An Ambush Awry - Round 4

[Eclecticon]

Situation: Esgalwen and Tate's attempted ambush has gone disastrously, and combat is now joined in earnest. 

Combat Advantage dice:
• Esgalwen 0
• Tate 1/2

Situation Modifiers:
• The Toft-men have the initiative, as three quarters of the company have effectively been counter-ambushed

Physical Modifiers (complications):
• combat in the reeds and mud is hampered - all Parry scores are reduced by two against enemies outside the riverbank
 

PC/NPC		PARRY		ARMOUR		HOPE		END		STANCE
Esgalwen Tate Oderic Williferd		6 (skirmisher +3) 2 (shield +3) 5 4	• • • •	1d (helm n/a) 3d (helm n/a) 1d (helm n/a) 1d (helm n/a)	• • • •	5/12 13/15 2/3 n/a	• • • •	21/27 10/29 WEARY 5/18 0/16	• • • •	Open Defensive Open DEAD

ENEMY		PARRY		ARMOUR		HATE		END		NOTES
Blood Moon archer Hunting Hound Hunting Hound Blood Moon warrior Blood Moon warrior Blood Moon archer Hunting Hound	• • • • • • •	3 4 4 4 4 3 4	• • • • • • •	2d 2d 2d 3d+1 3d+1 2d 2d	• • • • • • •	2/2 1/1 1/1 2/2 2/2 1/2 1/1	• • • • • • •	0/14 1/12 0/12 0/14 4/14 14/14 0/12	• • • • • • •	DEAD fighting Esgalwen - now Craven DEAD DEAD fighting Tate - now Craven DEAD DEAD

STANCES

Forward - action order 1 Close combat TN 6+ parry Forward Stance maneuvers

Open - action order 2 Close combat TN 9+ parry Open Stance maneuvers

Defensive - action order 3 Close combat TN 12+ parry Defensive Stance maneuvers

Rearward - action order 4 Ranged combat Must be 2 other PC's in Close Combat May not use if outnumbered 2:1 TN 12+ parry Rearward Stance maneuvers

From any Stance Escape combat Must start in Rearward or roll TN 10 + highest attribute level of opponents Athletics roll. On success, may safely flee from the scene of combat

[Posterboy]

  Is Tate's endurance still at 13 or did he negate the 5 points damage last round and his endurance is still 18?

[Eclecticon]

High and low, the tide of battle turns against the pursuing Toft-Men.  Neither the hound still nipping and barking at Esgalwen nor the spearman backing out of the marsh ahead of Tate have quit the fight, but it is clear that both are merely waiting for an excuse to do so.  Higher on the slope, a pair of screams, one of fury and the other of fear, bear witness to the struggle between Oderic and the bowman. 

As he bellows at Williferd, Tate spares a moment to glance over at the young warrior and his heart sinks.  Williferd has not arisen from the mud where still he lies face-down, and the waters about him are heavy with his heart's blood.  Though they may soon be defeated, the Men of the blood-moon have taken their toll from the small company. 


Due to the shock of the discovery, I'm going to require a Corruption test from Tate - he'll only gain a Shadow point if he fails with a  , however. 

1d12 : 12, total 12
Rolled 4d6 : 4, 3, 5, 4, total 16

And some combat rolls:

Riverbank
Blood moon warrior

1d12 : 10, total 10
Rolled 2d6+3 : 6, 3 + 3, total 12

Oderic

1d12 : 10, total 10
Rolled 4d6+4 : 2, 1, 5, 4 + 4, total 16

Blood moon archer

1d12 : 7, total 7
Rolled 1d6 : 2, total 2

Hillside
Hunting hound

1d12 : 7, total 7
Rolled 2d6 : 1, 6, total 7

[Eclecticon]

Whoops!  Sorry, Aryn.  I've factored that in to his Endurance loss for this round (which would otherwise have been eight ).  Tate's also taken a piercing blow that requires a Protection roll at TN 14:

1d12 : 12, total 12
Rolled 3d6 : 1, 2, 3, total 6

Looks like he's just fine as far as corruption goes, though. 

Oderic also damages the blood-moon archer, who likewise needs to make a Protection roll:

1d12 : 8, total 8
Rolled 2d6 : 1, 4, total 5

[Eclecticon]

The cries on the hillside abruptly turn into a frantic gurgling.  The archer, it would seem, is meeting his end on the point of Oderic's sword.  Below, the Toft-man thrusts his spear, fast as a striking viper, into the same spot where the archer's arrow hit Tate not a minute past.  Once again, his mail holds fast, but the pain is considerable.  The Lake-Man knows that he cannot withstand much more. 


On the plus side, that mail shirt is really proving worth the effort it takes to lug it around!

[Posterboy]

  Attacking with sword... come on now!

Rolled 1d12 : 11, total 11

Rolled 4d6 : 6, 4, 5, 6, total 21

[Posterboy]

  That still counts as a hit, right? If so, that's super ugly, but I'll take it. Two  s means 15    loss for the Blood Raider, yes?!

I'm just rolling the shield bash for fun.

Rolled 1d12 : 5, total 5

[Eclecticon]

That's a hit - the just counts as zero.  Wanna go ahead and narrate how you take the poor sod out?

[Posterboy]

Tate grunted through the pain and loss. As the Toft-man tried to pull back his spear, the Man of the Lake grabbed hold of his opponent's weapon with his shield hand, using the momentum of the raider to help pull him out of the soggy river. Tate's other hand brought his sword around wildly high, severing the spearman's head from his body.

Tate fell quite ungracefully to the ground with his foe's now lifeless body. Instinctively, the minstrel rolled himself away, laying on his back for a moment to catch his breath. What are you doing out here, lad? You could be entertaining kings...

"Come on now, Tate," he coached himself. "Up you get! You gave your word and all!"

Aye... and look where your word got Williferd...

Tate closed his eyes, trying to rid his mind of the sight of the young lad floating below. "Get up, Tate!"

The minstrel's eyes opened wide before narrowing to a more determined look. "Got to find Gwen."

Tate's moving to rejoin Esgalwen.

[tomcat]

Esgalwen looked at the remaining dog. Her sword had opened its abdomen and she could see some of the viscera hanging out. Though it still snarled at her and attempted to defend itself, it was no longer a real threat.

The Ranger hated that she had to kill a thing that was not going to harm her, but to leave it living, suffering as it did, was more cruel at this point. She sighed and strode forward. The hound lowered itself to the ground, submissively, yipping in fear and pain. Esgalwen would make it as quick and painless as possible. Nimronyn flashed.
change stance to Forward and put the animal out of its misery with a one-handed stab

TN 10 longsword 4d

1d12 : 9, total 9
Rolled 4d6 : 1, 1, 3, 3, total 8

9   edge: 8   injury: 16

[tomcat]

With her success, she delivers 9 loss and that should be that.
Esgalwen bent at the waist and scooped up her bow where it had dropped, but her sword she kept firmly in her grasp. She looked about her immediate area but there were no more threats. She then looked down the hill to the riverside, where few combatants still stood. She held her breath, worried as to who she saw, but Tate was there. A sigh of relief escaped her even as she searched for the other two of her party.

There is Oderic, the Beorning standing over a fallen raider, but looking as if the battle had taken its toll.

Where is Williferd? she asked herself next, but there was only two. Even as she began her descent down the hill, Esgalwen could see the form of the man she had led to this cruel place floating in the shallow reed bed. A cold lump filled her heart. Led here? No...forced here!

Pushing her self-loathing out of her mind, she called down to the living, "Come! We must away from here lest more Raiders come in force."

Oderic and Tate looked to the fallen form of Williferd, and Esgalwen knew their reason. "We can do nothing more for him, save to give him to the Anduin and ask that he protect and keep his body unsullied. Come!"