Turn 7.0

Sent: 12/3/98

Faced with a quick decision regarding whether or not to go out in search of the Knight from the nearby fort, the party reacts. Cy and Storm voice their opinions--they want to go for the Knight. Crayne, on the other hand, would rather stay and attempt to solve the mystery of the murder. Into this discussion Hound returns, and is then sent back to the gatehouse by Crayne, who then follows, with Cy alongside.

"I agree with Cy and Storm, gentlemen," Canter says, "I'd rather feel like we're accomplishing something and not sitting around all day..."

Guilliam then addresses the officer:

>"Sir, Crayne and I would stay as the others go off on your mission. You

>asked for one to be left behind but we give you two as an act of good faith.

>Two, who are willing to help you solve your puzzle with thought and wit. We

>have plenty of both, making up for our lack of strength with weapons. But

>we cannot help you if placed under house arrest. A single guard stationed

>at our side would suffice to ensure that we are not up to no good. So send

>two to accompany us for good measure. And whence our friends return with

>your leader, you will be able to report our findings to the Knight of

>Rinder. I am certain that this will please him more than your story of this

>anniversary of death."

The officer listens intently to Guilliam, but shakes his head. "I'm sorry, but I cannot allow it. You may be trustworthy, you may be great warriors, but you may also be murderers. I do not think so, but we don't know all the facts. I would insist that if you decide to stay you must remain in your rooms. Though I thank you for your show of good faith, I will not have it on my head if it turns out that I allowed the very man who committed the murder to take part in its investigation."

"But sir," interjects Edryd, grasping at the chance to to put justice in action, "we were not chosen by the Knights merely for our fighting ability. There are those among us whose intellect would bode well for such an investigation."

"I understand that, but I will not have it. That is for the Knight to decide. If you stay, you all must remain in your rooms. If you go, I want that one who went first to the gatehouse, the 'seventh man,' to stay behind. With luck and godspeed, you will be reunited shortly after sundown," the officer says strongly.

After a pregnant pause, Guilliam clears his throat. "Very well, then, sir. Allow us to gather our things and we shall leave shortly. I trust our horses have remained untouched since I last inspected?"

"They have," concurs the officer, "but the forest between here and the next fort is at times quite uneven and thick, so I'm not sure how useful the animals would be."

Beginning to get frustrated, "Fine, then. We shall see you after sunset," states Edryd, clenching his fists so as not to explode at the uncooperative officer, who nods and then turns to walk back to the other officers.

Edryd, Guilliam, Storm and Canter then gather their things from their rooms, as well as those of their companions, and walk to the gatehouse. It is a small building, no more than a shack, really. In the front are two arrow slits facing into the gateway. Along the opposite wall is a small table and chair. The bloody body of the dead guard lies on the floor in the center of the small room. The odor of death is beginning to become strong.

"What have you found?" Canter asks Crayne.

"There is not much to find," Crayne reports, shrugging his shoulders. "The man was killed sometime during the night, and the logbook is missing."

"Whoever did this," Cy begins, "is highly skilled. I have seen such killings before, and this one was serious. The murderer probably came in through the gate in the shadows of the night, slipping into the gatehouse. His objective, to use a battlefield term, was only in covering his tracks and eliminating witnesses--he left the guard's weapon and money, taking only the logbook. Looking at the wounds, I'd say the guard was taken by surprise, perhaps from behind; his neck is slit, just like that of the Captain."

Rubbing his chin, Crayne asks, "what of the officer?"

"We be goin'." Answers Storm strongly.

Smiling at Storm's bluntness, Guilliam explains, "The officer would not allow us to aid in the investigation were we to stay, so we decided it would be best to choose to fetch the mother for these children." Guilliam smiles and nods to Cy after using his term for the undisciplined troops.

"According the officer, we'd make better time without the horses, as the forest is at times thick," Edryd says. "And he would like Hound to stay behind."

With so much as a nod, Crayne quickly casts another spell on Hound and then leads him out of the gatehouse to the officer. He returns minutes later. "The officer tells me that we should head back toward the road, westward, and then cross it, continuing in that direction. We will travel through heavy woods at times, and should reach Fort Dillend by mid-afternoon."

Soon the party is on its way, minus Hound. The day is overcast, the gray sky foreboding. As the officer warned, soon after crossing the road they began to wade into the forest (for an approximate image of the woods at this point, see the attached file, "forest.jpg" and please excuse the people in modern garb!). A two, perhaps three hours pass by as the forest grows thicker. There are large roots of trees over which they must hop, and a few of which they must go around. Though there is a trail, it is not very wide and is sometimes not clearly blazed.

Making its way to the fort, Edryd leads the party. Cy and Canter are on his right and left, respectively, about a step behind. A step or two behind them march Storm and Guilliam. And Crayne is in the center of the group. After marching well into the thicker forest, the trail appears to widen into a small clearing. As the party approaches the enterance to the clearing, Storm squints into the thick bushes and trees, suspecting the perfect spot for an encounter.

The group slows as it enters the clearing. Suddenly Storm calls out: "Edryd!" But it is too late, an arrow streaks through the air, catching Edryd in the left shoulder (4 hp damage).

Instantly a slew of arrows is unleashed from the surrounding bushes. One of them catches Canter's leg; he grunts in pain. Another hits Guilliam's arm (2 hp damage); he lets out a yelp, grabbing at the wound. Another arrow strikes Storm (3 hp damage), who howls at the onslaught.

On the heels of the missile attack, two figures emerge from behind the trees, approaching the right flank of the party. They are large, perhaps six feel tall. They grunt, pointing at Storm. "Orcs!" Storm calls out. One of them swings his battle axe at Storm, which slices his arm (4 hp damage). The other attacks Cy, who manages to turn in time such that the blade graces his armor. At the same time, a dagger comes out of the bushes in Canter's direction, but he manages to jump aside, and it lands on the ground at his feet. Another arrow flies above Cy's head.

Frustrated they were not able to avoid the ambush and that his warning call came just a second too late, Storm lets out a blood-curdling scream as the battle ensues...

Well, folks, it appears as if we have another combat situation on our hands. At this point, only the two Orcs are in the clearing, but there are obviously numerous other attackers (also Orcs?) behind the cover of trees and bushes. The arrows were shot from bows, and are not crossbow quarrels, which means that there will have to be a slight pause between vollies of arrows.

Keep in mind, also, that the officers and troops at Fort Mitchend are counting on your timely arrival with the Knight.

Sent 12/3/98

I thought a little more elaboration should have been given to Turn 7.0, in the areas of the horses and the physical surrounding of the clearing:

THE HORSES:

The officer explained that on a normal patrol, they would be mounted and take horses, but they would not spend as much time in the thick of the woods as the party will be spending on it's trip. In addition, while on patrols, there is not quite the same need for speed as in the present situation, so the horses can trot at a slower, more careful pace while in the thick woods. Therefore, the officer says, it would be unwise to take the horses with you through the woods to the next fort.

THE CLEARING:

The clearing is oval shaped, with the trail entering and leaving at the two "thinner" ends, that is, the longer axis. The trail is just wide enough for two mounted soldiers to ride side by side. At the widest, the clearing is perhaps three to five times as wide as the trail. All along the edge of the clearing are tall bushes and other foliage, perhaps three quarters the height of the average human. There are a few breaks in the bushes through which one person could walk. There are also many tress lining the edge of the clearing, providing ample cover by way of their branches. The floor of the clearing is dirt; though fairly flat, there are some moderate stones and roots which may cause a tripping hazard if not noticed.

DIRECTIONAL CORRECTION:

My sincerest apologies. In turn 7.0, the directions, according to Crayne, were to head westward to the next fort.

My mistake!! Instead, consider the party as heading EASTWARD, along the Rinder-Caerloon border, away from Mitchend, toward Dillend, and in the general direction of the Orcish lands (to orient you on the map).

I don't think this makes much of a difference in the party's present situation, but just in case it becomes and issue later on....

Sent: 12/6/98

Storm lets out his battle cry, and reaches with both hands at the two swords on his belt. With one swift motion, he viciously draws them, slicing down at the Orc in front of him. One of the blades misses entirely, but the other comes down hard--so hard, in fact, that the Orc lets out an audible grunt, before falling to the dirt in a pool of disgusting blood. Storm wails wildly at his killing.

Guilliam, meantime, drops to his knees and crawls toward the northern bushes, doing his best to avoid the melee around him. Once crossing into the brush, he quickly spots a figure, kneeling over a bow. With a swift and graceful motion, Guilliam grabs a knife and throws it hard at the figure, who, hearing the motion, turns to face Guilliam. "A human!" Guilliam whispers. The man jumps out of the way of the knife, tossing his bow aside. Guilliam quickly jumps up to his hunches, and after a brief glace around the bushy perimeter, calls out to the party: "I see three on this side--all human!!"

At the same time, Edryd steps forward, blind with rage and vengence, wildly attacking the Orc in his sights. He draws his sword and swings strongly, landing a decisive blow in the animal's abdomen. The Ocr buckles over, spitting blood, firming his grip on his battle axe.

At the same time, though, Crayne finishes intoning a magical spell, sending a missile flying at the Orc. It is a direct hit, exploding in a small ball of flames. The impact throws the Orc to the forest floor, who lands on his back, lifeless.

Holding his own on the battlefield, like an experienced soldier, Cy breaks for the southern perimeter of the clearing, penetrating the bushes. He quickly encounters a human fighter who, like he who Guilliam encountered, had been bent over his bow, preparing the next arrow. Seizing the advantage of momentary surprise, Cy whips out his sword and attacks, the blade coming down hard against the brigadine armor of his enemy.

Canter, too, finds himself locked in battle, as he charges in the opposite direction from Cy, entering the northern bushes a number of yards from Guilliam. He quickly encounters yet another enemy fighter (human), and swings his weapon, but misses as the fighter jumps aside.

(7.2) After jumping aside from Gulliam's dagger, the fighter approaches him, whipping out a long sword. Guilliam's eyes widen as he stares up at the warrior, his face full of fear. The warrior's face cracks a smile, chuckling at his superiority. But his advantage is short lived--Guilliam was merely "playing dead," and as the warrior's sword comes crashing down into the leaves and brush, Guilliam rolls aside. The sword does catch the back of his leg (1 hp damage), but Guilliam emerges unscathed besides, and jumps to his feet, scourge at the ready.

Canter's opponent, meanwhile, draws his long sword and attacks the young man. Try as he might, Canter is unable to dodge the attack, and though his strong armor absorbed some of the blow, he is hit, but still standing.

Another human fighter then emerges from the woods, tossing his bow aside and drawing a sword, approaching Edryd on the attack. Though wounded, Edryd is not down and out, and seeing the attack coming, manages to jump aside, avoiding the blow.

At the same time, Cy's opponent reels in pain, letting out a scream. Blow flows from his back, but he does not give up. He grabs his bow, attempting to trip Cy with it while getting to his feet. But Cy is agile enough to avoid the trick and with a step back, remains on his feet and at the ready.

Meanwhile, a tall human, elaborately armored in a shining suit of chain mail emerges from the foliage at the far end of the clearing, accompanied by another human fighter. A third human emerges from the other side of the clearing, joining these two. The leader, as it would seem, shouts to the group, "You must be a new patrol in these lands! We'll quickly show you what we do with new recruits!" The leader's armor bears some kind of insignia, but in the heat of battle few have the time to make a close inpection.

As he says this, a human emerges from behind a tree in front of Cy, chanting some unknown words, Cy soon recognizing the flash from this man's fingers. As Cy lets out a loud curse, magic missiles are launched from the mage's fingertips. Three of them impact on Cy's breast-plate with small explosions, throwing him up against the trunk of the tree behind him (9 hp damage)

Storm must be on some kind of natural high after so swiftly dismantling the Orc, because he hollars at the top of his lungs and runs at one of the leader's sidekicks. Both swords swinging, he attacks; the figher manages to parry a few swings, but one of them hits with an audible crunch.

Meanwhile, Guilliam, now on his feet, attacks his opponent with his scourge. Unfortunately, the fighter spins aside and stays clear of the weapon, but he won't be fooled anymore--the look on his face seems to indicate that he now thinks much more highly of Guilliam as a warrior.

Edryd, in the meantime, proceeds to attack the figher who came out of the bushes at him. Calling out a victory prayer loudly, his sword slices into the fighter twice, opening up deep wounds. The fighter howls in pain, bringing his arm to his chest; but his eyes narrow on Edryd.

Crayne, at this point, runs for cover at the opening of the clearing, shielding himself behind a large tree trunk. A moderate distance away, to his left as he faces the clearing, Guilliam and the fighter can be seen squaring off.

Angered by the magic missile attack, Cy lowers his forehead, visualizing his next attack. He executes the plan beautifully, striking the warrior twice with powerful blows. The warrior, though, still fights. The mage has turned around and run in the opposite direction, presumably to come up at a different position for another attack.

Canter matches up against his opponent, aiming for revenge after his wound. He puts to use long summers of training with his bastard sword, successfully striking the fighter and pushing him back.

AT THIS POINT:

- two dead, smelly Orcs lay on the ground in the clearing

- Cy and a fighter are locked in battle just south of the bushes

- Crayne hides safely near the enterance of the clearing, a couple of yards from Guilliam

- Guilliam stands opposite a quite angry, though impressed, enemy, just north of the clearing

- Edryd duels another fighter right in the middle of the clearing

- the enemy mage is currently unaccounted for

PLEASE SEND YOUR INTENDED ACTIONS FOR TURNS 7.3 AND 7.4: Do you want any prisoners? Will you let some get away in the hopes of following them back from whence they came? Or will you fight these (presumed) raiders from Caerloon to the death in the hopes of eliminating some of Mazen's men and thinning out his forces?

Oooo, this is exciting!! :)

Sent: 12/9/98

As the battle in the forest ensues, the fighter opposite Guilliam swings his sword, trying to slash Guilliam. Guilliam, quicker and more agile, manages to dodge the attack, and begins to swing his scourge above his head...

...Meanwhile, Canter's adversary lands a solid blow just above Canter's hip. With an audible "uhg!" Canter's eyes begin to droop in desparation. He calls out to his friends, "Guys! I could use a little help over here!"...

...At the same time, Edryd manages to deflect an attack by the fighter he is challenging, as does Cy in another part of the clearing, both skillfully applying their knowledge of their trade...

...The leader of the group soon moves toward Storm, drawing his heavy sword in an attack. Fortunately storm sees him coming, and manages to get out of the way before the sword strikes. Storm was note quite as lucky with the other fighter, though, as in the effort to avoid the leader's attack, Storm is struck by the fighter's sword (6 hp damage)...

As all this is going on, the leader's other sidekick begins to move toward Crayne's position, and the mage begins to move past Cy and his enemy in the same direction.

Cy, however, is not just going to let the mage get away unharmed! He quickly tosses a dagger at the man, who, though skilled in magic, is not as skilled in movement on the battlefied. The dagger slices his lower leg, right through the pant leg. Though the mage draws in a quick breath in pain, and blood begins to drip from the laceration, he continues moving toward Crayne's position in, through the clearing. But Cy doesn't have time to waste on the mage; he quickly returns his attention to the more skilled warrior opposite him, but his attack merely finds the warrior's armor.

Crayne, seeing the Mage and another attacker approaching, quickly intones "Color Spray," launching a bright band of colors from his hand, lighting up the overcast, gray morning. The spell immediately effects the leader's sidekick, who stops in his tracks, raising his hands to his face in a blind confusion. The mage, however, raises his hand, seeming to deflect the spell with his palm.

In the meantime, Storm is busy with his two-on-one situation. He chooses to attack the fighter, in the hopes of finishing him off. He swings his sword and lands a solid blow. Though blood is seeping from the wound, the fighter does not fall, though is slowed for moment.

Guilliam, having raised his scourge begins to call out, "You want to taste the venom of my scourge do you. It's powers are greater than you can imagine. Each tip is dipped in a dreadful poison. They won't kill you. They are painful and are meant to torment. Would you like to learn what true torment is? Come on then. Step closer to feel your skin rot on your body, to feel your heart melt in your chest, to feel as if a dragon is scratching out your eyes or breathing acid down your arse!" The fighter is momentarily confused, and Guilliam takes this opportunity to lunge at him with his dagger. The plan might have worked, but the fighter managed raise his arm to deflect the lunge.

Meanwhile, Canter tries in vain to attack his opponent in a last ditch attempt to save himself. He swings his bastard sword, but he grows weak. The attack is easily blocked by the fighter, who begins to chuckle. Canter's wounds continue to bleed.

At the same time, Edryd continues to battle it out opposite his enemy. He raises his sword ominously, and as he brings it down a loud thundercrack breaks through the clouds. As if ordained by the gods themselves, Edryd's blow lands strongly, going straight through the fighter's armor. The man falls to the dirt in a bloody, lifeless heap. Edryd stands above, breathing heavily.

(7.4) After deflecting Guilliam's attack, his fighter tries again to slash him with his sword. But as before, Guilliam manages to avoid the attack, this time placing a tree trunk between his head and the blade of the enemy's sword. He chuckles with delight at his defense as wood chips fly before his eyes.

Canter's situation is considerably worse, however. With a quick blow, his fighter punches his face with the butt of his sword. Canter's eyes flutter and then close, his limp body falling to the ground in the bushes. Cy sees this out of the corner of his eye, noting his comrade's imminent death or capture, and narrows his eyes in determination to get to Canter as soon as possible.

But the opportunity to save Canter does not provide itself right away. Instead, the warrior opposite Cy strikes solidly with his sword, painfully wounding Cy (7 hp damage). Cy grinds his teeth in pain, his determination only growing stronger.

Storm, too, finds himself in a pickle. He does his best to avoid it, but the warrior he faces strikes, too, slashing his left arm (5 hp damage). Storm lets out a yelp of pain, infuriated at the sight of his own blood.

The mage, in the meantime, begins to quietly chant some strange sounding words, looking out of the corner of his eye at the leader of the group, who moves away from Storm and over to Canter. He and the fighter who finished Canter arrange his body and begin to carry it off the battlefield. Cy calls out, "don't let him be taken prisoner!!"

Enraged, Cy thrusts his sword at his warrior, finally dealing him a fatal blow. The man spits blood from his mouth, and Cy can quickly see and identify the look of imminent death in the man's eyes. Wasting no time, Cy runs, full speed, over toward Canter. He approaches the leader, attacking wildly, trying to slow them down. He manages to slash the leader slightly through his armor, though it is clear that he is dealing with a well-experienced soldier, here.

Crayne sees that his spell has at least had an effect on one of his intended targets. Seeing that the path is relatively safe, he pulls out his dagger and runs toward the blinded sidekick. He easily stabs the man, whose wounds begin to stain his tunic with blood.

Storm still has a fighter to deal with. He swings his sword strongly, first missing the man. But a second attempt connects. Though the fighter is visibly tiring and worn, he does not fall. Frustrated, Storm screams at his face "die!!!!"

Guilliam, in the meantime, begins to retreat from his opponent after the failure of his deceitful attack. He is saved, however, as Edryd charges in, fresh after killing his opponent. The warrior is taken unawares, and his struck hard by Edryd's attack. A second attack is not quite as successful, and the warrior adjusts to Edryd's more skillfull melee.

As it stands right now:

- The leader and one of his fighters are carrying Canter's unconcious body from the battlefield. Cy is busy attacking the leader in an attempt to stop them.

- Crayne is busy stabbing the enemy (who is not as heavily armored as the others) affected by his spell, though he's not exactly sure how long the spell will last.

- Storm is still busy with the fighter he's combating, though both of them are frustrated and hurting.

- Guilliam is retreating from the scene, trying to escape from his fighter's attacks. Fortunately, Edryd has arrived and is engaging the fighter on Guilliam's behalf.

- The enemy mage is mid-spell, which seems to be focused on the enemy leader.

- So far, two orcs and two human fighers have been killed; six human enemies remain (including the leader, mage, and magically-blinded man).

I have done my best to try to incorporate your planned actions into the battle for your character. This is often difficult, however, considering the enemy's reponding actions. If circumstances did not permit your planned actions, they obviously needed to by slightly altered...such is the unpredictable nature of the battlefield!

PLEASE SEND YOUR MOVES FOR THE NEXT TWO ROUNDS, though depending on the results of the first round, this battle could concievably come to some sort of close. But just in case, please send two rounds worth.

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