02 - Entering the Eastlands

Location: Avauntar 

Date: Fourthmonth 9, 300 YE

Weather: 62 degrees, clear

Having come to a conclusion on the party's plan over breakfast, the adventurers exit Avauntar, gather their troops, and depart for the Eastlands.

 

Once the party exits the buffer zone around Avauntar, and leaves the Queen's Lancers patrols behind, they are on their own.

The air is hazy and warm, and the badlands are unfamiliar terrain to the party.  Time is spent looking down, guiding the horses around small obstacles on the ground, perhaps more than is necessary.  When the rocs appear, it's too late to hide or retreat.

Mikyun calls out the warning first, and heads pop up to see a group of nine huge bird-like creatures soaring through the air only 500 yards away.  The rocs appear to have noticed the group, and turn to fly over for a closer look.

Had to double post to get dice rolls.  No surprise, Neutral reaction from the rocs.  Actions?

Encounter occurs in hex 03.25.

 

Arnault

Arnault turns to the rest of the party and says, "These creatures are a distraction from our main purpose.  If they do not attack us, I do not see why we should waste our time dealing with them."  Nonetheless, he and his men will ready their missile weapons.

Alistar

Alistar nods agreement. "Let us disregard the avians." The group continues riding, albiet warily.

Egil

 

​With furrowed brows Egil watches the approaching Rocs. "Lets spread out and make bows and lances ready anyway. I dont want to end up as bird food just yet..." He says half yelled to make sure he is heard over the clapping of hooves.

With nocked arrows and baited breath, the party awaits the arrival of the roc formation.  The magnificent creatures fly past the troops, observing the number of shiny men and pointy sticks.  They decide not to attack but the presence of so many horses and mules is too much for them to resist.

Three of the rocs swoop down toward the relatively undefended baggage train, attempting to grab a mule.  Laden with supplies, the mules are too heavy to carry away so the rocs begin to eat them in place!  The other mules panic and run in all directions.  The handlers are almost as frightened.

 

Alistair

Fireball!
 

Egil

 

Egil yells an order and Reinhart makes the platoons on the left flank fire on one Roc and the ones on the right flank fire upon a another one.

Arnolt

Arnolt will cast Speak with Animals.  He will try to communicate with the Rocs and tell them that we can give them food if they leave the pack animals alone.

OOC: Not sure if a Roc is a giant animal or a fantastic creature.
 

Alistair

Alistair sighs, seeing that the damage is done, and lets his hands fall fireless to his sides.
 

Vinric Lahes

Vinric attempts to make himself as small and non-tasty looking as is humanly possible without the use of magic.

Taerad Orc-bane

Taerad commands the three units of Cataphract Cavalry in the Main Body to fire their composite bows on the largest of the three rocs. Lieutenant Tunney brings his two units of Horse Archers around to support Reinhart's troops on the left flank in firing on their roc. Lieutenant Mertes holds his two units of Horse Archers at the vanguard of the company, keeping watch.

The horse archers in the rearguard react to the rocs immediately, as do the flanking archers adjacent to the column.  The platoon to the right fires a volley first, peppering the rightmost roc with arrows.  The two rearguard platoons open up next, doing no damage to the roc on the right and very little to the roc on the left, but combining to kill the center roc before it can get off the ground.  The flanking platoon to the left fires last and does a little more damage to the leftmost roc, but not nearly enough.

The two remaining rocs screech in pain and dismay and rise up into the air.  Streaking over the baggage train, they land in front of the rearguard and randomly claw and bite at two of the closest horse archers.  One is torn to shreds and falls from his horse, lifeless.  The other manages to dodge the roc's beak and takes minimal damage from its claws.

The remaining rocs that chose not to snack on the baggage train soar high above the party but do not attack.

Roc R(ight) takes 15 hp damage and has 12 hp left.  Roc C(enter) takes 33 hp damage and dies.  Roc L(eft) takes 7 hp damage and has 21 hp left.

The two horse archers have 5 and 7 hp.  One takes 9 damage and dies.  The other takes 2 damage and has 5 hp remaining.

Next round actions?

Arnolt

Arnolt rides toward his cavalry, ordering them to close and attack the rocs as soon as he can communicate with them.

While the party's leaders scramble to respond to the rocs, the horse archers closest to the mighty beasts continue the fight.

The upside to one of the rocs killing a merc is that it leaves him clear of melee action and open to more arrows.  Two platoons on the left fire another volley of 29 arrows at it, with eight hits.  The roc dies messily.

On the other side of the column, the roc is engaged with a merc.  Five of his closest mates swarm the roc and slash at it with their scimitars.  Three hit it but the roc yet lives.  Enraged, it claws and bites the previously wounded merc and he falls.

The next round, the mercs continue to slash away at the roc but fail to do any damage.  The roc, for its part, lands two claw hits which bloody a second merc but don't kill him.

The final round, the roc finishes the wounded merc while his fellows finally hack it to death.

The rest of the rocs remain high above the party, observing but not acting.

Since it was pretty clear there wasn't any space for anyone else to join the fight, I rolled out the battle with the horse archers acting alone.

Round 2

The two platoons on the left hit 8 times for 25 dmg and killed their roc before it could act.

The six riders on the right landed three hits for 18 damage (all three max dmg!) but that roc lived.  It hit the merc in front of it for 2 dmg but the merc had 8 hp.

Round 3

The roc acted first, hit the wounded merc for another 8 and killed him.

The mercs then hit the roc three times for 11 damage and ended the battle.

Total of three dead horse archers and three dead small rocs.  

Actions?

Alistar

Alistar rushes forward, bonesaw and herbs in hand, to see if any of the felled men can be saved. If so, they're his first priority. After that, he'll scrap the roc for parts.

Arnolt

Arnolt will also go over to see if he can heal any of the fallen.  Siegmar will use his Animal Husbandry skill to see if anything can be done for the mules.
 

Alistair is pointed toward the merc who fell most recently and attempts to save his life.  It is quickly apparent that the man's spine was snapped at the neck and, even if more focused healing is immediately applied, he will have a short and painful existence going forward.

While Arnolt debates quickly healing the crippled man or attempting to save another merc, Alistair moves to the third casualty.  His ear has been torn off and blood flows copiously from the wound.  Alistair staunches the flow of blood but first aid can't save him now.  He also needs healing.

I accidentally made my rolls in Susan's post instead of this one.  My bad.

Alistair's first patient needs healing in one round or he will die.  

I need to know if Arnolt is going to heal Patient 1 or write him off and move to Patient 2.  I also need to know what type of healing spell he's using.

Patient 3 needs healing within one turn or he'll die.  He can wait a bit but I need to know if Arnolt will be healing him or if Alistair will attempt to Cure Light or Serious Wounds with the Healing Proficiency.  Or if another character will help.

Arnolt

Arnolt will move on to Patient 2 and cast Cure Light Wounds.

Alistair

Emmon will Lay On Hands patient 3.