Gnolls Checking Out The Rod

June 6th 2007

Players: Tanikas, Cieran, Nikarn, Vashbav, Roquen

Rumour has it that some of the working girls have seen some seven foot tall dog like men with heavy furs out and about near the Rod Radisa.

The general air here is that of dilapidation. The smell of smoke coming from poorly managed chimneys greets the nose as one wanders the area. No plants, shrubs, or trees grace the area, offering no chance of solace. The houses look as if they're functional, but little more effort was put in. There is no paint to be seen that isn't peeling and flaking off at the breeze.

The ground itself slopes dramatically as one approaches the rough hewn rock trail heading North Easterly to Nettle Turn. The houses, for lack of money, mostly just tilt with the hill, only a few of the larger ones build with a foundation sufficient to keep it level.

As you come to Witch Hill Road everything around is completely quiet and there doesn't seem to be anything around, that resembles the rumour that was floating around.

Cieran trundles along slowly, his mace and crossbow at his side, and his backpack hanging over one shoulder. The young historian had heard rumours about strange creatures out this way, and it sounded like the chance to find something new, or at least have a new story to tell. He hums softly to himself, his baby blue eyes searching his surroundings as he moves down the path.

Roquen comes strolling in to the area, and hears about the commotion. But the silence is eerie. Yup, they are out there. They won't run. They think its easy prey. The former sergeant tightens some straps on his banded mail armor and draws his bastard sword out one-handed.

Vashbav makes her way into the area and gives a glance about slowly. A hand moves to rest against the Bard's sword as she taps on the hilt lightly. Holding a hand up to the masses she sighs, "I ...thought I saw metal or the like." she remarks quietly to the group.

Nikarn walks down the road, looking around for what may have been causing the commotion. He seems not to see anything, but he tilts his head cautiously, as if maybe listening to something. With a grunt, he draws his shield and his warhammer. Best to be ready, since last time he was here he caught a couple bolts the hard way.

Tanikas comes into the area shortly after Nikarn, her Tiger's Claw in her hands. It is held pointed toward the sky for now, but can easily be swung forward for a deadly attack. Stopping beside Nik, she looks over at him and gives him a nod of the head. She looks to the others in the area, furrowing her brow. "Are we sure there was something here?"

Vashbav rolls her eyes and makes her way to the door, "Its the Rod...there is always something here. Its the Rod." she remarks.

In and around all of the poor housing it seems rather quiet especially for this area. Until suddenly a woman who's barely dressed comes staggering out of the Rod, looking like she may have just gotten off from work. She starts to half stagger and half walk down the hill past a few of the delapitated houses. She stops and belches loudly before falling through the front door of the house, not ever realizing the people around.

Roquen just starts walking, ignoring all the other people and their chatter. His shield comes out, and his sword in his hand, but not looking around, and making himself a good target of whoever might be lurking. He seems to be heading for the woman.

Nikarn glances about some more, not pausing in his walk up the hill. As he goes, the hammer swings circles in his hand. He seems idly bored, though he still looks about for something, anything at all.

Vashbav sighs lightly and moves to head towards the woman before muttering quietly. "Silly Whores." She states, "Come on." She offers to the others. "Lets get in there."

Maybe playing right into Roquen's hand or him into theirs, two tall dog headed fur covered humanoid creatures jump out from either side just in front of Roquen.

Vashbav pulls out her sword and the bard suddenly starts to belt out a song. Encouraging her comrades into battle.

Nikarn takes a few steps to get going, and then he's nothing but a flash of mountainous glinting metal. Raising his warhammer, he bellows, "For Mod!" and clashes into the closest of the two Gnolls.

Tanikas growls a little as the Gnolls arrive, her lip curling up as she immediately charges forward. "May the strength of Mod move me!" She bellows as she steams forward like a bull. Mid-charge she swings her magical halberd forward and charges powerfully into the second Gnoll. Thrusting forward at the last moment, she shoves her Tiger's Claw /through/ her enemy. The Gnoll simply looks over at her in suprise. That is until she jerks her halberd up and then down and then diagonally to the left, throwing the corpse from her weapon and sending it flying through the air with arms and legs flailing before it hits the ground with a sickening thud.

Vashbav drops her song, though it lingers in the air, filling the air, and her friends with hope for the battle. Instead of the song though, the Bard picks up a spell bringing her larger.

Roquen is about to swing at the two that jumped him, and then a hammer comes in one side, and a halbred comes in another. He is so started that his own swing is messed up. He jerks his head around. "Do you two mind NOT trying to spit me?"

As the first two Gnolls get beat up on, it seems another 8 have come out of the wood work and has surrounded the group while the one that Nikarn hit seems to be waivering on its last legs.

Nikarn doesn't pause, even though his enemy is obviously weakened. No, there are more coming, and theres no time. With a grunt, he swings his hammer down hard on the head of the wobbly Gnoll, breaking its skull open and sending it to the ground. Then, he moves shoulder to shoulder with Tanikas, stepping to bring his back to hers.

Vashbav screams out and swings her sword at the first gnoll in her path, it connects solidly tearing at its flesh and the bard smiles happily. "Die...dog." She commands of it.

Tanikas looks around, seeing the Gnolls closing in. She quickly backpedals and presses her back against Nikarns. With that, she simply points her halberd outward, waiting for one of the small scoundrels to come close so she can whack it with her halberd. "Hold fast, Mountain." She says over her shoulder at Nikarn, and looks to the others. "Form up, if you can." She says, muttering a quick prayer to Mod.

With Nikarn swinging near him once AGAIN, and not even a response, the former sergeant decides to use some of the little things he has learned. As he moves towards the nearest gnoll, he bumps into Nikarn. "Out of my way." He says with a grunt. He then moves 10 feet and hits the closest one with a swing. Its a light cut, but it still bleeds the Gnoll, but its still alive.

The Gnolls start to close in a bit more as Roquen and Vashbav go after the two that they choose, they don't even hesitate to attack back. The one going after Roquen swings at him with it's battle axe but misses the man, whereas the one that attacks Vashbav clips her with it's battleaxe.

Nikarn's face twists into a snarl, his usually cold eyes flashing with foul intent. "Fear the strength of Mod!," he bellows, raising his hammer high and swinging it with all of his might. The Gnoll only has time to look surprised as its smashed almost literally to a pancake, its skull explodes and its spine snaps, sending the thing crumbling to the ground in a heap of blood and useless flesh.

Vashbav growls out herself and swings her sword around hitting the creature, burying the sword into the creatures shoulder it drops to the ground dead.

Tanikas growls loudly, sounding like some kind of wild mountain cat as she thrusts her halberd forward at a nearby Gnoll. Thinking it is clever, it jumps back a step, bending forward in the process. Expecting this, the other Mountain suddenly yanks her weapon upward, jamming the backspike of her polearm into a Gnoll's jaw, the sharp point bleeding him badly. "Half step to the left, Mountain." She says over her shoulder at Nikarn, as she takes a half step to the right.

There is a look back to the two. "Would you shut up about Mod? Sheesh." Roquen then backhands his bastard sword to kill the one he is fighting and wades to the next one, or towards it, 5 feet away.

In the whirl of action and the dropping Frost Gnolls, battle axes start swinging every which way, but surprisingly enough not hitting anyone.

Nikarn takes a step with Tanikas, as she said, and as he does so, he swings his hammer, smacking a gnoll hard in the gut with his hammer. The beast seems to have lost its wind, but just snarls at Nikarn as it prepares to retaliate.

Tanikas pays no attention to anything other than battle, and keeping her comrades alive. She swings at a Gnoll but the blow deflects off of the humanoid's armor. All in all, it was a messy attempt.

Vashbav roars around and turns quickly before swinging at another gnoll and it falls at her thrust. "DIE..." she commands to more then one of them left.

There is another step, and he must be getting irritated, but at least the other warrior didn't yell out Mod again. But Nikarn still is thrown off with his swing. "Its just not my day..."

The frost gnoll that Tanikas is fighting finally gets one step ahead of her and hits her with it's battle axe. The others seem to all need glasses as they swing at the fighters they're on yet get nothing but air.

Tanikas takes the attack like a champion, growling but otherwise unaffected as the battle axe chops at her shoulder. In retaliation, she uses the wooden haft of her polearm to bash at the Gnoll nearest her, but it is ineffective as the Gnoll blocks the attemp with the haft of it's own weapon. With a twist of his wrist and a laugh at the Gnolls miss, Nikarn swings the hammer back around at the Gnoll he had bunted in the stomach earlier. The hammer collides with the side of the gnolls head, and the all too familiar sound of crushing bone accompanies it. Nikarn doesn't bother to watch it fall as he looks for the next enemy.

Vashbav growls out and swings around her sword again. It smashes into the next gnoll deeply wounding him. She growls at it, licking her tusks gently. "I dare you to hit me...." She provokes it.

Roquen had brought his sword down and to the left for the last miss. He then grunts and whips his sword back and drives it straight into the heart of the gnoll, almost killing it instantly. He then kicks the body off his sword and moves towards the next one.

Not being completely stupid the last two wounded gnolls notice that they're the only two left as they look around at the carnage that has just happened up on the hill. They look at each other and decide to book it down the hill.

Vashbav takes the chance while it passes and swings her sword again slicing the one that she just hit across the back. "Die..." The half orc commands and it doesn't seem to fight her.

Tanikas doesn't intend to let her quarry escape that easily. If they are going to start a fight, they are going to damn well finish it! She lets her combatant think he's escaped. As he is just about to get out of range she thrusts crisply forward and buries her blade in the back of the escaping Gnoll, killing it instantly. She pulls her weapon backward and the blade out of the Gnoll's back. She shakes it briefly, blood flying off of it in droplets. Looking to the others, "Is anyone else hurt?"

Vashbav slides her sword away and moves to pull out a wand, "Come here." Vash commands of Tanikas.

Roquen then moves to get a cloth out of his pouch and begins to clean the blood off his bastard sword. His shield is put away and he focuses more on his weapon, to clean it and check it for nicks. "Well, that was boring." He then looks around at the others, then down at the gnolls. "Might as well take what they have."

Vashbav taps herself with her wand twice before looking around, "Anyone need a healing?" She asks. Nikarn turns to watch as the two gnolls start to escape and gives a satisfied nod as they fall. "No," he replies to Tanikas, and reaches out, putting his hand over her injured shoulder. A faint glow surrounds his hand, and then her shoulder.

Roquen then turns to the Half-orc. "I remember you, you are the one from the Broken Fang adventure. Right? Anyway, nice to see you." He then turns to the two and just shakes his head. "Next time, don't. You nearly spitted me."

Tanikas does as she is told, walking closer to Vashbav. "Thank you, Vashbav." She says, nodding her head to her in thanks, and winces slightly at the movement. Looking to Nikarn, and his healing hands she gives him a bright smile. "Thank you, Mountain. Mod does guide me, and he does heal me." She intones, and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek. Looking to Roquen, she smiles to him, "But we didn't spit you, and we would not have. You were in danger, and we reacted." She doesn't seem offended in the least. "We are capable warriors, and you are as well. There was no danger to you from us, and no danger to us from you."

Vashbav tosses a pouch from the bodies, the weapons and even moves to look over the armor. "Good number of things." She states looking at it.

Roquen bends down to start searching the bodies, and then looks up at the two. "Actually, I don't know you from a hole in the ground. I don't think you are accomplished anything. And I was never in danger. I knew they were there, and it was an ambush. The street was too quiet. Except for that one woman. Plus, there should have been something here, but there wasn't. Some sign of a scuffle." He finds something, and tosses it into the pile.

Nikarn bends down next to one of the Gnolls, the one he flattened to a pancake, actually, and retrieves a small pouch. Glancing in it, he puts it in with the rest of the loot to be divided amongst them. He looks over the other bodies, but doesn't seem interested in poking around much. Instead he looks to Roquen, and replies, "We do not look anything like holes in the ground. Perhaps you have had too much to drink." His tone doesn't change, and his face is as cold and emotionless as ever, so its hard to know exactly what he means by it.

Tanikas laughs a little, shaking her head as she puts her hand on Nikarn's shoulder. "Come, my Mountain. Let us divide what spoils there are and leave the man be." She says softly, and begins to wipe the blood from the haft and blade of her weapon carefully. "I need supper, and we both could use a bit of training, I think." She smiles to him softly, and looks to the others with a friendly smile. "Any who wish to join me are more than welcome."

Vashbav moves to head back to her place and shakes her head sowly.

Nikarn nods to Tanikas, and then turns to go. Then, a smile cracks his face, a real one, it seems, as the stone crumbles and a flash of mischief enters his eyes. Reaching over, he takes up Tanikas and throws her over his shoulder like she weighed not a bit. "If its training you want, then training you will receive!" He chuckles and starts jogging off away from the battle scene.

Tanikas laughs out loud, screaming playfully and kicking her legs while she pounds on his back armor with balled fists. "Nikarn!!" She calls out, laughing at the same time. She doesn't try too hard to escape, continuing to laugh as he carries her away.