Day Three of the Odinsleep (The Plains of Vígríðr) Part Four

DAY ONE (Day Three of the Odinsleep), 9:30 am

 

Shadow frowns, confused by his fizzling fireball.  He glances at his fingers and notes their lack of flexibility and realizes that while his spell may be proof against nearly any attack, it makes it difficult for him to cast spells.  He draws Swiftwind from its sheath at his side and goes into a dive, angling toward the Jotun’s gigantic face.  Spewer grips his shoulder tightly as the drow yells back to him over the sound of the wind racing by his ears, “SPIT IN BOTH OF ITS DAMNED EYES!”  The drow barely dodges a backhand from the giant and rakes his phoenix-blessed rapier across the titan’s face.   The slash is narrow but the powerfully enchanted blade splits open the Jotun’s cheek as Spewer’s caustic spittle sprays one of the monster’s massive eyes.  The giant barely seems to notice the cut but the burning acid begins to spread and the giant wipes at it with the back of his hand, causing it to smear even more. 

Raven snarls, fully possessed by Thorgrim’s rage and continues to slash at the giant’s legs.  Thorgrim’s first blow comes crashing down atop the Jotun’s instep on his right foot.  Bones break under the force of the blow and the cursed sword’s giant-killing enchantment.  The giant howls in pain as Raven works his way up the monster’s leg, smashing the frost giant’s shin in a blistering flurry of blows.  The elf works his way around the the back of the monster’s calves, both blades swinging almost faster than the eyes can see.  Nightwatcher’s blade easily slices through the tough hide of the giant’s boots, splitting tendons and sinews as the elf spits and foams at the mouth. 

Drax waits for the approaching ogre to pass him by, holding his attack until the last possible second before making his move.  The assassin flickers into view once more as his twin shortswords pierce the back of the ogre’s neck and the base of its spine.  The monster doesn’t even have to gasp in pain as blood erupts from its mouth and its entire body goes numb as the spinal cord is completely severed in two places at once.  As its legs give out, the assassin reaches around to slit the ogre’s throat before it topples to the ground just as Drax fades from view once again. 

The troll on Arthur’s right doesn’t see its ogre companion go down.  It snarls and spits and slashes at the paladin with both of gnarled, razor-sharp claws.  Sparks fly as the black nails drag across Arthur’s plate armor and not even the monster’s powerful jaws are able to find an opening in the armor’s defenses.  The other troll joins the first.  Arthur raises his shield to fend off the second attacker but the powerful troll grabs the shield and begins wrenching it back and forth, pulling Arthur to and fro and painfully twisting the paladin’s shoulder. 

Grotto raises his axe in both hands as he closes in on the lead ogre and shouts “Raven!  Don’t kill the big one without me!”   The scarred dwarf stands side-by-side with Hansuke as he brings the axe up over his head and then down in a whistling arc.  The first blow strikes the ogre in the chest, forcing it back a step while giving the dwarf a chance to launch a second attack – one that splits open the monster’s thigh. 

The Jotun closes its one eye tightly and takes a step back, raises one elbow and drops its entire body down onto the elf raging at his feet.  Raven throws himself aside to avoid the elbow but there is simply too much giant to get out of the way completely.  The impact knocks the elf flat and the Jotun is back on its feet a second later.  It scoops up the stunned swordsman and throws him toward the golden wall surrounding Asgard.  Raven smashes into the near-seamless surface and bounces off, falling back to the earth below and hits in a loose heap. 

Arthur twists his left arm, angling for an attack to get the troll off of his shield.  Lawbringer’s shining light and the paladin’s own holy glow burn the troll’s eyes.  The former bartender pushes forward, slashing with his fiery silver sword.  He strikes down the first troll with just one more blow, knocking it loose and driving it to the ground.  He turns and delivers two punishing hits to the troll on his left – splitting open its chest like a rotten melon and spilling entrails out on to the ground. 

Hansuke joins Grotto in his battle against the Ogre.  The tattooed monk shouts out his battle cry and assaults the massive monster.  His blows break ribs and shatter the ogre’s sternum, driving bone chips into its heart and lungs.  The ogre coughs up blood and reels back under the assault only to get a kick in the chin that snaps its head back before a final blow to the temple caves in its skull.  The ogre drops in a bloody heap, twitches once or twice and then lays still.

 

Desmond falls back and moves to his left, trying to keep some open space between himself and the ogre heading toward him.  The ranger snaps off one quick shot, hitting the monster in the thigh, just above its knee but the ogre snarls and continues trudging toward him.

Ra’ziir looks around and sees that two of the trolls are down and that one is still engaged in battle with Arthur.  As he shifts to his right he flies through the words of a fire spell and cries out “Radii Tepefacta!” Three lances of flame burst from his fingers, each one striking one of the trolls and setting it ablaze.   With his spell complete and no foes in reach, he moves forward, closing in on the closest ogre.

 

Korbin sees Raven go sailing through the air to smash into the city wall.  The bird gulps as it swoops down and snatches another stone from the ground.  The crow beats his wings as he flies up toward the giant and releases both of his rocks before turning over in mid-air and dropping out of the titan’s reach.  One of the stones strikes the giant in its acid-burned eye but eliciting a howl of pain from the monster that shakes the very air around the battlefield.

Morn’s silvered whip dances in his hands.  The enchanted lash moves as if alive, striking the troll repeatedly and driving it the ground before splitting open its throat with the very tip of the silvered leather thong.  The troll reaches up, grasping at its torn neck for the briefest of seconds before it falls to the ground. 

Cedron calls upon his god once more, sacrificing a chance to repel the undead to sheath his flutesword in divine fire and beckons the ogre to come nearer, ready to strike the moment the brute is in reach. 

The ogre pauses and licks its fat lips.  It takes a step forward and lowers its head as if to charge but Kysek strikes first.  Blackflame and White Faerie both slice across the back of the ogre’s thighs.  Neither cut manages to hit the beast in the hamstrings but the brute does stagger under the vicious assault, directly into Cedron’s reach.  The minstrel runs the beast through, piercing its fat belly and setting its innards on fire and the ogre howls – dropping its maul to punch Cedron in the face.  The bard’s head rocks back and he stumbles backwards, barely keeping his feet underneath his body. 

Niklas fires on the ogre fighting the elf and the bard with his bow, Blaze.  His first arrow fells the giant monster and he pivots in search of another target. 

The final four ogres close in on their intended prey – two angling toward Ra’ziir to take the place of their fallen companion and the last two moving in on Hansuke and Grotto.

= = = = = =
• Inspire Courage (+2 hit/dmg/save vs charm/fear) from Morn: Arthur, Drax, Morn, Niklas (4 rounds remaining)

• Bless (+1 hit/save vs fear) from Grotto: Desmond, Grotto, Hansuke, Korbin (5 minutes, 8 rounds remaining)

 • Arthur: 94% health

• Bubo: 100% health

• Cedron: 93% health; Divine Flames (+1d6 holy damage, 3 rounds remaining)

• Desmond 100% health

• Drax: 100% health; Improved Invisibility (8 rounds remaining)

• Grotto: 100% health

• Hansuke: 94% health

• Korbin: 100% health

• Kysek: 100% health; Stoneskin (89 minutes, 8 rounds remaining)

• Morn: 100% health

• Niklas: 100% health

• Raven: 5% health; Rage (7 rounds remaining)

• Ra’ziir: 100% health; Stoneskin (169 minutes, 8 rounds remaining)

• Shadow: 100% health; Overland Flight (14 hours, 49 minutes, 8 rounds remaining); Iron Body (DR15/adam, immune to blindness/critical hit/deafness/disease/drowning/electricity/poison/stunning and effects that affect physiology or respiration, Str 21 (+5)/Dex 16 (+3) attack bonus/penalty cancel out, gains +3 damage, ASF 50%, -8ACP, 14 minutes, 0 rounds remaining); Spewer’s acid burns for one more round of damage

• Spewer: 100 % health;