The Last Paladin IC (Frosty)

[Frosty]

Karrin Ye
HP: 38/60   AC: 18 + 2 vs Evil  Saves: 13F / 9R / 9W
Conditions:  Charging, LoH 0/6

Trombe
HP: 40/55  AC: 15  Saves: 11F / 10R / 6W
Conditions:  Charging,

"Attack together with me, Mira!" Trombe steps back yet again as he aids Karrin in skewering the Schir.

Spoiler

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Have Trombe 5ft step to 13BE/14BF
Power Attack: Off
Standard Action: Attack the damaged Schir with Lance
Karrin's attack (+1 High Ground, +2 Aid Another): (1d20+12)[21]
Damage: (1d8+5)[8]

Trombe Aid Another on Karrin: (1d20+7)[10]

[Maquise]

You slay the schir as you fall back. Your allies in the fort take the initiative, attacking from the fort and keeping the horde of dretches from advancing with rock, spear and arrow. The schirs surround you. You and Mira struggle to hold them off, but none land a blow.

[Frosty]

"Mira, can you dismount and help flank that Schir?" Karrin points to the Schir at 15BD, and will wait for Mira's response before doing anything.

[Maquise]

Mira nods as she blocks the schirs' blows with her shield.

[Frosty]

Karrin Ye
HP: 38/60   AC: 20 + 2 vs Evil  Saves: 13F / 9R / 9W
Conditions:  LoH 0/6

Trombe
HP: 40/55  AC: 17  Saves: 11F / 10R / 6W
Conditions:

Assuming Mira actually starts dismounting (she can dismount to 13BD as a Move action, and then 5ft step to 14BC and still have a standard action left), Karrin will use the additional benefits of flanking in order to try to land a powerful blow.

Spoiler

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Power Attack: -2/+6
Standard Action: Attack Schir at 14BD
Karrin's attack (+1 High Ground, +2 Flank, +2 Aid Another, -2 PA): (1d20+12)[27]
Damage (+6 PA): (1d8+11)[17]

Trombe Aid Another on Karrin (+2 Flank): (1d20+9)[22]

[Maquise]

The schir falls between you. One of its compatriots lands a nasty blow to your head from behind.

Take 8 damage.
Fort. Save vs Sickened for (d4)[1] rounds (DC 27): (d20+13)[14]

Berich and Lyanna are leading the defenses. They dispatch the last dretch at the gate.

[Frosty]

Karrin Ye
HP: 30/60 + 12 healing   AC: 20 + 2 vs Evil  Saves: 13F / 9R / 9W
Conditions:  Sickened, LoH 0/6

Trombe
HP: 40/55  AC: 21  Saves: 11F / 10R / 6W
Conditions:

(DC27 Fort save? You sure that's not a typo? So high)
That blow is NASTY, and it leaves Karrin's had ringing. Thus dizzy, she can barely concentrate on attacking. With her innate healing spent for the day, she decides to spend some time repositioning and quaffing a potion, all the while waiting for her headache to go away. This will also provide Flanking for Mira should Mira move in to attack a Schir.

Spoiler

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Power Attack: Off
Direct Trombe (who is using Full Defense) to Move to 12BH/13BI
Move Action: Draw a Potion of CLW (try to do it while Trombe is circling around out of range on way to 12BH/13BI)
Standard Action: Drink Potion of CLW (CL5)
Healing: (1d8+5)[12]

Trombe: Full Defense, Move to 12BH/13BI

[Maquise]

You withdraw to behind the fiends. Focused on you, they allow Mirabelle to deliver a blow to one of their guts. Wounded, it is unable to get past your defenses.

[Frosty]

Karrin Ye
HP: 42/60   AC: 20 + 2 vs Evil  Saves: 13F / 9R / 9W
Conditions:  LoH 0/6

Trombe
HP: 40/55  AC: 17  Saves: 11F / 10R / 6W
Conditions:

"Berich and Lyanna will be joining with us soon. Keep at it!" Her head now clear, she stabs hard at the wounded Schir, bent on having some payback.

Spoiler

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Power Attack: -2/+6
Standard Action: Attack the wounded Schir
Karrin's attack (+1 High Ground, +2 Flank, +2 Aid Another, -2 PA): (1d20+12)[14]
Damage (+6 PA): (1d8+11)[16]

Trombe Aid Another on Karrin (+2 Flank): [roll]1d20+9

[Maquise]

Your lance misses, and the wounded schir lands a terrible blow. You lose focus for a moment as your head spins; belatedly you realize that your breastplate is now covered in your own blood.

Take 32 damage.

Mirabelle retaliates in anger. Her sword glows red, and she strikes the offending schir with a terrible blow.

[Frosty]

Karrin Ye
HP: 10/60   AC: 18 + 2 vs Evil  Saves: 13F / 9R / 9W
Conditions:  LoH 0/6

Trombe
HP: 40/55  AC: 15  Saves: 11F / 10R / 6W
Conditions:

The paladin smiles, one eye closed thanks to the river of blood flowing down from her forehead. "You're getting better everyday. Hop on!"

The path clear after Mirabell mounts Trombe (presumeably), Karrin gathers her strength to do another Mounted Charge on the remaining Schir. Trombe's bite, not enchanted to go through the demon's tough skin, is more used as a distraction.

Spoiler

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Power Attack: Off
Full-Round Action: Mounted Charge at Schir, stopping at 15BC/16BD
Karrin's attack (+1 High Ground, +2 Flank, +2 Charge, +2 Aid Another): [roll]1d20+16[/roll]
Damage (x3 Spirited Charge): [roll]3d8+15[/roll]

Trombe Aid Another on Karrin at the end of a charge (+2 Flank, +2 Charge): [roll]1d20+11[/roll]

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[Maquise]

Blade flashing, Mira finishes off the offending schir, nearly decapitating the second one with her follow through. A quick shield bash completes the killing blow.

"DON'T...YOU...DARE."

[Frosty]

Karrin Ye
HP: 10/60   AC: 18 + 2 vs Evil  Saves: 13F / 9R / 9W
Conditions:  Charging, LoH 0/6

Trombe
HP: 40/55  AC: 15  Saves: 11F / 10R / 6W
Conditions:  Charging

(Oops, accidentally overwrote the pervious post instead of making new one)
The paladin smiles, one eye closed thanks to the river of blood flowing down from her forehead. "You're getting better everyday. Hop on!"

The path clear after Mirabell mounts Trombe (presumeably), Karrin gathers her strength to do another Mounted Charge on the remaining Schir. Trombe's bite, not enchanted to go through the demon's tough skin, is more used as a distraction.

Spoiler

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Power Attack: Off
Full-Round Action: Mounted Charge at Schir, stopping at 15BC/16BD
Karrin's attack (+1 High Ground, +2 Flank, +2 Charge, +2 Aid Another): (1d20+16)[33]
Damage (x3 Spirited Charge): (3d8+15)[29]

Trombe Aid Another on Karrin at the end of a charge (+2 Flank, +2 Charge): (1d20+11)[22]

[Maquise]

With the schir dead, Mirabelle dismounts and says something to Trombe. He nods his head in agreement, and Mirabelle pulls you off your mount. Laying you in front of Davkas and Grembler, she says, "Help her. She needs it."

Healed 14 points.

With you safe for the moment, Mirabelle takes Berich, Lyanna, and another defender and charges the dretches. Mirabelle doesn't so much combat them as trample them. Within the space of a moment she halves their numbers. The last handful to stand turn and flee.

[Frosty]

Karrin could barely protest as she is moved into the fort and laid down. "Muurrrhg...others...need...healing...more. Where's Gaeba? I have...potions."

She tries to get up after being healed. "Must...protect...fort..."

[Maquise]

Davkas lays a gentle but firm hand upon your shoulder. "The battle is over." He begins to wipe the blood off of your brow with a damp cloth. "There are few who need healing. Most are beyond it, Winds guide them. Including, alas, our most gracious host."

As he speaks, you turn your head, noticing Gaeba's prone form on the ground not far from you. Her hands still clasp her crossbow in an iron grip.

[Frosty]

The paladin closes her eyes and breathes deeply, the recent exertions showing obvious toll. "May the gods bless her soul. She deserves the rest. Now, how many dead in total? We must...bury the dead, remember their sacrifices, and then consider whether or not this location is still tenable." She groans lightly in pain. "We may need to abandon this place and move everyone someplace else...like Whiteveil. Or, if this place is strategically important and a good staging area, then maybe invite their troops to come here. Let them use this place as forward base of operations to launch attacks on demon and devil outposts in return for their protection."

Karrin tries to tell herself that this probably isn't her own fault. "Why did they attack? This is no small raiding party. They came ready for a seige. Why? What's so important here? Uhhhg my head hurts..."

[Maquise]

Davkas looks around for a moment. "'Twould be swifter to count the living. Counting only those in service of Lady Dunthal, myself included, we number one less than a dozen. We have already begun to gather the fallen." He pours a sweet-tasting liquid into your mouth. "Now rest. You are not thinking clearly. You need to gather your strength; we shall ascertain the whats and wherefores later."

As you lie there you here Davkas, Mirabelle, and the others discussing things, but you cannot make out the details. At some point, Mirabelle comes to your side to ensure you are stable. You feel a light kiss on your lips as you fade in and out of consciousness.

[Frosty]

Karrin drifts into dreamland, she sees horrific images of people dying, murdered by monsters. She also sees children dying of disease and men and hobgoblin killing each other. If only the fort had the other groups within their ranks...if only. Well, disease won't defeat this paladin so easily again.

Karrin's Lay on Hands now also removes disease.

[Maquise]

Slowly, after an indeterminate period of time, you return to full consciousness. Your body still aches, but your head seems to have cleared up. Gingerly cradling your bandaged head, you stand up.

The fort's wall is a mess; the gate has been knocked down and the parapets have been torn apart. Inside the fort, the structure is still mostly intact. The survivors are in the process of burying the dead.

They are preparing to move Gaeba, when surprisingly she stirs. Davkas quickly approaches her. "Gaeba, you yet move? I believed you had departed upon the winds for the Long Road."

The dwarf lady grunts as she rises to her feet. "You don't know much about dwarves then. It will take more than some abyssal ape to place me in the Halls of Onyx."

As you hear her words, you can't shake the feeling that something is out of place.

[Frosty]

(What is Karrin's current status? Damage, ability usage, spells, etc.) Also, nobody touched her equipment correct? She still has her armor andw eapons on her?)

This should be a joyous occassion. A friend appears to be snatched from the jaws of death! Praise the gods! But wait, the paladin carefully scans the body of Gaeba for traces of evil first.

[Maquise]

(In addition to the 14 pts healed before, you've regained an extra 7 from resting. You need time to regain your spells, but your abilities are reset. Equipment is untouched.)

As Gaeba goes about discussing future plans, you sense a strong aura of evil about her.

[Frosty]

Karrin looks around and tries to locate her allies, especially Lyanna, who seems to be well-versed all sorts of lore. Also, how to get Davkos alone? First things first. Appearances must be maintained. Limping over (not that big of a stretch, given how much she was hurt), she offers a smile and says, "Today is truly a day of miracles. If Gaeba remains amongst the living, there is hope for this fort yet." Everything she says is true. Is this the babau that disappeared? Karrin must be extra careful. "Let me steal Davkos away for a minute. I require more of his...healing touch and wish to properly thank him for is help earlier." She starts leading Davkos away.

If she successfully gets Davkos away, she tries to talk to him and Lyanna in order to get them to start subtly interrogating 'Gaeba' about dwarven lore. "I sense great evil about her. If only someone can dispel shapechanging or illusions. Actually, can someone see if there is any magical auras around her, especially illusionary or trasmutative?"

Spoiler

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How hurt does Gaeba look? She was supposed dead or near dead before.

[Maquise]

Davkas looks disturbed. "I thought I felt something was unnatural about her, but I trusted my old friend over my intuition. It is good then you are here."

Lyanna looks around, making sure Gaeba is not watching her. Then she whispers a few words, her eyes lighting up. After a few moments, she dismisses the spell, shaking her head. "I can detect nothing. It is no spell, let me think." After a moment, she says, "I know outsiders can be bound to specific objects, and I've heard it is even possible for them to become connected to living beings. I suppose it is possible a demon could possess an individual, but I don't know for certain."

Gaeba appears in about as good a condition as you do, but still alive.

[Frosty]

Karrin peruses the book, "Dispensing Justice on Fiends, a treatise": (1d20+14)[19]

What does she know about possible possessions or demons being bound to people?

[Maquise]

Unfortunately, you can find no new information on the subject.

You note that Gaeba seems to be dispersing the group by sending them to perform different tasks for her, all innocuous.

[Frosty]

The group? As in Lyanna and Davkos?

[Maquise]

(The others, not your companions)

[Frosty]

"Quick. Is there anything extremely important here that a demon might wish to gain access to? Gaeba is sending the others away on various tasks. Is she trying to get somewhere stealthily?"

During this time, Karrin also looks for the rest of the party. If crap hits the fan, she wants everyone together.

[Maquise]

Davkas replies, "We do not possess any magic of particular value, nor anything else I can think a demon would want."

You reunite with Grembler and Berich. When you go to look for Mirabelle, you are briefly interrupted by one of the fort's inhabitants. You find out shortly after that Gaeba had went with Mirabelle to retrieve something from one of the cellars.