Lady Elizabeth. (miss)
G8 (F'-10) Attacks one of the horses pulling your wagon. (7 damage and spooked)
G9 (G'-9) Attacks one of the horses pulling your wagon. (5 damage, and spooked)
G10 (J'-6) Attacks Lady Elizabeth. (miss)
G11 (C'-2) Attacks Lady Elizabeth. (4 damage)
G12 (H'-26) Attacks one of the Athlan Cavaliers. (miss)
G13 (M-14) Attacks a wagoner. (7 damage, and unconcious)
G14 (I-1) Attacks Deklin. (miss)

[Dresil]

"It is a good day for a hunt..." Aramil slides an arrow into the bowstring and another in his palm. The elf takes aim at the gnoll in G6 and quick as a flash, lets to arrows fly.

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Rapid Shot Gnoll G6.

(1d20+5)[18](1d20+5)[16]
Crit (1d20+5)[11](1d20+5)[9]
Damage (1d8+1)[6](1d8+1)[2]
Crit Damage (2d8+2)[14](2d8+2)[9]

[Cleavon]

Deklin

Spurring his horse off the trail Deklin moves to the closest Gnoll, calling out to his companions.

Protect the wagon! Our mounted units can scare out these skirmishers!

Attack!

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Move to M 12-13 to enter Melee with the Gnoll at M 14.
Swing at the Gnoll in M 14.
(1d20+7)[9]
[roll1d8+2[/roll]

[Psilulz]

Lady Elizabeth

The wound stings as a bolt somehow finds its way past her defenses. However, it certainly was not life threatening to the knight. In response to the barrage, she follows Deklin's example, unsheathing her longsword, and charging into the fray swinging at the gnolls.

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Move action, unsheath. Horse uses 2 move actions to reach the gnoll at I-1, and then Elizabeth will take a swing.
Attack: (1d20+5)[11] Dmg: (1d8+2)[3]
Crit Confirm: (1d20+5)[11] Dmg: (2d8+4)[9]

Also, using Mounted Combat to try and negate any hits (if any) against her mount.
Ride: (1d20+6)[12]
If greater than their attack roll, the hit is negated. Will be rolling this each round, just in case.

[Gamblerjoe]

Round 0
Emalus Prepares the Oxybeles.

Monsters
G1 Attacks one of the Athlan Cavaliers. (miss)
G2 Attacks one of the Athlan Cavaliers. (miss)
G3 Attacks one of the Athlan Cavaliers. (miss)
G4 Attacks one of the Athlan Cavaliers. (miss)
G5 Attacks one of the horses pulling your wagon. (miss)
G6 Attacks Aramil. (miss)
G7 Attacks Deklin. (miss)
G8 Attacks one of the horses pulling your wagon. (miss)
G9 Attacks one of the horses pulling your wagon. (5 damage)
G10 Attacks trooper. (miss)
G11 Attacks trooper. (miss)
G12 Attacks one of the Athlan Cavaliers. (miss)
G13 Attacks Deklin. (miss)
G14 Attacks Lady Elizabeth. (miss)

MAP (Beginning of Round 1)

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Round 1
Deklin attacks a gnoll. (8 damage)
Aramil fires 2 arrows at a gnoll. (miss, miss)
Lady Elizabeth
Evan
John
Emalus fires the oxybeles at a gnoll. (16 damage and unconcious)

Monsters ???

[Cleavon]

Deklin

Spurring his horse forward to threaten the Gnoll in front of him, his sword crashes down towards the things foul head.

Attack!

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Move five feet forward, attack G13

(1d20+7)[17]
(1d8+2)[8]

[jojolagger]

Emulas
Taking aim at a Gnoll, Emulas unleashes a bolt towards it.

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Targeting G8, moving to P3 to be opposite my target relative to the oxybeles.
(1d20+5)[17]
(3d8)[16]
on the off chance of a crit

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(1d20+5)[9]
(3d8)[12]

[Dresil]

I fire the who in the what now? It says I shoot a gnool with the oxybeles, which if I missed something, I will but otherwise I think that may not be me.

If not, then Aramil will spam two arrows at a gnoll he can find easily enough with no melee bruiser to hit him where it hurts.

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Rapid shot Gnoll 8.
(1d20+5)[13](1d20+5)[6]
Crit (1d20+5)[19](1d20+5)[22]
Damage (1d8+1)[6](1d8+1)[3]
Crit Damage (2d8+2)[17](2d8+2)[7]

[Gamblerjoe]

Round 1
Deklin attacks G13. (8 damage)
Aramil fires 2 arrows at G6. (miss, miss)
Lady Elizabeth attacks G14. (miss)
Evan guards Emalus.
John attacks G6. (8 damage and unconscious)
Emalus fires the oxybeles at G8. (16 damage and unconsciouss)

Monsters
G1 Attacks Athlan Cavalier 2. (miss)
G2 Attacks Athlan Cavalier 2. (miss)
G3 Attacks Athlan Cavalier 2. (miss)
G4 Attacks Athlan Cavalier 2. (miss)
G5 Attacks a wagoner 2. (6 damage)
G6 xx
G7 Attacks a wagoner 2. (8 damage and unconcious)
G8 xx
G9 Attacks Emalus. (miss)
G10 Attacks Evan. (3 damage)
G11 Attacks helper. (miss)
G12 Attacks Athlan Cavalier 1. (miss)
G13 Attacks Deklin. (miss)
G14 Attacks Lady Elizabeth. (miss)

MAP(Beginning of Round 2)

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Round 2
Deklin attacks G13. (9 damage and unconscious)
Aramil fires 2 arrows at G5. (6 damage, 7 damage and unconscious)
Lady Elizabeth
Evan
John fires at G7. (miss)
Emalus re-aims the oxybeles.

Monsters ???

[Cleavon]

Deklin

Surveying the battlefield Deklin spurs his horse, seeing that they need to get this side of the road clear so they can take on the bulk of their problem.

Move and Attack!

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Move 5 Feet to M 14-15 and Attack G13.
(1d20+7)[14]
(1d8+2)[9]

[Dresil]

Aramil

Swinging his bow around, he locks eyes with another gnoll. They may be dropping like flies, but it just seems it isn't fast enough for the ranger.

Thwap! Thwap! Another two arrows surges forth, eager to pierce into gnollflesh.

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Rapid Shot Gnoll 5.
(1d20+5)[18](1d20+5)[16]
Crit (1d20+5)[6](1d20+5)[13]
Damage (1d8+1)[6](1d8+1)[7]
Crit Damage (2d8+2)[14](2d8+2)[17]

[The_Admiral]

John looses another bolt at the closest conscious goblin
Attack

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(1d20+5)[10]

Damage

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(1d20)[13]

[Gamblerjoe]

Round 2
Deklin attacks G13. (9 damage and unconscious)
Aramil fires 2 arrows at G5. (6 damage, 7 damage and unconscious)
Lady Elizabeth attacks G14. (miss)
Evan guards Emalus.
John fires at G7. (miss)
Emalus re-aims the oxybeles.

Athlan Cavalier 1 attacks G12. (miss)
Athlan Cavalier 2 attacks G4. (9 damage)
Athlan Trooper attacks G12. (miss)

Monsters
G1 Attacks Athlan Cavalier 2. (miss)
G2 Attacks Athlan Cavalier 2. (miss)
G3 Attacks Athlan Cavalier 2. (miss)
G4 Attacks Athlan Cavalier 2. (miss)
G5 xx
G6 xx
G7 Attacks Athlan Cavalier 2. (6 damage and unconscious)
G8 xx
G9 Attacks Emalus. (miss)
G10 Attacks Evan. (miss)
G11 Attacks helper. (miss)
G12 Attacks Athlan Cavalier 1. (6 damage)
G13 xx
G14 Attacks Lady Elizabeth. (miss)

MAP(Beginning of Round 3)

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Round 3
Deklin moves to engage Gnolls 1-3.
Aramil fires 2 arrows at G11. (4 damage, miss)
Lady Elizabeth attacks G14. (4 damage)
Evan
John fires at G7.
Emalus fires the oxybeles at G10. (crit for 24 damage and dead)

Good Guys

Monsters ???

[Cleavon]

Deklin

Taking a quick survey of the spread out forces and the remaining foes, He moves across the battle field to the north east, to bolster that side of the battlefield.

Move!

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Full move to A' 26-27, heading for the area containing G1-3

[jojolagger]

Emulas
Opening fire, Emulas launches a bolt at another gnoll.

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Shooting at g10
(1d20+5)[24]
(3d8)[6]
on the off chance of a crit (19-20 crit, so not just 6 damage)

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(1d20+5)[22]
(3d8)[18]

[Dresil]

Aramil

His elf eyes spot another gnoll, with the carriage making him a moving target, it was easier for him to just scan the trees for those with fleas.

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Rapid Shot G11.
(1d20+5)[23](1d20+5)[6]
Crit(1d20+5)[14](1d20+5)[25]
Damage (1d8+1)[3](1d8+1)[3]
Crit Damage (2d8+2)[14](2d8+2)[14]