Chapter 4.2: The Dim Journey to Orlane

Round two, continued...

Grallaria flies out the open window, momentarily bracing for impact despite knowing that it is an illusion. Flapping into the Dim Forest, she sees that two bandits, Gull and Huff, have made their way east through the trees around past the back of the farmhouse.

Sora spins, turning the spin into a kick that catches Dhit in the chest. The kick lifts him off his feet; he lands flat on his back.
Dhit takes 5 bludgeoning damage and does not get up again.

Peering through the dim image of the closed shutters, Amnestria sees Kazzak and Berthold confronting the three bandits behind the wagon; she intones the arcane syllables and gestures, flinging sand. Dell looses an arrow that skims past the combatants and disappears into the woods. Then he considers whether to leave the loft or not. All but one of the people (Bem) who'd called him out are already defeated, and every visible bandit appears engaged; perhaps he could remain where he is? He decides that this is still a good vantage point and resolves to continue attacking from above.

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20 - Bandits Abe (Dead) and Bem (half cover from ranged)
19 - Grallaria (1/1)
17 - Sora (8/12)
17 - Amnestria (9/9)
17 - Bandits Chel (Dead) and Dhit (Dead)
14 - Dell (9/9)
11 - Bandit Ene (3/4 cover from ranged) and Bandit Fern (3/4 cover from ranged)
10 - Bandit Gull (in the Forest) and Bandit Huff (in the Forest)
6 - Berthold (4/11)
6 - Kazzak (12/12)
3 - Antonius (10/10)
0 - Reynald (4/4), Guilbert (4/4), Olyena (1/4)

Round two, continued...

Through long study, Amnestria knows exactly where to direct the magical energy so that it doesn't affect her teammates. Despite the adrenalin pumping through her in this life-or-death situation, Ene starts to feel her eyelids droop as the magic washes over her...then abruptly she collapses behind the wagon, fully asleep.

Fern drops her crossbow and yanks out her sword to attack Berthold.
Berthold takes 6 slashing damage and falls, dying, behind the wagon.

Gull and Huff break out of the trees and run for the kitchen door in the back of the house. Guilbert, stationed at the east window, sees them running below and yells so everyone can hear: "There's bandits in the back!" Gull bursts through the door, sword drawn, but there's no one in the kitchen. Huff follows inside the house, disappearing from Guilbert's view.

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20 - Bandits Abe (Dead) and Bem (half cover from ranged)
19 - Grallaria (1/1)
17 - Sora (8/12)
17 - Amnestria (9/9)
17 - Bandits Chel (Dead) and Dhit (Dead)
14 - Dell (9/9)
11 - Bandit Ene (full cover from ranged, asleep) and Bandit Fern (3/4 cover from ranged)
10 - Bandit Gull (in the house) and Bandit Huff (in the house)
6 - Berthold (0/11) Dying
6 - Kazzak (12/12)
3 - Antonius (10/10)
0 - Reynald (4/4), Guilbert (4/4), Olyena (1/4)

Round two, continued...

Critically succeeding his death save, Berthold blacks out for a few moments, then wakes up in severe pain, lying on his back on the ground.
Berthold is not dying, prone but conscious, with 1 HP!

Still clashing swords with the bandit, Kazzak yells "Yaaarr!" hammering blows at Bem. The bandit turns aside the first, second, third strike, but Kazzak whirls his sword in a spiral, finally batting the larger man's blade aside so that he can slash a deep gouge in the bandit's gut.
Bem takes 12 slashing damage!

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20 - Bandits Abe (Dead) and Bem (half cover from ranged, -12)
19 - Grallaria (1/1)
17 - Sora (8/12)
17 - Amnestria (9/9)
17 - Bandits Chel (Dead) and Dhit (Dead)
14 - Dell (9/9)
11 - Bandit Ene (full cover from ranged, asleep) and Bandit Fern (3/4 cover from ranged)
10 - Bandit Gull (in the house) and Bandit Huff (in the house)
6 - Berthold (1/11) Prone
6 - Kazzak (12/12)
3 - Antonius (10/10)
0 - Reynald (4/4), Guilbert (4/4), Olyena (1/4)

Round two, completed

Confident that Berthold yet lives without his help, Antonius whirls around. "Sora, with me!" he barks, then calls toward the barn, "Dell! Kazzak and Berthold need your bow more than I do!" Stepping back into the house, he starts to call upstairs "Amnestria!" when Huff's Readied crossbow twangs. The bolt thuds into the door jamb past his head. Antonius finishes his shouted encouragement of the wizard as he takes stock of the situation in a glance. "Your magic has already turned this fight—keep pressure on the wagon! Wee Jas favors the disciplined, and today your aim is truer than any blade here!" Huff is standing in the middle of the room (the main room which is the ground floor kitchen/dining area); Gull has Dashed, with just his feet visible at the top of the stairs. As he can't reach Gull with his remaining movement, Antonius crosses the shorter distance to Huff and growls, "You've chosen the wrong door," as he smashes the bandit woman in the shoulder with his warhammer.
Huff takes 8 bludgeoning damage and drops the crossbow.

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20 - Bandits Abe (Dead) and Bem (west of the wagon, half cover from ranged, -12)
19 - Grallaria (outside in the trees, 1/1)
17 - Sora (just outside the front door east of the wagon, 8/12)
17 - Amnestria (in the second floor north room, 9/9)
17 - Bandits Chel (Dead) and Dhit (Dead)
14 - Dell (in the barn loft, 9/9)
11 - Bandit Ene (west of the wagon, full cover from ranged, asleep) and Bandit Fern (west of the wagon, 3/4 cover from ranged)
10 - Bandit Gull (on the second floor landing) and Bandit Huff (in the main room of the house, -8)
6 - Berthold (1/11) west of the wagon, Prone
6 - Kazzak (12/12) west of the wagon
3 - Antonius (10/10) in the main room of the house
0 - Reynald (4/4) in the southern room on the 2nd floor, Guilbert (4/4) in the eastern room on the second floor, Olyena (1/4) in the southern room on the 2nd floor

Round Three
(this is preceded by round two, followed by round four)

Bem desperately tries to retaliate against Kazzak, though he's clearly weakening. "We're working for Black!" the bandit cries, apparently hoping that the name holds some sway for the adventurers. Wouldn't it be terrible if this was all a misunderstanding from two different bandit teams?

Grallaria glides silently through the air, flapping once or twice to keep herself aloft as she comes out of the Forest and circles over the wagon and Fern.

Sora rushes around the wagon to attack Fern before she can do some dastardly deed like slitting Berthold's throat. Sora hopes he still lives, and is relieved to see his eyes open and chest rising and falling with breaths. Not having drawn her sword yet, she drops a kick at Fern's legs and punches at her head. Each of the blows connect.
Fern takes 9 bludgeoning damage!

"Sorry," Amnestria murmurs to herself in response to Antonius' command as she aims her wand at the bedroom door. "This seems more urgent." As soon as that door opens, she is Ready to blast whoever is there with fire.

Dell looses an arrow which thuds into the rail of the wagon. Then he shoulders the bow and climbs down the ladder, drawing his rapier once he's down on the ground again.

Ene slumbers on the ground.

Fern whirls around and tries to chop Sora with her sword, but the Earthshaker monk easily avoids the wild swings.

Upstairs in the house, Gull throws open the door and Amnestria releases her spell.
Gull takes 18 damage and dies screaming, his flaming corpse falling backwards and scorching the stairs as he falls bouncing down the flight to land outside the first floor bedroom door.

Wide-eyed, Huff tries to retaliate against Antonius, hacking and flailing with her sword. One of her panicked blows connects.
Antonius takes 3 slashing damage!

Berthold rises and tries to attack Bem, but the desperate bandit hears his movement and dodges out of the way of his dancing sword.

This is enough of a distraction for Kazzak, who slides his sword in between Bem's ribs.
Bem takes 9 slashing damage and dies.
"Good to know. We'll take care of him too."
Fern starts screaming.

Antonius whirls and shoves Huff backwards into the kitchen counter with his shield, and the bandit knocks jugs and mugs off to shatter on the floor. "Your friend goes before you," Antonius growls, and brings his hammer down on her head with a crunch.
Huff takes 11 bludgeoning damage and dies.
"Listen closely…" he says, as the lifeless body drops, "The Ruby Bell still tolls."

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20 - Bandits Abe (Dead) and Bem (Dead)
19 - Grallaria (circling above the wagon, 1/1)
17 - Sora (west of the wagon, 8/12)
17 - Amnestria (in the second floor north room, 9/9)
17 - Bandits Chel (Dead) and Dhit (Dead)
14 - Dell (exiting the barn, 9/9)
11 - Bandit Ene (west of the wagon, full cover from ranged, asleep) and Bandit Fern (west of the wagon, 3/4 cover from ranged, -9)
10 - Bandit Gull (Dead) and Bandit Huff (Dead)
6 - Berthold (1/11) west of the wagon, Prone
6 - Kazzak (12/12) west of the wagon
3 - Antonius (7/10) in the main room of the house
0 - Reynald (4/4) in the southern room on the 2nd floor, Guilbert (4/4) in the eastern room on the second floor, Olyena (1/4) in the southern room on the 2nd floor

Round three, continued...

Grallaria glides silently through the air, flapping once or twice to keep herself aloft as she comes out of the Forest and circles over the wagon and Fern.

Sora rushes around the wagon to attack Fern before she can do some dastardly deed like slitting Berthold's throat. Sora hopes he still lives, and is relieved to see his eyes open and chest rising and falling with breaths. Not having drawn her sword yet, she drops a kick at Fern's legs and punches at her head. Each of the blows connect.
Fern takes 9 bludgeoning damage!

"Sorry," Amnestria murmurs to herself in response to Antonius' command as she aims her wand at the bedroom door. "This seems more urgent." As soon as that door opens, she is Ready to blast whoever is there with fire.

Dell looses an arrow which thuds into the rail of the wagon. Then he shoulders the bow and climbs down the ladder, drawing his rapier once he's down on the ground again.

Ene slumbers on the ground.

Fern whirls around and tries to chop Sora with her sword, but the Earthshaker monk easily avoids the wild swings.

Upstairs in the house, Gull throws open the door and Amnestria releases her spell.
Gull takes 18 damage and dies screaming, his flaming corpse falling backwards and scorching the stairs as he falls bouncing down the flight to land outside the first floor bedroom door.

Wide-eyed, Huff tries to retaliate against Antonius, hacking and flailing with her sword. One of her panicked blows connects.
Antonius takes 3 slashing damage!

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20 - Bandits Abe (Dead) and Bem (west of the wagon, half cover from ranged, -12)
19 - Grallaria (circling above the wagon, 1/1)
17 - Sora (west of the wagon, 8/12)
17 - Amnestria (in the second floor north room, 9/9)
17 - Bandits Chel (Dead) and Dhit (Dead)
14 - Dell (exiting the barn, 9/9)
11 - Bandit Ene (west of the wagon, full cover from ranged, asleep) and Bandit Fern (west of the wagon, 3/4 cover from ranged, -9)
10 - Bandit Gull (Dead) and Bandit Huff (in the main room of the house, -8)
6 - Berthold (1/11) west of the wagon, Prone
6 - Kazzak (12/12) west of the wagon
3 - Antonius (7/10) in the main room of the house
0 - Reynald (4/4) in the southern room on the 2nd floor, Guilbert (4/4) in the eastern room on the second floor, Olyena (1/4) in the southern room on the 2nd floor