[Horde] Chapter Five: Session Eighty-Two
Appearing Characters: Ariok, Arthak Saurfang, Galforr Siegebreaker, Koth, Nyxxa Murkthorn, Rahjak, Rak'Symma, Seria, Shuja Grimaxe, Sol'chi, Zar'Kaa, Zekhan
December 27th
The critically wounded Dark Horde Ogre Bruiser released a battle cry and launched his axe around himself in a wide cleave that decimated one of his injured fellows, who fell to the ground, dead. The Iron Star Orc Brute launched another attack at Zar’Kaa, but the troll was deftly able to avoid the blows.
Meanwhile, a Dark Horde Warrior fired two shots of Seria, but they both went wide.
The Dark Horde Warrior that had been thrown off the ladder instead ran to go up the long way to get to Arthak. Koth, Caller of the Hunt, fired a shot at Arthak and managed to pierce his armor.
One of the felbats lurched forward and swooped down with an ear-piercing screech. However the din of battle prevented it from doing anything other than causing ears to ring.
Sol turned his attention to the various enemies around Nyxxa and Zar’Kaa and lightning crackled around his hands as he cast [Chain Lightning]. They were all severely zapped by the surge of electricity.
Arthak barked at Galforr to attack, and the orc warlord drove his weapon at Koth. He then dove behind one of the Dark Horde Warriors, evading a strike, but the warrior focusing on him chased and managed to clip his weapon into his armor.
A mounted warlock released a rain of [Hellfire] over Zar’Kaa and Nyxxa, but they were both able to dodge away. Nyxxa released a shriek as she used [Shatter] and then gashed a massive cut in one of the warlocks.
Seria dove down at the ogre warlock as she released a hiss of fury. At that moment, her mother manifested in a confused flurry, seemingly having been momentarily left behind in the bumpy teleportation, but Kala assured her daughter that she was there as Seria released a stream of acid over the ogre. She then sunk her fangs into him.
The Blademaster Crab started to spar with Arthak and struck him in the side with its blade. It then grappled Arthak up in one of its claws by grabbing his sword, and clipped him again with its blade. The basilisk hissed and flanked around Arthak where it proceeded to claw at him.
Zar’Kaa soared over toward Arthak using his Eagletalon Spear, and he felt a strange magical sensation bubbling up from Rokul Kaz, as if it was seeking to escape. He gripped the spear as he landed, and swung with Rokul Kaz. It sparked to life, and burst into a crackling blue green lightning. It was similar to when he had used it with Bru’kan, yet he did not hear Bru’kan’s voice.
He swung his weapon around as he felt the fel course through him, and he launched the crab and Rahjak into the air and slammed them into the ground. The enemies he had struck, however, started to bleed more than they normally would, and he felt a sudden pain sear through him. He no longer was poisoned, but his eyes widened in shock. He shook it off.
A hunger seemed to be coming from the spear, almost as if it wanted more.
One of the Stormreaver warlocks pulled out a blade and started to slash at Nyxxa. The blow was a harsh one as the warlock managed to clip into Nyxxa’s gut.
The Dark Horde Ogre tried to use [Corruption] on Seria, but she was able to repel the darkness away as the ogre then missed with a [Fire Bolt]. The ogre shouted at his fellows to get her, but then retreated behind his fellows.
Another harpy looked down at Zar’Kaa and ignited some debris that she then hurled down at him. The first one he dodged, but the second slammed into his arm. Another harpy threw two blasts at Symma and also managed to connect with her. Another strike also connected with her, and she shrieked in distress as her feathers were charred.
A third harpy hurled more debris at Sol, and he ducked down as the debris slammed off his shoulder.
One of the Iron Star Orc Brutes leaped up and grabbed Nyxxa out of the air.
Arthak went giant and brought his blade down on Rahjak as flaming chains wrapped around him. Rahjak cut through the chains with his own flaming sword. Arthak was able to redirect the blast, and he brought his blade down on the blademaster again.
He then bellowed out across the battlefield.
At that moment, soldiers started to flood out into the fortress from some tunnels. Ariok, also giant, caught an iron star and hurled it back at the orc that threw it, sending them hurling off the side of a cliff. Arthak looked down at the blademaster.
Another harpy witch hurled debris at Symma, but she was able to evade.
Lightning crackled in Symma’s talons as she caused a surge of lightning to chain through the various flying enemies. One of the harpies plummeted from the sky, as did the warlocks, but Symma used [Feather Fall] to catch the falling harpy and enacted a [Healing Spirit] over Nyxxa from G’Hanir.
She looked pointed at the harpy that had not fallen, and her eyes trailed down to the harpy she had saved, before she flew over to Sol.
A felbat with another warlock soared over and released a sonic screech at Sol and Symma, but they were able to brace themselves against it.
The owlish healing spirit Symma summoned briefly swept by Nyxxa, mending some of her wounds. The satyr then released a flurry of attacks on the Iron Star Orc Brute that had grabbed her, and she managed to stun him. The orc dropped her, and then she soared over to Symma and Sol and disappeared into a tree. One of the warlocks tried to incinerate the tree but she was able to evade.
Sol created a [Fog Cloud] over the area and then put [Blessing of Kings] on himself.
One of the felbats swooped down and grabbed the corpse of its rider and fled. Meanwhile, Arthak ordered Galforr to attack Koth again while he continued to focus on Rahjak. He cleaved Rahjak’s legs out from under him, and then impaled him. Arthak grabbed the blademaster and raised him to his mouth, where he bit him in half and ate him in two bites.
He then slashed through one of the warriors.
Several crossbow shots impacted Seria’s scales, but she barely felt them with her rage as she soared around two other shots.
Arthak tried to finish off the remaining Dark Horde Stone Guard, but he managed to stand his ground by a hair as he clipped Arthak back with his greataxe.
Zekhan shouted at Sol, Nyxxa, and Rak’Symma that he was there to back them, and he channeled healing waters over them.
Meanwhile, there was a blast of lightning from one of the buildings and young orc woman, Shuja Grimaxe, one of the Iron March shamans and the daughter of Breka Grimaxe, called for the ancestors to heal Arthak and Zar’Kaa.
Zar’Kaa finished off the Dark Horde Stone Guard, and then he rushed over the nearest Feltalon Hexenwitch. He launched Rokul Kaz up at her and ripped into her with a series of strikes. She dropped to the ground, and he then hurled his spear at one of the assault turtles. He teleported over to them and began to tear into the cannons on its back.
One of the harpies hurled a [Lightning Bolt] in the fog cloud, but it missed everyone.
Koth fired a shot at Arthak, and the arrow stuck into his armor. Another felbat sprayed acid into the fog cloud, but it also missed.
Seria flew back into the fortress and rapidly shifted to her humanoid form and back to create a surge of energy across the gathered enemies while the warlock that had been harrying her called for his minions to get Zar’Kaa instead.
Enemies were starting to gather around the fog cloud and one of the warlocks barked at the harpies to get rid of the cloud.
Symma, however, shot up out of the fog cloud and released another surge of lightning. With the lightning still wreathed around her, the orc warlocks fell to their deaths, and the fog cloud started to swirl around her.
The remaining hexenwitches looked at each other, but they bowed their heads in cowed defeat. The ogres also looked absolutely terrified. She then swooped down and formed the spiritual howl into a long vine that lashed out and entangled the nearby Dark Horde Stone Guard, constricting it, and Symma then swooped by and disappeared back into the fog cloud.
The critically wounded hexenwitch swept down to collect her unconscious fellows and retreated to safety.
Another harpy fluttered closer to the orcs.
She hurled some fel lightning at the stunned Iron Star Brute, and he fell to the ground, dead.
Koth shouted at the Iron Star Brute by Arthak to bring him down, and the massive orc grappled Arthak. However, the other Iron Star Brute pulled out an iron star and slammed it into Seria’s face. She hissed, but she was completely unharmed, as the blessings of the loa that shielded her prevented her from taking any damage. The Brute looked at her, slack-jawed.
The basilisk blasted acid from its maw at Arthak, and it coated his armor.
Koth went for an arrow. He considered, but then went for a different arrow. The arrow sparked and he fired it up into the air in a line of brightly-colored phosphorous. The orgres and all the orcs looked up at the signal.
Koth himself also started to retreat after ordering his pets to cover their escape.
Nyxxa swooped over to the basilisk and crab and told them that they could live and fight another day if they helped them. The beasts seemed to register the compassion in her voice, and they hesitated.
Meanwhile, Symma barrelled over the battlefield and slammed into a group of orcs with a [Destructive Wave], knocking many of them prone and interrupting the escape.
Seria was grabbing all the orcs she could, and Sol tried to teleport the turtles away while Zar’Kaa slammed his spear into the ogre warlock that had been calling the shots. The ogre tried to hurl a living bomb back at the group to cover themselves.
As Koth grabbed his equipment to rappel away, Galforr hamstrung him and stepped on his bow, shattering it. Sol teleported the turtles one by one back to a dry area of the fortress, and Zar’Kaa successfully intercepted the warlock.
The felbats tried to scoop up their fallen masters, but harpies converged on them and forced them to the ground. The one that had fled earlier suddenly got attacked by two ravens that nipped at its wings. One of them suddenly tore into its wing, and the dead warlock fell. The other raven grabbed it while its fellow tore into the felbat’s eyes.
The felbat fell into the water, and the raven gulped down an eye it had ripped from the demon’s head.
Those that could understand animals heard them bickering about the sizes of their kills and laughing.
The rest of the attack concluded, with Seria biting one of the Iron Star Brutes and Arthak bit the head off the other Iron Star Brute and shoved him off the cliff. He then pulled out a cigar as he returned to his normal size.
The harpies landed before Symma and bowed.
The basilisk hissed and snapped, but the blademaster crab stuck its sword in the basilisk’s mouth where it bit for a moment, but then it calmed as the blademaster crab bowed in a show of deference.
