(057) Dawn Patrol

[sully]

Dorgan, strangely enough, is happy just to be fighting simple wolves and not some fantastical creature. Joking with Gustave, he says,

"Yer slippin', boy. Mebbe that tin can you're wearing is slowin' ya down?"

He continues to deal death to the gathered pack, Mads Cold Iron Axe whistling around him.

[coffee]

The black-robe gasps--then gurgles a moment, dangling on Dieter's sword before he rips it free--then collapses in a bloody heap.

The 'he' in that last bit is Dieter, right? Or does the black robe disarm me in his dying?

In either case, it's time to see to my comrades on the ground! Dieter will get out his sling and fire bullets at any wolf that moves any distance from my friends below.

[flightcommander]

Suddenly realizing up a tree is no place to employ a sling, Armando recites to himself a pithy couplet of Elvish poetry and then braces himself for a leap onto the top of the wall ...

[Tonneau]

"Yer slippin', boy. Mebbe that tin can you're wearing is slowin' ya down?"

"Ha ha!", replies Gustave to the dwarven taunts, "You just keep plying your little hatchet there my good dwarf and we will see who is slowing down!"

[danhem]

As his armored comrades form a line in front of him, Ulric speak the words of the Somnolence hoping to send most of the wolves to sleep.

OOC: Casting Sleep on the wolves. Hopefully Ulric can do so without putting his protectors to sleep in the process?

[coffee]

The black-robe gasps--then gurgles a moment, dangling on Dieter's sword before he rips it free--then collapses in a bloody heap.

The 'he' in that last bit is Dieter, right? Or does the black robe disarm me in his dying?

In either case, it's time to see to my comrades on the ground! Dieter will get out his sling and fire bullets at any wolf that moves any distance from my friends below.

Actually, after reconsideration of the tactical factors, Dieter does not get out his sling.

"Cover me!" he says to Desmond, and then he leaps down into the courtyard to engage the other black-robes there (again, using his ring).

[ehiker133]

"Wha...?" Desmond murmurs, wondering what it means to cover someone with something besides a blanket.

"Maybe I'll just make sure he doesn't get overrun by keeping other black robes away with arrow fire..."

With Dieter's hasty action, Desmond forgets about the silver whistle and instead focuses on protecting his fighter friend's flank. He won't target any guards Dieter is going after in melee combat, but if he sees other viable targets, he will fire at them if they make like they are going to attack Dieter.

OOC: Basically, he won't fire at guards who don't notice their presence. Once they notice Dieter's presence, and if it is safe to do so without a chance of hitting Dieter, Desmond will fire at them.

He will stick with the bow since it has better accuracy at greater ranges, unless he thinks the distance to his foes is such that he could hit them with a sling stone equally as well, in which case he WILL switch to the sling so he can get more attacks off in a round.

[Eris]

Olaf will attempt to use his bow to fire arrows at the wolves if he can balance himself up in the tree. He'll fire at those at the back of the pack so as not to risk hitting his friends in the shield wall.

[waysoftheearth]

Very good.

Within the Walls
Dieter uses the enchantment of his ring a second time this day and leaps mightily from the top of the wall, into the courtyards below to confront another pair of (apparently unarmed) black-robes, who scatter before him 4d6=3,3,5,4 he cuts one of them down immediately, but the other flees toward the ruinous chapel, screaming.

Desmond/Mondes has his eye in, however, and quickly looses a volley of missiles 2d6=4,5, and drops the black-robe before it gets too far.

There are two more black-robes in the courtyard--perhaps one score yards from Dieter; by the arched entry to the ruinous chapel--and having witnessed this murder, they hastily scurry back into the fortified structure, and slam the heavy double door shut with a thud!


Without
The noisome melee continues with Gustave, Dorgan, Berigar, and Josiane attempting to block the wolves from Ulric while he conjures an enchantment that might render them senseless. The remainder have attained the relative safety of apple-tree boughs.

Olaf and Wen loose missiles | one attack roll each due to their precarious positions | at the baying wolves most directly below themselves 2d6=6,3 and Olaf shoots one of the savage mutts right through the throat--slaying it--but Wen causes no harm.

| Now here it is possible that Ulric might be engaged by wolves, and his conjuration ruined. Let us say that if any pair of adjacent fighters (Josiane-Dorgan, Dorgan-Gustave, Gustave-Beringar) are both hit then a breach is forced between them and a wolf will attack Ulric.

In any second (or subsequent) turn of melee initiative goes firstly to those with significantly smaller/lighter weapons; and a wolf snout is well lighter than sword or axe of spear, so the wolves will have the first opportunity to attack. |

Of twelves wolves, eight will be resolved first to see if a breach is created. Two wolves attack each of Josiane (AC6), Dorgan (AC4), Gustave (AC2), and Beringar (AC4): 8d20=8,2 and 8,12 and 7, 8 and 15, 8. The shield wall holds and Ulric will not be attacked. The last four wolves attack the same targets: 4d20=2,6,15,13, but all concerned withstand the baying battery.

Now our fighting company deliver their counter attack: Gustave (4HD), Dorgan (4HD), Beringar (1HD), and Josiane (3HD) have 12 attacks between them: 12d20 vs AC7=9,7,10,1 and 9,5,13,8 and 20! and 14,1,11. Dorgan, Beringar, and Josiane score a hit each, but Gustave is unable to impress any lesson upon them. 3d6=3,1,4(+1) = 9 hit points. Thus are two wolves slain and a third injured.

Meanwhile, Armando and Highbough attempt to clamber through the tree boughs to attain the wall. Being scarcely out of snapping reach of a hungry pack of wolves makes any slip a dangerous proposition! d6 Armando=2, Highbough=3 Each of them struggles to find viable purchase, and nearly slips to the wolves. Armando only catches a branch at the very last moment to save himself from sharing Envongr's fate! As it is, a wolf snags one of his boots by the heel and tears it free of his swinging foot!

And at the last, Ulric's conjuration is completed | 4-14 normals will be affected with no saving throw; 2d6+2=11. Beringar, Torben, Wen, and Armando are all possibly subject to the indiscriminate area affect; if any of these four throws 1-2 on a d6 they will slumber. 4d6=6,6,3,3. None are affected! |

So it is that 11 wolves--including all those assailing Ulric's group--suddenly drop like stones with their tongues hanging limply from their slack jaws. Superbly done Ulric! Only a scant handful of wolves remain alert (four, to be exact), and these are around the trees beneath Highbough, Wen, and Armando (one with Armando's boot).

The noise level has dropped from an impossible din to near silence in a single breath!

What next?

[mgtremaine]

Wen continues to ply his bow against the wolves below the tree.