(076) Off the Beaten Track

[sully]

The Herald redoubles his efforts to take down Thick-Neck. Mind your tongue, brigand. You'll be answering Thuul face to face in a few moments.

[The Red Baron]

Dopey looks around for any whole shields lying around. Do the dead hobgoblins or any players not in the melee have any on them?

[Eris]

"We'll meet in Thuul's hall ere long!", grunting with effort, Gunt increases his effort to take down Thick Neck, "You first!"

[coffee]

Karl has pounded on enough dull metal in his day to know that you have to keep on going. It's not over until you get a result.

He continues the fight (but has no pithy banter to share with Thick-Neck.)

[flightcommander]

Menno holds the line, laying into any target within reach — although preferring to take out Thick Neck, if he can do so without putting himself at a disadvantage!

[riftstone]

Faengol will try to stanch Leudigar's bleeding.

Of course, Faengol berates him while tearing cloth and binding wounds.

"Thoroughly unnecessary if you ask me. These brigands were defeated and now they fight as if cornered. Serves you right, Tracker, if you meet your end here. You might still live, if only to have the wisdom of your lesson ingrained."

[ehiker133]

Leudigar winces as Faengol tightens a strip of cloth over one of his cuts. He glares at Thickneck from his position on the ground and mutters, "They killed my family. They slaughtered my village..."

[waysoftheearth]

Everyone jumps on Thick-Neck in a last gamble. Gunt dashes the Man's shield away allowing Brother Herald to land the hit that drops him. But at the same time his Men take advantage of the room they're given and deal Menno and Gunter their death blows!

Wetzel, Karl and Brother Herald quickly close in and butcher the exhausted Men between them, and are suddenly left heaving for breath, spattered in blood and gore in the middle of a corpse strewn field... they're alive!

The silence is all but deafening until, a few breaths later, Thick-Neck gurgles, and spits blood, before muttering, "Bah, it's hard to find good help,"...

FIFTH ROUND

PLAYERS' FIFTH ROUND

Wetzel, Karl, Gunter vs Thick-Neck 3 # d20 + 1 → [4, 9, 18], one hit 1 # d6 → [4] would be fatal so instead dashes Thick-Neck's shield away.
Herald vs Thick-Neck 1 # d20 → [19] hit. 1 # d6 → [2] 2 hp, reduces him to exactly 0!
Menno 1 # d20 + 1 → [13] miss (by 1).


NON-PLAYERS' FIFTH ROUND

Thick-Neck is unable to respond.
Two fighters 2 # d20 + 1 → [14, 15].
Who is targetted (W, K, g, H, M)? 2 # d5 → [5, 3], so Menno and Gunter.

14 vs Menno (AC6--no helm) hit; 1 # d6 → [5] Menno takes 5 hp, and is slain.

15 vs Gunter (AC5) hit; 1 # d6 → [4] Gunt takes 4 hp, and is slain.

Ouch.

SIXTH ROUND

PLAYERS' SIXTH ROUND

Wetzel, Karl 2 # d20 +1 → [15, 18]
The Herald 1 # d20 → [15]
Three hits! 3 # d6 → [6, 4, 1], both Men are slain.

[waysoftheearth]

Faengol decides Leudigar isn't about to die immediately, but he'll need some recoup time. Meanwhile,Dopey is quick to identify that the Hobgoblins were wearing mail armor and helms, but not carrying shields...

The question is: what to do about Thick-Neck? "T'was a good fight; now get a dyin' Man a slosh 'o drink ta celebrate," he coughs.

The first combat is over! Congratulations to the survivors, and commiserations to those that did not--you're welcome to request for some new stats over in the PC generation thread.

Alas! Gerthrude the Medium, Brother Alfwin, Menno the Fighter, and Gunter the Dwarf Fighter are slain. Leudigar the Tracker was incapacitated (0 hp), but lived!

XP awards for the survivors will be forthcoming shortly. I will also post some meta thoughts on the combat in the OOC thread.

What now?

[sully]

The Herald kicks Thick-Neck's sword out of his hand.

I can grant you Thuul's last rites and ease your passage to the next world. Or I can give you your weapon back so you're prepared for the battles to come, whether in the Hells or Valhalla. But only if you're truthful with me right now. Lie to me and Thuul will know.

What other surprises lie between us and Hezmog? What's the easiest way inside?

Anything else we want to ask this guy before I speed his journey to Thuul?