5. The Wood of Sharp Teeth

Round 2 Summary

It's not easy, being a half-ogre. Most often neither side of your parentage want you around, if they don't kill you on sight, and so you're stuck fending for yourself even as a newborn. You have to be one tough, mean badaxe your entire life in order to survive.

Fully caught up in his bloodlust, Tazok greets the party's attacks with a bellowing chuckle.

First, as he feels Stella's spell warming his metal armor, he hucks Taergosz' entire body at her. The plate-clad corpse slams into the young woman and knocks her down (Stella takes 18 bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone). Whistling arrows and bolts are ignored as they bounce off his thick armor (One deals 4 dmg though!). But Dieter's arrows... They sink into the already-heated metal and burn just as hot. The half-ogre won't be able to ignore those wounds!

Next, Tazok kicks Ardenor Crush off his sword at Aiwe as she approaches, thinking to bury her beneath the hobgoblin's remains. The battle-bard sees the trick coming though and avoids the attack, all the while beating her rhythm.

Tazok roars and raises his freed sword to chop at the belligerent young woman, but Runeson gets there first! Shining warhammer slams once, then again, and even mighty Tazok is shaken by the smiteful blows. He turns to meet this new warrior and is taken aback for a moment by what he sees. "I thought you were dead! Begone from here, ghost!" His emphasizes his words with a mighty swing from his sword, beating past Runeson's shield and armor to deal a grievous wound (Runeson takes 20 slashing dmg).

Bleeding and burning, Tazok bellows, "Bring me your skulls, that I might DRINK YOUR LIFEBLOOD FROM THEM!!" (Tazok uses Second Wind and regains 20 hit points.)

Further out into the battlefield, the group can just barely hear the dwarven mage's pleas as Aiwe's silence spell dissipates. "...please, Koveras... lad... please..." And then Koveras ends the bearded spellslinger with a sword through the chest, twisting the blade so violently that it breaks off in the dwarf's body. Koveras tosses the ruined weapon away as the dwarf's body slumps to the ground, then calmly picks up another from the many that litter the battlefield. One burned arm still held tight to his side, the half-orc's eyes move to Tazok, seeking a weakness. His feet move in an impossible blur, and he speeds across the battleground to strike at the bandit boss. Given his mistreatment in captivity, it's a disappointment but no surprise when he fails to pierce the half-ogre's armor.

Aldous moves along with Ida and Jorik as the battle carries on, doing his best to keep his footing on wet rocks and mud. But when he notices Stella's injury, his brow furrows in anger. "You won't touch her!" Jorik's grip on the young noble's arm slips as Aldous turns to mist, flowing faster than the wind over to Stella where he corporealizes once more (Alous casts Misty Step). He carefully shifts his weight, then reaches down to help her to her feet (Stella is NOT prone!).

Round 3 Player Phase!!!

I try my best to shrug off the damage Tazok inflicted. "The only ghost here will be you!"


47 damage to Tazok
HP : 24/44
AC : 20

Tazok takes up his sword in both hands, ready to butcher his way through the party, but it's obvious the hulking warrior is in great pain from the wounds he's sustained - and from his heated armor. Blinded by pain and rage, he almost seems to become a feral beast.

He swings at Aiwe with immense strength, an angled downward slash that cuts the bard in half and continues on to dig a deep furrow into the earth... except as Aiwe's halves slide apart, they shudder and vanish. An illusion!

As the party unleashes their attacks, Tazok turns to another opponent - Dieter. He lunges forward as the young warrior approaches, extending his sword to its full length to skewer him... but flinches as the extension causes his armor to shift, pulling charred skin with it and searing a new patch. Dieter turns the weak blow aside.

Feeling the impossible happening, his strength flagging, Tazok pushes futilely against the wall of defenders before him. He swipes at Runeson next. "...head... on a SPIT! Kill... you... DEAD AGAIN!!!" But Tazok's swing is no match for Runeson's shining shield, just as his jaw is no match for Runeson's smiting uppercut.

The half-ogre, commander of the Blacktalons and the Chill, falls backward with a crash. Dead, the only sound that comes from him is that of his own still-sizzling flesh.