10. The B-Team

Nymm 10, YK 1000

Rrrgrr the Torrian has come to Argent to serve Obanar, as Magnus returns to inform Obanar of what has happened.

Lord Eversun of Shae Loralyndar (Eldeen Reaches) has sent Hadrai Quickarrow, Reginald/Tirador and Lycia Tarravan into Khyber. They had encountered savage dwarves, a goblinoid tribe and a deep gnome tribe in close proximity to one another, and they did not get along. They emerged from Khyber to see the city of Argent in the distance. A road intersects ours, and in the distance, we see Rrgrr, and we join forces.

As we approach the fortress, we see an army of earth giants, ogres, elementals and rocs. From the battlements, Magnus sees them preparing to siege the fortress. Obanar has protected the fortress with a field of magical force, which is holding for now. Magnus again suggests releasing the warforged titan into their midst.

Hadrai sees that they are setting up the siege on the south wall, that there are two gates there, and that the south side is the only side where the ground rises up to reach the gate. The other three sides are sheer cliffs. Despite the noises from the army, Hadrai catches the sound of a distant waterfall, and he spots a road cutting down the west side. He informs Tirador of all of this.

They begin sneaking through gulleys to get to the road on the west, keeping brush between us and the army and avoiding the gaze of the Rocs. Hadrai and Reggie grow somewhat tired as they move through the terrain, but Rrrgrr and Lycia are able to help them keep moving. Magnus sees a detachment of giants and ogres beginning to circle the city.

Hadrai thinks we can make it to the west gate before the giants do, but it would be a near thing and they'd spot us going in, and we decide to keep moving to the water. Lycia detects the force field before we run headlong into it. Obanar tells Magnus that he recognized contact from a smaller force, but he doesn't know their intent. Magnus climbs onto the battlements and moves to that side of the fortress.

Hadrai uses his fey step to get past the barrier, and then sneaks up to the culvert. He begins climbing up the walls as quietly as possible. He jumps up and runs into Magnus, and they do not hit it off. Rrrgrr begins digging in the dirt, looking for a way under the field. Magnus contacts Obanar to report. Hadrai convinces Obanar to open the portal for his allies, and Magnus tells Obanar they need to fix the teleportation hole in the field.

Magnus introduces himself to all of us and gives us the basics of Argent and its war with the giants.

Rocs have flown in through the hole in the field and dropped off four Earth Giants, and one Roc has been stuck inside the barrier, and we are defending one of the gates from their attacks. Rrrgrr throws a rope down the battlements onto the platform. Reggie fires off two arrows, hitting with a crit for 57 hp against the staff-wielding giant and 18 hp against another giant. Hadrai fires swarming spirits at a giant for 15 hp, leaving him blinded and in a swarm of bees. The Roc flies over to attack Reggie, but it just barely misses him. Hill Giants throws a boulder at us, hitting Lycia for 12 hp, and the other two move to attack the gates for 27 hp, cracking it. The blinded one manages to get to the gates and hit the gate for 9 hp. Lycia runs and slides down Rrrgrr's rope, landing onto the platform. The shaman signals to the Roc, then moves and unleashes a blast of volcanic fire at Lycia for 9 hp, giving her vulnerable 5 fire. Magnus jumps down off the battlement, taking 25 hp and bull charges one of the Hill Giants at the gate for 23 hp and pushes him back 1 square, then spends an action point to bull charge a Hill Giant at the gate, marking him.

Rrrgrr pounces from the wall, landing acrobatically and taking 13 hp and misses his attack on a Hill Giant. Reggie uses Eyebite on the Roc and uses elven accuracy to hit for 4 psychic, making himself invisible until his next turn. Hadrai misses the caster, but the arrow turns and hits another Hill Giant with grappling spirits instead, Reggie fires combined fire to hit the caster, and then Hadrai spends an action point and fires Corralling Shot at the shaman and the hill giant that was slowed, drawing them together. A Roc flies over and grabs Hadrai, dropping him into the clouds surrounding the fortress. Hill Giant swings his club at Rrrgrr, but he uses his iron hawk defense to reduce the damage. Another attacks and misses Magnus, causing him to laugh. The slowed Giant moves up and hits the gate for 17 hp. Lycia moves in and uses her righteous brand on one of the Hill Giants at the gate for 18 hp, and is still vulnerable to fire. Hill Giant Shaman creates an earth storm that catches Magnus and Lycia for 36 hp (crit) and Rrrgrr for 18 hp, blinding them. Magnus resists the blindness, then moves to attack the Shaman and the rest with Come and Get It, kills the Shaman and hits the others.

Rrrgrrr uses purifying meditation to save against blindness, then steps between worlds to hit one of the Hill Giants, teleporting it off the ledge and to its death, and then he teleports and spends an action point to roar at the two Hill Giants remaining for 8 hp, immobilizing them short of the gate. Reggie fires Pinning Shot at Roc, immobilizing it and sending it plummetting to the ledge for 100 hp, but it is still not bloodied. Hadrai makes his death save. Roc clambers to its feet, but decides that Hadrai is dead and not a threat. The Hill Giants swing sweeping club strikes at Magnus, Rrrgrr and Lycia, but only hits Rrrgrr, smashing him into the wall for 28 hp. Lycia uses Healer's Mercy to heal Rrrgrr and herself, un-bloodying both of them, she recovers from blindness. Magnus takes his second wind, uses appalling crunch on Hill Giant, bloodying him.

Rrrgrr stands up, attacks the bloodied Hill Giant for 18 hp and then teleports him to the edge, going along with him and watching him plummet to his death. Reggie fires Shadow Wasp Strike at the remaining Hill Giant for 32 hp, bloodying him. Hadrai fails a death save. The Roc begins flying back up. The Hill Giant swings at Magnus and misses, saves against fear. Lycia moves in on the Hill Giant and swings a Healing Strike, healing Rrrgrr and doing 27 hp. Magnus uses inexorable advance and misses.

Rrrgrr runs back, attacks Hill Giant with Strike the Avalanche and misses. Reggie determines that the Roc is not coming back to attack and fires Twin Strike at the Hill Giant for 25 hp. Hadrai fails his death save. Roc is trying to fly out, but bounces off the force field. Hill Giant swings at Lycia and misses. Lycia swings Strengthen the Faithful on the Hill Giant for 25 hp, killing him, then runs to the edge and lowers a rope over the edge. Magnus slides down the rope, drops the remaining 150 feet to Hadrai's side, uses unbreakable to resist part of the 74 hp damage.

Rrrgrr goes to the battlements and pulls the rope loose, Reggie throws him his rope and flips down from the battlements, Hadrai fails his death save and Magnus uses his MVP power to keep him from failing it. Lycia ties her rope onto Rrrgrr's and then onto the battlement. Magnus pours a potion of vitality into Hadrai, waking him up, then uses Argent Portal to teleport us to the Grand Mal.

Meanwhile, Lycia approaches the wounded Roc, which has landed on the platform, to use a healing power on it. Reggie uses his nature skill to calm it. The Roc flies into the air around Argent.

Magnus and Hadrai report back to Obanar, who tells us that there are attacks at the main gate that has broken through the barrier. He then opens a portal to Rrrgrr, Lycia and Reggie to get them to the main gate as well. The army of giants smash at the force wall, knocking it down briefly to allow a hill giant, a Behir and an earth elemental to charge in. We all see that the Hill Giant is carrying a large earthen sphere strapped to his back.

The Behir rushes toward the gate. Reggie fires his pinning strike at the Hill Giant suicide bomber and pins him. Rrrgrr ties a rope to the battlement and starts Soul Dance stance, granting him concealment, then slides down the rope to the ground below. He sees that the Earth Archon is standing in the ground, and is slowly turning the ground around him to quicksand. Hadrai fires an elemental spirits arrow at the Giant for 13 hp. The Earth Archon moves closer to the wall and raises its hammer, slamming it into the ground to create a tremor that strikes Lycia for 22 thunder damage and is knocked prone. Magnus uses his power jewel to regain an encounter power, and then leaps off the battlements and takes 30 hp, bloodying him, uses defensive resurgence to heal and un-bloody. Behir moves in on Magnus. Lycia stands, changes her armor to resist lightning, uses bastion of health to heal Magnus. Behir breathes lightning at Magnus for 21 hp and dazes him. Hill Giant hurls the sphere at the gate, it explodes and takes a small chunk out of it.

Behir moves. Reggie fires biting volley at Earth Archon for 30 hp. Rrrgrr moves in on Earth Archon and uses Supreme Avalanche Confrontation for 8 hp. Hadrai misses the Behir, runs toward the other part of the wall. Earth Archon hits Rrrgrr for 16 hp, uses Iron Dragon Defense to take only 1, and is pushed back and knocked prone, then it moves back out of range. Magnus uses bull charge on the Behir for 31 hp and pushes it back and knocks it prone and uses his pinning waraxe to immobilize him. Behir tries to eat Magnus and fails. Lycia slides down the rope and takes 19 hp, then moves over into the Behir's aura, spends an action point to give the Behir ongoing 14 radiant, then uses inspiring word to heal herself. Behir takes 14 radiant, eats Magnus for 12 hp, saves against radiant damage. Hill Giant charges Rrrgrr and crits him for 27 hp, uses strikeback bracers and misses.

Behir stands up, Reggie fires Shadow Wasp Strike at Earth Archon. The Guardian's tower begins firing lightning at the invading army. Rrrgrr stands up, uses step between worlds on the Hill Giant for 9 hp and uses flurry of blows for 7 hp and they both teleport closer to the Archon. Hadrai uses squall spirit for 30 damage on Earth Archon, Reggie uses Combined Fire for 37 hp to bloody him, then misses with Flickering Arrow and Inevitable Shot. Magnus swings and misses, uses action point for thicket of blades and misses. Behir moves, uses his action point to try and fail to eat Lycia, drawing an attack from Magnus that misses. Lycia moves in and attacks Behir with avenging flame for 27 hp. Behir takes 5 ongoing fire, tries to bite Lycia and misses. Hill Giant attacks Rrrgrr and misses.

Lightning burst comes from the tower and kills the Behir, and we mop up the rest of them.

Obanar believes that the giant army might be attacking other settlements, and the best way to blunt the threat of the army would be to follow its supply train back to headquarters and take out its leaders.

Quote:
"Elven balls are made of cotton candy."
"Never eat fighters."