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The Angel Angle (Tassadar) GMed by thetwo


thetwo

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The human looked out of place in Petra. Not because of his species. While humans were always a minority in the region of gods-reach, they were hardly unheard of, and all were welcome in the little retreat. Not because he was male, either. Petra seemed to attract significantly more women then men, but they weren't so rare as to be unusual. A large part of it, perhaps, was that he was dirty. Dirt was a part of life, and certainly many of those at Petra did chores that involved getting dirty, but this man looked as if his answer to 'when did you last bathe' would have to be the name of a month. And then, of course, his wounds were quite out of the ordinary for those seeking sanctuary in Petra.

His armor seemed to be split open in several places, the worst of which was a long slash over his belly that he held with both arms. As Nadia watched, he collapsed to his knees. His skin was unnaturally pale, and most of the rest of him was red. With magical aid he would survive. Probably. Without, he'd be dead within minutes at most. And despite her efforts over more than a year, it was clear that he was far beyond the angel's meager talents.

Fortunately, she wasn't the only person in Petra with magical ability. A brown-haired elf, as unabashedly nude as the angel herself, knelt beside the man and set her hands on either side of the man's face. The blood quickly darkened in color, drying, and steam rose from the man's body. He grimaced, and looked up at Nadia. [Color="Sienna]"Orcs."[/color] He collapsed the rest of the way to the ground, and Sarah shot her lover a puzzled glance.

Several minutes later he awoke in the infirmary. His first sight, having had the attentions of several healers but still with all his well-earned exhaustion, was of the perfect, nude body of an angel, followed by a scarcely-less-beautiful elf wearing nothing but a green ribbon to tie back her deep brown hair. For about a second he smiled like he had just won the lottery. Then he sat bolt upright. [COLOR="Sienna"]"Why are you still here!"[/COLOR] He threw off his sheets and swung his legs out over the side of the bed, then grabbed at the bed on both sides like it was trying to shake him off.

"Well, we've just saved your life. This is our home. I work in this building, and Nadia is in charge of all of Petra. Is that -?"

The man cut her off. "Didn't you hear me? Orcs! Tens of thousands of them! Gods-Reach has already been overrun, all the humans and elves either dead, fled, or enslaved! Run if you have any sense, get out before they get around to purging Petra of non-orcs! Or try to fight for all I care, I'm not stopping again until I reach Lockacre!"

Sarah put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Are you sure you're all right, it sounds like you've still lost too much blood. And if you're just going to run, why did you even come here, Petra isn't on any road to Lockacre that I know about?"

The black-haired man had apparently gotten over his bout of dizziness, and managed to get to his feet. "What? Well for starters I'd be dead by now without healing - thank you very much - but maybe I felt I still owed you for saving me the first time this place was overrun."

A closer look at the man's face, no longer covered in blood, brought back the memories. This was Jack, one of the dozen or so who had survived the Invasion along with Nadia, when the aliens had attacked Petra. There were new scars, and he was much more tan then when he had left shortly after the retreat had been retaken, but it was certainly him. Sarah seemed to be having the same realization, stunned out of whatever remark she had been going to make.

Jack grabbed his sword belt off the table beside him and started for the door, stumbling only once as he pulled the belt on, and he was halfway there before Nadia could react. "Fight if you want to, maybe you can hold out for a while, but there are too many of them. The whole North together isn't going to stop them now."
 

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Re: The Angel Angle (Tassadar) GMed by thetwo

It was one helluva way to start her day, that was for sure. The fiery-haired angel was hardly a stranger to the stressful or the unusual, however.... It wasn't as if her kind were commonplace either, and she had opted for a relatively violent life herself. It was not the sight of the wounded man that troubled her, therefore, but what he had said last before falling unconscious. Orcs.... She had fought a band of slavers not too long ago, just after the invasion had hit, and while she bore the beastmen no particular ill will, Nadia knew that the warlike greenskins could be no less a threat to her and her community than the invaders had been if they so chose. Taking the wounded man to the infirmary was hardly a difficult task for her, as she recognized immediately that he was well beyond her ability to heal, and after Sarah saw to him Nadia knew that the human would be alright. It was as she watched over him that he awakened, something that marginally surprised the nude redhead, and the smirk on his face reminded her that neither she nor Sera had decided to dress that day.... He was their only visitor after all, and it wasn't as if any of the others that stayed in Petra hadn't seen the both of them naked before. Of course, then he offered more explanation on the meaning of his statement, and Nadia's eyes widened slightly at the bombardment of revelations that the human man offered.

"Jack!?" Nadia exclaimed in surprise upon recognizing the man. "I thought you'd left this part and gone South... How did you end up further North than we already were!?" she asked, allowing her curiosity to divert her attention from the issue at hand for the moment even as she pondered the man's grim news. Gods-Reach taken... She had heard of the orc's attacks, of course. She knew that they had started an invasion of the rest of Crolia while it was still reeling from the invaders, but she hadn't realized how close the war was coming to them until now. By the time she'd digested that information enough to react, Jack was already halfway out the door. Having none of that, Nadia quickly followed him and placed a hand on his shoulder to hold him in place, a frown upon her face. "Wait a minute," she began, "How did you come to be so injured, and yet still make it here? Were you at Gods-Reach when it fell?"
 
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Re: The Angel Angle (Tassadar) GMed by thetwo

"I went South to see what happened to... some friends... then I returned to my home in Gods-reach." He stopped when Nadia put a hand on his shoulder, but didn't look happy about it. "And yes, I was there when the city fell. Or at least when it became obvious that it was going to fall. I ran into a patrol between the city and here."

He looked Nadia in the eyes, serious. "You need to start moving, unless you think you can reason with the orcs where everyone else has failed or fight ten thousand trained soldiers and win. And I need to start south now as well, if I want to reach the Pass of Ghosts while there's still a chance to slip through. Let me go."
 

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Re: The Angel Angle (Tassadar) GMed by thetwo

'He had a home in Gods-Reach?' Nadia thought to herself incredulously, and while she released his shoulder when he stopped, she held herself close enough to grab him again if need be. Looking him right back in the eyes, Nadia calmly said; "Understood. We need help. Please." The plea was not said lightly, but regardless of his answer she would turn to Sarah and quickly say; "We need to leave. Now. Get everybody moving, make sure everyone's here and awake, and gather up everything that we can't spare to leave behind. I don't care to fight an orc horde with what few fighters we have here, nor do I care to test my ability to reason with them. We're going South."
 
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Re: The Angel Angle (Tassadar) GMed by thetwo

"You aren't the only ones that need help. Maybe if I reach Lockacre in time I can convince them to send aid." He didn't look terribly convinced. "Or at least they can hold the Orcs at the Pass. Either one would help your people here more than one sword, if you can make it South before the Orcs. And if you can't make it..." He started moving again. "I'll tell them to keep an eye out for you, if they believe me."

Sarah started moving even before Nadia was done giving instructions, and within a minute the entire compound was stirring with activity. The elf returned, out of breath, and now wearing a slip and carrying a larger one in case the angel wanted her own. "I've started them gathering food and clothing, though there wasn't time to explain why yet... how long do we have before you want to leave? We could be ready in 10 minutes, or with an hour we could be a lot more prepared..."

Jack was almost out of the building again, but paused briefly answer before stepping out "There's no way to know how long you have. With luck they might not realize you're here until they start to notice missing scouts. With luck of a different sort, someone taken in the city has already blabbed and half their horde will be knocking on your door in half an hour."
 

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Re: The Angel Angle (Tassadar) GMed by thetwo

Nadia scowled darkly at Jack's response and turned back to the man, "We don't need a sword arm, we just need arms. Some here are too weak to move on their own, and besides them the more people we have getting things together the faster we can get out of here." She paused and eyed the man for a moment, and then went on; "If you're dead set on going on your own, then off with you! I haven't got the time or the right to keep you!" Inwardly, Nadia had very strong doubts that the Badarian city would even try to offer aid to the North, but she kept such doubts to herself.

Turning to Sarah, Nadia gratefully took the offered robe and quickly climbed into it. Remaining naked in one's own home was one thing, but wandering around a forest and possibly entreating or fighting was another entirely. Though the garments felt constricting and uncomfortable at first, Nadia forced herself to ignore the relatively minor discomfort. "We can't afford the casualties that a desperate run would cause among the wounded, but the longer we dally the more likely it is that we'll end up fighting off an orc patrol on the way South. I doubt they'd spare any significant force to a place so tiny as Petra, but any encounter will be too much. Split the difference and have us ready to move in half an hour."

With that said, Nadia shot Jack a quick nod of thanks before setting about aiding in the evacuation efforts as best she could. She made sure that they had clothing and blankets befitting the autumn climate and the coming winter for everyone, food and fresh water, her own personal weapons in case they would have to fight along the way, and the essential medical supplies that they might need for the wounded they had already. If they had space remaining, valuables and raw coin would pad their weight, as she knew that raw coin would be necessary if they were to survive in the South for any length of time.
 
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Re: The Angel Angle (Tassadar) GMed by thetwo

Half an hour hardly seemed like enough time to organize and pack up what amounted to a small town, but people did their best. Food, water, and medical supplies were given priority, with anything else almost an afterthought. What coin the retreat had on hand was easily gathered, but less liquid valuables were certain to be left behind given the haste with which the retreat was accomplished. Still, half an hour later everyone was either on their way out the gates or had refused to travel with the group.

Some thirty people walked with Nadia out the gate, more than two thirds women and probably three quarters elves, with a few humans thrown in. "We have medicine for no more than a week, but we can stretch that to perhaps a month if we gather ingredients along the way, and have time to prepare them." The chief healer was a short elf woman, well endowed and clinically competent. "With Mr. Grady having passed away everyone can walk on their own, though I'll be concerned for the health of those with child if we're forced to move quickly for too long."

Sarah walked on Nadia's other side, looking almost happy for some reason. She was also visibly uncomfortable to be wearing a dress, though Naida couldn't help but notice that she'd quite obviously neglected to put anything under it. "Twelve people claim to be able to use a weapon or magic, including all the men, though I'm not sure I believe them." She sighed. "And it's not like we have twelve weapons anyway. We might have found more if we'd looked longer, but as it is we only managed one sword, two bows, two axes, and a few knives. They've been handed out, but sorting out who can actually use them safely will take a few hours."

"Orcs! I see orcs on the hill!" Looking back revealed Andrew, a blonde elf, pointing back past the compound. Sure enough, there were about half a dozen Orcs, some armed. It seemed unlikely that they had missed the large party about to leave, though they seemed to be turning to go back to gods-reach rather then pursuing.
 

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Re: The Angel Angle (Tassadar) GMed by thetwo

Nadia was relatively short with people as they evacuated from Petra, her answers to questions clipped and her efforts to aid hasty but not so much that they were sloppy. The chief healer's report at first drew no more than a nod of acknowledgement from the warrior angel, her eyes never once straying to the woman's large bosom for once, but then she said; "We will be as careful as we can, but they will fare worse in the slave quarters of the orcs. I like it no more than you do, but we will do what we must."

Sarah's report on their armaments, even more bleak than she'd expected, drew another nod from the fiery-haired angel, this one accompanied by a soft sigh. "Leave the brunt of any fighting to me then.... Though I hope to avoid any of it."

Of course, her hopes were dashed shortly as an orc patrol was sighted before they'd even gotten out of the village. "Be on your way, but walk with care. I will return!" Nadia said immediately, and then a single great beat of her wings flung the angel into the air. The first thought as she did so that she was being led into a trap, either one meant to snare her or one meant to leave the group that she guarded undefended, and as such she gave a single circle above her group as she cast her eyes aside, searching for threats that one might not see from the ground. That was all that she had time for before heading off to pursue the orcs, however, as she couldn't let them escape without determining their intent.
 
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Re: The Angel Angle (Tassadar) GMed by thetwo

Perception: 31 - 2(skyclad) + 20 = 49 -> Success

From the air, there were no immediately obvious threats around or in front of the group, so Nadia turned her flight back in the direction of Petra and the orcs beyond. One of the orcs slowed, looking back over his shoulder, and saw the clear form of an angel flying directly at the scouting party. They started running more quickly.

Now that she was closer, Nadia could make out the orcs a little more individually. Three wore large swords across their back. One had a bow, one had a polearm of some sort, and one didn't seem to have any weapon beyond a knife. At a shout from one of them - Nadia wasn't quite close enough to tell which - they split into pairs. The bow-orc went left, the one with a polearm went right, and the apparently unarmed one went straight, a swords-orc accompanying each. At the moment each group was still on open ground, but all three would be under tree cover soon, making them very difficult to spot from the air.

Just then Nadia passed over the far wall of Petra, and saw out of the corner of her eyes a seventh orc, up against the wall and very still.

Nadia: fine, clothed.

Enemies: 7 orcs of various description, all fine
 

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Re: The Angel Angle (Tassadar) GMed by thetwo

Seeing the orcs scatter as she ascended caused Nadia to scowl, but she turned mid-flight and allowed them to dart for cover anyway. She'd spotted exactly what she'd been afraid of out of the corner of her eye, an orc hiding along the walls of Petra, and the angel scowled darkly as she enacted a minor enhancement to herself, causing her to glow brightly, before rocketing towards the ground. Landing practically right next to the orc who was lying still against the wall of Petra in a crouch, Nadia rose to her feet and smoothed a lock of her crimson hair away from her face with one hand, keeping her body language as neutral as she could despite the flaring of her aura.

"Hi" the angel said simply, and while the greeting might have been simple and cordial, perhaps even familiar, the scowl on her face and the deadpan serious tone in which she said it were anything but friendly. "I would ask what you're doing here, but... It seems like kind of a waste of time really. I have a message... One might call it a request, really."

(Activate Battle Aura for 2 EP.)
 
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Re: The Angel Angle (Tassadar) GMed by thetwo

Nadia gains Battle Aura X=2

The orc let out a curse and spun to face the angel, backing away and holding tight to the long hilt of an axe with one hand. The orc's voice was low, with a flat tone that suggested that it expected the 'request' to be along the terms of 'die quickly'. "A... request. Well?"

Nadia: 105 HP, 85 PP, 108/110 EP; Battle Aura X=2

6 fleeing orcs; fine
1 standing orc; fine
 

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Re: The Angel Angle (Tassadar) GMed by thetwo

"I want you to leave us alone," Nadia replied sharply, standing as still as a statue save for what little needed to move for her to speak. Her arms were hanging loosely at her sides, lacking any hint of tension, but the battle hardened angel hardly needed such to react in time to avoid an attack from this orc. She was far more worried about any more that might have been lurking in the bushes anyway, and thus devoted most of her concentration to keeping alert for more of the greenskins that might be lurking about. "That's all. Leave here, all of you, and tell your superiors that we've gone, and that we aren't worth following. We'll be in Lockacre by the time you get a decent force out here anyway, and if you continue to harass us then I'll just kill you. All of you. The prize isn't worth the price, as it were, so just... Back off."

(Full Defense for +30 Dodge/Resistance, +15 Perception.)
 
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Re: The Angel Angle (Tassadar) GMed by thetwo

Nadia forsakes all other actions for +30 dodge, +30 resistance, and +15 perception.

The orc continues gripping the handle of his axe, but still hasn't drawn it. His gaze darts between Nadia, the treeline, and Petra. "Uhh... tell my superiors that you're gone, and... not worth fighting?"

He takes another hesitant step backward, but at least so far the angel hasn't made any overtly hostile moves towards him. At least, not since landing. When she doesn't lash out and kill him, he takes another step. "Yea, I can do that. I can do that right now?"

The other orcs, meanwhile, have all reached the cover of the trees. Most of them are still running, but Nadia can see that the one with the bow has stopped and tried to hide himself between two trees, and his companion is only a little further back. He's at the edge of bow range and hasn't drawn yet, but if he's an especially good shot he be an annoyance.
 

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Re: The Angel Angle (Tassadar) GMed by thetwo

"That's correct," Nadia confirmed, slowly folding her hands behind her back. She'd done it make herself look less likely to attack the orc, but it had the secondary effect of pushing her breasts against the relatively thin barrier of the clothes that she wore. It was fairly cold out here, and even though her body was more or less immune to such concerns, it still had a few natural reactions to the chill. Case in point, her action caused the tips of her bosom to stand out through the fabric of her robe, and while it wasn't a conscious effort, the slight stimulation against her sensitive peaks caused Nadia to shift her stance to press them just a little bit harder, the reflex completely subconscious and instilled in her by the demons that had once attempted to break her.

When he stepped away from her, she tilted her head and smiled, but the expression was hardly inviting even if it was friendly. "Yes, I would prefer it if you did. And... Do take your friends with you! Make sure you get all of them too... I'd hate for anyone to get caught out in the cold all alone...." Nadia's grin just a little bit menacing as she trailed off, and after a moment she added; "Why... That just might kill them!" When the orc turned to leave, Nadia watched him for a few moments before turning her attention fully... Or at least mostly, to the archer now standing on the hill. She kept her hearing attuned in case any other orcs might decide to sneak up on her, but mostly she just glared at the orc for a few moments before turning and walking back to catch up with the people she was protecting.

Her kind normally didn't take sides in mortal conflict, and Nadia liked to think that that was true of her as well. While she might like the humans and elves more than them, she didn't really have any right to intervene in a conflict between nations unless she had a personal stake in it. Her responsibility to the people of Petra might be construed as such, but in her mind all that she had to do was ensure that they were safe, and going off to fight a war wouldn't accomplish that in the fiery angel's mind. She would defend the people of Petra, or anyone else that she knew, from the orcs.... But wouldn't go out of her way to harm them unless they committed evils that she was made directly aware of. They were, as her elders said it, a young species who came from a difficult lifestyle, one that had been ignored by the more civilized races, and who's strength was to be respected. The angels had more than enough problems to deal with as it was, and adding the no doubt arduous task of forcefully civilizing the orcs was something that none of her kin really liked the idea of.

She kept her aura up until she reached the group, only dropping it once she was sure that they were safe from further attack, and if the damn archer didn't leave she would watch him carefully, not dropping her aura until he was well out of sight. If Sarah or any of the others asked, she would report what she'd seen truthfully and in simple terms, not bothering to waste much time on discussing it even if they might have preferred it if she'd killed their would-be attackers.
 
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Re: The Angel Angle (Tassadar) GMed by thetwo

The bow-orc kept his eye on Nadia until she started moving back towards the group and his fellows were all past the treeline, then turned and starting catching up to them.

"We haven't seen the last of them. Those ones might have been scared off, but if they've really taken Gods-Reach, there will be hundreds of them. Thousands. More. They won't all be scared. We have to be ready."

"I'm afraid I have to agree. Your presence may ensure that small groups run, but the rest of us are more or less easy pickings. When they attack, there may not be just six. Or if they are, they will all be highly skilled fighters. I see two major choices. We can follow the road and hope to just outrun them, or we can go cross-country so that we're harder to find. Though with a group this large, I don't know that either tactic will work especially well."

"There's also our for-lack-of-a-better-word troops. Half a dozen untested 'swordsmen' for martial combat, Lidia here and her three underhealers for magic. Then me and you."

The other elf shook her head. "I'm sure the girls would give it their best, but none of them have any real magical talent outside healing. And I doubt they'd do well in combat. I can offer some additional talent in the realm of illusion, but Sarah is really the only one who will be throwing about fireballs."

Sarah blushed and smiled at what she apparently decided to take as a compliment. The rest of the former Petra residents were starting to mill about and mutter in a gradually increasing volume.
 

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Re: The Angel Angle (Tassadar) GMed by thetwo

The bow-orc kept his eye on Nadia until she started moving back towards the group and his fellows were all past the treeline, then turned and starting catching up to them.

"We haven't seen the last of them. Those ones might have been scared off, but if they've really taken Gods-Reach, there will be hundreds of them. Thousands. More. They won't all be scared. We have to be ready."
"Probably not," Nadia agreed, fatigue creeping into her voice already, "I hate saying this, but.... Hopefully they'll be distracted enough by the fall of Gods-Reach that they won't care about is."

"I'm afraid I have to agree. Your presence may ensure that small groups run, but the rest of us are more or less easy pickings. When they attack, there may not be just six. Or if they are, they will all be highly skilled fighters. I see two major choices. We can follow the road and hope to just outrun them, or we can go cross-country so that we're harder to find. Though with a group this large, I don't know that either tactic will work especially well."
"We will be. It's not like they're going to have time to set up ambushes ahead of us when we're going away from their territory, so we mostly just have to look out for scouting parties coming up behind us. The faster we move, the less likely they are to catch up to us, so I think we should just take the road and hope for the best. I'd rather avoid any more adventures in the woods."

"There's also our for-lack-of-a-better-word troops. Half a dozen untested 'swordsmen' for martial combat, Lidia here and her three underhealers for magic. Then me and you."

The other elf shook her head. "I'm sure the girls would give it their best, but none of them have any real magical talent outside healing. And I doubt they'd do well in combat. I can offer some additional talent in the realm of illusion, but Sarah is really the only one who will be throwing about fireballs."

Sarah blushed and smiled at what she apparently decided to take as a compliment. The rest of the former Petra residents were starting to mill about and mutter in a gradually increasing volume.
"If things do get violent along the way, I would prefer it if you left the brunt of the fighting to me. Concentrate on keeping everyone else unharmed, and just let me do the brunt of the killing. If we somehow get attacked from two fronts I want you ready to hold the other one until I'm finished. That said, I'd be happier if we could just get through this without any violence at all."
 
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Re: The Angel Angle (Tassadar) GMed by thetwo

Perception: 31+13-2(skyclad) = 42

The group made reasonably good time on the road. There was no way a group of 30, including civilians who weren't necessarily in the best of shape, was going to manage a military-quality march, but by the time the sun was starting to set nobody had caught up to them. Unfortunately, there was one possibility that Nadia and the rest of the group hadn't foreseen.

"I didn't get an exact count, but there must have been at least thirty of them in the camp. Maybe more scouting, though I don't think anyone saw me. Most of them were carrying weapons. And... there were half a dozen naked women, humans and elves, all in cages. And there were a bunch of empty ones." Sarah spoke in a whisper. She had been out ahead of the group while Nadia checked for anyone following, and had fortunately heard the orc camp before the group walked straight into it. The group had stopped, and Sarah had muffled herself with a spell before getting close enough to give this report. The rest didn't know exactly why they had stopped and moved back a few hundred yards, though they could probably guess, at least in general terms.

"Orcs!" the shout came from the back of the group. A blonde elf holding a pair of mismatched daggers in his hands came through the group, leaving confusion and fear in his wake. He suddenly seemed to realize that Sarah and Nadia were whispering, and lowered his voice. "They're coming from behind us! Six of them, and they look... eager. They'll be here any second! But we can take them!"

The few others with weapons had drawn them, and Lidia was standing in front of her subordinate healers as if she intended to protect them. The woods to either side were dense forest and, now that they were a reasonable distance from gods-reach, completely wild. With the sun touching the horizon to the west, there were deep shadows that would fade into full darkness within the next half hour.

Nadia: 105 HP, 85 PP, 110 EP; fine
Sarah: fine, used a small amount of EP.
Lidia: fine, full EP.

Reserves: men and a few women, untested in battle but at least nominally armed
Andrew: fine, wielding 2 large knives.
1 sword
2 bows
2 axes
4 others with knives
3 novice healers

Enemies:
A camp ahead along the road, which Sarah claims contains 30+ soldiers as well as a number of captured slaves. Apparently unaware of the group from Petra as of yet.
A group behind, which Andrew claims contains exactly 6 orcs. May arrive within seconds.
 

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Re: The Angel Angle (Tassadar) GMed by thetwo

Nadia didn't try to force the group to march faster than they could manage, knowing the majority of them well enough to know their limits, but the angel knew that haste was essential. They made good time.... Until they ran into an obstacle that Nadia hadn't foreseen - a camp set up along the road, all the way out here in the Pass of Ghosts. Sarah was sent ahead to scout under the guise of her magic while Nadia and the others waited, the angel growing increasingly impatient as her lover took longer and longer. Finally, just as she was about to simply give up on patience and storm into the orc camp, Sarah returned to deliver her report, which only caused Nadia to scowl darkly.

A very strong part of her wanted to storm into the camp and slaughter the orcs anyway, her gut twisting as Sarah relayed the fate of the slaves. Though it might not bother Nadia herself, it was still icy cold out here, particularly so in the almost perpetually snow-coated mountain pass, and being left out in the open naked was practically a death sentence if done for any length of time. At the same time, the more rational part of her realized that doing so would endanger her charges. The angel stood in internal conflict for a moment, her duty at war with her sense of morality, but then one of the men suddenly shouted out that more were coming from behind them. Nadia's admonition for the noise when they were so close to the other orc camp died in her throat, its ghost coming forth as a tired sigh. Dammit all, even if a part of her liked a good fight, Nadia still hated taking a life when she didn't think she had to, even a slaver's life.

"Watch the camp. Don't get involved unless you have to," Nadia stated simply as she strode through the rest of the group, pulling her bow from over her shoulder and knocking an arrow as she reached the edge of the circle formed by the refugees from Petra. "And for heaven's sake, hide!" she shot irritably at them, gesturing with her bow towards the bushes on one side. They had plenty of wild terrain, they might as well use it to get those that couldn't fight out of the way.

Once the orcs were within sight, Nadia would quickly nock an arrow and let loose, aiming to fire a warning shot first by putting the arrow into a tree next to one of their heads, or at the ground next to their feet if none of them were close enough to a tree for her to shoot. "Go away!" she shouted, carefully training her voice so that it wouldn't carry too far. She'd rather fight six and then thirty than thirty six at once. If the orcs were, as Nadia suspected, unwilling to give in to her request and opted to attack, she would shoot at them until they were close enough to actually attack her,

Fuck, I need to get Skill with Bows and invest in Rapid Shot. And get Heavy Weapons Specialist for high AV enemies. Damn you tempting options! *shakes fist*

Nadia's possibly important stuff for easy reference!
-Bow: 2d8 + 6 + Body/3 damage, (+72) [2d8 + 29] {50 foot range increment, 1 shot before reload, reload time 0 rounds}
-Khazidea (Bastard Sword) (+77) [1d12 + 34] (Has the AV ignore enhancement, giving it a total value of 400 denarii in enchantments)
-Phantomfang (Bastard Sword) (+77) [1d12 + 34]

Dodge: 70 + 2
Armor: 2
Resistance: 35 + 8 = 43
Perception: 26 + 2 + 3 = 31
Stealth: 26 - 2 = 24
Grapple: 70 + 12 = 82


Rules stuff for easy reference!
Range Increments:
1x < C < 2x == - 4 penalty, 2x < C < 3x == -8 penalty, 3x < C < 4x == -16 penalty, 4x < C < 5x == -32 penalty, and you can't fire farther than 5x the range increment.

Death from the Draw (Passive) - The character can draw their weapon and swing with it in the same turn. When doing so, they get a +6 bonus to attack and damage rolls. Requires Skill with One Handed Swords, Two Handed Swords, or Bastard Swords (Talents) and the Quick Draw skill.


Actions!
IF the orcs don't stop and turn around: She'd basically start shooting once the orcs were inside of the -16 range increment, aka 200-150 feet away, and keeping popping them one by one in an attempt to injure as many as she can before they get up close. Prioritize, in this order: mages, archers/gunmen, people in heavier armor (knights,) people in lighter armor. Once they get close to the 50 feet marker but preferably before they enter into the first range increment, or if one of them starts using magic/bows/guns, start using 20 points of defensive fighting to increase her Dodge.

When they get close, and if there aren't any knights, death from the draw and kill them, attacking two different ones if one of them is already injured (target the injured one with Khazidea) or the same with both blades if nobody's hurt. Also use 20 points of defensive fighting.

If there are knights, stop it when she'd start using defensive fighting and I'll reassess from there.
 
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thetwo

thetwo

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Re: The Angel Angle (Tassadar) GMed by thetwo

The group seemed stunned, but as Nadia knocked her arrow, Sarah and Lidia got themselves together and started herding the rest off the road and into the woods. The angel didn't stick around to see how well they did, time being of the essence if she was to engage the larger group before the smaller arrived.

Around a bend in the road, Nadia got her first sight of the camp. It was in the evening shade, but already lit by the glow of what must have been several different fires. A pair of upturned wagons blocked most of the road, only a narrow space between them. She could also see green-skinned humanoids walking around, but they were still out of bowshot.

The wagons blocked Nadia's site of the camp, but she was a tall woman, and briefly standing on a boulder let her see enough. There didn't seem to be 30 orcs in the camp, though counting people not courteous enough to stand still was difficult enough without fearing that they would see you. Nadia wasn't afraid of that, and had more experience with battles than Sarah. She estimated 20, unless a bunch were hiding behind the wagons, in the small tent near the rear of the camp, or out in the woods.

She could also see the cages. All the slaves were nude, with pink or tan skin, and all of them were women. It was hard to tell at this distance, but they might have been collared or otherwise bound as well. They looked scared, and were all huddled on one side of a single large wooden cage, near where a fire burned outside. It wouldn't be a comfortable night for them, but they wouldn't freeze. Two more cages stood empty, and three more were partly assembled. The cages looked like they would just fit into the upturned wagons.

Nadia went a little ways further, until she was reasonably sure she could accurately place her arrows in the camp. Her view was somewhat limited without the height advantage of the boulder, but she could arc her arrows over the wagons, and she could see enough to begin. Her first arrow landed with a thud right between two orcs, and was quickly followed by her challenge. One of them drew his sword and started running towards Nadia, the other dove behind a nearby pile of supplies. There was muffled cursing for a few seconds, growing louder and spreading about the camp. Then she heard a cry of "Charge!"

Orcs around the camp grabbed and unsheathed weapons, and started moving towards Nadia. Things were moving fast, but the redheaded angel's strength and bow gave her a significant range advantage. She saw a few orcs holding bows and rough firearms, but none stopped to use the wagons as cover, unlikely to be able to hit the angel from such a distance. Nadia, however, felt reliably able to hit a target as soon as it passed the wagons.

The first orc hits the 200 foot mark, where Nadia has chosen to engage.

ROUND ONE: FIGHT!
Attack (Nadia): Hit!
Damage (Nadia, bow): (8,1)+29 = 38 - 5 = 33

Her first target was an easy choice, the swordsman who had charged even before the order, simply because nobody else was in range yet. He had pulled a shield off his back and held it in front of him as he charged, covering himself as best he could while running. It was a good effort, but even at this range Nadia's skill with a bow was better, and he took an arrow through his leg just below the knee. He let out a bellow and kept charging.

It quickly became apparent that while the side of the wagons facing Nadia was a sheer wall of wood, the other side was not, as rather then pouring through the convenient choke point, the orcs dropped down from the top of the wagons. The voice from inside the camp continued. "A thousand gold split among those who hit the angel! Death to any who flee!"

Sword 1 closes to under 150 feet. 5 additional orcs cross the 200' mark.

Round 2: FIGHT!
Attack(Nadia): Hit!
Damage(Nadia, bow): (4,7)+29 = 40 - 5 = 35

Now there were six targets to pick from. Nadia ignored the already injured swords-orc and switched to a target that was more of a threat - another orc already readying an arrow on his bow. There was little danger that he'd hit at this range, but he'd be attacking before the ones with melee weapons for sure. Her arrow sunk into the orc's shoulder, punching through the leather armor that most of the orcs wore like butter. He dropped his arrow, but kept moving and grabbed another from a quiver at his hip.

Sword 1 closes to ~75' feet. The second wave is closer than 150'. 4 additional orcs cross the 200' mark.

Round 3: FIGHT!
Attack(Nadia): Hit!
Damage(Nadia, bow): (7,1)+29 = 37 - 5 = 32

Orcs continued passing the wagons. They had a variety of weapons; swords, axes, maces, guns, and bows. The most recent one to pass the wagons was the first to be wearing anything but identical leather armor, though. This one wore chain armor, and Nadia could see the rage in his eyes from her position 200 feet away. He screamed. "You bastards heard the boss, FUCKING CHARGE! Capture her if you can, but if she fights back too much -" he paused as Nadia sent an arrow into the side of an orc holding a crude rifle. "KILL HER!"

Sword 1 is nearly in melee range. The second wave is ~75' away. The third passes 150 feet. 7 additional orcs pass the wagons.

Round 4: FIGHT!
Nadia activates Defensive Fighting
Attack(Nadia): Hit!
Damage(Nadia, bow): (8,4)+29 = 41 - 5 = 36

"PUSH! IF I HAVE TO KILL HER MYSELF..." Finally what seemed to be an obvious leader appeared. He wore Matte-black metal armor, decorated with skulls and rusty red stains, and carried an ornate greataxe in both hands. He was preceded by six leather-armored orcs, easily keeping up with their all-out run, and what Nadia could see of the camp behind him was empty.

The angel shifted stances, as orcs started to get within attack range. But even with less of her effort going into aiming and more into avoiding potential attacks, Nadia managed to land a solid hit on a second rifle-bearing orc.

Things were moving too quickly. Nobody had attacked her yet, but Nadia could already see some of the ranged soldiers taking aim, and the first swords-orc would be on her before her next shot got off. She tossed aside her bow and put her hands on her twin broadswords. The moment her hands touched the hilts, Nadia heard a voice in her head. Finally!

Status:
Nadia: 105 HP, 85 PP, 110 EP; fine, defensive fighting (+20 dodge)

Allies:
no known allies in this part of the fight.

Wave 1:
Sword 1: badly injured, will reach melee range next round.

Wave 2:
Bow 1: badly injured, will attack next round from 50'
Gun 1: badly injured, will attack next round from ~50'
Mace 1: fine, will reach melee range in 2 rounds
Mace 2: fine, will reach melee range in 2 rounds
Axe 1: fine, will reach melee range in 2 rounds

Wave 3:
Gun 2: badly injured, will be ~75' away next round.
Mace 3: fine, 3 rounds away
Sword 2: fine, 3 rounds away
Lieutenant: fine, 3 rounds away

Wave 4:
Bow 2: fine, will pass 150' next round
Gun 3: fine, will pass 150' next round
Axe 2: fine, 4 rounds away
Axe 3: fine, 4 rounds away
Axe 4: fine, 4 rounds away
Axe 5: fine, 4 rounds away
Orc Leader/Knight: fine, ???
 

Tassadar

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Re: The Angel Angle (Tassadar) GMed by thetwo

Nadia's mental count on the orcs caused her to scowl, as while Sarah might not be much of a warrior, her ability to count had never been questioned in the angel's mind. That made her think that some of the orcs weren't in the camp, but it was too late to turn back now. The large orc group responded about as she'd honestly expected to after she'd fired her warning shot; they took cover and then issued a charge. Sighing with resignation, Nadia simply opened fire, using arrows rather than her magic even though the latter would have swiftly left the orcs completely decimated if used on their formations. This tactic payed off as it easily allowed her to point out their leaders, a lieutenant charging out first and a knight coming forth with a sizable entourage next, and that came about when the closest orcs were pushing her to carefully toss her bow aside and go for her blades.

The sudden appearance of a voice in her mind as she went for her swords caused Nadia a moment of pause, but she didn't have time to contemplate it much. She didn't draw her blades either - the collection of orcs now charging her, their leader among them, gave her an opportunity that Nadia simply couldn't pass up. "You should have just run," she stated tiredly as she back away from the charging group as her right hand stretched forth, sending an orb of golden light at the orc knight. That orb bloomed into a bright, blinding flash as it struck, exploding brilliantly in a wave of energy that would leave whatever within as little more than dust.

Even as the flash of her energy cleared, Nadia was already smoothly drawing her unenchanted weapon and wielding it in both hands. "If this is your choice, then come! Come and get a taste of the divine!" She called, allowing her voice to become at least marginally suggestive towards the end even though its ferocity never dropped. Once he got near she slashed at the sword-and-shield wielding orc that she'd already shot, who was the first to reach her, intending to simply kill him and have done with it. Only when she was surrounded would her other sword come forth as the angel entered a whirling dance, her swords reaching out to their fullest reach as she started the bloody and senseless task of cleaving through the orcs.

For the record: This is not what I wanted! I meant to go after the six guys that were approaching before dealing with the camp! :<
I wouldn't want to force you to rewrite all of that though, so meh.

Actions:
Back away at her speed and use Energy Wave, X = 15, ball shape with 10 foot radius on the orc knight and as many of his cronies as she can fit into it. Her attack with Spirit Powers hits at a +72. Deals (1d6+4) * X damage.
After that, just start chopping orcs. The first guy gets a two handed attack from Phantomfang using Death from the Draw, which is +10 damage and +4 attack from what's listed cuz not two weapon fighting, and if the orcs are still coming then she activates Whirling Death and Death from the Draw Whirlwinds with both blades to take out the second wave. Stop if she gets hit or if the orc knight somehow dodges the energy wave, or something else happens that I'd need to have her respond to.


Nadia's possibly important stuff for easy reference!
-Bow: 2d8 + 6 + Body/3 damage, (+72) [2d8 + 29] {50 foot range increment, 1 shot before reload, reload time 0 rounds}
-Khazidea (Bastard Sword) (+77) [1d12 + 34] (Has the AV ignore enhancement, giving it a total value of 400 denarii in enchantments)
-Phantomfang (Bastard Sword) (+77) [1d12 + 34]

Dodge: 70 + 2 = 72
Armor: 2
Resistance: 35 + 8 = 43
Perception: 26 + 2 + 3 = 31
Stealth: 26 - 2 = 24
Grapple: 70 + 12 = 82


Rules stuff for easy reference!
Death from the Draw (Passive) - The character can draw their weapon and swing with it in the same turn. When doing so, they get a +6 bonus to attack and damage rolls. Requires Skill with One Handed Swords, Two Handed Swords, or Bastard Swords (Talents) and the Quick Draw skill.

Whirlwind – The character attacks all enemies within range of them, but take a -10 penalty to attack rolls, damage, and Dodge until their next turn. They attack with both weapons if they have two. Requires Two Weapon Fighter OR Heavy Weapon Specialist.

Whirling Death – The character gets a +8 bonus to their melee damage, attack rolls and AV, but takes 4 points of damage per round that ignores AV. Requires Two Weapon Fighter.
 
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